Nick Raquet had a week that thousands of young baseball players around the country and beyond dream about every night.
During 2017 MLB draft on June 13, the 2014 graduate of State College Area High School and College of William & Mary standout heard his name called in the third round as the Washington Nationals selected him 103rd overall. The pick made him the third-highest draft pick in Tribe baseball history.
The left-hander agreed to terms with the club and will start out with the Gulf Coast Nationals rookie level team, which starts its season on Tuesday.
“It really hasn’t (sunk in yet),” Raquet said last week. “The last couple days here and the beginning of this week has kind of been a blur, it’s all happened very fast. Celebrating with family and friends and living in that moment, it’s very surreal at this point.”
It may be surreal for Raquet, but his high school trainer, Troy Allen, saw major league potential.
“He’s a bulldog,” said Allen. “He gives you everything you ask for. He’s competitive when he gets into the gym. He helped to make my training center a very competitive environment.”
Now the head coach of State High varsity baseball, Allen met Raquet during the winter of his junior year. At the time, Raquet was throwing with a top speed in the mid-80s. Allen helped get Raquet to the upper 90s, as well as boost his control and athleticism, which eventually lead to the call from the Nationals.
Allen’s help to earn this opportunity is something Raquet will never forget.
“I can’t say enough good things about him,” said Raquet. “He’s definitely the main reason I’m the player and the person I am today from a baseball standpoint. I think that any young player that really has these dreams, these goals, has a good work ethic and is willing to but some blood, sweat and tears into it needs to find Troy Allen.”
Raquet is so thankful for Allen’s help, that he was one of the first people Raquet called after the news.
“He was bouncing off walls, nervous and excited,” said Allen. “I was at lunch and I hadn’t heard from him yet, so I figured something must be up. I got a text from my catcher at State High that he saw Nick go to the Nationals, and it was about five minutes later that (Raquet) called.”
Raquet, like most of the Nationals’ draft picks this year, will start out with the Gulf Coast League club in West Palm Beach. But the Auburn Doubledays of the New York-Penn League could be the next affiliate to host Raquet, meaning he could be coming back to town occasionally to play against the State College Spikes.
Raquet isn’t worried about those next steps just yet though.
“I’m excited. I love the adventurous side of it,” said Raquet. “This whole thing is like a journey, not knowing where you’re going to go, how long you’re going to be there. That’s the great thing about minor league ball — you just keep trying to play better and move up the chain as fast as you can and go reach that dream.
‘It’s going to be a blessing wherever I get put at, and I’m just really excited to get started.”
Allen, who knows Raquet’s ability better than anyone, has high expectations for the former Little Lion.
“When you get drafted, a lot of the time what happens to you depends on the organization you’re in,” said Allen. “In Nick’s case, he’s an upper-90s lefty with really nasty pitches in an organization that has no bullpen in the major leagues.
‘Nick has the stuff to get major league hitters out right now. If he dials in his control a little bit, he should move through the system quickly, and I bet he has a long career.”
