Nick Raquet, a State College Area High School alumnus, made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the St. Louis Cardinals on Sept. 8. Raquet, who graduated in 2014, is a left-handed pitcher who signed with the Cardinals organization in 2024.
Raquet, a Boalsburg native, was the eighth-ranked player in the state of Pennsylvania in 2014 as well as the second-ranked left-handed pitcher in the Commonwealth. Raquet was also the 413th ranked overall recruit in his class, while being listed as the 41st-best prospect at his position according to Perfect Game scouting organization.
Raquet was able to have such success and be a well-known name partially because of the resources and supplies this district has at hand.
“The resources that our district has, the caliber of schools that we play, being in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth, you’re playing top-notch competition…So I think that really helps kids get better because they’re playing the biggest and the best schools. They’re playing really good athletes on other teams. That really helps them grow,” Head Varsity Baseball Coach David Williams said.
In his senior year, Raquet played for the State High Little Lions under coach Troy Allen. In two years with the squad, Raquet recorded a 1.30 ERA (Earned Run Average) in 12 appearances. In these appearances, he struck out 88 and walked only 35 while allowing only 12 in total. Near the end of his senior year on June 1, 2014, Raquet committed to the University of North Carolina.
“You work your entire youth and teen years to try and get that opportunity, and when you get there it almost starts over because it’s like a new beginning, a new level, you know everybody that’s typically playing on that college team is at the level that you’re at or more. That’s why they’re there,” Williams said.
In Raquet’s first and only season with the Tar Heels, he had 12 appearances, posting a 1.42 ERA in 6.1 innings in Chapel Hill. Raquet then transferred to The College of William and Mary in Virginia, but had to sit out the 2015 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
While Raquet was a beast in high school, he didn’t immediately stand out in college due to the elevated level of play expected and required to play Division I baseball.
“Once you step foot on campus, you immediately can tell that you are now surrounded by people from all over the country just as good as you, if not better. You are forced to take the game much more seriously,” 2023 State High alumnus and Ithaca College baseball player Cooper Albert said.
Raquet’s 2017 campaign for the Tribe was nothing short of a bounceback statement, as he recorded 16 appearances, 14 of which were starts. Raquet hurled 77.1 innings for the Green and Gold, punching out 95 and posting a respectable 4.66 ERA. Following this performance, he was selected by the Washington Nationals in the third round of the 2017 MLB draft as the 103rd overall pick.
During Raquet’s minor-league time with the Nationals, he achieved a 3.39 ERA in 61 appearances. During these three years with the Nationals, he completed 305.4 innings, while striking out 238 and allowing 327 hits.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Raquet’s life took an unexpected turn. He returned to William and Mary to finish his degree in business and took up a job at Ernst and Young working as a risk consultant. His passion for baseball eventually led him back to the game, and he returned to play independent league baseball.
After playing in the independent leagues for around two years, he was picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals and played in their minor league system for a little less than two years before making his MLB Debut. During his stint in the minor leagues, Raquet averaged a 3.52 ERA in 74 appearances. He also sat down 133 batters, and allowed 137 hits.
In his MLB debut, Raquet pitched a scoreless frame against the Seattle Mariners, retiring all three batters in a row and sending the Cardinals back to the dugout quickly.
“Making it to the MLB is an extremely impressive achievement,” Albert said. “Only 5% of college players go on to affiliated professional baseball, and only a handful of these players end up making it to the league. Making it there takes a combination of extremely hard work, talent that can’t be taught, and commitment to excellence.”
