Freshman baseball player Nick Pontiff has a lot to live up to.The younger brother of late LSU baseball player Wally Pontiff Jr.entered LSU this fall with hopes of making his own impact not onlyon the baseball field — but in the Baton Rouge community.
Last fall, Pontiff was offered a preferred walk-on spot by LSUcoaches. A preferred walk-on spot is considered an invite to theteam, but no scholarship money or signing was involved in theoffer.
“I feel honored with the opportunity LSU has given me andI hope to make the best of it,” Pontiff said.
The choice to join the Tigers was not difficult for Nick afterexperiencing the baseball atmosphere as a fan and a brother.
“When I saw Wally first step foot on the field I knew thisis where I wanted to go,” Nick said. “Wally would comehome talking about how awesome the LSU community was and how theyaccepted him.”
Nick’s father and former coach Wally Pontiff Sr. said hisson made the right decision as well.
“I could not see Nick going anywhere else,” WallySr. said. “He is excited to be at LSU and a part of thesystem, fans and family.”
Having entered the team as a walk-on, Nick said he realized thechallenges and hard work ahead of him. Many talented athletes arecompeting against each other for a starting position. Nick said heis up to the challenge.
“Any ball player’s dream is to make the team andwork hard enough to start,” Nick said. “After seeingeverything Wally accomplished, if I achieve half of that, I’dbe completely happy.”
Former teammates of Nick said he will make a name for himselfhere.
“Nick will go as far as he’ll want and that is farbecause he’ll do everything it takes,” Trey Simon,freshman LSU baseball signee and off-season teammate said.”He is hard working and motivated.”
Simon also said Nick is a person who possesses leadershipqualities.
“He always keeps you up if you have a bad day. He showshow fun the game can be,” Simon said. “He goes outeveryday and never misses a day of practice.”
Nick attended Jesuit High School in Metairie. He was apart ofthe baseball program for four years, helping his team to the statechampionship his senior season.
Jesuit Head Baseball Coach David Moreau said Nick enjoys achallenge.
“Throughout his high school career, he went through amaturity process and began to feel more confident,” saidMoreau. “His continued improvement and love for playing iswhat drives him.”
Nick’s teammates said they also felt the impact of havingNick apart of their team.
“Nick is self-motivated — he has talent andknowledge of baseball,” Michael Hollander, freshman signeeand high school teammate said. “He learned a lot from hisdad.”
Nick admits he owes much of his success to his father. He saidhe considers Wally Sr. as his role model and credits him witheverything he knows about baseball.
“My father has always been there,” Nick said.”He is the only person who will never give up onme.”
Wally Sr. said he has instilled in all of his children theimportance of being a team player.
“I always tell my children to be helping to yourself aswell as others,” Wally Sr. said. “It is a team sportand you cannot do it alone.”
Nick said being at LSU comes with tremendous pressure, but sayshe hopes to get his point across to LSU fans that he is differentfrom his brother.
“I feel a lot of pressure because people are going toexpect me to be [Wally] but I’m not,” Nick said.”He achieved things that I’m not able to — and Iam going to achieve things that he didn’t.”
Nick, along with the rest of the Tigers have already begun fallpractice and are working this week.