Carbondale Reporter

Des Moines native Alec Nigut, once a high-profile outfielder and left-handed pitcher from Roosevelt High School, faced challenges early in his college baseball career. After committing to the University of Iowa, he underwent Tommy John surgery during his freshman year. During his sophomore year, still recovering, he struggled at the plate.

Seeking a fresh start, Nigut transferred to Kirkwood Community College but encountered further setbacks with a hand injury. His father suggested focusing solely on pitching, recalling Nigut's high school success as a pitcher. "My dad was like, 'Well, you should just try pitching again,'" Nigut said.

This shift allowed him to concentrate on what he was passionate about. "From then on, just pretty much worked on pitching," Nigut noted. He committed to Southern Illinois University (SIU) in 2022 and began playing for the Salukis in 2024.

Nigut's first season at SIU involved learning and adapting at the Division I level. He allowed 72 hits over 57.1 innings with an ERA of 6.75. In the offseason, he made adjustments with help from Southern pitching coach Austin Tribby and Premier Pitching Performance.

"I don't even fully understand it myself," Nigut admitted about the biomechanics program that helped refine his mechanics and pitch delivery.

Tribby observed significant improvement: "He came back...one of our best pitchers." This led to Nigut becoming an everyday starter for SIU.

Switching from a sinker to a four-seam fastball improved his performance significantly. Head coach Lance Rhodes noted that Nigut was throwing strikes consistently with three different pitches this fall.

Nigut's efforts have resulted in ace-level performance this season with a 4.01 ERA over 49.1 innings across 11 starts and only allowing 13 walks—a statistic Tribby finds impressive: "Free passes in college baseball are huge."

Nigut is currently 7-2 for the season with SIU winning eight of his starts overall. Tribby praised his demeanor: "He's very nonchalant...his confidence that he has when he goes on the mound."

Rhodes sees continued potential for growth in Nigut's future: "I really hope he gets a chance at professional baseball."