To say the odds of making it to "The Show" are incredibly slim would be an understatement, but for one ART U baseball alumni, that dream became a reality. On June 6, 2016, Nate Gercken, a 2015 graduate from the School of Communications & Media Technologies, was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 16th round of the Major League Baseball draft. 

"It was a dream come true," said Gercken. "I still remember the phone call I got, it was a day I'll never forget."

Gercken more than deserved the selection. He was a dominant starter throughout his collegiate career and holds ART U pitching records for almost every category, including earned run average, wins, strikeouts, and shutouts. In his last two seasons, Gercken posted a sub-three ERA and crushed the single-season strikeouts record his senior year with 79 punchouts to earn a selection to the All-PacWest Team. 

"I enjoyed my five years at Academy of Art," said Gercken. "I wanted to play at ART U to show people an art school can compete. It made me play with a chip on my shoulder and I still do for that extra bit of motivation."

Read more here!