Schanuel Shines in First Taste of Professional Baseball

Nolan Schanuel stepped on to campus at Florida Atlantic University in the fall of 2020 with ambitious goals.

"I wanted to be the best player this program has ever seen and I wanted to continue my career at the professional level."

Coming out of the renowned Park Vista High School's baseball program in Lake Worth, Schanuel had multiple Division I offers, but Florida Atlantic was the one closest to home and the one that provided the best fit.

"He mentioned how important family unity was to him," noted FAU head baseball coach John McCormack. "He saw the value in sharing his collegiate experience with his family and allowing them to be part of what was going on in his life. I think he also saw the value of what we, as a staff, were trying to accomplish with him in terms of unlocking his potential."

"The coaching staff took me in from day one and told me what I needed to hear as opposed to what I wanted to hear," Schanuel added. "I think that's so important for the player and person that I've developed into three years later."

Fast-forward to 2023 and the hometown kid is now one of the most decorated student-athletes in school history. The hype train officially went into motion in January when Schanuel was named Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year and a Preseason All-American by four major college baseball publications.

The lofty preseason expectations would have been a burden to some, but not for Schanuel. The 6-4, 220- pound first baseman got off to a fast start and sent shockwaves throughout the college baseball landscape in late February when he homered twice in a 6-5 win over No. 22 Miami. One week later, he launched three more home runs on the road at No. 6 Florida, who fell to LSU in a best of three in the 2023 College World Series finale.

Those performances would prove to be just the tip of the iceberg for Schanuel, who went on to lead all of Division I and set new FAU single-season records in batting average (.447) and walks (71). He also led the country with an outlandish .615 on base percentage. In addition to those jaw-dropping numbers, Schanuel tallied 19 home runs, 64 RBI, and 88 hits. He struck out just 14 times in 289 trips to the plate. With all that in consideration, the junior became an easy choice for Conference USA Player of the Year.

The accolades were not just limited to on-field success. In June, Schanuel became only the fourth student-athlete in Florida Atlantic history to earn College Sports Communicator's Academic All-America® honors, a program that recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performance on the field and in the classroom. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA, be an important starter or reserve, and have completed one full calendar year at his/her current institution. Schanuel holds a 3.61 GPA while majoring in business entrepreneurship.

"He's a great role model for anyone who's looking for a role model," noted McCormack. "He does his work, he's a good person, he's polite… and he performs on the field."

The second part of Schanuel's lofty goal became a reality on July 9 when the Los Angeles Angels selected him with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the MLB Draft. Schanuel surpassed C.J. Chatham, who was selected 51st overall (second round) in 2016, as Florida Atlantic's highest professionally drafted student-athlete in any sport.

"Since I realized at four years old that baseball was something you could do for a job…this has been the dream," Schanuel said shortly after hearing his name called. "Now to be a part of the Angels' organization, I could not be more excited."

There was still one more plot twist for the whirlwind year. Just 41 days after the Angels selected him with the 11th overall pick, they promoted Schanuel to make his major league debut on August 18. The call-up was the fastest for a position player since 1978. Schanuel batted leadoff in front of Shohei Ohtani that night, singled, scored a run (on a grand slam by Ohtani), and helped turn a triple play.

Schanuel went on to play 29 games in the final month and a half of the regular season. He hit .275 with one home run and six RBI. He reached base at least once in all 29 games he played in.

Things will look slightly different when he reports to spring training in February. Ohtani has departed across town to join the LA Dodgers. The club has a new manager in Ron Washington and they'll hope slugger Mike Trout can rebound from an injury-riddle 2023. For Schanuel, after getting a brief taste of the big-league life and already proving he belongs, the Angels will no doubt expect their first round pick to take his game to another level in his first full season.

"I just try to remember it's still baseball. I've been playing it my whole life. It might be a little faster, guys are obviously better. But it's still just the game I've been playing since I was a little kid."

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