One of the best to ever toe the rubber at Pete Taylor Park has achieved hall of fame status. Former Southern Miss ace Nick Sandlin will be inducted into the Conference USA Hall of Fame’s as part of the 2025 class.
Sandlin will be inducted alongside four others, two other student-athletes and two coaches, for their success at the college level while competing in C-USA.
The Golden Eagle great was dominant in his college days, sporting a career 1.70 ERA, 268 strikeouts, and 23 wins. Sandlin also earned National Pitcher of the Year and C-USA Pitcher of the Year honors in 2018 following his junior season in which he went 10-0 and struck out 144 batters with a 1.07 ERA.
Congrats to @nick_sandlin on being named to the @ConferenceUSA Hall of Fame Class of 2025.#EverythingMatters | #SMTTT https://t.co/RY6VjExdBP
— Southern Miss Baseball (@SouthernMissBSB) July 9, 2025
Other superlatives on a long list for the Georgia native include winning the 2018 Ferris Trophy, an array of First Team All-American honors in all three years of his career, Freshman All-American honors in 2016, and a Golden Spikes Award Finalist in 2018.
Sandlin was drafted in the second round by the Cleveland Guardians in 2018 and was called up to the big leagues in 2021. Since then, he’s carried a career MLB ERA of 3.19. After being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2024, Sandlin has played a key role in the bullpen with a 2.20 ERA in 19 appearances.
Joining Sandlin in the 2025 class will be former Western Kentucky and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Brandon Doughty, former Western Kentucky volleyball player Jessica Lucas, current Western Kentucky volleyball head coach Travis Hudson, and current Middle Tennessee State women’s basketball head coach Rick Insell.
