Athletics

Making Their Names

TU baseball is no stranger to famous names. The team’s home ballpark is named after John Schuerholz ’62, ’07 (hon.), the first general manager to lead Major League Baseball franchises to a World Series title in both the American and National leagues and a recent inductee into the MLB Hall of Fame. But these days, Nate Nabholz ’24, Joey Zito ’28, Jordan Luton ’24 and Jeremy Wagner ’24 have brought famous last names to campus in hopes of forging their own paths.

Nabholz is the nephew of former MLB pitcher Chris Nabholz ‘95. Nate, a 6’5” pitcher, transferred to Towson from East Carolina and led TU in 2023 with 57 strikeouts, which stood 10th in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA). The criminal justice major is also a two-time member of the CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll.

“Nate is a serious contributor has made great strides from day one to today,” says head coach Matt Tyner. “Professional baseball has made some inquiries about him and he’s looking to be a frontline pitcher for us this year.”

Zito is the nephew of former Cy Young award winner Barry Zito. Joey is a first-year lefthander who pitched 21.1 innings as a senior at Dover High School (Pennsylvania), with a 1.97 earned run average and 38 strikeouts. Both of his parents are former TU student-athletes; his father Michael played football and his mother Melissa played volleyball.

“He has a world of potential and has to tap into it,” Tyner says.

Luton is a sport management major whose older brother is Jake Luton, a journeyman NFL quarterback. Last season Jordan registered 11 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched over 14 appearances. He joined Nabholz on the CAA academic honor roll.

“Jordan has been asked to contribute on the back end of a game in relief,” Tyner says. “So far he has performed pretty well.”

Wagner is the son of longtime MLB pitcher Billy Wagner, who played 16 seasons for five teams. Jeremy spent two seasons at Austin Peay State University before transferring to TU. Last season at TU he batted .282 with 13 doubles, three home runs and 24 RBI and had a team-best 19-game hitting streak during the year.

“Jeremy has a tough act to follow: Hall of Fame father, a brother drafted by the Astros,” says Tyner. “He’s a very solid college player. He certainly plays baseball with the zeal you want. He is a very team-oriented player who shows up every day, ready to go.”

One thing is certain, all four student-athletes will work hard to add new achievements to those famous last names.