Before he even stepped on a diamond for his high school career, Deacon Nelson knew he was going to play at the collegiate level. But he made a trade from a Cavaliers sword to a War Eagle.

Nelson initially was committed to Virginia before the start of his freshman year at University. After a strong start to his Preppers’ career, it seemed like the Cavaliers were going to get a strong bat to add to their order.

In his three seasons with the Preppers, Nelson has a .388 batting average with 28 doubles, 83 RBI and six home runs. But before he could step foot on the diamond at Charlottesville, Coach Brian O’Connor headed to Starkville to take the Mississippi State job.

That’s when Butch Thompson rang his phone.

In 10 years, Thompson has led Auburn to the College World Series twice and recently went 41-20 last season with a trip to the Super Regionals. And the Tigers were ranked all season, being as high as second before the SEC tournament.

“When the coaches at Virginia left to go to Mississippi State, I decided to reopen my recruitment,” Nelson said. “When Auburn reached out, I started talking with them for a few weeks and then they were able to watch me play in a tournament in Atlanta. While I was down south, I was able to go on a visit to the campus and check it out. The coaches are amazing people, the campus is beautiful, and I love the southern culture of the school and all the resources it provides.”

Auburn was one of 13 teams in the SEC to receive an invite to the NCAA tournament after being upset in the first round of the SEC tournament.

The Tigers were awarded the fourth national seed and hosted a regional where they beat Central Connecticut, Stetson and NC State to advance to then also host the super regionals.

There they fell to Coastal Carolina. The attraction for Nelson was playing on the biggest college baseball stage possible but also wanting to prove he can contend with the top teams in the nation.

“To be honest, everything stood out to me at Auburn just because of how well the program and school fit me overall.” Nelson said. “Playing in the SEC is a dream come true for me, and Auburn is the perfect spot for me to do it.”

Nelson has been a part of the hot corner for all of his time with the Preppers, switching between all three places. After being with players such as Aaron Moss, Ben Elliot and Joey Zigman, Nelson is now the voice of that part of the field.

Going into this year, he isn’t focusing on any part of his game in particular. Rather, he wants to be the best leader possible.

After seeing how the seniors ahead of him have handled the situation of being a leader, Nelson is prepared for the challenge.

“There are always going to be things for me to work on when it comes to baseball, so the work never stops,” Nelson said. “My goal is to be playing right away in my freshman year, so I am going to work as hard as possible to make that happen. I will continue to learn and grow with my game.”

Last season was Nelson’s strongest from the plate, having a team-high .449 batting average with four home runs and 29 RBI as the Preppers advanced to the Division III state round for the first time in school history.

In the championship game against Licking Valley, Nelson had two of the team’s three hits. He doesn’t want there to be another 134-year drought between appearances on the state stage.

“At University this past year, we set a new standard for our baseball program,” Nelson said. “We have a very consistent culture built in place now, and we are going to keep our system for success the same. It starts this fall with lifts and practices, and I am going to continue to lead the team the same way as last year. I am very excited to get back on the field with my teammates and play for another championship.”

Originally Published: July 8, 2025 at 4:09 PM EDT