Biography
Honors
• Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020)
• MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award (2019)
• MVC Honor Roll (2018, 2019, 2020)
• MSU Danny Cook Rookie of the Year (2017)
2020 (Senior)
Pitched in three games out of the bullpen, ending the season with 2.0 innings, two runs allowed and three strikeouts ... Tossed 1.1 relief innings at Rice (Feb. 28), striking out three Owls, and recorded one out against both Central Arkansas (Feb. 16) and Maine (March 6).
2019 (Junior)
Witherspoon made 14 relief appearances as a junior, logging a 1-0 record over 17.2 total innings ... Opened the season with a scoreless one-third of an inning against Nevada (Feb. 15), striking out the lone hitter he faced ... Tossed 2.1 innings with two strikeouts to earn the victory against Central Arkansas (Feb. 26) in the Bears’ home-opening 9-7 win ... Logged a season-best 4.0 innings of one-hit relief at Oklahoma State (March 12), fanning two batters and allowing just one run ... Recorded a hitless inning with two strikeouts March 27 vs. Kansas ... Held New Orleans (April 20) scoreless over 2/3 of an inning to help secure a series win over the Privateers ... Earned the MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award, as well as a spot on the MVC Academic Honor roll at the conclusion of the season.
2018 (Sophomore)
Registered a strong sophomore campaign working exclusively out of the Bears’ bullpen, going 1-0 with a 3.24 earned run average in 20 total appearances ... Struck out 20 and walked just eight in his 25.0 innings, posting a 1.80 ERA in his five Missouri Valley Conference outings ... Posted 13 scoreless appearances, including four of his five MVC outings ... Held the opposition scoreless in four of his first five appearances, including three hitless outings ... Tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings of three-hit relief at Lamar (Feb. 17) in his first appearance of the season ... Worked 2 1/3 innings of the Bears’ come-from-behind 6-5 win over Oral Roberts (March 13), striking out three and allowing one run ... Picked up the mound victory over Southeast Missouri (March 20) with 3.0 shutout innings of the 10-5 decision ... Turned in four-straight scoreless appearances, March 17-30 ... Worked 2/3 of an inning of the Bears’ 5-4 MVC win at Indiana State ... Held Illinois State (April 21) to one hit over 3.0 innings to help lock up a series sweep of the Redbirds, matching a season high with three punchouts ... Pitched a perfect inning and a third in MSU’s 4-2 MVC Championship victory over Indiana State (May 24).
2017 (Freshman)
Made an immediate impact on the Bears’ mound corps, logging a 4-3 record and 4.29 ERA in 15 appearances to earn MSU’s Danny Cook Rookie of the Year Award ... Made five starts as a true freshman, including an opening weekend nod against McNeese (Feb. 19) in which he allowed three runs on six hits over 4.0 innings ... Worked seven scoreless relief outings, highlighted by a four-strikeout effort in 2.0 innings at Arkansas State (March 1) ... Tossed 3.0 scoreless frames in a March 17 win over Memphis, and struck out a season-best six hitters in starts at Oklahoma State (March 7) and vs. Arkansas (April 11) ... Made three consecutive scoreless relief appearances, April 23-May 2, allowing just two hits over 3.1 combined innings ... Pitched the Bears past Illinois State (May 26) with a season-long 7.0 inning effort at the MVC Championship, allowing just two runs on six hits ... Worked 3.1 innings of relief in the Bears’ NCAA Regional contest at Arkansas (June 4).
Background
Joined the Bears after earning his second-straight All-Suburban West Conference honor, logging a 2.22 earned run average and 55 strikeouts in 41.0 innings while holding the opposition to a .183 batting mark as a senior for Eureka High School ... Also led all St. Louis area American Legion hurlers with a perfect 9-0 mark for a Eureka Post 177 squad that claimed a district title in 2016 ... Named an honorable mention MHSBCA All-State selection in 2015 after posting a 6-1 record and 1.50 ERA ... Ranked among the conference’s leaders in strikeouts with 45 while issuing just 11 walks in 42.0 innings, helping the Wildcats to a 24-6 season that culminated in a fourth-place Missouri Class 5 finish.
Personal
Nathan Witherspoon is the son of Dave and Julie Witherspoon ... Born May 19, 1998, in St. Louis, Mo. ... Graduated with sales management degree and is working on a graduate certificate in entrepreneurship.
