Salem Reporter is publishing profiles about one graduating senior from each Salem-Keizer School District high school for its Class of 2026 series. The seniors were selected by their teachers, coaches and advisors for exceptional leadership and perseverance. See the other profiles here. 

Sawyer Nelson spent much of his high school baseball career under a microscope. 

Now a graduating senior, the South Salem High School star shortstop drew a crowd of scouts who watched him closely each game. They often stood just 10 feet away behind a chain link fence, studying his every swing, home run and defensive play.

Nelson joined the Saxon team’s varsity lineup as a freshman, batting among mostly upperclassmen. Four years later, he holds over a dozen state and school baseball records, including the most career home runs in Oregon’s highest, most competitive level of high school baseball. 

As he prepared for graduation, Nelson found himself on Major League Baseball’s radar. Between 10 and 15 scouts came out to see him play each game. 

Having just turned 18, the spotlight has weighed on Nelson. 

“I’m blessed to be able to go through that experience, but it’s also, I mean, somebody’s always watching what I do, and so, it’s weird, to be honest,” he said. 

Assistant baseball coach and health teacher, Patrick Frost, has tried to advise Nelson on navigating the attention. 

“If any of us had to live with that pressure – If I had to do that every single day, someone standing outside my window videoing me, and then at the end of the class, they tell me what I did really well, and then some of the things I didn’t do so well – the pressure builds over time,” Frost said. “He’s handled that really, really well, but it’s a lot of pressure. It’s a lot for a kid to deal with.”

Despite his accolades, Nelson is humble about his accomplishments. 

Kicking back on the blue two-seater couch in Frost’s classroom, twisting a silver neck chain between his fingers, he was coy about his impressive baseball career. Asked whether he made the MLB’s draft list, Nelson, looking off to the side, said, “You could say that, yeah.”

Some publications are listing him in the top 100 high school prospects nationwide, according to Frost.

Nelson is a natural left-handed hitter – a coveted, and often taught, talent in baseball. But it’s his charisma and charm as a teammate and leader that made him stand out to Frost.

“As soon as we crossed paths and met, I could tell he was going to be a special person, a special player and influential,” he said. 

Frost and Nelson have grown close over the years, working together on the field and in the classroom, where Nelson serves as a classroom aid for Frost’s younger students. 

Nelson keeps students on task and helps manage the classroom. Frost describes him as a funny, well-liked role model for them. 

Nelson’s ability to connect with others also shines through in his involvement in Unified sports, a program pairing volunteer students and students with disabilities. 

“Sometimes you’re gonna have a bad day, but most of these kids, they’re having great days like every day, and it’s awesome to see,” Nelson said about Unified. The program has taught him “you just kind of need to be grateful for what you have.”

“He has a big heart for people,” Frost said.

Nelson recently spearheaded a fundraiser for his team, putting together a spring baseball camp from scratch for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade. He organized the whole thing, helping coach the young players alongside Frost. The camp brought in around $2,500 for the team’s spring break trip.

While he takes some techniques from Frost, Nelson describes his coaching style as more “nonchalant,” while Frost is the “hype” guy. 

“The kids want me to be the cool one, and him to be like the hype one … He has to embarrass himself a little bit for me to look better,” Nelson said with a smirk. Frost laughed and agreed.

Whether it’s dating advice or dealing with stress on the field, “Frost has always been there for me,” Nelson said. The assistant coach has been a role model for him, he said.

This summer, Nelson will join Salem’s collegiate baseball team, the Marion Berries, for the first time, before packing his bags for college in the fall. He committed to Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles where he’ll hit more home runs. 

There, he is mulling a degree in either psychology, business or communication. He is also considering coaching at the college level. 

“I really love working with kids, and so whether it’s high school youth or college baseball, I really love coaching, and kind of want to stay around baseball as long as I can,” Nelson said.

But his main goal, he said, is to get drafted to play in the MLB.

“He’s gonna go far in life … but whatever he chooses to do, in whichever direction life takes him, he’s gonna make an impact, and he’s gonna do something special,” Frost said. “So no matter what, I’ll brag about knowing Sawyer Nelson.”

Have a news tip? Contact reporter Hailey Cook: [email protected] .

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