OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Just a month ago, former UW-Oshkosh pitcher LJ Waco thought his baseball career might be over.
Now, the former Titans standout is in the Washington Nationals organization preparing to pitch in the Florida Complex League after a whirlwind stretch that included signing with an independent league team, throwing just 1.1 innings in game action and quickly earning the attention of Major League Baseball scouts.
“It’s been crazy,” Waco said. “A month ago, I didn’t really think I was even going to be playing any more baseball.”
Waco’s journey to professional baseball did not follow the traditional path.
The 24-year-old arrived at UW-Oshkosh as a shortstop and barely pitched in high school, throwing only one inning during his senior season.
UW-Oshkosh Head Coach Kevin Tomasiewicz said eventually, everything finally clicked on the mound.
“LJ came in as a position player, and it took him two-and-a-half years to learn how to pitch,” Tomasiewicz said. “Then it just kind of clicked, and he became kind of our best overall pitcher.”
After finishing his college career, Waco shifted his focus toward strength and conditioning instead of professional baseball. He began working with young athletes at a training facility while continuing to experiment with his own throwing program.
“For me, my training wasn’t super about me,” Waco said. “It was more about the kids I was working with. Everything I did was trial and error. Like, ‘Hey, I like the way I felt after this, now I’m gonna prescribe it to some kids.’”
Around October and November, Waco began seeing “Road to 100” videos on social media — videos documenting pitchers trying to throw 100 miles per hour. Inspired by those clips, he started posting his own progress online while continuing to train.
That eventually led him to a throwing session at Coach K’s Academy in Bloomington, Illinois, where his outlook completely changed.
Waco said he hit career-best velocity numbers during the workout and quickly realized professional baseball might actually be possible.
“I was like, ‘Oh, this is kind of a reality,’” Waco said.
Then came a comment that shifted his mindset entirely.
“He was like, ‘Are you playing anywhere?’” Waco said. “And I said no, and he was like, ‘You’d be stupid if you didn’t play anywhere.’”
Within 30 minutes of the workout, Waco signed with an agent. By the end of the night, he said he had received 18 contract offers.
Soon after, Waco signed with the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association. He made three appearances in spring training before pitching during the team’s opening series in Chicago.
That was all the Nationals needed to see.
“After 1.1 innings, they pulled the trigger on it,” Waco said.
Tomasiewicz said Waco’s rapid rise was built on relentless work behind the scenes. Over the past year, Waco increased his fastball velocity from the low 90s into the mid-to-upper 90s.
“I found out probably middle of December that he was working toward this, and he had gotten up to like 95, 96,” Tomasiewicz said. “Then I thought, well maybe he’s got a real shot at this.”
Now throwing between 94 and 96 miles per hour — and occasionally reaching 97 or 98 — Waco is beginning the next phase of his baseball career in Florida.
Tomasiewicz believes Waco’s story can serve as inspiration for current and future Division III athletes.
“With Division III, you have to be a superstar to get drafted out of this level,” Tomasiewicz said. “It shows that if you want to be great, you can be, and if you put your mind to it, you’re gonna be found by somebody.”
For Waco, representing UW-Oshkosh at the professional level means proving that players do not have to follow the traditional Division I route to keep chasing their baseball dreams.
“Everyone in high school right now is like, ‘Hey, I gotta go D1, I gotta go D1,’” Waco said. “But if you work hard, you really can get anywhere you want to go.”
Now that he is officially in affiliated baseball, Waco said the dream has changed.
“I’m most excited to try to make it to the MLB,” Waco said. “That is the goal now.”
