Tue, Feb 09 2010
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Published November 18, 2009 11:33 am - Attending a small Christian school within the city limits of Claremore, Nathan Gilsleider knew his chances of securing a scholarship at a Division I university where slim to none and slim had already walked through the door. Shoot’n for the stars Claremore athlete’s journey to OSU teaches him to persevere By Bill Garrett, Sports Editor CLAREMORE DAILY PROGRESS November 18, 2009 — Attending a small Christian school within the city limits of Claremore, Nathan Gilsleider knew his chances of securing a scholarship at a Division I university where slim to none and slim had already walked through the door.
He knew at Claremore Christian School he scored 35 points and basketball players at larger area schools scored 15 and they still received all the press. He was going to have to prove himself at a much smaller college first. While at CCS Gilsleider played every sport the Warriors had to offer — baseball, basketball and soccer. The faith-based school was one year away from forming a football team or he would have played that as well. So Gilsleider began sending out DVDs to schools all over the area. The 6’3” left-hander had only one offer after graduation and that was from Hesston College in Hesston, Kan. Hesston offered him scholarships in baseball and basketball. The two-year Mennonite college was Gilsleider’s only chance to continue playing a sport after high school, so he took it. “After I went to Hesston it wasn’t long before I knew I wasn’t going to be comfortable there. So I came back during the summer and played on the Claremore Rangers summer league baseball team,” he said. Gilsleider had several friends on the team who had attended Eastern Oklahoma State University in Wilburton the following semester. “I went to Wilburton and pitched in the bullpen for them and Coach Aric Thomas offered me a scholarship,” Gilsleider said. At EOSU Gilsleider thought he was finally getting his chance. He had a scholarship to pitch at a respected baseball school for a highly respected baseball coach. But another obstacle stepped into his path. “I had lost a lot of velocity on my pitching. I went from throwing 87 to 89 mph fastballs to 83 to 82 mph fastballs,” he said. He was sent to a doctor in Tulsa whose diagnosis wasn’t good. Gilsleider had torn his labrum. A condition 15 years ago that was called “dead arm.” The labrum is a soft fibrous tissue that helps stabilize the socket joint in the shoulder. Gilsleider now faced surgery and rehabilitation. Four anchors were placed in his shoulder which were then tied to the labrum again. 
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