'16 Eric Rasmussen
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- Year:
- 2016
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- Position:
- Pitcher
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- Team:
- Baseball
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- IHCC Years:
- 1969-71
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- Career Highlights:
- State, Region Champion • 16 career wins • No-hitter in 1971 • University of New Orleans • Drafted by St. Louis Cardinals in 1973 • 50 career MLB wins
Recruited out of Racine, Wis., by legendary IHCC Hall of Fame coach Pat Daugherty, Rasmussen pitched on state and region championship teams in both of his campaigns with the Centerville Junior College Falcons. He compiled records of 8-1 as a freshman and 8-3 the next season. He was a first-team All-American at the University of New Orleans and then became the first baseball player ever drafted out of UNO, taken by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1973. He had an auspicious beginning with the Cards, pitching a shutout in his first National League start. He also threw a shutout in his initial American League start with the Royals, the only MLB pitcher to ever accomplish the feat of shutouts in his first start in each league. He won 50 games in all, including 14 with the Cardinals and Padres in 1978. Since retiring as a player Rasmussen has spent a number of years coaching in pro baseball, the majority of those seasons with the Minnesota Twins.