Former Redbird baseball standout Neal Cotts has not forgotten his college days and his baseball career at Illinois State University. That is why the young Chicago White Sox pitcher has decided to give something back to the place that helped him get a start in professional baseball.
Even though the 23-year-old Cotts is just getting started on what promises to be a successful career in professional baseball, he wanted to make a generous financial gift to Illinois State as part of the Redefining normal campaign. His gift is designated for improvements to the Universitys baseball field.
I owe a lot of my current professional success to my experience at Illinois State, said Cotts. I was given a tremendous opportunity to play baseball, and I wanted to give something back to the athletics program.
Even though Cotts is quite modest when he talks about his baseball career, it is nonetheless the story of a rising star. After an outstanding career at Illinois State from 1999 to 2001, he was a second round draft pick for the Oakland Athletics farm system, a move that made him the highest drafted Redbird player in history. He was traded to the White Sox minor league system in 2002, where he pitched for the Double-A Birmingham Barons.
During his career with the Barons, Cotts proved to be a valuable pitcher with a fastball of more than 90 miles per hour. He was chosen to pitch in the 2003 All Star Futures Game, which featured top players from minor league teams around the nation. His success did not go unnoticed by the White Sox management, and in August 2003 Cotts made his major league pitching debut.
It is not unusual for alumni to make financial gifts to Illinois State, but in Cotts case it is a continuing student who is giving back. Cotts feels a big connection to Illinois State because of his Redbird baseball career and because he has been coming back to campus and living in Bloomington-Normal during off-seasons in order to finish his degree in finance.
I was drafted into the minors in 2001, and I still have about two semesters to go to finish my degree, Cotts said. The professors and academic advisors at Illinois State are great. Finishing my degree is important to me, and they are a tremendous help in finding classes I can take during off-seasons.
In addition to finishing his degree, Cotts also likes to keep in touch with his former coaches and keep up on the current Redbird baseball team and the campus community at Illinois State.
I have a lot of fond memories of Illinois State, especially the various sporting events on campus, Cotts said. Illinois State is a great campus community that offers a lot of academic and social opportunities for students. I have also been very impressed with the amount of growth at Illinois State with the new Performing Arts Center and the construction of the new College of Business Building.
That vitality and growth in the campus community are what further convinced Cotts to make his gift.
I have had a tremendous experience at Illinois State, and I wanted to give something back, Cotts said. I encourage all alumni, even current students, to contribute to Illinois State. The University has done a lot for them, and by giving something back they can help Illinois State continue to grow.
Written by Eric Jome, Illinois State Media Realtions
