Thursday, Feb. 12, 2004 | 10:17 a.m.
His throat tightened, making breathing more challenging by the minute, and the blackout was inevitable, none of which had anything to do with the pitching that Eric Nielsen saw last summer in the Cape Cod League.
Anaphylactic shock was the only wicked curve that the UNLV junior right fielder saw during a fabulous offseason for the Cotuit Kettleers.
"I'm allergic to shellfish," Nielsen said. "I can only eat it in small portions. My host's dad brought home two 8-pound lobsters one night, and we boiled 'em, did the whole thing ... my girlfriend had to shove Benadryl down my throat. Before I knew it, I passed out.
"She whined that she had gone all that way and I wasn't spending time with her, but it was a great experience."
Because, on the field, the former pudgy red-headed Henderson Little Leaguer and Silverado High graduate turned himself into a bona fide major-league prospect in the prestigious wooden bat-only league.
"Strawberry blonde," Nielsen likes to say of his mop.
Nielsen finished fifth in Cape Cod with a .333 batting average, and he ended near the top of every hitting statistic. His continued improvement has brought him recognition by Baseball America, among other industry publications, as a potential big leaguer.
The timing couldn't be better, since collegiate players are eligible for the MLB June amateur draft after their third season.
That draft, however, isn't even on the radar of the player who will serve as the Rebels' lone captain for a second consecutive season in 2004.
"I just want to win, man," Nielsen said. "I want to win the Mountain West (Conference) again and go farther that we did last year in the (NCAA tournament), play each out as if it's the last one. And I never thought that highly about myself, anyway.
"The hard work and dedication I put in in the weight room and field has got me to where I am now, and I thank everyone who has supported me. I take nothing for granted, play every game like it's my last and just respect the game."
Nielsen's respect for the game, his teammates, UNLV coaches, the university and the community compelled new Rebels baseball coach Buddy Gouldsmith to nominate him as a candidate to represent UNLV athletes at an NCAA leadership council in June.
Linebacker Reggie Butler, women's golfer Hwanhee Lee and cross country runner Michele Suszek were the other select Rebels chosen to present a 1,000-word essay on leadership to Eric Toliver, UNLV's associate athletic director in charge of compliance, by late January.
By May, the NCAA will pick one athlete from each Division I, II and III institution to attend the June council in Orlando, where NCAA administrators will field inquiries and critiques from each participant.
A stipend, for more in-season financial help, will be a Nielsen issue, as will the case of University of Colorado wide receiver Jeremy Bloom if Nielsen is picked to go to Florida.
Bloom moonlights on the U.S. Ski Team and is forbidden from accepting winnings in that sport under current NCAA rules.
"They're so strict on us getting a job in the season, but some parents just can't afford to give their kids money during the season," Nielsen said. "Maybe paying the kids more money could be an option which, I think, will (eventually) happen. Everything changes.
"And skiing has nothing to do with football. Why shouldn't (Bloom) get paid to do what he does in the wintertime? That's just not right. He should be able to do what he wants to do."
Nielsen's essay impressed Gouldsmith.
"It was excellent," Gouldsmith said. "He wrote how leadership extends beyond games and teams, how you are a role model in everything you do and how everything you do shows who you are."
During a road trip last season, Gouldsmith noticed how Nielsen, 22, interacted with young step-sisters Caitlin and Erin, during a meal, and how whether the Rebels had just won or lost was insignificant. Nielsen also has three younger brothers.
"They all have great respect for him," Gouldsmith said. "And from what I saw from his exchanges with all of them, he has endearing admiration for all of them."
Although the Rebels were swept by Cal State Fullerton, a perennial top-five national program, in their season-opening series last weekend in Southern California, neither Gouldsmith nor any of his players are panicking.
"Doesn't make or break our season," said Nielsen, who led UNLV a year ago by hitting .365 and who currently sports a .364 batting average.
Friday night, the Rebels begin a stretch in which they play 16 of 17 games at home, in Wilson Stadium, when they play host to Western Kentucky.
"We'll have a little more to prove to Las Vegas and to our university," Nielsen said of starting the year 0-3. "It's an added bonus for us, in terms of motivation, so to speak."
Nielsen said he's honored and blessed to be his team's sole captain for a second season in a row and to have the support of a proud family.
"That's another thing pushing me in this game, seeing my mom and dad smile, and my brothers and sisters," he said. "It brings joy to them and brings joy to me. That's what it's all about."
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