The record Brooks broke was Nixon's career home run record. From 1986 to 1989, the catcher Nixon hit 38 for the Thundering Herd. Brooks' two home runs took him to 39 on his career.
The home run portion of the Marshall record book wouldn't be the only mark Nixon made there, etching his name elsewhere. Nixon remains in the top 10 in career marks for five different offensive categories.
Nixon eventually, though, would leave few marks behind in his professional baseball career, a career that lasted just a single season, 38 total games played.
Nixon played his pro career in 1990, signed by the Pirates that February as an undrafted free agent out of Marshall.
Nixon went to Marshall out of Weir High School in Weirton, WV. There, Nixon played both football and baseball, earning all-conference honors in football in 1984 and in baseball in 1985.
Out of high school, Nixon had to choose between the sports. He had a football scholarship to Slippery Rock State College, but passed that up for a baseball scholarship to Marshall, according to The Altoona Mirror.
At Marshall, Nixon went on to hit 38 home runs over his four seasons with Marshall, knock in 116, hit .361, claim 285 total bases and have a career slugging percentage of .619. Nixon remains in the career top 10 of each of those five categories, according to the 2013 Marshall media guide.
His college career over, Nixon signed with the Pirates. Nixon got 32 games in the rookie Gulf Coast League and six at single-A Augusta. Between the two levels, Nixon hit just .197, without hitting a home run. It was his only season as a pro.
- HerdZone.com, May 6, 2001: Brooks Sets MAC Record In Loss At Ohio
More: The 1990 Augusta Pirates
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