Ceremony to Take Place Thursday, January 23, 2025

BATON ROUGE, LA – December 20, 2024 - Catholic High School is proud to announce the induction of alumni Austin and Aaron Nola into the Grizzly Greats Athletic Hall of Fame. The Nola brothers were standout student-athletes during their time at CHS, and both have gone on to remarkable collegiate and professional careers in baseball. From their successful careers on the field to their commitment to bettering the lives of those around them, these two former Bears exemplify the mission of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and Catholic High School. A special induction ceremony will be held on the evening of Thursday, January 23 at the Brother Donnan Berry, S.C. Student Center.

“We are incredibly excited to have Austin and Aaron Nola in our Athletic Hall of Fame,” said Catholic High Athletic Director Ben DiPalma ’00. “It’s been a long time coming; I’m glad we could find a time between MLB seasons to honor these two incredible individuals. They both demonstrate excellence in athletics and character.”

Austin Nola, from the class of 2008, excelled at shortstop for the Bears earning All-District and All-State honors each of his four seasons on campus. In Nola’s senior season of 2008, he was named The Advocate Star of Stars for baseball, the Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year, 5A LBCA State Player of the Year, and Louisville Slugger State Player of the Year after batting .447 to go along with 13 home runs and a .549 OBP. Austin went on to play for LSU where he quickly transitioned into a leader for the Tigers on their way to multiple College World Series appearances and a National Championship in his freshman season of 2009. During his four seasons at LSU, Austin earned multiple honors, including 2009 Baton Rouge Regional All-Tournament Team, 2010 Second Team All-SEC, 2010 SEC Tournament MVP, 2012 Baton Rouge Regional Most Outstanding Player, and 2012 recipient of the Wally Pontiff Academic Achievement Award as LSU’s top scholar-athlete. Nola was then drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins. After seven seasons in the minor leagues and a position change, Austin made his major league debut in June of 2019 for the Seattle Mariners. Nola played five seasons for the Mariners, San Diego Padres, and Kansas City Royals.

Aaron Nola from the class of 2011 was a dominant force on the mound for three seasons at CHS. Aaron compiled a 21-2 overall record in his career with a 1.45 ERA and 213 strikeouts. He was named an All-District and All-Metro performer for three straight seasons from 2009-2011 and All-State in 2010 and 2011. As a junior in 2010, he helped CHS win their first state championship since 1976. Then, in Aaron’s senior season of 2011, he was voted Mr. Baseball for the state of Louisiana as well as the 5A LBCA State Player of the Year for his performance on the mound and at the plate where he hit .364 with four home runs. Aaron joined his brother at LSU where he became one of the most dominant pitchers in school history. During his freshman season in 2012, Aaron was named to the First-Team All-SEC Freshmen Team and a First-Team Freshmen All-American. The following season, he posted a 12-1 record with a 1.57 ERA and 122 strikeouts. Aaron was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year, a First-Team All-American, and a finalist for National Pitcher of the Year. Aaron continued his dominance in what would be his final season at LSU in 2014 by recording an 11-1 record with a 1.47 ERA and 134 strikeouts. He became the first pitcher in SEC history to be named Pitcher of the Year on multiple occasions and was once again named First-Team All-SEC and First-Team All-American. Aaron’s performance also earned him the National Pitcher of the Year award from the College Baseball Foundation, and he was named a Golden Spikes Award finalist. The Philadelphia Phillies selected Aaron 7th overall in the 2014 MLB Draft. His major league debut came just over a year later on July 21, 2015. In his 10 seasons, Aaron has recorded 104 wins and 1770 strikeouts. He started six straight opening days for the Phillies and was named an All-Star in 2018.

In the 2022 NLCS, Aaron’s Phillies faced his brother Austin’s Padres. The Nolas became the first pair of brothers in MLB postseason history to face each other as pitcher and hitter. Philadelphia advanced to the World Series where Aaron started Game 1 and Game 4.

For more information or media inquiries, contact Sports Information Director Ben Relle at brelle@catholichigh.org.