Nate Cornejo

The son of Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Mardie Cornejo, Nate Cornejo was born in Wellington and was a three-sport athlete at Wellington High School. He and his brother Jesse pitched the Crusaders to a state baseball championship in 1995. After his senior season, Cornejo was the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and was drafted by Detroit in the first round of the 1998 MLB Draft, the 34th player selected.

Cornejo quickly rose through the minor leagues and was selected to play in the 2001 All-Star Futures Game at Safeco Field in Seattle. He made his major league debut with the Tigers later that season and was 4-4 in ten starts.

After starting nine games in 2002, Cornejo was the top starter for a Detroit team that was 43-119, one of the worst marks in major league history. Cornejo was 6-17 with a 4.67 earned run average.

After a 1-3 start to the 2004 season, Cornejo underwent shoulder surgery and would not pitch in the majors again. For his major league career, he was 12-29 with a 5.41 ERA.

Cornejo remains active in baseball as the pitching coach for Wellington High School.