Editor's note: NNUSports.com will be running Senior Spotlights on all the spring sports seniors who have elected not to come back for another year of eligibility.
 
Senior spotlight: Kyle Gracey
Baseball, outfield, from Dallas, Texas
Major: Graduate student, Business Administration
 
Kyle Gracey had just enjoyed the best offensive weekend of his brief Northwest Nazarene baseball career.

The graduate student had gone 7-for-13 with six runs, six runs batted in, two doubles, two homers and a stolen base as the Nighthawks took three of four from Central Washington to open Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

It was what happened after, though, that is likely to be the highlight of Gracey's spring.

After a five-hour bus ride home from Ellensburg, Wash., Gracey hopped on a plane and flew home to Dallas, Texas, to take his pilot license test.

"It was a wild weekend," he said. "It took about a year to finish my license."

Gracey, who did his undergrad career at Point Loma Nazarene under coach Joe Schaefer, who is now the NNU head coach, hopes to pursue either a career in aviation or a career in the Air Force.

His dad flew planes for the Air Force and American Airlines, so Gracey has grown up on planes and had all the travel benefits that come with them. He hopes to provide the same opportunities to his future children, while also enjoying the ability to fly.

"It's exhilarating," he said. "Takeoff is a really cool feeling. You are watching the ground get smaller and smaller. And flying keeps your brain occupied because there are so many instruments to monitor. It is pretty stimulating and it is just exciting."

Gracey had family in Southern California, which helped him decide to go play baseball at the San Diego school after being recruited by Schaefer. After graduating from PLNU, he contacted Schaefer about coming to Idaho to play his final year while pursuing his Master's in Business Administration.

"He offered me a spot and I thought it would be a cool opportunity to go play in the mountains," he said, "and I really love playing for Coach Schaef."

Gracey is passing up on the opportunity of an extra year of eligibility that the NCAA offered spring sports seniors and grad students when their seasons were cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead, Gracey hopes to enter the aviation world this summer, though everything is delayed currently. Whenever he does get the opportunity to take to the friendly skies, though, he is ready.

"Flying is a lot of fun," he said, "as opposed to sitting at a desk all day doing business work."
 
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