When Eric Dunham was young, close friend Russell Johnson tagged him with his lifelong nickname of &uot;Cat-eye&uot; because of the narrow shape of his eyes.

But it was Dunham’s arm that drew more attention later, as the former North Natchez standout earned a baseball scholarship to Southern University as a shortstop/pitcher.

Dunham made the North Natchez varsity baseball team as an eighth-grader in 1982. He also played football and was a manager in basketball.

When you talked about North Natchez athletics, baseball usually fell behind football, basketball, track and tennis. But that would soon change thanks to the likes of Dunham, Johnson and Robert Nelson, who would join Dunham at Southern.

&uot;(Former North Natchez coach) Bobby Hill really improved the program with his involvement in Florida baseball,&uot; Dunham said.

Dunham was a standout on the mound and at shortstop.

&uot;I just really learned to pitch watching other pitchers and from playing shortstop,&uot; he said.

Dunham admitted his first few years as a member of the North baseball team were tough.

&uot;We felt after our first five batters if we didn’t get it going we would have to wait until our part of the order came back around,&uot; he said. &uot;We had a lot of young guys at that time.&uot;

In Dunham’s sophomore year, the Rams beat Cathedral and the following year North picked up wins over Cathedral and South Natchez, both traditional baseball powers. North had never beaten South in baseball until the last day of April in 1985.

&uot;It really was unbelievable,&uot;&160;Dunham said. &uot;When we beat South 3-0, it was like we had won the city championship.&uot;

Dunham said he had an idea he would play college baseball as a junior.

&uot;Coach Hill told me that Cliff Gustaffsen, the Texas coach, was interested in me,&uot; Dunham said. &uot;I was like, to have somebody from Texas calling means I can play.&uot;

Dunham was behind a junior college transfer at shortstop his first year at Southern, but played his second year.

Jaguar coach Roger Cador approached Dunham about pitching the following year.

&uot;He told me, ‘You know, the money is on the mound,’&uot; Dunham said. &uot;So I went through that transition. Then I was moved to the bullpen.&uot;

Dunham’s fastball was timed in the 90s, with the fastest pitch registering 94 against LSU.

Dunham was able to pitch on his old stomping grounds at Liberty Park as Natchez hosted the Southwestern Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament for several years.

&uot;It was unbelievable,&uot; Dunham said.

Jackson State won the tournament in 1990, but Dunham still had his share of heroics in the first game against Alcorn.

&uot;Alcorn had us down 9-2, but we battled back to win that game,&uot; Dunham said. &uot;And then we swept Jackson State for the title. Coach gave me the ball for one game and I shut the door. That’s when the (major league) scouts started watching.&uot;

Dunham entered that contest after Alcorn’s Keiver Campbell reached on an error and Fred Lee threw a ball to the next batter.

Dunham walked the batter, had a sacrifice bunt, but then struck out the next two batters to preserve and 11-10 win.

Southern came back to win the SWAC Tournament in 1991 behind the pitching of seniors Nelson and Dunham.

&uot;We were winning 3-1 against Texas Southern and Robert gave up a home run that gave them a 4-3 lead in the ninth,&uot; Dunham said. &uot;Coach didn’t tell me to get in the bullpen, but I went down there on my own. I was already upset about not getting to play in the SWAC Tournament at home that year.&uot;

Southern tied the game 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth after Dunham gave up a single and struck out the next batter.

Dunham struck out two of three batters in the 10th and the Jaguars scored the winning run in the bottom of the inning.

&uot; Coach called me in and I struck out the next three batters,&uot; Dunham said Then we had a guy hit a ball softer than a 3-year-old can hit it, but some kind of way it landed in the infield and we won by one run. We swept Jackson State the next day.&uot;

Dunham had talked to scouts his junior year, but wanted to return to finish school. Pittsburgh scout Boyd Odom was very interested in the Natchez native.

Pittsburgh changed up its scouts and the next year the Pirates picked up a pitcher from Copiah-Lincoln over Dunham.

&uot;They told me to stay in shape, but nothing every developed,&uot; Dunham said. &uot;I think all the time of how it might have been. I feel the only thing that kept me away was going back to take more classes. I tell people today, if you have the opportunity, make the best of it.&uot;

Dunham, who works with Johnson at One Way Car Wash, returned to Natchez in 1993 and helped coach T-ball last year and plays softball in the summer league.

&uot;There’s nothing like being at home,&uot; he said.