Former Western Nebraska Community College baseball player signed his first professional baseball contract earlier this week.

Then, Wednesday night, picked up his first professional win, helping the Frederick Keys of the MLB Draft League on the east coast in topping State College Spikes 11-4.

Panduro said he signed to play the second half of the season but since he finished school and was draft eligible, they wanted him to come the last week “maybe to impress some scouts with an affiliation to MLB teams.”

In his first appearance for the Frederick Keys in the game in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania, Panduro entered the game in the fourth inning and did not allow a hit or run in four innings of work while walking two and striking out three to get the win.

Panduro, who played for WNCC before spending time at Pittsburg State in Kansas and then last year at Ft Hays State, said “he has teammates that are going to get drafted and the opponents have dudes that are going to be drafted. Everyone here are elite.”

The MLB Draft League has two seasons. The first half runs June 4 through July 12 and showcases players that are draft ready. The second half of the season (July 16 through September 3) features professional players who have used up their amateur eligibility. The MLB has extended their commitment to the Draft League through the 2030 season.

The league Panduro is in has six teams in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and West Virginia. Wednesday’s win came against a team that is in second place in the standings. The Frederick Keys are coached by Preston Wilson, who played in the MLB from 1998 to 2007 with the New York Mets, Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, and the St. Louis Cardinals. Preston is the nephew and stepson of former Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson.

Panduro said this is a chance for scouts to see what the former Scottsbluff High graduate has as the MLB draft is slated for July 13-14 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Panduro said signing his first professional contract shows the hard work that he endured to get better since his time at WNCC.

“Signing a professional contract means everything to me,” Panduro said. “It’s the result of years of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication finally paying off. It’s not just about getting paid — it’s about stepping into the dream I’ve chased since I was a kid.”

Panduro said he has so many people to thank on this journey to improve his baseball talents.

“I want to thank my family for always believing in me, especially my parents who never stopped supporting me even when things got tough,” he said. “Huge thanks to my coaches — WNCC’s coach (Mike) Jones and Coach (Ryan) Burgner, and WESTCO Coach (Mark) Moran, pitching Coach Gonzalez, Fort Hays Coach Wichert— for pushing me and helping me grow both on and off the field, Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am now!’

Panduro red-shirted in 2018-19 for WNCC and started three games in 2020 before COVID shut the season down. He then had 14 starts in the 2021 season where he set a school record with 94 strikeouts that season in going 7-6 as the Cougars won the Region IX title.

He then went to Pittsburg State and pitched three seasons, finishing with 79 strikeouts. He finished out his collegiate career last spring for Ft. Hays State, where he had 11 appearances and struck out 34.

Panduro said it was his time at Ft. Hays that he got a new love for baseball.

"After Pittsburg State, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to keep playing,” he said. “I lost the love of the game, but when Coach Justin Wichert gave me the opportunity to play at Fort Hays I fell in love with baseball again. I was having fun playing the game. This is only the beginning, and I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got.”