High Hard One: Tyler Olander Takes The Mound For Vernon O’s
By Mike Anthony, The Hartford Courant | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Few state athletes have led a more high-profile existence in recent years, so one can assume that taking the mound last week as a pitcher for the Vernon Orioles of the
"I was so nervous," he said.
This was a new, daunting dynamic, a return to a sport Olander gave up eight years ago to focus on basketball. It was also an important spot for a first-place team made up of players who would cherish a league title just like Olander cherished
The last time Olander, a 6-foot-10 lefthander, played a game of organized baseball, he was pitching to middle school kids. And now here he was facing accomplished players in their 20s and 30s, most of them former college players who are past their prime but still capable of playing at a very high level.
"You just don't know," Olander said. "It could go really well. It could go really bad. These guys come out just for the love of the game and to just play. They have great attitudes. Great guys. A lot can change in eight years, but they were really supportive and that helped me a lot."
His competitive fire still burning, Olander has been focusing on baseball since
This spring, Olander threw in front of
That brought Olander to the Orioles, one of the league's most storied teams. He's testing his arm and seeing how he fares against hitters while wearing the same uniform his father, Skip, did years ago. So far, so good. Olander threw two scoreless innings in relief in his first appearance
"He works his way out of jams," said Orioles manager
Many were accomplished college athletes in baseball just like Olander in basketball.
Olander's fastball has been clocked in the mid-80s -- about average for the
Offensively,
Cepetelli's playing days ended about 10 years ago. But when only eight showed up for a game a couple of weeks ago, he played right field and went 1-for-4.
"We've got a really good pitching staff, and we feel good about it," said first baseman and cleanup hitter
The playoffs begin the last week of July at McKenna Field in
"I still feel that if you want to see some of the best amateur players in the area, our league is the place to see it," Cepetelli said.
Olander is scheduled to make a couple more starts and, depending on how they go, he could become part of the playoff rotation or at least help out of the bullpen. In the meantime, he'll maintain contact with agents regarding a basketball future. His brother Ryan, who attended at
"My brother told me it's great to still be playing basketball, make a decent living out of it and also just see the world -- experience new cultures, meet new people," Olander said. "It seems like a great thing to do right after college -- go travel and see the world and different walks of life. It's intriguing."
There's always the baseball and education route to consider, too. Olander, who graduated in May, must decide whether he wants to attend grad school and, should he be good enough, pay his own way without a scholarship to play on the baseball team. He said Penders wants to see how he performs in the
For now, Olander, with his high leg kick, is just enjoying being involved again with a sport he gave up what seems a lifetime ago. He's working at Holiday Hill Day Camp in
At the field, there's been a little dugout chatter about Tyler's time with
"But not a lot," Olander said. "These are baseball guys and they're all about baseball. There are a lot of good players, a lot of history and tradition with this team. They are quality players and high-character guys, just fun to be around. It's definitely a work in progress for me. Take eight years off of anything and it's going to take some time."
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