Former Husky Tyler Olander making strides in transition to baseball Former UConn hoopster chasing dream as pitcher

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A two-time national champion in a different sport, his professional ventures didn’t work out. So he returned to baseball, a sport he hadn’t played in about a decade.

Now, he’s in the minor leagues, older than almost all of his teammates, trying to make it to the majors.

Tim Tebow, right? Well ... yeah. But Tyler Olander, as well.

Yup, that Tyler Olander, the former UConn men’s basketball player. He’s currently in his second season in professional baseball in the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization, pitching for the Bluefield Blue Jays, Toronto’s rookie-league affiliate based in Bluefield, West Virginia.

Olander, who spent the first 2½ months of the season in extended spring training in Dunedin, Florida, has had ups and downs over his first month of affiliated ball. But he’s working hard every day to make this switch in sports work, and this unlikely dream come true.

Just like Tebow, right?

“Not really,” Olander said by phone last week, matter-of-factly. “I think Tim Tebow’s on a different tier, just the person he is, he affects so many people on and off the field in so many ways. The thought of it, switching sports, taking on a challenge, there’s a similarity. But I don’t think I could ever compare to Tim Tebow.”

No, Olander would probably prefer to compare to a guy like Mark Hendrickson, who played college hoops at Washington State before eventually returning to baseball. Just like Olander, Hendrickson was a 6-foot-9 lefty who didn’t throw hard. He wound up fashioning a 10-year big-league career that started with — yup — the Blue Jays.

Like Hendrickson — or most tall pitchers — Olander has experienced some control issues early in his career. In 10 1/3 innings with the GCL Blue Jays last summer, the 6-9, 280-pound southpaw held hitters to a .171 average, struck out six and didn’t allow a run. But he also walked six batters.

Former UConn forward Tyler Olander is in his second season as a pitcher in the Blue Jays organization. Former UConn forward Tyler Olander is in his second season as a pitcher in the Blue Jays organization. Photo: The Associated Press File Photo Photo: The Associated Press File Photo Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Former Husky Tyler Olander making strides in transition to baseball 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

So far at Bluefield, Olander has struck out 10 in nine innings but also walked five.

“I think that’s the main thing they’ve been working on with me, repeat my mechanics, repeat my delivery,” Olander said. “There’s a lot of big, moving parts, and it’s hard to get everything on time, every time. Small guys can make a mistake and still be on time. Their misses aren’t as bad.”

Olander added that not falling behind in counts is his biggest issue.

“I think I’m adjusting fairly well, having some ups and downs. If anything, there’s still a learning curve a little bit. You can’t leave balls in the zone. You’ve got to stay low, keep the ball on the corners, or pay dearly. I’ve got punished a few times. Getting behind hitters hurts you at this level, because you’ve got to come back with a strike in the zone and they know it’s gonna be a fastball.”

Olander struggled in his first three outings, giving up six hits and five runs in 2 1/3 innings. But he’s settled down nicely since then, allowing just three earned runs over his last 6 2/3 frames. More importantly, he’s walked just one in his last three outings.

Olander arrived in spring training in late-February but twisted his ankle pretty badly and was sidelined for about a month. When camp broke, he stayed in Dunedin, pitching in extended spring games.

Now in the Appalachian League, there are no chartered flights and managers taking care of your equipment like at UConn. Still, the bus rides aren’t too bad: 3½ hours is about the longest in the league.

“I really can’t complain,” he said.

Olander started in a Final Four game and a national championship game as a freshman, scoring the first basket of both contests. So you’d think pressure wouldn’t be an issue pitching in front of a few thousand fans in the mountains of West Virginia.

Think again.

“It’s completely different, going on the court with five guys, compared to running out on the mound,” he said. “The ball’s in your hands. Being the pitcher, it’s all on you. The pressure’s a little different. You get the first couple of outs, you settle down. But you throw a few balls, you feel pressure, too. You want to succeed, and when you don’t, you want to figure it out.”

Olander said he still communicates with former teammate Niels Giffey occasionally. He trained at UConn over the winter and frequently bumped into Kevin Ollie, who gave him inspiring, motivational messages to continue his new journey. He sometimes hears from West Virginia or Virginia Tech fans in the crowd who say things like, “I remember you from when the Big East was the Big East.’

He also remains in contact with Jack Sundberg, the former UConn baseball player and Olander’s neighbor from Mansfield who’s currently with the Nationals’ High-A affiliate in Potomac, Maryland.

Indeed, it’s all about baseball now for Tyler Olander.

“Experience is the best teacher,” he said. “My outlook each day is, ‘What can I take from today to get better?’”

Iowa Raucous

A former UConn baseball player made history on Tuesday night with the Iowa Cubs.

John Andreoli went 4-for-6 with a triple and became the 28th player in franchise history to record 300 career hits. He also tied Sam Fuld for fifth in team history with 20 triples.

Andreoli is hitting .366 with a homer and eight RBIs in his last 10 games for the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate.

Andreoli’s new teammate in Iowa is Berlin’s Matt Carasiti, who was traded from the Rockies’ organization to the Cubs on June 26. Carasiti, who was an Eastern League all-star as the Hartford Yard Goats’ closer (29 saves) last year and eventually made 19 outings with the Rockies, has been lights-out lately. In his first five outings with Iowa, he’s notched a pair of saves and boasted a 1.50 ERA with eight strikeouts and just one walk, before a rough outing on Wednesday against Nashville.