Baseball is a sport often best defined by numbers. And
when it comes to telling the tale of the 2013 MIAC season, the numbers don’t
lie. The University of St. Thomas steamrolled its way through the
weather-punctuated season, using a near-perfect 19-1 record to claim the
conference title. Then, the Tommies continued their dominance in the conference
postseason, outscoring Bethel and Concordia by a combined 21-5 en route to the
MIAC Playoff title as well.
Digging deeper into the numbers, the Tommies led the MIAC
with a remarkable team batting average of .348 in overall games. UST also
ranked first in runs (302), hits (401), doubles (74), home runs (30), RBI
(277), walks (150), stolen bases (65), on-base percentage (.432) and slugging
percentage (.523). St. Thomas also ranked first in ERA (2.84), strikeouts (267)
and fielding percentage (.976). In conference play, UST was somehow even better,
hitting .368 as a team with a 1.94 ERA and a .983 fielding percentage.
To top it off, St. Thomas had the MIAC MVP in outfielder Tim Kuzniar, Dylan Thomas repeated as MIAC Pitcher-of-the-Year and Head Coach Chris Olean was voted the MIAC
Coach-of-the-Year. In all, eight Tommies were selected to the All-Conference
team, and UST also had three All-Defensive Team picks.
However, the numbers rarely tell the whole story, and
they certainly didn’t with the 2013 Tommies. The fielding percentage, batting
average and ERA don’t accurately describe how crisp UST was in the field, how
staggering their talent and depth was on the mound, how explosive the offense
could be. And the scary part is … almost all of the team is coming back.
The MIAC Media Blog wanted to look even closer at UST’s
remarkable season on the diamond, so we’re proud to bring to you another
installment of Championship Coach Q&A with the MIAC Coach-of-the-Year, Chris
Olean.
MIAC Media Blog Championship Coach Q&A
Chris Olean, St. Thomas Baseball
MIAC: First of all, congratulations on your 2013
MIAC Championship. What made your team so successful this season?
Olean: We had
a very balanced team, we played strong defense (second in the country in
fielding percentage), had a deep and talented pitching staff and offensively we
were very productive from top to bottom.
In addition, we had a great deal of experience on the team and the main
core had very valuable experience in the Division III College World Series.
MIAC: Your team had a number of star players,
including MIAC MVP Tim Kuzniar and Pitcher-of-the-Year Dylan Thomas. What made
those two players so special this season and how did they contribute to your
success?
Olean: Dylan is one of the best UST pitchers to ever wear a uniform. He was dominant throughout the year and gave us very consistent outings on the mound. In addition, I felt he was a much more complete pitcher this season as his walks decreased significantly and he was able to work deeper into games with a lower pitch count.
Tim is steady. Every time you look at a box score he seems
to get at least two hits. He is very mentally strong and knows his game and his
swing. This allows him to be a steady player for us and a guy we can count on
in the clutch.
MIAC: Talk about some of the other players that
helped your team have an outstanding season.
Olean: Really
this year’s team was solid from top to bottom.
Between Ben Podobinski, Ryan Gerber and Kelvin Stroik, in addition to
Tim Kuzniar, our outfield really was very solid both offensively and
defensively. We have guys who can beat
you with power or speed and it just allows us to score runs in many different
ways. In the infield, we played great
defense, up the middle Sam Miller and Jon Kinsel were as good as it gets. And
on the corners we got great production from Tyler Peterson and Jack Hogan. The
pitching staff as a whole was outstanding and as deep as we have ever been. We
were able to run six different starters out there and not have too big a drop
off; that was huge given the difficult and compacted schedule.
MIAC: Are there one or two special moments that
stand out from your 2013 championship season?
Olean: Just
like many of our players, I feel it really was a methodical type of year in
that we played pretty steady from start to finish. The guys took the mindset
that we would apply consistent pressure throughout ballgames and, with that, do
our best to play outstanding defense and not give up and free bases. Just a
steady year filled with a great group of guys all contributing.
MIAC: Obviously, this was an extremely challenging
spring due to the horrible Minnesota weather in April and May. How was your
team able to remain focused and persevere through all the weather issues?
Olean: Our
guys were fantastic in this regard.
Despite several layoffs and a very difficult 18-day stretch in the
middle of the season, I felt we stay focused and disciplined throughout.
Despite being back indoors, our players took the mindset to improve everyday
and maintain their focus. This was huge for us as we played extremely well
after the break and finished off the MIAC season and MIAC tournament very
strong.
MIAC: You lose a few key players but will bring
back a lot of talent next year ... what's next for Tommie baseball?
Olean: Every
year is different and we know that we have to earn it all over again. The MIAC
is on the rise and I feel from top to bottom the conference is as good as it
ever has been. With that, we have a very good core of players coming back many
of whom have played the past three seasons. In addition, we have added high-end
pitching and some more athleticism at a few key spots. This will be a senior heavy team with very
high expectations, but we know that like every year starting this fall we have
to start over again and find our team identity and find the best guys to put on
the field. I am excited at the team’s potential, but potential does not win
ballgames. We are looking forward to working hard and the challenges that will
come in 2014.
MIAC: Thanks to Coach Olean for giving us a better
look at his 2013 team, and congrats again to him and the Tommies on an
outstanding season. With the lull between sports seasons going strong right
now, it’s easy to start looking ahead to next year and hoping for just as much
outstanding, competitive action, as well as much better weather!
MIAC Summer
Vacation
The MIAC Media Blog would like to know where the conference
community is traveling this summer? Dan is in Chicago right now for meetings
with other Midwest Division III commissioners, and we were both in Indianapolis
earlier this month for meetings at the NCAA headquarters. I also spent six days
in Texas – including a nice night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington – and am
headed out west to do some hiking in July. Sent me an email at mhiggins@miacathletics.com or
better yet, send me a photo of you on vacation for a blog/social media feature
later this summer. Bonus points if you’re wearing gear from the MIAC or one of
our schools!
The future is
coming…
You may have noticed in that previous paragraph my email
address is now “@miacathletics.com” and no longer “@miac-online.org.” The MIAC’s
new web site will be launching next week … there will be an updated design and
several cool new features to hopefully make your online MIAC experience even
better! Stay tuned for more details/sneak peeks in the coming days…
