University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Signs Dan Olinger
7/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Minnesota baseball team has added Dan Olinger to a letter of intent according to an announcement by Head Coach John Anderson on Thursday, July 2. Olinger will be eligible to compete for Minnesota in 2010.
Olinger is a 6-1, 190 pound infielder from CM Russell High School in Great Falls, Mont. He joins Scott Welch (2000-03) and Chauncy Handran (2008-09) as recent Golden Gophers to come from the state of Montana.
This summer, Olinger is hitting .413 with 58 runs, 69 hits, 17 doubles, six home runs and 40 RBI in Legion ball for the Great Falls Stallions. He leads the team in runs, hits, doubles and home runs. Olinger is also 4-0 with 4.01 ERA two saves and a complete game this year.
Last summer, he batted .437 with 56 RBI and 24 extra-base hits. In two summers playing with the Great Fall Stallions, he has collected 98 RBI, tallied 163 hits, batted .427 and struck out only seven times in 382 at-bats.
"Dan was a player who reached out to us during the recruiting process," said Anderson. "When we went out and saw him play we really liked what he showed us. He is a versatile left-handed hitting infielder. He plays shortstop, but has the athleticism to play anywhere. Daniel is a quality student-athlete who really wanted to come here and we feel he will be a great fit for the program."
Olender is joined by a group of incoming players that includes Alex Tukey, who is the first Golden Gopher since Ben Pattee to hail from California, Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year Ryan Abrahamson, First-Team All-State honorees David Bettenberg, TJ Oakes and Billy Soule Jr., Second-Team All-State honoree Kyle O'Shea and Kevin Kray as part of the group of incoming freshmen that will join the Golden Gophers next year.
"We really wanted to add quality in this recruiting process, and our class actually turned out bigger than we initially anticipated," said Anderson. "I think we did a good job of bringing in some left-handed hitting, power and some quality pitching. We definitely have some players in this class that will be able to help us right away next year. Overall, I really liked that makeup of this class. It is comprised of student-athletes who really wanted to be a part of this program and will perform at a high level on and off the field."
Minnesota Assistant Head Coach (Recruiting Coordinator) on Dan Olender: "Dan is a very good hitter with power. He most likely projects as a corner infielder or outfielder, but has the versatility to be a quality players anywhere on the field. Dan is also a very good student-athlete and will be a very good fit for this program in all aspects."
Olinger is a 6-1, 190 pound infielder from CM Russell High School in Great Falls, Mont. He joins Scott Welch (2000-03) and Chauncy Handran (2008-09) as recent Golden Gophers to come from the state of Montana.
This summer, Olinger is hitting .413 with 58 runs, 69 hits, 17 doubles, six home runs and 40 RBI in Legion ball for the Great Falls Stallions. He leads the team in runs, hits, doubles and home runs. Olinger is also 4-0 with 4.01 ERA two saves and a complete game this year.
Last summer, he batted .437 with 56 RBI and 24 extra-base hits. In two summers playing with the Great Fall Stallions, he has collected 98 RBI, tallied 163 hits, batted .427 and struck out only seven times in 382 at-bats.
"Dan was a player who reached out to us during the recruiting process," said Anderson. "When we went out and saw him play we really liked what he showed us. He is a versatile left-handed hitting infielder. He plays shortstop, but has the athleticism to play anywhere. Daniel is a quality student-athlete who really wanted to come here and we feel he will be a great fit for the program."
Olender is joined by a group of incoming players that includes Alex Tukey, who is the first Golden Gopher since Ben Pattee to hail from California, Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year Ryan Abrahamson, First-Team All-State honorees David Bettenberg, TJ Oakes and Billy Soule Jr., Second-Team All-State honoree Kyle O'Shea and Kevin Kray as part of the group of incoming freshmen that will join the Golden Gophers next year.
"We really wanted to add quality in this recruiting process, and our class actually turned out bigger than we initially anticipated," said Anderson. "I think we did a good job of bringing in some left-handed hitting, power and some quality pitching. We definitely have some players in this class that will be able to help us right away next year. Overall, I really liked that makeup of this class. It is comprised of student-athletes who really wanted to be a part of this program and will perform at a high level on and off the field."
Minnesota Assistant Head Coach (Recruiting Coordinator) on Dan Olender: "Dan is a very good hitter with power. He most likely projects as a corner infielder or outfielder, but has the versatility to be a quality players anywhere on the field. Dan is also a very good student-athlete and will be a very good fit for this program in all aspects."
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