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Rounding the Bases with Tom Skoro
1/14/2021 11:36:00 AM | Baseball
There are six new faces in the fold for the Gopher Baseball program heading into the 2021 season, including five freshmen and one transfer. In order to get to know all of them better, Gopher Sports is sitting down with each newcomer and diving into the finer details of their baseball career.
After spending his first three college seasons at North Iowa Area Community College (2018-19) and Mizzou (2020), redshirt senior left-handed pitcher Tom Skoro elected to bring his talents back to his home state of Minnesota. As a Medicine Lake native, Skoro pitched at Wayzata High School from 2012-16, earning First Team All-State, All-Section, All-Metro and All-Conference honors as a result of a 15-3 career record backed by 125 strikeouts in 102 innings of work. Skoro competed as a three-sport athlete at Wayzata, having also been a standout hockey and football player.
During his time at NIACC, Skoro solidified himself as one of the premier arms in the NJCAA. As a freshman, the southpaw went 8-2 on the mound with a 3.23 ERA and 86 strikeouts across 55 2/3 innings, translating to 13.9 strikeouts-per-nine innings. Skoro continued to miss bats at a lofty pace as a sophomore, registering 41 strikeouts in 30 1/3 frames for a 12.1 K/9. Thereafter, Skoro spent the COVID-shortened 2020 season with Mizzou, firing 2 2/3 innings of shutout baseball out of the bullpen with five strikeouts and holding opposing hitters to a .182 batting average against.
GS: Why did you choose to transfer to the University of Minnesota?
BB: "With the COVID year and everything, it just felt right to come back here and I was able to get in the transfer portal with my coach's permission down at Mizzou. Right when I entered the transfer portal, I shot [assistant coach Packy Casey] a text, expressing my interest and how much I wanted to be here. We talked that day and that's kind of how the ball got rolling. After talking to him for a while and really getting to understand what the program here is about, it was a no-brainer. This is the place I really want to be. Honestly, I think it's one of the best decisions I've made in my baseball career. I'm really happy with it."
GS: What is your earliest baseball memory?
BB: "I played tee-ball like everybody else, but I think my first love of a sport was hockey. I was skating when I was three years old. My dad got me on skates and that was my first love. But I started playing tee-ball, and then Little League, and I just kind of fell more in love with baseball. It was fun. It kind of came easy, but it was also challenging at times and early on, that's when I started to really enjoy baseball."
GS: What level of familiarity did you have with the Gophers growing up?
TS: "Growing up, in high school, my buddies and I would come out to Gopher games and it's just a different atmosphere at Siebert. It's comforting to me. When I was in junior college, I came up and went to the NCAA Regional game against UCLA. The atmosphere at that game was incredible. It was something I had never felt at a college baseball game before or even ones that I played in. Knowing the guys on the team, they have a lot of Minnesota guys, and they pick the right guys. It's a good family feeling on the team. That's what I grew up knowing. It's something you don't really find at a lot of other schools."
GS: How has your three-sport background helped you?
TS: "I found it really beneficial, having played baseball in the summer, football in the fall, hockey in the winter, because I would take time away from baseball, but I would still be competing in other sports. That competitive edge never really went away. I was always able to compete outside of baseball. I think that was good because I didn't really burn out. The second one sport ended, I was starting up another one. It makes you a more well-rounded athlete."
GS: Did you pitch against any current Gophers during your prep career?
TS: "Yeah. One of my roommates actually, Ronald Sweeny. Zack Elliott, too. I think there's a decent handful of guys that I've played against. It's funny talking to Ronnie about it because we also played against each other when we were in junior college, too. So we've seen each other quite a few times. It's always fun to joke around about that. With Ron, we were pretty even I'd say. Especially in junior college, we faced each other quite a few times, and he's a good hitter, so it could go either way."
GS: What have you learned from your first few seasons of college baseball?
TS: "One of the biggest things I've learned is it doesn't matter how much talent you have on the team. You could have some of the best talent in the world on your team, but if they don't play well together and it's not the right culture on the team, then you're not going to be that successful."
GS: Do you have anything to prove at the Division I level?
TS: "I think it's a mix. I still feel like I have to prove myself, but at the same time, being an older guy I can't really express that mindset to the younger guys. They might look up to me like a veteran and I've been through the ringer a couple times. It's a little bit of that unfinished business feel, but at the same time, trying to go into it like I know what I'm doing and knowing I'm here for a reason."
GS: What is the most memorable moment of your career?
TS: "As of right now, I would say it's winning the state championship my senior year of high school. That was one of my greatest memories that I've had playing baseball. But, I expect some great things out of this team that we have right now, so I think we could be able to trump that memory and make some better ones."
GS: Who inspires you as a ballplayer?
TS: "My parents. They've done so much for me throughout my entire athletic career. Tons of early morning practices and games that they would take me to. They've spent a countless amount of dollars on clinics and things to get me better. They've devoted a lot of their time and effort into helping me get me to where I am today. If I can play baseball and make them proud, then that's my ultimate goal."
GS: What are your future plans with a degree from the University of Minnesota?
TS: "As of right now, I haven't thought a whole lot about that. I'm focusing on playing baseball and getting through school. I have the opportunity to play again next year due to the COVID year, so I have an extra year of eligibility. I've thought a lot about if I'm going to take that or if I want to just move on and start my working life. But, I'm going to play baseball for as long as I can, until somebody tells me I can't."
GS: What are your goals for your Gopher career?
TS: "My biggest goal is not to have any regrets and be as much of a leader as I can be. I want to be there and help the younger guys find their way, however that may be. As long as I can do that, I would be satisfied."
After spending his first three college seasons at North Iowa Area Community College (2018-19) and Mizzou (2020), redshirt senior left-handed pitcher Tom Skoro elected to bring his talents back to his home state of Minnesota. As a Medicine Lake native, Skoro pitched at Wayzata High School from 2012-16, earning First Team All-State, All-Section, All-Metro and All-Conference honors as a result of a 15-3 career record backed by 125 strikeouts in 102 innings of work. Skoro competed as a three-sport athlete at Wayzata, having also been a standout hockey and football player.
During his time at NIACC, Skoro solidified himself as one of the premier arms in the NJCAA. As a freshman, the southpaw went 8-2 on the mound with a 3.23 ERA and 86 strikeouts across 55 2/3 innings, translating to 13.9 strikeouts-per-nine innings. Skoro continued to miss bats at a lofty pace as a sophomore, registering 41 strikeouts in 30 1/3 frames for a 12.1 K/9. Thereafter, Skoro spent the COVID-shortened 2020 season with Mizzou, firing 2 2/3 innings of shutout baseball out of the bullpen with five strikeouts and holding opposing hitters to a .182 batting average against.
GS: Why did you choose to transfer to the University of Minnesota?
BB: "With the COVID year and everything, it just felt right to come back here and I was able to get in the transfer portal with my coach's permission down at Mizzou. Right when I entered the transfer portal, I shot [assistant coach Packy Casey] a text, expressing my interest and how much I wanted to be here. We talked that day and that's kind of how the ball got rolling. After talking to him for a while and really getting to understand what the program here is about, it was a no-brainer. This is the place I really want to be. Honestly, I think it's one of the best decisions I've made in my baseball career. I'm really happy with it."
GS: What is your earliest baseball memory?
BB: "I played tee-ball like everybody else, but I think my first love of a sport was hockey. I was skating when I was three years old. My dad got me on skates and that was my first love. But I started playing tee-ball, and then Little League, and I just kind of fell more in love with baseball. It was fun. It kind of came easy, but it was also challenging at times and early on, that's when I started to really enjoy baseball."
GS: What level of familiarity did you have with the Gophers growing up?
TS: "Growing up, in high school, my buddies and I would come out to Gopher games and it's just a different atmosphere at Siebert. It's comforting to me. When I was in junior college, I came up and went to the NCAA Regional game against UCLA. The atmosphere at that game was incredible. It was something I had never felt at a college baseball game before or even ones that I played in. Knowing the guys on the team, they have a lot of Minnesota guys, and they pick the right guys. It's a good family feeling on the team. That's what I grew up knowing. It's something you don't really find at a lot of other schools."
GS: How has your three-sport background helped you?
TS: "I found it really beneficial, having played baseball in the summer, football in the fall, hockey in the winter, because I would take time away from baseball, but I would still be competing in other sports. That competitive edge never really went away. I was always able to compete outside of baseball. I think that was good because I didn't really burn out. The second one sport ended, I was starting up another one. It makes you a more well-rounded athlete."
GS: Did you pitch against any current Gophers during your prep career?
TS: "Yeah. One of my roommates actually, Ronald Sweeny. Zack Elliott, too. I think there's a decent handful of guys that I've played against. It's funny talking to Ronnie about it because we also played against each other when we were in junior college, too. So we've seen each other quite a few times. It's always fun to joke around about that. With Ron, we were pretty even I'd say. Especially in junior college, we faced each other quite a few times, and he's a good hitter, so it could go either way."
GS: What have you learned from your first few seasons of college baseball?
TS: "One of the biggest things I've learned is it doesn't matter how much talent you have on the team. You could have some of the best talent in the world on your team, but if they don't play well together and it's not the right culture on the team, then you're not going to be that successful."
GS: Do you have anything to prove at the Division I level?
TS: "I think it's a mix. I still feel like I have to prove myself, but at the same time, being an older guy I can't really express that mindset to the younger guys. They might look up to me like a veteran and I've been through the ringer a couple times. It's a little bit of that unfinished business feel, but at the same time, trying to go into it like I know what I'm doing and knowing I'm here for a reason."
GS: What is the most memorable moment of your career?
TS: "As of right now, I would say it's winning the state championship my senior year of high school. That was one of my greatest memories that I've had playing baseball. But, I expect some great things out of this team that we have right now, so I think we could be able to trump that memory and make some better ones."
GS: Who inspires you as a ballplayer?
TS: "My parents. They've done so much for me throughout my entire athletic career. Tons of early morning practices and games that they would take me to. They've spent a countless amount of dollars on clinics and things to get me better. They've devoted a lot of their time and effort into helping me get me to where I am today. If I can play baseball and make them proud, then that's my ultimate goal."
GS: What are your future plans with a degree from the University of Minnesota?
TS: "As of right now, I haven't thought a whole lot about that. I'm focusing on playing baseball and getting through school. I have the opportunity to play again next year due to the COVID year, so I have an extra year of eligibility. I've thought a lot about if I'm going to take that or if I want to just move on and start my working life. But, I'm going to play baseball for as long as I can, until somebody tells me I can't."
GS: What are your goals for your Gopher career?
TS: "My biggest goal is not to have any regrets and be as much of a leader as I can be. I want to be there and help the younger guys find their way, however that may be. As long as I can do that, I would be satisfied."
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HIT & RUN WITH TOM
Major: CommunicationsFavorite class: Small Group Communications Hobby: listening to music Athlete: Clayton Kershaw Professional team: Minnesota Twins Musical artist: The Chainsmokers, Lee Brice Movie: Limitless Actor/actress: Bradley Cooper Color: orange Food: lasagna Ice cream flavor: cookie dough Biggest fear: heights Pet peeve: when people chew loudly with their mouth open Hidden talent: can clap with one hand Person you'd like to meet: Tom Brady Tme travel destination: Twins' 1991 World Series Coolest place you've played: Target Field Dogs or cats: dogs Morning or night person: night Chocolate or peanut butter: both TEAMMATE SUPERLATIVES
Most likely to be president: Zack RaabeMost dramatic: Patrick Fredrickson Most gullible: Ronald Sweeny Most talkative: Patrick Fredrickson Best dressed: Noah Berghammer Best flow: Danny Kapala Breakout player: Drew Stahl or George Klassen |
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