University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
Know the Newcomers: Aidan Maldonado
1/20/2022 1:30:00 PM | Baseball
The Rosemount, Minn., native transferred in from Illinois
The Gopher Baseball program added 15 new players heading into the 2021 season, including 10 freshman and five transfers. Today we'll get to know redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Aidan Maldonado, a transfer from the University of Illinois.
A Rosemount, Minn., native, Maldonado was the No. 2 recruit in Minnesota by Perfect Game in the class of 2018. He was the No. 161 overall player in the nation by Perfect Game, the Illini's highest-rated recruit of their class. He was three-time all-area and an all-conference selection as a junior. Maldonado was drafted in the 38th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2018 MLB Draft.
He competed for the Illini for three seasons, pitching in 28 games. Maldonado entered the transfer portal after the 2021 season and found his way back home to Minnesota, where the Gophers will look to use him in a variety of ways this year.
GS: What were your first memories of playing baseball?
AM: "Probably when I was five or six years old. I loved the game of baseball from the earliest days I can remember."
GS: What other sports did you play growing up?
AM: "I ran track and played football and basketball. But by the time I was 12 or 13 I had given those up and was focused on baseball. I was traveling around the country playing in tournaments competing with my travel and club teams."
GS: How did your original recruitment process start in high school?
AM: "I was fortunate to throw in front of a lot of people that had connections with showcases and that sort of thing. Early on when I was 14 I threw in the 'futures' games so that gave me some good exposure. I traveled with the Cincinnati Reds Scout Team during high school, but I was committed to Illinois by the time I was 16. I was really fortunate to play with the Minnesota Blizzard as they really gave me a platform to shine and they had a lot of connections."
GS: What went through your decision process to choose Illinois?
AM: "I have a great relationship with the former pitching coach there, Drew Dickinson (now at Virginia). It is a great school and offered a great education, and my parents really pushed that. My mom also went to Illinois for a year so I was familiar with the school."
GS: Why did you decide to enter the transfer portal?
AM: "Last year, my junior year, I basically was injured most of the year. My velocity was down and I just didn't feel 100%. I ended up getting elbow tendinitis and I felt like it hindered me from performing my best on the field. I had a talk with the coaches after the season and we decided it was best for me to move on."
GS: How are you feeling now going into the 2022 season?
AM: "It was a tough year in a lot of ways for me but I definitely think coming to Minnesota was the best decision I ever made. I'm so comfortable here. One of the things about my high school experience is that I always had something to prove. I was undersized and wasn't the biggest guy, but always threw hard. I always had a big chip on my shoulder. Once I got to Illinois, I was a big recruit and I was supposed to perform on the field and I kind of lost that chip on my shoulder. After leaving there and not performing my best last season, I definitely feel like I have a lot to prove here in Minnesota."
GS: Physically, where are you this year compared to 2021?
AM: "There's a lot of development that's happened. I trained all summer at Starter's in Burnsville and worked on getting my arm action back. Day in and day out, I was trying to get back to how I was throwing my first couple years of college and in high school. At some point it clicked, my velocity is back and my mindset is good."
GS: Once you were in the transfer portal, how did the process go with getting you to Minnesota?
AM: "I had posted a video of me working out and I hit 95 m.p.h. After that, [assistant coach] Ty [McDevitt] reached out and we both wanted to make it happen. This program has had a lot of success in the past and I wanted to be a part of bringing back its winning ways."
GS: How do you see yourself carving out a role to help the team this season?
AM: "I definitely plan to contribute immensely on and off the field. I just want to make everyone around me better. Performance on the field matters, but I want to help develop and lead others, that's something I'm super passionate about. I feel like we have a good group of guys who can make some noise this year in the Big Ten."
GS: What's it going to be like seeing your family in the stands at home games this year?
AM: "The first time I step on the mound for Minnesota it's going to be business at usual. I'm here for a purpose and to win games. I've been blessed that my parents usually always come to see me pitch, wherever I've been."
A Rosemount, Minn., native, Maldonado was the No. 2 recruit in Minnesota by Perfect Game in the class of 2018. He was the No. 161 overall player in the nation by Perfect Game, the Illini's highest-rated recruit of their class. He was three-time all-area and an all-conference selection as a junior. Maldonado was drafted in the 38th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2018 MLB Draft.
He competed for the Illini for three seasons, pitching in 28 games. Maldonado entered the transfer portal after the 2021 season and found his way back home to Minnesota, where the Gophers will look to use him in a variety of ways this year.
GS: What were your first memories of playing baseball?
AM: "Probably when I was five or six years old. I loved the game of baseball from the earliest days I can remember."
GS: What other sports did you play growing up?
AM: "I ran track and played football and basketball. But by the time I was 12 or 13 I had given those up and was focused on baseball. I was traveling around the country playing in tournaments competing with my travel and club teams."
GS: How did your original recruitment process start in high school?
AM: "I was fortunate to throw in front of a lot of people that had connections with showcases and that sort of thing. Early on when I was 14 I threw in the 'futures' games so that gave me some good exposure. I traveled with the Cincinnati Reds Scout Team during high school, but I was committed to Illinois by the time I was 16. I was really fortunate to play with the Minnesota Blizzard as they really gave me a platform to shine and they had a lot of connections."
GS: What went through your decision process to choose Illinois?
AM: "I have a great relationship with the former pitching coach there, Drew Dickinson (now at Virginia). It is a great school and offered a great education, and my parents really pushed that. My mom also went to Illinois for a year so I was familiar with the school."
GS: Why did you decide to enter the transfer portal?
AM: "Last year, my junior year, I basically was injured most of the year. My velocity was down and I just didn't feel 100%. I ended up getting elbow tendinitis and I felt like it hindered me from performing my best on the field. I had a talk with the coaches after the season and we decided it was best for me to move on."
GS: How are you feeling now going into the 2022 season?
AM: "It was a tough year in a lot of ways for me but I definitely think coming to Minnesota was the best decision I ever made. I'm so comfortable here. One of the things about my high school experience is that I always had something to prove. I was undersized and wasn't the biggest guy, but always threw hard. I always had a big chip on my shoulder. Once I got to Illinois, I was a big recruit and I was supposed to perform on the field and I kind of lost that chip on my shoulder. After leaving there and not performing my best last season, I definitely feel like I have a lot to prove here in Minnesota."
GS: Physically, where are you this year compared to 2021?
AM: "There's a lot of development that's happened. I trained all summer at Starter's in Burnsville and worked on getting my arm action back. Day in and day out, I was trying to get back to how I was throwing my first couple years of college and in high school. At some point it clicked, my velocity is back and my mindset is good."
GS: Once you were in the transfer portal, how did the process go with getting you to Minnesota?
AM: "I had posted a video of me working out and I hit 95 m.p.h. After that, [assistant coach] Ty [McDevitt] reached out and we both wanted to make it happen. This program has had a lot of success in the past and I wanted to be a part of bringing back its winning ways."
GS: How do you see yourself carving out a role to help the team this season?
AM: "I definitely plan to contribute immensely on and off the field. I just want to make everyone around me better. Performance on the field matters, but I want to help develop and lead others, that's something I'm super passionate about. I feel like we have a good group of guys who can make some noise this year in the Big Ten."
GS: What's it going to be like seeing your family in the stands at home games this year?
AM: "The first time I step on the mound for Minnesota it's going to be business at usual. I'm here for a purpose and to win games. I've been blessed that my parents usually always come to see me pitch, wherever I've been."
|
HIT & RUN WITH AIDAN
Major: Political ScienceFavorite vacation spot: Cancun, Mexico Place to eat on campus: Tony's Diner Netflix show: Euphoria Go-to pitch: Fastball Hobby: Coaching and Video Games Fun Fact: Loves to Sauna Athlete: LeBron James Professional team: Minnesota Vikings Musical artist: Kygo Hidden Talent: Can complete a rubik's cube under a minute |
Highlights: Gophers 6, Omaha 4
Sunday, March 08
Highlights: Gophers 3, SDSU 2
Saturday, March 07
Highlights: Gophers 10, UNLV 0
Friday, March 06
Highlights: Gophers 6, Milwaukee 2
Wednesday, March 04