Q&A with Midwest Future Games Representative: Oliver Jaskie, LHP, Forrest Hills Central, 2014
August 20, 2012
Oliver Jaskie, LHP, Forrest Hills Central, 2014
Jaskie is an intriguing lefthander. He is 6-foot-4 and can really pitch. He plays for the Grand Rapids
Diamonds in the summer, who play high level of competition, and he holds his own. His changeup is his bread and butter and the breaking ball is coming along. His velocity will come later as there is more left in the tank.
PBR: As you enter your junior year in high school, where are you currently in the recruiting process?
Jaskie: So far I have talked with a couple of schools over the phone, Michigan and Michigan State, and I will be taking an unofficial visit to Michigan State this Fall.
PBR: What are your expectations for the recruiting process?
Jaskie: I expect the recruiting process to be exciting. To get to this point I've had to dedicate a lot of time to baseball and it's exciting for me to see hard work pay off and get the opportunity to be a part of the recruiting process. I'm excited for these next upcoming years where hopefully I will have the chance to talk with many differnet college coaches and start picking which coaches and programs I'm interested in.
PBR: What level of baseball do you see yourself playing at the next level?
Jaskie: I see myself playing at a very high level of baseball at the next level. I'm a great competitor and a great worker and will do whatever it takes to be the best pitcher i can possibly be.
PBR: What schools are you most interested in right now, and why?
Jaskie: Michigan State, Central Michigan, and the University of Michigan are some of the schools I'm most interested in. Michigan State has shown a lot of interest in me and have been at the top of the Big Ten these last few years, Central Michigan has a great program and I really think their pitching coach, Jeff Opalewski, can help me keep improving, and Michigan is a great school and I'm interested in learning what their new coaches and program are going to be like.
PBR: What aspect of your game do you believe needs the most improvement?
Jaskie: My velocity is the number one thing that needs to improve for me. A lot of coaches have told me not to worry and that my velocity will come down the road, but I know I have to keep with a solid strength program and throwing program this winter to bring my velocity up. Other than that my breaking ball needs to improve, I need to work on controling a running game, and work on fielding my position.
PBR: How did this past season turn out for you?
Jaskie: This past baseball season was great for me. In high school I was able to become comfortable throwing a curveball, which was a brand new pitch to me this past year. The additional pitch allowed me to perform very well this summer. Also I learned a ton of information about pitching and about baseball in general from my summer team this year.
PBR: What are your high school team goals for the 2013 season?
Jaskie: For me, I want my high school team to be as good as it can possibly be, whether than means winning a few conference games or winning a state championship. As a team we need to work hard and be dedicated to getting better this offseason.
PBR: What are your personal goals for 2013?
Jaskie: In 2013 I want to become the best pitcher I can possibly be. I want to be that guy throwing in the high 80's, 90mph with a great breaking ball and a great changeup. I understand how tough of a task that would be to make that happen, but there is no reason to shoot for anything less. For me to be the kind of pitcher I want to be, those are the goals I need to start striving for. Whatever I need to do to reach those goals I am prepared to work for like I have in these past years to reach past goals.
PBR: What team do you play for in the summer?
Jaskie: This summer I played for Billy Peterson at Diamonds in Grand Rapids, MI. Coach Peterson and everyone else at Diamonds is like family and has helped me a lot these past summers. It's a great club and where I want to play throughout my high school career.
PBR: What is your fondest memory or highlight from the Midwest Futures Games?
Jaskie: My favorite memory from this event was watching Jackson Overluend and AJ Montoya hitting some moon shots against team Ohio. If I remeber right, Montoya's homer cleared the pines sitting in left field.
PBR: What were your stats from this past year?
Jaskie: Our summer team did not keep stats on us this year. All I know is I performed well and improved a lot over this past season.
PBR: What is your GPA? ACT or SAT score? If you have not taken it do you have a planned date?
Jaskie: I have a 3.5 GPA and have not taken the ACT or SAT yet. I plan to take it sometime this school year and probably again sometime next summer.
PBR: Have you decided on a major or narrowed it down?
Jaskie: I want to be a buisness major. Buisness runs in the family and it makes a lot of sense to me.