Carlson Likes Opportunity At Toledo

WHITEHOUSE - There were a lot of memories made by Dom Carlson at the Future Games.

“What stood out to me was the amount of talent just on Team Ohio,” the Anthony Wayne High School junior said. “Since the Future Games six or seven have committed.”

Add another to the list with the 14th-rated 2023 right-handed pitcher in the state deciding his future home is at Toledo.

“They reached out to my travel coach Greg Nartker halfway through the summer and came and watched me pitch,” Carlson reflected. “They saw me again at the Future Games. That’s when they really decided they wanted to pursue me and had a lot of interest.”

The connection continued after Carlson threw for two innings at the PBR event, allowing one hit with two strikeouts while his fastball was clocked at 88.4.

“Sept. 1 is when you’re allowed to call and set up a visit,” Carlson noted. “That’s when I took a visit. I liked the facilities, that it’s close to home and I liked the campus a lot. They gave me an offer and I called them that night and said I was ready.”

The coaches at the Mid-American Conference school found plenty to admire about the 43rd-ranked junior in Ohio.

“They like my pitchability, that I throw strikes, I locate my fastball and I have a sharp hard breaking ball,” Carlson said. “They also said my frame is projectable.”

An opportunity to get on the field early in his college career stood out to Carlson.

“They told me I have a shot to come in as a freshman and get a lot of innings,” Carlson noted. “That said that ... and my class will be a big one for them.”

Wright State also presented an offer to Carlson, who additionally had Southeast Missouri State and Oakland reach out.

“About a year ago when I was a freshman is when it really became a goal for me,” Carlson pointed out about the thought of playing baseball at the next level. “It was like, yeah this is what I want to do.”

Reality came after his sophomore year of high school baseball.

“This past summer I knew it was going to happen, it was only a matter of time,” Carlson said.

Playing for Team Ohio at LakePoint, Ga., two months ago helped the cause.

“The Future Games took a huge role in all of this,” Carlson explained. “It’s the biggest recruiting spotlight in the nation with 300-plus colleges there to see you. You’re playing the best of the best. It was the biggest thing that helped me.”

Nartker and his son, Brock, a pitcher at Wright State, are credited by Carlson as the biggest two influences in his development and recruitment, which was aided by major improvement over the past year.

“At the end of my freshman summer I was 77-80 and at the Future Games 85-88,” Carlson noted. “Two weeks after the Future Games in a bullpen I was 87-89 and topped at 90.”

Lifting, gaining weight, eating right and improved mobility have been the keys to getting better according to Carlson, who believes he will be a huge asset to the Toledo program.

“I’ll bring a hard worker, good character, good leadership and a good teammate,” explained Carlson, a 3.4 student looking to major in business management at UT.

“This is a huge weight off for my whole entire family’s shoulders,” Carlson said. “The whole process was pretty slow at the start so to finally make a decision is a huge relief.”