Oshinskie likes academic, athletic challenges at Brown

FAIRFIELD, Ct. - The academic and athletic parts fit what Ryan Oshinskie wanted.

The Fairfield College Prep junior has decided his next stop will be in the Ivy League at Brown University.

“I want to study architecture and there are very few schools like Brown that have architecture and that you can play baseball,” explained Oshinskie.

Columbia, Penn, Fordham, Bucknell and Maine were among other schools the 15th-rated 2023 right-handed pitcher in New England was considering.

“The process was hard for me with what I wanted to study, so if there was interest from a college that I liked but it didn’t have architecture I moved on,” Oshinskie said.

In December, Brown entered the picture.

“I had reached out to them before,” Oshinskie reflected. “They saw a video of me from a camp in Florida and I think they were impressed. I went on an unofficial visit in early January and we kept in touch. In February I went to a Brown camp and they liked my numbers and we kept talking.”

It all came together at a PBR U CT Scout Day event in March.

“I impressed them with my numbers and later that night I was blessed to be given an offer,” Oshinskie related. “I thought about it for a day or two but I knew the type of school I wanted to go to and I knew there weren’t going to be many opportunities like that.”  

After all, the 39th-ranked junior in New England loved what Brown had to offer.

“I liked the general atmosphere there,” Oshinskie noted. “I can see myself going there even without playing baseball. The coaching staff was awesome and the team size is smaller than most so there’s more likely a chance to get playing time. It has a beautiful campus and is in a great location. I was blown away.”

Brown saw a lot of promise in the 6-2 155-pounder.

“My projectability is the main thing they got from me, that and my effort,” Oshinskie pointed out. “I’m not the strongest kid but my mechanics are decent. When my strength increases I’ll be throwing a lot harder.”

There was more that stood out about Oshinskie at the PBR Scout Day event.

“My spin rate was another determining attribute,” Oshinskie said. “I set a personal record for spin rate at the PBR. Part of it was adrenaline with a bunch of coaches there. It fired me up and put me over the edge.”

Oshinskie, who carries a 4.17 GPA on a 4.25 scale, has desired to play college baseball since Little League ended.

“I wanted to use baseball to get into a better school and with Brown I’ve done that,” noted Oshinskie, who had an impressive fastball spin rate of 2593.

That was just one part of the improvement made by Brown on the mound.

“I wasn’t pitching much a year or two ago so I worked on the mental part, how to sequence pitches and the type of fastballs or breaking balls to throw,” Oshinskie explained. “I know my mental game has improved.”

So has the physical game.

“I started a new workout program in November and I’ve gained 10 to 12 pounds of muscle which has been instrumental in throwing harder,” the 16-year-old related.

The proof was in the numbers where Oshinskie was in the low-80s at a PBR event last September before upping the velo to 86 at the March event. It has the seventh-rated 2023 right-handed pitcher from Connecticut excited about what he can bring to the Brown program.

“I pitch to contact so I believe I’ll be able to contribute as a pitcher throwing strikes and getting batters out,” Oshinskie explained. “I’ll also be a good teammate, I’ve been that in the past. Being with teammates every day and contributing to the competitive aspect will help the team chemistry.”

Admittedly, the commitment to Brown was an astounding feeling.

“It felt surreal at first, I couldn’t tell if it was a dream or not,” Oshinskie said. “It was shocking that a school wanted me so badly to offer me a spot on the baseball team at such a prestigious university. It’s comforting that I have my future all figured out.”

It has Oshinskie excited about what is to come.

“I'm very independent,” Oshinskie concluded. “I’m looking forward to the college experience in general and the independence involved. I’m just excited to play better competition in baseball and challenge myself academically, athletically and socially.”