Pudvar Ready To Prove His Worth At Manhattan

SHELBURNE, Vt. - The similarities to Manhattan pitching coach Chris Cody helped attract Oliver Pudvar to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference school.

“He was also a smaller guy in college and threw around what I do,” Pudvar said of the former Jasper, who was MAAC Pitcher of the Year in 2006 in leading Manhattan to its first league title in school history. “He went down as one of the best ever at Manhattan. I feel I will fit into the program.”

The coaches at the university located five hours from Pudvar’s home in Vermont understand what the Champlain Valley senior can bring to the program.

“I’m not the biggest, I’m not the strongest and I’m not the fastest,” the 5-10 150-pound 17-year-old admitted. “But they feel my work ethic is more than other players. I throw strikes and go into games to win. I’m not going to lose.”

Manhattan saw that in the 13th-rated 2022 left-handed pitcher in New England last high school season.

“The first time they saw me pitch was the semifinal game of the playoffs last year,” Pudvar reflected. “I had 10 Ks, no walks and the game ended in five innings and I went all five. I pitched the championship game as well and struck out 18 and we won it. They didn’t see that but it’s when we started talking and they wanted me to come on campus.

“I ended up pitching at a tournament in Saratoga and went to Manhattan the next day,” Pudvar continued. “I toured the campus and they gave me an offer. I was still trying to figure it all out and it took awhile to decide. I made the decision after summer ball.”

Fairfield and Siena College, both in the same conference as Manhattan, were others being considered by the 143rd-ranked senior in New England.

“The coaches at Manhattan stood out,” Pudvar explained. “I like the campus and the feel of it and really like the city and that it’s close to New York.”

Admittedly, getting exposure in Vermont made recruitment tough for the top-rated 2022 southpaw in the state.

“It’s really difficult,” Pudvar said. “I know a lot of people struggle to get looked at in Vermont. There’s only one program, Bases Loaded Bulldogs, and I give them credit. I don’t feel you get seen playing legion ball in Vermont.

“Jim Neidlinger helped a lot in my recruiting process,” Pudvar added. “All the coaches really helped in putting me in position to get looked at. And PBR as well. I sent their video to coaches and they definitely looked at it. That’s what I sent to Manhattan and they were impressed. If I hadn’t sent that, I’m not sure they would have even gone to the semifinal game.”

It was only recently that the second-ranked 2022 in Vermont became intrigued with the possibility of playing at the next level.

“Two years ago I was throwing 65 and was 5-6,” Pudvar reflected. “Junior year I got super serious and that’s when it became a reality. I wasn’t going to let myself not play. I got serious about it and it paid off.”

Improvement came with the new-found drive.

“Getting in the gym really benefited me,” Pudvar noted. “I was always trying to hit the weights and get bigger. I also used Driveline balls and did a lot of long toss.”

While the velo has hit 86 “a few times” there is more that Pudvar brings to the table.

“I’m a hard working guy and a winner,” the Champlain Valley senior said. “I don't want to go just to be on the team. I want to contribute and win a MAAC championship.”

Long-time mentor Matty Meunier has made a lasting impression on Pudvar, who also pointed to his parents with being vital in his baseball journey.

“They’ve been super supportive in getting me to games,” Pudvar said. “If not for them I wouldn’t have made it this far.”

Business or business analytics are potential majors for the 3.6 student, who anticipates a great time at college.

“I’m looking forward to the high level of play, especially coming from Vermont,” Pudvar related. “Sure, it’s not as high a level of competition here, but I want to show that people from Vermont can play at the high level.”

The opportunity to do that brings happiness along with a sense of accomplishment.

“It’s amazing, I never thought I’d get this far,” Pudvar concluded. “It was definitely emotional sharing the moment with my parents and just a really good feeling overall. Now that I’ve done this, I’m going to push myself to see what more I can do in baseball.”