Q&A with St. Thomas (MN) commit Dylan O'Connell
November 11, 2021
As another major winner in the state’s 2022 class throughout this year’s circuit, INF Dylan O’Connell (Eau Claire Memorial) established himself as a legitimate top-40 prospect in Wisconsin. His year started with a quality performance at the Madison Preseason I.D. in March, and it carried over into the WIAA spring where lead the Old Abes to the WIAA state playoffs. In the summer, O’Connell was among the day’s top performers at our high-profile Top Prospect - Milwaukee showcase which followed an excellent in-game showing at our Badger State Battle tournament a little over a week prior. These performances combined to push O'Connell way up on the uncommitted board, landing the attention of St. Thomas (MN) where he ultimately committed.
We recently had the opportunity to discuss the recruiting process with O’Connell, what he was looking for out of his college experience, and several other intriguing topics.
LATEST SCOUTING REPORT
OUR Q&A
PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?
O’Connell: I had little to no expectations coming into the recruiting process because I did not know much about it. I found it to be exciting at times and even a bit stressful at times but in the end it is an experience that I will cherish and hopefully share with my kids when I am older. I was looking for a college baseball program that had an extremely competitive, hard-working, and winning atmosphere.
P: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?
O: Absolutely it did. I knew going into the recruiting process that I wanted to stay relatively close to home so I could have my family and friends have the ability to come watch me play and support me like they always have.
P: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Where did the school you committed to first see you play?
O: The recruiting process really picked up for me after the high school season and after the PBR Milwaukee uncommitted showcase. I got my name out there during the high school season which allowed me to snag the eye of many coaches. St. Thomas initially didn’t see me play in person until one of their prospect ID camps, but they knew of me from the high school season. I received an offer from St Thomas very shortly after their camp.
P: What do you like most about the program you chose, and what were the key factors in making your decision?
O: What I most like about St. Thomas is they know what it takes to win, as they were arguably one of the best Division III teams in the country before transitioning into DI. I was also drawn in by the pro-level experience all their coaching staff has and I know I will learn a lot continuing my baseball career here.
P: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?
O: Minnesota State, Winona State, and Madison JC.
P: Who is the best player you have faced in your state? What about them makes for a tough opponent?
O: The best player that I have faced in the state is, without a doubt, RHP Theo Zeidler (Bay Port, 2022; Bradley). In our state semi-final game this past year, Theo could throw hard with location and had a nasty wipeout slider that pretty much shut out the whole team down.
P: At what point in your career did you realize you were a college-caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?
O: I realized that I was a college-caliber player mid-way through out high school season. I was batting .500 and had already thrown a no-hitter. Also had multiple people asking me if I had interest in playing college baseball.
P: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?
O: A piece of advice that I would give to young players is to enjoy the game. You will never succeed like you want to until you realize baseball is a blessing and should be played like one. Every player will set down the bat and glove one last time before hopefully passing it down to the next generation, and you should treat every game like it’s your last.
P: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?
O: The most memorable baseball moment for me would with out a doubt be making it to state this past year with our high school team. Playing the sport you love with your best friends, and combing that with winning a lot and having success made this past year the most memorable baseball season that I have had to date.
P: Preview Eau Claire Memorial's season for us. How do you feel your team will be?
O: I feel we should make it to the same spot we were last year if not sealing the deal this year and bringing home a state title. We will have a ton of core seniors returning this year who work hard in the weight room and are constantly in the cages. Experience will be a very strong suit of ours this upcoming season without a doubt.
Scouting Report
"Played a pivotal role in the Old Abes’ state playoff run and a strong showing at the Top Prospect - Milwaukee event helped shoot him up our board, now sitting at 40th overall. O’Connell is built at a proportionally strong 5-foot-10, 175-pounds with athleticism to pair, as he ran a 6.76 in the 60-yard dash this July. He owns a fairly loud skill-set on the diamond, barreling his best ball up at 101 mph in BP and throwing an event-high 89 mph across the infield. Those skills translate well in game, where O’Connell regularly produced loud contact off the barrel when we saw him throughout the WIAA Playoffs and at this year’s Badger State Battle. He offers some two-way potential as well, bumping his fastball up to 88 mph and featuring a sharp breaking ball with swing-and-miss spin off an 11/5 plane."