Tommie Sports - Baseball
Baseball's Chris Olean announces 2010 coaching staff
January 19, 2010Interim head baseball coach Chris Olean has announced his 2010 St. Thomas baseball coaching staff. Olean, the pitching coach the last nine seasons, will have former Tommies Matt Faulken and Ray Noble joining him, along with former Oral Roberts player Matt Vanderbosch, a Hastings native and teammate of Olean's on the Miesville Mudhens amateur team. Pat Casey will return for his third season.
The Tommies start practices Feb. 1 and are comning off a 41-13 season that was capped by the NCAA Division III championshiup. Dennis Denning announced his retirement in December after 15 seasons and sa 522-157 record.
Here's more on the new Tommie coaches:
Chris Olean / Interim Head Coach
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Chris Olean enters his first season as the head coach of the University of St. Thomas baseball team. 
Olean was a nine-year assistant coach at St. Thomas under legendary coach Dennis Denning. Chris was a key member of Denning's staff that has guided St. Thomas to NCAA Division III championships in 2001 and 2009, along with an unprecedented seven straight MIAC conference titles between 2003-2009. During Olean’s coaching career with the Tommies, UST has built a 301-98 record and have either won the MIAC regular-season or post-season title in each of the last nine seasons, and reached the NCAA playoffs eight of the last nine seasons.
In 2009, Olean's pitchers recorded a 2.12 ERA in 12 NCAA playoff games and helped the Tommies go 6-0 in elimination games at regionals and nationals. Under Olean, St. Thomas pitchers have led the conference in ERA in eight of his nine seasons, and finished in the top 10 in ERA in the country in four of nine seasons. Olean has also coached two pitchers who have gone on to play professionally along with five All American pitchers.
As a high-school player, the Minneapolis Washburn graduate was a three-time all-conference player, a three-time all-section player, a two-time All Metro team member and a two-time All-State selection. Olean was in the top three in the state in ERA in both his junior and senior year. As a senior, Olean also batted over .400 and led the state in home runs.
As a Tommie, Olean was a three-time All-MIAC selection, a three-time All Midwest Regional selection, and member of the 1999 Division III World Series All-Tournament team. Tommie teams won the MIAC conference title all four seasons and compiled a 152-32 record during his era as a player. In his senior season, the two-time team captain finished second in Division III in ERA (0.60) and finished with 97 strikeouts to only six walks while leading the Tommies to their first ever World Series appearance. He was also named the MIAC Player of the Year and a first team All-American. He finished his career with the modern school career strikeout record (246 Ks in 248 innings), and his 24-8 career mark included a 15-1 record in conference play.
Olean was inducted into the University of St. Thomas Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.
Olean was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 17th round of the 1999 amateur draft, and spent two seasons in their organization playing in Ogden, Helena, and Beloit (6-1, five saves, 3.50 ERA, one one-hitter). He also played one season with the St. Paul Saints.
Olean also manages in Minnesota amateur baseball with the Miesville Mudhens. Through 2009, the Mudhens have gone 118-52 during his time as a manager and won the 2007 class B state title. Olean has managed multiple Division I players and former professionals in his time with the Mudhens. Olean is also a member of the Mudhens' board of directors and is involved in fundraising events, field improvement and maintenance, as well as player recruitment and retention.
As an amateur player, Olean has won a Class A state championship with the now defunct Glynn Building Products team, and the 2007 Class B state title with the Mudhens. Olean is a six-time all-tournament selection combining both class A and B appearances.
Olean has worked at multiple baseball camps and clinics throughout the state over the last nine years. He has been a speaker at multiple coaches’ clinics and has given lessons at Blue Chip Academy, Minnesota Baseball Academy, and Acceleration Minnesota.
Chris, his wife Shannon, and their dog Togo reside in Vadnais Heights.
Matt Faulken / Assistant Coach
Matt Faulken enters his first season on the Tommies' coaching staff. Matt was an All-State player at St. Paul Central High School and led the state in batting average as a senior, hitting over .500 for the season. Matt went on to play two years at Division I Iowa State.
As a junior, Matt transferred to St. Thomas , where he played outfield and was an All-American in both 1998 and 1999. Matt led all of Division III baseball in RBIs as a junior.
Matt went on to play three years of minor league baseball before beginning his own baseball and softball training school. Matt works with more than 1,000 players a year ranging in age from eight through college age.
As an assistant with St. Thomas, Matt’s primary responsibilities are working with hitters, infielders and team conditioning.
Matt lives with his wife Nicole and 3-year-old daughter Lauren in Lino Lakes. He works at Line Drive Baseball Academy.
Coach Olean on Matt Faulken:
“Matt is a great hitting guy, he understands how to get the best out of each individual and he'll provide our hitters with a personal plan to improve. As an instructor for the past six years, Matt has worked with some of the best young hitters in the state of Minnesota. Matt also brings three years of professional experience and an unquestioned work ethic to which the players will respond. As a player there was not a better hitter out there. Matt is arguably one of the top three hitters in UST history!”
Matt Vanderbosch / Assistant Coach
Matt Vanderbosch enters his first year with the Tommies as an assistant coach. A Hastings High School grad, Matt was a three-time all-conference selection, honorable mention All-Stater as a junior, and was All-State as a senior. He helped Hastings to the 1999 Class 2A state title.
Matt went on to play two years with Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona. There Matt was named to the All-Conference team twice, and was honored as a NJCAA secnd team All-American. Matt transferred to Division I Oral Roberts University as a junior, where he was a two-time all-conference selection, a second team Division I All-American, and was named his conference's Player of the Year as a senior when he helped his squad finish with a No. 12 national ranking while batting .383 with 94 runs scored and 44 stolen bases.
Matt was drafted in the ninth round by the Boston Red Sox and played in their organization four seasons. In 2004, he was named the Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year while playing with the Lowell Spinners. In 2006 he helped AA Portland win the Eastern League title.
Currently Matt plays amateur baseball with UST head coach Chris Olean, and is the assistant manager of the Miesville Mudhens.
As an assistant with St. Thomas, Matt’s primary responsibilities are the outfield, team base running, and hitting.
Matt currently lives in Hastings and is a wireless consultant and store manager for Mobile-Link Wireless.
Coach Olean on Matt Vanderbosch:
“Matt is a high intensity guy who brings with him a passion for the game. Matt is a terrific base runner and outfielder and with his four years of playing professionally his knowledge of the game is unquestioned. He will bring a spark to the program and give our base runners and outfielders an inside edge they can’t get anywhere else!”
Pat Casey / Assistant Coach
Pat Casey enters his third year on the Tommie coaching staff in 2009-2010. In Pat’s two years at St. Thomas the Tommies have won two MIAC Championships, received two NCAA Regional berths and won the 2009 Division III College World Series.
Pat graduated from the Academy of Holy Angels and collected seven letters during his prep career in baseball, basketball and football. Pat was named All-Missota Conference, All District (twice) and the set the school record for most runners thrown out in a season (17) from behind the plate. The Stars posted a 35-10 record during Pat’s prep era in baseball, which included a trip to the state tournament in 2001. Casey was also the starting wide receiver for the Stars in football and was a part of the first team in school history to make an appearance in the State Tournament in 2002.
In college, Pat was a three-year letterwinning catcher for the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux from 2005-2007. He tailed 23 putouts, eleven assists and posted a .995 fielding percentage having played three different positions for the Sioux (Catcher, second base and outfield).
His grandfather, the late Bob Casey, was the Hall of Fame public address voice of the Minnesota Twins from 1961-2005. His father, Mike, lettered for the Tommies from 1972-1975 and was a part of the 1972 MIAC conference championship team while also serving as a professional scout for the Minnesota Twins from 1980-1987.
As an assistant with St. Thomas, Pat’s primary responsibilities are development of the catchers and recruiting.
Pat currently manages and catches for the East Side Merchants Class-A Amateur League in St. Paul, and is currently an honor roll student completing his undergraduate degree at the University of St. Thomas in English, Literature and Communication Arts with an emphasis in Writing.
Coach Olean on Pat Casey:
“Pat is a true baseball guy from a baseball family! He has a great understanding of the game and his he does great work with our catchers. He is a vital part of the St. Thomas staff!”
Ray Noble / Head JV Coach – Assistant Coach
Ray Noble enters his first season as a Tommie assistant coach and Junior Varsity head coach. Ray was a four-year letterwinner and two-year captain as an infielder and outfielder at St. Thomas. Ray helped the Tommies win four MIAC Championships and post a 172-41 record (74-14 MIAC) in his era. As a senior in 1999, Ray helped the Tommie’s advance to their first Division III College World Series.
Ray has also coached Commanding Edge, an amateur team comprised of varsity and junior varsity players from the University of St. Thomas program in the St. Paul City League. In the past seven years as coach, the team has qualified for seven straight Class A State Tournaments.
In 2009, Ray was a varsity assistant coach at Cretin-Derham Hall. Ray has been speaking at coaches’ clinics and conducting camps since 1998.
Ray currently works as a physical education teacher at St. Marks School in St. Paul. He and his wife Sarah have three children -- Isaiah 4, Olivia 3 and Maria 3.
Coach Olean on Ray Noble:
“Ray is a lifelong Tommie who has worked with UST players for the past seven years with the Commanding Edge summer team. He has been a great mentor and role model for our players in the summer, and has continued their high level of learning throughout the summer season. Ray brings a unique knowledge of infield and outfield play along with a great overall understanding of the game. He has extensive head coaching experience that will serve both the varsity and JV program well.”
