Chris Olean named Interim Head Baseball Coach

January 13, 2010

Chris Olean has been named UST's Interim Head Baseball Coach for the the 2010 Tommie season.

Olean, a nine-year assistant with the Tommies, takes over for 15-year head coach Denniis Denning, who will retire from the university on Feb. 1.

Denning compilied a 522-157 record at St. Thomas. When you add in his Cretin-Derham Hall success, he closed with 901 head coaching victories and an 80% winning clip over 32 seasons. His Tommie teams qualified for the NCAA playoffs 14 of his 15 seasons, with four top-two national finishes.

St. Thomas will conduct a national search next fall for a permanent full-time coach.

"I am extremely grateful to the University for this opportunity and look forward to maintaining the level of excellence that Coach Denning has established over the past 15 years," Olean said. "I feel I am ready for this challenge and excited to have the chance to be a head coach at one of the premier Division III schools in the country."

The Tommies, who return 20 of their top 25 varsity players from an NCAA champion squad, are ranked first in the Division III preseason poll after posting a 41-13 mark last season.

They start indoor workouts Feb. 1 in preparation for their March 7 season-openng douleheader against St. Scholastica in the Metrodome.

UST''s former winter practice site, Coughlan Fieldhouse was razed last summer to make way for the new Anderson Athletics and Recreation Building, which opens next August. Thus St. Thomas' first seven weeks of practice will be held at Concordia University's air structure at Sea Foam Stadium.

UST also plays four other March Metrodome games, including a single game against the Minnesota Gophers on March 10 .

The Toms have 10 games on spring break in Winter Haven, Fla., March 26-April 1, and start MIAC play April 3 at home against 2009 playoff qualifier Carleton.

PHOTO: Brandon Stone, who'll be a senior in 2010, pitched seven scoreless innings to get the victory in the Division III championship game won in 12 innings 3-2 by UST over Wooster. (Mike Ekern photo)

True Tommie

A former St. Thomas All-American pitcher, Olean has been Tommie pitching coach the last nine seasons, including their NCAA championship seasons of 2001 and 2009 and the current string of seven consecutive conference titles.

Last spring, 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 the Toms have won either the regular-season or playoff championship each year.

Olean is also a member of the UST Athletic Hall of Fame. He earned first-team All-America honors as a pitcher and a senior as he  led St. Thomas to an NCAA runner-up finish. The Minneapolis Washburn grad was second in Division III  in ERA (0.60) that season and finished with 97 strikeouts and only eight walks. On his career, he closed with 246 strikeouts in 248 innings, and his 24-8 won-loss mark included a 15-1 record in conference play. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers and spent two seasons in their organization (6-1, five saves, 3.50 ERA, one one-hitter), and also played one season with the St. Paul Saints.  

Olean works as a Project Manager at Electronic Design Company. Chris and his wife Shannon reside in Inver Grove Heights. He's also the manager of the amateur Miesville Mudhens, which won the 2007 Class B state championship.

 

 

2009-2010 St. Thomas Baseball Schedule

March

Sun. 7 -- St. Scholastica (2), Metrodome, 6 p.m.; Wed. 10 -- Minnesota Gophers, Metrodome, 9 inning, 6:30 p.m.; Thur. 18 -- UW-LaCrosse, (2), Metrodome, 7 p.m.;  Sat. 20 -- Carthage (Wis.), Metrodome, 9 inning, 9:45 p.m.; Fri. 26 -- Otterbein (Ohio) (2), Winter Haven, Fla.; Sat. 27-- U of Chicago (2), Winter Haven, Fla.; Sun. 28 -- Fri. 26 -- Grinnell (Iowa) (2), Winter Haven, Fla.; Mon. 29 -- Edgewood (Wis.) (9 inn.), Winter Haven, Fla.; Mon. 29 -- Edgewood (Wis.) (9 inn.), Winter Haven, Fla.; Tue. 30 -- SUNY-Purchase (9 inn.), Winter Haven, Fla.; Wed. 31 -- Edgewood (Wis.) (9 inn.), Winter Haven, Fla..

April

Thur. 1-- Edgewood (Wis.) (9 inn.), Winter Haven, Fla.;  Sat. 3 -- Carleton (2), UST, 1 p.m.; Wed. 7 -- St. John's (2) UST, 2:30 p.m.; Sat. 10 -- at Bethel (2), Arden Hills, 1 p.m.; Tue. 13 -- Macalester (2), UST, 2:30 p.m.; Sat. 17 -- at Gustavus (2), St. Peter, 1 p.m.; Wed. 21 -- at Augsburg (Mpls.-Parade) (2), 2:30 p.m.; Tue. 27 -- at St. Mary's (2), Winona, 2:30 p.m.

May

Sat. 1 -- Concordia-M'head (2), UST, 1 p.m.; Wed. 5 -- Hamline (2), UST, 2:30 p.m.; Sat. 8 -- at St. Olaf (2), Northfield, 1 p.m.; F-Sa 14-15 -- MIAC Playoffs (Dundas, Northfield; We-19-Su. 23 -- NCAA Regional Playoff