Alan Oaks, RHP

[emkayseven]

discuss
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6'3" 230, another senior

[DropkickAlex]

In The Dugout

Alan Oaks, rhp, Michigan

Oaks will always be remembered in Ann Arbor for his pinch-hit, walk-off home run against College Player of the Year David Price to win the 2007 Nashville Regional for Michigan, but he's creating a new identity on the mound as a senior. Oaks moved into the Friday starter role last weekend at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge, using a 90-92 mph fastball, a low-80s slider and a high-70s changeup to hold an explosive Louisville offense to two runs over seven innings while striking out seven in a tough-luck loss. Through two starts, he's 1-1, 2.77 with nine strikeouts and three walks in 13 innings. This Friday he faces another marquee opponent in North Carolina and ace Matt Harvey. We caught up with Oaks after Michigan picked up a win against South Florida on Sunday.

Alan Oaks (Photo by Mike Janes)
You guys had good pitching all weekend long; I imagine it's one of those things where you can walk away and say we were in all three of these games and we'll get 'em next week.

Yeah, not only our pitching but our defense was good, too. That's one thing that Coach (Rich Maloney) talks about is pitching and defense. We knew from the start that we had some solid starters and our bullpen is good too, so it's just a matter of executing. I feel like we did that all three games.

It looked like you were really feeling it on Friday. You kept a really good offensive Louisville club at bay for seven innings. What did you have working?

Early on, I was just trying to spot up my fastball and use both sides of the plate with the two-seam and four-seam. I had the slider going early, and then as the game went on I started to find my changeup more to the lefties, so I started mixing that in more. Coach always says it doesn't matter who you're playing; as long as you make your pitch they're not going to hit it, so that's kind of what I go by.

It's pretty impressive that you have confidence in all three pitches considering you haven't really pitched a lot in college (making 10 career appearances). When was the last time you pitched regularly?

The last time I pitched regularly was probably high school. I was ace of my high school team, I guess you could say. I still threw bullpens my freshman and sophomore year here, and then junior year about halfway through they started using me a little bit more, and then I got three starts at the end of the year last year and got about 30 innings. This year I'm just concentrating on pitching only. I hit in BP every now and then, but it's a different mindset now that it's solely one focus.

What's that adjustment been like for you? Did you always think of yourself as a hitter first?

I never really thought of it that way, but when I got here, I could see I wasn't ready to pitch at the college level yet. But it really hasn't been that hard of a change; in fact, I like it better. It's less toll on your arm than doing both things, but at the same time, sometimes I do miss hitting in the games. But I get my fun in in batting practice.

Certainly it seems like your future down the road in pro ball is on the mound, with your arm strength and stuff, but you're always going to be remembered by Michigan fans for what you did with the bat. Are you sick of hearing about David Price yet?

You know, everyone has a different perspective of where they were or when they heard about it, so it's interesting to hear everyone's take on it. Every time they bring it up I get a little smile from it.

What's your take on it? When you look back on it, take me through that whole experience.

I was just a freshman and wasn't really expecting to be in the game. Then coach yelled at me because of the matchup we had—we had another freshman in who hadn't really hit much, so I pinch-hit for him. I got to a 3-1 count, and I was just sitting dead-red. I knew he was going to try and throw it by me—he throws 95. So I hit it and I didn't really know what happened at first, and then I saw it go out. I was just on cloud nine for about a week until we went to Oregon (for super regionals against Oregon State). I mean, it's something that I'll remember forever definitely, just that whole weekend and whole experience. Just the fact that I helped my team win is the biggest, most important thing.

The next October when you see Price getting the last outs to send the Rays to the World Series, you could say, "I beat that guy."

Yeah, and I pitched the night before, it was the first championship game. I'd only pitched two innings, and actually my first career strikeout was Pedro Alvarez. So someone said earlier today, "Man, you owned like $25 million that weekend." So that was kind of funny.

[emkayseven]

Remember him from 2007? No? He was the one who hit the pinch-hit, walk-off HR off David Price to win the 2007 Nashville Regional over Vanderbilt. His repertoire includes a low-90's fastball, low-90's slider, and a high-70's change-up. Has confidence in all three pitches at any count in any at bat.

http://macksmets.blogspot.com/2010/0...s-stepehn.html

[DropkickAlex]

I approve.

[Fishfan79]

ehhh rather get more HS talent personally. But, these are cheap.

[emkayseven]

Oaks was the best high school hitter in Michigan and a Tigers 50th-round draft pick as an outfielder in 2006. He was predominantly an outfielder in his first three seasons with the Wolverines and clubbed a regional-winning homer off David Price as freshman, but he never made consistent contact at the plate. Michigan used him as a two-way player last year, and he became a full-time pitcher and its Friday night starter this spring. Though the righthander tired down the stretch after tripling his previous career high with 92 innings, scouts say he's legitimate and might have been a top-five-round pick had he moved to the mound earlier in his career. In the first half of the season, Oaks worked in the low 90s and touched 94 mph with his fastball while flashing an average slider and changeup. He uses his high-three-quarters arm slot and 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame to work down in the strike zone. He threw too many sliders, however, and topped out at 91 with diminished command and secondary pitches by the end of the year. Once he gets more innings under his belt, his build should lend itself to durability. He has enough stuff to make it as a starter, or profiles well as a late-inning reliever.

from BA

[Bobbob1313]

Reliever!

[emkayseven]

straight from his mouth, he will be signing in Jupiter on Saturday.

check out SFM's interview with Oaks here: http://www.soflamarlins.com/showthre...3688#post83688

[LocoMarlinFan]

Signed for 25,000

http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft....php?team=1027