Catcher finds home at Heelan
By Steven Allspach Journal sports writer | Posted: Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Leaving longtime buddies behind, Tanner Oliver was more than a little bit apprehensive when he set foot in the halls of Bishop Heelan High School for the first time in January.
"It's difficult leaving friends you've had for years and going to a new school, especially when it is your last semester of high school, but Heelan has been very friendly,'' says Oliver, The Journal's Metro Athlete of the Week and a senior standout on the Crusader baseball team.
"Joe Greer, our centerfielder, really helped me adapt and make new friends,'' adds the Heelan catcher. "Heelan's a great school and I'm fortunate to be part of an outstanding group of guys on our baseball team.''
19-year-old son Jim and Kelly Oliver was born in Thornton, Colo. (north Denver suburb) and attended Ponderosa High School in Parker, Colo. (south Denver suburb) when the family moved to the Sioux City area because of father's job change.
Baseball has helped Tanner fit perfectly in the Heelan athletic family.
His transfer has helped first-year Heelan Coach Andy Osborne in no uncertain terms.
"Catching is so important to a team's success and Tanner has given us an anchor and helped make my job easier,'' said Osborne.
Oliver, a sturdy 5-11, 205-pounder tagged home runs in Heelan Classic wins over then eighth-ranked Class 3A Storm Lake and East last weekend at Lewis and Clark Park, running his season total to a team-leading eight. He also doubled in the win over East.
"Playing in Lewis and Clark Park was awesome and being able to hit home runs in that big stadium was exciting,'' said Oliver, who lists Josh Bard and Ivan "Pudge'' Rodriguez as his two catching role models. "Our team is clicking here at the right time of the season. That's the most important thing.
"Our pitching staff is better than a lot of people give us credit for. We've just got to be a little better defensively and continue to hit with guys on base.
"Back in Colorado when I was growing up I went to camp at Cherry Creek HIgh School in Englewood run by Mark Johnson (former Major Leaguer) and saw Josh Bard throw perfect strikes to second every time. That was so impressive. Made me want to be a catcher.''
Current or ex-Major Leaguers Bard, David Aardsma, John Burke, Brad Lidge, Rick Peters, Darnell McDonald. Ken Landreaux and Eric Raisch are all graduates of Cherry Creek High.
Osborne agrees with Oliver's defensive assessment.
"Good hitting can overcome defensive deficiencies,'' opines Osborne, whose eighth-ranked 3A team improved to 22-12 with doubleheader sweep of Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson Monday, "but inconsisent defense has cost us at times this year. We made nine errors in the two Heelan Classic wins, but our bats pulled us through.''
Also, Oliver's verbal committment last week to play at Briar Cliff has Charger Coach Boyd Pitkin smiling broadly and thanking his lucky stars, too.
"Tanner is a guy who can step in right away for us and play,'' said Pitkin, "but, let's face it, if his family hadn't moved here from Colorado I probably wouldn't have heard about the guy.
"The first thing I look for in recruiting a catcher is the defensive ability and he has the tools, that's for sure. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he can hit a little bit, too. He plays hard and he plays smart.''
Pitkin returns one experienced backstop next spring, senior Matt Lee.
Just twice this season have runners successfully stolen a base against Oliver.
"Tanner's got a rifle arm, he blocks bad pitches very effectively and he calls the pitches,'' said Osborne. "He's a born leader by example and owns all the traits and instincts that make an outstanding catcher.''
In the sweep of Tee Jay Monday, Oliver, now hitting .348, swatted his ninth home run and increased his team-leading RBI total to 34.
Special Mention
SOFTBALL
Jordan Johnson, Bishop Heelan: The sophomore pitcher hurled a one-hit shutout, her fifth in 12 games, as the Crusaders blanked Le Mars 5-0 in a Class 3A regional tourney win.
BASEBALL
Travis Hanson, West: The junior, a catalyst for the Wolverines all season, scored the winning run and was the winning pitcher in an 11-10 upset of Class 3A Denison-Schleswig.
"It's difficult leaving friends you've had for years and going to a new school, especially when it is your last semester of high school, but Heelan has been very friendly,'' says Oliver, The Journal's Metro Athlete of the Week and a senior standout on the Crusader baseball team.
"Joe Greer, our centerfielder, really helped me adapt and make new friends,'' adds the Heelan catcher. "Heelan's a great school and I'm fortunate to be part of an outstanding group of guys on our baseball team.''
19-year-old son Jim and Kelly Oliver was born in Thornton, Colo. (north Denver suburb) and attended Ponderosa High School in Parker, Colo. (south Denver suburb) when the family moved to the Sioux City area because of father's job change.
Baseball has helped Tanner fit perfectly in the Heelan athletic family.
His transfer has helped first-year Heelan Coach Andy Osborne in no uncertain terms.
"Catching is so important to a team's success and Tanner has given us an anchor and helped make my job easier,'' said Osborne.
Oliver, a sturdy 5-11, 205-pounder tagged home runs in Heelan Classic wins over then eighth-ranked Class 3A Storm Lake and East last weekend at Lewis and Clark Park, running his season total to a team-leading eight. He also doubled in the win over East.
"Playing in Lewis and Clark Park was awesome and being able to hit home runs in that big stadium was exciting,'' said Oliver, who lists Josh Bard and Ivan "Pudge'' Rodriguez as his two catching role models. "Our team is clicking here at the right time of the season. That's the most important thing.
"Our pitching staff is better than a lot of people give us credit for. We've just got to be a little better defensively and continue to hit with guys on base.
"Back in Colorado when I was growing up I went to camp at Cherry Creek HIgh School in Englewood run by Mark Johnson (former Major Leaguer) and saw Josh Bard throw perfect strikes to second every time. That was so impressive. Made me want to be a catcher.''
Current or ex-Major Leaguers Bard, David Aardsma, John Burke, Brad Lidge, Rick Peters, Darnell McDonald. Ken Landreaux and Eric Raisch are all graduates of Cherry Creek High.
Osborne agrees with Oliver's defensive assessment.
"Good hitting can overcome defensive deficiencies,'' opines Osborne, whose eighth-ranked 3A team improved to 22-12 with doubleheader sweep of Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson Monday, "but inconsisent defense has cost us at times this year. We made nine errors in the two Heelan Classic wins, but our bats pulled us through.''
Also, Oliver's verbal committment last week to play at Briar Cliff has Charger Coach Boyd Pitkin smiling broadly and thanking his lucky stars, too.
"Tanner is a guy who can step in right away for us and play,'' said Pitkin, "but, let's face it, if his family hadn't moved here from Colorado I probably wouldn't have heard about the guy.
"The first thing I look for in recruiting a catcher is the defensive ability and he has the tools, that's for sure. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he can hit a little bit, too. He plays hard and he plays smart.''
Pitkin returns one experienced backstop next spring, senior Matt Lee.
Just twice this season have runners successfully stolen a base against Oliver.
"Tanner's got a rifle arm, he blocks bad pitches very effectively and he calls the pitches,'' said Osborne. "He's a born leader by example and owns all the traits and instincts that make an outstanding catcher.''
In the sweep of Tee Jay Monday, Oliver, now hitting .348, swatted his ninth home run and increased his team-leading RBI total to 34.
Special Mention
SOFTBALL
Jordan Johnson, Bishop Heelan: The sophomore pitcher hurled a one-hit shutout, her fifth in 12 games, as the Crusaders blanked Le Mars 5-0 in a Class 3A regional tourney win.
BASEBALL
Travis Hanson, West: The junior, a catalyst for the Wolverines all season, scored the winning run and was the winning pitcher in an 11-10 upset of Class 3A Denison-Schleswig.
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