BUTLER TWP — Connor Ollio is not your typical freshman baseball player.
Standing 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, he finished this season as
“He does things that freshmen aren’t supposed to be able to do
... and he’s still learning and physically developing,”
Ollio has been doing amazing things on a baseball diamond for a
while now.
He won the Golden Arm Award at the Cooperstown (N.Y.)
He won the King of Swat Award at that same event the following
year.
He hit .615 with seven homers and 82 RBI for
He hit .455 for the Central Florida Gators travel team last
summer, routinely being named to all-tournament teams.
He is among 40 semifinalists for the Team USA U-15 baseball
development team. That team’s final 20-man roster will be named this summer
following further player evaluation in Carey, N.C.
Ollio will play for the Gators again this summer. He caught that
program’s eye by pitching against and beating them at the
“I’ve got players on this team from all over the place,” Central
Florida Gators coach Joe Mercadante said. “We have a kid from
“Pretty much all of the kids who come through this program wind
up playing Division I college ball. Connor won’t be an exception. We are part
of and play against the best amateur baseball talent in the country. He’s
excelling against that level of competition.”
The Gators play in Perfect Game USA Tournaments. Perfect Game
“Amateur baseball in
Ollio is already being checked out by more than 30 schools, including
Ollio said he’d like to verbally commit early, maybe by the end
of his sophomore year.
“He’s in a position that less than 1 percent of baseball players
his age are in,”
Besides pitch, Ollio plays shortstop and would like to stay
there. Mercadente said his body type may eventually move him over to first
base.
“This kid has all the potential in the world to compete at the
next level,” Erdos said. “His pitching will even get better as his body and arm
mature. He’ll throw a little harder and get more bite on his breaking ball.
“Connor has the work ethic and determination to match his
physical tools. It’s going to be fun to follow him.”
The Central Florida Gators are based in
“I just want to let everything play out and enjoy playing
baseball,” he said. “My teammates are making me better no matter where I play.”
Mercadante said Ollio may prove good enough to be a pitcher and
position player in college.
“My advice to a kid is to not choose until you have to,” he said.
“All I can say about Connor Ollio is he’s playing against the highest level of
competition he can and he’s not in over his head ... not at all.”