Ohlmann named first-team All-American

MANCHESTER, CT – MCC pitcher Liam Ohlmann was named NJCAA Division III First-Team All-American on Saturday afternoon, May 17. The announcement was made at a ceremony held at Mike Carter Field in Tyler, Texas during the NJCAA Division III World Series.

The Cougars head coach, Chris Strahowski, was named Region 21 Coach of the Year at the series banquet Friday night at Tyler Junior College.

Ohlmann was 7-2 with a 2.62 ERA for the Cougars in 2008. The right-hander from Wallingford struck out 72 batters in 55 innings, and beat Massasoit CC in Game 1 of the Region 21 Tournament held in Manchester May 9-11.

“I’m proud of him,” Strahowski said. “Some people that know a little about his background, him getting to where he is now, with the possibility of the draft upcoming in a week and a half and the full ride to Fordham. He had a tremendous season and deserves the accolades because he is one of the best pitchers in the country at this level.”

After graduating from Choate in 2005, Ohlmann went to Virginia Tech on a baseball scholarship, but left the program before the 2006 season began. After taking a year off from baseball, Strahowski found Ohlmann and his 92 mph fastball pitching for the Walligford Downtown Merchants in the Wallingford Twilight League and convinced him to revive his pitching career at MCC.

“Coach Strahowski gave me the opportunity to return to baseball at my own pace,” Ohlmann said in a phone interview Monday night. “He gave me the opportunity to move on to a successful collegiate or pro career.”

As a freshman at MCC in 2007, Ohlmann was 2-6, but struck 54 in 46 innings and drew the attention of several colleges and pro scouts. Over the winter, the 6’1, 220 lb Ohlmann embarked on a diet and exercise routine, shed 35 pounds and not only earned a full scholarship to Fordham University, but also put himself in a strong position for Major League Baseball’s Amateur draft which will be held June 5th and 6th. In the meantime, Ohlmann has signed with the Keene Swampbats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, who begin play on June 7.

“It’s amazing to be part of the growth of the program over the last two years,” Ohlmann said of MCC’s recent jump to the national stage after coming up just short in ’06 and ’07. “It’s a testament to how hard everyone has worked.”

Nobody worked harder than Strahowski, the program’s architect. The former minor league pitcher led the Cougars to a 29-13-2 record in 2008, including an 11-3 mark in Division III, Region 21 play and his first region title in his nine year tenure as MCC’s head coach. The 29 wins were the most for a Strahowski coached team, as the Cougars returned to the NJCAA Division III World Series for the first time since 1994.

Strahowski (133-106-2) has coached NJCAA Division III All-Americans in each of the past four seasons – Ohlmann, Nick Jones in 2007, Clint Mitchell (’06) and Shane Legare (’05) – and six in nine seasons at MCC. Strahowski also coached All-Americans Dustin Fredieu in ’03 and Stan Lewandowski in ’02.