By HUNTER O. LYLE
OLEAN, NY – Having a wealth of youth both at the helm and on the roster, the Olean Oilers aim to open their season targeting the win column and player development as areas in need of improvement.
After back-to-back years of 25-plus wins in 2022 and 2023 that gave way to two drives to the NYCBL Championship game, last year’s campaign saw a slight drop off for the Oilers. Opening the season with four straight wins in 2024, Olean saw their season take a turn as they then suffered seven losses over the next nine games. Heading into the back half of the summer, the Oilers went a cold 7-12 in July, finishing 18-16 overall.
“We struggled a little bit last year. The first two summers I was here we made it to the championship. Last year we got lost in the second round of the playoffs so it was a little disappointing,” said co-manager Jake Meeker, who took to the reins of the Oilers after playing on the team for the past three seasons. “But I always tell everyone who asks me why I keep coming back that they were the best three summers of my life.”
Putting the past behind them and eager to rebound, the Oilers’ two new co-managers, Meeker and Jaxson DeJohn, now have an opportunity to build a new culture while also leaning on their seasoned returners, two of which have played three years of NYCBL baseball. Of the four Oilers who will don the red and black for another year, Joshua Wilson and Chase Fischer lead the pack. Playing a team-high 28 games last season, Wilson produced 27 hits, another team-high, on a 0.363 batting average, also batting in 15 RBIs while Fischer crushed 25 hits on a 0.287 average, driving in a team-leading 23 runs through 26 games.
With the pair’s effective performances in the batter’s box, the Oilers are hoping they can fill the void left by JP Pennella, who, through 15 games in 2024, produced a team-best 0.404 average, 23 hits, 16 RBIs while also leading the team in stolen bases with 17.
“JP was an unbelievable baseball player. He got on base and if he was on first, he was on third two pitches later. It was that easy for him,” said Meeker. “But our outfield is unbelievably athletic. They track balls down, they can stick it, they can run the bases. Our infield is where a lot of returners are so they’ve already played together, which is good to see.”
Along with Wilson and Fischer, the Oilers also welcome back Alec Greenblatt, Thomas Bates and Dustin Hendrix, who will help set the tone for their newcomers, which fill out the other 18 roster spots.
“We tried to keep it easy at first. We just want to see what (the new guys) looked like, what their skills were, what they were as natural ball players,” said DeJohn. “They’re a pretty close team already and they’ve only played together for less than a week. I think our biggest takeaway so far is that we have a group of ball players. There’s nobody that suits up for us that doesn’t have the skill or shouldn’t be playing college baseball. Everybody that’s here has a solid swing, they move well and it’s a team that’s ready to compete.”
Through the first week of the season, both co-managers said they have no complaints yet. Along with the team-building and gelling they see during practice, the Oilers have also come away with their first win of the season, albeit in an exhibition game. On Tuesday, Olean traveled to Jamestown to face the Tarp Skunks of the Perfect Game League, coming away with an 8-5 win that seemed to show their compass was pointing in the right direction.
The Oilers’ first official game of the season is slated for Friday at home when they welcome the Salamanca Lizards at 7:30 p.m. Then, the season picks up steam with seven games over the next eight days which include a meeting with last year’s league-best Hornell Steamers (Saturday, June 7), another match with the Lizards (Sunday, June 8) and a double-header against last season’s league runners up, the Syracuse Salt Cats (Wednesday, June 11).
Looking at their upcoming schedule, both co-managers are confident that the wins will come. Their main focus, however, especially for two new coaches with an ample amount of young talent, is making strides in player progression and development.
“Yeah, I want to go win games and have us get some experience in managing ball games,” said DeJohn, “but it’s also important that I can walk away from this summer being able to say I helped a lot of ball players get better, taught them a few things that they can bring to school. I want to give them some confidence so that when they show up, they feel even more prepared for what they’re about to face. That’s a big one for me, just helping these boys get a little bit better and making sure they enjoy their summer here.”
Olean Oilers June Schedule
Friday, June 6 – vs Salamanca Lizards, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 7 – at Hornell Steamers, 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 8 – at Salamanca Lizards, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 10 – vs Horseheads Hitmen, 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, June 11 (DH) – vs Syracuse Salt Cats, 5 p.m./7:30 p.m.
Friday, June 13 – at Horseheads Hitmen, 5 p.m.
Saturday, June 14 – vs Genesee Rapids, 4 p.m.
Sunday, June 15 – at Dansville Gliders, 5 p.m.
Monday, June 16 – vs Genesee Rapids, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, June 17 – at Hornell Steamers, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, June 18 – vs Dansville Gliders, 7 p.m.
Friday, June 20 – vs Hornell Steamers, 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 21 – at Salamanca Lizards, 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 22 (DH) – vs Rochester Ridgemen, 1 p.m./3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 24 – at Horseheads Hitmen, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, June 25 – vs Salamanca Lizards, 7 p.m.
Friday, June 27 – vs Salamanca Lizards, 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 28 – at Dansville Gliders, 5 p.m.
Sunday, June 29 – at Genesee Rapids, 2 p.m.
