By SPNCER BATES
OLEAN — The city of Olean has a storied relationship with the game of baseball.
From a visit from Babe Ruth, to the legendary John McGraw and Hugh Jennings, to the founding of the Olean Oilers as a minor league baseball team in 1939, to the resurection of the franchise in 2012. The roots are there.
Now, behind the leadership of an established pillar of the community with deep ties to the baseball scene, the Oilers are set to begin a new chapter.
Back on Dec. 3, Olean Oilers Team President Matthew Fidurko announced that the team would be departing from the New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL) and moving to the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL).
The Oilers had been a part of the NYCBL since 2012 and during their time in the league, reached the championship three times — winning back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016.
But as Fidurko noted back in December, the team is ready to take this next step.
“We could not be more excited for the challenge,” Fidurko told the Olean Star in an exclusive interview. “It’s a bigger league and we’re really excited to prove that we belong in the league, just like we proved that we belonged in the NYCBL for all those years.”
But that’s not where the changes stopped. The Oilers were also seeking out new leadership — a head coach that could successfully guide the team through its first steps in a new era.
Just three days after it was announced that the team would be joining the PGCBL, the Oilers announced that Mike Threehouse would be the man to do just that.
A former Div. I baseball player at St. Bonaventure, and most recently the head coach of the St. Bonaventure softball team, Threehouse was the “perfect candidate,” according to Fidurko.
“He checks a lot of boxes,” Fidurko said in December. “First, what we were looking for in our first head coach going into the Perfect Game league was a local connection. We want people in the community to be connected to our coaches and ‘House’ definitely checks that box. He is an ingrained member of our community through-and-through. He grew up in Olean, went to school at St. Bonaventure, coached at St. Bonaventure and helps run the Twin Tiers Academy. We were also looking for someone that had his personality. When you’re coaching summer baseball, it’s not as much about the day-to-day instruction. It’s about managing a group of people. You’ve got to keep 35 players interested for two months. It’s a grind, it’s a grueling schedule, and House has that background, has that ability to lead a group in a very player-centric way.”
Threehouse has been a keen observer of the Oilers since their return as a franchise. His familiarity with the program, his experience as a player and coach, and his ties to the local community made the hire a no-brainer for Fidurko. Fortunately enough, the eagerness to hire Threehouse was matched by his desire to accept the offer.
“They called me up and as soon as the phone rang and I saw who it was, I thought, ‘I know where it’s going,’” Threehouse said. “We sat down, had a nice conversation, and when they asked me I was obviously very excited about it, it’s an honor to do it.
“I’ve gone to a ton of games, I’ve watched a ton of games, experienced them and being able to coach at the Division One level for so long like I did, they were kind of looking at it like, ‘hey, you’re the guy in town right now that can do it. Jumping into a new league we want a guy from Olean to represent us and bring the city together on this.’ I said it’s a great idea.”
Threehouse, by his own admission, is no spring chicken. But the level of excitement he has to get back in the saddle this upcoming season — which begins on May 29 with a road game against the Jamestown Tarp Skunks — is not to be doubted.
“I haven’t coached collegiate summer baseball in a long time,” Threehouse said. “I think the last time I did was ‘96 or ‘97. So I’m definitely looking forward to it, especially it being my own hometown. We’re looking forward to bringing guys in from all around the country, bringing them into town, playing some baseball, and traveling around Western New York. I just think it’s going to be a great experience for all of us together.”
Now, while Olean may be the home town of Threehouse, his hire as the head coach of the team is not one born out of convenience, but one based on capability. As Fidurko mentioned, they have the utmost faith in him taking the reins ahead of their next big step as a team: their first season in the PGCBL.
A move that will certainly bring tougher competition to Bradner Stadium, but one that Threehouse believes the program, and the city of Olean itself for that matter, is ready for.
“Olean is one of those towns that’s been built around baseball,” Threehouse said. “Maybe a lot of people don’t realize it because obviously St. Bonaventure basketball has been the only show in town for a long time. But back in the the heyday, when Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner, the old boys were coming to St. Bonaventure to play baseball, it was a big baseball town. From St. Bonaventure itself, (John) McGraw and (Hugh) Jennings are both in the Baseball Hall of Fame. There’s a lot of connections. … So, watching the game of baseball grow over the years in Olean has been really, really good.”
According to Fidurko, the PGCBL actually inquired about the Oilers joining the league ahead of the 2025 season. Ultimately, that move never happened.
But after rekindling those conversations this year, the switch was officially made. And in the words of Threehouse, when a bigger league wants your team, its a move you have to make.
“There were other teams that were interested in joining the league, but when (the PGCBL) took a look at franchises, I think that they were probably looking at us saying, ‘hey, listen, Olean’s the team we want.’ … When the league actually wants you to join them, that’s when things go really well. It’s like finding a team that wants you, that’s what all those players are looking for. And I think we found a league that wants us in it. It’s going to be a great step for us. We’re gonna be playing great competition. … Moving up is only gonna help us. It’s not going to hurt. That’s for sure.”
In terms of roster composition, Threehouse credited Fidurko for doing the grand majority of recruiting. With the spring semester for colleges just about wrapping up, Threehouse has only just recently been able to see a completed squad list. That being said, the early looks have been promising with Fidurko following through on the two requests Threehouse had.
“I’m going to leave (recruiting) to Matt Fidurko,” Threehouse said. “He’s the man. He’s the president of the team, he’s the guy who goes out and finds the guys. I told him exactly what I think we need: ‘make sure we have enough catchers, make sure we have enough arms.’ We’re talking about 46 games in a short period of time. … I only saw (the roster) a couple weeks ago for the first time, but it looks like he’s done a wonderful job with it. We’ve got guys from a lot of different schools, from all different levels. If we can get them to play together and play for the right reason, I think we could have some fun this summer.”
Now, of course the Oilers want to be competitive. They aren’t joining the PGCBL with complacency on the mind. But according to Threehouse, there’s a necessary balance when coaching summer baseball between playing to win and making sure you’re helping your players improve — the latter being the ultimate goal.
“My job is really not as a coach, my job is a manager,” Threehouse said. “My job is to make sure that the pitchers get their their innings in so they’re ready to go back to their school in top shape. Make sure the guys get enough quality time in their position. Making sure you get enough reps at the plate. A lot of the (college) coaches depend on us summer guys to make sure that their players are ready to get back to school and be in top notch shape when they get there. … But at the same time, we want them to represent Olean, New York. … I want them to represent themselves, their families, their schools that they’re going to be going back to. So, it’s kind of a mix, but it’s very important for them to make sure they understand why they’re here and the purpose behind it. And that’s getting better every single day.”
With a new league, a new coach and a new team, it has truly been an offseason full of change for the Oilers. Uncharted territory lies ahead, but there is no wavering from Fidurko or Threehouse — Olean is ready to write a new chapter in its noted history with baseball.
