Oliver Brown
What a summer it was for Anchorage baseball star Oliver Brown, who was part of an undefeated high school state title team, announced his college commitment to a NCAA Division I school and represented Alaska at an exclusive regional tournament.
A triple crown of achievements.
The Holy Cross commit capped his busy summer at the Baseball Northwest Championships, a scout showcase tournament held in Medford, Oregon, that featured most of the best prep players in the region.
“The competition was elite,” Brown said. “A lot of top-notch arms and power hitters, so you don’t want to miss over the middle of the plate when you’re pitching. I also went to this event last summer, so I had an idea for what was coming.”
The Class of 2022 all-star pitcher and middle infielder was the lone Alaskan to participate in this year’s select tournament, although over the years several top players from the state have attended the NWC’s Player Evaluation Camps; most notably Leland Wilson (Texas Tech), Gage Webster (Utah), Cody Curfman (Northern State) and Adam Manzer (Sonoma State).
“I’m proud to represent Alaska and hope more Alaskans will compete in this tourney in coming years,” Brown said.
Despite Alaska players carving out a place for themselves among the Northwest elite, people still embrace silly stereotypes about The Last Frontier.
“A lot of people find it hard to believe I’m from Alaska and that we play baseball,” Brown said. “The most common questions I get are ‘How cold is it there?’ and ‘Do you guys have any polar bears?’ Some end up asking if there are igloos, but I can’t tell if I should take them seriously.”
That’s laughable, but Brown is no joke.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder is one of the most complete players in Alaska as a top hitter, fielder and pitcher.
In Oregon, Brown played for a team called Tri-State, which was comprised of players from five different states. His team played four tournament games and then he was selected for the Pro Scout Game.
“I had a blast,” he said.
🎥: Oliver Brown, 2022, RHP, #2
South Anchorage HS (AK)
FB: 87-88 (2404-2470)
CB: 69-71 (2134-2378)
CH: 80-83 (1520-1721)
🖋Holy Cross Commit pic.twitter.com/29vNb5O6Wz— Baseball Northwest (@BaseballNW) August 12, 2021
Brown is entering his senior season at South High and has already committed to play college ball with the Holy Cross Crusaders of the Patriot League.
“It was important to me to sign early because with the COVID situation and an extra year of eligibility NCAA gave, spots were filling up quicker and schools were having smaller recruiting classes. It does feel really nice and relieving knowing I found my future home.”
With his college plans secured, Brown had the luxury of playing care free at the NWC.
“The main reason I attended this event was to continue playing high level baseball and hopefully catch the eye of pro scouts,” he said. “Hopefully one day I will get drafted.”
Brown believes his future will be as a pitcher. He fires his fastball in the upper 80s and throws his off-speed stuff as out pitches.
“My mindset is to pound the zone with my fastball and throw them off balance with my curveball,” he said. “Throughout the summer, my go-to off-speed pitch has been my curveball for righties and my changeup for lefties.”