McLelland signs with Oklahoma Wesleyan
Sometimes the first impression can be the most important in showcasing yourself.
For Junction City standout Tanner McLelland, a performance at a prospects camp gave him the opportunity to play college baseball.
On Wednesday, McLelland signed with NAIA powerhouse Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Located in Bartlesville, Okla., the Eagles posted a record of 149-31 from 2017-19 with a trip to the NAIA World Series in 2017 included in that run.
The Eagles were ranked No. 13 in the 2020 NAIA preseason poll and were 14-14 before the coronavirus pandemic ended their season back in March.
“A few weeks ago, I went there for a prospects camp,” McLelland said, adding that the trip was his first to the school and he will be playing in the outfield for the Eagles. “We went through all of the drills. The coach had a meeting with me afterwards, and he offered me a scholarship.”
So how did McLelland draw the attention of the coaching staff?
“Just hustling and outworking everybody. Giving 110 percent the whole time,” McLelland said, adding there were about 30 players at the camp.
As McLelland left his impression on the coaching staff, so did the campus with him, although he thought matters through before committing to the Eagles.
“I came home and thought about it for a couple of weeks,” McLelland said. “It was nice. They had a nice campus. It was a smaller school, so I liked that. It has a big town with a bunch of stuff to do. They have a good baseball program.”
With the pandemic ending the high school sports season back in March and coaches being unable to get out and recruit in person, players have had to submit video to coaches for them to get a first-hand look at their skills, which was how the Oklahoma Wesleyan staff noticed McLelland.
“It's been hard because they can't come and see you in person, so they're going off of video that you have to send in to them,” McLelland said.
McLelland also excels in the classroom, finishing ninth in Junction City's graduating class. He wants to major in biology and go into pre-med to be an optometrist.
“People with bad eyes runs in my family, so that was something I wanted to get into,” McLelland said, adding that he wears contacts.
McLelland said he got a push from his mom, Jenifer, to go into the medical profession.
“My mom is a nurse, so she helped me go toward that direction,” McLelland said.
Junction City entered the spring as the defending 2A state champions, but the outbreak of the pandemic halted the defense of Preparing: Junction City outfielder Tanner McLelland gets focused as he gets ready to bat during the Dragons’ game against El Dorado during the 2020 season. their crown in March.
Once the season was canceled, McLelland worked diligently to stay sharp.
“It was hard because baseball is a big part of my life,” McLelland said. “It’s mostly what I do, so hitting off the tee and just staying ready for when the time came where I could start playing just kept me in the mode.”
Having a weight set also allowed McLelland to stay in shape from the comfort of his home.
“I’d get up and go work out in the shop or run and hit off the tee,” McLelland said.
Once baseball was given the go-ahead to resume, McLelland said it took some time to shake off the rust from being idle for nearly three months.
“It took a couple of weeks,” said McLelland, who is hitting .377 for the Oilers this summer.
“We were all a little rusty from time off and didn’t have much time to prepare, but after a couple of weeks, we got going.”
McLelland played an invaluable role in the Dragons’ run to the state championship in 2019.
In the state finals, it was his sacrifice fly that tied the game moments before Gabe Richard’s RBI triple gave Junction City the lead for good.
In the regional final against Parkers Chapel, it was McLelland who collaborated with Ty Disotell to work 6 2/3 scoreless innings in relief to lead Junction City to the regional crown.
Five years earlier, Tanner’s cousin, Blake McLelland, had a memorable postseason himself, as the Dragons won the state title.
“I’ve always watched him growing up,” Tanner said. “I had somebody to look up to that made me want to be better. He won one, so I wanted one too.”
It can be difficult to follow in the footsteps of a relative who left such a major impact on the program, but McLelland has left his own indelible mark at Junction City.
“Being his younger relative, people have always said, ‘Oh, you’re Blake’s younger relative, so you must be pretty good,’ so I’ve always had to live up to his thing. Even though our approaches were different, I feel like we still brought something to the plate.”
With his time dwindling before college starts, McLelland is at ease.
“It’s good,” McLelland said. “I can really just relax and enjoy baseball instead of having to worry about impressing people so I can get that opportunity to go play college baseball. We’re still out here trying to win.”