Post-Tribune’s Baseball Player of the Year
Fueled by only loss, Vanderbilt recruit Doolin led Andrean to two state titles
Vanderbilt recruit Michael Doolin led Andrean to two state titles, with a 34-1 career record.
Twenty-five years from now, Andrean senior Michael Doolin will remember the one loss as much as the two state titles.
That’s how it works for him.
Doolin, the 2019 PostTribune Player of the Year, finished with a 34-1 career record. 59ers coach Dave Pishkur expects Doolin, a generational talent, will reach the major leagues after he’s done at Vanderbilt.
Doolin’s only defeat was a 4-1 loss to Chicago Mount Carmel as a junior.
That game still pops into his head like a bad dream.
“It drives me crazy,” Doolin said. “The sad part about it is I didn’t have any earned runs.”
Doolin was pitching great that day for four innings and then he lost it. His velocity dropped, the team didn’t play well behind him, and it happened.
While Doolin is gifted physically, he also has an obsessive work ethic. He never gives in. Ever.
And when something doesn’t work out for him, he files it away forever.
It has made him who he is, which is likely the best high school pitcher to come from Northwest Indiana.
How good was he? He only threw one no-hitter, but he never gave up more than five hits in a game in his career. He won six playoff games this year for Andrean, which won backto-back state titles.
This season, Doolin had a 14-0 overall record and only gave up five earned runs in 77 innings. His ERA was 0.45.
Pishkur has known Doolin since grade school. Pishkur didn’t really know what he had, though, until after Doolin’s freshman year.
Doolin had always pitched, but he relied on his control and not his velocity when he played in middle school.
After his freshman year, Doolin’s velocity went from the low 80s to the high 80s.
That changed everything.
Doolin went from being a control pitcher to a power pitcher.
When his speed increased, Doolin had an advantage over many other kids who grew up pitching in little league. He had great control.
It was what he needed to do to get hitters out when he was younger.
Pishkur, who has coached for 40 years, said Doolin’s command sets him apart.
“There were great pitchers like Jeff Samardzija, LaTroy Hawkins and Joe Plesac who had great arms that threw hard,” he said. “They just didn’t always know where the ball was going.”
Doolin was throwing consistently in the low 90s this year. His goal next season at Vanderbilt is to be between 93 and 95 mph. He wants to leave there in the high 90s or better.
The 6-foot-3 Doolin weighs around 200 pounds. Pishkur said Doolin could easily add 40 pounds of muscle.
“If he stays healthy, there is no doubt in mind he’ll be a major league pitcher,” Pishkur said.
Doolin could have opted in for the MLB draft this season, but he decided to wait.
According to Pishkur, Doolin would have been drafted in the third or fourth round. It was going to take first round money, which was in excess of $1.7 million this year, to get him to bypass college.
Doolin has three years to move up two or three rounds. College baseball players have to stay through their junior seasons before they can enter the draft again.
He’s looking forward to the challenge.
“I have a lot of work to do,” he said. “I’ve had a great high school career, but I have to get better with my breaking pitches. Velocitywise, I need to get better.
“I love the fact that I can always improve. I love the process. It’s fun.”