Prep Baseball Report

Q&A with Purdue commit Brayden Olson


By Isaiah Glidden
Area Scout, Staff Writer

Since his appearance at the PBR Future Games in 2021, RHP Brayden Olson (St. Croix Falls, 2023; Purdue commit), has been on an upwards trend throughout the calendar year. To start his productive junior campaign, Olson made the trip to the Fox Cities Preseason ID where he showed up bolstering an improved frame. This newfound strength and size aided Olson by adding even more to his already impressive profile, as he was without a doubt the day's top performer. After his standout performance during our time in Appleton, Olson followed it up with arguably one of the most dominant spring seasons we have seen in a long time. Olson basically willed his Saint Croix Falls squad to a state championship berth and finished the season with some eye-popping statistics, earning him PBR Wisconsin All-State: First Team honors. Throughout his 48.2 innings pitched, Olson failed to allow an earned run, and his opponents could only muster 16 hits against him all season long. Also, he was a key piece offensively for the Saints, as he recorded a .465 batting average with 12 doubles and three home runs. After his dominant spring, we didn’t get the chance to see Olson until June at the PBR Procase - Midwest where he came in as one of the few uncommitted prospects. There Olson put together a solid ‘pen in which he topped at 91.6 mph and also earned a No. 492 spot in our National Rankings as well earlier this year as well. 

Up until July, Olson was not only one of the top uncommitted prospects in the state but arguably the Midwest. That was until he announced his commitment to Big-10 member Purdue. We had the chance to talk with the future Boilermaker about his recruitment process, along with many other baseball topics. 

LATEST SCOUTING REPORT

Brayden Olson

Class of 2023 / 3B

Player Information

  • Graduating Class: 2023
  • Primary Position: 3B
    Secondary Position: RHP
  • High School: Saint Croix Falls
    State: WI
  • Summer Team: MN Blizzard
  • Height: 6-2
    Weight: 205lbs
  • Bat/Throw: R/R

Scouting Report

6/21/22

Positional Profile: RHP with upside on the mound.
Body: 6-2, 190-pounds.
Delivery: Tall and fall delivery. Worked quickly.
Arm Action: RH. Loose arm action on full path to 3/4 release point.
FB: T91.6, 89.9-91.3 mph. Sinking action, low spin. T2051, 1814 average rpm.
CB: 68.7-73.1 mph. Flashed back up action. 11/5 break. Slows delivery down a bit. T2309, 2170 average rpm.
CH: 78.6-81.8 mph. Thrown at arm speed. Late fading action. Thrown for strikes, mixed in well working off of fastball. T1739, 1665 average rpm.

Videos

(6/21/22)

OUR Q&A

PBRWhat were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

 OlsonI didn’t have any expectations going into the recruiting process. I was looking for a college where it wasn’t a huge campus and where I didn’t need a car. I was also looking for a college where I knew I would get a good education and where my parents knew I would be safe.

PDid location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?

ODistance did play some factor as I wanted to get away to get a full experience but close enough where if anything happened at home, I could go back. Purdue was the perfect fit as it was far enough from home and I have family an hour from there so if anything did happen they were right there. 

PWhat do you like most about the program you chose, and what were the key factors in making your decision?

OI chose Purdue because the coaches are a close group of guys and they made it feel like a family. To me that’s a big thing because if I was going to go play baseball, I want to a close group of guys to be next to and not go somewhere I would feel like a number.

PWhat other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?

OMy list was UIC, Milwaukee, and Purdue.

PWho is the best player you have faced in your state? What about them makes for a tough opponent?

O: The best player I have faced in my state is RHP Thomas Burns (Hortonville, 2023; Arizona State commit). He is tough player to play against as he mixes his pitches really well and always keeps you on your toes.

PAt what point in your career did you realize you were a college-caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?

OI started to take baseball more serious my freshman summer as I hit a growth spurt and my velo jumped to the mid-80s and kids started to get fewer and fewer hits.

PWhat advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?

OTo the young players who are trying to follow there dreams, I would tell them don’t listen to the people who say you can’t do something and use that as fuel to prove them wrong.

PWhat is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

OMy most memorable moment would be throwing a complete game shut-out in the state semi-finals to send our team to the championship and we got to bring home our first hardware for the sport of baseball.

PPreview your high school team's season for us. How do you feel your team will be?

OOur high school team will be solid this year and are looking for another run at state.

PHow did the Future Games affect your recruitment process? Did you receive more attention following the event?

OIt affected my recruiting process a little but I had one or two colleges saw me there reach out but other than that it was pretty quiet during that time.

PIf you could steal any tool or quality from another player in the state, what would it be and who would it be from?

O: If I could steal any tool I would steal INF Ethan Hindle's (Arrowhead, 2023; Kentucky commit) hitting ability. He can hit with power to all fields and always seems to put the bat on the ball.

PWho is the next talented young player to keep an eye on out of your high school or travel program?

F: The next player I would keep an eye on in my program would be C Hunter Carlson (Hudson, 2024) he is a dawg behind the plate with a strong arm and great game calling and blocking ability.

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