Ian Ostlund

Ian S. Ostlund (born October 17, 1978 in Harrisonburg, Virginia) is a minor league baseball pitcher in the Detroit Tigers organization who currently plays for the Toledo Mud Hens.

High school and college

Ostlund attended Turner Ashby High School in Bridgewater, Virginia, where he played baseball as a starting pitcher. He made history in 1997 when he hurled a no hitter against nearby Harrisonburg and became one of only two pitchers in Virginia high school history to strike out the side in every inning, although he walked several batters. [cite news | title=Ostlund Throws A Dream: TA Pitcher Strikes Out 21 | work=Harrisonburg Daily News Record | first=Garrett | last=Johnston | date=May 4, 1997] After graduation he attended the nearby Virginia Military Institute from 1997-2000. He gave a standout performance in his junior year (1999-2000), setting new school records for most wins and saves in a season, plus most career wins. That year Ostlund was named to the Virginia Division I All-State team. [cite news | title=Former Keydet pitcher named VASID All-State | work=Roanoke Times | date=June 16, 2000 | page=C4] Following the season, Ostlund transferred to Virginia Tech, in the hopes of getting drafted: "Scouts don't look favorably upon me because I go to VMI and they see me having a good year as a possible fluke." [cite news | title=Tech to get Ostlund | work=Roanoke Times | date=June 10, 2000 | page=C4]

Ostlund entered Virginia Tech with expectations; Baseball America had named him the "top newcomer" in the Big East conference and he was coming off a banner year at VMI. [cite web | url=http://www.hokiesports.com/baseball/players/2001/ostlund.html | title=Ostlund | work=Virginia Tech | accessdate=2008-06-28] However, he suffered a setback when he injured himself during the fall hunting season and posted an 8-5 record with a 4.17 ERA. This was good enough, however, to be drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 34th round, 1017th pick overall. Said Tigers' scout Bill Buck: "Left-handed pitchers are a commodity. You can never have too many of them." [cite news | title=Region fertile with 6 major-league prospects; baseball draft list of area players continues to swell | work=Roanoke Times | first=Mark | last=Berman | page=C4 | date=June 7, 2001]

Minor leagues

The Tigers assigned Ostlund to the Single-A Oneonta Tigers, where he went 2-5 with an ERA of 3.16. Of his 14 appearances that season, he started 10; since then he has worked as a reliever. He spent the by|2002 season with the Single-A Lakeland Tigers, posting a 2.89 ERA over 29 appearances. Ostlund spent three days with the Tigers during spring training in by|2003, but then struggled at Lakeland in the 2003 season with an ERA over 8. Concerned, the Tigers sent him to the West Michigan Whitecaps, where he showed marked improvement, going 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA and making the Midwest League's All-Star team. [cite news | title=View from inside inspires closer; ex-Keydet and Hokie spent a few days with Tigers in spring training | work=Roanoke Times | first=Aaron | last=McFarling | date=July 29, 2003 | page=B6]

Ostlund returned to Lakeland for by|2004, but much of the season was lost to Tommy John surgery. [cite news | title=Whitecaps preview | work=Grand Rapids Press | date=April 7, 2005 | page=D10] Recovered in by|2005, he went back down to the Whitecaps for the first part of the year, going 2-3 with a 2.40 ERA. Moved back up to Lakeland mid-year, he continued his success, going 4-3 with a 2.93 ERA. The Tigers promoted Ostlund to the Double-A Erie SeaWolves in by|2006, where he went 9-5 with a 4.43 ERA. Ostlund improved at Erie in by|2007, enough that the Tigers promoted him to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens mid-season, where he posted a 2-1 record with a 4.50 ERA.

References

External links

*Baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br= |fangraphs=$03261 |cube=O/Ian-Ostlund |brm=25729
* [http://allthingsvalleyleague.typepad.com/all_things_valley_league/2007/01/ostlunds_career.html Ian Ostlund: The Valley's Own]