St. Thomas baseball pitcher Eric Veglahn is a dominant pitching force who could help the Tommies make a run at not only a MIAC title, but a national championship as well.

Veglahn is undefeated during his tenure at St. Thomas. He went 4-0 last season with a 4.56 ERA. Through this season the southpaw has a 5-0 record, along with a 2.08 ERA. He leads the team in strikeouts, is tied for first in wins, and is second in ERA and opponents batting average.

Veglahn said these stats are a point of pride, but it’s the outcome for the team that matters.

“It’s been nice too, but at the end of the day, it’s all about getting the W,” Veglahn said.

Getting ahead in the count on hitters is one of Veglahn’s specialities. His strikeout total of 42 puts him in fourth place in the MIAC. Coach Chris Olean said this trait puts hitters in uncomfortable batting situations.

“Eric’s kind of a sneaky pitcher,” Olean said. “He has a lot of confidence with his fastball, attacks hitters and gets himself in good pitching counts, and guys have a hard time squaring him up.”

Senior pitcher and All-American Steve Maher said Veglahn, a sophomore, appears to be more of a four-year-starter on the mound than a pitcher finishing up his second season.

“He’s so mature on the mound,” Maher said. “I mean he’s only a sophomore, but the way he looks on the mound, you’d mistake him for a senior out there. Just the way he handles himself—he never really gets too rattled. He could be pitching in the biggest game in the world, and he would treat it no different than any other game.”

With the Tommies ranked twelfth in the nation, St. Thomas has a shot at winning its first national championship since 2009 and Olean’s first as a head coach. Veglahn said the team’s goal has been the same since day one of the season.

“Our goal at the beginning of the year was World Series, and I mean that’s what we’re still looking at now.”

Jesse Krull can be reached at krul7386@stthomas.edu