Jun. 30—ZUMBROTA — In one major aspect, Preston Ohm had a perfect season in 2023.
As a pitcher for the Zumbrota-Mazeppa baseball team this spring, the junior left-hander did not allow a single earned run all season. He finished with a 0.00 ERA.
“It’s wild, it’s unbelievable,” Zumbrota-Mazeppa coach AJ Yusten said. “I’ve never seen a zero (ERA) at the end of the season.”
For his standout season on the mound and at the plate, Ohm has been named the Post Bulletin All-Area Baseball Player of the Year.
“It’s an honor,” Ohm said.
Ohm battled a bad rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder as a sophomore and he only threw about 20 innings, going 2-3 with a 3.68 ERA.
During the offseason, he worked on strengthening his shoulder and his flexibility. Due to the injury, his velocity was down last season, but this year he was throwing in the upper 80s. A new grip on his changeup helped turn that into a prime strikeout pitch.
“Preston’s really grown in the last year mentally and physically,” Yusten said. “This year he had better command of the strike zone.”
The left-handed Ohm pitched in seven games, made six starts, threw 35 innings and had 64 strikeouts. He allowed five runs, but they were all unearned. He finished with a perfect 6-0 record.
Ohm, who is 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, wasn’t even aware that his ERA was at 0.00 until section play. He made one more start and didn’t allow a run in 6 2/3 innings.
“I think it’s pretty cool,” he said. “I don’t think I felt any pressure, maybe just a little pressure from myself to perform well. But it wasn’t really something I was thinking too much about. I think it’s something I can look back on and smile.”
Opposing hitters weren’t smiling when facing Ohm. He allowed just 18 hits and 14 walks in his 35 innings.
Having good command of his pitches and knowing he could throw them for strikes gave Ohm a great deal of confidence.
“I just trust my stuff and I rely heavily on my fastball and changeup,” he said. “When I can get ahead in the count, it makes pitching so much more fun because then you just have the ability to mess with a hitter’s timing. You can pitch instead of just throwing it in there.”
Ohm also greatly improved his hitting during his junior season. He batted .424 with eight doubles, a triple, a home run, 16 RBIs and 21 runs scored out of the No. 2 spot in the order. As a sophomore, he hit .304 with four doubles.
“As the season progressed, he was tearing the cover off the ball,” Yusten said. “He still hit for a high average … but also developed more of a power game as well.”
“I just tried to have a simple approach of trying to hit the ball hard and put the ball in play with two strikes,” Ohm said. “I try not to do too much because I believe in the guys around me.”
Ohm was named All-Hiawatha Valley League, All-Section 1AA and Class AA All-State for his 2023 performance.
As successful as his season was personally, Ohm said he was disappointed with the way it ended for the Cougars. ZM won the Hiawatha Valley League title and earned the No. 1 seed in the Section 1AA tournament, but it did not reach the Final Four of section play.
That gives ZM plenty of incentive in 2024 when many of this year’s top players will be seniors, including Ohm.
“In terms of team success, this season was really good, but not great,” Ohm said. “I think the best is yet to come. We have a group of really good returning players who are hungry for wins and I can’t wait to see how next year unfolds because it’s going to be a fun one for sure.”
Ohm has a twin sister, Cora, who had a standout junior season for the Zumbrota-Mazeppa softball team. And he was also able to play with his younger brother, Hudson, on the varsity this season. Hudson Ohm was a starter despite being just a freshman.
“He was one of the main reasons we won the conference,” Ohm said. “He brought a lot to the table with his nasty curveball and clutch hitting.”
Ohm, who has already committed to play baseball at Division I University of St. Thomas, is playing both American Legion baseball for Zumbrota and amateur baseball for the Dodge County Diamondbacks this summer. He will also continue to work with Century graduate and former minor-league pitcher Mitch Brown at Rochester Batting Cages.
“Working with him will be key to my baseball development,” Ohm said. “I really can’t thank him enough for what he’s done.”
Ohm said he wants to improve his velocity this offseason and he is also looking to develop his slider, which he rarely threw this season. He is also looking to add size to his frame and hopes to get even better command of the pitches he does throw.
“If I can get a good three-pitch mix going, I’m going to be a lot more difficult to hit,” Ohm said.
Ohm’s father, Chuck, is a former college baseball pitcher and football quarterback at St. Olaf College who has been a mentor for both his sons over the years.
“Both my mom and my dad have been very supportive of me,” Ohm said.
Yusten said Ohm has the “whole package” both on and off the field.
“He’s not only a great baseball player, but a great human being and person,” Yusten said. “He’s part of the National Honor Society, he’s a great teammate, he helps us coach and umpire youth baseball and is a great mentor to younger players.”
Ohm tries to lead by example when he’s playing baseball. He tries to take a positive approach to all phases of the game, even the small details. And he is happy to give back to the game and the younger players.
“I’ve umpired youth games this summer,” Ohm said. “It can be a little exhausting at times in the summer heat, but it’s always good to see the kids having fun and enjoying the game of baseball.”
2022 — Joe Sperry, Lourdes
2021 — Easton Fritcher, Hayfield
2020 — No season, COVID-19
2019 — Hayden Brown, Lourdes
2018 — Barron Holtz, Plainview-Elgin-Millville
2017 — Mac Horvath, Century