Ryan Mikalsen Has The Pros In Mind

This spring is Ryan Mikalsen’s final season of college baseball.

The Sachem East alum graduated in 2007 and was recruited to play for Division I Connecticut, but has battled injuries, surgery and is now on his third school in five years. Through all the set backs, he’s still held on to his goal of finishing his college career and playing professionally.

At Sachem East, he was part of the school’s first Long Island championship team in 2005 as a sophomore.

“Just being around those older guys throughout the year, I felt I became a better player and learned more than I ever could have imagined,” said Mikalsen, who was surrounded by future college baseball players on that Sachem squad. “Finishing the year with a 9-2 record really gave me the confidence that I was able to carry along throughout high school.”

Out of high school he was highly recruited by Division I schools as a left handed pitcher, and ranked 68th nationally by Perfect Game USA. He signed with Connecticut during his senior year, and was projected to be drafted until he tore a ligament in his elbow, which required Tommy John surgery in February 2007, missing his senior season at East.

“At the time, that was one of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with,” he said. “Between missing my senior season at East, and going into UConn injured as a freshman, it was very mentally and emotionally draining. I felt that I wasn't able to show what I could really do, and that took a lot of confidence away from me. For some reason it took me a little over 2 1/2 years to really recover from the surgery.”

He spent two years with the Huskies - red shirted as a sophomore - and didn't recover from the surgery the way we had hoped, so he came home to Suffolk Community College for a year (2009-2010).

“The difference between the two was night and day, but I was very fortunate to have some people in my life that made it easier for me,” he said.

After Suffolk he decided to attend Dowling, and his first year there last year he didn't get the opportunity he was looking for on the field. But this season he's earned a spot in the starting rotation and seems to have found his game again.

“My goal, ever since tee-ball, was to have an opportunity to play professionally at the next level,” he said. “Many of my former teammates from UConn are living that dream, and that sort of gives me the extra drive to give everything I got during my last season. There are plenty of times where I've looked back to the years before I got hurt, and remember how badly I wanted to accomplish that dream, and the desire is still there now.”