Erik
Tolman

5/9/18 - Erik Tolman took the mound In a must-win situation for El Toro last week and had his best showing we've seen this season. Tolman threw a complete game finishing with nine strikeouts to only only one walk. He also induced eight flyouts and four groundouts. At one point Tolman retired 14 straight hitters. He allowed one earned and three unearned runs. His fastball was up to 89 while living 86-87. He maintained his velocity throughout his outing as he touched 88 two times in the seventh inning while living 85-86. While his fastball was good, it was his slider that really opened eyes. Working 76-78 and touching 79 it was a hard biter with tight rotation and tilting action. The pitch induced weak contact, generally to the pull side in the outing. On the day, it was Tolman's best pitch and really made his fastball play up. Tolman showed feel for a changeup that his threw sporadically early in the outing before going to it more in combination with the slider in the middle part of the outing. Working 75-77, the pitch was a good change of pace as hitters began to sit fastball the second time through the order. For good measure Tolman added a two-run home run at the plate in his teams 8-4 win.

3/16/18 - Pitching in his first game in over a week, Tolman took the mound in the league opener for El Toro against Mission Viejo and he quickly found himself in a hole. A leadoff single was followed by a bunt back to Tolman who threw it passed the shortstop before the center fielder let it get under his glove allowing one run to score and the hitter to advance to third. The next hitter doubled to center field giving Mission Viejo a 2-0 lead. From there it was Tolman's time to take over. Despite not having his best stuff, the southpaw found a way to keep his team in the game by keeping most of Mission Viejo's offense off-balance. Tolman worked primarily off his curveball which showed late depth and bite at 71-74 mph. From the stretch he flashed a quick-pitch curveball that dropped in for a strike. Tolman didn't show his usual command with the fastball, especially with elevated velocity. While he touch 90 mph once, he worked best with the pitch at 84-86 mph as his command became an issue once he got over 87 mph. Tolman absolutely grinded through this game showing some moxie and getting out of two big-time jams along the way, one a bases loaded, 1-out situation. Tolman finished with 6 innings pitched, 7 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts.

2/24/18 - Tolman, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound Cal Poly San Luis Obispo commit, worked primarily with his fastball that at 85-87 mph touching 88-89 mph. His curveball was on all day at 73-76 mph and was used as the final pitch in three of his eight strikeouts. Tolman only gave up three hits on the afternoon and struck out eight while walking one. Tolman also provided El Toro all of their offense with two no-doubt home runs to right center field.

8/10/17 - Simple windup. 3/4 slot. Arm-side life to fastball. Started out 90-92. Settled 89-91. Slider ranges from 74-79. 3/4, swing-and-miss break. Throws it for a strike and as a chase pitch. Two runs allowed on three hits and struck out four in two innings.

4/20/17 - Utilized a solid three-pitch mix combined with his advanced athleticism to give the vaunted Orange Lutheran line-up trouble. Working around 4 errors, Tolman yielded just 2 earned runs while striking out 5 over 5 innings. Tolman sat 83-85 with his fastball with a whippy, quick arm that made the ball appear to jump at the plate and look even harder than the radar gun reading. He also mixed in a firm, 73-75 slider that he threw with fastball hand speed, and commanded in and out of the zone with ease. Tolman’s changeup, also, appears to be a weapon as it sat 74-75 with late fading action. With three pitches that he throws for strikes, Tolman has a chance to develop into a very nice arm at Cal Poly as he continues to mature into his 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame.

8/14/19: Followed-up his solid freshman campaign with a good showing this summer for Y-D throwing more strikes while continuing to miss bats with a fastball that works into the low 90s, an above-average slider that plays as a true swing-and-miss offering, and an improving changeup that should grade out as at least average at maturity. He’ll be eligible as a sophomore for next June’s draft and could be a projects as a Day Two target and potential helium candidate if he can get a little more precise, and less hittable, in the zone. (Faleris)

10/15/18: Six-foot-two, 185 pound loose-armed lefty. Showed good angle with a slightly closed landing and three-quarter slot. Fastball ranged from 84-87 mph, worked both sides while flashing the ability to drive the fastball to the bottom of the zone. Puts a lot of shoulder effort into his 74 mph breaking ball. Occasional changeup at 73 mph. Didn’t have his best stuff or command on the day, yet battled back from a tough first inning to go 1-2-3 in his second. (Seifert)