Athlete of the Week: Toran O'Harran gets his first career win with the Lincoln Potters

Following a rough patch of losing eight out of nine games, the Lincoln Potters bounced back last weekend by winning four consecutive games, including a three-game sweep against the Humboldt Crabs. In the opening game of the series on June 24, Rocklin High 2022 graduate Toran O'Harran got the start and pitched very well, striking out four batters and only allowing one run in four innings. O'Harran got the win in his first start of the season for the Potters. O'Harran recently finished his senior year at Rocklin High School where he struck out 47 batters and had an earned run average of 2.70. He also batted .250 with 13 runs batted in. O'Harran will attend Stanford University in the fall and will play baseball for the Cardinal. Stanford University won the Pac-12 Conference last season with a 47-18 record and made it to the College World Series before losing to Auburn University. His Potters manager, Ryan Stevens, explained what makes O'Harran a special talent. "Toran is very mature for his age and has competed at a high level for a long time and understands what it takes to succeed at this level," Stevens said. "He is very professional about his work and will be a great addition for Stanford next year." Gold Country Media asked O'Harran some questions and his responses follow. What have you enjoyed the most about playing for the Potters thus far this season? O'Harran: "Playing for the Potters has been such a great experience learning from the older guys and picking their brains about what to expect in the coming years." How long have you been playing baseball competitively and who is your biggest motivation? O'Harran: "I have been playing baseball competitively since I was 13 and my biggest motivation is my father and my brother, who always pushed me to be better growing up." You pitched four innings and struck out four batters to get your first win as a Potter on Friday. How special was it to have the opportunity to pitch and what was working well for you on the mound? O'Harran: "In the first inning, I was a little juiced up and once I settled in, my two-seam fastball was working really well, getting soft contact and causing the hitters to be very late." You also pitched for Rocklin High all four years on varsity. What was the most special part about playing for the Thunder? O'Harran: "Playing for Rocklin was such a special thing, knowing all of the great players who came before me." Do you have a favorite professional athlete? If so, who and why? O'Harran: "I would have to say Marcus Stroman from the Chicago Cubs is my favorite pitcher because of how competitive he is for a smaller stature guy." Have you ever been involved in other sports? O'Harran: "I was always told growing up that playing other sports makes you better at your main sport and I still believe that to be true. Being a more well-rounded athlete can never hurt you." You will be playing at Stanford University next season. What are you most looking forward to when it comes to college baseball? O'Harran: "I'm most looking forward to having the chance to compete on that level of baseball and of course furthering my studies where I hope to get a degree from such a prestigious institution."