Making a Case to Compare Ryan Boldt to Darin Erstad

Boldt Gives Huskers a Jolt, Just Like Erstad Did

Randy York N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

When Nebraska’s baseball media met with Darin Erstad and Ryan Boldt last week at Hawks Field, one of the best Associated Press sportswriters in America was seeking truth and fishing for facts to connect the storyline he had in mind – the similarities between the Huskers’ respected head coach and his team’s hottest hitter.

That's no small undertaking, but AP writer Eric Olson makes a case and proves a point for a national audience. Erstad was the No. 1 MLB draft pick in 1995 out of Nebraska, and Boldt is the Huskers’ turbo-charged junior center fielder who, according to Erstad, already has the defensive skills to play in the big leagues and is definitively accelerating his production at the plate.

I’ve talked to people who watched Erstad compete often in baseball at Nebraska, and to this day, they believe the North Dakota native still owns the fastest hands they’ve ever seen wear a Husker uniform. Erstad’s grit and competitive savvy also enabled him to become the only player in MLB history to win Gold Gloves at three different positions.

Boldt credits his head coach not only for recruiting him out of Red Wing, Minn., but also helping him develop offensively, defensively and on the base paths. Baseball odds makers envision Boldt playing his third and final season of college baseball before capitalizing on projections that rank him among the nation's top 40 prospects available in the 2016 MLB Draft. Husker fans remember how and why the gifted Boldt landed in Lincoln. He missed his senior season of high school because of a knee injury and chose to follow Pat Kelly, his cousin, to Nebraska.

Junior Boldt Needs Only 12 More Hits to Make Nebraska’s All-Time 200-Hit Club

"I don't really focus too much on the draft," Boldt said. "It's obviously there. It might be in the back of my mind at times, but if I play as well as I can to help the team win, the rest will take care of itself." Boldt hit .311 as a freshman, .344 as a sophomore and is hitting .358 as a junior. With 12 hits in 20 at bats in a recent four-game stretch, including a pair of homeruns last week against Creighton, Boldt was on fire heading into  last weekend's 2-1 Nebraska series win over Illinois at Hawks Field.

Closing in on becoming the 24th player in school history with 200 career hits, Boldt is also on track to become the 15th player to reach that milestone in three seasons. The last Husker to achieve that milestone was his cousin, who recorded 212 hits from 2012-14.

Erstad appreciates Boldt’s character and couldn’t ask for a better role model student-athlete. Off the field, Erstad describes Boldt as “clean as a whistle” because “he’s a pleasure to be around. It’s fun to be with guys that are talented and then have the work ethic and humility to get after it every day. That’s what it’s all about.”

Boldt Proves Why Erstad Thinks He Could Play Defense in the Bigs Right Now

Boldt credits Erstad for helping him hit for power, run the bases more aggressively and focus on pitch counts. “He’s the guy running the offense,” Boldt said of Erstad. “It’s good to have him in your ear and know what’s he’s thinking. You mold what he’s thinking and pick his brain to see when a good count is the right time to pull the ball.”

Erstad knew Boldt was special after his breakout sophomore season followed a freshman season that earned multiple accolades. “He has a good head on his shoulders,” Erstad said of Boldt. “On his questionnaire, he wrote down that the biggest accomplishment in his life is a 4.0 GPA in high school. That’s the kind of kid he is.”

When Boldt was positioned to receive a sizeable signing bonus out of high school, he was more concerned about sustaining his academic production in college. “You can tell he’s the right kind of kid,” Erstad said. “He puts his head down and keeps doing what he’s doing. He’s been given gifts to work very hard and do things the right way.”

If Boldt Tried to Hit All Singles, He'd Probably Have Over a .400 Batting Average

Erstad knew how to help Boldt take the next big step and deliver more power with extra-base hits. “He has a tremendous approach,” Erstad said. “If he tried to hit all singles, he’d probably hit over .400. He has that kind of ability.”

From early on, Erstad has compared Boldt to Joe Mauer, a home state Minnesota favorite. Mauer was a magical match with the Twins. “Tremendous approach and tremendous swing,” Erstad said, applying the same standard to a proven major leaguer and a hard-working collegiate player who wouldn’t mind following in his footsteps.

Boldt demonstrates his power. “It’s coming,” Erstad said before the season started and then repeated the same message last week. Emphasizing his point to an AP writer, Erstad said Boldt’s approach at the plate is still a work in process and is “way better than mine.”

The opportunity to play for Erstad “was a big factor” in Boldt’s decision to accept Nebraska’s offer. “To play for a guy who played your position in the major leagues for so long and learn from someone who’s been there and done that in the big leagues…it was just a big path for me to come to Nebraska,” Boldt said.

“I love playing for Coach Erstad. He knows the ins and outs of the game of baseball and how it should be played,” Boldt told me. “I’ve always kept that deep inside, knowing how special it is to learn from someone like Coach Erstad. You don’t find very many guys who command the respect and the care for the game like he does.”

When You Play Baseball the Right Way, the Game Will Consistently Reward You

Erstad’s experience, knowledge and fire drew Boldt to Lincoln and has kept him here. “There’s a way to play the game and a way not to play the game,” he said. “You always want to play the game the right way. When you do, the game will reward you. That’s how it’s been since I’ve been here. It’s all been good.”

Following in the footsteps of his coach, Boldt is a self-confessed perfectionist. “That’s just how I was raised and how I am,” he told me. “You have to have a life plan. School has always been important to me and I’ve always been able to do well. You can’t play baseball forever, so you always want to have something to fall back on.”

Like Erstad, Boldt became consumed with the game. Erstad watches and analyzes his players’ stance, pitch selection and where the ball flies. He then uses that information to teach his players how they can improve their production.

Sometimes, Nebraska’s head coach uses video to make a point. With Boldt, “it’s an advanced conversation,” Erstad said. “You can talk pretty deep with him and then sometimes, when he’s seeing the ball well like he is now, I just stay out of the way.”

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