Prep senior pitcher Jospeh Dolansky accepted a scholarship offer from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). Joe recently transferred to Prep from Mercyhurst High School at the start of his junior year. Joe already had friends here from years past at his grade school, OLCS. Although he is a quiet student, and not as outgoing as others, Joe has made many friends here at Prep. In addition to that, he made an immediate impact on the Prep baseball team.
“I have been playing baseball since I was five years old,” said Joe. “The first league I was a part of was called Buddy Ball.”
Everyone has their own things in life that truly influence them in more ways than one. For some people, it may be football, or being a part of a team. For others, they can learn valuable life lessons and take life experiences with them through things like school or making mistakes. Baseball has been a big influence in Joe’s life to this day.
“Baseball has always been a big part of my life. My brother and I began playing at a young age,” he said. “My love and desire for the sport came from my father. My father grew up playing baseball and even played when he was in college. My father has also spent many years coaching baseball. He coached my teams for several years and is now coaching my younger brother’s travel baseball team. Baseball is more than just a sport in my family. Baseball has allowed my family and I to spend a lot of quality time with one another.”
Because of the fact that baseball has been such a big part of Joe’s life, it allowed him for the opportunity to get a scholarship to pitch for IUP at the next level.
“This scholarship means that I am able to continue to play the sport I love at the next level while also receiving a quality education that will allow me to pursue my career goals. Coach Rebyanski of IUP is building something great, and I am excited to be a part of it.”
Prep is known for having prestigious sports programs, and Joe has credited his team here at Prep for the recent success and the opportunity to get the scholarship to IUP. Transferring from Mercyhurst to Prep was a big decision in his life, and it was not an easy change. All of the change Joe went through is paying off.
“Since coming to Prep, my baseball career has definitely improved,” he said. “Being a part of the team has given me the opportunity to compete at the next level. At Prep, I have mainly focused on pitching. Prep has given me the opportunity to grow and improve as a pitcher. I definitely feel that Prep has opened doors for me in my baseball career. I am absolutely enjoying my time with Coach Constable. He has such an unbelievable baseball mind and passion for the game. Each and every practice is highly competitive and well-organized. My teammates push each other to get better day in and day out.”
Now, Joe is going to use this scholarship to give him that extra boost this season. As a senior, Joe is going to be one of the leaders on the team, and hopefully lead the Prep baseball team to another successful season this year.
“We recently finished an exciting fall program and currently have lifting two days a week. We are working hard to get stronger each and every time we are in the gym. As a team, we support and encourage one another to keep working hard in order to continue to improve every time we take the field.”
