Baseball Standout from Wethersfield Headed South

WETHERSFIELD, CT — A local product is set to begin his college baseball career at a Division I school more than 1,100 miles from home.

Tyler Flanigan, a Wethersfield resident who graduated from East Catholic High School in Manchester, has accepted a scholarship to play baseball at the University of Tennessee-Martin (UTM).

A right-handed pitcher, Flanigan chose UTM over Central Connecticut State, Iona, Fairleigh Dickinson, Franklin Pierce, Stonehill, Merrimack and Southern Connecticut, among others.

"It was definitely the opportunity to step in and be an impact player my freshman year," Flanigan said of his college choice. "I had schools like Clemson, Florida Atlantic, and UNC at my games and I could've gone to Arkansas or Arizona or Cal State Northridge, but I either would have been on the bench or in the bullpen. At UTM, I can step in and be the ace of the rotation my freshman year. In general, I'm just too competitive to be a redshirt guy or not play my first couple years."

As a senior at East Catholic, Flanigan had a 3-1 record with a 1.11 ERA, and was named to the Central Connecticut Conference North-Blue all-conference team. The Eagles earned a share of the conference title, tying South Windsor with a 7-1 record.

Flanigan is joining a UTM baseball program that is clearly on the upswing. Prior to the arrival of head coach Rick Robinson in 2015, the Skyhawks had a combined 20-82 record in their previous two seasons. In Robinson's first year, UTM posted a 17-35 mark, and improved to 19-35 in 2016.

"Coach Robinson and Coach (Seth) Cutler-Voltz have UTM on the rise," Flanigan said. "They are entering their third year and have brought in some talent that can take us to Omaha. At UTM, I have my best chance to do some special things from the start, and eventually go pro. Coach Robinson has a history of getting guys drafted, and I want to be next."

Photo courtesy of Tyler Flanigan