By: Shannon Bickert

MJ Bollinger is a firecracker on the mound and does not compromise his personality. Bollinger has been playing baseball his whole life and has lived by the same philosophy on and off the mound: be yourself.

As a closer, Bollinger lives for the high-pressure situations in the game when the ball is turned over to him on the mound.

“Baseball is just a sport, right? Like, there can be a lot worse things happening, and it's just a game. And I've been kind of bred for this,” Bollinger said. ”I've been pushed my entire life to, some may say, the extreme points as a kid, but I think that makes me who I am and why I actually calmed down more out there in these high-pressure situations.”

Bollinger’s born-to-pitch mindset sets him up for success when taking the bump.

“I really do think that my stuff is better than what any hitter has to offer, even if it's not. It's that mindset of I'm just gonna go out there and attack you, and whatever happens, happens, mindset.”

To get into the proper mindset, Bollinger follows a ritual before game day and before taking the mound: A pre-game original Red Bull, a prayer behind the mound and two glove taps.

“[It] gets the anxiety out, ready to go,” Bollinger said. “That's the biggest one because I don't do that, and which I'll always do. If I don't do it, I'll probably feel really out of whack in the Red Bull every time before I pitch, it's like, I have to.”

Before joining the Schooners and committing to UConn for his junior season, baseball brought Bollinger on a journey.

Bollinger entered junior college at San Jacinto as both a pitcher and catcher, but after an unlucky start at the plate, Bollinger transitioned solely to pitcher.

“Pitching has always been in my blood,” Bollinger said. “I’ve always been a pitcher since day one, and I love doing it.”

After one season at SJJC, pitching to a 1.36 ERA, Bollinger made the jump to the Division I level at FAU.

“It's definitely different [pitching at the DI level],” Bollinger said. "Kids don't swing at random pitches in the dirt. They tend to take better pitches. They're more smart, they have better baseball IQ, and when they're up at the plate, they also kind of understand what's gonna come next, and they hit better pitches, which is much more difficult.”

Despite the adjustment, Bollinger was dominant with the Owls with 11 saves, earning All-AAC Second Team honors.

After his success at FAU, Bollinger committed to Texas A&M, where he redshirted this past season before landing himself in Mystic, Connecticut.

In his second appearance with the Schooners, Bollinger entered in the eighth inning against Danbury and recorded a six-out save to secure the Schooners’ 6-3 win.

It was a special moment for Bollinger, his first save in over a year.

“I thought A&M was gonna be the place where I got more saves. I had 19 going into A&M, so I thought I was gonna get a lot, but I didn't pitch for one whole year, and I didn't get any opportunities at A&M,” Bollinger said. “So going out there and just finally getting back in a spot where I'm not only comfortable, but a place that I announced to be in, and I finally did the job for the first time here, it was just, it was beautiful. It was something that I've been wanting for a long time, so it was great.”

Coming to Mystic, Bollinger was in the transfer portal, and earlier this month, he decided where he would land: UConn. UConn felt like a place where Bollinger could do what he loved while being himself.

“UConn sees me for who I am, a crazy psychopath pitcher, who can turn it off from the field to everyday life," Bollinger said. They want me, and they don’t need me to change.”

As a southerner, Bollinger is excited to experience the Northeast, even the cold of the winter. Another draw to UConn was the proximity to family.

While with the Schooners, Bollinger has the unique opportunity to work alongside some of his new teammates at UConn.

“I actually will say it's pretty cool, every school I've ever been to, I haven't known anybody,” Bollinger said. “Not only is it gonna be huge for team bonding, but just to understand how these guys work. I see they're all high intensity. They all work their butts off. I want to be a part of that. I'm just excited to know them.”

While baseball has brought Bollinger all over the country, one thing has remained constant: Bollinger’s personality.

"If you're a guy like me, maybe who overly expresses himself sometimes, do that, just be yourself, and don't let anybody take that away from you, 'cause that's what makes you better.”