Rangers Academy Notebook: Julian Olivo set to take academy dream on the road

Julian Olivo has represented the Texas Rangers Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex, Presented by Toyota, at the Commissioner’s Cup tournament in Cleveland as part of the 2019 All-Star Game festivities. He’s also earned spots on the 2018 and 2019 Academy RBI All-Star teams participating in the RBI Southwest Regionals in Austin.

On Thursday, he’ll begin a new adventure thanks to his hard work at the Academy.

Olivo and fellow Academy participant Joshua Marcellus are set to participate in the MLB/USA Baseball Dream Series at Tempe Diablo Stadium, the Spring Training home of the Los Angeles Angels, in Tempe Arizona.

“I am looking forward to enjoying this experience and taking in all the different types of coaching. Hopefully I can bring back what I learned and share it with other teammates,” Olivo said.

The Dream Series features pitching, catching, and defensive workouts with former Major League players, along with seminars and guest speakers. Activities run from January 16 through 20 and are designed to prepare pitchers and catchers for the high school baseball season.

As a senior at Pinkston High School who is both a pitcher and a catcher, Olivo has already set some goals for himself for the baseball season.

“I am working on following through with my pitches and bringing my velocity up.” Olivo said.

Olivo recognizes the significance of the Academy’s role in making events like the Dream Series possible for him.

“My time in the Academy has helped me by providing me with great opportunities, an indoor and outdoor facility, and giving me a place to play baseball. It has also opened many doors for me to get noticed,” Olivo said.

Ranking Top Academy Moments of 2019

This past year marked several significant milestones for the Rangers Youth Academy – from hosting the inaugural MLB Grit Invitational for high school girls playing baseball in March to the Academy’s own RBI All-Star softball team securing its first ever win at the RBI Southwest Regionals and advancing all the way to the Championship contest in July.

Top Academy moments from 2019 will be posted on the Academy’s Twitter (@RangersYA) and Instagram (@rangersya) today, Friday, January 10. Fans, families, and athletes can vote for their favorite moment by liking and commenting on the photos through Thursday, January 16.

The Friday, January 17 Academy Notebook will feature the Top 5 Academy Moments from 2019 in order, as determined by fans on social media.

Texas Rangers Coaches Clinic

Members of the Texas Rangers Major League coaching staff will be at the Academy on Saturday, January 25 to host the annual Texas Rangers Coaches Clinic.

The clinic is free and targeted to coaches of all ages and skill levels. Registration is available at /rangers/forms/tex-coaches-clinic.

Winter Academy Training Program

Academy staff is gearing up for next week’s opening of the Winter Academy Training Program.

Programming begins Monday, January 13 and runs through February 27.

Monday and Wednesday sessions will be for 18U baseball and softball players. Tuesday and Thursday sessions will be for 12U baseball and softball players. All sessions run from 6:30-9:00 p.m.

Registration is available at texasrangers.com/academy.