Rosenblitt Sees Oakland ‘Trending In The Right Direction’

Joshua Rosenblitt RHP / Beachwood, OH / 2025

BEACHWOOD - When Josh Rosenblitt saw Oakland in live action he realized why there was a connection.

“I went to the Youngstown State game before I committed and I could tell at that game why Oakland reached out,” Rosenblitt explained. “They had pitchers that were similar to me, with good pitchability. I fit their mold.”

That game came two months after an offer had been made, and the 15th-rated junior right-handed pitcher in Michigan began to feel the time was right.

“My original plan was to play out the high school season,” Rosenblitt reflected. “Multiple schools wanted to see me during the high school season. I had another offer as well, but I decided to commit at the start of the season.

“It got to the point that Oakland was really aggressive,” continued the Beachwood junior, who also had interest from Miami, VMI, Akron, Wright State and Richmond. “They had everything I wanted, plus I was the first commit from their 2025 class which was pretty cool.”

Oakland initially saw the 6-0 185-pounder on a posted tweet following a T3 event.

“That was the first time I hit 89,” noted Rosenblitt, who was contacted by Oakland two days later and a week after was on campus for a visit when an offer was presented. “They saw all my videos on my PBR account and saw there was more room to grow. I’m not the biggest, but as I get older I can put on weight and grow into my body more.”

Improving facilities and a head coach with the ability to win were among the reasons Rosenblitt became attracted to Oakland.

“Coach (Jordan) Banfield has shown he’s able to win, he got his 100th win this season,” the 41st-ranked 2025 in the state said. “The Ohio and Michigan weather isn’t the greatest, but they have nice indoor facilities with a dome and they’re investing in the program with a new turf infield last year and a new fence this year.”

The 17-year-old is confident he can be an asset as a member of the Horizon League program.

“My whole life I’ve been a pitcher who is able to use the zone and compete,” Rosenblitt explained. “This is the first year I’ve gotten to a higher velo with my fastball. This offseason I trained at the Grady pitching school and that helped me a ton. It’s not all velo, velo, velo, they have a mix of mechanical, pitchability and velo.”

Work in the weight room was also part of the improvement, with Rosenblitt crediting Ryan Rua at T3 Baseball for playing a big role in getting where he is today.

“At the beginning it was stressful trying to get my name out there,” Rosenblitt said about his recruitment. “There wasn’t a ton of contact with me. But when I jumped to T3 I felt it went smoother. I was a later guy with my recruitment, but after I reached 89 people were reaching out. After that I had a PBR event which confirmed what I did.

“PBR was really helpful,” Rosenblitt added. “I went to the State Games last year and that was my first big event. Seeing all the commits there and how they prepared was kind of eye-opening. That was the level I wanted to be at. I threw two innings and gave up no runs there which gave me confidence.”

A commitment brings a sense of relief according to Rosenblitt.

“It took a lot of stress off knowing where I’m going to be the next four years,” Rosenblitt admitted. “I don’t have to try to impress anyone. I can go out and stay loose.”

A 4.03 student unsure about a college major, Rosenblitt is excited about a future at the university in Michigan located three hours from home.

“I’m looking forward to meeting all the guys on the team,” Rosenblitt concluded. “I’ve seen them three or four times and they seem super close. I’m also looking forward to getting a good education.

“Baseball wise, I’m ready to put in a ton of hard work and if I do that and get on the field I plan on making an impact on a team that’s trending in the right direction. Coach Banfield is showing he can win.”