Mystic — While the majority of the Mystic Schooners roster was beginning to get into the swing of the NECBL regular season, left-handed pitcher Carson Teel was at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., with the nation’s best college teams.

Teel is a member of the Oklahoma State bullpen. The Cowboys made it all the way to the national semifinals before falling to the Arizona Wildcats. For the redshirt freshman, it was an unforgettable experience and inspiration for success.

“It was incredible; you feel like an all-star out there,” Teel said. “Before, during and after the game you had 20,000 fans that wanted to talk to you and get your autograph.”

Individually, Teel made one appearance in Omaha against Arizona. He threw 1.1 innings while letting up two unearned runs and striking out one.

“It was crazy. Having a sold-out crowd cheering, some rooting for you and others against you, was surreal.” Teel said of the experience. “I don’t know if I will ever experience a feeling like that again.”

Teel went back to Stillwater, his hometown and location of the Oklahoma State campus, for three days before making the 24-hour drive to Connecticut with his mother.

“Besides having closing meetings with the team on campus, I had just enough time to pack my things and have a home cooked meal,” he said.

Now, Teel is a staple of the Mystic bullpen. Before Wednesday's one-inning showing against New Bedford, part of a 10-0 victory, he had made five appearances, throwing 10.2 innings with a team-best 1.74 ERA. He struck out two, walked one and gave up one hit against New Bedford. This past week, Teel was named to the NECBL weekly honor roll for his performance.

Mystic (24-14) leads the NECBL's Southern Division with five regular-season games remaining.

“We had our fingers crossed that he would come to us after his season,” Schooners coach Phil Orbe said.

According to Orbe, Teel’s style of play is similar to that of his personality off the field: quiet and undercover.

“He has been a dominant part of our bullpen in a low-key kind of way,” Orbe said. “He’s not going to blow low 90 fastballs past you. He’s going to command the strike zone of both halves of the plate.”

Growing up in Stillwater and coming from a family full of Cowboys, there was no doubt that Teel would want to be part of the Oklahoma State roster.

Teel was redshirted his freshman year, during which time he hit the weight room to gain 25 pounds. He also worked with his pitching coach and teammate Michael Freeman, former Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and Houston Astros draft pick.

“It’s kind of tough to sit and watch your team play for a full year, but it’s all worth it when you come in the next season more prepared," Teel said.

In his first eligible year, Teel came out of the bullpen 17 times for a total of 15.2 innings. His only decision was a win against the University of Incarnate Word and he posted a 2.70 ERA, second best on the team.

Being a starter throughout high school, Teel had to adjust to pitching out of the bullpen.

“It’s definitely weird. You have to stay locked in for six or seven innings in the bullpen for when you get called to face one, two, or three batters,” Teel said. “It’s different but I kind of like it now.”

• Ryan Ramiz (Seton Hall) went 4-for-4, including a three-run home run, with four RBI in the Schooners win over the Bay Sox. Jonathan Signore (Fairfield) scattered four hits over five innings with nine strikeouts for Mystic (23-14) and Martin Figeuroa (University of Rhode Island) had two hits, including a two-run home run, with two runs and two RBI. Also, Nick Mascelli (Wagner) had two hits, including a double, with a run and an RBI and Groton’s Aaron Hill (UConn) scored twice.