Former Vestal High standout Mike Osinski has exchanged his baseball bat and glove for a jack, at least in terms of professional life.
Osinski, 28, has been a member of Stewart-Haas Racing, one of NASCAR’s most prominent teams, since January of 2022. His primary responsibility this season has been jackman on the pit crew for the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing NASCAR Cup Series team through an outsourcing program with Stewart-Haas.
Osinski, who has bulked up to a chiseled 6-foot-2, 230 pounds since high school, has filled in for two races this year for Aric Almirola’s Cup Series team and three for Chase Briscoe because of suspensions and injuries. Both are Stewart-Haas drivers.
He played at all levels of the minor leagues for the Red Sox, all the way to Triple-A. Over five years he had a combined .272 batting average with six homers in 663 at-bats as an infielder/outfielder. After he was released by the Red Sox, he played for the independent Gastonia Honey Hunters (North Carolina) in the summer of 2021.
Before his pro career, Osinski excelled in baseball and football for head coach Tank Anderson at Vestal, graduating in 2014.
He batted .415 as a senior and went on to play at Longwood University in Virginia, where he compiled a .298 batting average across three seasons. He was drafted by the Red Sox in the 31st round following his junior year. Osinski will soon start online classes to complete his criminology degree from Longwood.
Osinski, who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, returned to his home region last weekend for the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International. He flew to New York on Friday, visited family and saw friends play when the Binghamton Rumble Ponies hosted Red Sox Double-A affiliate Portland.
After helping in pre-race preparations of the No. 15 car Andy Lally drove to 25th place in the Go Bowling at The Glen, Osinski talked about his transition from baseball to NASCAR.
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