Grand Rapids, MI
Greenridge Elementary – Comstock Park Panthers
Favorite Food: marinated venison kabob over a campfire
Favorite Animal: Northern pike
Dan joined Sea Kittens in 2014, and even his addition to the roster was not enough to immediately end The Schneid. Following the retirement of Detroit Josh Ghena at the beginning of the 2014 season 
Oele’s signing promised to bring a modicum of respectability back to the middle of the Sea Kitten lineup, but one must wonder what he thought when first taking the diamond with the team. Originally nicknamed The Wall in recognition of his defense prowess, he mainly slotted in at third base, stabilizing the position for Los Gatitos. Something about L’esprit des Chatons must have appealed to him, though, as he’s 4th on the team’s all-time games played list and approaching his 150th game as a Cat.
When asked his favorite Sea Kitten moment, Oele responded:
“Not a favorite per se, but an enduring memory is the haze of Sea Kitten moments leading to epic collapse late in games, mostly of yesteryear as we have improved.”
The team’s all-time leader in home runs, Oele fondly remembers becoming the first Sea Kitten to hit 3 home runs in a game on July 28, 2021, as well as clubbing two in an inning in the team’s first-ever MSSC playoff game– a feat repeated by Slash Grutzik in the very next inning! But his favorite thing in all-gender softball is when the SK women burn disrespecting outfielders for extra base hits.