Connor Misch began college career at Xavier and intends to finish there. The Lake Central alum has hit it big.
The 2022 Lake Central graduate arrived at Xavier three years ago with the expectation that he wasn't going anywhere else.
'With the landscape of how everything is going in college baseball, it's hard to find a guy who's been at the same program for their entire career,' he said. 'I came in here on day one, ready to buy in to what was in front of me, which was an awesome coaching staff and a great locker room — and that's led me to stay in the program for so long.'
During his time at Xavier, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Misch has steadily developed into one of the top hitters in the Big East. Also a standout pitcher in high school, he was named to the all-conference first team this season after starting all 59 games at first base for the Musketeers (32-27) and hitting .332 with a team-high 65 hits and a team-high 50 RBIs.
Misch was at his best during Big East games, hitting a conference-leading .448.
Xavier assistant Riley Bertram said Misch's success this season is the result of his commitment to improving since he arrived on campus.
'He's earned everything he's done here,' Bertram said. 'He's one of those players that you cheer for because you know that they've been putting in the work behind the scenes, and you want them to have that success.'
Misch struggled during one stretch in March, when his batting average dipped to .233 after he went hitless in seven of eight games. But conversations with second baseman Nolan Tucker, a 2019 Hanover Central graduate who was an All-Big East second-team selection after leading Xavier with a .339 batting average, helped Misch shake off that slump.
'He was playing every day, but he wasn't playing his best baseball,' Tucker said. 'We were joking around about it, but I told him that he had to stop looking at his stats because it was the worst thing for him.'
Misch's batting average soared past .300 over the next month.
'Baseball is so mental, and when you're struggling — or even if you're playing well — having the weight of your batting average constantly on your mind makes the game that much harder,' Tucker said. 'Letting that go helped him have that good year.'
Misch improved in just about every statistical area compared to his sophomore season, when he was named to the All-Big East second team after hitting .268 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs. At the time, he was encouraged by those numbers, given that it was his first season as an everyday player.
'That was a successful season,' Misch said. 'But I knew that I needed to do more. I needed to get on base more, I needed to hit for average more and I needed to drive in more runs. So I really focused on developing as a whole hitter and specifically just getting on base.'
Misch proceeded to draw 44 walks this season, doubling his 2024 total, and his on-base percentage jumped from .382 to .485.
Looking ahead to his senior year, Misch hopes to increase his home run total. He hit four this season.
'I checked a lot of boxes this year, but not that one,' he said. 'I'm trying to find the appropriate launch angle for my swing so that I can lift the ball on my pull side and hit more home runs. But it's about finding that fair trade between your home runs and your strikeouts and your batting average.'
So plenty of work awaits, but Misch said he's enjoying every second he spends in the sport.
'I tell everyone that it's the best job in the world,' he said. 'It's so awesome, what we get to do. I've been able to take a look back, and I'm really proud of where I am. It's all a credit to my parents and to all of the coaches who've helped me along the way.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
10 minutes ago
- USA Today
Eugenio Suarez trade corrects a Mariners mistake. Can he lead Seattle to World Series?
PHOENIX — The Seattle Mariners, who made the painful mistake of trading third baseman Eugenio Suarez two years ago to the Arizona Diamondbacks only to watch him become one of the game's premier power hitters, swallowed their pride Wednesday night and traded for him back. Suarez, who has 36 homers and 87 RBIs, becomes the first player in baseball history to hit at least 35 homers before he was traded in-season. 'Super excited, it's a great move,'' Mariners MVP candidate Cal Raleigh told reporters after their game Wednesday night. 'He's pretty much everything you look for in a teammate. He's supportive. Super nice. Keeps it light in the room. Always positive. And you add on to that, he's a great player. 'We saw that when he was here the first time, and we were obviously all sad that he left, but we're happy that he's coming back …. Very, very excited for it. Obviously, we know how great a guy he is, how great he's playing this year. Great, great add.' It was the second deal the Mariners and Diamondbacks made in a week with the D-backs also trading first baseman Josh Naylor to Seattle for two pitching prospects. Now, they sent his corner infield teammate to provide the Mariners much-needed power to reach the postseason for only the second time since 2001 after near-misses the last two years. The Mariners, fortunate that the market for Suarez never materialized the way the Diamondbacks envisioned, were able to pull off the deal without touching any of their prized prospects. The cost was first baseman Tyler Locklear, their ninth-best prospect, who leads all Triple-A hitters with 16 homers and 56 RBIs since June 1; and minor-league pitchers Hunter Cranton and Juan Burgos, their 16th- and 17th-ranked prospects, respectively. Just like that, they now have a team built to win their first World Series championship in franchise history. The Mariners (57-52) are five games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West, and are tied with the Texas Rangers for the third and final wild-card berth. Yet, with their star-studded rotation of Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby, Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller, they can scare the living daylights out of any team in the postseason. And now, they finally have the power they have long coveted, with Suarez hitting 53 home runs over the past year, trailing only Shohei Ohtani (60 homers) and Aaron Judge (58). Raleigh (41 homers) and Suarez (36) make the Mariners the second team in MLB history to enter August with at least two players having at least 35 homers, joining the 1961 Yankees who had Roger Maris (40) and Mickey Mantle (39). The Mariners now have one of the deepest and most-talented lineups in the American League, rectifying the blunder they made two years ago when they traded Suarez. The Mariners thought his career was in a steep decline after the 2023 season, which saw him hit .232 with 22 homers, 96 RBIs and a league-leading 214 strikeouts. The Mariners sent him to Arizona, receiving only minor-league reliever Carlos Vargas and backup catcher Seby Zavala, while saving about $11 million in salary. It looked like a shrewd move when Suarez was struggling so badly — hitting just .193 — that the Diamondbacks considered designating him for assignment in late June 2024. He instead caught fire, hitting .307 with 20 homers and a .942 OPS in the second half, and never cooled off. Now, all the Mariners need is for Suarez to stay hot for three more months, their starting pitching to stay healthy, maybe grab one more late-inning reliever by Thursday's trade deadline, and take the franchise on a magical ride to its first World Series. It has been a long time coming, but now the Mariners have the lineup, the pitching, and the burning desire to pull it off. They've saved prized prospects long enough. Now, it's time for a parade. Follow Nightengale on X: @BNightengale
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Austin Wells loses track of the outs in 9th inning and costs the Yankees a late opportunity
NEW YORK (AP) — Perhaps nobody was happier the Yankees won Wednesday night than catcher Austin Wells, after his embarrassing mental lapse on the bases cost New York an opportunity in the ninth inning. 'I think I just was being an idiot," he said. Anthony Volpe hit a tying homer off Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks with one out in the ninth, then Wells singled and advanced to second base when Trent Grisham tried to bunt for a hit. Grisham was thrown out at first for the second out and credited with a sacrifice. Wells, however, thought the inning was over and wandered off the bag. He got tagged in a rundown for the third out, sending a back-and-forth game to extra innings as fans in the Yankee Stadium crowd of 45,355 groaned. 'He thought there were three outs," New York manager Aaron Boone said. "Obviously, can't happen. With the base coaches we say the right thing. We go through with the pitcher, their time to the plate and number (of) outs. What do you say? Can't happen.' Instead of having seven-time All-Star and 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt at bat with the potential winning run on second base, the Yankees were resigned to keep slugging it out with Tampa Bay in extra innings. 'Just thought there was three outs,' Wells said. 'Very embarrassed and disappointed, for sure. You know, you let the guys down when you do that. You give away an out like that in a big spot, so that's disappointing — and definitely no good thoughts going on there.' New York fell behind 4-3 in the 10th, tied it again on Cody Bellinger's run-scoring triple and finally won 5-4 in the 11th on Ryan McMahon's game-ending single to deep center field after a critical balk by reliever Kevin Kelly. The Yankees remained four games behind first-place Toronto in the AL East. 'I mean, everyone did such a great job tonight," Wells said. "Started in the beginning with (rookie pitcher Will Warren). Gave us a great position to come back in that game. And I mean, all the huge hits that happened and then all the huge innings that the relievers threw. What a game. And that's just something that we've been needing, and to come back like that is huge.'
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Austin Wells loses track of the outs in 9th inning and costs the Yankees a late opportunity
NEW YORK (AP) — Perhaps nobody was happier the Yankees won Wednesday night than catcher Austin Wells, after his embarrassing mental lapse on the bases cost New York an opportunity in the ninth inning. 'I think I just was being an idiot,' he said. Anthony Volpe hit a tying homer off Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks with one out in the ninth, then Wells singled and advanced to second base when Trent Grisham tried to bunt for a hit. Grisham was thrown out at first for the second out and credited with a sacrifice. Wells, however, thought the inning was over and wandered off the bag. He got tagged in a rundown for the third out, sending a back-and-forth game to extra innings as fans in the Yankee Stadium crowd of 45,355 groaned. 'He thought there were three outs,' New York manager Aaron Boone said. 'Obviously, can't happen. With the base coaches we say the right thing. We go through with the pitcher, their time to the plate and number (of) outs. What do you say? Can't happen.' Instead of having seven-time All-Star and 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt at bat with the potential winning run on second base, the Yankees were resigned to keep slugging it out with Tampa Bay in extra innings. 'Just thought there was three outs,' Wells said. 'Very embarrassed and disappointed, for sure. You know, you let the guys down when you do that. You give away an out like that in a big spot, so that's disappointing — and definitely no good thoughts going on there.' Fortunately for Wells, his teammates bailed him out. New York fell behind 4-3 in the 10th, tied it again on Cody Bellinger's run-scoring triple and finally won 5-4 in the 11th on Ryan McMahon's game-ending single to deep center field after a critical balk by reliever Kevin Kelly. The Yankees remained four games behind first-place Toronto in the AL East. 'I mean, everyone did such a great job tonight,' Wells said. 'Started in the beginning with (rookie pitcher Will Warren). Gave us a great position to come back in that game. And I mean, all the huge hits that happened and then all the huge innings that the relievers threw. What a game. And that's just something that we've been needing, and to come back like that is huge.' ___ AP MLB:
