Connor Rodrigo '12 Recruiting Profile

Connor Rodrigo, Paraclete High School, 2012 

I was playing in my school district’s championship game. We were down two points with just seconds left to play, when I drove the lane attempting to hit the game tying lay-up.   As I attempted the shot, I was fouled hard.  When I went to the free throw line an opposing player tried to ice me by taunting me.  I was determined to make the shot, and even though I was nervous, I was at the same time calm.  I just focused on the basket, sank the first shot, and then repeated the motion in making the game tying free throw.  I was just nine years old.

For some reason pressure situations have had very little effect on me.  I have had at least ten walk-off hits in the ten years I have played baseball.  The most memorable was a towering grand slam.  To illustrate this point, my varsity batting average with runners in scoring position was the highest on the team during my junior year as I hit 506.

When my dad asks how I do so well when the pressure is on, it is hard for me to describe.  It is kind of like I get in this zone where everything seems slower and quieter.  I just feel very calm and determined.  On the field I only had one error as a starter on my team.  I played left field and third base.

In addition to being calm, I think of myself as a mature teenager.  I have always done what I thought was right.  I have a 3.5 GPA at a private college prep school.  I am also proud to say that I am an Eagle Scout.

I am looking for a college where I feel at home.  I would prefer to stay on the west coast, but I am open to all possibilities.  My goal is to contribute to, and make a difference for, my team.  On the field, I will give every part of my 5’9” and 170 pound body to help my team win, as evidenced by my receiving the coach’s award during my first high school season.

My dad tells me that when I was ten months old, he threw me a ball and I swung a bat and hit it.  I have seen the picture, but I really can’t remember it.  I do know that athletics and especially baseball are passions that drive my life.  If you are looking for an all-around athlete with the strength to stand up to negative peer pressure, then you should consider me.