Spring Sports Q&A: Serena's Connor Baker

Ten questions with a high school spring sports athlete unable to play during the current coronavirus containment measures:

1) Name

Connor Baker

2) School, year, college plans

Serena, senior, has a few options to continue to play baseball at the collegiate level, but also wants to find the right fit as far as a school offering classes toward a degree in turf management.

3) Spring sport(s)

Baseball

4) How did you first hear that the season was being suspended?

"I heard at the end of our last practice from my dad (Serena coach Chad Baker). I had first heard the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament was cancelled — I actually had tickets to go to a couple of games — so after that I had a feeling we might be as well."

5) What were your and your teammates' feelings when first hearing the news the season was being halted?

"We were obviously all bummed out. We were all looking forward to getting the season going and felt we had a team that could bring a regional championship to Serena."

6) Have you stayed in contact with your teammates?

"We did all get together for a little batting practice session and scrimmage at the Wedron ballpark amongst ourselves a few days after the postponement news, but since the stay-at-home order was announced most of us stayed in touch while playing MLB the Show 2020 on our PS4s or through texting for the guys that don't play video games."

7) What do you miss most about being able to compete?

"I just miss playing. I trained for this season all winter, taking lessons and just getting ready. This is my senior year, and I wanted it to be my best year. I was just really looking forward to not only competing with my teammates, but also against my friends from other schools."

8) What were your personal goals for this season? How about team goals?

"I wanted to get some personal records here at Serena under my name. I really wanted to hit some home runs this year, because I haven't hit one throughout my high school career, and (after hitting .397 as a junior) I really wanted to raise that to .497. Overall I just wanted to keep raising my average throughout the season."

9) So I heard you built a make-shift pitching mound in your backyard?

"That night after my dad told us the season was suspended, I asked him if we'd still be able to go to the school and hit on our own, but he said we weren't able to go on school property. I needed to find a way to work on my own, so I started digging up some dirt to make a mound and figured I could at least pitch to my younger brother or a mat to stay sharp. I worked on it for about an hour and a half that first day, but since then it's gotten bigger, higher, and we've built a box around it to keep the dirt in place. It's pretty nice right now."

10) Do you think the season will still take place? If so, in what form/under what kind of schedule?

"Honestly, I've been hearing that there won't be school the rest of the year, so I'm really in between as far as thinking we'll get any games in, but I'm really hoping we do. I just want to finish my senior year."