Campus Newcomer: Skutt Catholic INF Joe Connolly
We continue our Iowa Baseball campus newcomers articles with another incoming freshman from the state of Nebraska. Out of Skutt Catholic in Omaha, Joe Connolly is rated as the #7 player in the state, as well as the #94 SS in the country by Perfect Game. Connolly was a Class B All-State selection for his efforts with the Skyhawks and spent the summer playing legion baseball. Now, he is ready to get on campus for his freshman year at Iowa.
We caught up with the 6-foot-0, 170 pound infielder to preview his upcoming freshman season with the Hawkeyes.
Q: When do you move to Iowa City and what is your excitement level like for that move in day?
CONNOLLY: I am scheduled to move into the dorms on August 13th. Probably the thing I’m most excited about that day is finally being around all the recruits and being able to keep building relationships with them.
Q: What number do you plan on wearing and why?
CONNOLLY:Number 8 has always been my favorite number to play in. If you turn the number 8 on its side it represents an infinity sign which I always thought was cool.
Q: What did it mean to be named a Class B All-State selection this past season?
CONNOLLY: It was a huge honor to be associated with that group. As a competitor, you always want to be among the best, so being a part of that was special to me.
Q: How would you evaluate the way you played during your senior season?
CONNOLLY: Reflecting back on my senior year, I always wanted to be as competitive as possible, trying to give my team advantages. In 103 plate appearances, I had two strike outs with 16 walks and an OBP of .500. I also had eight triples in the summer legion season, which was one of the state leaders.
Q: What have you been doing since the high school season to prepare for when you join the team?
CONNOLLY: This summer I played with the legion team associated with my high school, while also lifting five days a week to keep building muscle. After our summer season ended, I came to Iowa City to start working out at the facilities and to get used to the college life.
Q: Looking back at your recruitment, what stood out about the Iowa Baseball program that made them an easy choice over other schools?
CONNOLLY: What stood out about Iowa’s baseball program to me more than others was how organized they were. Out of all the camps I went to, Iowa was by far the most organized and I could tell that they knew exactly what we were doing and why we were doing it. The other thing that caught my eye was how Coach Sutherland and the whole coaching staff develops hitters and it was the exact program I saw myself in.
Q: Were there any other teams that you considered during your recruitment?
CONNOLLY: Kansas, Utah, and Iowa were the top three schools I was considering.
Q: What is your relationship like with the coaching staff? Who do you talk with the most?
CONNOLLY: I have a great relationship with the coaching staff. Getting to campus early has allowed me to be around the coaches more often and keep building strong relationships. Coach Sutherland would probably be the coach I’m in most dialogue with.
Q: What is your relationship like with the other incoming freshman? Current players?
CONNOLLY: Some of the recruits I have gotten the privilege to get to know really well and some I have still yet to get to know them personally. Getting to know the other recruits more is one of the things I am most excited about.
Q: If someone asked you “what do you bring to the Iowa team?” How would you describe your game?
CONNOLLY: How I would describe my game is doing anything I can do to give my team a better chance at winning. I am a switch hitter with good speed that can get on base and steal bags ,and doing so to get runs on the board. All my life I have played shortstop, but I am confident in my abilities to play anywhere on the field no matter where it be to try and be an asset on defense.
Q: What are your goals for your freshman season at Iowa? What areas of your game do you want to improve?
CONNOLLY: My goals as a freshman are to be as much help to the team as I possibly can. For what I want to improve on, I want to get bigger and stronger.
