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Connor Thomas, last year’s Region 1-6A Pitcher of the Year and a future Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket, never set out to be a pitcher. He just wanted to play baseball. He would have played anywhere on the field. But, as luck would have it, he found himself on the mound during rec league when he was about 10 years old. Thomas had already been playing baseball for about five years, but he’d never tried pitching. One day, ended up with the ball in his hands. “I didn’t throw hard but I got a lot of outs. People told me afterwards that I needed to pursue pitching. So I started working on it,” he recalls.
Now, he’s a senior for the defending region champion Blue Devils. He’s their top pitcher, and he had several Division I baseball programs seeking his services. He certainly has come a long way since he was following his father around the local softball fields.
That’s where Thomas’s love for baseball developed. “My dad used to play a lot of church league softball. He was a good hitter, and I used to go with him to the fields. I loved seeing him hit, and I loved being around his teammates. I just loved being at the ball field,” he says.
Thomas started playing baseball and fell in love with the game immediately. As fun as it was hanging with his dad at the softball fields, being out there and playing was a million times better. It’s the only sport he ever wanted to play.
Thomas followed the usual path to the starting lineup of his high school team. He played in the various rec leagues and on travel ball teams. By the time he reached high school, Thomas was already a seasoned competitor. He earned a starting spot on the Blue Devils’ roster as a freshman. It didn’t take long for the lefty to show the talent that would eventually help him become the best pitcher in the region.
He’s one of those kids who simply loves the game. There’s nowhere else he’d rather be, and he’s a true student of baseball. “Connor constantly works on his craft and his mechanics. He’s also very smart about his between-game preparation and the offseason. Connor does a tremendous job of listening to his body and his arm. He prepares accordingly and is always at his best,” says Kyle Kirk, Tift County’s head baseball coach.
Thomas isn’t an overpowering pitcher. He has hit 90 mph on the radar gun but considers himself more of a finesse type of pitcher. He has the typical four pitches – fastball, curveball, change-up, and slider. He knows how to use each of those pitches to his advantage, and he never loses his cool. Thomas can pitch in any count, and he trusts his teammates to take care of him if he gets into trouble. “Connor stays calm in pressure situations. He is a dream to coach, and I love him like my own son. He has tremendous work ethic and a great attitude each day,” states Coach Kirk.
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His command of his craft resulted in an incredible stat line from last year. Thomas threw 72 1/3 innings and finished with an 8-1 record. He struck out 95, walked just eight, and posted a microscopic 0.667 earned run average. Opponents hit just .191 against him. At the time of this interview, the Blue Devils had already played two games and a preseason scrimmage. Thomas pitched in the first game of the year against Ware County. He struck out four, walked one, and hit one batter in four innings. He surrendered three hits but didn’t give up a run.
Last season, Tift wasn’t picked to go very far. The Blue Devils came out of nowhere to win the region. They advanced to the Sweet 16 before Mountain View eliminated them. This year, Thomas would like to repeat as region champions and go farther in the state playoffs. “I’d love to win another Pitcher of the Year award. But I’d really like to win region again. That’s a team award, and I’d like to win another championship with my teammates,” he says.
Sidebar #1:
When Connor Thomas was younger, he would wait for his dad, Calvin Thomas, to get home from work so they could practice baseball together. He would do what he could by himself. Then, once Calvin got home, they would throw and hit for two or three hours. “We would spend several hours a day just throwing and working on different things. My dad has made me into the player I am today,” he says.
Sidebar #2:
Attending Georgia Tech is a natural fit for Thomas. He would like to major in mechanical engineering and wanted to go to Tech anyway. When he was a junior, Tech came calling, and the Yellow Jackets’ coaches invited Thomas to a showcase in Atlanta. He did well at the showcase, and the coaches took note. When it was time to sign, the choice was simple. “Georgia Tech was where I wanted to go. It’s my dream school for what I want to do,” he says.
Sidebar #3:
Thomas is the kind of athlete coaches want in the lineup every day. When he isn’t pitching, he’s playing in center field. He’s got pretty good speed and, as you would expect, a cannon for an arm. He bats second in the lineup and is a decent hitter. “There are guys on the team better than me. I’m a situational guy – I can lay down a bunt, pull off a hit-and-run, things like that. I’m not the fastest guy on the team, but I’ve got good speed,” he says.
Player Spotlight/South Georgia/April 2015
Connor Thomas
Tift County High School
Tifton, Georgia
Robert Preston Jr.
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