2007 Baseball Roster
Roster
Connor Powers
- Position:
- 3B/1B
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- 217
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Naperville, IL
- High School/Previous School:
- Benet Academy
CAREER:
Power-hitting first baseman who enters his senior campaign with a .315 career batting average, 170 hits and 138 RBI in 146 games (142 starts) • Returned to MSU for his senior campaign after being drafted in the 11th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers • Ranks ninth at MSU with 38 home runs • Has amassed a squad-best 48 multi-hit and 37 multi-RBI games over the past three seasons • Three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection • Won the Cape Cod Collegiate League's home run-hitting contest at last summer's CCCL All-Star Game • Lone rostered Bulldog from Illinois.
2009:
Successfully transitioned to a new position, drawing a team-leading 53 starts at first base in his 54 games played • Compiled a .301 batting average, leading the team in runs scored (49), doubles (15), home runs (19), slugging percentage (.688), RBI (63), walks (35), and sacrifice flies (5) • Tied for eighth-most home runs in a season by a Bulldog and climbed to eighth among MSU's career home run leaders with 38 blasts • Finished sixth in the SEC in home runs, seventh in slugging percentage and ninth in runs batted in • In his first season at first base posted the second-highest fielding percentage among SEC first baseman (.998), with one fielding error in 422 chances • Set a career-mark with a 12-game hitting streak (Apr. 3-19), collecting eight home runs and three doubles during the span • Drew starts in all but the second game of a twinbill against Valparaiso (Mar. 11) • Tied for second on the team with 14 multiple-hit games and paced State with 17 multi-RBI games • Had three or more hits in five games • Matched a career-best with a season-high 4-for-5 plate performance in the series finale against Auburn (Apr. 5) • Went 7-for-13 (. 538) with six RBI and three home runs against the Tigers • Tallied three or more RBI in eight games, establishing a career-best with six RBI in a 10-8 win over Nicholls (Feb. 28) • Slugged two home runs in a game three times --- against Nicholls (Feb. 28), Alabama (May 2), and SEC champion LSU (May 15) • Credited with a team-leading five game-winning hits, capped with a walk-off solo blast in the 10th inning against Kentucky (Apr. 18) • Drew four of his team-leading 35 walks against Middle Tennessee (Apr. 21) • Led MSU with two-out RBI and 24 hits with runners in scoring position • Hit .298 and started all 29 games at first base in conference play • Delivered 34 hits against SEC opponents, including a league-best 14 home runs, and compiled the SEC's third-highest slugging percentage, .711 • Earned a berth with 18 other Bulldog players on the 2009 SEC Academic Honor Roll • Played summer league baseball for Harwich (Mass.) in the Cape Cod Collegiate League • In July won the home run competition at the 47th Cape Cod League All-Star Game at Boston's famed Fenway Park.
2008:
Bulldogs' starting third baseman the first 35 games of the season • Led State with a .348 batting average, ranked second in home runs (11) and RBI (38) and notched a team-leading .644 slugging percentage • Ended the season with 14 multiple-hit and 11 multiple-RBI games and hits in 25 of 35 games played • Matched a career-best with four-hit plate performances against both Austin Peay (Apr. 2) and at Kentucky (Apr. 6) • Registered three-hit games in back-to-back games against Air Force (Mar. 1-2), against Ole Miss (Mar. 14) and at UAB (Mar. 18) • Hit .339 with a .714 slugging percentage in 15 SEC games • Tied for second on the club with 18 extra-base hits • Sizzled at the plate in April before being sidelined the final 21 games with a hamstring injury • Hit .500 (19-for-38) and raised his seasonal batting average 59 points over his final nine games (Apr. 1-13) • Had seven consecutive multi-hit games (Apr. 1-11) • Went 6-for-10 (.600) and drove in four runs in two against Austin Peay (Apr. 1-2) and 8-for-13 (.571) with seven RBI in the three-game series at Kentucky (Apr. 5-6) • Tied the school record with three home runs in a 4-for-4, four-RBI series finale at Kentucky (Apr. 6) • Set a personal-best with a five-RBI burst in MSU's 24-10 win at UAB (Mar. 18) • Lashed a double and two of MSU's record-tying six home runs • Compiled a career-longest eight-game hitting streak (Mar. 30-Apr. 11) • Drew three walks for the second and third times in his career against UAB (Feb. 26) and at Kentucky (Apr. 6) • Among a school-record 23 Bulldogs named to the 2008 SEC Baseball Academic Honor Roll • Hit .265 with 28 RBI playing summer league baseball for Brewster (Mass.) in the Cape Cod Collegiate League.
2007:
Played in 57 of MSU's 60 games, drawing starts in 54 games • MSU's starting third baseman as a true freshman in 51 games • Also drew three starts as the DH • Named to the 2007 SEC All-Freshman Team • Hit .306 with 22 extra-base hits and 37 RBI • Belted eight home runs, third-most on the team, and hit two triples to share team lead • Ranked fifth on the club with 20 multiple-hit games and tied for fifth with nine multiple-RBI games • Made his collegiate debut at third base against Murray State (Feb. 23) on opening day • Singled in his second at-bat and later collected his first career RBI with a sacrifice fly • Went 5-for-14 (.455) with a double and two home runs in the Murray State series • Lashed a double and his first career home run against the Racers (Feb. 24) • Opened the year with a five-game hitting streak and hit safely in 36 of his 57 games • Totaled a season-high four hits in a 4-for-5 plate performance at Florida (Mar. 16) • Launched two-run home runs in consecutive at-bats with a season-high four RBI the next day against the Gators (Mar. 17) • Hit .500 (7-for-14) with five RBI in the series at Florida (Mar. 16-18) • Also registered three-RBI performances against Samford (Mar. 21) and Southern Miss (Apr. 24) • Capped four-run MSU rally with game-winning RBI single in MSU's 7-6 win over Samford (Mar. 21) • Also credited with GWRBI in MSU's 12-3 series-opening win against LSU (Apr. 20) • Went 5-for-7 with three RBI in the two-game USM series (Apr. 24-25) • Strung together a season-best six-game mid-season hitting streak (Apr. 20-27) • Started all 28 SEC games, hitting .288 with 11 extra-base hits • Hit .375 with three starts in five NCAA postseason games played • Joined four other MSU rookies on the 2007 SEC Freshman Honor Roll.
HIGH SCHOOL:
Four-year multi-position all-state infielder at Benet Academy in Naperville • Coached by Jeff Bonebrake • Honored as the Prep Baseball Report's 2006 Illinois Player of the Year • Compiled a .408 four-year career batting average with 26 home runs, 48 doubles, four triples, 121 runs scored, 27 stolen bases, 70 walks and 171 RBI, third-most RBI on the IHSA all-time list • Earned all-state and honorable mention Louisville Slugger High School All-American honors in 2006 • Hit .444 with 16 home runs and 63 RBI, both among the all-time top 20 single-season marks in Illinois • Also scored 48 runs scored, legged out 12 doubles, three triples and finished with a 1.009 slugging percentage • Helped guide the BA Redwings to a 30-8 record and a season-ending No. 7 ranking in the state • Hit .503 with 23 extra-base hits (12 home runs, three triples and eight home runs) and 13 stolen bases as a junior in 2005 • Also posted a 5-1 pitching record with a save and a 1.47 earned run average • Three-time All-East Suburban Catholic Conference selection.
DRAFT HISTORY:
Selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 11th round of Major League Baseball's 2009 June draft.
PERSONAL:
Born Connor John Powers on December 21, 1987 in Hinsdale, Ill. • Son of Patti and John Powers of Naperville, Ill. • Father was an offensive lineman with the University of Michigan football team • Majoring in economics.
