Smashing senior season for Norwin grad Connor Perry at Pitt

Connor Perry is one of the most productive hitters in the ACC, but a few years ago, a significant setback made the Norwin graduate contemplate giving up the sport.

Before the senior outfielder became the linchpin of Pitt’s batting order, he was a freshman at Division II Lock Haven.

For one semester.

“My first semester, I actually got cut from the team,” Perry said Friday from Durham, N.C., where the Panthers were for a three-game weekend series against Duke. “I had to look at myself in the mirror and think about what I wanted to do.”

After discussions with family, Perry opted to continue his playing career. He just needed a suitor.

Enter Lackawanna College.

The private college in Scranton is known for helping athletes land at top-level programs, and then-coach Bruce Thompson took a chance on the Lock Haven reject. Perry made the most of it. TCU and Liberty showed interest in the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Perry. So did Pitt, which offered him an opportunity to play in an elite conference close to home.

“I owe so much to Coach Thompson at Lackawanna,” Perry said. “Honestly, he was the only guy willing to give me an opportunity. Three years ago, I was told by a D-II team that my dream should be over. But I still get to dream about it.”

B1 | In case you needed more @c_perry33 highlights.

?: https://t.co/WTR9wpBpk9

Pitt 1, Miami 0 #H2P pic.twitter.com/E0ARFElhui

— Pitt Baseball (@Pitt_BASE) March 30, 2019

If Perry keeps up his current level of production, that dream might extend beyond Pitt (8-21, 2-12 ACC), which is under the direction for first-year coach Mike Bell, a former Florida State assistant.

The lefty is batting a team-best .317 with five doubles, eight home runs (third in the ACC), 14 RBIs, a .445 on-base percentage and a .615 slugging percentage. His six home runs in league play led the ACC heading into the weekend series at Duke, and he’s coming off the best week of his college career.

In a four-game stretch, Perry batted .444 with eight hits, three homers, six RBIs and a 1.000 slugging percentage. Perry, who once hit two home runs in an inning for Norwin, was honored April 2 as Pitt’s male student-athlete of the week.

???#H2P https://t.co/eXJAocLFMx

— Pitt Baseball (@Pitt_BASE) April 2, 2019

“One of the running jokes is that I’m always hitting solo home runs, but I’m just going up there looking to put a quality at-bat together,” Perry said. “Home runs to me are accidents. When I’m trying to hit one, I struggle.”

Perry, a center fielder who typically bats No. 1 in the order, had struggles last season, his first at Pitt.

The Panthers, in longtime coach Joe Jordano’s final season, made a surprising run to the ACC semifinals. Perry appeared in 48 games, making 43 starts, but adjusting to ACC pitching was difficult. He batted .191 with 29 walks, 22 runs and nine RBIs.

To some, Perry’s offensive improvement might be as eye-opening as the Panthers’ conference tournament run last year, but he’s quick to credit the coaching staff and teammates.

“I always feel that I trust the coaches’ approach that they give us every day,” Perry said. “The moment you try to do too much, this game humbles you. Having big hitters behind me, the biggest thing for me is to get on base and use my speed, move runners up. Just try to help the team win.”

That, not looking toward a possible professional career, is where Perry’s focus remains.

“My goals haven’t changed. I still want to play at the highest level possible, but I’m focused on being a leader on this team,” Perry said. “As far as me personally, I don’t like to think about individual goals.”