ST. PAUL, Minn. – Throughout the duration of the spring semester, cspbears.com will feature its spring senior student-athletes who had their careers cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), providing a glimpse into their past, present and future to our followers who were unable to see them compete in 2020.
Due to the ongoing changing legislation with college athletics related to the COVID-19 pandemic, spring student-athletes are expected to retain a year of eligibility. Some of the CSP seniors have expressed interest in returning for the 2020-21 academic year with the goal of competing for their full senior year. Since it's early in the process, cspbears.com will not differentiate between seniors who will and won't return and instead will profile each senior consistently.
CSP right-handed pitcher
Connor Hurley is the latest athlete to be featured in the senior spotlight series. Hurley, a finance major from Sioux Falls, S.D., has been a reliable and versatile part of the Golden Bear pitching staff over the last four years, making 32 appearances, including 12 starts, in navy and gold.
The O'Gorman High School grad finished with 100.2 innings pitched while picking up a pair of wins and a save. Hurley limited opponents to a .281 average while striking out 96, giving him a career K/9 of 8.58, good for 10
th best in the Division II era at Concordia. The right-hander appeared in at least eight games and made at least two starts in each of his first three seasons as a member of the squad.
Hurley was off to a strong start in the 2020 season as he tallied nearly twice as many strikeouts than hits allowed in 7.2 innings over three appearances. He held opponents to just seven hits and a .212 opponent average while striking out 33.3% of the batters he faced (13 of 39). His best outing came in the last game of the year as he stifled Southwest Minnesota State over 4.2 innings, allowing just an unearned run on four hits while walking just one and striking out eight.
Head coach Neil Lerner on Connor Hurley:
"Connor been a huge part of our pitching staff over the last four years. His versatility as a pitcher has led to us being able to use him both as a starting pitcher and as a reliever. He has pitched in many key situations and he has been very successful – posting almost a strikeout per inning during his career. Connor is an extremely hard worker both on and off the field. He also has great leadership skills, is a supportive teammate and a guy that will help his team win in any way that he can."
CONNOR HURLEY – IN HIS OWN WORDS
CSP: At what age did you start playing your sport?
CH: I started playing baseball around the age of four.
CSP: Why did you choose to attend Concordia?
CH: I chose to attend Concordia because of the coaches, the people I met when I toured Concordia, and for the opportunity to go to college in the twin cities.
CSP: What is your favorite memory as a Golden Bear?
CH: My favorite memory is the first time I got to pitch for the Golden Bears freshman year. It was at US Bank Stadium against St. Cloud State and it was an awesome experience for my first college innings.
CSP: What will you miss most about CSP?
CH: I will miss being a part of a team and being able to compete and play the sport of baseball every day.
CSP: What are your plans after graduation?
CH: I plan on completing an internship in Sioux Falls and getting my MBA after that.
CSP: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
CH: I see myself being a financial advisor or planner.
CSP: Who is a staff or faculty member at Concordia that left an imprint on your experience?
CH: Lunch McKenzie and all of the coaches on our baseball staff have taught me a ton about baseball and about life during my four years at Concordia.
CSP: Who is your role model?
CH: My dad is my role model. He is an incredibly hard worker and a very humble and honest person.
CSP: What life lessons did you learn as an athlete on your CSP team?
CH: I learned, especially this year, to always have a good mindset or growth mindset. To always improve and even when failure comes, to find the positives and the lessons learned.
CSP: What advice would you give to an incoming freshman about their time at CSP?
CH: That it flies by and to enjoy every practice and morning lift and meeting because the four years at college go by extremely fast.
CSP: What CSP athlete from a different program do you admire and why?
CH: I admire Mary Keating from the lacrosse team. She's a baller.
CSP: Do you have a final personalized message you'd like to share with cspbears.com readers?
CH: CSP is a pretty special place and the people are what make it so great. Being a student athlete at Concordia has been an incredible experience for all four years and I am very glad I chose to attend CSP. Go Bears!
