Connor Hayes, 15, is never afraid of embracing the role of “emotional team leader” when it is needed most.
And with the fate of the Lompoc Babe Ruth 15s baseball team hanging in the balance against San Luis Obispo on June 28, Hayes felt it was necessary to call his teammates together before the game and deliver a fiery pre-game speech.
“It was ‘do-or-die’ for the championship game, and I pulled the team aside,” the pitcher said. “I said, ‘OK guys, if you guys really want to be serious about this we have to take it to the next level. We can’t make errors; if we make an error we have to get up and recover from it and make it up on the next play. We need to play as a team.'”
Apparently, Hayes’ team was listening.
Lompoc stormed out of the gate and thumped SLO, 11-0, many thanks to Hayes’ pitching, hitting, and leadership. The victory propelled the team to the Babe Ruth Central California State Championships starting July 7 in Reedley.
“Connor’s the team leader,” explained Pete Martinez, head coach for the Lompoc Babe Ruth 15s. “He brings a good pitching arsenal. He has more than one pitch and can mix it up.”
Lompoc’s trip to the state tournament marks a big change from past results, Hayes said.
“In past years, we always played only two [games] and got [eliminated],” Hayes said. “But this year, I don’t know what it was, but our coach had faith in us. We played as a team. We gelled for the two weeks that we were practicing and everything just clicked.”
Hayes is batting third in the Babe Ruth 15s lineup, in addition to being a force on the mound. He’s also playing catcher, but pointed out that he’s a utility player who’s comfortable playing “anywhere.”
Going into his junior year at Lompoc High School, Hayes expects to make the jump to the varsity level next spring. He joined the varsity team last year for the CIF playoffs.
Hayes first picked up baseball when he was 6, drawing inspiration from two family members who introduced him to the game. His grandfather started a Little League team in the Lompoc area, and his great-grandfather played professional baseball in the ’40s.
“My great-grandfather played in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ minor league system before he went to WWII,” Hayes said. “He really just inspired me before he passed away.”
This article appears in Jul 7-14, 2016.