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OF Connor Rolain's hard work paying off

February 19, 2014

By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Director – Wisconsin/Illinois

After making a Division 1 college commitment, for some ball players it can be easy to fall into the trap of coasting through the rest of your high school career, but that's not the case for Appleton North outfielder Connor Rolain. After committing to UIC following his junior year, Rolain has been working hard to continually improve his game and we saw the hard work pay off at the Super 60.

“I thought I performed well overall. I lowered my 60 time significantly and increased my arm strength from the outfield which I was pleased with. I also increased my exit velocity quite a bit and I had solid rounds of BP. I think I still need to continue to work on my footwork from the outfield and continue to grow as a hitter,” said Rolain.Connor Rolain

He has obviously worked on his body and it shows. Rolain is a physically developed 6-foot, 200-pound outfielder. He looked physically impressive in a group full of pro style bodies. His improved physical nature also materialized in his arm strength and 60 time, showing vast improvements in both.

Rolain shaved several tenths off of his 60 time. He ran a 6.77 and 6.83 in back to back runs of the 60, topping his previous best of 7.03.

Defensively his arm showed improvements as well topping out at 86 mph from the outfield with improved defensive footwork.

Offensively Rolain has always had strong hands and power potential at the plate. His setup is quiet and maintains excellent balance through contact for a power hitter. Rolain showed he has strong hands and gets good extension through contact. Also posting an improved 92 mph exit velocity from the tee.

Overall Rolain said,

“I really enjoyed the Super 60.  It was a great experience to get to be there with such a great group of ball players and get to know them. It was an incredible opportunity to get to perform on such a big stage and it was cool to see all of the scouts that were in attendance.”  

Rolain is hoping his performance will pay dividends for him in the end, he said,

“I had been contacted by a couple of scouts prior to the Super 60, but have heard from more since attending the 60.”  

Rolain is excited about the opportunities ahead of him. Appleton North should have a solid squad this year and be able to make a run at the State Tournament.

“I am really looking forward to taking the field one last time with my high school buddies.  I've grown up playing with these guys my whole life so it's going to be fun playing with them my senior year.  We will have a great team this year so it should be a lot of fun.”

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