Before sophomore outfielder Connor Einertson stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning of the Tigers' first game of a double header against the Wabash Little Giants last weekend, he never had a college home run. On Saturday, Einertson wasted no time at the plate, swinging on the first pitch he saw for a three-run walk-off home run to beat the Little Giants. The DePauw Sports caught up with Einertson, this week's Tiger of the Week. Here's what he had to say:
TDP Sports: Being a sophomore, what is the biggest difference between this year and last?
Conner Einerston (CE): This year we have young guys stepping into big roles. There were big pinch hits. Last year we had senior pitchers, now we're experimenting and finding what roles certain pitchers are. Last year it took us longer to get going, but nothing has changed in terms of our will to win. Everyone works hard, whether on or off the field.
TDP Sports: Take me back to this weekend. You step up to the plate in the eighth inning. What is going through your head? What about after the hit?
CE: Before I came to bat, it was Colin [Henry] that got warmed. I assumed they would bring in their specialty pitcher, who was right around the strike ball. I knew I would get a manageable ball to hit, and I knew in that position I had to be aggressive. The first pitch he threw, I took a hard swing at. There wasn't a lot to think about from then, I saw it going up and had a good feeling going around first. It was my first college home run, and one of the most fun days of baseball for the entire team.
TDP Sports: Hailing from St.Louis, what made you decide on DePauw University?
CE: When I played with guys that went to my high school, we were back-to-back champions. I saw the same fight with DePauw. I knew there was talent on the field, and I liked the feel for the program, and DePauw in general.
TDP Sports: What is needed to get a good seed in the NCAC Tournament?
CE: It's very important that we win next week at Denison. It was big, sweeping Ohio Wesleyan, and it would've been nice to sweep Wabash, but they're a good team as well. Everyone in our conference is sub-.500 so everyone has a shot. But the home game against Wittenberg will be a big deciding factor.