Connor Misch began college career at Xavier and intends to finish there. The Lake Central alum has hit it big.

Chicago Tribune

11-07-2025

Connor Misch isn't interested in the nomadic lifestyle that has taken over college sports.
The 2022 Lake Central graduate arrived at Xavier three years ago with the expectation that he wasn't going anywhere else.
'With the landscape of how everything is going in college baseball, it's hard to find a guy who's been at the same program for their entire career,' he said. 'I came in here on day one, ready to buy in to what was in front of me, which was an awesome coaching staff and a great locker room — and that's led me to stay in the program for so long.'
During his time at Xavier, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Misch has steadily developed into one of the top hitters in the Big East. Also a standout pitcher in high school, he was named to the all-conference first team this season after starting all 59 games at first base for the Musketeers (32-27) and hitting .332 with a team-high 65 hits and a team-high 50 RBIs.
Misch was at his best during Big East games, hitting a conference-leading .448.
Xavier assistant Riley Bertram said Misch's success this season is the result of his commitment to improving since he arrived on campus.
'He's earned everything he's done here,' Bertram said. 'He's one of those players that you cheer for because you know that they've been putting in the work behind the scenes, and you want them to have that success.'
Misch struggled during one stretch in March, when his batting average dipped to .233 after he went hitless in seven of eight games. But conversations with second baseman Nolan Tucker, a 2019 Hanover Central graduate who was an All-Big East second-team selection after leading Xavier with a .339 batting average, helped Misch shake off that slump.
'He was playing every day, but he wasn't playing his best baseball,' Tucker said. 'We were joking around about it, but I told him that he had to stop looking at his stats because it was the worst thing for him.'
Misch's batting average soared past .300 over the next month.
'Baseball is so mental, and when you're struggling — or even if you're playing well — having the weight of your batting average constantly on your mind makes the game that much harder,' Tucker said. 'Letting that go helped him have that good year.'
Misch improved in just about every statistical area compared to his sophomore season, when he was named to the All-Big East second team after hitting .268 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs. At the time, he was encouraged by those numbers, given that it was his first season as an everyday player.
'That was a successful season,' Misch said. 'But I knew that I needed to do more. I needed to get on base more, I needed to hit for average more and I needed to drive in more runs. So I really focused on developing as a whole hitter and specifically just getting on base.'
Misch proceeded to draw 44 walks this season, doubling his 2024 total, and his on-base percentage jumped from .382 to .485.
Looking ahead to his senior year, Misch hopes to increase his home run total. He hit four this season.
'I checked a lot of boxes this year, but not that one,' he said. 'I'm trying to find the appropriate launch angle for my swing so that I can lift the ball on my pull side and hit more home runs. But it's about finding that fair trade between your home runs and your strikeouts and your batting average.'
So plenty of work awaits, but Misch said he's enjoying every second he spends in the sport.
'I tell everyone that it's the best job in the world,' he said. 'It's so awesome, what we get to do. I've been able to take a look back, and I'm really proud of where I am. It's all a credit to my parents and to all of the coaches who've helped me along the way.'