SRU’s Hamilton wins prestigious honor
SLIPPERY ROCK — Small-town feel, big-time accomplishments.
That sums up the career of 2022 Slippery Rock University graduate Connor Hamilton, who was recently named winner of the PSAC Pete Nevins Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. The SRU catcher became Slippery Rock’s 12th student-athlete to ever win the award.
The Nevins Award is given to one PSAC male and female athlete each season. Shippensburg softball player Hannah Marsteller is the female recipient.
Now employed by an engineering consulting company in Bellefonte, Hamilton — originally from Forestport, N.Y. — transferred to SRU from West Virginia University prior to the 2020 baseball season. He graduated with a degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering and a 3.92 grade point average.
“I grew up in a small town and wanted to play in that type of atmosphere again,” Hamilton said. “Slippery Rock was a little closer to home and it seemed like a place where I would feel comfortable.
“I never expected to do what I did here. Not at all.”
Hamilton played sparingly at WVU, serving as the Mountaineers’ designated hitter there. He never hit a home run during his playing time at West Virginia.
He wound up playing in 98 consecutive games at SRU, 92 as a catcher. Despite an abbreviated 2020 season (due to COVID-19) and a reduced 2021 schedule, Hamilton wound up hitting 24 home runs for The Rock, collecting 89 RBI and 25 doubles. His career batting average at SRU was .387.
His home run total ranks ninth in program history. This season, Hamilton hit .400 with 17 homers, 52 RBI asnd 56 runs scored. His 17 home runs snapped a single-season program record that stood for 24 years.
“I didn’t even know about that record until after I broke it,” Hamilton said. “We only played a handful of games in 2020 before everything was shut down, but those games helped me a lot. I got accustomed to Slippery Rock and my teammates. They made me believe I could be a better player and a better leader.”
Hamilton was first team All-PSAC West catcher this season. He was also a first team All-Atlantic Region choice and third team All-America. Academically, he received CoSIDA’s Baseball Academic All-America Team Member of the Year award, a national honor.
“This (Nevins) award is second only to that one,” Hamilton said of the national academic honor. “I’ve always treated college as getting my education first, then go to the baseball field and work as hard as I could there.”
“Connor is the poster boy for student-athletes,” SRU baseball coach Jeff Messer said. “Talk about maximizing a college career. He was as good as it gets on the field and in the classroom.
“He had multiple job offers coming out of school in June.”
He may soon get another one.
Major League Baseball’s amateur draft takes place later this month. Hamilton is on the radar of big league scouts, but because the draft is only 20 rounds now, Messer is skeptical about his chance of being selected.
“That landscape has changed now,” the coach said of players entering pro ball. “There’s a lot more (amateur) free agent signings after the draft or guys going on to independent ball to prove they can play and maybe get a shot that way.
“Connor doesn't have to go that route. He’s already started his career. Whether he chooses to attempt a career in pro ball is entirely up to him. But he is the total package as a catcher. Besides his bat, his defense behind the plate and the way he handles pitchers is top of the line.”
Hamilton said he talked to a major league scout a few days ago.
“I didn’t hear from them during the season, so I’ve kind of moved on,” he said. “All of a sudden, scouts are calling me and showing interest. Right now, I’m just working. I haven’t made up my mind about baseball, haven’t even thought about it that much yet.”
Messer is happy Hamilton has a choice.
“If he chooses to pursue baseball, I’m sure his company will work with him that way,” he said. “If baseball didn’t work out, Connor would have plenty of offers to get back into engineering.
“He’s set himself up with plenty of options right now and he’s earned every one of them.”
