May 17, 2023

By Melissa Verge

Canadian Baseball Network

Larger, more intimidating.

The crowd at Michigan University peppered with scouts is both of these things compared to the Mississauga backyard where Connor O’Halloran grew up playing baseball.

That’s fine. So is he. The now 6-foot-2, 190-pound left-hander is quite the force entering his second year as a starter for the Michigan Wolverines.

In those backyard ball days, the fans were almost non-existent, the daily practices fueled by pure passion, made up of his dad, mom, and brother, who also doubled as his teammate. O’Halloran’s family provided encouragement and helpful advice during the long days he and his older brother spent outside working on their game. His mom played catch until his dad took over after work. Practice was every day for the young Canadian boy who hoped to play at the highest level like his father, Greg O’Halloran.

As a former player, he would help them with the right mechanics, and take them to the park around the corner to hit balls with them and play catch. When they got older, he became their coach, teaching them how to excel at the game.

That laid the foundation for the now 20-year-old, as he navigates higher pressure situations with the draft approaching in July, and important outings for his team. On May 12, in his last start for Michigan, he struck out nine over 7 2/3 innings, helping his team to a 12-5 victory over Northwestern.

During the off season, he made some changes to his pitching routine that have helped him on the mound, including adding in more of his changeup, he said. Having a fourth pitch has been huge for him in getting through a lineup as a starter. Prior to the beginning of the season he didn’t feel as confident throwing it, but thanks to some helpful advice from some coaches in Cape Cod, and hours of hard work he felt more comfortable adding it into a mix that also includes a fastball, curveball and slider.

“I just practiced a lot during catch play, during bullpen, so I think doing that has just helped me,” O’Halloran said. “I started throwing it more in the game, I felt confident in it and it just gave me another tool to use against hitters.”

Catch play is something that he always does with a purpose. It’s not just throwing the baseball around, it’s making sure he’s trying to accomplish something, he said, whether that’s trying to hit a spot or getting the movement he wants. He does the same thing in the weight room, making sure he’s doing everything he can to be as strong and prepared as possible for his next start.

Both of those things have been beneficial to him so far this year.

“I think kind of a combination of those two things is big for me right now in the season,” he said.

In just over 92 innings pitched this year, he has a 3.30 ERA and 98 strikeouts.

Although the crowd is larger, more intimidating, the ones who have always been there supporting him are in the stands to provide encouragement - just like in his Mississauga backyard ball practices. His dad and mom, the only one missing his brother who is also off pursuing his baseball dreams. Despite having to juggle getting between his and his brothers' games on weekends, he doesn’t think they’ve missed a home series yet.

They’re not the only ones watching - O’Halloran said he’s had a few casual conversations with some of the scouts watching but nothing too serious yet. There’s still time left before the draft, and things can be uncertain. Although his ultimate goal is to play professional baseball, he hasn’t put any thought into the draft or if he’s returning for his senior year. He’s locked in, just as he is on the mound, focusing on the present moment.

“As of right now, my goal is to just help my team, help Michigan win as many games as possible for the rest of the year,” he said. “I love this school, I love the university, I love my team so that's always the number one thing is what’s up right now.”