Goffstown baseball’s two-way player picks up Gatorade N.H. Player of the Year honor
GOFFSTOWN, N.H. (BVM) — Connor Hujsak has made an impact on the Goffstown baseball team from more than just one position. The Grizzlies’ pitcher and shortstop caught the eye of coaches early on.
The recent Goffstown graduate first started on the varsity team his freshman year. With coaches thinking it might be too much for him early on, Hujsak accepted the challenge.
“He was a freshman coming in, so we figured, you know what, he was going to make mistakes,” Goffstown baseball coach Adam Lawrence said. “He played shortstop so the other part was you have a shortstop for four years and he pitched for us as well. His last game out he had 10 strikeouts; he fit in pretty quickly.”
Hujsak has been dominant on the mound and at the plate. The 190-pound right-hander posted a 2.07 ERA while striking out 67 batters in his junior season. At the plate, Hujsak hit for a .400 average, with three home runs, and 14 RBIs. Hujsak’s versatility became a key component in his career.
With Goffstown making the switch from Division II to Division I in 2019, the 6-foot-2 Hujsak helped lead the Grizzlies to the Division I quarterfinals in his junior season. Along with his three all-state honors, Hujsak was recognized for his success as the Gatorade New Hampshire Baseball Player of the Year in 2020. Without a senior season to play, Hujsak was honored with the award based on his previous experience along with his work in local youth sports.
“I think it’s remarkable,” Lawrence said. “Most of these kids that win that award, it’s what they put into it to get that award. These aren’t kids that just pick up a bat in February and go at it, they are working all year round. They’re hitting during the winter, they’re pitching during the winter, doing whatever they can during the offseason and that’s the difference.
“The other part, too, is that Connor started with a strength and conditioning coach and I think that’s made a huge difference. He’s going to see the guy, 6-6:30 in the morning a couple times a week. Of course you hear from around, ‘Why are they even giving the award out? There’s no season.’ Well the way I look at it, what these kids do during the summer and what they do in the previous season is pretty much what Gatorade looks at.”
With his senior season lost, Hujsak will get back on the field next spring when he starts his freshman season at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Hujsak will join a VCU team that went 9-8 before the cancelation of their 2020 season due to COVID-19.
“The thing with Connor is he’s versatile,” Lawrence said. “Whatever they want to do with him, he’s going to excel at whatever position that he plays. The other part that I love about the kid is his baseball IQ. It’s just the little fundamentals he does, backing up bases, covering bases when he needs to be doing it, it’s just one thing that kids don’t have anymore.”
