By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor When coaches, scouts or opponent’s look at the beefy Jeremy Conant, they almost always misinterpret how athletic the PCC sophomore really is. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound first baseman says he’s been facing that his entire career, and over that same time, he’s dispelled many myths that come with not having a […]
By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor
When coaches, scouts or opponent’s look at the beefy Jeremy Conant, they almost always misinterpret how athletic the PCC sophomore really is.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound first baseman says he’s been facing that his entire career, and over that same time, he’s dispelled many myths that come with not having a chiseled body.
The 20-year old Alta Loma High School graduate is fifth in the state in hitting at .450, and his .537 on-base percentage is sixth in California.
What Conant doesn’t know (until he reads this) is that his 110 hits over the last (nearly) two seasons set a new school record at PCC for career base hits, according to longtime sports information director Robert Lewis.
David Chacon had held the hits record since 2002-03 with his 105 career base hits.
It’s not just Conant that is making history.
The Lancers’ program is making big news of their own.
PCC is 19-11 overall, and 10-6 in South Coast Conference play.
With six games to play, they have a two-game lead in conference over Chaffey College.
If they’re able to hold on over the final two weeks, PCC will make its first playoff appearance since 1972.
The Lancers will take on East Los Angeles College for three games this coming week and finish the regular season with three more games against last-place Mt. San Antonio College.
PCC third-year coach Pat McGee has gotten a lot of well-deserved praise for turning this program around.
McGee credits players like Conant and others, who trusted his message and chose PCC over schools that have had much better, long-term success, because of a passion they say McGee possesses.
Conant for example, could have driven a couple blocks from home in Rancho Cucamonga and attended Chaffey College, but instead, he spends 90 minutes each way, and six days a week going back and forth on the 210 Freeway to Pasadena in the gridlock.
“Jeremy has been amazing for two years,” McGee said. “This year, he’s really exploded. He’s one of the best hitters in the state. Last year, he was a designated hitter, and now he’s our first baseman. He’s a big kid and I had my doubts, but he’s been so good out there on the defensive side, and to his credit, he proved me wrong with his athleticism.”
McGee and Conant both agree that much of his success at the plate is his ability to go the opposite way, but he’s also selective and aggressive at the same time.
“Everyone knew he could hit, but now he’s a complete player,’ McGee said. “It’s made him much more attractive to four-year schools. He’s really quick for his size. He’s a good base runner. He goes from first to third on a base hits.”
Conant is also credited with saving a lot of errors with his digs at first base.
Cal Poly Pomona and a few other schools have shown interest in his services, but it took a long time to earn their respect.
“My whole life, people have looked me up and down and assumed I couldn’t do what I’m able to do,” Conant said. “I feel like it’s prejudiced to look and someone and assume they can’t do something. I’ve had to prove them wrong my whole life.”
McGee said that Conant, even when hurried and needing to get to his night class after practice will always make sure he does his conditioning, which is also something they’re sure surprises some.
Ideally, Conant himself said he’d still like to get in better shape.
But his results as is dwarf the numbers that college baseball players with six-packs (stomachs) are putting up.
How did he become such a lethal hittier?
Credit Jeremy’s father, Ken Conant.
“Ever since I was little, my parents (Jennifer and Ken) were always on me about how important grades are and how putting in the work was worth it,” Conant said. “They taught me to work hard at everything I do, and my dad would take me to the cages after he got off work to throw me batting practice. He’s probably thrown over 1,000 pitches to me over time.”
Conant is also very appreciative of his grandparents Joan Brown and Lou Varella for being at every game he ever plays and his brother, Bryan, for always pushing him to be the best he can be.
Conant also works hard in the classroom, and carries a 3.4 grade-point average
But it’s baseball why most people know him.
“He’s the best hitter in So Cal,” McGee said. “He’s set the tone for the way we want to attack the baseball. In his first 25 hits, only 4 were pulled. He’s adept to hitting the ball to all fields and brings a maturity well beyond the junior college baseball game. Jeremy has led the way, and the rest of the team has followed suit.”
His hitting prowess is so respected and/or feared that in a recent three-game series with Rio Hondo College, Conant was intentionally walked six times.
With all his talent, why was he willing to sit in traffic six days a week and why is PCC having a banner season?
“It starts at the top,” Conant said. (Coach) McGee does a great job of recruiting kids. He makes it tough. He knows his baseball and will drill it in your head every day. To execute. All of our coaches are there an hour before us.”
Conant also has a solid grasp as to why he’s had so much success with the bat.
“The success of my hitting is going the other away, he said. “I’ve always been big on being aggressive, and I don’t like taking a lot of pitches. I like to jump on mistakes, and choke up on the bat and crowd the plate with two strikes, which puts pressure on the pitcher.”
That philosophy has resulted in Conant striking out just 19 times in 271 at-bats.
But having to DH last season, it seems Conant takes even more pride in his fielding, because that wasn’t something people believed he could do, and certainly not well.
As much credit as he deserves, Conant wanted to deflect individual accolades towards his coaches and teammates.
When asked to name some key players, he rattled off nearly the entire roster.
Said Conant: “As players, we gell well together. We have really good chemistry and everyone has bought into our coaches’ message. We don’t have a lot of starting pitching, but they give us a good chance to win.”
Starting pitchers Race Gardner (Glendora High) and Jesse Hanckel (Village Christian) have eaten up a lot of innings, and Conant said the loss of Paul McAllister (Maranatha) to injury has really hurt.
Sergio Valenzuela (Roosevelt High), Matt McElligott (St. Francis), Andres Kim (St. Francis), Alex Briggs (Glendora), John Bicos (St. Francis) and Nico Martinez (Alta Loma) have all been key in the Lancers’ offensive production.
Most of the players’ parents were toddlers the last time the Lancers made the playoffs.
Over the next two weeks, and six games, the drama will be on high, and the players couldn’t be more excited.
Quotable:
PCC Coach Pat McGee: “Something we appreciate in our kids is for what I like to call being ‘low maintenance.’ We preach from day one, ‘you’re marketing yourself.’ Our goal is to be low maintenance. Go to school, do well in the classroom. Work hard on and off the field. Jeremy is as low maintennce as possible.”
PCC Sports Information Director Robert Lewis: “Most disciplined hitter I’ve seen in my 26 years at PCC. He will rip hits to left center even though he has tremendous power stroke as a lefty hitter to right. Watching him hit is like watching a maestro. He understands the strike zone and does whatever is necessary to get on base or drive in a run.”
PCC shortstop Alex Briggs: “Jeremy is a great teammate and a great guy. He is someone you want at the plate when we need a crucial run to be driven in. When I first saw him, I thought there was no way he could physically do the things he does and does well. I thought he was a good hitter and that was it. I was wrong. He is a really good first baseman as well.”
PCC first baseman Jeremy Conant: “We have taken a lot of pride changing the culture here at PCC. The reason I decided to come this far instead of going to Chaffey, which is a couple blocks away, is because I believe in Coach McGee, his passion for the game and his message. He is a baseball guy and he pounds his message daily, and my teammates and I have bought into it, and it’s working.”
Jeremy Conant Career Statistics at PCC:
2016:
Games: 36
Batting Average: .377
Hits: 61
RBI: 27
Runs: 19
2017: (Through April 15)
Games: 28
Batting Average: 450
Hits: 49
RBI: 30
Runs: 24
Getting To Know Jeremy Conant:
Favorite Athlete: Barry Bonds
Favorite Team: San Francisco Giants
Favorite Movie: Dumb and Dumber
Favorite Musical Artist: Eminem
Artist People Might Be Surprised To See On His Ipod : Taylor Swift
Famous Person I’d Most Want A Conversation With: Derek Jeter
PCC Remaining Schedule:
April 18- East Los Angeles College vs PCC at Brookside Park at 2:30
April 20- PCC at East Los Angeles College at 6
April 22- East Los Angeles College vs PCC at Brookside Park at Noon
April 25- PCC at Mt. Sac at 2:30
April 27- Mt. Sac vs PCC at Brookside Park at 2:30
April 28- PCC at Mt. Sac at 2:30
