PREP BASEBALL: Mantas' Conner headed to Warner

ENGLEWOOD — As the school year winds down at Lemon Bay, the school continues to roll out athletes who will continue their athletic careers at the next level.

On Thursday, they added one more name to that list: Jacob Connor, who played center field for the Manta Rays the last three seasons.

Connor, with his parents, Amanda and Michael, by his side, signed his letter of intent to play baseball at Warner University in Lake Wales, meaning he won’t be that far away from home.

“I liked the coaches. They reached out to me and gave me a good offer,” said Connor, who will major in sports management at the NAIA school. “I was excited because not a lot of people get to play baseball in college. For me to be one of them is exciting.”

Connor has played ball since age 5 and had to work his way onto the Lemon Bay starting lineup, from JV as a freshman to backup as a sophomore, becoming a starter midway through that season due to an injury.

Lemon Bay coach Zach Gonzales said he admired the way Connor worked his way to where he is.

“We’re super excited for Jacob. He’s gone through the program and once he cracked the starting lineup he never left it. He’s been dominant for us, has a couple first-team All-Areas. It’s been great to watch his growth in our program and he’s going to do the same thing at Warner,” Gonzales said.

Equally as excited was Amanda, who will get to see her son play more baseball without having to jump on a plane.

“This has been a lifelong dream for him and it’s finally come to fruition. We’re excited for the next chapter,” Amanda said. “He’s worked at it, gotten better and reached his goal.”