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Q&A with UW-Oshkosh commit Conner Funnell

November 4, 2013

By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Director – Wisconsin/Illinois

Outfielder Conner Funnell (Sun Prairie, 2014) recently committed to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Funnell ranked as one of the top position players at the Unsigned Senior Showcase on October 12 and is the first prospect from that showcase to make his college decision.

We caught up with Funnell and asked him about his recruiting process and how he chose UW-Oshkosh.

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? Was it as expected? Easy/Difficult?

Funnell: At the beginning I thought it was going to be easy because I was around a lot of good players and it seemed like it came easy for them. Mine felt a little more difficult for some reason.

PBR: What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

Funnell: Getting an opportunity to earn playing time as a freshman was a big factor in my decision.  I was also looking for a coach that I felt comfortable with and could help me become a better player. 

PBR: What do you like most about UW-Oshkosh and what were the key factors in making your decision?

Funnell: The selling point for me was Coach Tomasiewicz. His structure, philosophy, and coaching style really appealed to me. Also, I wanted somewhere where I could play right away, had nice facilities, close enough for my family to come watch some games, played a competitive schedule, and had good academics.

PBR: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?

Funnell: At first it didn’t matter how far away from home I was, but I realized I wanted my parents and grandparents to be able to make it to some games.

PBR: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?

Funnell: Along with Oshkosh, I was looking at Lacrosse, Minnesota Duluth and Carthage.

PBR: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Was there a particular game or event that you feel turned the corner for you?

Funnell: The recruiting process really started to get going after the Franklin showcase for Team Wisconsin. The skills testing and the games I think turned some heads for me at that showcase.

PBR: Where did UW-Oshkosh first see you? How did your relationship develop with them?

Funnell: I believe they saw me at the Franklin showcase and the Unsigned Senior Showcase. After the first call we set a date for a visit a couple weeks later. Oshkosh made such a big impression on me, so much that I committed that night. Coach Tomasiewicz made me feel comfortable from the beginning.

PBR: What has been the lowest point in your baseball career; what have you learned from it and how has it helped you grow as a player?

Funnell: One of the lowest points in my baseball career was my whole sophomore year. I got brought up as a Freshman and succeeded pretty well. By the time my sophomore year came around, I was struggling. I started to doubt myself and what I could do. I had always set high expectations for myself and failure was something I wasn’t used to. That offseason, I really took time to think about how I needed to handle those situations next time and make sure it doesn’t happen again. I learned how to overcome failure and learn from it instead of it letting affect my game.

PBR: At what point in your career did you realize you were the potential to play college baseball and became serious about taking your game to the next level?

Funnell: I started to realize I had the skill to play in college somewhere after little league. Probably my 8th grade year when I played Teeners and started to play a lot for the Rays. I really became serious about playing at the next level after my sophomore year. That year really woke me up and made me realize I had to improve on a lot of things.

PBR: What is your best attribute as a baseball player and how does that transfer onto the field for your team?

Funnell: I believe my best attribute is my ability to play smart and make the right decisions. I really believe I understand the game and its mental side, so I use that to my advantage. On the field I’ll do my best to help my teammates with the mental side too. If I can position a teammate in the right spot, it could be the difference between a double or an out and that could mean the game.

PBR: What part of your game needs the biggest improvement, why, and what will you do to improve it?

Funnell: The biggest improvement I need to make is my speed. My times need to get better and I’ll fix that by working on my form and increasing my strength.

PBR: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?

Funnell: I would tell them to just be patient and realize that there are players who are trying to get better too. The recruiting will come, but don’t wait to get better.

PBR: What do you do in the offseason to keep yourself in baseball shape and prepare for the upcoming season?

Funnell: Right now I’m working out six times a week, sometimes twice a day and on top of that I’m hitting around 3-4 times a week.

PBR: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

Funnell: My most memorable moment is winning state in back to back years. Doing that with my teammates was the best experience a high school player could have.

PBR: Preview your high school season for us. How do you feel your team will be? What are your expectations and goals?

Funnell: The upcoming year will be interesting. We lost some great players and leaders, so myself and some other guys need to step in, which we will. Our team should be very good again this year. We have a lot of senior leadership and some good younger talent too. Our expectations and goals are to improve every game, win the Big Eight Conference and win state again.

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