Wentzville Holt senior shortstop and pitcher Conner Hales feels his season is going so well because of two things -- the trust he has in his teammates and the comfort that affords him to play the game to the best of his ability.
Hales has shown that he is comfortable, indeed. He is hitting a team-best .522 with three doubles, one triple and six RBIs for the Indians (9-5).
"I just really like the team," Hales said. "I really enjoy everybody on the team. I feel confident whenever I am pitching. I trust the guys behind me, and I feel like we have a strong lineup, one through nine.
"Our team chemistry is great. We're like family. We all get along very well, and everything is going well. We're really coming together and, come district time, we'll be ready to make a run."
Hales, who recently went two for three with a triple and two runs scored in a win over Clayton, said that for his part, he is succeeding because the game has become so much easier for him.
That, and the fact that his teammates have been there to pick him up as the Indians' offense is scoring an average of 9.3 runs per game.
"I am seeing the ball very well," Hales said. "I also feel confident that if I get on base, the guys behind me will hit me in. That's just what I'm trying to do, get on base."
While Hales extols the virtues of his teammates, the senior's coach just can't say enough about him and what he brings to the team.
The 5-foot-11, 160-pound Hales, after all, is the only member of the Holt squad to have ever won a championship. He helped guide the Holt hockey team to the Wickenheiser Cup championship in March.
"He means a lot ..." Holt coach Joel Adam said. "He's our captain, and he's hitting over .500 right now. He's 3-0 on the bump, and he's doing everything for us."
"Anytime you have your leadoff hitter getting on over .600, that's pretty good," Adam said. "He's our talkative captain. He's always into the game, and I don't know what we're going to do without him. He's always excited to be at practice and games, and he's just a great kid to be around."
Adam went on to say that Hales is very much the rah-rah type of captain.
He also added that its probably this way because he cares about his teammates and wants to see them having as much fun as he is.
"Conner takes everything to heart," Adam said. "He is a very emotional kid. He's very enthusiastic. It goes the other way, too. When we lose, he doesn't like that. He wears everything on his sleeve, and we like kids like that. He's got a little confidence carrying over from the hockey season. He tells the guys that they have the talent to do this and that there's no reason why we shouldn't win a district championship."
"He's always wanting to get the guys up. It means a lot to us. We're trying to find a (college) for him to play (for). He's got a few schools talking to him."
Hales also has another dimension to his game. On the pitching mound, he is 3-0 with a 4.85 earned-run average .
"I like pitching a lot," Hales said. "I throw a fastball, a changeup and a curve. This year, I have been going to my curve a lot. Both (pitching and playing shortstop) are fun, though, because I just want to help the team out."
