Narron earns player of the year honors

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on June 5, 2010 11:11 PM

• Print
• Email

Having grown up around major league clubhouses and starting as a freshman on a state championship winning team in high school, Connor Narron is no stranger to having his every move watched carefully.

Narron has thrived while living under a microscope during his prep career at Charles B. Aycock. The senior shortstop hit .317 this season with 30 RBI and seven home runs in 63 at-bats. He also walked a staggering 42 times.

For his efforts, Narron is the 2010 News-Argus All-Area Baseball Player-of-the-Year.

The son of former major league catcher and manager Jerry Narron, Connor was introduced to a major league environment and the pressures associated with it at an early age. His father also instilled in him a tireless work ethic.

Jerry often spends Saturday and Sunday afternoons hitting ground balls and tossing batting practice to Connor, and several other Golden Falcons.

"I feel like the bullseye on my back has helped me realize you have to stay on your game 24/7," said Narron. "It's helped me in pressure situations. My dad is one of the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to baseball. If I didn't have him as a dad, I wouldn't be as a good."

It didn't take long for Aycock head coach Charles Davis to realize Narron's potential. Davis started Narron at shortstop as a freshman in 2007 and the Golden Falcons went on to capture the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A state championship.

Davis has watched Narron improve his defense, become stronger and faster physically and develop tremendous patience at the plate.

Batting second for the Golden Falcons this year, Narron started all 27 games and failed to draw a walk in just five of those contests. He struck out just 11 times in 108 plate appearances and was 11 for 12 in stolen-base attempts.

Narron helped contribute to a .328 team batting average as Aycock went 22-5, won the Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference tournament and advanced to the NCHSAA playoffs.

The Golden Falcons have compiled a 90-23 record and averaged 22 wins a season during Narron's four years in Pikeville.

"He came in at a good time his freshman year, and he saw how hard those guys worked and he fell right into that and did the same thing," said Davis. "He leads by example. Connor would sacrifice individual stats for team stats. He wanted to do good, but his main goal would be to make our team better."

Narron has signed a national letter-of-intent with the University of North Carolina. He remains adamant about his dream of playing collegiately, despite being projected to be chosen in next week's Major League Baseball amateur draft.

"We'll see what happens," said Narron. "I want to win a national championship before I win a World Series. I've won a state championship and now I want to win a national championship."