Narron inks with UNC
By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on November 20, 2009 1:47 PM
PIKEVILLE -- It was a moment that seemed like it was a lifetime in the making.
Growing up in major league baseball dugouts, Connor Narron was always advanced for his age. He was walking at eight months, riding a bicycle without training wheels by the age of three and switch hitting by second grade.
Now, four months before his senior season at Charles B. Aycock is set to begin, Narron has become one of the nation's top collegiate recruits. The dual-threat shortstop made his decision to attend the University of North Carolina final and signed his national-letter-of-intent on Thursday.
"I am looking forward to going to North Carolina and becoming part of a championship-caliber team," said Narron. "The nice thing about (UNC) is that there is an opportunity to win a College World Series every year."
Widely considered among the top high school seniors in the country, Narron had several callers asking for his services in the fall of 2010. An appearance in the AFLAC All-American game in San Diego over the summer boosted the 18-year-old's profile to the highest level. Narron visited Arizona State and Southern Cal before opting to stay close to Pikeville and play for the Tar Heels.
Known for his unparalleled work ethic, Narron has continued to put in the long hours in the batting cages and taking ground balls over the winter even with his college choice already decided.
"All you can do is try to get better every single day," said Narron. "I want to be able to get on the field and contribute, and I know that means being at the top of my game from day one."
If his first three years at C.B. Aycock have been any indication, getting off to a fast start in Chapel Hill will not be a problem.
As a freshman, Narron batted .274 with four home runs and 20 runs batted in as the Golden Falcons claimed the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A championship. The following season, Narron raised his average to .507 with eight home runs. Last year the switch-hitting shortstop hit .414 with 30 runs batted in and 21 walks despite battling a lower back injury.
On the diamond, Narron recorded a .930 fielding percentage as a junior.
"The numbers speak for themselves," said C.B. Aycock head coach Charles Davis. "But the thing that people do not see is the amount of work that Connor puts in on his own. He's hitting before practice, taking extra infield and doing whatever it takes to get better."
As with any top prospect, the possibility of making the jump to professional baseball after next summer's amateur draft is always a possibility, but that's not something that Narron is ready to discuss just yet.
"Well, we will just have to wait and see what the interest is like after the season," said Narron, who plans to major in education and coach once his career ends. "I don't want to speculate on anything like that at this point."