For as long as he can remember, baseball has been Connor Comeau's passion, his outlet for letting his competitive nature thrive against top competiton.
It started when he played for a travel team called the Mad Dawgs when he was 7 years old. Comeau went on to play for various club teams and will close the youth baseball chapter of his life next month when the Anderson star shortstop completes his high school eligibility.
Comeau, a 6-foot-4 senior with a sweet left-handed swing, has already signed an athletic scholarship to play at Texas A&M. He chose the Aggies because of the "family atmosphere" that surrounds Olsen Field in College Station, he said. He also wants to play for A&M's Michael Earley, an offensive-minded head coach who spends ample time in batting cages monitoring his players. And in this age of NIL, Comeau should receive ample compensation for brand endorsements, sponorships and social media posts without losing his eligibility.
Furthermore, the connections he makes in college should serve him well long after he hangs up his cleats for the final time.
But speaking of business, there's another big event in Comeau's near future that will put him in a win-win situation. Major League Baseball's amateur draft begins July 11 and Comeau should hear his named called pretty quickly. When Anderson's season started in February, roughly 30 MLB scouts attended a Trojans scrimmage. Comeau estimates that "at least eight scouts" have been to every Trojans game.
So, will he honor his A&M commitment or turn pro this summer?
"That's the million-dollar question," Anderson coach Kenny Matthews said.
Baseball's fascination with Comeau is understandable. At a slim-but-strong 180 pounds, he's projected to grow to more than 200 pounds before he plays his first MLB game. This season he's hitting .484 with three home runs and 26 RBIs for a Trojans team that's 18-5 and a perfect 6-0 so far in District 24-5A.
"For me, I think of this as the end, but it's also the beginning," Comeau said. "It's every kid's dream to hear their name on draft day."
Understandably, Comeau declines to speak about the draft, saying he doesn't want to put his thoughts about the business side of baseball for everyone to see. But he does know he could be a rich young man if he chooses to turn pro.
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ESPN projects him to be taken No. 31 overall. The Arizona Diamondbacks, by the way, own the 31st pick.
In the 2025 draft, Arkansas Razorbacks shortstop Wehiwa Aloy was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles with the 31st pick. At 21, his signing bonus was $3,042,800. Today he plays in a High-A affiliate in the Orioles organization. Comeau, 17, said he is "completely focused" on Anderson's drive to the playoffs and will discuss his college vs. pro options with his parents, Brian and Krisztina Comeau, when the season is over.
Comeau tells a funny story about his competitiveness. His first taste of organized baseball was in an area recreation league and it didn't take long for him to figure out that league was not meant for him.
"All the other kids were more interested in the orange slices and the fruit cups we'd get after the games instead of the game itself," he said. "Now I'm not so worried about the food. After a game I'll ask the guys where we're going today, Chick-fil-A., P. Terry's."
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Comeau might have inherited his athletic skills — and passion for sports — from his dad. Brian Comeau grew up in the Montreal area and played for the Manitoba Moose, an American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Winnipeg Jets. Connor's first love was hockey, but he figured he needed to try something else when his family moved from California to Texas before he went into the sixth grade. The Austin area only had one hockey rink at the time, he said.
Comeau's parents have always been active in his development as a baseball player, spending most of their summers roaming the country for club tournaments.
"Connor and I always were always playing games," Krisztina Comeau said. "He always wanted to beat me. It didn't matter if he were just playing tag or a boardgame, he just wanted to beat me at everything. ... He developed really good hand-eye coordination. He'd throw a bouncy in the house and catch it. Over and over again. By the time he played T-ball, he'd get frustrated because he was so competitive."