Sara Clokey grew up as the youngest of three, often "being dragged" to watch her older brothers play baseball. But what started as a reluctant sibling duty quickly turned into a lifelong passion. "I spent a lot of time watching baseball at a very young age, and I learned to love it," she recalls. Her path to the big leagues took an unexpected turn during her senior year of high school when she took a class in probability and statistics. "I had never thought of myself as being good at math, but I loved that class, and I saw clear ways to apply it to baseball."

That combination—a deep love for the game and a sharp analytical mind—has proven to be a winning formula. Now 21, Clokey is a senior student manager for the UConn baseball team, and upon graduation this month, she has a job waiting for her with the Cleveland Guardians. It's the perfect era for a math whiz who knows her way around a diamond.

"Sara was kind of under the radar, and she just became an absolute star," says UConn head coach Jim Penders. "She sees the game, she understands the game, and now she's going to get a great opportunity in professional baseball. We're really excited for her."

Clokey's journey to the majors began close to home. After graduating from Tolland High School, she landed a summer internship with the Yard Goats, Hartford's Double-A affiliate. That experience confirmed what she already suspected: she wanted to work in baseball. But while the business side was interesting, she knew her heart was on the field. "To go to work and have the place you work be a baseball field—it was just the coolest thing ever," she says.

When she arrived at UConn, Clokey didn't wait for opportunities to come to her. She started emailing the coaching staff, eager to find a role. Her persistence paid off, and she spent several semesters entering data in the baseball office. Meanwhile, Hunter Broadbent—a 2023 UConn grad who has since worked for the Mets and Cardinals—was taking the team's video and analytics program to new heights. Inspired by his work, Clokey asked if she could take on a larger role. The coaching staff supported her ambition, helping her secure a summer internship with the Bourne Braves in the prestigious Cape Cod League.

That summer changed everything. "I was responsible for opponent-pitching scouting," Clokey explains. "One of our assistant coaches with Bourne came up after a game this summer and said, 'Exactly what you said about their pitcher was right.'" It was a moment of validation—proof that her unique blend of baseball knowledge and analytical skills could make a real difference at the highest levels of the sport.