Auburn doesn't fold with ace on hill

It takes raw talent to become a good pitcher. There's time spent in the offseason working on your mechanics and mornings in the weight room trying to improve your strength. You've got to trust your catcher or your coach to make the right call.

But for Eric Conway, mental toughness was the No. 1 thing to work out before his senior season at Auburn High School. Conway admits to wearing his emotions on his sleeve, but this year he battled his demons and led the Maroons to the Section III, Class AA finals. He settled down, pitched his way to a 7-2 record with 87 strikeouts and a 2.56 ERA. This is why Eric Conway is The Citizen's player of the year in baseball.

“One of the things I've learned is you've got to be in the present moment,” he said. “The pitch you just threw is behind you and you've got to dig deep and do whatever you can do right now in the present moment in order to execute the pitch.”