By Steve Cox, VBL Sports Media Relations
Connor Maryniak has had quite a year on the baseball diamond.
This past spring the Misericordia two-way player, who is back in Culpeper for his second summer in the Valley Baseball League, was named National Player of the Year in Division III by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and the MVP in Division III by Perfect Game.
Maryniak put up huge numbers at the plate, hitting .345 in 55 games with 13 homers, 70 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. He was also a workhorse on the mound, going 11-3 with 76 strikeouts and 19 walks in 84. 2 innings pitched.
His diamond exploits helped lead Misericordia to the Division III National Championship where the Cougars defeated Wisconsin-Whitewater 10-5 in the final game to finish the year with a 44-11 record. Misericordia was 11-2 in the NCAA tournament.
“We played a tough schedule early and I think that helped prepare us,” Maryniak said. “We opened the season at nationally ranked Shenandoah and split the two games. We beat Baldwin-Wallace when they were ranked No. 1. Playing those games against strong competition early helped get us ready.”
The run to a national championship was fueled by a loss in semifinals of bracket play at the World Series in 2023.
“We knew we were going to have a good team this year,” said Maryniak. “We had a lot of the same guys returning and we had a lot of upperclassmen. We remembered the feeling we had when we lost at the World Series my sophomore year. We knew if we got back to the World Series we could make some noise. We played our best baseball in the postseason.”
The Cougars hosted regional play and won three straight games to advance to the Super Regional at No. 10 Christopher Newport. Misericordia won two close games, 3-1 and 2-1, to advance to the Division III World Series.
In bracket play at the World Series, the Cougars opened with a 6-3 victory over Pomona-Pitzer but then lost to Lynchburg, the 2023 National Champion, 6-2. The Cougars defeated Endicott, the nation’s top-ranked team entering postseason play, and then knocked off Lynchburg twice, 3-2 and 5-1 to reach the championship round.
“We played in so many close games throughout the year. We were battled tested when we got to the World Series,” said Maryniak.
The first two games of the championship round were slugfests. Misericordia won the opener 12-9 before losing Game 2, 16-10.
There was no doubt who would be on the hill for the final game.
“I told Coach (Pete) Egbert after we lost Game 2 in the morning, that I really wanted the ball for the championship game. I was ready to do whatever I needed to give us a chance. I knew I needed to go out and set the tone early. I struck out two of their best hitters in the first inning and then we came in and scored seven in the bottom of the first. After we scored seven, all I had to do was manage the game. We controlled the game after that first inning,” Maryniak said.
Being a two-way player was routine for Maryniak. “I’ve been doing it since I was little,” he said. “I did it in high school and I did it from the moment I stepped on campus in college. Coach Egbert put me on the mound as a freshman and allowed me to struggle a little bit and learn how to pitch at the college level.”
After 55 games in college this past spring, Maryniak signed up for another season of summer baseball in the Valley League. Five days after winning the national title, Maryniak arrived in Culpeper for the summer season.
“I just love playing,” he said. “I don’t think I could take an entire summer off. It’s a great situation here in Culpeper. I have a great host family and I get to play against really competition. Plus, my college catcher, Brock Bollinger, is playing here in Culpeper so it’s fun playing with him this summer.”
Maryniak is hitting .339 for the Cavs with two homers and 11 RBIs in 17 games as the team’s shortstop. He’s still doing his two-way duty with two appearances on the mound.
“Last summer helped me prepare for my college season and this summer is helping me prepare for what’s next. I get to face really good pitching, some Power 5 type arms, and that’s making me a better player.”
What’s next for Maryniak is a jump to Division I for his final college season. After his junior year at Misericordia, he entered the transfer portal and recently committed to play for the Charlotte 49ers in the American Athletic Conference (AAC). East Carolina has owned the top of the baseball standings in recent years in the AAC, but there are solid programs top to bottom in the conference.
The portal process was quite the experience for Maryniak. “Going in, I had no idea what to expect,” he admitted. “It was pretty hectic. I was spending four to five hours on the phone every day, talking with different coaches and learning about different programs.
“Coming out of high school, I didn’t really get the recruiting experience because of COVID. It was fun being recruited and going through the process this time.”
Maryniak represented the VBL at the Prospect Games played at Liberty University and a road trip following the game proved pivotal in the recruiting process.
“When our game was over, I travelled from Lynchburg to Charlotte and spent the night. The next day I met the Charlotte coaches and toured campus. The campus is gorgeous and the facilities there are top notch.
“Charlotte has a great reputation for developing players. I’m excited to see what they can do for me in my senior year. I’ll get to travel the country, play against great competition and hopefully get a shot a pro ball after that.”