<p>Identifying the role Conner Cantrell plays on Center Grove’s pitching staff isn’t easy because he plays so many.</p>
<p>A 6-foot-4, 195-pound senior right-hander, Cantrell has started games this season and been used in middle- and late-innings relief by third-year coach Keith Hatfield.</p>
<p>Whenever and wherever he pitches, Cantrell has been up to the task with a 5-1 record and 0.85 earned-run average. He’s used his curveball and fastball, and sometimes change-up, arsenal to strike out 32 batters and walk only five in 33 innings of work.</p>
<p>“Conner has started more than he’s been used in relief. He’s started nonconference games, he’s started a conference game this season (a win at Pike), and he’s relieved before,” said Hatfield, whose squad is 23-3 entering Saturday’s Class 4A Evansville Reitz Regional.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]
<p>“Conner’s control has been great. Monday his breaking ball was really good.”</p>
<p>Cantrell, who has yet to yield an extra-base hit this season — all 26 have been singles — came on in relief of starter Jacob Cantleberry against Greenwood in Monday evening’s title game of the Center Grove Sectional.</p>
<p>He picked up the win as Center Grove prevailed 5-2 in eight innings.</p>
<p>Baseball was always Cantrell’s first love while growing up, though he did attempt playing basketball and football.</p>
<p>“I played basketball up until fifth-grade, but I wasn’t any good at that,” Cantrell said with a laugh. “And I played football my seventh- and eighth-grade years. Baseball is definitely the sport I was best at.</p>
<p>“I’ve pitched forever, but I’ve also caught and played in the outfield. My freshman season I didn’t pitch at all.”</p>
<p>Cantrell nonetheless played a major role in Center Grove’s success in 2015, posting a 4-1 record with a 1.69 ERA. The Trojans (24-6) advanced to the Evansville Reitz Regional before dropping a 4-3 decision to the host school in a semifinal.</p>
<p>Center Grove now returns to 101-year-old Bosse Field to face Bloomington South in a 1 p.m. regional semifinal.</p>
<p>Maybe Cantrell, who next season will be pitching for coach Rich Benjamin’s program at Indiana Wesleyan University, starts a game at some point Saturday.</p>
<p>Maybe he relieves.</p>
<p>There’s always the chance he does both. Circumstances and, ultimately, Hatfield will decide how the senior’s talents are best utilized.</p>
<p>Center Grove seeks the baseball program’s sixth regional title overall and first since 1996.</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="Conner Cantrell pullout" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p>THE CANTRELL FILE</p>
<p>Name: Conner Cantrell</p>
<p>Age: 17</p>
<p>Born: Elgin, Illinois</p>
<p>Family: Parents, Eric and Jillisa; brother, Colton, 19; sisters, Olivia, 15, and Elayna, 14</p>
<p>Favorite TV show: “The Office”</p>
<p>Favorite food: Pizza</p>
<p>Favorite movie: “The Lord of the Rings”</p>
<p>Favorite athlete: Brandon Phillips</p>
<p>Favorite team: Cincinnati Reds</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]
