Hokie ClubCareer Honors
- 2018 First-Year Player Draft – 26th-round selection, St. Louis Cardinals
- 2x All-ACC Academic Baseball Team (2017-18)
- 2017 National Pitcher of the Year Award Watch List
Career Highlights: Became just the seventh Hokie true freshman to pick up a win in ACC play with his first collegiate win on March 15, 2015 in a relief appearance against No. 1 Virginia, tossing 2.2 innings with four strikeouts in the 6-5 win ... In 2018, tied school record for most strikeouts in an ACC regular-season game with his 12 versus Pittsburgh (March 9), matching Marc Zecchino's 12 at Wake Forest (April 10, 2011) ... Matched Zecchino's school record (since Tech joined the ACC) of three games with at least 10 strikeouts in a single season as he added 11-strikeout performances versus Iowa (Feb. 23) and Louisville (April 13).
2018: Appeared in 14 games, making a team-high tying 13 starts on the mound, which included five quality starts (second on team) ... Had a 5.19 ERA in a team-high 78.0 innings pitched, struck out a team-high 76 batters, walked 33 and posted a 2-7 record with one save in only relief outing … Recorded team's lone complete game of the year at Stetson (March 2), a 2-1 loss to the Hatters ... Picked up wins over Pittsburgh (March 9) and NC State (March 29) and earned save against William & Mary (May 15), his last appearance of his career at English Field at Union Park … Held opposition to a .263 bating average (third) ... Tossed a career-high 8.2 innings against Louisville (April 13) and worked at least 5.0 in 10 of his starts ... Struck out a season-high 12 batters once – versus Pittsburgh – struck out at least 10 three times and five seven times … Pitched a total of 53 scoreless innings (second), including a season-best 9.0 consecutive … Also, threw a team-best 29 perfect frames, struck out the side five times (tied first) and, at one point, retired a career-high 17 straight batters (team best) … Had eight double plays turned behind him, seven were GDPs (both team highs).
2017: Appeared in 17 games, making a team-high 12 starts on the mound, which included three quality starts … Had a 4.75 ERA (second on the team) in a team-high 72.0 innings pitched, struck out 59 batters (third), walked 33 and posted a 5-4 record while combining on two shutouts – versus Marshall (Feb. 21) and Canisius (March 13) … His five wins tied for the team lead and included wins over Marshall, Niagara (March 7), Canisius, Florida State (March 18) and Boston College (March 31) … Also led the team in opposing bating average at .262 ... Tossed a season-high 7.0 innings at Miami (May 19) and worked at least 5.0 in nine of his starts … In five appearances out of the bullpen, threw at least 1.0 innings in each ... Inherited three runners and none of them scored … Retired 5-of-5 first batters faced in relief outings … Struck out a season-high eight batters twice – at Clemson (April 7) and versus North Carolina (May 13) and struck out at least five seven times … Pitched a total of 42 scoreless innings (T-second most), including 9.0 consecutive … Also, threw 10 perfect frames, struck out the side once and, at one point, retired nine straight batters … Had three double plays turned behind him.
2016: Appeared in 17 games (third most on the team), which included three starts … Had a 7.42 ERA in a total of 30.1 innings, struck out 32 batters, walked 21, posted a 1-1 record with one save (one of six Hokies to record a save in 2016) and combined on one shutout – versus ETSU (Feb. 23) … Picked up the win in start versus Alcorn State (May 8) and the save against Campbell (March 9) … Tossed a season-high 5.1 innings in a start versus William & Mary (April 5) and 5.0 in a relief outing versus Pitt (April 17) … Threw at least 1.0 innings in 11 bullpen outings ... Inherited six runners and four of them scored … Retired 6-of-14 first batters faced … Struck out at least two batters eight times, including a season-high seven against Pitt, which included striking out the side in the eighth for the second time in his college career … Pitched a total of 17 scoreless innings, including 6.2 consecutive … Also, threw seven perfect frames and, at one point, retired nine straight batters … Had two double plays turned behind him, both GDPs.
2015: Appeared in 15 games and made three midweek starts … Had a 7.81 ERA in a total of 27.2 innings, struck out 26 batters, walked 22, and posted a 2-0 record … In his three starts, had a 3.95 ERA in 13.2 innings, while opponents hit just .260 against him … Tossed a season-high 5.0 innings twice (both starts) … Inherited 12 runners and allowed five to score for a 58.3 percent held rate (second best on the team) … Struck out at least two batters eight times, including a season-high five in his first start versus Norfolk State on March 24, which included striking out the side in the second for the first time in his college career … Pitched a total of 14 scoreless innings, including 4.0 consecutive … Also, threw five perfect frames, and, at one point, retired seven straight batters … Had three double plays turned behind him, two were GDPs.
High School: Earned varsity letters for three years while playing for Coach Eric Semega at Seneca Valley … Was a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette player of the year … Was named to the all-district team twice and all-state team once ... Led the Raiders to a pair of WPIAL championships.
Personal: Connor William Coward … Born May 31, 1996 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania … Son of Jeff and Teri Coward … Majoring in marketing.