It’s not easy to miss Sobrato’s lanky Casey Conforti on the baseball diamond. The three-year varsity starter, who is now a senior, towers over most teammates at 6-foot-4, but it’s what he does with a bat in his hands that makes him stick out.
Conforti, who hit only .276 as a sophomore, has continued his growth at the plate, culminating with a .429 batting average and a team-leading three home runs this spring. Through 15 games this year – Sobrato sits at 6-9 – Conforti has been the Bulldogs’ offensive spark each day.
“He brings a lot to this team,” assistant head coach Dan Patino said. “And he makes an effort every time he is out there. He gives a full effort every time he is out there. He is pretty much carrying us right now. We are in a tough spot, and he is carrying us right now.”
For nearly 10 years now, Conforti has been dedicated to the sport of baseball. As he got older, he stopped playing other sports but baseball always remained. And now, it’s nearly a year-round adventure playing for local travel teams as well as the Bulldogs.
“Well, my dad put it on me when I was younger and I just stuck with it since second year of Pony (baseball) or something like that,” he said. “I don’t know, I just enjoy baseball. It’s my only sport. I used to play other sports but not any more. Baseball, really, it just caught my eye to me.”
And after a slow start to his baseball career as a sophomore, Conforti is more than making up for time on the diamond.
The tall third baseman – he started the season at shortstop – uses his length and quick hands to his advantage on the right side of the plate. With an open stance, Conforti has been able to square up most balls this year.
“He just has such quick hands,” Patino said. “He really can just hit the ball. And it’s really helped us out. He just goes out there and does it.”
Even with a hurt ankle – Conforti was listed as the team’s designated hitter during Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Santa Cruz – he still sits in the middle of the Bulldog order. As of Tuesday, Conforti sits on a nine-game hitting streak that includes three home runs, two doubles and eight RBIs.
“Yeah, I go play with a certain attitude and work for my pitches and do what I have to do,” he said. “Right now, I just have a good attitude. Baseball is a lot of mind games and I just try to stay mentally strong. You have to practice and stay with it. Go to practice every day and just work. Really, it’s just working through it. You just have to stay positive, I guess.”
And despite a slow start for the Bulldogs, that positive outlook has helped lead Sobrato to four wins in its past seven games as the Bulldogs try to make a late push for a Central Coast Section playoff spot. Conforti still believes that’s a possibility if the team stays positive, he said.
“We have a great team; we just have to stay up,” he said. “We get kind of lazy sometimes. We just coast though our games. We just have to stay up more and put something together. We just all need to have the right attitude and stay up and work hard.”
