'I'm here to prove them right:' Inland Lakes' Wallace excited to join GRCC baseball
INDIAN RIVER – Connor Wallace has loved baseball for as long as he can remember.
From his early tee-ball days, to watching the Detroit Tigers with his family, to his emergence as a star at Inland Lakes, Wallace has lived the dream on the diamond. Throughout this fascinating baseball journey, one huge goal has always remained.
Get to the college level.
On Sunday afternoon, in front of family, teammates, coaches and other supporters, the I-L senior star made everything official by signing to play baseball for Grand Rapids Community College next season.
“Baseball is my family thing. It’s been a goal of my entire life, and we’re not done yet,” Wallace said. “I obviously want to move on from GRCC and go to a higher level, but this is definitely the first step.”
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While he saw interest from multiple colleges along the way, Wallace felt most comfortable with GRCC, committing to play for head coach Mike Eddington and the Raiders late last year.
“The coaching staff, I absolutely loved talking with them, and they’ve shown interest in me from day one when I started reaching out there,” Wallace said. “I feel very wanted there. I love Grand Rapids and everything about it. They have a very successful program; they’ve been in the (junior college) world series multiple times, so I can’t wait.”
It was certainly easy to see why GRCC wanted Wallace, a two-time Division 4 all-state first team pitcher and the 2023 Ski Valley Conference player of the year. In addition to being a dominant force on the mound, Wallace has excelled as an offensive performer and defensive standout. The play of Wallace has been a catalyst during a stellar two-year run for the Bulldogs, who have captured back-to-back Ski Valley and district championships.
“Monumentally, he puts us over the edge, he’s a leader, he’s locked in all the time, and it’s huge for this program,” Inland Lakes coach Josh Vieau said of Wallace, his nephew. “This is basically why we started this, is to get to him and be able to coach him, and it’s just a been a pleasure, and it’s going to be tough for me to see him go.
“(GRCC will) be getting a kid that’ll put in the extra time and work extremely hard.”
Wallace is thrilled to have a chance to play collegiately, but he knows success isn’t guaranteed. As a tough-minded player from up north, he intends to make his presence known on an even bigger stage downstate.
“The head coach (Eddington), he’s big on guys up north,” Wallace said. “He said these kids from smaller Division 4 schools have a chip on their shoulder all the time, because they were overlooked, and it’s true. It’s hard to get high offers coming from such a small school, and it’s the unfortunate part of it, but these guys come with chips on their shoulders and they’re always working hard, so I’m here to prove them right.”
Before he joins GRCC, Wallace wants to deliver a spectacular ending to his high school career. That means leading Inland Lakes to more titles and going on a memorable postseason run. With many of his teammates and coaches present on Sunday, he made sure to credit them in helping him reach this point.
“The guys around me, they’re always making plays. They make me look good is what I say all the time,” Wallace said. “I obviously have a lot of fun playing with my uncle (Vieau). He’s had a huge role in my success my entire life, obviously playing catch and putting pressure on me to be the best I can possibly be. I’m forever grateful for that as well.”
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Inland Lakes baseball star Wallace will play at Grand Rapids Community College
