University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Connor Tate
June 02, 2022 | Baseball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
If Connor Tate isn't playing or practicing baseball, there's a pretty good chance that you'll find the Georgia Bulldog out on a disc golf course somewhere in the Athens area. Connor and his twin brother (and teammate), Cole, are avid disc golf fans and players.
The Tate brothers, from nearby Bishop, Ga., are excelling at the plate for the Bulldogs this season. Connor has a .341 batting average, with a team-high 72 hits, and he shares the team lead with 12 homers, while Cole is batting a team-best .353.
The Bulldogs (35-21) are the No. 2 seed in the Chapel Hill Regional and open NCAA Championships play on Friday against Virginia Commonwealth (40-18). During a Quick Chat before practice Tuesday, Tate talked about disc golf, his favorite baseball movie, going to college close to home, and much more.
Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What is it like being one of only two Georgia teams, it's just you guys and track and field, still playing right now?
Tate: I would say this is probably the best time of year. You don't have to worry about school, classes or anything, you just come out here and play the sport that you love and grew up playing. It's also really quiet, and I like that.
Frierson: Is there one at-bat or play in the field from your entire baseball career that stands out above the rest?
Tate: For defense, I'd say when I was playing travel ball, I was playing shortstop at the time, and I think we were in the championship. I made a diving play up the middle and mid-air tossed the ball to second to turn two. I don't know why that's stuck with me, but it's always stuck with me.
Frierson: Which feels better, doing something great at the plate or doing something great on defense?
Tate: I'm definitely more toward the home runs, for sure [laughs].
Frierson: When you're taking batting practice, are you trying to hit home runs or do you just worry about making good contact?
Tate: It depends. When we go to swing-away, I try to stick it up the middle, but of course on my last swing I'm trying to hit it out, for sure.
Frierson: Has going to college and playing for Georgia with Cole been about what you thought it would be?
Tate: Yeah, for sure. You've always got your best friend there with you. On the field, you've got somebody there to push you no matter what the situation is. We've always wanted to go (to school) together and that's what happened.
Frierson: What is your favorite baseball movie?
Tate: Definitely "Sandlot," for sure.
Frierson: Why do you think baseball has the best movies out of all the sports?
Tate: I feel like you can relate to an actual baseball player through the movie. I guess football, like "The Blind Side," most of it's true and then some of it's not, but I feel like baseball movies, at least some of them, are based off the true story.
Frierson: If you could be great at anything in the world for one day, just to see what it was like, what would you choose?
Tate: One of my favorite hobbies is disc golf, so I'd probably be great at disc golf.
We've played out at Sandy Creek (Park) a lot, but our home course is at Herman C. (Michael Park) — I live 5 minutes from there — so we go out there a lot.
Frierson: What is it like being in college so close to home?
Tate: It's really nice. I get to go home any time and my parents and other relatives get to come watch our games any time they want to. We always wanted to stick around and play close to home.
Frierson: Given that you played all around the country during travel ball, was there a place that you visited that kind of blew you away?
Tate: I'd say the Mets' stadium. We played there probably my 16-year-old year and we played there for a championship game. It was really sick.
The stands weren't all full or anything, but just looking up and seeing how the seats go almost all the way up to the lights, it was just crazy seeing the atmosphere and how many people can actually sit in that stadium.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Tate: I love pizza rolls [laughs].
Frierson: You and your brother with the frozen foods! His answer was the Dino chicken nuggets.
Tate: Those things are good.
Frierson: He claimed the he can cook a little bit while you can't cook at all.
Tate: Not at all. Not one bit. I've got to learn here soon, in the next two years, probably [laughs].
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
Tate: Shane Marshall. His nickname's Coach Dug, and I don't know if you've seen it but he's got the arrow haircut right now. He's just a funny guy.
Frierson: How valuable is that during the course of such a long season?
Tate: He definitely loosens up the mood in the dugout. He's always got our back, trying to energize the dugout. He's just a really good dude and he's really funny.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
If Connor Tate isn't playing or practicing baseball, there's a pretty good chance that you'll find the Georgia Bulldog out on a disc golf course somewhere in the Athens area. Connor and his twin brother (and teammate), Cole, are avid disc golf fans and players.
The Tate brothers, from nearby Bishop, Ga., are excelling at the plate for the Bulldogs this season. Connor has a .341 batting average, with a team-high 72 hits, and he shares the team lead with 12 homers, while Cole is batting a team-best .353.
The Bulldogs (35-21) are the No. 2 seed in the Chapel Hill Regional and open NCAA Championships play on Friday against Virginia Commonwealth (40-18). During a Quick Chat before practice Tuesday, Tate talked about disc golf, his favorite baseball movie, going to college close to home, and much more.
Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What is it like being one of only two Georgia teams, it's just you guys and track and field, still playing right now?
Tate: I would say this is probably the best time of year. You don't have to worry about school, classes or anything, you just come out here and play the sport that you love and grew up playing. It's also really quiet, and I like that.
Frierson: Is there one at-bat or play in the field from your entire baseball career that stands out above the rest?
Tate: For defense, I'd say when I was playing travel ball, I was playing shortstop at the time, and I think we were in the championship. I made a diving play up the middle and mid-air tossed the ball to second to turn two. I don't know why that's stuck with me, but it's always stuck with me.
Frierson: Which feels better, doing something great at the plate or doing something great on defense?
Tate: I'm definitely more toward the home runs, for sure [laughs].
Frierson: When you're taking batting practice, are you trying to hit home runs or do you just worry about making good contact?
Tate: It depends. When we go to swing-away, I try to stick it up the middle, but of course on my last swing I'm trying to hit it out, for sure.
Frierson: Has going to college and playing for Georgia with Cole been about what you thought it would be?
Tate: Yeah, for sure. You've always got your best friend there with you. On the field, you've got somebody there to push you no matter what the situation is. We've always wanted to go (to school) together and that's what happened.
Frierson: What is your favorite baseball movie?
Tate: Definitely "Sandlot," for sure.
Frierson: Why do you think baseball has the best movies out of all the sports?
Tate: I feel like you can relate to an actual baseball player through the movie. I guess football, like "The Blind Side," most of it's true and then some of it's not, but I feel like baseball movies, at least some of them, are based off the true story.
Frierson: If you could be great at anything in the world for one day, just to see what it was like, what would you choose?
Tate: One of my favorite hobbies is disc golf, so I'd probably be great at disc golf.
We've played out at Sandy Creek (Park) a lot, but our home course is at Herman C. (Michael Park) — I live 5 minutes from there — so we go out there a lot.
Frierson: What is it like being in college so close to home?
Tate: It's really nice. I get to go home any time and my parents and other relatives get to come watch our games any time they want to. We always wanted to stick around and play close to home.
Frierson: Given that you played all around the country during travel ball, was there a place that you visited that kind of blew you away?
Tate: I'd say the Mets' stadium. We played there probably my 16-year-old year and we played there for a championship game. It was really sick.
The stands weren't all full or anything, but just looking up and seeing how the seats go almost all the way up to the lights, it was just crazy seeing the atmosphere and how many people can actually sit in that stadium.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Tate: I love pizza rolls [laughs].
Frierson: You and your brother with the frozen foods! His answer was the Dino chicken nuggets.
Tate: Those things are good.
Frierson: He claimed the he can cook a little bit while you can't cook at all.
Tate: Not at all. Not one bit. I've got to learn here soon, in the next two years, probably [laughs].
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
Tate: Shane Marshall. His nickname's Coach Dug, and I don't know if you've seen it but he's got the arrow haircut right now. He's just a funny guy.
Frierson: How valuable is that during the course of such a long season?
Tate: He definitely loosens up the mood in the dugout. He's always got our back, trying to energize the dugout. He's just a really good dude and he's really funny.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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