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Whether it be at 11 years old in the Flagstaff City Majors Little League Tournament or at 18 years old in the 4A Conference state championship game, Connor Iniguez has always sought to stay measured on the mound.

During the Flagstaff Eagles� nine-game winning streak that landed the team in its first-ever title game, it was Iniguez on the mound for four of those outings. Embracing the pressure and blocking out his surroundings, the senior explained how he focused on preventing the environment from impacting his play.

“It started in Little League when I was playing in the city championship game; there were a lot of people there,� Iniguez said. “My coaches always talked about how I’m at the point on the mound where I don’t really show emotion unless I’m getting hyped up about something. I’m really straight-faced up there, just trying to go about my business. I’m not really worried about what’s going on around me.�

A 4A Conference First Team selection and participant in the Arizona Baseball Coaches Association 4A Senior All-Star Game, Iniguez also earned the 2025 Arizona Daily Sun Baseball Athlete of the Year. Finishing his varsity career with a 2.91 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 77 innings this spring, Iniguez helped lead the Eagles to their deepest postseason run in school history. He made his impact felt in more ways than one, adding a .333 batting average and .424 on-base percentage in 96 plate appearances.

The impact wasn’t felt just in his senior campaign. Across a three-year varsity career, Iniguez compiled a 3.23 ERA in 154 innings with 144 strikeouts as well as a .327 batting average and a .424 on-base percentage in 189 plate appearances.

However, the Chandler-Gilbert Community College commit knows it will always be hard to match the final days of his high school career as the Eagles did not lose a game for more than a month and experienced an unforgettable feeling during the win streak.

“It brings out another level of intensity as a team,� Iniguez said. “We found ways to win those games. We were behind in some of the games, like Deer Valley, and we were able to battle back. Stringing off nine wins in a row is going to be hard regardless of what point of the season you’re in.�

Faced with extending the run on three different occasions after kicking off the nine-game winning streak with a 7-6 victory against Prescott, Iniguez locked in against Coconino, Prescott again and Saguaro. He was responsible for 95% of Flagstaff’s pitches in the trio of victories to continue the winning streak, embracing the challenge as he defeated his crosstown rival and earned victories in two 4A state tournament games.

“I have a huge adrenaline rush whenever I get out there, and I trust that the defense behind me is playing up to that level, that they can go knock balls down and get guys out,� Inigues said. “On the offensive side, I knew that we could put up runs. We were putting up runs against some of the best teams in the state.�

Iniguez said he’s drawn inspiration in recent years from pitcher Trevor Bauer, whose openness regarding his preparation and approach on the mound through his YouTube channel has allowed young pitchers such as Iniguez a window into the professional world.

“I started picking up on that about three years ago going into my sophomore year,� Iniguez said. “It really gave me some inspiration as to what I can be, the work ethic it’s going to take and the mindset that I have to have on the mound. He talks about how you’ve got to be able to get a guy out, so let’s just pound the zone right away. I don’t care who’s hitting, I’m going to get him out.�

With breakdowns on routines throwing in the bullpen between starts, in the weight room or with weighted balls, Iniguez said there’s been plenty of opportunities to take in crucial lessons.

“I feel like if you can learn something from the professionals and how they were able to get there, then it’s really going to take you a long way,� Iniguez said.

Iniguez’s final career start, which was in the state title game against top-ranked Salpointe Catholic, provided the senior with one last opportunity to appreciate the support of Flagstaff’s fans dating back to his days on Mark Grace Field where he clinched a city Little League championship.

“Looking up in the stands in that championship game and seeing all the Flagstaff people that came down to support us was just, I don’t know. It was a surreal feeling,� Iniguez said. “I’ve never felt something like that before, that was crazy � the amount of people that were there really exceeded my expectation for who was going to come down.�

Though Flagstaff fell short of its first state title in baseball and brought home the 4A Conference runner-up trophy, Iniguez said he’s been able to slowly appreciate the achievements the Eagles accomplished in his final year. Acknowledging there are situations in the game the entire team can learn from moving forward, he added it doesn’t diminish the improbable run of a 14 seed to the state finals.

“It’s something we’ll be able to look back on and say we could have done better, but we made it that far and it was still something that’s historic,� Iniguez said. “When I look back on it next year when I’m in college and say, ‘Wow, we were a 14-seed running into the championship game,' it’s going to be something that's just going to live on for a long time and it’s going to set the precedent for what is to come for Flagstaff High School baseball.�