Former Nansemond-Suffolk Academy standout Kieran Conway had a solid freshman season on the mound for Hampden-Sydney College.

In his first year in the HSC baseball program, Conway was immediately able to come in and earn some time. He made 13 appearances in games, starting seven. In total, he pitched 34.2 innings, which is more than what he had thrown during a season at NSA. It was a change for him, but a lot of fun.

“All in all, I thought it was a pretty good season,” Conway said. “I took on the role of a starting pitcher and also came out of the bullpen at times. It was different, because I was primarily a closer at NSA. I had a lot of fun this season.”

Conway finished the season with 25 strikeouts, but he admitted he had to adjust to the college level of play. At the beginning of the season, it was tough, because he couldn’t just live off of his fastball. He threw four pitches during his first year — a fastball, a slider, a curveball and a changeup — and had to practice each day on those pitches. It is a focus of his this summer working to be consistent.

“There are ups and downs during a college season, and I kind of hit a wall halfway through,” he said. “So, a lot of my training this summer is just being more consistent and being able to handle a bigger workload.”

He gives credit to his former NSA coach, Joey Seal, for helping him learn how to deal with tough outings. He finished the season on a strong note in the relief role. As he gets ready for his sophomore year this summer, he is excited about his confidence going forward from the experience he gained as a freshman.

“I just want to continue to get more consistent, and with the more confidence I get, the better I’ll become,” he said. “I’m looking forward to taking the next step next season, whether that be as a starter or from relief.”

At NSA, Conway was moved around at different positions but was a standout for the program, helping them to the state tournament in his junior and senior seasons.