There’s no real sibling rivalry between Hobart’s Connor and Brandon Stafford.
The brothers are two years apart — Connor is a senior, and Brandon is a sophomore — but work together well, particularly in the middle infield. Connor Stafford is the second baseman when he’s not pitching, and Brandon Stafford is the shortstop.
“They’re awesome dudes,” first-year Hobart coach Bobby Wineland said. “Their brotherly love, it’s awesome. They push each other, love on each other.”
There’s nothing the Staffords would love more than to help the Brickies (15-11, 7-5) win their first sectional title since 2014. They will play Valparaiso in the semifinals of the Class 4A Valparaiso Sectional on May 30.
“We want that sectional championship,” Connor Stafford said. “No doubt all of us do.
“We’re all jelled together, a lot of seniors. We all want to win. We don’t want to go out without a fight.”
Brandon Stafford feels the same way.
“This is my last time playing with him and all the seniors,” he said. “We’ve been playing together my whole life. It would be pretty cool to win it.”
Connor Stafford is 4-2 with a 1.33 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings. He’s also hitting .347 with nine RBIs, 16 runs scored and five stolen bases.
“As a pitcher, I stepped it up a lot this year, trying to be the guy this year, and it’s been working out,” Connor Stafford said. “It’s just becoming the player I know I need to be for this team.”
Connor Stafford, a Purdue Northwest recruit who plans to study business, has been particularly important for the Brickies on the mound after standout senior Andrew Burris had Tommy John surgery over the summer. Connor Stafford has moved past shoulder and elbow issues that hampered him in the previous two seasons.
“This year, I’m completely healthy and back into it,” he said.
After playing shortstop for much of last season, Connor Stafford has moved to second base — where he played earlier in his career — to reduce the wear and tear on his arm and allow Brandon Stafford to shift to short. Brandon Stafford got time at second base as a freshman.
“It helps me with him being at shortstop now,” Connor Stafford said. “A lot of chemistry in the middle there.”
Brandon Stafford has continued to grow in the position.
“My defense has stepped up big time,” Brandon Stafford said. “With him pitching, I’ve stepped up at shortstop.”
Brandon Stafford hasn’t posted overwhelming offensive numbers, hitting .215 with 11 RBIs, nine runs scored and four stolen bases after Hobart’s win at Whiting on Thursday. But he has been a stalwart defensively.
“It’s awesome,” Connor Stafford said. “He’s a younger guy. He has a lot of time to develop. Watching me play from when we were kids all the way until now, it’s awesome to have somebody guide you along the way.”
Wineland, who was a longtime assistant, has the utmost confidence in both brothers.
“Connor’s an elite player, hard worker,” Wineland said. “And Brandon’s probably better, or he’s going to be better when he’s a senior, and that’s probably because of Connor.”
Connor Stafford also played football for the Brickies as a wide receiver and defensive back but said he leans toward baseball.
“I’m a baseball guy,” he said.
Brandon Stafford played football as a freshman but suffered a concussion days before last season’s opener and was sidelined. He anticipates focusing exclusively on baseball moving forward.
Younger brother Matthew Stafford, a seventh grader who also plays basketball, could have the most potential of the trio.
“He’s probably going to be better than both of them just because of the brothers playing together and pushing each other,” Wineland said.
Brandon Stafford is looking forward to playing his senior season with his younger brother on the team. For now, he’s relishing his remaining time with his older brother.
“It’s pretty cool,” Brandon Stafford said. “Our last chance. We’ve been playing together our whole lives.”
