The 6-foot-7, 220-pound senior left-handed pitcher and first baseman had led the Longhorns to a 16-2 record and a berth in the Class 4A-II state final at the time of his selection. VanCleave posted a 6-1 record and a 0.44 ERA through 18 games, recording 64 strikeouts in 31.2 innings. A two-time Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches Class 4A-II Player of the Year, he was batting .833 with five home runs and 47 RBI entering the state title game, boasting a 1.733 slugging percentage.
VanCleave has maintained a 3.64 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball on scholarship at Kansas University this fall.
A member of the National Honor Society and Students Against Destructive Decisions, VanCleave has served as a student leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and as a youth baseball coach. "Conner VanCleave is the best all-around player I have seen in years, said Rick Williams, head coach at Colby High. "He has a power arm on the mound with great stuff and an intense competitiveness. At the plate, he is a great gap hitter with a lot of power. He does a great job covering the plate and will hurt you even when you make great pitches."