Few people get second chances at first impressions, but it's even rarer to come across someone who nails the first one so perfectly they don't need another.
 
In an early intersquad scrimmage, then freshman CONNOR COX stepped to the plate to face All-American junior Luke Short — a lefty from Los Gatos, California who set the Hilltoppers' single-season record for strikeouts and augmented some of the best pitches in the Lone Star Conference with NCAA Division II's nastiest changeup. 
 
Short left his signature pitch a little too far over the plate, and Cox sent it back at him, driving the ball up the middle. 
 
"Connor, being the player he is, had a few choice words about leaving the pitch there. It was all in good fun, but that's when you knew," St. Edward's head baseball coach Ryan Femath recalls. "His competitiveness is unmatched. There's no fear, just confidence. He believes he can hurt you every time he steps in, and he embraces that challenge. Especially against the top arms."
 
In his collegiate debut, Cox faced another elite arm in Texas A&M-Kingsville's KOBE JARAMILLO. Jaramillo and Kingsville pitching coach Jeremy Flores would later join the Hilltop, but on Feb. 3, 2023, the duo would greet Cox as opponents. 
 
"The one year I coached against him was opening weekend at Texas A&M-Kingsville, and honestly, nobody really knew who he was. There wasn't much of a scouting report on him coming out of high school," Flores says. "But everyone learned pretty quickly: this guy can hit. He's one of the best pure hitters I've ever been around." 
 
Cox's first collegiate hit was a two-RBI double off Jaramillo. He added a triple off the Javelinas' reliever in the seventh, setting an auspicious tone for a great career. 
 
"If you want to be the best, you have to compete against the best," Cox says of his moments against Short, Jaramillo, and the other top pitchers in the LSC. "Iron sharpens iron." 
 
The Hilltoppers won 40 games in Cox's first season, advancing to the NCAA South Central Regional. As a freshman, he hit .404 with a .601 slugging percentage, ripping 14 doubles, seven home runs, and driving in 50 runs in an All-LSC First Team season — all while playing out of position in the outfield. 
 
"Every level Connor has ever played, from league ball to travel through high school and college, he's always risen to the occasion. He works hard, adjusts, and performs," Cox's mother, JoCarol Cox, says. "It's funny, when St. Edward's was recruiting Connor, he looked at the lineup and thought he could earn immediate playing time. Then, they brought in LANCE LITTLE — another All-American first baseman — from the portal. Connor adjusted. 
 
"Coach asked if he'd ever played outfield before. Connor may have played an inning there as a kid, but he told the coach yes because that's how determined he is to get on the field." 
 
Cox and Little formed the best one-two punch in the conference, batting primarily second and third, with Little earning LSC Newcomer of the Year that first year and preseason All-American the following year. Together, they powered two of the most productive offenses in program history.

But that momentum didn't come without adversity.

Both sustained injuries during the 2024 season, including a significant knee injury that cut Cox's season in half as the lone year he batted under .400. 
 
"I didn't realize how serious the injury was until recently, when a few orthopedic surgeon friends told me how they've never seen anyone come back from that kind of injury the way Connor has," JoCarol Cox says. "But Connor has always been about adversity, adaptability, and perseverance. Every time he's knocked down, he comes back stronger and better. He's a great example of hard work and resilience, and that's a life lesson that will carry him far beyond baseball." 
 
Cox was absent from the field, but never from the team. In between his rigorous treatment and rehab work, Cox remained engaged with the team — studying opponents, assisting with scouting, and sharing insights with his teammates.
 
"Everything starts with his leadership. Even though he was injured as a sophomore, he was one of our leaders. The way he stayed involved, he was as all in as you can be when you can't play," Femath exclaims. "His growth in how he's handled adversity, especially coming from injury; the way he prepares, treats his body, and nutrition — he approaches the game like a professional. That's been the most impressive part." 
 
"His dad always told him he didn't have to be the best player, just the hardest worker," JoCarol Cox adds. "Our expectations were simple: be a great teammate and a strong leader. That meant putting the team first with a we mentality. I think he's lived that out." 
 
Cox returned with a vengeance in his junior season, quickly making up for lost time with a career-high .415 batting average with 97 hits, blasting 22 doubles and 12 home runs to drive in a school-record 75 runs in a single season, earning All-American honors. 
 
Teams had to pick their poison against the Hilltoppers' star duo. The foolish teams took a double helping, like when St. Mary's gave up a back-to-back grand slam and solo blast to Cox and Little. 
 
Cox earned the ultimate sign of respect from Lubbock Christian after lighting up LSC Pitcher of the Year Ryan Markwardt in Game 1 of last year's doubleheader with a double and solo blast. After Cox opened Game 4 with four consecutive doubles, the Chaps opted to intentionally walk him — preferring to face Little with bases loaded than give Cox another opportunity. 
 
"You're talking about LANCE LITTLE, an All-American, and it was the ultimate sign of respect for Connor," Cameron Kushwara, the voice of Hilltopper baseball broadcasts for the past 20 years, says. "It just never mattered whether the pitcher was lefty, righty, what kind of stuff a pitcher had, or even what happened earlier in the game. You always expect Connor to come through." 
 
It was an understandable move with a predictable ending: a LANCE LITTLE grand slam.
 
"Whether it was Lance before or NICO RUEDAS now, having great hitters behind you makes a big difference. It creates tough decisions for pitchers," Cox says. "Getting that home run off last year's Pitcher of the Year was special, especially at our place. It's a sneaky good place to hit. The ball flies, and there's nothing like watching one carry out into the street [in the neighborhood behind right field]."
 
Cox's season was the type that earns the attention of Division I schools, not that it ever changed his focus from finishing his career at the Hilltop alongside teammate, roommate, and fellow four-year starter TREVOR SEBEK.
 
"More than anything, it came down to loyalty. St. Edward's was one of the only schools to give me an opportunity coming out of high school," Cox says. "We built this program into a great spot, and leaving with one year left doesn't align with who I am and how my parents raised me."
 
Cox returned better than ever, posting another +.400 batting average while drawing 11 more walks in 13 fewer games so far, improving his on-base percentage while matching last year's career-high 12 home runs. 
 
"His swing decisions are advanced. He controls the strike zone, and he has the power to spray the ball all over the field, but he's more than just a power hitter," Femath says. "This year, he's more patient than ever. His approach is elite." 
 
One by one, some of St. Edward's most prominent career records fell. On March 13, Cox delivered his 59th career double, setting the record at Oklahoma Christian in a 28-5 win. On March 28, he lined an RBI single up the middle to secure a win at Lubbock Christian, driving in DYLAN TATE to claim St. Edward's all-time RBI record. 
 
After those two significant milestones on the road, Cox saved the best for last at home, becoming the program's all-time hits king with a two-run blast in his first at-bat of the Texas A&M-Kingsville series in front of his family, who've traveled every step of the way. 
 
"He broke all the other records on the road, so it was special to see this one happen in front of the home crowd," JoCarol Cox says. 
 
"It's meant everything to see them sacrifice so much, traveling long hours after working full-time jobs to be there almost every weekend," Connor says. "I don't take that for granted."
 
On senior day, Cox launched the go-ahead run against Texas A&M-Kingsville, giving the Hilltoppers the lead to help finish the sweep. In a chippy game, Javelinas pitcher Zachary Wright left a signature pitch too far over the plate, and Cox did what he does best — make the opponent pay, launching a solo blast over the right-field netting into the neighborhood behind Lucian-Hamilton Field.
 
As he'd done as a freshman against Short, Cox delivered a few choice words for Texas A&M-Kingsville, his competitive nature bubbling to the surface once more. 
 
With St. Edward's hosting an LSC first-round series and in control of its own fate for an NCAA Regional, Cox has a few more opportunities to add to what should already be a Hall of Fame resume. And while his name will mark St. Edward's record books for generations to come, that first and closing impression will stand more vividly to all who watched him play.