Winthrop University Athletics

Former Baseball Player Conrad Funk Concludes 16-Year Playing Career In Canada

8/9/2011 12:08:00 PM

Funk Spent Past 16 Seasons With The Swift Current Indians

ROCK HILL, SC – Former Winthrop baseball player Conrad Funk was recently honored by the Swift Current Indians following a 16-year career with the Western Major Baseball League team in Canada.

Funk, an outfielder and first baseman for the Eagles from 2000-03, played 16 seasons as part of the Indians roster before and after his Winthrop career. While wearing No. 14 for Winthrop from 2000-02 and No. 20 as a senior in 2003, Funk hit .225 during his career as an Eagle with nine home runs, 51 RBI, 93 hits, 50 runs, 22 doubles and one triple. He posted a career-best season batting average of .237 as a freshman in 2000 to go with 21 RBI and 71 total bases. His career-high home run total of four came as a junior in 2002.

Funk arrived at Winthrop in 2000 from Waldeck, Saskatchewan and Swift Current High School. One of the factors that attracted Funk to the Eagles was the success that the Canadian players on the roster were experiencing under former head baseball coach Joe Hudak, and the possibility of playing early as a freshman.

“Winthrop had a reputation for being a good Division 1 program for Canadians to play,” he said. “There were nine Canadians on the team my freshman year. I also knew three other guys that were going there in Jeff Reeves, Jeremy Herauf and Ryan Chenard. Coach Hudak also mentioned I had an opportunity to
start as a freshman if I earned that spot, which was important to me coming out of high school.”

Funk can recall numerous memories and baseball games during his four seasons at Winthrop, but there are two memories and one game that still stick with him to this day.

“A couple memories that stick out are hitting the first home run by an Eagle player in the new stadium my sophomore year and playing in the NCAA Regional my sophomore year as well,” he stated. “We lost in the finals to East Carolina, but it was still a great experience.

“One game that sticks out is playing Elon in the conference tournament at home my junior year where I made a run saving diving catch in the right field corner late in the game, and then drove in the game-winning run the next inning.”

Hudak valued the type of hard-working player that Funk was on the field, and also how he viewed the game of baseball.

"Connie was a blue-collar baseball player,” he said. “He came to work every day with his lunch pail. He never said much, just worked hard and played the game the way it was supposed to be played."

Looking back Hudak admits he didn't know much about Funk during the recruiting process, but decided to take a chance on him anyway. That chance decision by Hudak paid off not only because of how Funk worked on the field, but how he was as a person off the field.

"We never saw Conrad play before signing him,” he added. “I took a chance on him based on a reference from a scout I knew. It was a great decision. As good a player as Connie was, he was an even better young man."

Funk began his near two decade-long career with Swift Current while in high school during 1996, and since then has made playing with the Indians a staple in his summer routine. He is very grateful for the opportunity allowed to him by Swift Current.

“Playing for the Swift Current Indians for 16 years has been a fantastic experience for me,” he said. “I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to play competitive baseball for this long in a quality organization. I joined the club in 1996 at the age of 15, and got my first chance to contribute in 1997 as a 16 year old where I hit three doubles in my first three at-bats and ended up starting every game that season. All 16 years the Indians have had very good, competitive teams and I have thoroughly enjoyed every season.”

Just like his days as an Eagle, Funk also has fond memories of his 16 seasons with the Indians. The 2006 season with Swift Current will always stand out to him after winning the WMBL championship despite being the underdogs.

“My all-time favorite moment would have to be winning the championship in 2006,” he said. “We struggled at the plate that season, but pitched well all year. We faced a very good Lethbridge team in the finals, and although we had the best record in the league and home field advantage, we were probably the underdogs going into the finals.”

Funk contributed at the plate in game three of the series by hitting an opposite field home run for the Indians, which would later become the game-winning run.

His contributions with the Indians have been felt throughout his 16 seasons. He was the type of guy you wanted to have on your team from a leadership standpoint, according to former Indians teammate and current head coach Joe Carnahan. He said Funk is the type of person you wanted to have both on your team and in the community.

“Conrad has been a part of this organization for a long time and he's one of the cornerstones of this organization,” Carnahan said. “He doesn't only provide you with impact on the field, but he's also a good quality human being who represents our organization well in community. He is a great guy to be around. When you're new to the team and you see a guy like Conrad who's been here and produced for us over that many years, he's definitely a guy that leads by example for the other guys.”

Looking into the future Funk doesn't know what his involvement with Swift Current will be, but he does have plans in place for a work career. He will also stay involved with the Indians in any way possible, even though it won't be as a baseball player.

“Right now I'm not sure how I'll be involved in the future,” he said. “My wife and I are expecting our first child in November, and I will be starting the CASB (Chartered Accountant School of Business) program next summer in order to achieve my CA designation. I will help out in any way that I can and try to help keep the winning tradition alive.”

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