A two-sport star

Castleton junior Mitchell Caron is the starting quarterback for the Castleton Spartan football team and doubles as the clean-up hitter for the Castleton’s baseball team as well.

    A product of Augusta, Maine, Caron has had an amazing season at the plate, currently leading the team in batting average at .351. Recently, he was named NAC Player of the Week after hitting two walk-off hits against Husson. In football, Caron started all 10 games under center, completing 51 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,470 yards and seven touchdowns. He finished 4th in the ECFC with 147.0 passing yards per game, and was named ECFC Offensive Player of the Week on October 9, 2017.

    As Caron is busy on and off the field, we decided to get to know a little bit more about this multi-sport athlete.

 

Q. What sport do you prefer playing: football or baseball?

A. I like both sports, and I always have. That’s why I stuck with it. But I find it more fun to play football. It’s a little bit more action. Baseball has always been my love, my dad taught me the game, he always taught me how to play it the right way. That’s been my heart and soul, but football has always been fun also.

Q. You’ve been riding a hot bat all season in baseball, do you have any superstitions or pregame rituals that you stick to?

A. Not really, but I put my helmet on first, and then I put my left batting glove on and my right batting glove on, and that’s really it. I usually try to do that every time.

Q. What is your walk up song, and why did you choose that particular song?

A. It’s “Many Men” by 50 Cent. I just really have always liked the song and I’ve known it forever, it’s a really good part to walk out to.

Q. Recently you hit your first home run, put me through that moment. What were your emotions?

A. Honestly it was a little weird because nobody did anything. There was like not even a fence there, so nobody really knew it went over! So I was standing at second thinking that it bounced over, and everyone was like, “Uh, are you going to keep running?” So I was like, “Oh wow!”

Q. Who are your favorite professional football and baseball players?

A. Football, I always grew up loving Brett Favre. Brett Favre is just like an ironman I guess, always playing no matter what, so that’s for football. Baseball… I’m a Yankees fan, so I do like Derek Jeter, but I’m going to take a shot in the dark here and say Cal Ripken Jr. Just for the reliability and being healthy throughout his career.

Q. What is your favorite memory playing football and baseball?

A. In high school, my football team won States my junior year. That was a pretty special moment. Half of our town came down, we actually played at the University of Maine which is a huge stadium and we filled most of it. That was just a really good feeling. For baseball, in Little League, my dad actually was my coach. I had been slumping for a little bit and he stayed after with me one day before a game. We had practice the day before and he stayed after and threw a lot of bullpens to me which focused me on hitting the ball harder, and in the next game I hit my first home run in Little League.

Q. What inspires you to continue playing both sports?

A. Honestly, I just still love the games, both of them. I just love them. It’s fun to do, something to do, keeps me active, and honestly it’s really fun.

Q. What is your most embarrassing moment in sports?

A. Back to that State game, I should’ve had a pick six. I was playing defensive end, and there was a little swing pass to the running back, and I read it like a book. I jumped the route, and the ball went right through my hands. That was embarrassing.

Q. What’s something about you that most people do not know?

A. I’m actually a pretty good cook. I like to cook. I’m pretty good at making tacos. I’m a good taco cook, I have a couple secret stuff that I do.

Q. After senior year, what do you envision yourself doing?

A. I want to try to get a grad school. I want to become a physical therapist. That’s what my goal is. I’m also going to try to be a graduate assistant and get a coaching position so I can stay around the sport, but I think I’m done playing after senior year.

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