Senior Highlight: Rocco Conrad | BSG
Posted by Burghardt Sporting Goods on May 30th 2025
Community Highlight:
Rocco Conrad
New Berlin West
Photo courtesy of New Berlin West Athletics
As part of Burghardt Sporting Goods’ ongoing partnership with local schools and surrounding communities, we want to take the time to highlight some of the great local athletes at some of the local schools. This is our second interview, and we’re happy to highlight someone both continuing to play in college, as well as a great part of our retail team here at Burghardt Sporting Goods! Enjoy our interview with Rocco Conrad below!
-Luke from Marketing
Q&A with Rocco Conrad
Rocco! Thank you for taking the time to talk with us, and be part of our blog! When I first started crafting these community posts, I knew I had to get our #1 Instagram fan a blog post for himself. Speaking of blog posts, how were your 4 years as writer and sports editor of Norse Code? I noticed there aren’t any articles from 2025 yet. Are there plans for a big post to end off the year?
Journalism has been my favorite high school class by far. Over four years, I’ve had three different teachers, making it a wild ride. My first two years were under a seasoned teacher who built a thriving program with over 40 students across four classes. He left to become a stay-at-home dad during my junior year, and a new teacher with no journalism experience took over. That year, our class consisted of six experienced students and ten freshmen new to journalism. The newcomers struggled and didn’t receive the same mentorship I had from the previous teacher. There were still enough students in the class where some articles did not make the publication, so they were put on the website.
This year, a different teacher led the class, with only two returning students, including me. With just nine students total, we produced fewer articles, but all were published in one of our three 20+ page magazines, where I serve as layout editor and sports editor. After sending our third magazine to print today, we’re now focusing on uploading smaller pieces to the website.
Despite the challenges of the last two years, I wouldn’t change a thing. Journalism has been a blast and has inspired me to pursue a career in sports media in college and beyond.
Your New Berlin Neighbors Student Spotlight says that your favorite professional athlete is Aaron Rodgers. Really? Are you sure?
Of course! Growing up as a Packers fan, Aaron Rodgers has been my hero. He’s one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, with stats to back it up and a thrilling playstyle that’s always been a blast to watch. Since becoming the starter in 2008, he’s been a constant for me, one of the few Wisconsin athletes who stayed with the team through much of my life.
I’ll never forget my first clear Halloween memory: dressing up as Rodgers, rocking the jersey I got for my birthday that April. My fandom even extends to following Rodgers Realm on Instagram, whose spot-on impressions of Rodgers’ quarterback moves. I was excited to see Realm’s journey come full circle when he met Rodgers at the Jets’ 2024 preseason training camp—a moment that felt like a win for every diehard fan. Naturally, I’ve got two Packers Rodgers jerseys and a Jets Rodgers jersey in my collection!
Looking at your Prep Baseball Report, I do have to say it’s impressive that you managed to lose an inch of height between Feb 17th, and March 16th. Is the elevation between Milwaukee and West Milwaukee create a big difference in your height measurement?
It’s pretty wild that I apparently lost an inch of height between the West Milwaukee Preseason I.D. on February 17th and the Milwaukee Preseason I.D. on March 16th! I don’t think the elevation difference between Milwaukee and West Milwaukee is enough to mess with my height measurement, but there’s a funny story behind it. The West Milwaukee event was hosted at STiKS, the program I played for, and their staff helped run the show. Maybe they were a little generous with the tape measure that day, giving me that extra inch at 6’4”!
On a somewhat related note, I actually ended up at the Milwaukee Preseason I.D. by accident. I was curious about the cost of enrolling as a pitcher-only for that showcase and didn’t realize I’d left it in my cart. Meanwhile, I went ahead and signed up for the West Milwaukee Preseason I.D., where I was both hitting and pitching. I completely forgot about the Milwaukee event in my cart and ended up purchasing spots for both—talk about an expensive mix-up! Thankfully, I performed well at both showcases, so it wasn’t a total loss.
As for the weight difference—246 pounds in West Milwaukee down to 239.2 in Milwaukee—that’s another story. The night before the West Milwaukee event, my grandparents took me to Lou Malnati’s in Brookfield, and I went all out, stuffing myself with pizza and salad. Stepping on the scale the next day was a bit of a wake-up call. Determined to get in better shape, I spent the next month leading up to the Milwaukee showcase focusing on my fitness. I hit the treadmill hard, setting it to a 15 incline at a speed of 3, and cleaned up my diet. By April, I’d managed to drop 15 pounds, which felt like a big win!
Other than being a baseball player, it looks like you did some wrestling and some youth football as well. I’m assuming that baseball has been your favorite to play. How did you decide to focus on baseball going into high school?
To be honest, my favorite sport tends to shift with the seasons. In the fall, I’m all about football, even though I regret not sticking with it. People often tell me I could’ve made a big impact and might even be on a college football path if I had. Still, I’m thrilled about my future in college baseball.
During the winter, wrestling takes the top spot—I love the challenge—and I also get into the excitement of March Madness. That’s when I start playing basketball in the driveway and play with my coworker Daniel Kibler at Midnight Basketball, a fun 3v3 pickup tournament hosted by the New Berlin Police Department. We’ve had our share of wins and losses, but it’s always a blast.
Come spring and summer, my heart is fully in baseball. I soak up the nice weather, practicing whenever I’m not at a game. Plus, I use the nice weather to bike to Brewer games to skip parking fees—check out my article on the Norse Code website for tips on that!
I truly believe being a multisport athlete is invaluable, whether you’re on a team or just playing for fun. Wrestling, in particular, played a huge role in getting me in top shape and building my mental toughness, teaching me to push past my limits even when my body wants to give up. Ultimately, my decision to focus on baseball for college stemmed from a natural talent for the sport—though I’ve worked hard to get where I am. It’s a game I’ve always loved, and that passion, paired with my ability, made it the clear choice as I moved into high school.
Your MaxPreps profile says that you have 3 homeruns on the season, with a .400 batting average! How does this season stack up to your others, and how does the team look heading into the end of the season?
Looking back, my high school baseball journey has had its ups and downs. As a freshman and sophomore on varsity, I struggled at the plate more than I’d hoped, which led me to focus solely on pitching for travel baseball. I was pretty nervous back then and didn’t play to my full potential, though I did kick off my freshman year with a memorable first hit—a home run in the season opener. Switching to a pitcher-only role for travel baseball seemed to unlock something in me. Maybe it was the reduced pressure or the two years of experience I gained, but by my junior year, I was hitting like never before. I surprised even myself, finishing with a .418 average, 28 hits (13 of them extra bases), and three home runs—all in the playoffs—earning me First Team All-Conference as an infielder.
This season started rocky, though. In the first four games, I went 2-13 with six strikeouts—nearly matching my total of eight strikeouts from all of last year. But I stayed confident, figured things out, and turned it around. Since those early games, I’ve gone 16-33 over 12 games, boasting a .485 average, just two strikeouts, and those three home runs you mentioned, including two in one game against a future Big Ten Division 1 pitcher. It’s been a strong rebound!
As for the team, we’re loaded with talent, especially on the mound, thanks to our other conference game starter returning from injury, something we lacked last year. We had a slow start, blowing leads in the last inning of our first two conference games, but those setbacks taught us a lot. We’ve since earned the nickname “Giant Killers” by upsetting ranked teams like Pewaukee and Oconomowoc. Our record might not tell the whole story, but I believe we’re in great shape heading into the playoffs. Last year, we made a solid run but lost the game to get in the state tournament at the Timber Rattlers stadium. This time, my goal is to get us there, and with our current momentum, I think we’ve got a real shot!
Can you share a favorite memory with us from your 4 years of high school athletics?
Reflecting on my four years of high school athletics, picking just one favorite memory is tough, so I’ll share a few that stand out.
One of my proudest moments was during my freshman and sophomore years when our wrestling team became back-to-back Woodland Conference champions. Both times, we were the underdogs, not expected to win, which made the victories even sweeter. I’ll never forget my sophomore year, beating Pewaukee in their own gym to claim the Woodland West title, then taking down Whitnall-Greendale to win the Woodland Conference outright. Those seasons showed me what it takes to build a successful program, and I was lucky to have incredible senior leaders who taught me how to step up and lead.
Another highlight was last year’s baseball regional championship game against our crosstown rival, New Berlin Eisenhower. I threw a complete game on the mound and went 3-3 at the plate, including a triple. Beating them to win the title was an unforgettable thrill, especially given the rivalry.
Finally, I can’t leave out being in the stands during my sophomore year to witness our football team’s incredible playoff run. They were one game away from the state championship, pulling off improbable wins in the most dramatic situations. Watching their journey was inspiring and a memory I’ll always cherish from my high school sports years.
After this you’re headed to D2 school Quincy University. How excited are you about this opportunity, and how was your recruiting process?
I’m incredibly excited to continue both my academic and athletic journey at Quincy University, a Division II school. It feels like the perfect fit for me, and the fact that I’ll be on a full academic and athletic scholarship only heightens my enthusiasm while easing the financial pressure of college.
The recruiting process kicked off last summer when Quincy’s coach spotted me at a tournament. He reached out through Twitter, and we scheduled a call that lasted over an hour. Right from the start, the conversation clicked, and it felt like a natural match. About a month later, I visited the campus and fell in love with it—the small size and the chance to play as a freshman were ideal. Plus, they offer my intended major, sports communications, which sealed the deal.
I committed earlier than most. I had other offers on the table and additional coaches contacted me at the end of the travel ball. By then, my mind was already 90% made up, and choosing Quincy felt like a no-brainer.
Can we get a gear rundown from you? What are your favorite brands to use when you’re taking the diamond?
Bat: Marucci CATX2 Connect Puck Knob
Glove: Custom Prospec Glove
Batting Gloves: White Bruce Bolt Long Cuff
No Leg Guard, Elbow Guard, sliding mit, or sun glasses.
Molded cleats: New Balance Men's Fuel Cell COMPv3 Low Molded Baseball Cleats (The best molded cleats ever)
Metal Cleats: Nike Alpha Huarache Elite 4 Low
I don't exclusively use one brand, I diversify my equipment.
Thanks for your time Rocco! Do you have any last pieces of advice or anything else you’d like to say?
♪ You Can’t Beat Burghardt ♪
Interview by Burghardt Sporting Goods Staff. Looking to get your senior featured on our blog? Email luke@bsg1881.com for more information!