Corbin Carroll ’19 sprints across the lush green diamond, hand outstretched; the ball falls easily into his glove. Fans rejoice. Players hug. For the first time in 22 years, the Arizona Diamondbacks win the National League pennant to advance to the World Series.
Carroll, who is favored to win Rookie of the Year later this month, shone bright in his inaugural season, becoming the first rookie ever to record 25 home runs and 50 stolen bases. Despite the Diamondbacks’ 4-1 World Series loss to the Texas Rangers, Kellen Sundin, Carroll’s former coach at Lakeside, is proud of his outstanding year with the team.
“I have stopped using the word ‘surprise’ with him the last few years because he’s accomplished so much,” says Sundin. “When I see him have success out on the field, I know how he got there and what went into that — and so that part is not surprising because I know what he’s capable of.”
The night that the D-Backs beat the Philadelphia Phillies to win the National League, Carroll called Sundin. The two talk “all the time,” discussing everything from the newest trades in Major League Baseball to Lakeside’s games in the Metro League. That evening, Carroll was simply elated.
“He’s usually a pretty composed kid, and he’s forward-looking and not overly reactionary,” says Sundin, who has traveled to Arizona several times this year to watch Carroll play in person.
I think everybody that he’s touched in [his life] has been really proud to watch him and have a Lakeside guy do what he’s done.
“But you could tell that game got him going pretty good and he’s pretty thrilled to have won that [game] and get an opportunity to play in the World Series.”
Despite his success in the Major Leagues, Sundin says Carroll “has not changed at all. He’s the same guy he’s been. I think some of his attributes that made him successful when he was younger are making him successful now.”
Among those attributes, Sundin highlights Carroll’s thoughtfulness. Carroll has spent hours signing autographs for Queen Anne Little League players, and frequently asks Sundin for updates on Lions Baseball. In addition to being thoughtful, Sundin says that Carroll “has always been calculating and reserved in some ways…He has always had a great idea of what he wanted to get accomplished and a plan to get to where he wants to get.”
As he watched Carroll play in the World Series, Sundin felt an overwhelming sense of pride. “I think everybody that he’s touched in [his life] has been really proud to watch him and have a Lakeside guy do what he’s done. I hear from a lot of people — teachers included — that, maybe [are] not baseball people, but that had him in class and they’re all really proud of him, as am I of course.”
