NEENAH (NBC 26) — The Rockets baseball team is chasing history—aiming for their first conference title in nearly 50 years. Leading the way is senior Andrew Carlson, who brings his leadership and championship mindset from the football field to the diamond.
“I'm really excited, excited for opportunity to be the guy,” Carlson said. “You know, have people circle my name and be like, don't throw to this guy, but I'm excited for that challenge. I'm excited to build off of a really good junior year.”
Head coach Aaron Nelson said the Rockets are leaning on veterans like Carlson. As Neenah’s only four-year varsity baseball player, his experience is unmatched.
“When you talk about freshmen in the FVA, it doesn't happen a lot, right?” Nelson said. “So just his work ethic, the way he attacks every day. He's a baseball guy through and through. He lives, breathes, and dies this game. He's going on to the next level to play.”
But it’s not just his talent—Carlson stands out as a leader, both on and off the field.
He’s involved in DECA, a leadership and entrepreneurship club, and leads in the classroom. He credits his older brother, a former Rockets catcher, for shaping his leadership style.
“Watching him at a young age, I've kind of picked up those leadership abilities from a young age,” Carlson said. “I think I've always been more of an outspoken, confident person. The confidence of myself has really developed over the past couple years.”
That growth hasn’t gone unnoticed—Coach Nelson said Carlson has become exactly the kind of leader the team looks up to.
“We want that servant leader, those guys to look up to,” Nelson said. “You know, he's become more and more of vocal leader as he's, you know, aged here. So from where I had him as a sophomore my first year to where he is now is just fantastic.”
Carlson doesn’t just bring leadership—he brings a football mindset to the diamond. As a linebacker, he learned to move with precision and aggression, and he now applies those skills at third base.
“Football you get—you move in different patterns, you kind of learn aggression that you don't really get in baseball,” Carlson said. “As a linebacker, you have to work downhill, those same angles where I was practicing in football I use all the time and at third base.”
And there’s one more thing he hopes to bring from football: winning.
After helping Neenah win a share of the FVA football title, Carlson hopes that same success carries into spring.
