Connelly was born in Hendersonville, N.C. and attended West Henderson HS for two years & Carolina Day School for two years. He finished his baseball career as a three-time All-American in High School.
His accomplished high school career included selections as a two-time Under Armour Preseason-All American, a Perfect Game Mid-Atlantic All-American, a three-time All-Conference, a two-time All-Western North Carolina, a three-time team captain, and MVP, Connelly also played for Region 8 in NC Powerade State games in HS.
Connelly set the single-season batting average record at Carolina Day his junior season, batting .442. He lettered in 3 HS sports (baseball, wrestling, & basketball) and attended Rockingham Community College after HS.
While at RCC, Connelly was an NJCAA Academic All-American Third-Team selection, and a part of Rockingham Community College's World Series team who finished fourth in 2018, winning the Region X and District D titles.