McConnell departed the Dalton team in  and began to play organized baseball for semi-pro teams in Rutland, Vermont, and Beloit, Wisconsin, in the following season. In , he joined the Troy Trojans of the New York State League and posted a batting average of .318 in 121 games. Over the next two years, he spent a season each at the Eastern League's Rochester Broncos and the Utica Pent-Ups, where his performance dipped.
McConnell departed from the Dalton team in  and began to play for semi-professional baseball teams in Rutland, Vermont, and Beloit, Wisconsin, during the following season. In , he joined the Troy Trojans of the New York State League and achieved a batting average of .318 in 121 games. Over the next two years, he played for the Eastern League's Rochester Broncos and the Utica Pent-Ups, where his performance decreased.