BUFFALO, N.Y. — Canisius College baseball has only had two preseason All-Americans until this winter.
Second baseman Max Grant is doing big things at a small school, named to the NCBWA preseason third team All-American list.
"Max is one of the special ones," Golden Griffins manager Matt Mazurek said about his junior infielder. "He was an under-recruited guy out of high school, and he came here, and he just worked his way to be as good as he is. He's tested me as a coach in a great way, where it's constantly, 'Coach, can we hit? Can we hit ground balls?' "
The Griffs made it to the NCAA tournament last season for the first time since 2018, led by a hot bat from Grant.
"With a lot of guys back from last year's team, we have experience in that world, so the expectations are high."
The expectations are high, especially with Grant's productivity. The junior hitting a preseason All-America list isn't small potatoes for Canisius.
"It's a privilege, but at the end of the day, it's just the start of the season. We haven't played a game yet, so those are nothing if I don't go out and prove that," Grant said.
Mazurek added: "He's showed all the younger guys that's what it takes when he goes out there and gets the stats that he did last year and the All-American accolades, it shows them that it's possible at a small school like Canisius. It's great to have him. The guys kind of rally around him to be the best they can be."
As an upperclassman with the Griffs, Grant is just focused on what he can do for his team, outside of the individual expectations on his shoulders.
"It's tough to put personal goals on things, especially when it's such a team sport, but if I can have the season I had last year and help the team win, that's good enough for me," Grant said.
Grant and the Griffs open up the season on Friday against Rutgers at the Swig and Swine Classic in Charleston, S.C.