Shortstop Cadyn Grenier led Bishop Gorman to a state Division I title this season. Photo by Greg Cava.
Cadyn Grenier made the American Family Insurance ALL-USA preseason baseball team and is in prime position to make the postseason ALL-USA postseason team. The senior shortstop led Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) to a 32-3 record and the Nevada Division I title. He hit .472 with six homers, 35 RBI, 66 runs and 27 stolen bases. Until the regular season American Family Insurance ALL-USA baseball team comes out in June, we’re looking at players who deserve consideration.
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PLAYER PROFILE:
Name: Cadyn Grenier
School: Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas
Height, weight: 5-11, 180
Bats/throws: Right/right
Baseball future: Signed with Oregon State and is considered a potential first or second-round pick in the June Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.
Cadyn Grenier ended his baseball career at Bishop Gorman in the best way possible, hitting a walkoff homer to give the Gaels a state title. With the score tied at 5-5 in the ninth inning with Green Valley (Henderson) on Saturday, Grenier hit a 1-1 pitch over the right-field wall to give the Gaels a 6-5 victory.
“If you had told me I would end my high school career that way, I would not have believed it,” Grenier said. “It was an up and away fastball that tailed a bit because it was (thrown by) a lefty. I went with the pitch, hit it to right and it kept going and going and then I saw it bouncing over the fence. Everyone was so surprised.”
Well, almost everyone. Listen to what Bishop Gorman coach Gino DiMaria said last week, a few days before Grenier’s walkoff homer.
“There’s nothing he does that surprises me after some of the things I’ve seen him do,” DiMaria said. “I think that’s why the scouts are so high on him. They’re starting to send the big guys around, so I know it’s getting serious.”
Grenier has been around baseball since he was a 4-year-old, playing in a T-ball league for 5-year-olds. His mother, Julie Grenier, is a tournament director for the Vegas Valley Baseball League. His father, now a senior account executive for CBS Radio, is a former assistant general manager for the then-Las Vegas Stars’ Triple-A team and was Cadyn’s Little League coach. Cadyn’s older brother, Justen, played junior college baseball.
“They’ll all say something if they see something they don’t like,” Grenier said. “My mom is worse than my dad in that sense. If she sees something she doesn’t like, she’s going to confront me and tell me about it. She won’t talk about my batting, she knows she doesn’t have the experience to fix that. She’ll let me know if I don’t hustle, or if I reach for a ground ball.”
Baseball has also allowed him to blend the sport he loves with charity work, as one of his regular volunteer activities is with the Miracle League of Las Vegas, which allows children with cognitive or physical challenges the chance to play baseball with the assistance of “buddies” such as Grenier.
“At Gorman, we’re required to have 100 hours of community service,” Grenier said. “For me, that was easy. Volunteer work has become a big staple in what I do. It’s a big part of my life. I got to work for different organizations in Vegas. The Miracle League is baseball-oriented. It’s for girls and boys and even for those older. All the age groups are out there having fun. There’s no keeping score. My mom helped me set up something where our whole varsity team went out there and it was awesome. It mixes my life with baseball and allows me help these people experience the most I can for them.”
Grenier got to where he is by grinding, trying to improve every day, but he said one area he needs to work on is forgetting his own mistakes and moving on.
“As a player, I’m really a perfectionist,” Grenier said. “When I struggle a bit, I get down a bit. I’ve gotten so much better at brushing things off and going out there, no matter what happens. At the same time, being a perfectionist is what has driven me.”
Lake Mary, Fla., shortstop Brendan Rodgers is expected to lead a strong group of shortstops in this year’s draft, which means it is hard to gauge where Grenier will land.
“Even if I go in the first 15 spots in the draft, it will be a hard decision for me (whether to go pro or to Oregon State),” Grenier said. “Regardless, I have a great support system with my family. I know I am going to make the right choice for me. Having this kind of decision is a good problem.”