News surrounding the University of Miami baseball program has been less than stellar as of late but Jim Morris and the program got some good news this weekend when Grant Heyman chose college over Major League Baseball.
Heyman, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound outfielder from Pittsford Sutherland (New York) decided to honor his commitment to the Canes. Heyman was drafted in the eleventh round of the recent MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, but stated that the opportunity to play baseball in the Atlantic Coast Conference was too good to pass up. He’s also received permission to walk on to the football team, having played quarterback in high school.
“It has always been my dream to play Division I sports,” Heyman said. “I was pretty positive that it wouldn’t happen at an ACC school like Miami, but now it is becoming a reality. The Miami coaches are pretty sure they can turn me into a first-round draft pick. I am ready to go down there and work hard.”
Heyman stated that it wasn’t just baseball that will bring him to Coral Gables. It really was about the opportunity to give football a shot, as well.
“It was the football part that came into it, I love football, love playing it. To play football and baseball at Miami is a huge opportunity,” said Heyman.
Heyman is expected to start in left field next year, assuming he comes in, does the work and locks down the gig. However it plays, Miami looks like they nabbed a good one and for a program that was ousted quickly this postseason, the Canes need all the help they can get on the diamond right now.
Well here is to hoping that having a few baseball/football combo guys on the baseball team will remind these guys to be ready for each and every game. Miami baseball lacked focus this year. I hope coach morris can get to omaha one more time before his days are done. Love the facebook jab with the baseball national titles 4-0-0 cracked up big time about that one. It would be nice to have miami be on top of all three major sports not win all three titles but would be sweet if they did but just be top tier in baseball basketball and football. maybe the 2012-2013 sports year will bring big things for um sports.
At long last, some good news for Jim Morris and the Canes baseball program.
One question, one comment, though:
Any information on him as a quarterback prospect?
And, I think you should swap the term “barring” with “assuming” (please take this as constructive criticism; I thoroughly enjoy this blog and your efforts in producing it).
Go Canes!
Changed to ‘assuming’. Well put. You’re right.
On the football front, high school coaches say all the right things, but outside of that, who knows. There was some interest in the northeast in him, which makes sense being he’s out of New York, but no too much national action. Either way, as a walk-on it helps the program and promotes competition at a position that has been hurting for a decade now, so bring it on!