Following an outstanding 2018 season, Stony Brook SS Nick Grande will add one more piece of hardware to his collection. The Smithtown West grad will receive Axcess Baseball’s Most Valuable Player Award.
During his sophomore season, he posted an incredible season slashing .377/.468/.560 with 59 runs scored, six HR, 28 RBI and 32 stolen bases. He also played stout defensively. For his feats, he was named All-American.
Coming out of high school, he was ranked by us as the No. 6 prospect on Long Island, but has certainly continuously improved and is now considered a draft prospect this season.
He comes from a baseball family, as his father was the Head Coach of Island Trees HS for 14 seasons and played collegiately at Farmingdale State College. He cited Derek Jeter as his favorite player growing up. He certainly possesses a similar demeanor on the field, leading by example and contributing in all facets of the game.
Other finalists for the award were Angelo Navetta (Molloy), Paul Britt (St. Joseph’s) and Jeff Towle (Suffolk CC).
