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Fri, Nov 5, 2004
Merrill shortstop lands scholarship
By Kevin Winters Morriss
Wausau Daily Herald
kmorriss@wdhprint.com
MERRILL - Nick Grunenwald put in an extraordinary number of hours to make sure his dream of playing Division I college baseball became reality.
Louisiana Tech University rewarded him for his efforts, offering him a full ride to play shortstop for the Bulldogs in the Western Athletic Conference.
"I definitely feel blessed to be able to play at this level," Grunenwald said. "It has always been a dream of mine to play Division I baseball and, hopefully, progress from there. I am really happy.
"I looked at a few other places and then it came down to the best fit, academically, they play in a strong conference and I'll have a chance to possibly start right away. I really liked the coaching staff, too."
It has been a rough fall for Grunenwald. He would lead the Merrill High School football team in rushing as the running back on Friday nights then would travel around the Midwest to play baseball on Saturdays.
"I would get up at like 3 in the morning (on Saturdays) and then drive to Chicago and places like that," Grunenwald said. "I did a lot of sleeping in the car. I have to thank my dad a lot; he drove. It was all right once I got on the field. It was kind of brutal getting there."
Merrill baseball coach Brian Artac wasn't surprised by Grunenwald's willingness to do anything to play baseball.
"He's really dedicated and he dedicated himself to baseball," Artac said. "He does the other sports and he does them quite well, but he chose baseball."
The Bluejays' leadoff hitter batted .429 with three home runs and 12 runs batted in during the 2004 Wisconsin Valley Conference season. He also stole 10 bases and scored 22 runs, and he knows that he'll be expected to produce just as well, if not better, this season.
"I think it puts a little more pressure on you, knowing people are going to expect a lot more out of me," Grunenwald said. "It is definitely a relief to have that off my back, to have the college process taken care of."
Artac said he anticipates Grunenwald will see some time on the mound during the spring season but he'll spend most of his time at shortstop. He's also tinkering with the idea of moving Grunenwald to the No. 3 spot in the lineup to give him more opportunities to drive in runs. Wherever Grunenwald is on the field, Artac knows he can count on him to make the smart play.
"He is very consistent with the bat and consistent with the glove," Artac said. "He has a strong arm. He is going to pitch this year and can throw 85 mph. He can run. He's excellent on the bases."
Grunenwald and Jordan Stine will be the likely leaders on the baseball team during the spring. Last season, they helped lead the Bluejays to a second-place finish in the Valley at 12-4, but lost to Rhinelander 10-4 in a WIAA Division 1 sectional game.
"I think I have kind of naturally been a leader," Grunenwald said. "I felt like on the football team I tried to do that. I try to lead by example but I am also a guy who can be a little more vocal if I have to be. I guess I will see what kind of role I have to take."
After spending ridiculous hours in the car traveling to different games and working on his fundamentals in practice, Louisiana Tech is the perfect reward.
"It was a lot of work and it was a little stressful at times," Grunenwald said. "I did put a lot of work into it. To get your college education paid for and to get to play in a program like that, it is worth it."
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Originally Posted by Gooddawg
