This September, Senior Xavier Grobbel officially committed to continue his academic and baseball career at the City College of New York, a Division III program. Transferring to Wilson his sophomore year, Grobbel played on Junior Varsity for his first year, moving up to Varsity as an outfielder for the past two years. Grobbel explained that the college is “a great fit for me academically and it offers an honors college.” He also mentioned that going to school in a big city was a must, and Manhattan was a major incentive that prompted him to commit.

Like most seniors in Grobbel’s position, Covid-19 enormously slowed down the commitment process. Coaches couldn’t come out and watch his games, so Grobbel had to send them his highlights. Fortunately, Grobbel had already met the baseball coach of CCNY the summer before his junior year, allowing them to develop a relationship early on before Covid-19 struck. This September, Grobbel was invited to visit the campus and was offered a spot on the team. He officially verbally committed on September 9 when the CCNY coach came to watch his game.

The commitment process requires many steps and can be overwhelming at times. Referring to his dad, Grobbel expressed that “having someone to support you in such a tough sport is something that I really appreciate.” Grobbel shared that his dad pushed him “extra hard,” and is one of the main reasons why he is able to play collegiate baseball in addition to his time playing for Wilson.

Grobbel expressed that his time playing for Wilson has been rewarding, “The players are all really close and I’ve met some of my closest friends [on the team].” Grobbel also plays for Gatorball, Wilson’s club team. Attending college in New York City, Grobbel is excited to live in such a lively city, as well as “the opportunities for internships and jobs after college,” that come with the school’s location.

Grobbel plans to study Psychology at CCNY, bringing his tiger pride to the classroom and the field.