"You can call me the Shohei Ohtani of College Baseball" - Rising star Grant Knipp makes bold declaration after excellent two-way outing
Campbell Camels two-way player Grant Knipp is the college version of Shohei Ohtani, and he would be the first person to tell you so. The redshirt junior continues to impress after being one of the best players in the country last year.
Knipp played in 55 games last season for the Camels, hitting .278/.414/.572 with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs. He led his squad to an impressive 46-15 record during the 2023 season.
Knipp, a catcher, did not see any action as a pitcher his first few years as a college baseball player, but that changed on Tuesday. He came in as the team's closer, shutting the door in the ninth inning, and crushed a three-run home run earlier in the game.
"I guess you can call me the Shohei Ohtani of College Baseball right now" stated Knipp.
Grant Knipp finished the night by catching eight innings, closing the game on the mound, and hitting a three-run bomb. That would certainly make Ohtani proud.
It was a big victory for the Camels on Tuesday night. They took down East Carolina by a score of 7-6. East Carolina has a strong baseball program this year, ranked 11th in the country.
Fans who want to see more of Knipp can do so this weekend. Campbell takes on Ohio University in a three-game series starting on Friday.
Like Grant Knipp, more and more players are trying to become two-way players like Shohei Ohtani
The rise of Shohei Ohtani has inspired a new generation of baseball players trying to make it as a two-way player. While Grant Knipp got his shot on Tuesday, others have tried their hand at it.
One player who has been on the rise for the last few years is Bubba Chandler. The Pittsburgh Pirates selected him out of high school during the 2021 MLB Draft. According to The Athletic, he is the Pirates' No. 4 prospect behind Jared Jones.
Unfortunately, Chandler has started to focus more on pitching, which has seen him climb the team's rankings. However, that does not mean the journey is completely over. He could still pursue playing both sides of the ball after developing on the mound.
Over the years, coaches, who would be disgusted seeing somebody try to play on both sides of the ball, are starting to ease up. It will not be much longer before two-way players become less rare.