Last spring, Grant Hussey grinned from ear to ear as he jogged around the bases at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Hussey had just set the all-time West Virginia home run record, and now in his fourth season as a Mountaineer, he will look to continue his development in 2025, while still representing his home state.
"I recruited the guy when he was 15 years old. So I've known Grant Hussey for a really, really long time. And to get to see his development over the course of the last six or seven years is awesome," West Virginia head coach Steve Sabins said.
Hussey smashed 12 home runs last season and has 37 in his Mountaineer career. Hussey also hit .242 in 2024, with 37 RBI, while starting 54 of 57 games for West Virginia.
Hussey hails from Parkersburg, W.Va., and was just a teenager when he first played at WVU's ballpark as part of a summer league.
"He was a superstar with a lot of raw power. When he was a 15-year-old, he played for the Black Bears as a high school kid. So he was one of the first high schoolers to play in the summer collegiate league. Came up here, struck out a bunch, got it shoved on him quite a bit, hit a couple homers. And then has just continued to develop," Sabins said.
Sabins has had a front row seat to Hussey's journey as a player.
Sabins helped recruit Hussey and then has obviously been on the trail end of his home run trot 37 times while standing as WVU's third base coach. Sabins said Hussey's ability to develop as a player and as a person is what stands out to him the most.
"Like I said, the maturity has been incredible. Watching him become who he is today, I feel confident he'll have his best year of his career here because he's just very clear headed right now. He knows why he's here," Sabins said.
For a school like West Virginia, there is a lot of pride from fans and people inside the program when a homegrown kid like Hussey has the type of success he has. Sabins recognizes that and says Hussey has been and will continue to be a critical part of the Mountaineer baseball program.
"He's really proud to represent the state. He's proud to be at West Virginia and to be a Mountaineer. So having guys like that, that put the program first is critical," Sabins said.
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