Baseball – Red Bank Catholic Sophomore Sean Griggs Commits to Alabama
The Red Bank Catholic baseball team has produced High-Major Division I players and even MLB Draft picks, but one distinction the Caseys have not had under 13-year head coach Buddy Hausmann or any time in the last 20 years is a future SEC player.
Current Caseys sophomore Sean Griggs is on his way toward changing that Friday, when the left-handed swinging infielder-slash-outfielder announced his non-binding verbal commitment to play at the University of Alabama.
Griggs drew interest from multiple ACC programs, Kentucky and locals including Rutgers, Seton Hall and St. John’s and made his decision after visiting the campus last weekend, according to Hausmann.
As a freshman in 2021, Griggs hit .287/.447/.325 with three doubles, 21 runs and 21 RBI while facing top-of-the-line varsity pitching and more than holding his own as a rookie.
According to Hausmann, Griggs showed more power during the fall, as well as an ability to play a quality third base after playing the corner outfield spots for Red Bank Catholic last year.
With Griggs now committed to Alabama, Red Bank Catholic now has Division I commitments in all four grades. Senior infielder Matt Scrivanic is heading to Monmouth University next season; junior Frank Scrivanic is committed to Seton Hall while classmate Alex Stanyek is headed to George Washington; and freshman Ryan Prior is already committed to the University of Virginia.
Red Bank Catholic has had a handful of ACC commitments, with Ryan Kalish, Shane Panzini and current freshman Ryan Prior all committing to Virginia and Mike Rescigno committing to Maryland. Kalish and Panzini both signed professional contracts in lieu of attending Virginia, Prior has yet to throw a pitch in high school and Rescigno eventually ended up playing in the Big Ten when Maryland shifted conferences for the 2014-15 season.
Griggs joins the club of Shore Conference players to verbally commit to SEC programs in the last decade – one that includes Tyler Ras (Middletown North/Alabama), Pat Reilly (Christian Brothers Academy/Vanderbilt), Jay Groome (Barnegat/Vanderbilt), Ron Cole (Neptune/Kentucky), Andrew DiPiazza (Central/Alabama) and current Jackson Memorial senior Zach Crotchfelt (Auburn).
Ras was drafted by the Colorado Rockies out of Alabama this past July, Reilly is entering his sophomore season as a candidate to start on Fridays for Vanderbilt and Cole is heading into his third season at the collegiate level.
DiPiazza spent one year at Alabama and returned to New Jersey to play at both Mercer County Community College and Rowan University.
Groome was the No. 12 overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox and decommitted from Vanderbilt in favor of Chipola College just before draft day. After battling a rash of injuries during his early professional career, Groome ascended to Double-A in 2021 and is currently on the Red Sox 40-man roster.
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