ARCANUM – Arcanum senior, Grant Delk is thankful for the opportunity to continue his education while playing baseball for Sinclair Community College after not one, but two high school season ending injuries.
“I am just thankful Sinclair, Coach Dintamin and the coaching staff has given me this opportunity – the past four years I have been injured a lot so having this opportunity – I’m blessed.”
“Sinclair is getting a good one,” said veteran Arcanum baseball coach Randy Baker. “Only got to see him play one year (injuries) and we are excited to have him coming out this year; pitch, play first base and bat in the middle of our order.”
Delk, the son of Nikki and Brad Delk will study Sports Medicine while continuing his baseball career and plans to continue his education following two years at Sinclair at a four year university while continuing his baseball career.
Sinclair is one of the premier National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) baseball programs in the country.
“Sinclair has won their conference almost every year since 2010,” Delk stated. “They came close to winning the World Series last year. They are a really good NJCAA team. They are one of the top NJCAA teams in the nation so they are pretty good.”
The 6’4” Delk expects Sinclair to use him in a pitching role with the baseball program.
“They mainly want me to go down there and pitch for them,” noted Delk. “I went to one of their camps this winter and I performed well so I’m pretty sure they want me to pitch.”
“He can play first, he can pitch,” said Coach Baker. “He’s left-handed, he throws hard and mixes his stuff up well. He just needs to get a little bit more experience under his belt and he will have that coming this spring and this summer.”
Delk has his 2020 senior season still to play for the Trojans and after graduation will be playing for the Greenville Legion Post 140 baseball team.
Delk took time to talk about his two serious injuries keeping him sidelined for most of his high school baseball and basketball career.
“My freshman year after I was injured and not able to play, I struggled with school and I went downhill real fast,” said Delk. “The second time I was injured I expected it, I knew what was coming so I prepared for it and I bounced back – this year I’m doing pretty well, still healthy, I’m just thankful for that.”
“He’s a good kid,” Baker stated. “He’s just had some misfortune with his knees and other than that he would have been a real asset to us last year having him at first base and being able to pitch for us – it would have definitely helped us out.”
“I figure we would have gone farther last year with him,” continued Coach Baker. “He would have started for us as a freshman but he blew his knee out. He is going to be a four year letterman for us. That is kind of rare here to have. It’s nice that he stuck with it and he’s going to be an asset to this team.”
“I would like to thank my parents the most – with my injuries they have done so much for me,” Delk said. “My coaches; Randy (Baker – baseball) and Mr. (Roger) McEldowney (basketball) just teaching me life lessons, and my grandparents (Steve and Chris Christ), my aunt (Amanda) and uncle (Cameron) and great-grandpa Christ.”
