A first baseman is usually a slugger who brings some serious power to your lineup. And while that is true for the West Virginia Mountaineers, their starting first baseman provides so much more.
Grant Hussey is a four-year contributor for the WVU baseball. And in those four seasons, Hussey is much more than just a slugger in the lineup. The Parkersburg, West Virginia, native is often under appreciated for what he does for this WVU team. Along with being the program leader in home runs with 44, he brings speed on the bases, and what goes most unnoticed by many WVU baseball fans is an excellent glove at first base.
More than a power hitter: Hussey shows abilities in different areas on the diamond
Holding the program record of home runs comes with a potential conclusion that Hussey’s bat is the biggest thing that he brings to the lineup. For those WVU baseball fans who have watched Hussey over four years, they will argue that the best thing he brings to the lineup is proficiency in multiple phases of the game.
Hussey can hit for power, as proved by his program record, but he can also steal some bases. Hussey has 17 career stolen bases, with seven of them coming this year, with more games left to play this season. Although he is not going to swipe as many bags as say Skylar King or Armani Guzman, he will take advantage of opportunities to steal bases on pitches who are not fully focused on the run game.
His speed is not the only tool he adds to his power hitting. Arguably one of his tools in his game is he defense that he plays at first base. From making plays in foul territory to scooping errant throws in the dirt from other infielders, Hussey is a complete fielder at first base, sporting a .991 fielding percentage in his four-year career. But his glove work goes much further than his fielding percentage, he makes plays that do not show up in the stat sheet.
All the areas that Hussey brings to the game, it is no wonder why so many fans find it easy to cheer for the West Virginia ntaive. If MLB teams are watching this WVU team, one player that might jump towards the top of their list might be Hussey.