Greensburg Central Catholic baseball player Anthony Grippo commits to Penn State

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Wednesday, August 7, 2024 | 3:55 PM

Purchase Photo Options

A new NCAA recruiting rule kicked in earlier this month.

It prevents college coaches from communicating with prospects until Aug. 1 of their junior year.

When that day rolled around for Anthony Grippo, his cellphone “blew up.”

The rising junior from Greensburg Central Catholic had more than 20 calls or messages from Division I programs, including a few Power 5 teams.

He chose to tune out all but one: Penn State.

Grippo, a slugging catcher from Mt. Pleasant, quickly accepted a full scholarship offer from the Nittany Lions.

“They came to a couple of my high school games and summer events,” Grippo said. “Out of all the schools, Penn State was where I wanted to play. They were my favorite going in. This is a really good opportunity.”

“Grip,” who plays travel baseball for Flood City Elite, had an impressive showing at the recent Future Games showcase in Georgia.

This past high school season, he was one of the WPIAL’s top hitters, batting .562 with a 1.380 OPS and .708 slugging percentage. He had 27 hits, including four doubles, and led the Centurions with 15 RBIs.

His high school coach, John Boyle, appreciates Grippo’s talent and approach to the game.

“Penn State got more than an A-plus player,” Boyle said. “They got an A-plus person. Someone with Anthony’s commitment to excellence will only get better in college. He has the rare combination of being focused, intense and calm at the plate and behind the plate. He will make his pitching staff better with his keen reads of hitters, and his work ethic for hitting can only rub off on other players.”

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Grippo is a big believer in measurables and metrics, which college coaches look at more now than ever before. His numbers are strong. His pop time, for instance, is between 1.92 and 1.97 seconds. His catcher velocity is 82 mph, his infield velo 89 mph and his exit velo 98.3 mph.

“I stopped pitching because catching is what I want to do (full time),” Grippo said. “With coach (Mike) Gambino and his staff and the offer I got, I couldn’t turn it down. My goal is to get drafted. That has been my goal since I was 4 years old.

“I am still going to work hard and hit every day. There is no reason to stop now. I have two more years (at GCC), and we have a good shot to win.”

Boyle added: “I’m glad GCC has him for two more years.”

Staying Home????????… We Are ????@PennStateBASE @PuccioNick pic.twitter.com/C290GDCMZP

— Anthony Grippo (@anthonyth3guy) August 5, 2024

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Greensburg C.C.