Lifelong Connection to the Gamecocks Makes it Easy for Greiner to Give Back
Former South Carolina catcher Grayson Greiner (2012-2014) loved the Gamecocks before he arrived on campus. He loved being a Gamecock while he was here, too, and as he balances being a husband, father, and Major League Baseball player for the Detroit Tigers, he still shows his love for his alma mater today and recently made a generous gift to the South Carolina Athletics program.
“All I’ve ever known my whole life is Carolina Athletics,” Greiner said. “From my dad (Mark Greiner, 1973-76) playing basketball there and my grandfather (William Killoy, 1947-50) playing football there, from the day I was born, it’s where I always wanted to go. The fact that I was able to live out that dream and play three amazing years there and go on to play professional baseball, I feel like Carolina prepared me to handle professional baseball and eventually make the big leagues.
Grayson Greiner with wife, Madison, and son, Hudson.
“I wanted to thank the University and give back to our current student-athletes as a die-hard Gamecock fan. I have a huge passion for the University, and I’ll probably live in Columbia the rest of my life. It just felt right to do, and I would encourage any student-athlete that has the ability to do so, to always give back to your roots and try to pave a better path for the athletes that come behind us.”
“We appreciate Grayson’s willingness and ability to give back to Gamecock baseball,” said South Carolina head coach Mark Kingston. “He is one of our special alumni, and it is great when they want to pay it forward to help our program.”
Growing up in the Columbia area and having the family lineage in the Garnet and Black, Greiner couldn’t help but have a connection with the Gamecocks in each phase of his life.
“I grew up 10 minutes from campus in Forest Acres, and I can remember being three and four years old, sitting in Williams-Brice Stadium and watching football games,” Greiner recalled. “I can remember going over to Sarge Frye Field to watch baseball and to the old Carolina Coliseum to watch basketball. My family is a huge sports family, and I’ve always had a love for anything that had to do with Carolina Athletics.
“My dad used to tell me stories about playing for coach Frank McGuire. He played with Alex English, Mike Dunleavy and some really good players.
“I wrote a letter to my mom when I was eight years old saying that I was going to go play baseball at Carolina and then go play in the Major Leagues. I’ve known from a very young age that was I wanted to do. I’m just glad that I can now give back the University and support those guys and girls as much as I can.”
“My coaches at South Carolina and my teammates instilled a winning attitude in me and how to prepare as a professional.”
Greiner’s prophecy was certainly fulfilled. He was selected as a Freshman All-America in 2012 and helped the Gamecocks reach the College World Series for the third consecutive season. He earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2013 and was named to the SEC All-Defensive team in 2014. Like his father, Greiner had a chance to play with some all-time greats and still carries fond memories of his time on campus.
“As a freshman, I had the chance to start in the national championship, which is something I can’t even put into words with the feeling you get when they do flyover, and you’re about to catch a game at the national championship in Omaha,” Greiner said. “It justified my decision in choosing Carolina. Attending the University was probably the best decision of my life and getting to play at my dream school. Going to Omaha was one of the coolest memories in my life.”
“Grayson has taken advantage of the opportunities that he has had to live out his dreams of becoming a Gamecock and then a Major League player,” Athletics Director Ray Tanner said. “He has not only built a legacy for himself by working hard at the game, but by giving back to Carolina, which in turn will help student-athletes for years to come.”
Greiner was selected in the third round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft by the Tigers and worked his way up through the ranks to earn his first call up with the MLB Club in May 2018 and played in 30 games that season. Last season he played in 58 games with the Tigers and slugged 5 home runs. He noted that his experience at South Carolina was instrumental in his ability to make the transition to Major League Baseball.
“My coaches at South Carolina and my teammates instilled a winning attitude in me and how to prepare as a professional,” Greiner said. “Carolina runs a professional type of program, and it’s one of the best in the country. Getting to play for Coach (Ray) Tanner for one year was amazing. I learned so much from him, and then getting to learn from Coach (Chad) Holbrook and (assistant) Coach (Sammy) Esposito and (pitching) Coach (Jerry) Meyers and the whole staff along with amazing teammates such as Michael Roth, Christian Walker, Ty Webb, and the list goes on and on, just really helped me. The relationships that you build are so important. I still stay in touch with Coach Tanner and Coach Holbrook and a lot of my teammates.
“I learned so much from all of them that I can use in everyday life.”
Greiner and his wife, Madison, and two-year old son, Hudson, make their home in Columbia, and as he prepares for spring training with the Tigers, Greiner is excited for another year of living out his dreams.
“Every day and every year that I get to play professional baseball is a blessing, and I’m going to do it as long as I can,” Greiner said. “I’m excited to get work.”
