Byrd is grateful for Clemson--and Clemson should be grateful to him
OXFORD, Miss.-- The final out of the Oxford Regional signaled the end of a career for a number of Clemson baseball players, but for Grayson Byrd it was the end of a journey that began with another Tiger program--LSU.
Before college, Byrd was recognized for his mission trips and charity work. His father, Paul, was a righthander at Louisiana State and played 14 seasons in the major leagues with the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox--making the decision to follow in his father, and mother's, footsteps an easy decision.
But after a freshman season that saw Byrd get only five starts and appear in only 24 games, he decided to change his stripes and transfer to the Clemson Tigers.
"(Being a part of Clemson has) Meant the world," Byrd said. "“When I came here the team, coaches and fans all accepted me with open arms. Ever since I stepped foot on campus, even with the injuries and having to sit out, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I have had a blast.
“Coming to Clemson is an indescribable experience until you are a part of it. I look back over the four years and I have loved every second of it.”
After sitting out the 2016 season, due to NCAA transfer rules, Byrd jumped in the lineup in 2017--as he hit .284 with 22 runs, six doubles, a triple, homer, 20 RBIs, a .345 on-base percentage, 16 walks, two hit-by-pitches and three steals in 57 games (54 starts, including 42 at third base and 12 at second base).
In 2018, Byrd was a third-Team All-ACC selection, as he hit .243 with 23 runs, two doubles, nine homers, 26 RBIs, a .439 slugging percentage, .309 on-base percentage, 12 walks, three hit-by-pitches, five sacrifice bunts and three steals in 48 games (39 starts, including 15 at second base, 13 as the DH and 11 at third base).
In 2019, the Milton, Ga. native was a First-Team All-ACC and a third-team All-American selection in 2019. He is hitting a team-high .315 with 15 homers, two triples, 15 doubles, 56 RBIs, 46 runs, a .584 slugging percentage, .393 on-base percentage and four steals in starting all 58 regular-season games.
Byrd joked, in his final press conference following the Tigers' 9-2 loss to Jacksonville State in the Oxford Regional, that he loved Clemson so much that he wanted to petition the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility.
"It hurts, you know,” Byrd said. “I have had a blast playing for Clemson. I think I am going to go home and look up how I can get a sixth year somehow. I don’t know if there is a loophole there, but I have had a blast. So, this hurts. It is tough. That is all I can say.”
It hurts for Clemson too, as the Tigers will surely miss the leadership and passion that Byrd, and the rest of the seniors, provided during their time.
"They've meant an awful lot to our program," head coach Monte Lee said. "Won a lot of games for our program and I feel fairly confident they'll all move on to professional baseball and get an opportunity and I'm excited to see what the future holds and, and hope that they had a great experience while they wore the purple and orange."