Monte Lee Says Caden Grice Can 'Be a Star' For Clemson
Monte Lee may have found the big bat his lineup was missing in the shortened 2020 season.
Clemson Baseball fans have seen a number of power hitters come through the program during Lee's tenure. The Tigers head coach says freshman Caden Grice has as much pop in his bat as any player he's had to date.
"He's got big-time power at the plate," Lee told the media on Friday. "He has got to figure some things out as a hitter. I think it's more power than hitter right now. We're trying to develop him as a hitter because if he contacts the baseball, he's got as much raw power as anybody that we've had here."
One of the cornerstones of the Tigers most recent recruiting class, Grice is a physical specimen. As imposing of a figure as he is at the plate, he is even more imposing on the pitchers mound.
"Well, Caden is 6-foot-6, 240 pounds," Lee said. "He's been 92-93 on the mound, got a good changeup, got a good breaking ball, throws a lot of strikes. Has thrown two live pens versus hitters and he has been dominant on the mound."
Early on, the returns have been good. While there are some things the coaches are planning to attempt to work on with the freshman phenom, Lee says Grice can make more than just a substantial contribution this season.
"I think he's got a chance to be a star," Lee said. "So right now the biggest thing that we're going to have to focus on, and again, today's the first day where we'll see him against live arms, is he's just got to develop as a hitter. If he can contact the ball a lot, he's got a chance to hit the ball out of the stadium, I mean, it's real. The power is impressive. So we're just trying to see if we can turn him into a hitter, that's our big focus for him, but so far so good. I think he's got a chance to be special."
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