Gino Groover
 |
| Photo: MiLB.com |
Bio:
Age: 22
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 212 lbs.
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Hometown: East Point, Georgia
Draft Profile: 2nd round, 48th pick of the 2023 draft by Arizona Diamondbacks
Drafted Out of: North Carolina State University
Career Stat Line: .269 AVG .344 OBP 2 HR 25 RBI 3 SB 0.911 Fielding %
LuJames Groover III, or Gino as he's commonly known. Arguably the premier name we've featured in the Spotlight-- and a damn good ball player too.
The son of LuJames II and LeSonya was born in East Point, Georgia to a family of athletes. Both parents played high school basketball, with Dad ultimately ascending to the ranks of the Harlem Globetrotters-- however, he got his baseball genes from his grandfather who played semi-professionally.
Gino first discovered his own love of the game at the age of three, watching his older brother play while his father umpired. By the age of eight, he was already working with former minor leaguer Stantrel Smith on developing routines to maximize practice time-- a young man with discipline and passion well beyond his years.
He attended Walker High School during his prep years, where he really came onto the scene in 2019. The then-junior hit .467 for the Wolverines, receiving all-star honors for Cobb County before committing to the University of Charlotte that summer.
2020 was off to a similarly hot start, as the senior was ripped .381 before the season was cancelled due to COVID, ending his tenure at Walker. The 46th ranked player in Georgia was off to bigger things on the collegiate level.
Groover would only play one season with the 49ers, posting an impressive .351/4/38 line in 54 appearances. His performance would earn him a spot on the Conference USA All-Freshman team, but the 19-year old, "never felt wanted," while in Charlotte-- an isolating feeling given his immense dedication to the team.
North Carolina State coach Chris Hart reached out a few days after their College World Series exit to extend an offer to Gino, if he wanted to keep his talents in state but give a new campus and conference a go. It was that feeling he'd been searching for, making the transfer an easy one to declare.
The transition to ACC baseball was seamless, as the sophomore put up .364/.440/.568 slashes and an OPS of 1.007 in his first season with the Wolf Pack, playing primarily first base. He earned second team All-ACC honors, only falling behind Georgia Tech's Andrew Jenkins for the spot on the first-team.
NC State decided to move LuJames to the hot corner in 2023, where there were a few growing pains in the field. The bat stayed incredibly consistent though, as the junior sacrificed some average to mash a career-high 13 home runs. He'd finish as a third-team ACC member, posting a .332/13/50 line across 57 games.
MLB scouts took plenty of notice to the surging Groover, with some mock drafts having him projected as high as the early second round. Come July 9th, the wait was on. The first round came and went, with no team giving the nod to the North Carolina State standout. Round number two would not be as arduous, as Arizona came calling with the 48th pick overall. After some negotiations, the two sides agreed to a $1.783 million signing bonus, and the Gino was officially a member of the Diamondbacks organization.
The team would send their second rounder to the Arizona Complex for four games before letting him wrap up 2023 with the Hillsboro Hops. In 23 games of A+ ball, Groover would go 23-87 at the dish with a long ball and 14 RBI. He also managed an even K:BB ratio, indicative of the plate discipline he was known for in college.
2024 has had it's hiccups for LuJames, as he suffered a hyperextended wrist in their second series of the year that sidelined him until the beginning of this month. The kid is back though, holding down the hot corner while hitting his first home run of the season last night for the Hops against the Vancouver Canadians!
A strong few weeks here will almost certainly earn him a move up to AA Amarillo. Make sure to keep an eye on Arizona's fifth ranked prospect as he continues to make his way toward the big stage!
------
@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
Comments
Post a Comment