TRIPLE THREAT Freeport's three-sport athlete ‘has a heart as big as the sky'

Michael Graziani is a three-sport star for the Freeport Bulldogs.

The 17-year-old junior runs cross country, scores in double figures for the basketball team and strikes out opposing batters with his two-seam fastball.

Gene Martin is the head baseball coach for the Bulldogs and has coached Graziani since middle school.

“The best way I can describe Michael is that he may not be the biggest, fastest, or strongest competitor,” Martin said. “But he finds a way to compete every day.”

Graziani is one of the top pitchers in the Bulldogs’ rotation.

“He can do it all,” Martin said. “When he is not pitching for us he plays shortstop and some outfield.”

Graziani has been playing since he “could walk and throw a baseball.”

“I would love to pitch in the next level,” Graziani said. “My best pitch is my fastball.”

Last year in South Florida, Graziani’s fastball was clocked at a blistering 82 mph.

Although he is not a pitcher, Graziani looks up to Derek Jeter.

“I just like the way he handles himself,” he said. “He always works hard and does things the right way.”

Watching Jeter must have rubbed off on Graziani.

“He is just a great kid,” said head basketball and boys track coach David Burke. “I have known him a long time and his heart is as big as the sky.”

Graziani has been playing basketball for Burke since the ninth grade.

“He started out for me playing JV,” Burke said. “Now he is averaging 10.2 points a game and is one of four guys on the team scoring in double figures.”

Graziani has been playing basketball since he was in the sixth grade and started playing to fill his competitive nature.

“I really love playing on defense,” he said. “I will do whatever I need to do to help the team out.”

On the court, Burke admires Graziani’s determination and desire to win.

“This kid gives you his total effort every game,” Burke said.

Burke, who is also Graziani’s cross country coach, believes that they can improve next year.

“He is the best runner on the team,” Burke said. “We just need to put in more time. It’s just hard with his schedule.”

Graziani participated in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s cross country championships in Dade City in November.

He placed 18th out of 187 participants, with a time of 16:51.08 in the 5K run.

Graziani started running cross country so he could stay in shape for basketball.

“I was pretty excited to run with the die-hard athletes they had,” he said. “I really wanted to see what the competition was going to be like.”

While the demands of being a three-sport athlete are great, Graziani still finds time to hang out with friends and go fishing.

“I live by the bay,” he said. “So I can go fishing whenever I want to.”

Graziani said that he caught a 6-foot shark out in the bay.

“I took pictures, cleaned it up, and ate that shark,” Graziani said.

Graziani told the Sun that he pushes himself incredibly hard because he wants to make his family proud.

“They push me to be better,” he said. “I just have to work hard to keep everything up. The pressure and the competition is what keeps me going.”