FORT MYERS, Fla.- Florida SouthWestern State southpaw Grant Besser will be headed back to Big 10 land next season after signing his National Letter of Intent to play at Rutgers University for the 2022-2023 school year.
Besser, an Indiana native, has been a key arm for the Bucs the past two seasons, pitching in 16 games, starting 9, while posting a 3.78 ERA in 52 1/3 innings pitched. As a rookie in 2020 he was on track to be a mainstay in the Bucs rotation, starting 5 games and going 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 27 innings before the season was halted due to Covid. Last season he worked both as a starter and reliever in 9 contests, picking up a pair of saves while again posting more than a strikeout per inning with 28 in 25 1/3 innings worked for the Suncoast Conference Champions. He was lights out in the postseason, throwing 5 no-hit innings over two appearances, picking up saves in both while striking out 6.
The Bucs lefty signs with a Rutgers squad that went 21-23 last season, all Big 10 contests. The Scarlet Knights have been right on the cusp of getting over the hill the past few seasons and head into 2022 looking to do so and have their first winning season since 2014.
Besser is the fourth Division I and sixth overall signee for the Bucs during the early signing period, joining Magnus Ellerts (Florida), Riley Skeen (South Florida), Matthew Corpas (Florida International), Frank Ellisalt (Nova Southeastern), and Kalvin Alexander (Georgia Southwestern).
Besser and the Bucs will open their 2022 season on January 28th when they host the Marissa Gusto Memorial Tournament in downtown Fort Myers.