MIAMI — Griffin Hugus is not your ordinary college baseball athlete. On the mound, he wears rec specs. Off it, he talks about Jesus more than strikeouts. But for the junior University of Miami pitcher, his identity has never come from the scoreboard, it comes from God, family, and the quiet moments where faith meets purpose.
The 21-year-old Wellington, Florida, native was raised in a close-knit, sports-loving family. When he was not watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Chicago Cubs, he was playing those sports. Whether it was football, basketball, or backyard hockey, it was always about getting better. His dad, a former high school football coach, made sure of that.
“He always encouraged us to just go out there and compete,” Hugus said. “Baseball was just the one that stuck.”
His love for the game took him from Cardinal Newman High School to the University of Cincinnati, but after a coaching change and a desire to be somewhere that embraced him both as a faith-focused player and a person, he transferred to Miami for his junior season. What Miami offered him, changed his life.
The baseball was bigger with packed crowds at Mark Light Field, national attention and pressure to perform. But more importantly, he found people who embraced his faith as part of his identity.
“I’m a very strong follower of Christ,” he said. “Here, the coaches support that. They’ve given me the space to share it, to live it.”
One of the first teammates he connected with was Brian Walters, a fellow pitcher and leader on the team. Together, they now help lead Sunday morning Bible studies for their teammates. They meet over breakfast, coffee and scripture. This weekly ritual is now the heart of Miami’s baseball brotherhood.
“Faith is everything,” Walters said. “Griffin came in, and we just clicked. We knew we were placed here not just to be players, but disciples.”
Before every game, he reads his New International Version (NIV) Bible near the outfield wall, prays on the mound, and posts a Bible verse to his Twitter account. It’s not performative, it’s intentional. It’s the rhythm that keeps him grounded, no matter the pressure.
“Some people probably think I’m talking to myself out there,” he joked. “But I’m really just casting my thoughts onto God. That’s how I stay focused.”
That inner focus is what sets Hugus apart.
Teammates and coaches describe him as someone who bounces back quickly, never getting too high or too low. When an ACL injury sidelined him last year, he didn’t sulk. Instead, he rehabbed, reflected, and returned stronger.
“He’s at 110% now,” Walters said. “He’s relentless. He works every day, and he makes everyone around him better.”
Hugus leads with his heart. He’s the one hyping up the dugout on off days, organizing steak nights for teammates, and making time for kids after games.
Those kids have started showing up to games wearing glasses, just like him.
“I’ve had little kids come up and say, ‘You’re my favorite player because I wear glasses too,’” Hugus said. “It’s wild. But it’s also a reminder — they’re watching. I want them to see someone who plays hard, leads with love, and doesn’t hide who he is.”
Off the field, he is just as dynamic. He’s a homebody who loves listening to house music, reading scripture, and grabbing breakfast at Bagel Emporium. He swears by his Publix chicken tender sub with buffalo sauce, ranch, cheese, and lettuce. He jokes that his teammates up north “just don’t get it.”
He’s also a proud dog dad to Nike and Cooper, two rescue mixes from Big Dog Ranch Rescue.
“They act tough, but they’re sweethearts after the first 30 seconds,” he laughed. “It’s hilarious watching my friends get scared and then fall in love with them.”
The most grounding part of his life is his high school sweetheart, Julianna Disalvo. Now a student at the University of Florida, she’s been his biggest support system through long road trips, tough games, and late-night calls.
“She’s my rock,” Hugus said. “Now she knows enough about baseball to call me out if I play badly — which means I’ve got to stay sharp.”
With one year of eligibility left, Hugus hopes to return as a team captain, mentor younger players, and deepen the culture he’s helped build. He still dreams of the MLB. But he also dreams of starting a family in Florida, traveling to Rome to see ancient history, and maybe becoming a chaplain someday.
For Griffin Hugus, the legacy he leaves won’t be measured in wins. It will be in the lives he’s touched. In dugouts, in pews, and maybe even behind a pair of rec specs.