NEXT PITCH
MEET COACH BRIAN GRANT "BG"
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT & ENJOYMENT
OF THE GAME IS MY TOP PRIORITY
BG got his first taste of coaching in 1994 while playing in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. BG was invited to join the Varsity staff at Terra Linda HS in Ca. before reporting to Spring Training and since then, he took opportunities to help out various HS programs and work with player development. He is driven to give back to the game that treated him so well since playing little league as a 9-year-old.
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Coach BG has coached baseball for almost 30 years, from youth to professional. His coaching career has been blessed with numerous highlights over the years, but none more memorable than the 13 inning, 2-1 loss to Jesuit in the 2019 State Championship Game. " People still come up to me and tell me how great that game was to watch! Although no one likes to lose, I can't express how proud I am at the effort and drive our players showed that afternoon to compete til the very last pitch." BG is currently the pitching coach for the Portland Pickles WCL College Summer League.
Professional Baseball Career 1993-2003
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1993-95: Toronto Blue Jays​​​
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1997-99: Northern League Professional Baseball (Sioux Falls, Thunder Bay, Adirondack)
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2000: Chicago White Sox
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2000-03: Western League Professional Baseball (Sonoma County)
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2002: Taiwan Major League (Chiayi)
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2003: Central League Professional Baseball/ Player- Coach (Amarillo, Springfield)
College Coaching Career
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Concordia University 2007-12', 19'-20'
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Portland Pickles WCL 2021- Present
High School Coaching Career
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Terra Linda HS (Ca) 1994
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Canyon Del Oro HS (Az) 1997-98'
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Beaverton HS 1999, 2000
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Novato HS (Ca) 2002
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Lincoln HS 2004-07'
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Central Catholic HS 2013-19'
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Finished #2 in State 2019​
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MEET COACH "B" BIOLA CRUSE
PREPARING PLAYERS TO FACE THE CHALLENGES BOTH THE FIELD & LIFE WILL THROW AT THEM
Biola began playing baseball for Peninsula Little League in North/NE Portland. He continued playing through high school for Madison (McDaniel) and San Marin High Schools. Biola coached his first Little League team as a sophomore in high school, hoping to instill the joy of the game he loves so much within the next generation of his community.
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Biola continued coaching community teams, culminating with the honor of coaching his three boys and their teammates beginning in 2014. During their time in Hollywood Rose City, the Cruse Crew coached/played on eight total All-Star teams, earning the district title for various age groups all but one year under Biola's leadership. HRC also won the State Championship in front of a home crowd at Erv Lind Stadium.
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Biola began coaching JBO 13U/14U Baseball for the Grant Youth program in 2020, focused on helping athletes expand their skills to be competitive on a larger playing field. He loves helping players develop the confidence, skill, and resilience they use not only on the field but to become better humans. Coach B looks forward to helping your athlete attain their own goals, both on and off the field.
