HOUSTON -- Third baseman Cameron McGriff kicked off his senior season on a strong note Friday morning by helping to lead Southern University to a stellar 6-0 win over Prairie View A&M in the first game of the 2012 Urban Invitational at Minute Maid Park.
McGriff cracked a two-run single for the Jaguars, who enter the 2012 season with a chip on their shoulder after falling to Alcorn State University in the SWAC baseball championship last season.
Although Southern lost to UC Irvine 5-1 on Saturday in their second game of the tournament, McGriff has a great deal of confidence in the team and will be counted upon as a leader while carrying on his family's strong baseball tradition on the field.
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound McGriff is the son of ex-MLB catcher Terry McGriff, as well as the cousin of former five-time All-Star slugger Fred McGriff and ex-two-time All-Star catcher Charles Johnson.
With his father playing four games for the Astros in 1990, it's a special and unique honor for the younger McGriff to play in a collegiate baseball tournament at the big league ballpark in Houston.
"This means everything," McGriff said. "It's a real honor to be able to play in a Major League Baseball stadium as a college player. It is even better, since my father used to play for the Astros. He played when the Astrodome was around. For me, it's really great to be a part of this tournament at Minute Maid Park."
McGriff hit .252 with two home runs, 23 RBI, five doubles and two triples over 107 at-bats in 34 games for the Jaguars last season.
He wants nothing more than to finish his collegiate career on a strong note and be part of a conference championship team in 2012.
"We've got a lot of new guys," he said. "I like what I see. We still have a lot of work to do. We are aiming for a conference title."
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