Every time Caleb Granger steps on the pitcher’s mound, he’s defying the odds.

Born with microtia, a defect where Granger’s right ear is not properly formed, the Florida A&M junior ace pitcher and North Florida Christian alumnus uses the disorder to his advantage by blocking out the noise.

The Friday night pitcher, Granger, has a 6-2 record in nine starts while the Rattlers (18-18, 13-2 SWAC) stand atop the Southwestern Athletic Conference East standings.

“You can’t hear out of it. But it’s nothing like Marco Polo. That’s a challenging sport,” Granger joked.

“Sometimes, it’s easier to zone out and lock in on the pitch instead of listening to surroundings. People would tell me you can only hear half of them when pitching with 7,000 people in the stands. It does make it easier.

“Over the years, you just learn how to deal with it. People can’t talk to you on your right side, and you have to move them to the left, little things. But it’s nothing major. Nothing affects me on the mound.”

During last season’s NCAA Regional Tournament against the Florida Gators, Granger jumped on the scene when he only allowed four hits against 25 batters faced in the Rattlers’ 3-0 loss.

It gave FAMU an idea of who could overtake the starting pitcher role for the next season to replace current Chicago Cubs minor leaguer Hunter Viets.

Ten months removed from his NCAA Regional showing, Granger ranks first in the SWAC and 19th in the country with a 2.02 earned run average.

“I knew I had big shoes to fill coming in,” Granger said of succeeding Viets. “I talked to coaches, and they picked me up and had trust and confidence in me. And confidence goes a long way. My team’s got my back. I can throw a ground ball and know they will field it. I think we have the best three starting pitchers in the SWAC.”

FAMU head coach Jamey Shouppe knows a thing or two about pitching.

The 11th-year Rattlers coach pitched for the Florida State Seminoles before getting drafted in 1982 and having a three-year professional career in the Houston Astros organization. He also spent 21 years at FSU as the pitching coach on Mike Martin’s staff.

Shouppe has closely watched Granger’s development since recruiting the pitcher from Andrew College ahead of the 2023 season.

“Caleb is by far our most improved player, including pitchers and position players,” Shouppe said.

“He got in the weight room and got strong. His pitch ability is good, and he locates his pitches. He takes an attitude and enthusiasm to the hill, goes out, and tries to get the quick innings. It’s very visible when you see him pitch.

“He sets the tone for us on Friday nights.”

'It's like a family': Tallahassee-born star pitcher Caleb Granger is home at FAMU

Relatability has assisted Granger’s rise to become one of NCAA Division I’s top pitchers.

His position coach, Jeremiah McCollum, once stood in Granger’s shoes as a FAMU pitcher.

McCollum, who joined the Rattlers coaching staff this season, helped FAMU’s 2019 team claim the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship and a spot in the Georgia Tech Regional. McCollum was the 2019 Black College Nines Pitcher of the Year.

Work ethic and gaining 15-20 pounds of muscle is what McCollum credits to Granger’s 2024 campaign.

“Caleb has been a joy to coach,” McCollum said. “He’s a good kid who works hard, head down, and gets the most out of every day here at FAMU. His development from last year to this year has been insane. He’s committed to his journey and getting better as a baseball player and young man.

“I’m not going to jinx it, but hopefully, he pulls it out in the end, gets a big-time SWAC award, and continues leading this team to a SWAC Championship.”

Not only does Caleb Granger play in his hometown of Tallahassee.

Caleb Granger’s older brother, Jacob, joined FAMU’s baseball team this season from Thomas University.

Jacob Granger, also a pitcher, said the brothers wanted to play college baseball together, as they did in high school at NFC.

“That’s all I wanted to do,” Jacob Granger, 23, said about teaming up at FAMU with his brother.

“It’s been cool watching him develop. His mentality has changed. I just wanted to see him play. He worked hard in the offseason, and it’s good to see everything paying off for him.

“It’s just been really fun to watch. It’s awesome.”

The village that has rallied around Caleb Granger comes in handy.

Caleb Granger, 20, says his big brother and coaches pull no punches and take his development seriously as he leads FAMU’s bullpen.

“Everybody came together and helped me out,” Caleb Granger said.

“My brother is the guy you can go to who will critique you well, making the game so much easier. JAM (McCollum) has done a great job working with me. And it’s Coach Shouppe’s second year with me. It’s like a family.

“They make sure they get their point across, and it’s been helping me throughout the year.”

Star pitcher Caleb Granger has championship mindset amidst FAMU baseball's regular season surge

This weekend, FAMU returns home to host Alabama A&M in a three-game SWAC series from Friday to Sunday on Moore-Kittles Field.

The Rattlers have swept three consecutive SWAC series, most recently dominating Mississippi Valley State in Itta Bena last weekend. FAMU only needed Caleb Granger for four innings, where he struck out four hitters and had a 0.00 ERA in the Rattlers’ 21-3 series-opening victory last Sunday.

“Proud of him and excited for him,” Shouppe said of Granger. “Pitching has always been the key. I hope he can continue that.”

As FAMU’s pitcher and a Tallahassee native, Granger enjoys home-cooked meals.

Additionally, he’s a SWAC Commissioner Honor Roll student and a SWAC champion.

There’s not much more that one would ask for.

However, he’s still chasing excellence as the SWAC Baseball Tournament awaits in a month.

Alongside FAMU’s pitching staff, the Rattlers rank second in the SWAC with 39 homeruns and third with 361 hits.

“We’re riding high, for sure. This is the best team I’ve played with, and we knew we would be good,” Granger said.

“Pitching wins championships. We’re scoring a lot of runs, so it makes it easier to pitch. We have to stay within ourselves. We’re playing ourselves.”

Florida A&M vs. Alabama A&M Weekend SWAC Series Schedule

• Friday, at 5 p.m.

• Saturday, at 2 p.m.

• Sunday, at 1 p.m.

All games will be played on Moore-Kittles Field on FAMU's campus.

Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Half-deaf FAMU pitcher Caleb Granger one of the best in NCAA