Brandon Grover ’24, ’25 (MBA) named NEWMAC Student-Athlete of the Year
Salve Regina University’s Brandon Grover ’24, ’25 (MBA) has been named a 2024-25 NEWMAC Student-Athlete of the Year, one of four student-athletes across the conference to receive the honor. The award, presented annually by the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), recognizes excellence in academics, athletics, leadership and service. Grover shares this year’s distinction with Kekoa McArdle of Clark University, Olivia Soffer of Babson College and Natalie Barnouw of MIT.
The recipients were selected by a committee made up of athletic directors, senior women administrators, sports information directors and athletics diversity and inclusion designees.
Grover graduated summa cum laude from Salve, with a major in business administration. He obtained his MBA with a concentration in cybersecurity issues in business and boasted a 4.0 GPA in the program. In 2024, Grover was the NCAA Elite 90 Award recipient in baseball, which is awarded to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 90 championships. This year, he was recognized as the Salve Regina Athletics Graduate Student-Athlete of Distinction.
“To be named NEWMAC Student-Athlete of the Year is quite an honor and something that I am proud of. For me, it’s never about the acknowledgments, even though I do appreciate them. I am just happy to be able to be a positive light in people's lives and that's what drives me to put my best foot forward in anything I set out to do,” said Grover.
For the Seahawks, Grover participated in five NCAA regionals, contributing to Salve winning four regular-season titles, two conference championships, two regional championships and was a key part of the Seahawks' Division III College World Series run in 2024. He was named the NEWMAC Defensive Athlete of the Year in 2025. A four-year captain, Grover was also named to the NEWMAC Sportsmanship Team this spring.
“Being able to experience the success we have had over the past five years has been nothing but a privilege. I am grateful every day to have been part of such a great group of guys and a great baseball team,” said Grover. “Of course, there are countless moments that stand out, but the moments that I appreciate the most are the ones where the season comes to a close and the guys are all hugging, crying and laughing out on the field one last time together. Those are the moments that stick the most.”
Off the field, Grover was a member of Salve's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee during his undergraduate tenure, serving as vice-president in 2023-24.
Eric Cirella '05, head baseball coach, recognizes that Grover was a one-of-a-kind student-athlete. "He's a winner and he is the poster boy for everything that you want in a student-athlete. He holds himself accountable first, he works hard, he's prepared for everything, he hates losing but he is also a great sport, he never makes excuses, and he makes everyone around him better," said Cirella. "Brandon is a generational talent of a human being who I may never see the likes of again. His impact on everyone around him was far greater than any impact we had on him."
Patrick B. Summers, executive director of the NEWMAC, is impressed by the accomplishments and successes of the honorees in their respective sport, in the classroom and in the community.
"These four individuals truly define what it means to be a NEWMAC student-athlete," said Summers. "They've left their mark not only through athletic and academic success, but by lifting up their teammates, classmates and communities. Their impact has been meaningful and lasting, and we're proud to recognize them with this honor."
“On and off the field, I simply just tried to do the right thing and put my best foot forward while at the same time trying to bring as many people around me to do the same. The special part that most of them do not realize is that they helped me more than I helped them,” shared Grover.
“I was just blessed to learn so much and be around such a great group of people – from professors, coaches, teammates, classmates, athletics staff, maintenance workers, dining hall employees – in all my years here. They made things easy for me, and I did my best to return the favor.”
The recipients of the 2024-25 awards will move on as the NEWMAC nominees for the Division III Commissioners Association Student-Athlete of the Year award and the NCAA Woman of the Year award.