For years, Gannon Grant has carried a fire that refuses to go out. Burning with long nights on the baseball field and early mornings in the bullpen, his flame has remained steady. He has been fueled by one goal: to make it to the major leagues. On Saturday, he plans to be one of the few players nationally in the All-American Game hosted by Prep Baseball in Miami.

The all-star game, which combines the top junior and senior prospects throughout the country, will be played on Sept. 20 in Loan Depot Stadium, home of the Miami Marlins. Athletes could also meet professional trainers during pre-game workouts.

Grant said the experience is exciting and nerveracking.

“It was kind of surreal when the guy emailed me, and I talked to my advisor about it, and he was like, congratulations, you got selected,” Grant said. “I was just in shock, and I immediately accepted it. It’ll definitely be fun to meet everyone, people I haven’t met before, other big name stars in high school. Making new connections and new friends will be really cool. I’m definitely most nervous about the fact that there are a lot of scouts there, looking at you. Obviously, people get nervous, kind of just blank out and stuff. And I have before too. But I’ve been playing this game since I was seven. I’ve been chosen for a reason, and so I’m going to just do what I usually do, play my game, let my work ethic talk and try not to dwell on it too much.”

Grant said he sees the pressure of this game as a privilege.

”I look at it as, you know, I want to be that guy up there,” Grant said. “I want to be the guy in front of everyone. I want to make the play, be the team to win, to help them go to state, semi-state, whatever. I like the pressure, and this game has just fueled that even more. I see [my selection] as both a reward, obviously, because I worked hard to get here and people have noticed it. But it’s definitely motivation. I want to be there and go be the best player in the game.”

Grant has a torch to carry. His father, Michael Grant, was drafted by the Red Sox in 2001, and he hopes to keep that flame alive.

“My dad played minor leagues. He went to JUCO, got drafted to be a pitcher, played like 4 or 5 years in the minors and kind of just let it go after that. [He] had a pretty good arm, so I think I got it from him,” Grant said.

However, his dad’s baseball career doesn’t only give Grant a shadow to walk in or a legacy to continue. It also gives him a mentor and a coach who understands the discipline and mindset it takes to become a professional.

“My dad really taught me the mechanical side and the mental side of the game. So, when I’m batting or pitching, how to think when, if stuff goes bad, where to think, if stuff’s going good, what to think. He’s helped me so much. Also with my nutrition, the stuff I work out with, just everything about the game and how to continue to become better,” Grant said.

Grant could have a decision to make as he finishes his high school baseball career. Some players have the opportunity to go straight into the draft, like recent Detroit Tiger Max Clark, who played at Franklin Community and is the only other local player to be chosen for this game. Players can also choose college, where Grant has already committed to the Tennessee Volunteers.

“Out of high school, I could go to the draft maybe or go to college,” Grant said. “Definitely I am just wanting to play the game and love it as long as I can. For college at least, I chose Tennessee because of the coaching staff; it’s terrific. They won a national championship two years ago, as well, and I just kind of connected a lot with them on my visit. They treated me and my family like I was their family, and I just fell in love with the coaches. I’m super excited to get there, and get ready to work, they have great development as well.”

Grant has set a standard for himself once he gets to Tennessee: to become as developed as possible in order to make it to the pros.

“Obviously, my goal is to start as a freshman. That’s a big time goal, but that’s really everyone’s goal. But other than that, I really just want to get developed and get bigger—gain more weight, get stronger, overall develop into the best player I can be,” Grant said.

Aspirations for Grant about making it to the MLB have ignited recently.

“I would definitely want to get drafted by the Red Sox, since my dad played there, and their stadium is sick,” Grant said. “Really any team with good development. I think playing with Mike Trout, or the Dodgers would also be cool, but there’s a lot of work to be done before I can aspire for that.”

No matter what lies ahead for Grant, this weekend at the All-American Game will be a spark in the right direction.