850 GRIT

was a career .331 hitter in arguably the best junior college conference in the country and was teammates with two future MLB All Stars Lorenzo Cain and Michael Saunders. His talents landed him at Appalachian State University, where in 2007 he had one of the best seasons in school history hitting .387 with 8 HR and 63 RBI one shy of the school record. That year he was the Triple Crown winner on one of the top offensive teams in the country. He also excelled in the classroom being named to the 2007 ESPN Academic All-American Team. Going into his senior year he was nominated to the Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year list, which was derailed by an unexpected shoulder surgery that limited him in his senior year. Following his college career, Franco, played two years of Independent ball with Sioux City Explores of the American Association and Traverse City Beach Bums of the Frontier League. Injuries mounted and it was time to hang up the spikes.. Franco joined the NWF staff in 2014. His primary role was working with the catchers,hitters, and developing team chemistry. He helped lead NWF to a historic 2015 season winning the JUCO National Championship. Currently he works with some of the best underclassman in the panhandle and is a volunteer with South Walton High School Baseball.