GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. --- By the time the recruiting cycle for the 2021 class rolled around, those who paid attention to the travel ball circuit in the Great Lakes region already knew what Sam Lisiak had to offer. 

A central contributor to his Arsenal travel ball team and a Team Michigan selection at the 2019 PBR Future Games, Lisiak has been ranked among the top five 2021 catchers in his state for several years. His obvious NCAA DI-caliber talent and athletic build drew interest and visits from numerous schools within the region surrounding Grand Rapids. But a top-10 NCAA DII baseball program with its wide recruiting scope lured Lisiak to Southern California and affirmed its national notoriety. 

"Sam is a physical catcher. He brings a toughness to the position that I love to have in that position group, he has power to all fields, and an ability to catch at a high level," said Head Coach Jeff Calhoon. " Sam also brings a strong Christian faith and great academic prowess to our university, so I am really looking forward to bringing Sam into our program."

In addition to playing for the top-ranked travel ball team in Michigan, Lisiak found early success as a high school player and is hoping for a solid return during his senior season with Grand Rapids Christian High School. The Biola-commit was the first freshman starter on varsity in ten years when he joined the squad in 2018. Then he helped lead Grand Rapids Christian to a 24-10 record and an appearance in the District semifinals in 2019, serving as the youngest captain of a varsity team in school history.

Lisiak garnered all-conference and all-district honors in 2019 as one of the leading figures on the Eagles' third 20-win season in the last eight years. His junior season was called off due to COVID-19 cancellations, but Lisiak has stayed busy with Arsenal and other baseball tournaments in recent months. 

He's just coming off a guest appearance with an Ohio Elite Baseball team that reached the semifinals of the 2020 Wilson Premier Classic this past September.

During his time at Grand Rapids Christian, Lisiak has also been named to the honor roll all four years of his high school tenure and has served on a short-term missions trip to South Africa through the school. He's very active in his church youth group and plans to major in business administration when he enrolls at Biola. 

Lisiak aspires to be a professional baseball player or to work in sports management in the future. But he also has ambitious goals for his time at Eagles Diamond and will zero in on those first. 

"I chose Biola for the opportunity to grow in my faith, grow in the classroom, and grow on the baseball field," said Lisiak. "I am very excited to get the opportunity to play with Biola's amazing coaches, and players, and to compete for a national championship."

Sam Lisiak will join his new teammates in fall 2021. More information on the rest of the student-athletes that will join him at Biola in 2021-22 can be found on the Committed Athletes page.