Grinnell College Athletics

Graham Fisher ’16, who can lay claim as one of the best two-sport male athlete in Pioneer history, starred on both the baseball and football fields. He is listed 29 times in Grinnell’s baseball record book while serving a dual role as a hitter and pitcher. Fisher was named a second-team All-American as a senior and earned All-Region and All-Midwest Conference honors three times. In a career that included four trips to the MWC Tournament, Fisher became Grinnell’s all-time hitting leader in the current era with a .398 average, ranks second in slugging percentage at .720, and is third in on-base percentage at .471. Fisher is also fifth in career home runs with 17. On the mound, Fisher has the second-most wins in program history with 20 and ranks fourth in both career earned run average (2.65) and opponent batting average (.245). He fanned 155 batters in 200.1 innings pitched – both figures rank in the program’s top 10. 

While he enjoyed success throughout his collegiate career on the diamond, his senior campaign was the best. His program top 10 performances from 2016 include batting average (.426), slugging percentage (.787), on-base percentage (.510), home runs (10), and RBIs (41), as well as ERA (1.47), opponent batting average (.223), and pitching victories (seven). Fisher went on to be named MWC Pitcher of the Year as the Pioneers finished 2016 with a program-record 30 victories and made the national rankings for the first time in school history. 

Fisher was equally dazzling on the football field, with his name appearing 64 times in the program record book. Playing as a kicker and punter, he owns school records for career punting average (38.33 yards), average yards per punt in a season (41.68 yards), and field goals made in a career (23). He has the second- and third-longest field goals in Grinnell history with boots of 50 and 49 yards, and he is second in program history for extra point accuracy. He capped his senior season by being named to the D3football.com All-Region Team as a punter. Other accolades include being selected three times to the All-MWC squad, and he was named the Dick Ullrich ’33 Award winner as the team’s best back.  

Fisher capped off his time at Grinnell by graduating with a degree in economics and claiming the David Theophilus ’51 Award for his athletic efforts. After Grinnell, Fisher’s baseball career continued for almost four years in Australia, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium, playing, coaching, and consulting with baseball organizations. He coached and mentored over 100 youth and young professionals and worked with his clubs on how to best grow the game in their communities. On the diamond, he compiled 39 home runs and a .372 batting average, and on the mound earned 18 wins and one save with 316 strikeouts and a 3.94 ERA. Known for his versatility, Fisher played every position over his career. For his efforts, he was named All-League in Australia in 2019 and the National League MVP in Switzerland in 2018. Fisher is currently pursuing a career in the finance industry in Chicago.