{"id":10806,"date":"2018-05-09T16:18:59","date_gmt":"2018-05-09T20:18:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/?p=10806"},"modified":"2022-03-22T12:12:11","modified_gmt":"2022-03-22T16:12:11","slug":"surprise-proposal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/surprise-proposal\/","title":{"rendered":"Baseball Player Makes a Surprise Proposal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It was always going to happen.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/hornets.kzoo.edu\/sports\/bsb\/2017-18\/bios\/grant_connor_0s9m\">Connor Grant \u201918<\/a> and Kelsey Corless had known each other since seventh grade in Lake Orion, Michigan. They were high school sweethearts. And though he went to Kalamazoo College while she attended Grand Valley State University, they remained committed to one another.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10809\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10809\" style=\"width: 584px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10809 size-large\" src=\"\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2018\/05\/Baseball-Marriage-Proposal-600x482.jpg\" alt=\"Connor Grant on one knee in front of Kelsey Corless for surprise proposal\" width=\"584\" height=\"469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2018\/05\/Baseball-Marriage-Proposal-600x482.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2018\/05\/Baseball-Marriage-Proposal-150x121.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2018\/05\/Baseball-Marriage-Proposal-300x241.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2018\/05\/Baseball-Marriage-Proposal-373x300.jpg 373w, https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2018\/05\/Baseball-Marriage-Proposal.jpg 1622w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10809\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Connor Grant \u201918 gave Kelsey Corless a surprise proposal last weekend during a Senior Day doubleheader at Kalamazoo College&#8217;s Woodworth Field.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe talked about it and she knew something like this was coming,\u201d Grant, a first baseman for Kalamazoo College&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/hornets.kzoo.edu\/sports\/bsb\/index\">baseball team<\/a>, said of his engagement to Corless.<\/p>\n<p>The inevitable, however, didn\u2019t have to be predictable. Grant wanted to make sure his proposal was a special \u2014 and very memorable \u2014 moment.<\/p>\n<p>So before last weekend\u2019s Senior Day doubleheader at K\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/map.concept3d.com\/?id=198#!m\/17910?ce\/1843?ct\/0\">Woodworth Field<\/a>, he went to <a href=\"http:\/\/hornets.kzoo.edu\/sports\/bsb\/coaches\/index\">Head Baseball Coach<\/a> Michael Ott and asked for permission to carry out a secret plan. It was crafted to make sure that when he made his proposal, not only Corless but both their families would be there and that she would have no clue as to what was about to happen.<\/p>\n<p>Grant\u2019s plan revolved around the Senior Day ceremony, which takes place during the break between games. The graduating players line up along the third base line, then are called one by one with their families and friends to home plate, where they receive a bat engraved with their name and position. Grant, the team captain, deliberately asked to be called last so as not to overshadow his fellow senior players and he made sure he had their assent.<\/p>\n<p>He also arranged it so that when his roommate, catcher Alex Fultz \u201918, presented him with the bat, he would slip him the ring, as well. The announcer would then set up the moment, saying, \u201cThis is more than a Senior Day &#8230;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grant\u2019s proposal to get hitched went without a hitch, and the appropriately stunned bride-to-be said yes. And both of their families got to witness the engagement, as planned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had a nervous day leading up to it,\u201d Grant said. \u201cBut other than that, it went perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For the crowd, one of the biggest of the season, it was an unexpected treat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTheir reaction was amazing,\u201d Grant said. \u201cPeople were ecstatic for us. All the seniors\u2019 families were there and got to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think there were some people wiping away tears,\u201d said Ott, adding that the opposing team joined in the cheers and applause.<\/p>\n<p>The wedding date has yet to be set, but Grant said he expects it to occur sometime next summer, after he and Corless get settled in to post-college life. Corless last month received her degree from Grand Valley in management information systems, and Grant, a <a href=\"https:\/\/reason.kzoo.edu\/econ\/\">business and economics<\/a> major who graduates June 17, is set to start work this summer as a mortgage banker with Quicken Loans in Detroit.<\/p>\n<p>Ott said the proposal \u201cwas a really cool moment\u201d for the baseball program, and \u201cdefinitely a first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It capped a weekend when the Hornets finished their season with a sweep of Olivet College, making it even better. And despite his nervousness, Ott said, Grant drove in four runs in the afternoon\u2019s first game.<\/p>\n<p>For Grant and Corless, Ott said, \u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s something they\u2019re going to remember.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said it was also a reminder for Grant\u2019s graduating teammates that, although their collegiate athletic careers are coming to an end, their lives\u2014like Grant and Corless\u2019 together\u2014are just getting started.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it was a moment that was a little bit bigger than baseball,\u201d Ott said. \u201cIt provided some perspective about what\u2019s really important.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said he was proud to have been able to make the surprise proposal possible for Grant, who is fourth on the list of Hornets baseball players for most games played.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just love the kid,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Grant said being at a school like K allowed him to forge a strong relationship with his coaches and fellow players so he could share his big moment with them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s what made it possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was always going to happen. Connor Grant \u201918 and Kelsey Corless had known each other since seventh grade in Lake Orion, Michigan. They were high school sweethearts. And though he went to Kalamazoo College while she attended Grand Valley State University, they remained committed to one another. \u201cWe talked about it and she knew [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":156,"featured_media":10809,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[231],"tags":[36,212,56],"post_formats":[],"class_list":["post-10806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-students","tag-athletics","tag-baseball","tag-economics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>Proposal a Hit with Bride-to-Be, Baseball Fans - News and Events<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Before last weekend\u2019s Senior Day, Connor Grant &#039;18 went to his baseball coach and asked for permission to carry out a special proposal.\" 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aria-label=\"archive of category Students\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/category\/students\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Students<\/a>","tags_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/athletics\/\" rel=\"tag\">athletics<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/baseball\/\" rel=\"tag\">baseball<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/tag\/economics\/\" rel=\"tag\">economics<\/a>","social_share_info":"<a data-share=\"facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/surprise-proposal\/\" class=\"pl-facebook-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-facebook-f\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a><a data-share=\"twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/surprise-proposal\/\" class=\"pl-twiiter-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a><a data-share=\"linkedin\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/surprise-proposal\/\" class=\"pl-linkedin-share social-share-default pl-social-share\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-linkedin-in\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a>","wordExcerpt_info":"<p>It was always going to happen.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/hornets.kzoo.edu\/sports\/bsb\/2017-18\/bios\/grant_connor_0s9m\">Connor Grant \u201918<\/a> and Kelsey Corless had known each other since seventh grade in Lake Orion, Michigan. They were high school sweethearts. And though he went to Kalamazoo College while she attended Grand Valley State University, they remained committed to one another.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10809\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10809\" style=\"width: 584px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10809 size-large\" src=\"\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/files\/2018\/05\/Baseball-Marriage-Proposal-600x482.jpg\" alt=\"Connor Grant on one knee in front of Kelsey Corless for surprise proposal\" width=\"584\" height=\"469\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10809\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Connor Grant \u201918 gave Kelsey Corless a surprise proposal last weekend during a Senior Day doubleheader at Kalamazoo College&#8217;s Woodworth Field.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe talked about it and she knew something like this was coming,\u201d Grant, a first baseman for Kalamazoo College&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/hornets.kzoo.edu\/sports\/bsb\/index\">baseball team<\/a>, said of his engagement to Corless.<\/p>\n<p>The inevitable, however, didn\u2019t have to be predictable. Grant wanted to make sure his proposal was a special \u2014 and very memorable \u2014 moment.<\/p>\n<p>So before last weekend\u2019s Senior Day doubleheader at K\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/map.concept3d.com\/?id=198#!m\/17910?ce\/1843?ct\/0\">Woodworth Field<\/a>, he went to <a href=\"http:\/\/hornets.kzoo.edu\/sports\/bsb\/coaches\/index\">Head Baseball Coach<\/a> Michael Ott and asked for permission to carry out a secret plan. It was crafted to make sure that when he made his proposal, not only Corless but both their families would be there and that she would have no clue as to what was about to happen.<\/p>\n<p>Grant\u2019s plan revolved around the Senior Day ceremony, which takes place during the break between games. The graduating players line up along the third base line, then are called one by one with their families and friends to home plate, where they receive a bat engraved with their name and position. Grant, the team captain, deliberately asked to be called last so as not to overshadow his fellow senior players and he made sure he had their assent.<\/p>\n<p>He also arranged it so that when his roommate, catcher Alex Fultz \u201918, presented him with the bat, he would slip him the ring, as well. The announcer would then set up the moment, saying, \u201cThis is more than a Senior Day &#8230;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Grant\u2019s proposal to get hitched went without a hitch, and the appropriately stunned bride-to-be said yes. And both of their families got to witness the engagement, as planned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI had a nervous day leading up to it,\u201d Grant said. \u201cBut other than that, it went perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For the crowd, one of the biggest of the season, it was an unexpected treat.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTheir reaction was amazing,\u201d Grant said. \u201cPeople were ecstatic for us. All the seniors\u2019 families were there and got to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think there were some people wiping away tears,\u201d said Ott, adding that the opposing team joined in the cheers and applause.<\/p>\n<p>The wedding date has yet to be set, but Grant said he expects it to occur sometime next summer, after he and Corless get settled in to post-college life. Corless last month received her degree from Grand Valley in management information systems, and Grant, a <a href=\"https:\/\/reason.kzoo.edu\/econ\/\">business and economics<\/a> major who graduates June 17, is set to start work this summer as a mortgage banker with Quicken Loans in Detroit.<\/p>\n<p>Ott said the proposal \u201cwas a really cool moment\u201d for the baseball program, and \u201cdefinitely a first.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It capped a weekend when the Hornets finished their season with a sweep of Olivet College, making it even better. And despite his nervousness, Ott said, Grant drove in four runs in the afternoon\u2019s first game.<\/p>\n<p>For Grant and Corless, Ott said, \u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s something they\u2019re going to remember.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said it was also a reminder for Grant\u2019s graduating teammates that, although their collegiate athletic careers are coming to an end, their lives\u2014like Grant and Corless\u2019 together\u2014are just getting started.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it was a moment that was a little bit bigger than baseball,\u201d Ott said. \u201cIt provided some perspective about what\u2019s really important.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said he was proud to have been able to make the surprise proposal possible for Grant, who is fourth on the list of Hornets baseball players for most games played.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just love the kid,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Grant said being at a school like K allowed him to forge a strong relationship with his coaches and fellow players so he could share his big moment with them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s what made it possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","comment_info":"No Comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/156"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10806"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11251,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10806\/revisions\/11251"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10806"},{"taxonomy":"post_format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kzoo.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_formats?post=10806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}