From Maui to Mississippi.

That's the collegiate path for St. Anthony High School senior Matt McCraney.

The Trojans' shortstop/third baseman will follow his father's cleat marks for a chance to play baseball at Mississippi State. He has been invited to try out for a spot as a recruited walk-on.

"I'm excited beyond belief," said McCraney, who was on O'ahu this past weekend to watch the Hawai'i-MSU series at Les Murakami Stadium. "The opportunity to play where my dad played makes it even cooler."

Mike McCraney played outfield for the Bulldogs in the mid-1980s, including on a team that would feature four future major leaguers in Rafael Palmeiro, Will Clark, Bobby Thigpen and Jeff Brantley. Naturally, dad passed on the stories.

"I grew up hearing about it," the younger McCraney said.

Although he has lived on Maui the past five years, there will be no culture shock for McCraney. He has been attending summer baseball camps at MSU for years. This past summer, he also attended camps at Auburn and Stanford.

McCraney said he wants to major in kinesiology with plans to become a physical therapist or athletic trainer.

St. Anthony begins its Maui Interscholastic League season next weekend.