Mandeville High pitcher and shortstop Garrett Cannizaro, who also plays for the Louisiana Knights mostly at shortstop has verbally committed to attend Tulane University.

Cannizaro, who will be a senior in the upcoming school year, said it’s a dream come true.

“I’ve always dreamed about playing at Tulane, watching my brother (Andy) play there and my dad (Gary) coach there,” he Cannizaro said. “When they offered, I had no doubt I wanted to go there.”

Garrett Cannizaro

Andy Cannizaro, a second baseman, is a 2001 graduate of Tulane and a 1997 graduate of St. Paul’s School. He was a seventh round pick of the New York Yankees in the 2001 Major League Baseball draft.

Currently, he is playing for the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A farm team of the Tampa Bay Rays.

He was up with the big club earlier this year and was hitless in his only at bat.

With the Bulls through Wednesday’s play, Andy is batting .269 with 12 runs batted in, 10 runs scored and seven doubles in 35 games.

Garrett’s father coached at Tulane for the 1986 season.

Garrett said it is great to have that support system.

“Both of them have been nothing but helpful. I talk to them everyday. Both of them root for me and there are no two better people I can look to for advice,” Garrett said.

As a junior Garrett Cannizaro was named as a first-team all-district player in 7-5A. During the district season, Cannizaro hit .380 with three home runs, 15 runs batted in and posted five doubles.

He also did the work on the mound, going 5-0 with two saves and a 1.91 earned run average in 29 and one-third innings of work.

He finished with 25 strikeouts and 13 walks.

Skipper coach Matt Brown said Cannizaro can help anybody’s squad.

“I think Garrett is a very solid baseball player,” Brown said. “He’s a great addition to whoever he signs with. I know his parents are happy he’s staying close.”

Brown added that Cannizaro is willing to do whatever he can to help his club.

“Garrett is a very hard worker. From his freshman through his junior year, he’s wanted nothing but the best for his team. He has great knowledge of the game. He’s like a coach on the field,” Brown said.

Cannizaro also plays for Jack Cressend’s Louisiana Knights travel baseball team.

Through Wednesday’s play, Cannizaro was hitting .383 with one homer, 23 RBIs with seven doubles and 26 runs scored.

On the mound, he has thrown a scoreless inning with three strikeouts for the Knights to pick up a save this summer.

Knights coach Cressend, who played at Tulane, said he is real happy that Cannizaro is getting the opportunity to play for the Green Wave.

“Obviously he’s a great kid and a great player with a great family,” Cressend said. “You get excited for a kid meeting his goal. It’s a great situation with his brother having played there and dad having coached there for one year.”

Cressend added that Cannizaro had continued to improve over the last year.

“He’s certainly progressed as a player over the last year,” Cressend said. “The fact he plays a premium position, he’s got a higher value. He’s a young player and he is only going to get better.”

Garrett is the son of Gary and Susan Cannizaro of Mandeville.