FOX CHAPEL — Unless his uniform gets dirty, it wasn’t worth the effort.

Such is the theory of high school athletics for Shady Side Academy senior and Meridian resident Grant Foley.

And it’s definitely working for him.

Foley is completing his three-sport year with a bang for the Indians. He is the shortstop on a Shady Side team that is entering next week’s WPIAL Class AA playoffs as the No. 1 seed with a 16-1 record.

That lone loss was a 1-0 decision to Riverview in the final game of the regular season.

“Effort. That’s how I describe that kid,” Shady Side baseball coach Bob Grandizio, Jr., said. “He’s the leader of the team in effort.

“After any game we play, Grant is the bloodiest, dirtiest player out there.”

He’s also one of the most productive. Foley finished the regular season with a .414 batting average and an on-base percentage of .619. He led the team with 18 runs scored, 16 walks and five doubles.

Last year, he hit .315 with an on-base percentage just above .400.

“That was my first year as the starting shortstop,” he said. “I was seeing varsity pitching on a regular basis for the first time.

“This year, I’ve just been more confident, more sure of myself.”

Foley started the season batting in the No. 5 spot for the Indians. He has since moved to the No. 2 hole.

“He gets on base so much, cut way down on his strikeouts and isn’t afraid to get hit by a pitch,” Grandizio said. “He’s the ideal No. 2 hitter.”

Foley played noseguard for Shady Side’s football team despite his 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame. That’s big for a shortstop, small for the middle of the line in football.

“It was all about leverage, getting underneath on guys,” Foley said.

Shady Side’s football team finished 6-3, reaching the WPIAL playoffs. Foley came off the bench for the Indians’ basketball team that finished 19-3 and reached the playoffs.

He even tried wrestling last year, managing to win one match in his first and only year in the sport.

“My brother told me doing wrestling for a year would help show me the physical rigors of military training,” Foley said. “I was able to learn a few moves that may help me down the road.”

Foley’s older brother, Jordan, a Shady Side Academy graduate, is a junior at the U.S. Naval Academy this year. He has set records with the Academy’s Midget football program.

Grant Foley is headed to the Merchant Marine Academy and plans to play baseball there.

“One of the requirements of coming to school here is participating in athletics,” Grandizio said. “It’s a valued part of our curriculum.”

Shady Side freshmen and sophomores have to play for a team during two of the three sports seasons. Juniors have to play for at least one team and seniors don’t have to play at all.

“About 87 percent of our seniors play anyway,” Grandizio said.

Count Foley among them.

“I can’t imagine going through school any other way,” he said.

Foley has worked on his defense as well. After committing a double-digit error total last spring, he has committed only three errors in 17 games this season.

“I’ve worked hard on it,” Foley allowed. “Coach has been working with me on the backhand play in the hole a lot.”

Grandizio is 150-60 in 11 years as Shady Side baseball coach. His team captured its third consecutive section title this spring.

“It’s so much fun coaching at a school where kids are so devoted to athletics,” Grandizio said. “Grant Foley is a prime example there.’