By Noah Grant / Sports Reporter / St. Cloud, Minn.

-It’s hard to spend much time around the St. Cloud State baseball team without noticing Josh McGuin. Despite playing in a limited role this season, McGuin is one of the leaders on the Huskies through his energy and team-first mentality. 

It has been a long road to get to the Granite City. McGuin is from Toronto, Ontario, a city known more for its hockey than the baseball scene. Josh started his baseball journey at a young age, winning multiple Provincial championships and the U13 Canadian National Championship playing with the North York Blues. McGuin also played in the Canadian Premier Baseball League, a league that has featured major league talent including the New York Mets Jonah Tong, who was teammates with Josh on the Toronto Mets. 

“We have a lot of talent up there, and it’s definitely growing,” said McGuin. 

In addition to the diamond, McGuin also spent plenty of time at the rink, playing hockey all the way up through high school including a year with the St. Michaels Buzzers in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. 

“Just a lot of hockey,” said McGuin. “Just had a lot of fun, you know. Tournaments, that’s like the earliest memory, running around the hallway barefoot, [playing] mini-sticks in every corner, just having fun playing the game. I loved it. Still love it.” 

During his hockey career, McGuin served as the captain for his high school and travel teams, which taught him valuable lessons that have stuck with him after hockey. 

“It’s kind of a weird position to be in, I think, when you don’t have a necessary seniority built into it,” said McGuin. “It’s all guys your age and kind of navigating that and bringing a group together to try to lead. You know, you do it right sometimes, maybe sometimes you don’t go about it the right way. It’s definitely a cool spot to be in and grow in for sure.” 

McGuin’s Instagram bio reads “Freelance glue guy,” and it’s hard to find a more accurate description. In the world of sports, “glue guy” is a term used to describe a player who prioritizes the team’s success over any personal accolades and is essential to team chemistry and momentum. Even when he’s not in the lineup, McGuin’s presence can be felt in the locker room. 

“I like to get the boys fired up, use my voice a little bit, and just have a lot of fun,” McGuin said. “I think that’s what’s most important, really. You know, sometimes the game gets big and people get tight. But, you know, you stay loose, have a good time. And that’s kind of my role, make guys smile.” 

The path through college baseball hasn’t been the most straightforward for McGuin. Josh committed to play Division I baseball at South Dakota State University coming out of high school, spending one season with the Jacks and redshirting.

With several veteran catchers on their roster, McGuin was exploring other opportunities and the tight-knit baseball community came through. Two of his former teammates in Toronto, Greg Lachance and Griffin Catto were playing at Jefferson Community College in Missouri and alerted McGuin of a roster opening. 

“Those were two of my best buddies in the world, they gave me a call,” said McGuin. “They’re like, hey, want to come play? And I was like, you know what? I do. So I went down there, super small town, definitely eye-opening for sure. But we had a couple more travel ball teammates out there, so that was really cool, getting to hang with them every day.” 

After one season at Jefferson, McGuin was on the move again, playing his next season at Dodge City Community College in Iowa. The many transitions would be tough for many to handle, as you have to reform connections with teammates in addition to adjusting to the location and class load. For Josh, though, making connections has never been a struggle. 

“My mom likes to say, you know, I got no problem making friends,” said McGuin. “I get to meet a lot of cool people and new people and from different backgrounds, different places, you know, South Dakota, Missouri, Kansas. We had a bunch of guys from Texas on Dodge. That was cool. And you know it’s an experience but I think my role as a glue guy is I’m able to bring guys together and I’m able to interact with different personalities so I enjoy it, I really do.” 

After his final junior college season, Josh turned to look for NCAA opportunities and St. Cloud State came calling. While McGuin wasn’t too familiar with the area, he had heard of the school through his hockey background. After coming for a tour, the opportunity to compete for a roster spot and play in a competitive conference convinced McGuin to join the Huskies. 

While the season ended in a disappointing way for St. Cloud State this year, including missing the NSIC Tournament, the bond off the field has been memorable for the 2026 Huskies.. 

“We have a really, really good group of guys that get along and no bad eggs, which is awesome,” McGuin said. “I want to say it’s pretty rare that you just get a super cohesive unit.” 

For McGuin, the stats may not tell the full story, but his impact on St. Cloud State reaches well beyond the box score. From Toronto rinks and diamonds to stops across the college baseball map, every step of his journey has shaped the role he embraces today. Whether he is behind the plate, in the dugout, McGuin is always keeping the energy high in the clubhouse. And even in a season that fell short of its goals, the Huskies are better for having their Freelance Glue Guy in St. Cloud.