Savanna’s Crockwell Stands Tall at Short

Two years ago, Savanna shortstop Matt Crockwell struggled with a decision a lot of high school athletes make.

Football, basketball or baseball?

Crockwell played all three as a freshman and sophomore. He spent a year at the freshman level but was promoted to the varsity level in baseball and basketball as a sophomore. In addition, he started at quarterback for the junior varsity.

But Crockwell thought he was spreading himself too thin. He wanted to excel at one sport and perhaps get a college scholarship.

Question was, which one?

Baseball Coach Hack Mitchell had an answer.

“My sophomore year I had a long talk with Coach Mitchell,” Crockwell said. “He told me I probably wouldn’t go anywhere in basketball because I don’t have the height (5-11) or quickness.”

Football was out, too. Crockwell liked playing quarterback, but he wasn’t big enough to pursue the sport after high school.

“I regret not playing football,” he said. “I miss it. I probably would have started at quarterback this season.”

His best sport, and his best shot at playing in college, was baseball.

Crockwell showed why last season, hitting .418 with four triples and six doubles. His hitting and slow-but-steady improvement in the field helped him make the all-Orange League first team.

“I would like to see Matt go on and play in college,” Mitchell said. “Realistically, he would be a second or third baseman at the next level. I’ve seen a few (pro) scouting cards on him, but I’m not sure he’s ready for that level yet. He could be in the next couple of years.”

Crockwell’s hitting helped Savanna (15-14) win 10 of its final 13 games and reach the Southern Section 4-A semifinals, the school’s best finish in 21 seasons.

One of Crockwell’s best games came against Canyon in the section quarterfinals. He had two hits off Matt Wood, one of the county’s top pitchers, as Savanna won, 11-8. The Rebels lost in the semifinals to West Covina South Hills, 9-3.

“We turned it around,” Crockwell said of the Rebels’ response to a 5-11 start last season. “At the start of the season, we didn’t have a set lineup, and that hurt us. By midseason, everyone had their position down.”

Crockwell has always had a good grip on his position. He was a point guard in basketball, controlling the flow of the game. As a quarterback, he ran the offense. And as a shortstop, he’s the focal point of the infield.

“I like being in the middle of the game,” he said. “You’re always in the game, no matter what’s happening. It can get boring in the outfield sometimes, but not at shortstop. You always have to keep your head in the game.”

Being the center of attention, of course, has its pitfalls as well as benefits. A few bad passes in football and basketball can land a team in trouble. And a bad slump or a few throwing errors can land a shortstop a seat on the bench.

“If something goes wrong,” Crockwell said of playing shortstop, “you’re the one who always gets his butt chewed.”

That was somewhat of a problem for him last season.

He suffered through a midseason slump during which every trip to the plate seemed to be a ground out or a pop out. Frustrated, he turned his fifth period as Mitchell’s teaching assistant into extra batting practice.

“I came out for an extra hour and took a lot of swings,” he said. “Coach told me I was dipping my shoulder down and was letting my head fly around when I swung. I was wild. He told me to keep my stance closed and stay on top of the ball. It worked.”

Crockwell hopes to cut down on errors this season, hit .450 and make the Times’ all-county team.

“He should have a good season,” Mitchell said. “We’re looking for him to stabilize the infield. He’s deceptively fast, and he covers a lot of ground.”

A good season could set the table for a college scholarship. A handful of schools have shown interest so far, but Crockwell dreams of playing for one of the top programs in the country.

“Stanford,” he said. “That’s my team. Or Pepperdine.”