Post-Tribune

 

Steve T. Gorches

Valparaiso junior Casey Crozier is not afraid to admit her faults.

One fault in particular is not knowing the definition of a word Vikings softball coach Kathy Levandoski used to describe the emotion Crozier needed in the pitching circle.

"She's a lot more stoic on the mound," Levandoski said. "As a freshman, I don't think she knew that word."

Crozier could only laugh sheepishly with that George Washington, "I cannot tell a lie" look on her face.

"Yeah, I didn't," she said.

But it's evident by watching her hurl the softball briskly down the middle of the plate this season that she's learned the meaning of stoic now.

"I get my game face on and for seven innings it's pure softball," Crozier said.

That bulldog attitude has led to Crozier placing her name in Valparaiso softball annals.

She has broken at least two Valparaiso softball records so far -- 17 strikeouts in a seven-inning game April 3 against Calumet, which broke the previous mark of 16. It also tied the overall record of 17, which was set in a 21-inning affair by Ashlee Blankenbaker.

She broke the tie eight days later in a win over Martinsville in which she had 18 strikeouts in seven innings.

Crozier added other monster strikeout efforts this season.

"I think I've hit every number -- 16, 15, 14, 13, 12," she said, actually referring to the last couple seasons. As for this year, she matched the 15 in that list against Chesterton and Lake Central. The end result is an area-leading 109 strikeouts a month into the campaign.

"I've seen her confidence grow and everything that goes with it," Levandoski said. "That comes with experience. She's more comfortable with things that are going on."

But when average fans look at Crozier's numbers this season, they might notice the 2-7 record before the gaudy strikeout total and respectable earned run average of 1.43.

"It's never fun to lose ... the games we lost, it's been one or two runs in the last at-bat," she said, pounding her fist on the stands she was leaning on in the gymnasium to illustrate her frustration. "My motto is for us to pick each other up. It's a team sport. We just need to get mentally tough.

That's the kind of leadership Crozier has developed since last season in addition to an expanded pitching arsenal.

"She's become a much better leader," Casey's mom, Marci, said. "She worked very hard in the offseason."

It was an offseason playing on the 18-and-under Shock Waves travel team out of Indianapolis for the first time.

Crozier had been with the Lake Effect travel ball team since age 10. That included winning the Super World Series as a 14-year-old and teaming with several future high school standouts, such as Boone Grove's Katie Runyan and Caitlin Wilcox, Wheeler's Shelisa Bolles, Kylie Planck and MacKenzie Ness, and Hanover's Jessica Toth.

But that experience was nothing compared to what she learned last summer.

"I?broke my pinky finger and I was out for two tourneys," she said. "I came back in Colorado and faced a pitcher who was going to the University of Kentucky. I couldn't believe it ... I felt like I was so far behind her."

It was a reality check that needed immediate action.

"I went in my back yard and just worked on my spins all summer," Crozier recalled.

In addition to the new travel team opening her eyes, it led to more success on a national level. The Shock Waves finished 25th out of 144 in the ASA Nationals in Colorado.

"The exposure we got was amazing," she said.

Crozier realizes her summer of learning might not lead to more victories for the Vikings right now -- they play one of the tougher schedules in Northwest Indiana -- but she's going to keep striking out opponents and let wins and losses take care of themselves.

Contact Steve Gorches at 648-3141, sgorches@post-trib.com or visit his blog at blogs.post-trib.com/gorches for his first-hand look at how fast Crozier's fastball really is.