The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
A bat boy takes his cuts
03.30.2005 | Baseball
Burnt orange and Will Crouch have been synonymous since birth.
Not only did the Longhorns first baseman's father James play for Texas under Head Coach Cliff Gustafson from 1969-71, but Crouch also learned to catch from former Longhorns great and current Associate Head Coach Tommy Harmon when he was eight years old. Additionally, Harmon got Crouch and his brother Daniel positions as bat boys when they were growing up in Austin. Thus, it is not hard to see why Crouch has been bleeding burnt orange since his youth.
"I used to be the bat boy growing up when I was nine, 10 and 11 years old and I grew up watching guys like Brooks Kieschnick, Braxton Hickman and Calvin Murray," Crouch said. "I didn't really have a favorite professional team - the team I watched was the Texas Longhorns."
Crouch's father James played with Harmon in the late 1960's and early 1970's while Crouch and his brother Daniel grew up playing on the same little league team with Harmon's son Mark. At one point, the little league team was in need of a catcher, so Harmon taught Crouch the nuances of catching.
"Tommy taught Will how to catch, and he's been a positive influence on Will since he was eight years old," James Crouch said.
He would continue to catch sparingly during his tenure at Westlake High School, where he was an All-State performer as a senior. Upon graduating from Westlake in 2001, Crouch enrolled at San Jacinto College for his freshman and sophomore years. A perennial junior college powerhouse that has produced players such as Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, San Jacinto provided Crouch with valuable experience. Not only did he help the Gators reach the Junior College World Series two times but he also earned All-Conference, All-Region and All-Southern Team honors as a sophomore in 2003. His numerous accolades resulted in him being pursued by several colleges, including UT.
"When Texas came knockin', he couldn't pass it down," James Crouch said. "With the knowledge of the coaching staff and the tradition of the school, Will knew Texas was the right place for him. It's an unbelievable feeling to have him play baseball at the same university I did."
The mere appeal of playing on the 40 Acres was also an advantage in the Longhorns favor.
"Will grew up wanting to play baseball at Texas, so even though he received several offers to transfer to other schools, he decided he wanted to come to UT and realize his dream," Harmon said. "We were lucky to get him."
Crouch's upbringing makes him appreciative of Texas baseball history and the opportunity he has to play for the team he grew up watching as a young Austinite.
"I love the tradition and the pride that goes with being a Texas baseball player," Crouch said. "There's a lot to be said about the success we've had in the past and we're having this year. I love how it all runs together to create the tradition we have."
An early regular season game at Stanford last year served as a pleasant reminder that Crouch had achieved his goal of donning the burnt orange.
"One of my first games was at Stanford and I remember going to the plate thinking, 'Wow, I'm playing against Stanford, one of the greatest programs of all-time, and I'm probably playing for the greatest program of all-time,'" Crouch said. "Playing in that game was a very memorable experience that I will never forget. Actually, it was tough to calm my nerves and stay within myself, but I was able to do it."
After hitting .258 as a junior last season, Crouch has seen his production and playing time increase in 2005. He attributes much of his improvement to Longhorns Head Coach Augie Garrido and the wisdom he passes along to his players.
"I've grown a lot since last year," Crouch said. "I've come a long way as far as the mental part of the game because Coach Garrido stresses that more than any other coach I've had. He's helped me realize that baseball is all about your focus and confidence. Luck will not make you successful - applying the fundamentals of the game will make you successful."
Garrido also notes how Crouch has grown as a leader on a team that boasts eight seniors.
"Will is a big, strong athlete who has brought a lot to our program," Garrido said. "He not only adds another powerful bat to our lineup, but also contributes to the team vocally."
Crouch's roommate and Longhorns catcher Taylor Teagarden has noticed that leadership and praised Crouch's all-around game, as well as his desire to help out teammates.
"Will can hit in the four, five or six holes (in the lineup), but he's also asked to bunt and do the little things correctly, which he has been doing extremely well this year," Teagarden said. "He also pays attention to my game and lets me know if he sees things he likes or doesn't like. It's always nice to have some advice like that on your side."
Crouch is a dedicated Corporate Communications major and was rewarded for his academic prowess by being named to the Fall 2003 Big 12 Honor Roll.
Still, when he has time away from the classroom and the diamond, Crouch enjoys relaxing at home and spending time with his teammates.
"After a long day, there are a couple of shows I like to watch," Crouch said. "In the fall it was Nip/Tuck, but I'm also a big SportsCenter guy. As a team, we all enjoy hanging out, which doesn't have to be anything special. Whether it's going to the lake or bird hunting, we all love being together and that's the great thing about this team. We're forced to be together on the field, but we choose to be together off of it."
That unity and team chemistry has Crouch optimistic about the Longhorns' chances of returning to Omaha this season.
"I think we have as good of a chance as we've had the past four years," Crouch said. "Every year Texas baseball keeps reloading with great players. When I came in here last season, we were losing guys like Omar Quintanilla, Tim Moss and Dustin Majewski, and players like Curtis Thigpen, Taylor Teagarden and Drew Stubbs stepped up. That's your ultimate goal as a player, to be one of those marquee performers who steps up and helps out the program."
When it comes to finding baseball inspiration, Crouch doesn't need to look very far back in history. For instance, he cites the 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series Championship, in which they came from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, as a big baseball motivation for himself and the team. Crouch is hopeful that the Longhorns close-knit, team attitude will translate into the same success the Red Sox experienced.
"I really enjoyed watching the Red Sox run last year," Crouch said. "Watching a team like that come from behind the way they did really motivates you as a player because they really emphasize the team aspect of sports. They came together and had fun, and showed that if you emphasize team play by playing with and for the team, great things can come your way. That is something special we feel we have here too, and hopefully it will turn out that we can win a championship the way they have."
That potential title lies in Omaha.
"My biggest goal is to help bring the National Championship back to Texas and the great thing about our team is that we are all committed to doing that," Crouch said. "With me being a hometown guy and having watched Texas baseball all of my life, winning a National Championship would be a dream come true."
