WC’s Crossland dominating the mound

Cade Crossland knew he and his Weatherford College Coyote teammates were having a great day when they defeated North Central Texas College 10-0 recently. 

He didn't realize just how special until late in the game, however. 

"I was just thinking about each pitch during the game and I wasn't worrying about anything else. I hadn't thought about it until the last inning came, and I happened to look at the scoreboard and saw there were no hits," The Coyotes left-handed pitcher said. 

In fact, it stayed that way. The game was called after five innings because of the mercy rule, but not before he completed a dominant performance on the mound with 10 strikeouts and just two walks. 

At the time of this article's writing, the sophomore from Rockwall was 6-0 with a 1.91 earned run average. In 37.2 innings he had struck out 54 batters and walked 20 in helping the Coyotes to a No. 4 national ranking. 

The Coyotes are coming off their first NJCAA Division I World Series appearance last season, finishing third. 

Crossland's performance against NCTC earned him the Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week honors on April 2. 

Prior to coming to WC he played his freshman season at Ouachita Baptist University. There, despite a 2-4 record, he showed his capabilities by striking out 46 batters in 37 innings and holding opposing batters to a .241 average. 

He also threw three no-hitters for Rockwall High School, where he was coached by his dad - who also taught him how to pitch. 

"During my junior year of high school, I started throwing harder and getting more comfortable on the mound as a pitcher. Being left-handed, I knew that with hard work, I could put our team in a position to win games," Crossland said. 

Crossland ended his high school career as the district pitcher of the year, along with earning Class 6A All-State honors. He helped his team reach a regional final in both his junior and senior seasons. 

Crossland played football as a freshman, but said, "I only played for fun and to have something to do before baseball in the spring. 

"I have played baseball for as long as I can remember, and I continue to do so because it never gets old. The steady progress that I have made over the past two years keeps me motivated to be the best player I can be for my teammates." 

Crossland will transfer to and play for the University of Oklahoma next season. He will continue his studies in health sciences to pursue a career in physical therapy. 

"I have always been interested in keeping up with my body's health, and I want to be involved in that," he said. 

When he's not in a game, practicing or doing school work, Crossland likes to pass the time in a variety of ways. 

"I enjoy playing disc golf with my dad during my free time. I love reading books, and my favorite book is anything written by Brandon Sanderson," he said. "I also like listening to 80s and 90s rock in my free time."