JEFFERSONVILLE — Prior to the 2012 high school baseball season, Jeffersonville catcher Isaac Crafton set some preseason statistical standards that he wanted to achieve by the end of his campaign.

Once the season concluded, even Crafton was shocked with the numbers he put up — a school-record .575 batting average, a .988 slugging percentage and a .646 on-base percentage. The single-season slugging percentage ranks second all-time in Jeff baseball history, while Crafton’s on-base percentage is third. Along with that, the junior had team highs in home runs (six), RBIs (24) and runs scored (29).

“It’s still hard to believe. I guess I was pretty surprised,” Crafton said about his ‘12 stats. “I worked harder than ever to achieve those goals.”

Those impressive statistics have garnered Crafton this year’s News and Tribune Area Player of the Year award and a spot on the publication’s all-area first team.

“It’s a big honor. It shows that my hard work is finally paying off,” Crafton said.

Lonnie Oldham, who served as the Red Devils’ interim head coach at the tail end of this past season, liked the competitive spirit Crafton brought to the diamond.

“He’s a competitor. He wants to compete,” Oldham said. “Whatever he’s doing, he’s going to try to compete at it.”

Throughout the 2012 campaign, Crafton delivered the clutch hits when the Red Devils needed them the most.

For instance in the Hoosier Hills Conference Tournament semifinal against New Albany, Crafton smacked a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Red Devils a dramatic 1-0 victory. The solo shot concluded a 3-for-3 game for Crafton and pushed his batting average over the .700 mark.

“When you are put in a crucial situation, you want your best player up in that situation,” Oldham said. “It was to nice have him and his stick in the lineup. Also, he did a good job behind the plate this season. He’s an all-around good baseball player.”

Crafton said his constant studying of pitchers during the course of a game was critical in registering high averages and collecting clutch hits.

“A lot of it starts before you get in the batter’s box,” Crafton said. “I’ve worked on studying the timing of the pitcher and getting your front foot down. You do that from the on-deck circle.”

Crafton and his teammates persevered in the postseason despite battling some adversity prior to the Class 4A Jeff Sectional.

Shortly after the Red Devils captured the HHC Tournament title in May, then Jeff head coach Matthew Rigsby unexpectedly resigned for health reasons and was replaced by Oldham.

But the Jeff players jelled together and proceeded to claim the sectional title and then beat Bloomington North in the Evansville Reitz Regional semifinal, 3-2.

Crafton said several of the Red Devils stepped up their roles in helping the team succeed.

“We had to do it by ourselves a little bit,” Crafton said. “At the end of the year, me and our pitching coach P.J. Thomas worked together and I called some pitches myself.”

Jeff’s tournament run came to an end in the regional championship when New Palestine’s Jacob Barnes smacked a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to beat the Red Devils, 11-9.

Already, Crafton and his teammates are motivated to get the 2013 season started and redeem themselves after their regional disappointment.

“A lot of us were hurting after that loss,” Crafton said. “I think that loss will help us. I can’t wait until next year.”

Crafton has given a verbal commitment to play NCAA Division I baseball at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., for the 2014 season.

Crafton made his commitment last winter, so he could concentrate on his junior season at Jeff. He was attracted to Liberty because of the coaching staff and the program’s history of having players selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. Plus Crafton is excited about the Flames’ baseball facilities, which will include a new ballpark in 2013.

“I wanted to go somewhere where I had a good chance of getting drafted,” Crafton said. “Their facilities are top of the line.”



NEWS AND TRIBUNE ALL-AREA BASEBALL TEAM

FIRST TEAM

Isaac Crafton, Jeffersonville (Player of the Year)

Jacob Armstrong, Silver Creek

Trent Astle, Jeffersonville

Lucas Barnett, Silver Creek

Drew Ellis, Jeffersonville

Nick Gallagher, Jeffersonville

Josh Rogers, New Albany

Garrett Sherrell, New Albany

Jacob Snodgrass, Floyd Central

Jordan Striegel, New Albany



SECOND TEAM

Dakota Harrell, Henryville

Colton Kimm, Floyd Central

Drew Kissel, Clarksville

Cody Reister, Henryville

Tregg Scherer, Charlestown

Kyle Sipes, Floyd Central

Justin Starr, Providence

Logan Striegel, New Albany

Layne Taylor, Silver Creek

Jamie Valvano, Silver Creek



HONORABLE MENTION

Eric Burnett, New Albany

Shae Durham, Silver Creek

Andrew Hunt, Providence

Nathaniel Jones, Clarksville

Ryan Jones, Charlestown

Cameron Mullins, New Albany

Kyle Neafus, Floyd Central

Garrett Shanks, Floyd Central

Garrett Vick, Borden

Aaron Wenger, Jeffersonville