Weakley pair Crouse, Hatchel play starring roles in final act

Posted: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 12:00 pm

By RANDY CAVIN
Press Sports
Neither senior cared for the way the 2012 season ended last month.
Dresden’s Gatlin Hatchel and Greenfield’s Heath Crouse, however, found some fulfillment Thursday night as part of the winning team in the West Tennessee High School All-Star game at Pringles Park in Jackson.
Both players contributed to the Gray team’s 9-3 win over the Red team with Crouse earning the game’s Most Valuable Player award. Crouse went 3-for-5 and scored two runs for the Gray team while playing third base.
Hatchel played second base and went 1-for-2 at the plate. He walked with the base loaded in the five-run first inning and had a run-scoring single in the second inning. Hachel played four innings, while Crouse played the full nine innings.
Hatchel, who batted over .320 during the season, will be on his way University of the Cumberlands this fall on a football scholarship, said he was surprised to be chosen to play in the all-star game.
“I really did not think I would be playing another baseball game,” he said. “I enjoyed the chance to play another baseball game. It was fun playing here with these guys as teammates.”
Hatchel plans to get ready for the upcoming football season during the summer and will join the Patriots Aug. 10 in preparation for the 2012 football season.
“I am going to try to get in shape and get stronger this summer for the football season,” Hatchel said.  
Crouse, one of the Yellowjackets’ key players during season, got a base hit and scored a run in the first, singled and scored in the second, and singled in the third. He also made some plays at third base, including catching Bolivar’s Collin Howell in a rundown between second and third in the later innings.
Crouse said it was a great experience to play with the best seniors in West Tennessee and winning the MVP was an added bonus.
“It was great to play with all of these players, and I did not expect to win this,” Crouse said. “This was an honor. I just tried to hit the ball hard and playing at third was pretty tough when they hit those shots down there. You have to be ready for them.”
“It felt good to get out and play once more. The season couldn’t have ended any better than to be named MVP.”
Playing in Pringles Park will be an experience Crouse will not soon forget as many future and current Major League players have played in Pringles Park.
“It is an awesome place, and I had so much fun playing here,” he said.
Playing baseball is not in Crouse’s future plans as he set on going to college at UT Martin and majoring in business. When asked if he got offered a scholarship to play somewhere in college, he said he would have to think about it.
“I do not know, but probably not in the first year,” he said.
He said for the summer he plans to stay busy by working with his uncle.
The Gray team scored five in the first and two in the second to take a commanding 7-0 lead. They added one in the fourth and one in the fifth inning. The Red team scored two in the fourth and one in the seventh inning. Published in The WCP 6.12.12

,