'Workhorse' pitcher gives Sarasota baseball a lift as playoffs approach

On April 24, pitcher Tanner Crump saw the white flash of a baseball rocketing toward him. 

There was nothing he could do but turn and hope for the best. 

"I thought it was coming for my face," Crump said. 

It wasn't. Instead, the first-inning line drive from a visiting batter, Port Charlotte High junior Landon Carter, struck Sarasota High's Crump on his pitching arm.  

Crump's first reaction was to shake out his arm. His second reaction, upon seeing the ball drop to the ground, was to try for the out at first base. There was no chance, and ultimately no throw, but the instinct to try was a sign of Crump's desire to win before anything else. 

After a mound visit from Sailors Coach Greg Mulhollen and a few test pitches, Crump stayed in the game. Mulhollen said after the game that Crump immediately shut down any thoughts of him exiting. Crump admitted that his arm will likely be sore for a few days, but the decision to stay on the mound paid off for the Sailors. Crump struck out the next Pirates batter to end the inning, then threw six more shutout innings for a complete game and a 1-0 win. Crump finished with four strikeouts, allowing four hits and one walk. 

File photo

The game brought the Sailors' record to 17-7 and lowered Crump's season ERA to 0.87 over 56.1 innings. His emergence is a main reason for the team's success. It was unexpected entering the season, at least to this extent. Crump pitched just 15 innings a season ago with a 2.33 ERA. Mulhollen said the leap Crump made in less than a year has been remarkable. 

"It's his mound presence, his confidence," Mulhollen said. "He just wants the ball. He loves competing and he's a great teammate. It's unbelievable." 

Crump said generally putting in more work this season has helped his confidence. He's also trusting his defense to make plays more than he has in the past, he said. That trust allows Crump to focus on throwing strikes, knowing that if a batter happens to get a good swing on a fastball or slider in the zone, his teammates will clean it up. It's a formula plain to see in Crump's stats: Crump has allowed just one more walk (eight) than he has earned runs (seven). 

As of April 25, the Sailors have one regular season game left — an April 26 game against Riverview High — before the postseason begins. Mulhollen said there are still things he'd like to see improve, like being more aggressive at the plate, particularly with two strikes. But the team keeps winning regardless. Against Port Charlotte, an RBI single from Rocco Depastino in the fourth inning was all the run support Crump needed. Sarasota's other pitchers have performed well, too. The Sailors have a team ERA of 1.85. 

With district tournaments approaching, Mulhollen knows his team cannot afford a drop in play. 

"It's about getting hot at this time of year," Mulhollen said. "Our district is tough. There are a lot of good teams. We'll see what seed we're at, but (regardless) it's still about pitching, hitting and playing good defense." 

District tournament play begins May 1. For full postseason schedules, check the FHSAA playoff brackets on MaxPreps.com.