Big-league glove with bat to match
If Lowell’s baseball team is going to force a third game of the Transbay Series against Oakland Tech, it’s likely going to have to keep Adam Crampton off the basepaths and knock groundballs past him.
Both are difficult tasks, considering the fourth-year starter and Stanford-bound senior is hitting over .500 and considered one of the best fielding shortstops to wear a uniform in the Bay Area. Yes, he’s that good. “He literally makes one or two plays a game that has the crowd gasping and opposing players and coaches shaking their heads,” Oakland Tech coach Bryan Bassette said. “He has major league-caliber range and hands right now, and his arm would be considered a plus major-league arm at shortstop.”
That’s saying something, but former major-leaguer and Cal and Campolindo-Moraga alum Jon Zuber doesn’t disagree. He has coached Crampton the past three summers for a showcase team in the Zoots Baseball program.
“Adam’s glove and baseball IQ are unmatched by his peers,” Zuber said. “He is such a smart player and smooth as can be fielding. … He is the ideal shortstop to hold together a team up the middle.”
Crampton helped the Bulldogs
“Adam’s baseball glove IQ are and unmatched by his peers.” Jon Zuber, Zoots Baseball coach
(11-12-1) take a 1-0 series lead in subtle ways during a 3-2 nine-inning victory over Lowell on Tuesday at Laney College. The teams resume play 4 p.m. Thursday at San Francisco State.
Crampton went 0-for-3 with an intentional walk Tuesday, but made back-to-back dazzling defensive plays in the eighth, the second of which cut down Connor Vo trying to stretch a double into a triple on a perfect relay throw.
San Francisco State coach Tony Schifano, who coached Crampton one summer in a USA Baseball event in North Carolina, said Crampton doesn’t need a big day at the plate to beat you. He is, however, batting .508 this season with a .932 slugging percentage, 30 runs, 16 extra-base hits and 18 RBI. He also has stolen 15 bases in 16 attempts.
“Adam is a throwback player (who) beats you with his glove, his arm, his base-running skills, his in-game instincts and his bat,” Schifano said. “He is the kind of player you build your recruiting class around and your team around.”
Stanford head coach David Esquer agrees: “Adam Crampton is a great allaround baseball player and will make an immediate impact for our baseball program next season,” he said. “We are excited about the combination of his elite defensive skills and his advanced hitting ability.”
Baseball
Central Coast Section: It’s another All-West Catholic Athletic League Open Division championship after second-seeded Mitty (21-10) walloped San Benito-Hollister 15-5 in five innings and top-seeded Valley Christian (28-4) used five runs in the first inning to defeat Serra 11-1. The Warriors and Monarchs meet at 7 p.m. Saturday at San Jose Municipal Stadium for the title. North Coast Section: Christian Machado and Ryan Jackson pitched sixth-seeded Heritage-Brentwood (21-6) to a 5-1 D1 semifinal win at second-seeded Amador ValleyPleasanton. Machado had a nohitter through four innings. The Patriots face top-seeded De La Salle in Saturday’s championship at Diablo Valley College.
Softball
CCS: Sophia Roth and Jessica Oakland blasted two-run homers early and third-seeded St. Francis (24-5-1) knocked off second-seeded Notre Dame-Salinas 7-4 at Los Gatos. The Lancers now face Mitty, which beat Carlmont-Belmont 12-3, in Saturday’s championship game at San Jose PAL Stadium. NCS: Hope Alley Calen was Cavanaugh 3-for-3 and went Ellen 4-for-4, Ebbers blasted a three-run homer as host Foothill-Pleasanton (27-0), the nation’s third-ranked team, beat Amador Valley-Pleasanton for the fourth straight time, 11-1, in the D1 semifinals. Foothill will meet secondseeded Heritage (25-2), a 10-0 winner over third-seeded California-San Ramon, in Saturday’s championship. … In D2, seventh-seeded Antioch (20-8) upset second-seeded Alhambra-Martinez 4-2. The Panthers will face Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland (19-4), a 7-4 winner over Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park … In D3, topseeded Marin Catholic-Kentfield rolled to a 10-0 win over St. Joseph Notre Dame-Alameda, the same score by which the other semifinal winner, Sonoma Valley, defeated Moreau Catholic-Hayward.