With the UH softball team losing six starters from last season’s team, it may come as no surprise that junior pitcher Amanda Crabtree has emerged as a consistent performer and leader on this year’s young squad.
Crabtree, who sports a 2.49 ERA and a 6-7 record in 92.2 innings pitched this season, is establishing herself as one of the most dangerous pitchers in the starting rotation.
Crabtree has played softball since she was five-years-old and kept at it through high school.
Crabtree pitched for Kingwood High School, which she graduated from in 2007. Immediately after, she was accepted at Oklahoma State, where she played during her freshman year. That season, she compiled a 3.48 ERA and an 8-10 record. However, she ultimately decided that UH was the best fit for her.
“I wasn’t as happy as I knew that I could be,” Crabtree said. “I decided that I wanted to make the change. UH offered a lot of things I was looking for. They had good coaches and a good program so there were a lot of benefits to it.”
Crabtree said the decision to return to UH wasn’t too difficult since Houston is her hometown. At UH, Crabtree is studying elementary education and sees it as a possible career path.
Most aspiring athletes have a role model whose game they try their best to mimic. Interestingly enough, Crabtree doesn’t liken herself to any other player. Instead, she says she tries to take the best traits of several players.
“I wouldn’t say that I have one specific person in mind,” Crabtree said. “I try to take different things from a lot of different people’s games. If I had to pick somebody, I would probably pick Jenny Finch because she and I have similar styles of pitching.”
On the mound, Crabtree wears No. 27. She said that growing up she would always wear No. 2, but when she attended OSU another player took that number. She found that the same was true at UH.
“I went down the roster and picked a random number that wasn’t taken,” Crabtree said with a grin.
Although her college career is shaping up to be quite successful, Crabtree said she has not decided whether to pursue a professional career in softball.
“I really have no idea,” Crabtree said. “The professional leagues do not offer many monetary benefits. I don’t really see myself doing it, but I also can’t definitely say yes or no.”
The Cougars are 18-16 so far this season and expect Crabtree to play an important role in attempting to improve on last season’s 25-24 regular-season finish.