Craft is certainly catching on for the Sages

MONTICELLO — Ike Young can spot his four-seam fastball that has reached 94 mph this spring in any part of the strike zone.

Add in a two-seam fastball, a slider, a curveball and a changeup the talented 6-foot-2, 190-pound right-hander for the Monticello baseball team possesses in his pitch arsenal, and it’s clear to see why the future Illini has made life difficult for opposing batters this spring.

Making life easier for Young, however, is his fellow senior decked out in a hockey-style mask, chest protector and shin guards behind home plate. With one knee on the ground and the other knee in a crouch 60 feet and 6 inches away from where Young stands, Eli Craft knows what’s coming before anyone else does each time he gets the call in his earpiece about what pitch Young will throw next.

“The easiest part of catching Ike is he’s a competitor,” Craft said. “It’s easy to interact and be a part of that.”

The same sentiment applies to how Monticello coach Chris Jones and Young view Craft, who will have a key say in how Saturday’s Class 2A sectional championship game unfolds when Monticello (28-5) meets rival Unity (19-12) in Decatur. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at the Workman Family Baseball Field on the Millikin University campus, with the winner moving on to play either Pleasant Plains (31-7) or Sacred Heart-Griffin (22-8-1) at 7 p.m. Monday in a super-sectional game at Claude Kracik Field on the Lincoln Land Community College campus in Springfield.

“Eli works his butt off,” Jones said. “He’s in the weight room constantly. He’s in the facility constantly. He’s in the cages just working on his game. He’s got a drive and passion for it. He’s not afraid to work hard.”

Aside from his receiving, framing and blocking skills Craft uses, the future John A. Logan baseball player is also one of Monticello’s top hitters this spring and leads the Sages in RBI.

“The hitting part takes a lot of work because I need to perfect my defense as well as hitting,” Craft said. “In the offseason, I worked on hitting almost every day. It took a lot of work, but I’m not going to shy away from that.”

Craft committed to John A. Logan, the tradition-rich junior college program in Carterville, last summer and signed with the Volunteers in the winter. Getting his college choice done and out of the way has allowed Craft to play with more ease and confidence this season.

“For a week or two before I made the decision, it was a bit stressful because it’s like, ‘Man, this is where I’m going to start my college career,’” Craft said. “After I signed, I could feel the tension release. It’s definitely taken a big burden off my shoulder. Obviously, there’s people still watching you, but knowing I have a place to go to after I’m done playing at Monticello has been huge.”

Young, who signed to pitch at Illinois last November, got the start in last Saturday’s 5-0 win against Maroa-Forsyth that gave Monticello its second straight regional title and third in the last four seasons. He limited the Trojans to only two hits and struck out nine in a dominating effort on the mound.

Getting the best view of how Young’s day went? That was Craft, who will try to help guide Young against Unity’s hitters on Saturday. The Sages beat the Rockets 4-3 when the two Illini Prairie Conference teams met on April 17 in Monticello, but Saturday will present a much different atmosphere with more at stake than a regular-season game.

“Unity has a great lineup,” Young said. “They’re solid one through nine. I just have to compete on the mound and not have any mental blocks.”

Knowing Craft is back there is a boost. Especially when Young needs to throw one of his off-speed pitches.

“I have full confidence in his blocking ability,” Young said. “There’s no thought that, ‘Oh, I might have to cover home plate on this pitch.’ I know it’s getting stopped. It makes me more confident in my throws, too, knowing I can rely on him.”

Playing catcher since he was 10 years old and catching Young all the subsequent years, too, has played a pivotal role in Craft’s development behind the plate. He played some shortstop and third base before making the move to catcher when he was still in elementary school.

“I think if I was in the outfield, I’d be bored,” Craft said with a laugh. “I’m engaged with every pitch this way.”

Knowing a low-90s fastball is coming or a slider with deceptive movement is on the way is one thing. Making sure those pitches look favorable to the home-plate umpire and making sure his pitchers’ thought process remains positive is another.

“I tell everybody that blocking is just a mindest,” Craft said. “You’re going to get bumps and bruises. You have to be locked in. I would say a lot of baseball is just being confident in your abilities. I think that I’ve learned to trust myself and trust my work. That’s the biggest part of it.”

It’s all led to Monticello having another successful season on the diamond while collecting more IHSA hardware along the way and only needing two more wins to reach its first state tournament in program history. If the Sages do wind up playing next weekend at Illinois Field in Champaign with a shot at a state championship, the work Craft has put in to perfect his craft behind the plate is a main factor.

“All of his teammates are looking at him,” Jones said. “They see what’s going on back there. As a catcher, you maintain the tempo of the game. Our pitchers are not afraid to put a ball in the dirt knowing he’ll keep it in front. The confidence that gives the pitching staff as a whole is great. Add in the leadership he has and the preparation he does to put himself in a great position helps us out.”