If at first you don’t succeed, try harder.
About six years ago, Santa Fe senior Amy Crosby couldn’t hit and couldn’t hit, according to personal hitting coach Stuart Strickland.
“She can barely hold the bat,” he said. “It was very uncoordinated.”
Crosby agreed.
“I was terrible,” she said with a laugh. “My right swing was terrible. I was a fast runner. He always believed in me. I don’t know how he believed in me. I didn’t believe in myself.”
Crosby, who throws right, shifted to the left side of the plate because of her speed.
“She’s always been able to run,” Strickland said. “She’s worked really hard on her swing, and to be honest with you, I’ve been coaching a long time and she probably had the best swing I’ve ever coached, which says a lot. Her mechanics are very sound.”
All that hard work paid off Tuesday when she signed her letter of intent to play softball at the College of Central Florida in Ocala.
Over the past three years with the Raiders, she hit .412 with an on-base percentage (OBP) of .505, a slugging percentage of .502, and 23 stolen bases.
Since 2021, Santa Fe has scored 491 points. Crosby was part of 115 of those runs.
Not only is she a hard worker on the field, but she is also in the classroom, where she has a weighted GPA of 3.689.
Crosby, who is expected to play center field at the next level, has a .845 fielding percentage over three years despite being asked to play multiple positions.
“She’s very athletic, very aggressive,” Santa Fe coach Gene Findlay said. “Outside it’s through the roof. She’s really aggressive on the court chasing the ball… She’s a very athletic girl and wants to be the best at everything she does.
Crosby, a 2023 Mainstreet Daily News All Area selection, batted .493 with a team-leading 33 runs and five triples. Her .706 slugging percentage ranked second on the team and she ranked third with a .557 OBP.
She had a .911 percentage last year for the Raiders (16-10).
“Last year she was really impressive, in multiple positions,” Findley said. “She’s got it caught for me, she’s played shortstop, she’s played second, she’s played outfield, so she kind of bounces back and doesn’t complain. She comes out and gives me 100%. She’s a very hard worker.”
The senior will play a vital role this spring for the Raiders and is looking forward to competing, especially competing between her siblings on the diamond.
Her sister Maddie finished second for the Raiders with a .583 on-base percentage. She hit .524 last year as a sophomore and earned a spot on the All Area team with her older sister.
“I couldn’t let my sister hit me,” the elder Crosby said. “We always placed a bet in every game… I don’t like to lose.”
Competition with her sister drove them together.
“It’s fun to sit back and watch as they compete against each other,” Findley said. “And they’re both very athletic.”
Family has been a huge motivator throughout her career.
Her mother, Paulette Crosby, died of breast cancer about two years ago during Amy’s sophomore year.
“I struggled a little bit, got into a slump, a bad mindset,” she said. “Then I just realized… maybe I should use this anger and all these other things, or whatever, as motivation. It’s made me better as a player because I know she wants me to do big things.”
The undeclared leader said her mother’s death “motivated me a lot and to work even harder.”
“I know making her proud was the biggest thing,” she said.
“She’s really playing her game” now, Findlay said.
“I’m so happy to take it to the next level,” he said. “The place she’s going to is a very good program, so it will be good for her. It’s a good combination.”
Before she heads to COCF, she has some unfinished business in the red and gray.
In 2023, Santa Fe advanced to the second round of the Class 3A state playoffs, losing 5-2 to top-seeded Hernando (Brooksville) in the 3A-Region 2 semifinals.
“We plan to go a little further and hopefully we’ll get all the way because that’s our goal but at the end of the day, all the kids last year are a little older but especially her being a senior, we expect that for her to lead more even though she’s not very vocal, But she can lead us on the field.
We’d like to congratulate Amy Crosby of Santa Fe for her recent signing with the College of Central Florida. Amy’s dedication and hard work have paid off, as she continues her athletic and academic journey at the collegiate level. Her commitment to excellence both on and off the field is truly commendable, and we are excited to see all that she will accomplish at the College of Central Florida.