Wednesday, May 4, 2005 | 9:35 a.m.
When he burst back onto the local prep baseball scene this March, Brandon Cracraft appeared to be one of the few athletes with a great natural ability to play the game.
But after a back injury in the middle of this season, Cracraft's phenomenal start has cooled and reminded everyone around Shadow Ridge baseball how even a minor injury can have a long-lasting mental impact.
Cracraft quit playing baseball after his freshman year at Palo Verde.
"I had been playing every year, all year, for my entire life," Cracraft said. "I just needed a break."
He transferred to Shadow Ridge for his senior year and has since started playing baseball again. Although slow as of late, he initially adapted well in his return to prep baseball.
"I started to miss playing the game," Cracraft said about his return. "It is a lot of fun."
During his return, Cracraft had his dad right by his side.
"My dad was the biggest motivation for me to start playing again," Cracraft said.
When he returned to the field Cracraft needed no major help finding his swing again. His natural ability helped him get back into the game after taking a two-year break.
"His raw talent was there from the beginning," Shadow Ridge coach Steve Barnson said.
Barnson believed that Cracraft's maturity, both physically and mentally, and his natural ability to play the game got him back into the swing of things pretty easily.
"It just came back to me," Cracraft said, cracking a smile. "I just came out to practice and it had not really gone away."
He was not completely away from baseball, nor from sports in general. For the past two years Cracraft played baseball for traveling teams, competing in three tournaments. He also wrestled and ran cross-country for Palo Verde during his three years there.
Cracraft started out this season with a batting average between .650 and .700. But he was not able to keep the all-star performance up after an injury to his lower back during the season, and his average has dipped below .550 -- still good enough for third in the area.
"We as coaches feel it wore on him mentally more than anything else," Barnson said.
The injury was a pulled muscle in his lower back, which limited his ability to swing the bat or throw a ball effectively. Cracraft felt that the injury has slowed him down a little, but he is positive he can overcome it.
He'll need to if the Mustangs are going to finish strong. As Cracraft's stats have fallen, so has his team. Shadow Ridge has dropped to 2-6 in league and 10-14 overall for the season.
Both coaches and teammates have admired Cracraft's determination to come back and play after missing two seasons. Teammates, especially the younger guys, look up to what he has done this year.
"He's the kind of kid you just live to coach," Barnson said. "I am upset every day that I only get to coach him for one year, his senior year."
As far as the future for Cracraft, the Community College of Southern Nevada, Salt Lake Community College and a junior college in Reno have all spoken to him about playing baseball for them.
"I am considering going to any of those schools," Cracraft said.
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