Josiah Cromwick shines in starting catcher debut

(Photo: Sammy Nute/WCSN)

After star catcher Ryan Campos was selected with the 109th pick in the fourth round, coming off not only a record-breaking Sun Devil season, but also a record-breaking Sun Devil career, there were many questions about ASU’s future behind the plate. Perhaps the most important one was how could it fill such large shoes left by arguably one of the best Sun Devil catchers in history.

Senior catcher Josiah Cromwick made it his offseason goal to try his best to step up and earn that job in 2025, telling head coach Willie Bloomquist that he was excited to return. But he wasn’t just going to come back, he was going to come back and be the starting guy.

After being awarded an additional year of eligibility, Cromwick knew this would be his last ride at the collegiate level and made it a priority to work hard in the weight room over the offseason. As a result, a power spike became apparent, and by the fall, Bloomquist was fairly confident in Cromwick’s chances of starting. This came after a patchy 2024 in which he struggled to get much playing time behind Campos and, when he did, didn’t exactly maximize it.

Fast-forward to opening day 2025, and Cromwick was penciled down in the five hole with the starting job behind the dish. Despite any skepticism that he would make the necessary strides to become the guy in 2025, here he was. Cromwick wasted no time in showcasing why, as an opposite field three-run home run, and the game-winning RBI double were the difference in a shootout against Ohio State, as ASU (1-0) defeated the Buckeyes (0-1) 9-8 on opening day.

Despite being in his second year as a Sun Devil, that was Cromwick’s first home run at ASU. You don’t get many firsts as a fifth-year senior in college baseball, but when everything is said and done, it could be one of his most memorable firsts.

“Really good,” said Josiah Cromwick “It was really exciting.”

With standout offensive talents like Campos and outfielder Nick McClain taken early in the MLB draft, players like Cromwick who weren’t key contributors last year were going to be forced into a position where they needed to make a significant year-to-year jump. It’s clear based on the work he put in the offseason that he believed he could make that jump, he just needed an opportunity.

He had an opportunity tonight, and he ended up being the reason the Sun Devils started the season 1-0, channeling his inner Campos and carrying the team on his back while catching all nine innings behind the plate. His offseason work was on full display on the first day of the season, and he wasted no time accrediting that for his standout day.

“Our strength coach is awesome,” Cromwick said. “Just working with him and getting stronger, that’s been the biggest thing, honestly. I think it’s just simplifying things, using my legs a little bit more, which (Jason Ellison), our hitting coach, has done a good job helping me tone that in a little bit.”

Cromwick has come a long way since his days at Oregon, where he began his collegiate career. Despite his time there, his shorter COVID season in 2021 was the reason he was able to play another season at ASU, obtaining that extra year of eligibility and realizing the catcher position was wide open after Campos’ departure. He didn’t want to leave collegiate baseball on a bad note.

In that forgettable 2024 season for Cromwick, he actually played more games in the outfield than catcher for ASU, with the corners being the only position Bloomquist could find Cromwick playing time in because he didn’t completely trust his defensive talents behind the plate.

His offense may have been the focal point today, but it’s worth noting that this was only Cromwick’s fourth appearance behind the plate in his Sun Devil career. With no Campos-like player to fall back on, there are just as many questions about how Cromwick can help turn around this inconsistent pitching staff on the defensive side as there are about his bat.

“I think he caught a great game,” Bloomquist said. “There were some there that were good pitches that I think he did a good job receiving that may or may not have gotten the call. We’ll have to go watch those later on, but just from what I could tell, he’s very smooth behind the plate from a defensive standpoint.”

Cromwick had his moment tonight, at least temporarily answering all of the questions and concerns about the Sun Devils without Campos on day one. This created a ball full of optimism about what could come as a result, a true building block to what could be a breakout season in his fifth year of college.

Campos’ shoes may be too huge for anybody to fill, and it is impossible to hold anyone to that standard. Cromwick may not be able to replicate that, but he can absolutely step into a role as a seasoned leader, providing the spark ASU needs in the middle of the order.

“It was kind of a tough year for Cromwick last year in that didn’t get the playing time he wanted,” Bloomquist said. “When he was able to get another year of eligibility from his freshman year back at Oregon, he was stoked to come back, and couldn’t wait to come back and say, ‘Coach, I’m gonna win the job and I’m gonna play,'”