BILL LANDON PHOTO | Riverhead senior Matt Crohan with the Yastrzemski Award, which he received Wednesday night at the Suffolk Baseball Coaches Assocciation’s all-county dinner.
For two months this spring, Matt Crohan mowed through lineup after lineup in dominating fashion for the Riverhead baseball team. The Blue Waves’ ace lefty ran off a 44-straight-inning scoreless streak and pitched a pair of no-hitters.
His achievements were at the forefront Wednesday night as Crohan was honored with the the Yastrzemski Award as the top baseball player in Suffolk County. Named in honor of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, the award has been given every year since 1968.
Crohan became the first Riverhead player to ever win the award.
“Everyone in this room is so talented and everyone had such great years,” Crohan said. “To be recognized for that just feels great.”
Crohan received the award at the Suffolk Baseball Coaches Association’s all-county dinner at Villa Lombardi in Holbrook. Crohan was the League IV Most Valuable Player, which put him in contention for the Yastrzemski Award.
He was also presented Newsday’s Long Island Player of the Year Award and was one of nine Suffolk County players to be named to Newsday’s All-Long Island first team.
“I’m very proud of him,” said Riverhead coach Rob Maccone. “He worked hard and deserved it.”
A three-year varsity player who will attend Winthrop University, Crohan was a duel threat this season both on the mound and at the plate. It was his pitching prowess that stood out most as Crohan struck out 104 batters in 47 innings, a school record. At the plate he batted over .400.
It took until the final game of the season before Crohan gave up a run. And that came on a two-out hit by Fordham-bound Luke Stampfl, one of the top hitters in the county. The only runs he gave up all season came in that one inning.
Opponents batted a measly .060 against Crohan this season.
This marks the second straight year a local player won the Yastrzemski Award. Last year Mike O’Reilly of Shoreham-Wading River won it.