SALT LAKE CITY — Facing a pitcher who's destined to become the No. 1 overall pick in the annual Major League Baseball draft would be daunting for a typical batter. Then again, C.J. Cron is anything but typical when it comes to his performance at the plate.
Cron certainly showed as much when he faced former San Diego State ace Stephen Strasburg in a game last May. After the final inning was in the books, the Ute catcher — then only a freshman — earned a distinction of being the lone player to garner three hits in a single game against Strasburg during the 2009 season.
"That whole game had a lot of hype building up to it," Cron remembered. "We were really excited to play. It was a lot of fun for sure."
That feat offered a glimpse into what Cron brought to the table during an outstanding freshman season. He earned Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year honors while leading Utah in hits (83), RBIs (58), doubles (19) and home runs (11). Cron also boasted a .337 batting average and a .557 slugging percentage.
It has been more of the same during his sophomore campaign. Once again, Cron leads his team in several offensive categories. He ranks first in hits (65), runs (40), RBIs (54), doubles (10) and home runs (14). Cron also owns a batting average of .428 and a .770 slugging percentage.
"He showed as a freshman he could make an impact in this league," Utes coach Bill Kinneberg said. "C.J. has always been a good player. We felt when we signed him that those kind of things might happen for him."
Cron signed with Utah out of Mountain Point High in Phoenix. During his last two seasons at Mountain Point, Cron totaled 81 RBIs and 16 home runs. He had a batting average of .419 as a junior and hit .421 as a senior. Both seasons he earned a spot on all-state, all-region and all-city teams and, ultimately, was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 44th round of the MLB draft before opting to sign with the Utes.
Cron cast his lot with Utah because he sensed he was joining a program on the upswing and the Ute coaches were ones who could do much to help him develop his game.
"It was just a good fit for me," Cron said.
Cron has been a good fit for the Utes, too. Besides being an outstanding offensive player, he has held his own in fielding duties. Injuries forced Kinneberg to shift Cron from his natural position of catcher to fill in at first base.
The move has worked out well so far, although Cron admitted that not being involved in every play has forced him to sharpen his mental focus.
"There's a lot less action over at first," Cron said. "So I just try to stay in the game as best as I can and focus on every pitch like I did when I was catcher."
It is a safe bet Cron is eager to resume his role as catcher once he can do so.
The sophomore credits his time at that position with honing his offensive skills. Being a good catcher means focusing on pitches and recognizing what his pitcher is going to do from one situation to the next. Cron takes what he observes while catching and applies it to how he approaches things once he is up at the plate.
"It helps a lot with pitch recognition and guessing what pitches come in what count, so I'm ready to hit," Cron said.
Cron's understanding of the game sets him apart from some of his collegiate peers. His father is a coach within the White Sox organization and played the game for several years as well. Growing up in a baseball family, Cron developed an innate sense of what he needs to do from one inning to the next to lift his teammates up.
Kinneberg said one thing that's making Cron excel as a baseball player is that he possesses the sort of intangibles any coach loves.
"C.J.'s aptitude is really great in baseball," Kinneberg said. "His knowledge of the game and his instincts are some of the best I've ever coached."
Expectations continue to soar for Cron as he blossoms into one of the best players that have come through the Ute program in a long time. Nowhere are expectations higher than with Cron himself — not just for his individual performance, but for how well his team does as well. Last year, Utah reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1960 after making a surprise run through the MWC Tournament. Cron's primary goal this season is doing what he can to help the Utes make a return trip.
"We have a lot more expectations for ourselves," Cron said. "We know how we can play and we know what it takes to get there, so we're trying to get back there and go even farther this year."
If Cron keeps up his current level of play, Utah's chances of mounting another postseason run are definitely favorable.
e-mail: jcoon@desnews.com