Carter Crosnoe adds to family legacy with Cape Central hits record

The legacy of Carter Crosnoe's last name was solidified long before he step foot into the orange halls of Cape Central High School.

He'll leave the school with his name in the record books after breaking the record in hits during an 11-4 win over New Madrid County Central in the first round of the SEMO Conference Tournament on Friday at Cape Central High School.

The chance to earn his stripes among the Tigers was delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. A storied four-year career was shrunk into a three-year career, which makes the accomplishment of breaking the school hits record all the more legendary.

“It’s crazy to think about,” Crosnoe said. “We’ve all just been working really hard these last three years.”

Crosnoe comes from a long line of local baseball players. His father, Rex Crosnoe, was a standout at Central in the late 1980s and early '90s and played college ball at Southeast Missouri State. Crosnoe's uncle, Cory, also played at Central and SEMO and was a minor leaguer in the Atlanta Braves organization from 1991-92.

While Crosnoe was in middle school in 2018, his older brother Cooper played his cousin Justice during a SEMO Conference Tournament game between Central and Jackson. Cooper has since continued following his uncle's footsteps by working in Tigers' skipper Justin Lieser's staff as the pitching coach.

Crosnoe, who is currently batting .459 (34-for-74) on the season, credits his family for helping him reach the record.

"Credit to my dad. He's taught me a ton," he said, "same with my brother, he's coaching now. Just all the coaches, they've been pushing me since my freshman year."

At the beginning of the season, Lieser called Crosnoe "a great leader showing people how to win and how to get better.” In the 23 games played so far this season, Crosnoe has only gone hitless in six games, all resulting in Tigers losses. Whenever he gets a hit, the Tigers have a chance of winning.

He's proven that in the past this season, including his only hit against Seckman on April 5 leading to a 1-0 walk-off win. With every time he steps foot on first base, the thought of the record becoming his crept closer into his consciousness.

"I didn't really feel any pressure but it's always in the back of your head," Crosnoe said.

Crosnoe went 2-for-4 with a triple to highlight the Tigers' 8-5 win over Chaffee on Sunday, April 30 in Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The performance at the home of the Cardinals capped off a month in which he batted .481 (26-for-54), and the Tigers (11-12) won nine games.

Crosnoe's and Jathan Spain's triples highlighted a seven-run inning, which led to a Central win. The Tigers staved off the Red Devil's desperate five-run rally in the seventh inning to secure the win.

Normally, high school baseball games last seven innings. However, high school baseball games at Busch Stadium last nine innings or two and a half hours.

Once the official portion of the game was over, Lieser sent out Cade Emmenderfer, Mogan Diamond, and Cole Proffer to the mound for the rare pitching outing in Busch Stadium.

Cape Central takes on Notre Dame in the third-place game in the SEMO Conference Tournament on Monday at Capaha Field.