WORCESTER — When Holy Cross senior third baseman Connor Peek stepped to the plate in the fourth inning of the Crusaders’ game at George Mason on March 4, it was his first at-bat in almost 20 months, and Peek wasn’t sure if it would be his last.
“I remember thinking,” Peek said before a recent HC practice, ‘ “I have nothing to lose.’ ”
In a 2023 summer league game, Peek, a right-handed batter, fractured the hamate bone in his left wrist. He spent eight months in a cast and, during that time, had two surgeries. He missed all of HC’s 2024 season.
“We didn’t know if he would be able to swing a bat again,” Holy Cross coach Ed Kahovec said.
Peek got his first chance as a pinch hitter against George Mason. His initial contact was a foul ball that had home run distance.
“I said, ‘OK, we might be onto something here, ’” Kahovec said.
On the next pitch, Peek singled to left.
“It was really cool getting the hit,” Peek said. “It was like, ‘Welcome back.’ ”
Over the next few weeks, Peek had mixed results. Following the Crusaders’ game against Army on April 6, his batting average was .217.
It has since soared to .339.
“It’s been an incredible surprise,” Kahovec said, “but really not too surprising knowing Connor and his work ethic the four years he’s been with us.”
Peek played a pivotal role in HC’s run to the Patriot League regular-season title, and in the PL Tournament semifinals, he had five hits and six RBIs to help the Crusaders take two of three from Lehigh and advance to the championship series.
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The Crusaders (29-23) will face six-time defending champion Army (25-23) for the tournament crown and automatic NCAA bid. Game 1 is at 1 p.m. May 18, Game 2 at 6 p.m. May 19, and, if necessary, Game 3 at 5 p.m. May 20, all at Fitton Field.
“We want to beat the best to be the best,” Peek, a second-team All-PL honoree, said, “so I’m excited to play them.”
HC went 3-2 against the Black Knights this season.
In the semis, HC took Game 1 from Lehigh, 10-0, dropped Game 2, 7-2, and trailed the Mountain Hawks by three runs in the sixth inning of Game 3, before powering to a 19-9 victory.
“We played great in spots,” Kahovec said, “but to be tested and pushed and have to show their resilience to come back on the big stage gives us confidence going into this weekend. Should our backs be to the wall again, we’re prepared to battle until the last out.”
HC won the 2017 Patriot League championship and made its first NCAA appearance since 1978. Kahovec was an assistant on the ’17 staff.
Peek played in 63 games over his first two seasons at Holy Cross and made the PL all-tournament team as a freshman.
The hamate fracture is a common injury in baseball players. It happened to Peek when he hit a foul ball and the knob of the bat pushed into his wrist.
Peek received a medical redshirt last season, but he was around his teammates and looking forward to a return this year.
Still unable to bat right-handed due to sharp pain upon the snap of the wrist and the weight of the bat behind it, Peek came into the fall season as a pitcher, something he hadn’t done since he was playing Little League in his hometown of Sudbury.
He even taught himself to bat lefty.
“Connor is a stubbornly hard worker,” Kahovec said, “and we thought, ‘OK, we’ll see how this looks,’ and he performed admirably (batting left-handed) in the fall. We were down some infielders, and I knew he could help us defensively. If that meant being a defensive replacement and going up left-handed to draw a walk or lay down a bunt, let’s work on it.”
During winter break, Peek returned to Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson, where he has worked out on and off since eighth grade, and strengthened his wrist.
“Cressey was a huge part of my development,” Peek said.
He started swinging right-handed again, and it didn’t hurt.
“Spring preseason, we were not expecting him to play infield for us on a regular basis,” Kahovec said. “For him to jump in and re-invigorate himself has been incredible.”
Following HC’s May 13 practice, Kahovec presented Peek with a Ray Dobens Award, which is given to the Crusaders’ Most Improved Player.
Peek, who said his wrist is fine now, is part of HC’s tight-knit senior class.
“Each week is precious here,” Peek said. “It’s not given; it’s earned. I’m excited to have another week with these guys and play in front of our fans. The coolest experience of my Holy Cross career so far was (last weekend’s semifinals).”
Due to the redshirt, Peek will have one year of eligibility remaining, and he will look for a graduate opportunity next year.
“I’m focusing on this year right now,” Peek said, “because no matter where I play, this will be the most special baseball experience of my life.”
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @JenTolandTG.