A line drive back to the mound hit the left-hander in the face during a May 17, 2019, game against Mississippi.
Crochet exited with a broken jaw that required surgery and metal plates to be inserted. But two weeks later, he returned to pitch twice for the Volunteers in the NCAA Tournament.
In his first outing back on June 1, Crochet pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win against UNC Wilmington. It was the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory since 2005.
“It speaks to some toughness,” Vitello said. “Garrett is a kid that wants the ball and wants to be the guy in crunch time.