Crerar Believes Princeton Is The Perfect Fit

Bennett Crerar SS / 3B / Cheshire, CT / 2025

CHESHIRE, Ct. - Bennett Crerar heeded the advice of a pair of Yankee scouts.

“I went to the PBR ProCase and talked with scouts there and they advised me that I can get drafted out of anywhere,” the Cheshire High School sophomore related. “They said if I have an opportunity to go to an Ivy League school that I should take it.”

That helped the second-rated 2025 in Connecticut make the decision to commit to Princeton.

“My recruiting process started after the Junior Future Games two summers ago,” Crerar reflected. “After that I transitioned into playing for Clubhouse out of Fairfield. I started talking with Northeastern, Boston College and Harvard, but as time progressed and I went to play in Georgia and more schools were watching me, I started getting serious with my recruitment.”

An offer came from Northeastern and then Iowa, with interest also shown from Kentucky, Yale, UConn and Duke.

“Then I realized I wanted to stay closer to home,” the sixth-ranked sophomore in New England noted. “I’m a high-academic kid and I wanted to look more seriously at the Ivys.”

In February Crerar went to a camp at Princeton, thanks to a recommendation from Mike Porzio with Clubhouse. It was the first time he had ever been to the university in New Jersey, two-and-a-half hours from home.

“It had great facilities and I loved the campus,” Crerar said. “I fell in love with it. And I fell in love with coach (Scott) Bradley, he’s won the most Ivy League titles of anyone.”

The 25th-year head mentor of Princeton found a lot to like about the 6-3 180-pounder from Cheshire.

“I’m fairly projectable, and super athletic,” Crerar explained. “He loves my bat, my shiftiness in the field and my athleticism. He said I’m a good fit for the program and the school.”

The idea of playing at the next level hit home to Crerar just a few years back.

“I got hurt in seventh grade,” the 16-year-old reflected. “It was a minor arm injury, but I was out for eight months. Sitting out and watching kids play, I realized this is what I want to do. My dad played at Southern New Hampshire and my grandpa pitched in ‘A’ ball for the Red Sox. It’s in my blood and something that I love to do.

“I’ve had a bat and ball in my hands since I was three-years-old. I’m a two-sport athlete and I like basketball, but always leaned toward baseball with my dad. He coached me when I was younger.”

Once healthy, Crerar found out that following in his father and grandfather’s footsteps was a possibility.

“PBR opened everything up for me playing in front of college coaches at Lake Pointe,” Crerar explained. “I was in eighth grade that year and it was so sick, with all of the coaches there watching.

“I really like the rankings,” Crerar added. “That’s where PBR holds a competitive edge allowing you to see where you stand and what you need to do to play at schools. The ProCase was awesome. Meeting with scouts there helped me a lot. And (PBR Connecticut Scouting Director) Trevor Brown has been awesome.”

It all added up to finding a home at Princeton.

“Recruitment is a hard thing, but I had a lot of great people guiding me,” Crerar said. “It’s hard being on the phone with coaches, you just have to trust who you believe in.”

Being a student-athlete at an Ivy League school is understandably not going to be an easy task.

“I definitely think it will be a hard challenge, but since I was young I’ve had elite time-management skills,” Crerar noted. “I spend three hours on homework a night, plus practices and training. It can be rigorous, but not too much. I’m just setting myself up for college.”

Economics or business will be the major for Crerar, who carries a 4.0 GPA at Cheshire and is confident about what he can provide the Ivy League program at Princeton.

“I can play almost every position,” noted the second-rated 2025 shortstop in New England. “Hitting is one of my better tools and I like to run, but I think I can be a guy they can utilize anywhere to help them win.”

Crerar, who credited hitting coach Chris Barker with aiding his development, is pleased to have his recruiting process come to an end.

“It’s pretty settling,” Crerar admitted. “I was on the phone almost every day with a coach. My mom went to Yale and the Ivy League was always in the back of my mind. Everyone wants to play at a Power 5 school, but if you play well enough scouts will see you no matter where you are.”

Including Princeton, where Crerar anxiously awaits attending just a few years from now.

“I’m looking forward to competing at the highest level and learning more about the game,” Crerar concluded. “Development at college is at a higher level. I’m looking forward to learning and, hopefully, can go out and dominate.”