When Alex Crosby first visited Sonoma State before the 2014 season, he probably never imagined that he would one day represent Great Britain on the national stage. But after helping them qualify for the World Baseball Classic, he is getting the chance to do just that.

In 2014, Crosby joined the Sonoma State baseball team as a transfer from Solano Junior College. He played first and third base, appearing regularly in the lineup for the Seawolves. During his first season, he was able to achieve a .268 batting average and helped SSU dominate with a 24-8 CCAA record.

Coach John Goelz recalled, “In 2014, we played Chico State in the championship game and Alex hit a home run in the top of the 9th to win the CCAA Title.” Goelz described Crosby as “clutch”, saying he would always step up and perform when it mattered most.

Crosby commented on his time with SSU, “Coach Goelz did a good job of running the program as if it were a professional program. It prepared me for the next stage of my career and the facility was so beautiful it made you want to go take those late-night swings in the cages to get your extra work in constantly.”

In 2015, Crosby would improve his game, leading the team in hits with a .365 batting average, four home runs and 31 RBIs in his senior year. After graduating, he signed with the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association of Professional Baseball, where he spent five seasons before a brief stint with the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks in 2020

Since 2021, Crosby has been playing for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an official MLB partner league. During his time with the Blue Crabs, he has sustained a .298 batting average in over 200 games played and helped his team make a playoff appearance.

Crosby said his goals for the tournament are, “To shock the world and show how relentless Great Britain baseball is.” He added that he wants, “To help grow the baseball community in the United Kingdom and show them that you can get here from there.”

He recalled, “Growing up watching the WBC as a high schooler, my dream was to compete and be a part of this tourney on team Great Britain. It’s a surreal moment for me and an honor to represent what made me who I am.”

Great Britain started their World Baseball Classic campaign this past weekend with two losses against The United States and Canada. The second game against Canada broke the record for most runs in a WBC game with 26 runs total scored by both teams.