Black Diamond signs with Crowder College
Sallisaw baseball senior Brock Streun made sure he insured himself at least two more years of the sport he loves.
Streun signed a baseball letter of intent with Crowder College, located in Neosho, Mo., in a signing ceremony Thursday afternoon at Paul Post Field House.
There were several reasons Streun wanted to play for the Roughriders.
“I really love the coaches,” he said. “I love the program and its tradition. It’s a great program. I’ve had friends up there. They talk nothing but great things about the coaching staff. They always get kids on to the next four years (a four-year school) and onto the (Major League Baseball) Draft.”
“We’re excited to see what he does,” Sallisaw baseball coach Curtis Wartchow said. “He has all the talent in the world. We’ll just see how he fulfills it. He’s a hard worker, so we’re excited to see how it goes.”
It doesn’t hurt that Neosho, Mo., isn’t too awful far from Sallisaw.
“It factored in a little bit,” Streun said. “There were some other offers that were kind of farther who were Division I, and I really didn’t want to go that far, plus the JUCO. I just knew I could play there. They have a really great team, and I knew I’d really end up loving it. It’s right next to Arkansas. I have a lot of buddies going there.”
Streun, who was named to the 2024 Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State Middle School East Team along with Roland’s Carson Wiggins, was named the All-District 4A-6 Player of the Year and batted .539 with four home runs and an on-base percentage of .657. On the mound, he was 3-1 pitching. The Sallisaw senior said, at least for now, he’ll concentrate on both hitting and pitching.
“I’ll be doing both up there,” he said. “I’ll be swinging and pitching it there until I figure out what I truly want to do at the next level, wherever that is. Eventually, there will be a choice. I’ll just meet that time when it comes.”
The Black Diamonds went 23-11 this past season and missed by one win of making the Class 4A State Tournament. Wartchow said Streun has been one of many key players over the years for the Black Diamonds.
“He’s been instrumental big time,” he said. “He’s been in the middle of our line-up for the three years I’ve been here. He’s been the No. 1 arm on my (pitching) staff for the last three years. We’re going to have some big shoes to fill. We know we have good kids coming, but these are the kind of kids who you don’t replace. You try to replace them with a group of kids.”
It’s a big day when any Sallisaw High School athlete signs a letter of intent and gets to play sports at the next level.
“Anytime we can get our kids in our school to go participate (in college), whether it’s in athletics or furthering their education, in any way, that’s a big thing,” said Jeff Streun, Sallisaw High School athletic director and Streun’s father.
The Crowder College signee said he is planning on making sure he will be able to make an impact with the Roughriders immediately upon arrival in Neosho.
“That’s what I want to do,” Brock Streun said. “Once I get there, I want to hit the ground running. All throughout summer, I’m going to Charlotte and train with Tread Athletics. I’ll be picking up some games and be training. That way, when it comes fall (scrimmage) season up there, I will just hit the ground running and be ready to make a huge impact on the team. I’m very excited. I cannot wait to get there.”
Wartchow has no doubt in his mind Streun can indeed be an impact player for Crowder College.
“His talents are unlimited,” he said. “That will take him a long ways. When you get to that level, sometimes it’s the luck of the draw in staying healthy. We wish him all the best. We expect big things out of him.”
College letters of intent signings are special for athletic directors, but it’s even more special when it’s the A.D.’s kid. Just ask SHS Athletic Director Jeff Streun.
“It’s even better when it’s your own kid,” the Sallisaw AD said. “We’re real happy. Baseball has been his passion for a long time. Anytime your kid can go chase his dreams, whether it’s two years, four years, 10 years or whatever that is, that’s a special time for me and the wife (Kandace) — obviously for him.
