Vanguard University

The athlete:  Derek is back for his second season with the Lions…had a solid freshman season, playing in 30 games and starting 20 contests…also made eight appearances on the mound, pitching 35.2 innings with a 2-2 record…hit .273 with 21 hits while splitting time at first base…came to VUSC from Tesoro High School in Las Flores, California…2005 graduate who played for Coach Rick Brail at THS…was a three-time All-Sea View League selection…second-team All-CIF choice…also played football in high school…had a 21-game hitting streak in high school…bats left…throws left…has played baseball since he was four years old…good size…athletic player who will compete for the job at first base…good hitter from the left side…has command as a pitcher…natural skills…should be a big contributor in 2007.

The person:  Derek was born on June 1, 1987 in Mission Viejo, California…parents are Michael and Teresa Craddock…has two brothers and a sister…is a Religion major at Vanguard…sports hero is his dad…loves to eat…favorite movie is “Forrest Gump”…likes to watch “Everybody Loves Raymond” on television…loves the color blue and the number eight…enjoys reading the Bible…favorite place is India…hobbies include snowboarding and running…would like to meet Jesus Christ…believes that hunger is the biggest problem in the world…loves that his VU team is like a group of brothers…has learned that life is everlasting…competing in athletics has taught him to be confident in everything, and to be an over achiever…wants to become a Missionary.

His thoughts:  I wanted to play baseball in a Christian environment.  I love the atmosphere at VUSC.

Coach Mallernee’s comments:  Derek has a pastor’s heart and genuinely cares about all of his teammates.