Vanguard University

The athlete:  Derek is back for his third season with the Lions…solid year at the plate as a sophomore as he led the team with a .352 batting average in 32 games as a starter…played a total of 38 games scoring 26 runs on 44 hits with a team-high three triples…also smacked four homers while driving in 23…made 11 appearances on the mound notching one victory…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…good hitter from the left side.

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 Business Administration major at Vanguard…sports hero is his dad…loves to eat ribs and go to “In-N-Out”…favorite movie is “The Notebook”…likes to watch “Everybody Loves Raymond” on television…loves the color blue and the number eight…favorite Bible Verse is Galatians 5:1…roots for the Kansas City Royals…hobbies include snowboarding and running…learned that Jesus is life…most respects Jesus…says love is the most important characteristic for a person to have…baseball has taught him that hard work pays off…career goal is to make money.

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.  He is a man of many words.