Athletic Hall of Fame

I met Luke Crocker his first day on campus at the new family dinner reception at the Headmaster’s house. I had heard through the grapevine that a “pretty good baseball player” had enrolled, so I made sure to introduce myself. We talked for a while that night, and I left the conversation hopeful that he would live up to expectations and be “pretty good.”   

As it turned out, Luke was more than good. He finished his first year going 3-1, pitching 30 innings, and striking out 52 batters. He took a huge step in establishing himself as a dominant force that year when he fired the school’s first perfect game against Concord Academy, complete with 16 strikeouts. He was voted an EIL All Star and was primed to lead the team as a senior.  

His senior year, Crocker finished the season with a 1.09 ERA in 33.1 innings pitched and 63 strikeouts. He opened the season with an extra-inning, 18 strikeout no-hitter against league rival Berwick Academy, and concluded his Landmark career with a NEPSAC tournament extra inning one-hit loss to Brewster Academy, which was one of the best baseball games I have ever been a part of. He was named the Eastern Independent League MVP and a Boston Globe All Scholastic pitcher, and he went on to pitch at Clark University.

Luke was also an important member of the basketball team, using his Kevin McHale-like crafty post moves to dazzle opponents, but as I think about Luke what I remember most is being incredibly impressed with who he is as a person. Mike Gaeta, Luke’s houseparent said it well, “Luke was always an outgoing, enthusiastic, and contributing member of the community. I could always count on him to help wherever needed and I could always count on Luke for a kind word and a devout willingness to help make Landmark a better place.”

—Scott Jamieson

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