Former Lady Tiger back on World Series stage

Editor's note: The season came to an end for Katie Crabb's Arizona State softball team when it was knocked out with its second tourney loss on Saturday (6-2 to Alabama), short of the College Softball World Series final four.The Sun Devils scored first in the game, on a two-run home run by Crabb in the top of the fourth, but they could not make it stand up.-KJOne of the Roseville's most prominent names is represented in Oklahoma City for the third consecutive year as Roseville High graduate Katie Crabb and her Arizona State teammates seek to defend their Women's College Softball World Series title. Crabb, a junior, graduated from Roseville in 2006 before heading south to pursue her education and softball success. Crabb was 2-for-3 with a run scored and another batted in during ASU's 11-0 victory in the final game of a series sweep against North Dakota State in the Super Regionals on May 23. In the seven games of this year's tournament, Arizona State has outscored its opponents 47-6 with Crabb hitting .385.High school success was not all easy for Crabb, who suffered a crippling injury on the school volleyball team during her senior year. She tore her ACL and missed her senior year on the diamond. By mid-June, after graduating, Crabb was back on the softball field and off to Arizona."High school softball was really over for me as a junior," Crabb said. "That killed me to not be a part of the softball team," she said. "After I finally stopped crying on the phone, within five minutes Coach Myers had me smiling and laughing. He said 'you're part of our family now and everything is going to be fine.'"Despite foregoing sports her senior year, Crabb had plenty of opporunity to prepare her for the ASU experience. She was a team captain her junior year, and was twice honored with SFL first team all-league selections. She was also named the team offensive and overall MVP after her junior year.Crabb says she looks forward to moving home after graduating from ASU. Family in Roseville includes her mother, father and younger brother Kevin who will attend Yuba City College to play basketball. She is granddaughter to former Roseville Mayor Harry Crabb. If family weren't enough Crabb continues a 6 ½ year relationship with her high school boyfriend. Besides the cameras and largely increased fan base at the WCWS level Crabb is confident of her team's chances for back-to-back titles. Nervous excitement fades into last year's championship and is replaced by a sense of comfort to be back in the big games."I remember saying 'wow' and taking in a deep breath when I stepped on the field," said Crabb. "I remember being on the field for that last out. When we won, we all had tears of joys in our eyes because we knew then it was worth all the work. It was really worth it."NOTE:If Katie Crabb and her Arizona State teammates are going to repeat as National Champions, they will have to do it through the loser's bracket. After a 7-3 win over Missouri in the first round in Oklahoma City, the Sun Devils dropped a 1-0, eight-inning heartbreaker to Pac-10 rival Washington on Friday night.Crabb, a .320 hitter drove in a run in the opener, and had the first of ASU's two hits against the Huskies, as the offense went silent on Friday.The Sun Devils play Saturday at 6 p.m. (PT) against the winner of a game between Arizona and Alabama that will be played earlier in the day. Saturday night's game will air live on ESPN.