NORWOOD, Ma. - Increased velocity has given more confidence to Jack Cropper. That in turn has brought more interest to the Norwood sophomore and a commitment to Northeastern is the result.

“It started with my AAU coach,” Cropper explained about the recruiting process. “He knew someone at PBR which allowed me to get there and that’s where Northeastern saw me. After that we talked and got to know each other.”

Streaming at the New England Top Prospect Games II PBR event helped the Colonial Athletic Conference school see what the 5-11 165-pound right-hander is all about.

“They like how I have a passion for the game,” Cropper said of Northeastern. “They like how hard I work and that I want to win.”

The 25th-ranked 2023 in New England took an unofficial visit to the university after interest heated up.

“I went to the field and looked at that,” Cropper noted. “I loved the campus, it’s in a great location. It’s easy to get to all the classes and the field is not too far away.”

There was more that the recently-turned 16-year-old saw at the college that brought intrigue.

“We talked about what I’m looking for in a school and what they look for and what they saw in me,” Cropper said. “They told me about their schedule and how they run everything. It’s all very organized and I like to be organized. That was helpful in my decision.”

Boston College in the early part of recruitment and UMass Lowell later on were others in discussion with Cropper, who a year ago was throwing 79-80, in January the velo reached 82 and the velocity is now topping out at 87.

“That’s given me a lot more confidence,” Cropper explained. “Before, I was nervous that I wasn’t throwing hard enough to get people out. Now I can rely on it more and strike people out on 1-2 or 0-2 counts.”

Improvement came via hard work.

“Most was by long toss and increased arm strength,” Cropper said. “I did a lot of weight lifting with my legs. That helps pushing off to get power. Long toss has helped my arm get stronger.”

A better pitcher has materialized.

“On the mound I’ve calmed down a bit,” Cropper related. “I used to be anxious but I’ve settled down and realized just take it one step at a time and go from there.”

That has been the case with college baseball in general.

“It’s always been a dream I had but I never thought about it really happening until one of those PBR events when colleges started talking to me,” Cropper said. “That’s when I thought I might get a chance to play in college.”

Still, there was some uncertainty.

“I just wanted to play college baseball, it didn’t matter if it was D-I, D-II or D-III,” Cropper admitted. “I never thought that much about being committed. I figured if I had nothing by senior year I’d try to walk on somewhere. But I worked hard, pushed myself and put myself out there for colleges to see. When it came to Northeaster, I loved everything they talked about.”

One issue on the mound still needs to be resolved in the eyes of Cropper.

“Control,” Cropper said. “I’ve struggled with that. I need to get better with it before college.”

Cropper pointed to parents and family along with the Northeast Gators with being big influences for him.

“Without coach Kevin O’Leary or Ned Brigham, who runs the Northeast Gators, I wouldn’t have gone to any PBR events to get seen by colleges,” Cropper said.

Instead, Cropper is a Division I commit taking a 3.75 GPA to Northeastern, 15 minutes from home.

“I want to be a leader on and off the field,” Cropper said of what he will provide the program. “I’ll bring intensity. I feel I can step up when needed. I’ll help a teammate if he’s struggling. I’ll work hard for whatever we need to accomplish.”

The eighth-ranked sophomore shortstop in New England, who is going to Northeastern as a pitcher, is happy to have recruitment come to an end.

“I was thinking of waiting but I realized Northeastern is the fit for me academically, so I thought I’d commit sooner rather than later,” noted Cropper, who is considering criminal justice as a potential college major. “I always thought the recruiting process would be very difficult and stressful but all the coaches made it easy. My parents talked to me about it and helped calm me down.

“Now that it’s over I’m extremely excited, it’s hard to express the feeling. There’s a little relief but I know I need to step it up and work harder than ever.”