It hasn’t been a lost season for John Crummy.

Just a different one.

The Butler BlueSox catcher and Butler High School graduate is used to having a lot of success at the plate. He hit .391 in high school as a junior, a year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Crummy hit .500 as a senior with the Golden Tornado, his prowess at the plate earning him a baseball scholarship to Miami (Ohio) University.

Only this year, he’s hardly gotten to the plate at all.

“Yeah, it gets frustrating after a while,” Crummy said. “I thought I’d have a lot more at bats this season by now.

“It’s just something you have to get through.”

Crummy was the third-string catcher as a freshman at Miami this past spring. He appeared in only five games, starting one, and had a single in five at bats along with drawing a couple of walks.

Redhawks senior catcher Adam Weisenburger hit .298 with seven homers and 26 RBI. No. 2 catcher Nate Bowles hit ,.254 with eight RBI while playing in 28 games, starting 18.

“Our starting catcher is gone now and (Bowles) will be a junior,” Crummy said. “I figure to get a lot more action behind the plate this spring.”

He’s starting to see more time on the field for the BlueSox this summer.

Crummy started only his third home game for Butler on Thursday night, getting a single in three at-bats and throwing out a would-be base stealer. He is hitting .222 with six hits in 27 at bats with the BlueSox and has appeared in 11 of the team’s first 20 games.

“Hitting is a rhythm thing,” Crummy said. “It’s hard to get going when you’re not getting consistent at bats.

“This has not been a lost year for me, though. I’m learning a lot and I’m getting better as a player. Working with the catchers at Miami and here, catching a whole different set of pitchers ... It’s been very beneficial.”

BlueSox manager Anthony Rebyanski said he understands the frustration of players looking for summer playing time.

“That’s the toughest part of this job, juggling everybody and keeping them all fresh while trying to win games,” Rebyanski said. “We’ve got four catchers on this team and they can all play other positions. We’re trying to take advantage of that.

“When we’re winning or losing big, we shuttle guys in. Everybody understands the situation. The players have been great about that.”

Taylor Juran from Temple University, Jon Danielczyk from Pitt and Jacob Reese from Eastern Illinois are the other BlueSox catchers.

Reese is hitting .293, sporting the second highest batting average on the squad.

“If you hit, you’re gonna play. That’s the way it should be,” Crummy said.

And Crummy’s hitting is coming around. He had a nine-pitch at bat before grounding out sharply to shortstop and his hit was a line single to right field Thursday night.

“You can see him getting better in batting practice,” Rebyanski said of Crummy. “When your college situation didn’t get you many at bats, plus the switch to wooden bats, it takes time for a guy to rediscover his stroke.”

While rediscovering his, Crummy has had the luxury of playing baseball in his hometown.

“I love it,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed Pullman Park and the atmosphere of playing here.

“I’d love to come back next summer. We’ll see if it works out. It’s rare to see college players on the same summer team from year to year. The (college) coaches like to move guys around.

“We had some Ohio guys on our (Miami) team play in Ohio last summer who are playing in California this summer. It’s all about where your coach wants you to be,” Crummy added.

Crummy wants to be part of a major league organization down the road. Miami of Ohio has had 36 players drafted by big league clubs since 1990.

If the draft doesn’t happen for him, the Frontier League or any other independent minor league won’t, either.

“I’m’ still hopeful of being drafted someday, but if I’m not, I’ll move on to the next phase of my life,” he said. “Right now, I just want to be the best ballplayer I can be.

“But I have gained new respect for fourth outfielders, pinch-hitters and other players who do well in bench roles in baseball. It’s a tough thing to do.”