It was 2011, Craig Brooks was more than halfway through his senior season at Monroe Parkwood, and he was thinking there might not be any more baseball in front of him.

But Brooks’ high school coach was Andrew Starnes and he’d played college ball at Mars Hill with Catawba assistant coach Seth Graham. Starnes put in a call to Graham.

Head coach Jim Gantt said Starnes told then assistant coach Seth Graham there was a kid that deserved a look. He wasn’t big, but he was leading the state in strikeouts.

Graham was in the bleachers for a Parkwood game a few days later, and Brooks was throwing upper 80s and competing like it was the seventh game of the World Series. Graham talked to Brooks about coming to Catawba. The rest is history.

“I wasn’t being recruited and didn’t know if I’d be going to college at all,” Brooks said. “Catawba changed that.”

Parkwood was an average 3A team, but it clawed its way into the state playoffs. Parkwood wasn’t expected to have a chance at Northwest Cabarrus in the second round. Brooks had heard stories about Northwest Cabarrus phenom Corey Seager.

“I knew they had a guy who could hit it across the road, but it’s not like you tell your coach you’re not going to pitch,” Brooks said. “You take the challenge. Seager went on to be a No. 1 draft pick, but he didn’t have a good game that night.”

Brooks pitched a one-hitter and beat the Trojans. Jarrin Hogue, a muscular linebacker, socked a solo homer, but that was the only hit for NWC.

In the playoffs, Brooks was clocked at 90, 91. Division I schools got interested.

“I’d been high 80s all season, but all of a sudden, I was low 90s in the playoffs,” Brooks said. “I got offers then from small Division I schools, but I told them I’d made a commitment to Catawba. I’m glad I did. I’ve had great teammates. I’ve never had any reason for regrets.”

Brooks earned a degree in four years (business) at Catawba and has pitched at an All-America level the last two seasons. He was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Southeast Region Pitcher of the Year this week and was a consensus pick as the region’s best pitcher as a junior.

“It’s kind of worked out better than we ever expected,” Gantt said.

The Indians used Brooks as a closer his freshman season. He was 2-0 with four saves. He pitched well in both his relief appearances in the 2012 World Series in Cary and saved a 2-1 victory for Nick Lomascolo.

“Being a freshman, I was nervous,” Brooks said. “But I was ready to go. I guess I did my thing.”

Before the World Series, Brooks won the Southeast Regional championship game, relieving Lomascolo in the fifth inning and shutting out Francis Marion the rest of the way.

“He’s a freshman, it’s pouring rain, the mound is in terrible shape, and he never said a word,”  Gantt said. “He’s so focused on pitching and winning, I don’t think he knew it was raining.”

Brooks was expected to dominate out of the bullpen as a sophomore.

“We’re playing in a tournament in Asheboro early that season, and I closed against Pfeiffer and hit 95 mph,” Brooks said.

But in Catawba’s second game that day against Barton, Brooks threw a changeup and felt pain. He finished the game and got the save, but he knew something was wrong. When he tried to toss the next day, he couldn’t lift his arm.

“That scared me to death,” Brooks said. “I didn’t know if I’d be play again.”

It was a shoulder injury, not an injury to his elbow. No surgery was required. He rehabbed  and returned to duty by the end of the season.

Gantt put Brooks in the starting rotation as a a junior and the results were spectacular. He was 12-3 — winning 12 straight decisions at one point — struck out 104 batters and had a 2.32 ERA.

“I had such a good year as a junior, I didn’t know if I’d be able to match it as a senior,” Brooks said.

But he’s been even better. He threw the first no-hitter of his career in February against Brevard. He’s 9-1 and the lone loss was in a 1-0 game. Opposing hitters are batting .158 against him. His ERA is 1.60. In 90 innings, he’s struck out 143 batters, a phenomenal rate that leads Division II by a wide margin.

Brooks is only five strikeouts away from breaking the Catawba record for strikeouts in a season that Brian Boltz set in 1988. He’s a fastball pitcher, but he also mixes in a curveball, cutter and changeup.

“I’ve been on the same page with my catcher (T.J. Wharton) all season,” Brooks said. “He deserves a lot of credit.”

Wharton is the DH when he’s not catching. Slugger Will Albertson catches or plays left field, and they have formed a formidable 3-4 combination in the middle of Catawba’s lineup all season. Besides being a pitching standout, Brooks is the No. 5 hitter and plays third base when he’s not pitching. He has power — six homers and 13 doubles.

“He gets big hits,” Gantt said. “The really good players show up in the big games, and he’s had some game winners.”

Brooks looks ordinary physically —  5-foot-11, 185 pounds — but he throws 94 mph consistently. In a recent relief appearance, radar guns had him at 97 mph. That means he has one of the best arms in North Carolina and is a virtual lock to be drafted in June. Scouts have been plentiful at Newman Park.

“I’ve filled out questionnaires and talked to quite a few scouts,” Brooks said. “They’ve asked how much I’m looking for to sign if they draft me, and I just tell them I want to be treated fairly.”

Brooks’ father got him started in the game at age 5. He taught him how to throw. That’s where he learned his unusual windup in the backyard.

“Scouts always ask me if a pitching coach taught to wind up like that, but I never had a pitching coach, just my dad,” Brooks said. “It’s what felt natural in the backyard. It just felt right. I’ve never changed it.”

It’s taken him a long way. When Catawba opens regional play at Thomasville’s Finch Field  on Thursday at 7 p.m. against North Greenville, Brooks will take the ball one more time.

“I told our young guys to enjoy the ride of being in big games like this,” Brooks said. “I hope all our freshmen get to play in a World Series like I did. That was a proud moment.”