Crane was a four-year player for the Lions in center field where he started in 196 of the 200 games he played in. He was a two-time All-MIAA selection in the outfield, helping the Lions to a 113-79 record over the four seasons including a 41-13 mark his freshman year, a MIAA South title and a trip to the NCAA Regional Tournament. The Lions made four-straight trips to the MIAA Tournament in each of Crane's four seasons.

He ranks second all-time in career hits (247), at bats (733) and doubles (52), while ranking fifth in runs (198), sixth in stolen bases (49), and seventh in both RBIs (149) and sacrifice hits (15). He has a career batting average of .337, with an on base percentage of .436. His freshman season was one of the best on record for a first-year Lion as he hit .314 with 59 runs, 41 RBIs, 14 doubles a triple and went 26-30 on the base paths. The 26 stolen bases rank seventh all-time in a single season at Southern.

Crane graduated from Southern in 1998 with a degree in Marketing and is employed by Boyd Metals in Joplin. He has a wife, Stephanie, and the couple have three daughters, Sage, Sophia and Savannah.