By Mike Clark Post-Tribune correspondent July 31, 2013 7:36PM
Indiana's Larry Crisler hits a double against Illinois during the bottom of the fourth inning of the Crossroads Championship Series held at the Steel Yard in Gary, Ind., Wednesday, July 31, 2013. The series is organized by former Gary RailCats player Eric Blakeley. | Guy Rhodes~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: July 31, 2013 11:20PM
GARY ? Summertime is anything but vacation time for Larry Crisler, especially this week.
The incoming senior at Bishop Noll led one team to a championship on Wednesday and is hoping to repeat the feat this week in Ohio.
Crlsler helped Team Indiana defend its Crossroads Championship Series title with a 6-2 win over Team Illinois at U.S. Steel Yard.
After posing for a few pictures around the Crossroads trophy, Crisler was ready to hit the road. He and his Indiana Chiefs of Hammond 17-and-under teammates open play Thursday morning in the Pastime Tournaments 17U Mizuno World Series at Ohio State in Columbus.
?It was just pretty fun, a break from the regular summer team,? Crisler said of the Crossroads event, which featured a skills competition, a showcase for college coaches and a four-team tournament that also included teams from Ohio and Michigan.
Crisler only had two at-bats in Wednesday?s eight-inning championship game because Indiana coaches used a 15-man lineup to showcase as many players as possible.
But he made the most of his chances, slugging a pair of doubles. He scored two runs and drove in two more in the seventh, when Indiana put up four runs to break a 2-2 tie.
?It gives me confidence, seeing how I?m going to Ohio today, playing tomorrow (in the World Series),? he said.
Crisler also helped his cause during the showcase; according to Crossroads founder Eric Blakeley, Portage?s Christopher Klenk and Crisler had the two best 60-yard dash times among all the players on hand.
That should boost Crisler?s recruiting stock.
?I?m listening to people right now,? he said. ?I?m pretty excited about that, wondering what schools are going to offer.?
Klenk was 1-for-2 for Indiana on Wednesday, while Portage teammate Kevin Jones saw action on the mound.
Like Crisler, Blakeley came away from the event with a good feeling.
?I?m happy with it,? Blakeley said. ?We did some things ... to kind of tighten up the nomination process. We had a lot more nominations (for players for the state events) this year than last year. ...
?Our events are as good as the hundred coaches out there playing games and scouting players to bring to the event.?
Having the finale at the Steel Yard, where Blakeley finished his playing career with the RailCats, is something he?d like to continue.
?I love this place,? he said. ?This was one of the best baseball experiences I?ve had, to play out my career here. I love coming back here to allow the local kids to be able to come here and bring in people from four states to see what they have here.?
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