Callahan, Crusaders make splash at state

Brother Rice's Kevin Callahan prepares to hit against Prairie Ridge Tuesday in the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association summer state tourney.

(Scott Powers/For the Sun-Times News Group)

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When he came to the plate in the seventh inning Tuesday, Kevin Callahan was not trying to put the ball in play.

He was trying to put it out of play, over the fence at Benedictine University.

"I'm not going to lie," the Brother Rice senior said. "I was. I wanted the cycle."

You can't always get what you want, as Callahan discovered when he grounded out in his final at-bat. But before that, he got what the Crusaders needed in their pool-play opener of the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association summer state tournament.

The first baseman belted an RBI triple in the first inning, doubled and scored in the third and singled in the fifth, pacing Rice to an 8-3 win over Prairie Ridge.

Despite missing the cycle, Callahan had no complaints. "I'm happy with my performance today," he said. "I'm happy with the team's performance as well.

"We've been on a roll coming into the playoffs and this is the best I've ever seen this team play."

Indeed. The Crusaders (27-3) played errorless defense behind winning pitcher Pat Gannon (five innings, two runs, four strikeouts) and reliever Steve Bostrom, smacked nine hits and stole eight bases.

"We thought it was a good day to run," Rice coach Tim Lyons said. "We're not a bunch of big brutes that just swing for the fences."

At 6-1 and 225 pounds, Callahan is a big guy, but he can motor around the bases. Tuesday's triple was his fourth of the summer.

"I wouldn't say I'm the fastest on the team, but I'm not the slowest," he said,

"He's really bought into [the idea that] 'I have to hit the other way,' " Lyons said, and "not just be a [Barry] Bonds-type hitter and hit to right field only."

Rich Glenn added a two-run single for the Crusaders, who play Warren Wednesday at 10 a.m. at North Central College.

Prairie Ridge was without eight players, including starters Nolan Jacoby, Chad Ljunggren and Justin Henderson, who were playing for their travel team in North Carolina.

"Our philosophy is they can play as much travel ball as they want," Wolves coach Dave Haskins said. "But when it comes to the state tournament, they're here. ... Our seniors will take care of that."

Kevin Kaczmarcki was 2-for-4 with an RBI for Prairie Ridge, which plays Elk Grove Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at North Central.

mclark@chicagosuntimes.com