Crossroads varsity baseball team is crowned the Gold Coast League Champions, ending a 15 year title drought and cementing their place as a reputable high school baseball team. With a win of 11-2 against Viewpoint, completing a series sweep and finishing league play at 8-4.
Securing their spot was anything but smooth, Xrds was battling to secure a postseason berth. Xrds last hurdle was a three-game series against Viewpoint where if they won Xrds would put the league title within reach.
In the series opener, Crossroads faced Viewpoint, Izzy Parsky a senior who dominated early with seven strikeouts and a one-hitter through the first three innings. The tide turned in the fourth when junior Alfred Bloomingdale hit a solo home run to tie the game 1-1. “I was just trying to simplify it down, not get in my own head,” Bloomingdale said, “I know I’m facing probably the best pitcher we faced all year. I was just going out there trying to hit the barrel.”
The game remained deadlocked thanks to strong pitching from Quinn Barach, Matthew Condon, and Leo LeBlanc, until the bottom of the 11th when sophomore Andrew Holland singled, freshman Zach Bycel laid down a perfect bunt, senior Miles Zoog walked, and senior catcher Jesse Abrams hit a walk-off double to win it. "I got that fastball. Had to pull it over the left fielder's head, walk it off for the team," said Abrams. "It was just pure joy. Also, it was senior night, a more special last home game of the year. Seeing how everyone sprint was a really cool moment."
The final game of the series brought high stakes and scoreboard watching, as Crossroads needed both a win and a Windward loss to Campbell Hall to secure the title.
After falling behind 1-0 and being no-hit through four innings, Xrds rallied. Bloomingdale again sparked the offense with a fifth-inning single to break up the no-hitter. Later in the inning, with bases loaded and two strikes, junior Avery Deutch hit a hard ground ball that led to a throwing error, allowing two runs to score.
"In that at bat, I got a little deep in the count. It got down to two, and I was just looking for something straight," Deutch said. "I wasn't looking for a curve ball. I just wanted something I could hit hard."
The scoring continued as Crossroads built an 11-2 lead. Meanwhile, the team's attention turned to the Campbell Hall-Windward game.
"When we were out in the field and they were watching the Windward game on their phone, and when Windward was up one and about to close it out to get the win, which meant we'd make the playoffs, but we weren't going to win the league. But when Campbell Hall got a walk off, scoring two runs and two outs, and the whole dugout went crazy, that's when I was like, oh my god, we're going to win the League," Coach Beckerman said.
Junior closer Leo LeBlanc, who finished all three games of the series, secured the final outs. “ I'm at a new school and finding my rhythm with a new team. So I think to be given that responsibility, take it on and perform, is really big for me. I get to really enjoy those moments a lot, because I think, you know, as a new guy, I think we don't get those opportunities as often, so I'm really grateful for those, those chances,” LeBlanc said.
The championship marks a significant milestone in Beckerman's five-year plan to resurrect a once-dominant program. Crossroads was a baseball powerhouse in the 1980s and early 1990s before falling on harder times."I grew up playing for Palisades High School in the mid 80s, and Crossroads was very well respected, one of the first respected CIF private schools back then," said Beckerman. "Crossroads was the first one to really show dominance as a private school."
Senior shortstop Jake McCaffrey, an NYU commit and league MVP candidate, has witnessed the program's transformation firsthand. "My freshman year, we made the playoffs for the first time, and then sophomore and junior year, like Jesse said, we did not win a lot of games, and it became a little less fun, for sure," McCaffrey said. "And this year, it's just been, it's been the most fun part on the high school team, for sure."
Roadrunners made it clear that although this league title is special that this would not be the stop to their hard work. "Winning the league is nice, but it is more a bragging rights thing," McCaffrey said. "This is what for me really matters. I want to make a run. I want more people to see us play, and I think that the deeper platform we make, it'll be better for Crossroads baseball, and give us a bigger name."
Junior Avery Deutch said, "Since you know, I was a freshman, the only thing that I've really cared about is winning a CIF championship. And I think that's the goal this season, and has been since the start. So we're planning on making a deep run, and championships the goal."
Crossroads will finish the regular season with games at Rolling Hills Prep and Redondo Union before learning their playoff path when CIF announces the schedule on May 10.
For a program that has endured its share of struggles over the past decade, this championship establishes a blueprint for future success.
"It's definitely attracting players that want to play at the next level," Coach Beckerman said. "Now we're starting to attract not only the players that want to play in high school, but the players that want to play after high school. So a higher level of quality is now wanting to play at crossroads."
By: Arabella Joaquin, SMDP Intern