Sure, the home run is nice and picturesque at times, but the Locked In Expos 11U squad truly utilized all facets of their game to the point they became an overwhelming opponent in the Spring Classic at Diamond Nation two weekends ago.

On top of all that, the Expos defeated two very worthy and undefeated opponents in the playoffs to secure the Spring Classic championship with a 5-0 record and a gaudy run differential of 72-21. Indeed, the Expos averaged a little bit more than 14 runs a game while permitting just four runs per-game.

Liano Bisceglia made the most noise in the Locked In Expos’ lineup, smashing three home runs over the course of the weekend. His teammate, Santino Bruno, hit two HR blasts of his own while Eric Conklin cleared the wall once.

The key to the weekend for the 11U unit from the talent-rich North Jersey program was getting out of the gate quickly on Friday night. It can be a difficult turnaround, in focus, on a Friday night for an 11 year-old, with school, swallowing a quick meal on the run and getting into a proper baseball mindset in time to play back-to-back games under the lights.

But Locked In was true to its name and totaled 26 runs in taking out Northeast Ghost, 12-1, and the Diamond Jacks Gold 11U, 14-4, to set up its weekend with a flourish. The Expos then closed out pool play on Saturday with a 22-1 victory over Diamond Baseball Academy 11U.

That set up Locked In with a playoff berth. But next up was a very difficult challenge in a 3-0 Avengers Baseball 11U team that also carried an imposing 35-12 run differential into the playoff semifinal. The Expos would prevail in a wild 12-11 affair that won’t soon be forgotten. The victory aligned the Locked In Expos in the final with the Schuylkill County Breaker Boys Baseball, which entered the final with a 3-0 record and perhaps the longest name in travel ball history.

The Expos nailed down their championship with a 12-4 victory over Schuylkill County, capping a terrific weekend at Diamond Nation.