Little League fields named for Crystal River native killed in Montana

CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. - Crystal River’s new T-ball fields will be named in honor of a former Little Leaguer who was killed in a shooting in Montana.

Chandler Stalcup spent countless hours honing his baseball skills on the ballfields at Crystal River’s Bicentennial Park.

He would later play football for Crystal River High School, then for Rocky Mountain College in Montana. He was there for only three months when he was called to help a friend who had called for help, and was shot dead at 18 years old. Two have been arrested.

"Some days it feels like it's been gone for a long time, and some days it feels like it happened yesterday," said his mother, Carla Stalcup. "We're relatively new in this journey of grieving the loss of your son."

On Tuesday, Citrus County Commissioners approved naming three new T-ball fields at Bicentennial in Chandler's honor.

"To build better citizens in our community, more than just ballplayers, to build a family," said Lee Anne Boleware, president of the Crystal River Little League. "That's what we're like. We're like a family."

Boleware says the reason Chandler is so inspirational was not only his zest for life, but his ability to make everyone around him better, and put a smile on the faces of those who were feeling down.

"I hope they're always there to cheer somebody else up like he was," said Boleware.

The goal is to have Chandler's name on the fields by May, in hopes of inspiring the next generation of players to love baseball and their community.

"That is where we pull our strength from," said Stalcup. "Chandler never gave up on anything."

Pretrial hearings in the case begin next week in Montana, and his family plans to travel there for the proceedings.

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