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Northwestern Flying Under The Radar If you’re looking for a team which is flying a little under the radar this high school baseball season, you might look towards Howard County. That’s where Northwestern plays. Northwestern is tied with Evansville Memorial for 10th in the coaches association’s Class 3A preseason rankings. That’s not bad. Anytime a team is in the Top 10, that’s good. But, Northwestern may be a little better than the ranking might indicate. Read the full story...
Mater Dei Might Be The Team To Beat In Southwestern Indiana Jeff Schulz doesn’t beat around the bush when talking about his Evansville Mater Dei High School baseball team. He doesn’t pull any punches. When asked where he thinks his team ranks in the Class 2A preseason poll, he answers, “No. 1.” When asked about how his team will do in the conference and the sectional, he answers, “We should be the odds on favorite to win the sectional, unless the injury bug bites us. The SIAC is a very tough conference, but we should also be the team everyone throws their No. 1 starter at every time out, just like they did last year. We ended up second in the conference after losing a heartbreaker at Memorial when they rallied to beat us in the bottom of the seventh.” There is more. Read the full story...
Pre-Season Review
Adams Central Coach: David Neuenschwander. Class: 2A. Last Year’s Record: 16-12. Conference: ACAC. Coach’s Comments: This will be a fun year with a lot of younger kids having to step up and compete. The players who are returning are good leaders and love the game. Like every year, if the pitchers can throw strikes and limit the amount of walks, we can be in every game. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Mack McClain Jr. C-P .289 1 0 2 10 15 2 Austin Neadstine Jr. INF-P .292 5 0 1 9 12 0 Ben Mishler Jr. OF .389 4 1 0 6 15 6 Chris Hirschy Sr. INF-P .245 3 1 1 15 10 1 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Mack McClain Jr. 3-1 16 20 4.20 Austin Neadstine Jr. 2-0 10 18 1.94 Chris Hirsch Sr. 0-3 12 19.2 7.40
Alexandria Coach: Jeff Closser. Class: 2A. Last Year’s Record: 5-22. Conference: Central Indiana. Coach’s Comments: We have two first-team all-conference players returning in Zach Yeagy and Drew Overman, both juniors. Also, we have three starters back in Austin Quinn, Garrett Hosier and Kaleb Tatman. With these core players we should expect to compete at a high level this year. Our freshman class is pretty solid, so that will help plug some holes. Overall, we are still a young team but a veteran team. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Drew Overman Jr. P-3B .380 4 0 6 24 18 0 Zach Yeagy Jr. P-SS .341 1 1 1 8 17 24 Kaleb Tatman Sr. OF .364 3 1 2 6 23 5 Garrett Hosier Sr. P-OF .170 2 1 2 5 7 1 Austin Quinn Sr. INF .243 3 0 1 17 6 1 Nik Parkison So. C .217 0 0 2 4 8 3 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Drew Overman Jr. 1-4 51 43 5.37 Zach Yeary Jr. 2-7 33 34 6.62 Kaleb Hartman Jr. 0-1 7 23.2 7.30
Anderson Coach: Terry Turner. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 18-10. Conference: North Central. Coach’s Comments: Young players must step up to fill shoes of some good graduated players. Pitching will be key early, until young players come on. Seniors should hold things together. We have good team leaders in Nolan Earley, Zach Gooding and Dustin Cannon. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Nolan Earley Sr. OF-P .488 13 3 4 47 40 10 Zach Gooding Sr. SS-P .421 9 1 1 15 43 7 Blake Wilson Jr. 3B .205 2 0 1 11 19 0 Drew Hollon Sr. OF .349 6 2 4 33 19 4 Zach Bucci So. 3B-C .259 5 1 1 18 10 0 Jake Bollinger Jr. C .250 8 4 0 4 8 2 Jonathan Weis Jr. 1B .324 0 0 0 11 6 0 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Dustin Cannon Sr. 3-1 23 39 3.62 Nolan Earley Sr. 2-3 26 19 5.25 Zach Gooding Sr. 1-0 3 7 2.10
Anderson Highland Coach: Matt Bair. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 13-14. Conference: Olympic Athletic. Coach’s Comments: We will return six starters from last year’s team, which totaled a team batting average of .375. We are looking to great senior leadership and a dedicated and talented group of underlcassmen. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Trevor Humes Sr. P-INF .375 8 0 6 30 2b 9 Taylor Hopkins Sr. OF .397 6 1 1 16 32 16 Kaleb Ogden Sr. P-INF .348 1 0 2 12 5 0 Chase Freeman Jr. INF .365 6 1 4 25 20 3 Brad Kindred Jr. OF .408 2 0 1 8 18 8 Chandler Sidwell Jr. C-INF .432 9 1 2 28 24 7 Pitchers Returning
Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Trevor Humes Sr. 4-2 31 37.1 4.50 Kaleb Ogden Sr. 2-1 12 20.2 3.05 Brandon Truman Jr. 0-1 0 1.2 0.00 Andrew Hunt So. 0-0 0 3.2 0.00
Andrean Coach: Dave Pishkur. Class: 3A. Last Year’s Record: 30-2. Conference: Northwest Crossroads. Coach’s Comments: We are looking forward to the upcoming season as we do every year. This is an experienced team that is very talented. We are going to work hard and have some fun. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Adam Norton Sr. SS-P .434 17 3 5 44 33 7 Kevin Franchetti Sr. C .286 7 1 4 23 15 3 Ryan Dineen Sr. SS-2B .370 4 0 0 9 21 9 Thomas Polus Sr. RF-P .317 7 0 0 18 26 0 Mike Pokers Sr. ULT-P .307 7 1 3 16 24 4 Kyle Kovach Sr. CF .363 1 0 0 7 36 24 Ken Mahala Jr. 3B-P .318 6 1 5 29 21 0 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Thomas Polus Sr. 5-0 24 28 1.25 Mike Pokers Sr. 7-0 43 38.2 0.54 Adam Norton Sr. 6-1 41 56.1 0.99 Ken Mahala Jr. 2-0 14 12.2 0.55
Argos Coach: Pat Story. Class: 1A. Last Year’s Record: 6-17. Conference: Northland Athletic. Coach’s Comments: This should be another step forward for us as we look to double our win total from last season and continue to improve our level of play. As we grow our program from not existing four years ago to getting kids more interested in baseball, we are adding new players each year who have not had the lower level experience that you see in bigger schools. All five of our juniors have been starters for two years. With the addition of three senior basketball players who did not play baseball last year and a junior transfer, I believe we should be able to compete against any team on our schedule. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Mackenzie Williams Sr. C .161 0 0 0 10 2 2 Justin Dunfee Jr. OF .388 4 0 0 4 11 9 Scott Sanders Jr. P-SS .300 3 0 0 5 7 4 Mitch Deon Jr. P-C .265 5 0 1 5 10 3 Matt Hatfield Jr. 2B .196 0 0 0 5 7 3 Derek Rex Jr. P-1B .171 0 0 0 2 5 2 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Derek Rex Jr. 2-4 16 22.2 6.79 Mitch Deon Jr. 0-2 10 21.1 5.25 Scott Sanders Jr. 1-4 10 11.2 9.00
Avon Coach: Troy Drosche. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 22-10. Conference: Hoosier Crossroads. Coaches Comments: We are very excited about the 2009 season, returning many key players. Our pitching staff is deep and should get the majority of the innings, while junior left-hander Matt Grant and sophomore left-hander Jared Miller will be in the rotation, also. Offensively, the Orioles will be led by seniors Nick Holt, Joe Wade and Dalton Jones and junior Craig Gerulski. A major off-season concern is finding an everyday shortstop, otherwise we should be solid. Starters Returning Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Nick Holt Sr. 2B .340 6 0 1 17 22 5 Dalton Jones Sr. C .345 8 0 4 27 24 1 Logan Sanburn Sr. CF .235 3 1 4 13 22 4 Craig Gerulski Jr. RF .289 7 0 1 10 19 1 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Brian Lewallen Sr. 4-1 40 34.2 2.63 Bryce Burgess Sr. 1-1 33 28 3.50 Logan Sanburn Sr. 6-6 50 53 3.70
Batesville Coach: John Seright. Class: 3A. Last Year’s Record: 10-9. Conference: Eastern Indiana. Coach’s Comments: None listed. Starters Returning Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Matt Back Sr. RF .342 2 0 0 6 7 0 Ryan Miller Sr. C .314 3 0 1 7 7 0 Brandon Kerker Sr. 2B .257 0 1 0 7 6 1 Brandon Wallpe Sr. 3B .167 0 1 0 2 2 0 Jordan Bessler Sr. CF .154 1 0 0 2 1 0 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Matt Back Sr. 5-2 47 34.2 1.82 Pete Reding Sr. 0-1 5 11.1 2.47 Ben Baumer Sr. 0-1 8 10.2 3.94
Bellmont Coach: Randy Hisner. Class: 2A. Last Year’s Record: 20-11. Conference: Northeast Hoosier Coach’s Comments: Despite some key losses to graduation, the outlook of the defending regional champion Braves is bright. Pitching is a bit of a question mark since we lost our top three pitchers to graduation, including North All-Star Ryan Baker, who is now pitching for Purdue. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Joel Bone Sr. 2B-SS .415 7 0 5 30 24 0 Billy Baker Sr. C .246 4 0 4 14 13 0 Nick Hall Jr. CF .383 4 2 3 15 37 18 Tyler Baker Sr. 3B .324 5 1 2 17 11 1 Gavin Hisner Sr. RF .288 3 0 0 9 19 6 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Joel Bone Sr. 2-0 34 24.2 2.55 Grant Melcher Sr. 4-2 32 32.1 4.76
Bethany Christian Coach: Brent Reinhardt. Class: 1A. Last Year’s Record: 6-16. Conference: Independent. Coach’s Comments: We return the top six hitters in our lineup and three-fourth of our pitching innings. This team will be the most athletic team I’ve had. Several of the players are three-sport athletes. They have enjoyed success in other sports. Our goal is to consistently compete with all teams on our schedule and win a sectional championship. The road to the title runs through Fort Wayne Blackhawk. Starters Returning Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Luke Slagel Sr. P-INF .339 NA NA NA NA NA 12 Derek Plaster Sr. DH-1B NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Nick Handrich Sr. OF NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Mike Kelly Jr. 2B-SS .511 NA NA NA NA NA NA Seth Kauffman Jr. P-C .338 NA NA NA 13 NA 13 Ben Bontreger So. OF-P .278 5 NA NA NA NA NA Returning Pitchers Senior Tim Gaajutsche, senior Micah Miller, sophomore Russell Klassen, sophomore James Helmuth (stats not available).
Bloomington North Coach: Richard Hurt. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 19-10. Conference: Conference Indiana. Coach’s Comments: The Cougars have an extremely positive outlook on the season after a solid 2008 campaign under coach Ron Yearby. The Cougars finished 19-10 with their second consecutive sectional title. Under new and returning coach Richard Hurt (Hurt coached the Cougars for 14 seasons), North will be a team consisting primarily of experienced upperclassmen combined with talented underclassmen. We will need to rely on strong pitching to overcome losses. Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Jim Hurt Sr. P-INF .236 6 0 0 17 17 NA Jake Owens Sr. INF-OF .303 4 2 0 9 13 NA Stephen Bartlett Jr. C .333 5 0 2 21 17 NA Zach Collier Jr. INF .356 9 0 2 20 29 NA Casey Smith Jr. INF .237 4 0 0 8 12 NA Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Jim Hurt Sr. 4-3 49 56 1.75 Bryce Brahaum Jr. 6-1 81 54.2 1.92
Bloomington South
Boone Grove Coach: Rollie Thill. Class: 2A. Last Year’s Record: 27-4. Conference: Porter County. Coach’s Comments: We have a quality core of players returning with a group of good young players ready to take the spots from graduation. I believe these players will fill in nicely when they gain some game experience. Looking forward to another successful year with a good run in the post season. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Nick DiMarco Sr. P-OF .444 14 5 2 47 48 21 Lynn Strohl Sr. UT-P .313 3 0 0 7 10 0 Ben Vasquez Sr. OF .311 0 0 0 11 19 12 Wayland Roach Jr. P-OF .303 4 1 3 20 26 9 John Sawa Jr. C .279 2 0 0 7 13 2 Sam Kidd Jr. P-1B .208 4 0 0 5 3 0 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Wayland Roach Jr. 11-0 60 53.2 1.58 Lynn Stohl Sr. 0-0 10 8 6.13 Sam Kidd Jr. 0-0 3 2 0.00
Boonville Coach: Kevin Davis. Class: 3A. Last Year’s Record: 5-22. Conference: Big 8. Coach’s Comments: We return a solid nucleus of hard-working young men. We look to get strong pitching from a staff that now has some experience. Timely hitting and solid defense will be the keys to a successful season. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Troy Ritchison Sr. 3B-P .323 3 0 0 2 5 1 Tyler Green Sr. 2B .254 2 1 0 11 8 1 Daulton Spaulding Sr. OF .247 1 0 0 8 16 3 Kyle Whitten Jr. ULT-P .244 1 0 0 0 10 1 Jared VanWinkle Sr. C .232 3 0 0 4 10 1 Jay Hachmeister Jr. 3B-P .227 1 0 1 4 5 0 Ryan McDowell Jr. UTL-P .203 0 0 0 3 11 2 Brad Altstadt Jr. SS .167 0 0 0 2 5 2 Preston Altstadt Jr. 1B Stats not available. Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Jay Hachmeister Jr. 1-5 35 44 5.73 Drew Shoulders Jr. 1-0 4 7 3.00 Kyle Kendall Sr. 0-0 15 19 8.11 Ryan McDowell Jr. 0-2 4 8 9.63
Brown County Coach: Tom Anderson. Class: 3A. Last Year’s Record: 21-5. Conference: Western Indiana. Coach’s Comments: Our 2009 season depends largely on finding a starting catcher. Secondly, we must improve our hitting. We have some solid starters returning. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Chas Harper Sr. OF .372 6 4 4 22 23 7 Bennie Scalf Sr. OF .309 2 0 0 8 23 12 Pete Stuart Jr. P-INF .269 3 0 1 17 11 4 Clint Fowler So. OF-INF .105 0 0 0 2 4 0 Mike Leggins Jr. INF-C .351 7 0 2 25 20 2 Will Anderson So. INF .094 0 0 0 1 1 2 Kyle House So. P-INF .050 0 0 0 1 0 0 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Pete Stuart Jr. 9-2 71 75.1 1.67 Mike Leggins Jr. 3-1 4 12.1 3.40 Kyle House So. 2-1 18 24.0 4.66
Brebeuf Jesuit Coach: John Zangrilli. Class: 2A. Last Year’s Record: 22-6. Conference: Independent. Coach’s Comments: We are looking forward to the season and hope to build off last year’s sectional championship. We will need to fill three holes due to the graduation of catcher Radley Hadda (Western Carolina), left fielder Nathan Koontz (Ball State) and center fielder Mike Malatestinic. We return 126 innings pitched, equaling 17 wins, and nine offensive players with a total of a .469 at-bats and a team .361 average. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Jack Dillon Sr. 1B-P .446 4 0 4 37 31 5 Kevin Simms Sr. OF-P .455 6 0 1 17 23 12 Mike Surak Sr. UTL .310 3 0 0 10 7 0 Stevie Eberhart-Gipson Sr. OF-P .281 2 2 1 13 20 8 Jamie Hebenstreit Sr. UTL-P .167 0 0 0 8 4 0 Tres Eberhart Jr. 2B-SS .418 11 1 0 21 32 6 Mitch Overley Jr. C-3B .394 5 1 0 22 16 6 Dakota Thatcher Jr. SS-2B .357 6 0 0 9 18 3 Tom Green Jr. OF-P .429 3 2 2 7 12 3 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Jamie Hebenstreit Sr. 6-1 42 51 3.57 Stevie Eberhart-Gipson Sr. 4-0 47 26 8.88 Kevin Simms Sr. 3-1 23 21 5.00 Cody McFarland Jr. 2-1 11 18 3.50 Brad Altum Jr. 2-0 9 10 4.90
Brownsburg
Cambridge City Lincoln Coach: Brandon Pennington. Class: 2A. Last Year’s Record: 10-17. Conference: Tri-Eastern. Coach’s Comments: This year team will bring back its top three pitchers from last year, plus six starters. That experience should improve on last year’s record. If this group can sure up its defense and get timely hitting, it should be much improved. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Chris Rea Jr. P-OF .305 4 1 0 11 16 5 Caleb Suttles Jr. P-INF .321 6 0 0 18 18 9 Mitch Sherwood Jr. P-SS .339 6 2 0 9 18 15 Ethan Moistner Jr. OF .324 2 0 0 9 22 8 Roy Fugate Jr. OF .231 1 1 1 10 12 9 Kyler West So. P-INF .407 6 6 1 16 27 16 Tyler Smith So. P-INF .118 0 0 0 3 7 3 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Chris Rea Jr. 4-6 65 63 3.33 Mitch Sherwood Jr. 2-0 25 30 5.13 Caleb Suttles Jr. 3-1 31 27.1 5.38
Carmel Coach: Eric Lentz. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 23-5. Conference: Metropolitan. Coach’s Comments: The Greyhounds return a deep pitching staff. Defensively, we should be solid returning, five position players. Offensively, we return a sold return a solid lineman that hit well over .300. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Koko Mangano Sr. 1B .308 3 1 1 18 21 NA Sam Yeary Sr. 2B-OF .342 2 0 1 5 10 NA Brooks Fiala Sr. SS .416 4 3 10 29 31 NA Ty Stetson Sr. OF .388 10 0 2 22 28 NA Conrad Giegor Jr. OF .477 7 2 8 37 28 NA Jared Kuhn Sr. 2B-3B .241 0 0 0 0 0 NA Alex Gordon Sr. DH .391 6 1 3 17 17 NA Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Brooks Fiala Sr. 0-2 24 20.2 5.42 Kyle Lloyd Sr. 3-0 22 15 2.33 Ryan Rogers Sr. 7-0 24 25.1 3.32 Alex Gordon Sr. 2-1 28 32 3.72 Jesse Taylor Jr. 0-0 22 23 3.65 Austin Jackson Sr. 3-1 8 11.1 3.09 Drew Kirages Sr. 3-0 14 18 3.11
Carroll (Ft. Wayne) Coach: Dave Ginder. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 22-10. Conference: Northeast Hoosier. Coach’s Comments: We are excited about 2009 after coming off a successful 2008 campaign. We lost a ton of production through graduation, but return a solid core that should be able to compete against a tough schedule. We must improve defensively in order for us to stay competitive. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Cameron Ginder Sr. SS .455 5 1 3 22 40 1 Brad Murphy Sr. OF-INF .330 6 0 2 12 31 5 Adam Crall Sr. OF-P .343 6 1 0 27 27 5 Bryce Feller Sr. OF .321 7 1 5 21 24 8 Justin Glass Jr. OF .368 6 2 5 32 29 8 Curtis Wise Jr. INF-P .340 6 0 3 23 24 6 Grant Price Sr. OF-P .286 2 0 2 10 4 2 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Curtis Wise Jr. 8-3 49 52.2 2.39 Grant Price Sr. 1-3 17 35.1 4.16 Josh Niedermeyer Jr. 2-1 25 19 5.16 Cameron Ginder Sr. 3-0 15 21.1 6.23 Adam Crall Sr. 2-2 8 14.2 3.82
Cascade Coach: Jason Thompson. Class: 2A. Last Year’s Record: 16-12. Conference: West Central. Coach’s Comments: I am very optimistic about the upcoming season. We return everyone from a team that won 16 games and lost in the sectional finals, 2-1. We have three all-conference selections returning. Conner Guthrie, Ryan Blinn, Corey Garriott and Henry Heimansohn will provide the leadership needed. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Conner Guthrie Sr. P-OF .346 5 0 1 7 24 16 Corey Garriott Sr. P-SS .443 6 2 2 27 24 4 Ryan Blinn Sr. P-3B .294 8 1 3 25 23 4 Henry Heimansohn Sr. 1B .301 5 3 2 19 15 12 Alex Able Jr. C .238 0 0 0 8 13 0 Zach Baldwin So. OF .159 2 0 0 1 8 8 Alex Rivera Jr. OF .269 1 0 0 4 21 5 Nick Cecil Sr. OF .111 1 0 0 4 2 0 Gage Hukill Jr. 2B .246 4 0 0 9 7 3 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Conner Guthrie Sr. 6-5 135 80 3.15 Ryan Blinn Sr. 9-6 95 82 2.82 Corey Garriott Sr. 1-1 17 25.1 5.25
Castle Coach: Curt Welch. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 22-6. Conference: Southern Indiana Athletic. Coach’s Comments: We have a lot of experience coming back. We are going to be looking for the senior class to lead us. Our goal as a team will be to come out and compete in every game. Pitching and timely hitting will be big keys to our success. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Andy Lasher Sr. NA .317 0 0 0 8 11 0 Adam Culiver Sr. 3B-P .328 4 0 1 13 17 0 Graham Saiko Sr. SS .409 8 3 8 22 35 10 Robby Ort Sr. 2B .430 11 2 3 37 25 2 Nick Kolley Jr. NA .340 2 1 0 19 15 0 Theo Hagen Sr. 1B .379 5 0 0 18 17 0 Bryce Shoulders Jr. NA .260 2 0 2 7 10 1 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Adam Culiver Sr. 3-1 46 36 3.89 Brian Russell Sr. 3-0 24 26 2.15 Brett Tabor Jr. 4-2 15 20.1 3.44 Tyler Nichols So. 4-1 31 32.1 1.95
Caston Coach: Blake Mollenkopf. Class: 1A. Last Year’s Record: 19-10. Conference: Mid-West. Coach’s Comments: Offensively, we will mix good team speed with solid contact hitters to put pressure on defenses. Situational hitting and quality at bats will be key to offensive success. Defensively, we will be solid. Starters return up the middle and some good, hard-working players will compliment the veterans up the middle. Developing pitching may be the key to the overall success. This will be Caston’s deepest pitching staff in the past few years, but it will be young and inexperienced. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Evan Pulliam Sr. OF .213 3 0 0 10 23 9 Ethan Zartman Sr. 3B-SS .330 9 0 5 29 26 3 Chanse Baldwin Jr. 1B .391 8 0 1 12 17 0 Austin Ault Jr. C .286 0 1 0 1 3 1 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Ethan Zartman Sr. 1-0 17 12.2 4.97 Shawn Rentschler Sr. 3-2 21 21.2 9.37
Center Grove Coach: Dave Gandolph. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 19-9. Conference: Metropolitan. Coach’s Comments: We lost our top pitcher and outfielder, but everyone else returns. That experience should help us get a good start and as our pitching improves and some younger pitchers gain experience. With a senior-laden group and a hard-working class behind them we are looking forward to a successful season. The younger players will push the seniors for playing time and that should give us a strong run at the post-season. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Chris Pearson Sr. C-P .483 9 0 4 23 27 2 Luke Bruggeman Sr. CF .431 5 1 4 21 24 0 Brady Clark Sr. 3B .377 1 0 1 14 13 3 Jonathan Martin Sr. SS-P .359 10 0 1 26 21 2 Kevin Wynn Sr. LF .355 3 0 0 9 16 0 David Schoch Sr. 1B .305 9 1 4 27 16 0 Tyler Allen Sr. 2B .298 3 0 0 12 15 4 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Chris Pearson Sr. 4-0 22 33 1.48 Logan Westerfield Sr. 2-0 30 21.1 2.95 Jonathan Martin Sr. 4-2 47 58 3.02
Centerville Coach: Mike Baumer. Class: 2A. Last Year’s Record: 18-11. Conference: Tri-Eastern. Coach’s Comments: We are very optimistic about the upcoming season. We return six starters from a sectional championship team. Our junior varsity team was 18-2. With the influx of new young talent and last year’s returnees, we hope to compete for our conference championship and play our best ball in the tournament at the end of the year. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Brandon Ramsey Jr. C .240 1 0 0 3 5 0 Ryan Carman Sr. 3B .342 12 0 1 19 32 6 Josh Parr So. SS .289 7 1 1 24 22 10 Josh Messer Sr. LF .303 6 1 0 16 26 7 Briendle Fletcher Jr. CF .366 3 1 0 11 8 7 Derek Mounsey Sr. P-OF .378 4 0 3 26 32 5 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Derek Mounsey Sr. 8-4 77 67 2.93 Ryan Carman Sr. 3-4 48 42 4.00
Charlestown Coach: Ricky Romans. Class: 3A. Last Year’s Record: 15-7. Conference: Mid-South. Coach’s Comments: We are looking forward to the season, as we will return many players who saw significant time at the varsity level last year. We’ll be led by senior Cameron Metzger, who was all-conference and third team Hoosier Diamond all-state last season. Our strength should be our offense after hitting .360 as a team the past two seasons. If we can mix our young players with our veterans and concentrate on team goals, it could be a good year for us. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Damon Vest Sr. C .300 4 2 0 11 19 22 Cameron Metzger Sr. P-OF .481 11 0 1 23 28 13 Matt Wyatt Sr. OF .361 5 1 2 22 23 3 Chad Brady Sr. OF .372 2 0 1 8 25 9 Joel Rodriguez Sr. INF .333 7 0 0 18 12 0 Tyler Rhodes Jr. SS .226 0 0 0 6 14 1 Bryan Williams Jr. P-INF .250 1 0 1 9 6 1 Returning Pitchers Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Cameron Metzger Sr. 4-4 37 47.2 3.38 Bryan Williams Jr. 6-1 21 43 3.58 Josh King So. 1-0 1 5 1.40
Chesterton Coach: Jack Campbell. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 18-10. Conference: Duneland. Coach’s Comments: We return 14 lettermen, coupled with several key players from the junior varsity should provide for a very competitive team. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Kevin Gates Sr. SS .293 4 1 1 17 15 1 Dra Dukes Sr. 3B .373 0 4 2 11 11 3 Josh Chase Sr. C .167 0 0 0 1 1 0 Slean Malry Sr. C .278 0 0 0 0 1 2 John Themes Sr. DH .321 2 0 0 6 18 3 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Kevin Gates Sr. 6-3 36 40.1 3.57 Glenn Peterson Sr. 2-1 26 35.0 3.34
Churubusco Coach: Mark Grove. Class: 2A. Last Year’s Record: 20-12. Conference: NECC. Coach’s Comments: The Eagles will be looking to see who will step up and fill key voids left from a veteran squad which won the sectional and regional. Our pitching staff will be young, with veteran Marcus Fulk leading the way. The infield is a question mark. The outfield returns several starters. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Marcus Fulk Sr. P .286 0 0 0 2 1 0 Jeff Geiger Sr. P-OF .333 5 2 2 9 20 0 Andrew Grawcock Sr. P-OF .274 1 1 1 14 9 2 Corey Richards Sr. OF .313 7 2 1 18 40 8 Ryan Tartaglia Sr. INF-OF .257 2 1 1 14 25 6 Nick Tomei Sr. P-3B .398 17 0 4 48 25 0 Chris Sims Jr. OF .176 0 0 0 2 3 0 Jordan Turner So. C .277 6 0 0 7 7 6 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Marcus Fulk Sr. 9-3 65 85.1 2.95 Nick Tomei Sr. 4-2 18 29.2 7.07 Jeff Geiger Sr. 3-3 24 28 6.75
Clinton Central
Columbus North Coach: Brian Muckerheide. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 13-14. Conference: Conference Indiana. Coach’s Comments: The Bulldogs graduated a talented senior class last season. This team will be young but eager to get better. Our young players are going to have to mature quickly at the varsity level. The future looks bright. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Jordan Gray Jr. SS-P .233 2 0 0 7 8 2 Brandon Murphy Jr. 2B-SS .250 6 2 0 8 11 0 Max Moss Sr. LF .228 2 0 0 10 4 0 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Jordan Gray Jr. 1-4 25 34.1 4.49 Brandon Murphy Jr. 3-3 32 36.2 5.15
Columbia City Coach: Todd Armstrong. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 9-19. Conference: Northeast Hoosier. Coach’s Comments: We will open with a veteran squad. Despite the predominance of upperclassmen, however, the Eagles must fill several holes created by graduation and rely on relatively young pitching staff. From an offensive standpoint, the Eagles return five players who saw considerable time in 2008. In addition, Columbia City hopes to gain some offensive firepower with the addition of senior Jamie Parrett, a transfer from Elkhart Memorial. I do not expect to out hit our opposition. Instead my hope is to score five or six runs a game in order to enable our defense and pitching to win games. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Kenny Steele NA NA .319 1 2 0 11 16 2 Logan Rehrer NA P .268 3 0 0 17 8 2 Brent Martin Jr. P .267 0 0 0 6 12 2 Eric Trabert NA NA .257 1 1 3 12 18 3 Trent Dunn NA NA .250 1 1 3 0 2 1 Hayden Vogely NA NA .250 1 0 0 5 2 2 Bryce Shively Sr. P .167 0 0 0 0 0 1 Braden Emerick Jr. P .000 0 0 0 0 1 0 Steven Turner NA NA .000 0 0 0 0 3 0 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Logan Rehrer NA 1-1 27 21.2 5.61 Emerick Braden NA 1-6 67 53 6.47 Kenny Steele NA 0-0 10 5.4 9.07 Bryce Shively Sr. 0-2 27 14.3 11.26 Brent Martin Jr. 0-0 3 1 21.0
Concord Coach: Mike Jackowiak. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 11-16. Conference: Northern Lakes. Coach’s Comments: I am excited about the upcoming season. We return a significant amount of innings on the mound and we have more depth at every position. The real question is how much have we matured since last year. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Doug Acker Jr. 2B-OF .250 3 1 1 17 14 4 Nick Cocamower Sr. C .280 4 0 1 19 12 1 Logan Draus So. SS-2B .284 5 0 0 13 11 6 Kyle Gavin Jr. 1B-3B .367 3 0 0 13 16 5 Kyle Konarski Sr. OF-1B .400 2 1 1 8 8 1 Titus Lee Sr. OF .234 5 1 0 6 11 0 David Yoder Sr. OF .400 6 3 0 19 29 9 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Tyler Haitsma Sr. 2-6 23 40 3.98 Kyle Konarski Sr. 3-4 44 49 3.16 Garrett Frey Jr. 3-1 12 22 4.39 Chris Makin So. 1-3 5 14 9.50
Connersville Coach: Scott Sargent. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 13-13. Conference: Olympic. Coach’s Comments: We return nine starters from a team that finished 13-13 last year, including returning 12 wins on the mound. We have the capability of competing with anyone on our schedule. Our goal every year is to win our conference and compete for a sectional title. There is no reason why this year’s team can not accomplish this. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Evan McCombs Sr. OF-P .316 4 0 5 20 16 NA Tucker Brown Sr. OF .277 2 1 0 8 22 NA Chandler Gable Sr. 2B .395 0 1 0 10 22 NA David Goins Sr. OF-P .292 4 0 1 13 11 NA Clay Woodall Sr. C .266 3 0 1 11 10 NA Zane Faw Sr. 3B .225 0 0 0 6 11 NA Zack Hufferd Jr. 1B-OF .346 8 1 1 19 16 NA Aaron Dunaway Jr. SS-P .301 4 3 2 19 15 NA Mike Newton Jr. 3B-OF .172 3 0 1 5 11 NA Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Evan McCombs Sr. 5-2 32 38.1 3.44 Zack Hufferd Jr. 5-6 48 67 2.33 David Goins Sr. 2-2 16 26.1 2.96
Covenant Christian Coach: Andy Gossel. Class: 2A. Last Year’s Record: 14-14. Conference: Independent. Coach’s Comments: We will bring back a pretty young nucleus of starters who gained experience last year, winning the program’s first sectional title. The loss of three senior starters and their leadership will be the biggest Hurdle early on for this young group. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Sam Schinderle So. 3B .286 3 0 0 11 22 0 Aaron Williams Jr. SS .275 2 1 0 17 21 3 Clay Cox So. 2B .273 3 0 0 9 18 2 Spencer Moore So. P-LF .260 7 1 1 12 15 6 Jeff McClintic Jr. CF-P .425 7 2 0 20 32 15 Austin Toth So. RF-C .217 2 0 0 9 14 1 Cody Gaddis So. OF-RF .200 0 0 0 2 8 0 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Spencer Moore So. 4-5 39 67.2 4.97
Covington Coach: Mike Holland. Class: 1A. Last Year’s Record: 10-16. Conference: Wabash River. Coach’s Comments: With an experienced group of seniors returning, the Trojans will look to them to provide much needed leadership to a still young team. An improvement on the mound is the key to improving on a sub-par 2008 season. Throwing strikes consistency and fielding positions early in the season will set the tone for the remainder of the year. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Sam Guerra Sr. LF .297 4 1 0 7 42 17 Adam Dennis Sr. P-RF .451 12 1 7 34 27 1 Michael Dinsmore Sr. 1B .338 5 0 3 13 18 0 Trent French Sr. P-3B .362 6 0 3 20 16 0 Cyle Knecht So. P-OF .338 3 1 10 23 18 1 Johnny Brazas So. OF .288 1 0 1 10 17 4 Landon Willis So. 2B .158 1 0 0 11 8 2 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Adam Dennis Sr. 1-5 33 36 4.48 Trent French Sr. 4-2 52 41 4.28 Patrick Wallan Jr. 1-1 13 20 7.46
Cowan Coach: Camden Parkhurst. Class: 1A. Last Year’s Record: 24-6. Conference: Mid-Eastern. Coach’s Comments: We return eight starters from our 2008 state runner-up team. Offensively we should produce good power numbers, but must learn to move runners and be disciplined on the base paths. Making routine plays and playing solid defense behind an experienced pitching staff will determine how far this team can go. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Kirby Campbell Sr. OF .510 8 3 10 40 53 28 Jacob O’Conner Sr. C .398 13 3 3 27 45 25 Cody Campbell Jr. UTL .447 10 2 8 45 34 12 Justin O’Conner Jr. SS .465 11 0 9 38 45 17 Tyler Henderson Jr. 1B .333 5 0 0 16 26 2 Jordan Sherfy Jr. OF .347 6 0 1 20 20 13 Skyler Toomey Jr. DH .306 3 1 0 11 15 1 Grant Newlin So. 2B .264 3 1 0 12 21 11 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Justin O’Conner Jr. 6-2 105 57.2 1.82 Kirby Campbell Sr. 7-2 63 41.2 3.19 Tyler Henderson Jr. 4-0 16 21 3.00 Skyler Toomey Jr. 3-0 20 25.1 3.04
Crawford County Coach: Greg Gogel. Class: 3A. Last Year’s Record: 15-9. Conference: Patoka Lake. Coach’s Comments: None. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Casey Benham Sr. P-1B .224 2 0 2 17 10 0 Jesse Allen Sr. P-3B .386 4 0 5 31 18 5 Travis Mauck Sr. 2B .143 0 0 0 0 1 0 C.J. Shelton So. P-SS .225 0 0 0 6 4 1 Seth Lindauer So. OF .250 0 0 0 10 9 2 Jon Bowles Jr. OF .175 1 0 0 9 11 1 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Casey Benham Sr. 4-3 53 44.1 3.00 Jesse Allen Sr. 2-2 19 20 4.50 C.J. Shelton So. 1-0 6 10 4.90
Crawfordsville
Daleville Coach: Myke Rees. Class: 1A. Last Year’s Record: 18-8. Conference: Mid Eastern. Coach’s Comments: We return a strong group of players from last year’s 18 win club. Pitching and defense should be strong. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Griffin Corn Sr. OF .44 NA NA NA NA 19 11 Cody Walters Sr. P-OF .390 8 0 0 NA 24 NA Bryant Wagner Sr. OF .312 4 0 3 NA 23 NA Zach Tumolty Jr. P-SS .386 9 0 2 NA 17 11 Jarrod Keelin Jr. 1B .280 NA NA NA NA NA NA Ryan Clayton So. INF .267 NA NA NA NA NA NA Jake Peters So. OF .250 NA NA NA NA NA NA Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Cody Walters Sr. 6-5 75 46 2.43 Zach Tumolty Jr. 6-3 64 48 2.63
Decatur Central Coach: Phil Webster. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 28-7. Conference: Mid-State. Coach’s Comments: This will be a year when the Hawks will need some help from members of last year’s junior varsity. We have four starters back from last year’s state champions, but these very good players will need some help. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Nick Stoia Sr. SS .410 11 1 10 51 34 11 Andrew Kinnard Sr. 1B .385 12 2 2 18 33 15 Aaron Gregory Sr. 3B-P .405 8 2 2 23 22 8 Nate Kress Sr. CF .333 7 2 2 18 41 17 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Aaron Gregory Sr. 8-1 53 55.2 2.39 Shane Muse Jr. 2-1 26 29 3.14
DeKalb Coach: Chris Rhodes. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 16-11. Conference: Northeast Hoosier. Coach’s Comments: The Bruins graduated nine seniors a year ago. There will be many spots open. There is a solid group of seniors returning, but will be inexperienced the first part of the season. The younger classes could push the seniors, which could make for some good competition. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Zach Casper Sr. OF .300 7 0 1 12 32 4 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ER Brice Kline Sr. 6-2 39 43 4.40
Delphi Coach: Pat Lowrey. Class: 2A. Last Year’s Record: 22-9. Conference: Hoosier. Coach’s Comments: We return five starters of our everyday players from a team that won a school record 22 games and won the school’s first sectional. Pitching and defense have got to continue to improve if we are to continue to build on last year’s success. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Andrew Flora Sr. OF .289 0 2 0 11 25 9 A.J. Beckett Sr. INF-P .338 3 0 0 12 16 1 Neil Snoeberger Jr. INF-P .290 5 0 0 20 16 2 Tanner Cripe Jr. 1B-P .237 6 1 0 16 17 2 Austin Hawn So. Of-P .301 5 0 0 10 31 1 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA A.J. Beckett Sr. 4-2 34 31.1 2.68 Austin Hawn So. 2-1 19 20 2.80 Tanner Cripe Jr. 0-0 13 20.1 2.07
Delta Coach: Terry Summers. Class: 3A. Last Year’s Record: 9-18. Conference: Hoosier Heritage. Coach’s Comments: For the first time in three years we will have several experienced seniors to lead us. We return all of our pitching staff, led by senior Dane Humphrey. Big things are expected from our pitchers. Seniors and three-year starters Greg Heban and Zack Selvey will lead us offensively. We expect to be very competitive in the always tough Hoosier Heritage Conference and Yorktown Sectional. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Greg Heban Sr. OF-P .341 2 2 6 16 20 7 Parker Holsten Jr. OF .204 2 0 2 6 9 4 Mike Breitung Sr. 3B .344 6 0 0 2 14 4 Dane Humphrey Sr. SS-P .273 3 1 0 10 6 3 Zack Selvey Sr. 2B .360 8 0 3 21 17 5 Brad Benbow Jr. 1B-P .265 6 0 2 20 13 0 Ethan Eichhorn Jr. 1B-P .329 6 0 0 10 6 1 Brooks Medaris Sr. C .233 1 0 1 7 8 4 Caleb Miller Jr. P .100 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Dane Humphrey Sr. 6-3 34 41.2 2.02 Greg Heban Sr. 0-5 27 17.2 5.55 Caleb Miller Jr. 1-3 27 39.1 1.96 Brad Benbow Jr. 0-0 17 14.2 6.68 Ethan Eichhorn Jr. 0-1 5 13 5.38 Clay Clevenger So. 0-0 5 6.2 3.15 Zack Meeks So. 0-0 2 3.1 0.00 Parker Holsten Jr. 0-1 2 2 7.00
East Chicago Central Coach: Jorge Ontiveros. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 10-11-1. Conference: Independent. Coach’s Comments: First year coach Jorge Ontiveros takes over the helm of last year’s sectional runner-up team. The Cardinals have lost 10 graduating seniors. We hope to rebuild with a solid sophomore class. We’re counting on foiur young players to build the frame this season. They are catcher Michael Diaz, pitchers Anthony Serna, Erik Romo and Dario Ruiz. With a very young team, we will work on fundamentals and use speed to help overachieve this season. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Terence Perkins Jr. OF .182 1 0 0 3 7 1 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Edward Perez Sr. 0-2 6 7 7.00
Eastern Hancock Coach’s Comments: We are very excited about the season. Most of our young players from a year ago (we started four freshmen and two sophomores) have gotten bigger, stronger and faster. We will be tested early with games against New Palestine and last year’s sectional winner Centerville, as well as four conference games within our first eight games. We will be looking for some seniors to step it up, as well as anticipating a couple of freshman to push for playing time. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Jeff Ryan Jr. 1B .342 10 0 4 31 15 2 Clayton Kramer So. 1B-3B .370 5 0 2 14 12 9 Tyler Scott So. C .257 3 0 1 9 16 0 Steve Stunda So. 3B-CF .351 9 2 4 21 19 4 Lucas Brown So. LF .273 3 0 0 9 24 12 Danny Culbertson Sr. OF .164 0 0 0 3 8 5 Austin Kramer Sr. 3B .133 1 0 0 1 8 1 Casey Floyd Jr. 2B .153 2 0 0 4 9 3 Kris Knoblock Sr. SS .050 0 0 0 1 5 5 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Jeff Ryan Jr. 3-4 50 43 3.74 Steve Stunda So. 3-3 29 33.1 5.46 Austin Kramer Sr. 2-0 13 17.2 2.38 Tyler Scott So. 0-0 6 4.1 3.23 Danny Culbertson Sr. 1-6 23 30.1 8.77 Dustin Pettit Jr. 0-1 8 9 18.67
Eastbrook Coach: Ben Irwin. Class: 3A. Last Year’s Record: 20-5. Conference: Central Indiana. Coach’s Comments: We lost 11 seniors from last year’s team. We have a lot of needs and positions to fill. Finding and developing our pitching rotation will be key to our success. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Derek Case Sr. CF-P .452 13 0 1 22 20 5 Craig Martin Sr. 1B-P .409 9 1 2 20 22 1 Ronnie Crouch Sr. 1B-DH .326 8 0 2 29 18 1 Jacob Holloway Sr. C Stats not available. Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Derek Case Sr. 0-0 17 15 6.53 Craig Martin Sr. 2-0 11 15 5.60 Ronnie Crouch Sr. 1-0 13 11 5.09 Tanner Day So. 2-0 2 4 1.75
East Noble Coach: Kevin Irons. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 15-12. Conference: NHC. Coach’s Comments: None Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Mike Polly Sr. 1B .533 3 1 5 16 25 2 Taylor Fulk Sr. CF .323 6 3 1 14 23 21 Josh Dickey Sr. P-C .278 4 0 6 29 11 4 Robbie Franklin Sr. OF .259 3 0 0 9 8 2 Brack Westeraard Sr. OF .500 0 0 0 1 2 1 David Patton Jr. SS .420 13 1 2 14 33 14 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Brody Desacmeaux Sr. 0-0 10 11.1 2.47 Josh Dickey Sr. 0-0 8 5.1 5.25 David Patton Jr. 1-1 1 1.2 8.40
Eastern (Greentown) Coach: Steve Swinson. Class: 2A. Last Year’s Record: NA. Conference: Mid-Indiana. Coach’s Comments: Coach Swinson, entering his third season, has been rebuilding his program for this season and beyond. Starting all underclassmen the past two seasons has made this year’s lineup, hopefully, a strong one. Offensively the Comets will be led by last year’s MVP, junior Michael Moreno, and junior Tyler Harnish. Pitching will also be improved, led by seniors Dane DeWitt and Joel Hoover. Defensively, the Comets should be much improved at all positions. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Tyler Harnish Jr. C .333 4 0 4 10 16 5 Eric Hainlen Sr. 1B .221 2 0 1 8 6 2 Dane DeWitt Sr. 2B .242 4 0 1 9 11 1 Brandon Hainlen Jr. SS .361 6 0 0 8 21 11 Michael Moreno Jr. 3B .381 7 0 8 28 20 4 Joel Hoover Sr. OF .233 3 1 2 13 14 6 Jonathon Keith Jr. OF .225 1 0 0 5 11 4 Wesley Horner So. OF .203 3 0 1 4 17 7 Pitchers Returning: Dane DwWitt, Joel Hoover, Michael Moreno. No stats available.
Eastside Coach: Jason Pierce. Class: 2A. Last Year’s Record: NA. Conerence: NECC. Coach Comments: New coach; none available. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Nick Buchs Sr. 1B Stats not available Corey Yoder Sr. SS Chris Diehl Jr. P-OF Nate Carper Sr. C Eric Pence Sr. 2B Iam Reas So. 3B Malcolm Ramsey Sr. CF Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Ian Reas So. Stats not available. Chris Diehl Jr.
Elkhart Central Coach: Steve Stutsman. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 11-19. Conference: NIC. Coach’s Comments: We have seven starters back from last year’s sectional runner-up team. The regular season was a disappointment and this year’s seniors are determined to make this season a success. If our pitching staff throws strikes and our defense makes the routine plays, we will have a very good year. Our strength should be our offense and senior leadership. Returning Starters Player Class Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Mike Boggs Sr. 3B-P .322 8 1 2 11 20 1 Korey Carpenter Sr. MI-P .400 5 1 2 19 29 6 Joey Cassella Sr. 1B .272 7 0 1 10 22 3 Braeden Hayes Sr. MI .254 3 0 0 13 10 3 Nate Jernigan Sr. UT-P .325 1 0 0 12 16 5 Sam Morthorst Sr. OF .333 2 1 0 19 16 9 Zack Price Sr. C-P .212 4 0 0 11 10 1 Pitchers Returning Player Class Won-Lost KO IP ERA Zack Price Sr. 4-2 18 39 2.87 Nate Jernigan Sr. 1-4 24 32 7.66 Korey Carpenter Sr. 2-4 29 38 5.16
Elkhart Memorial Coach: Scott Rost. Class: 4A. Last Year’s Record: 20-10. Conference: Northern Lakes Coach’s Comments: There will be some heated competition for several positions in the lineup. This may be the fastest team we’ve had, from top to bottom. Hopefully, this pays dividends both offensively and defensively. We will have some guys on the hill who really understand pitching. They won’t blow up any radar guns, but they will get guys out. Player Grade Pos. Avg. 2B 3B HR RBI R Steals Zach Corpe Jr. SS .382 8 3 2 33 22 14 Johnny Brewers Jr. 2B .280 1 0 0 6 6 6 Robert Fitzsimmons Sr. 1B .309 6 0 4 15 23 13 Pitchers Returning Player Grade Won-Lost KO IP ERA Wade Williams Jr. 3-0 16 16.2 2.94 Cody McAllister Sr. 2-0 12 18.2 5.65
Elwood Coach: Adrian Heim. Class: 2A. Last Year’s Record: 27-5. Conference: Central Indiana. Coach’s Comments: With the return of six starters, this could be another exciting season for the Panthers. The main concern is leadershi8p from our seniors continuing our great team chemistry. Offensively, this team could be just as strong as last year’s state runner-up squad. If our pitching holds up, look for this team to make another run at a state title. Returning Starters |
