20th Indiana State Softball Championships

Semifinals Preview

All Semifinals Friday, June 11, 2004

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

Class 4A
Ben Davis High School
Martinsville (23-9) vs. No. 1 Center Grove (33-1)
No. 2 Lake Central (27-3) vs. No. 5 DeKalb (29-2)

Class 3A
Pike High School
No. 9 New Palestine (26-4) vs. No. 7 Gibson Southern (23-4)
No. 11 West Lafayette (25-6) vs. Bellmont (18-8)

Class 2A
(Indianapolis) North Central High School
No. 2 Eastside (30-2) vs. No. 13 Clarksville (21-6)
No. 9 Hanover Central (25-7) vs. No. 3 (Indianapolis) Scecina (25-6)

Class 1A
Hamilton Southeastern High School
Loogootee (19-11) vs. No. 9 (Dugger) Union (18-4)
No. 4 Whiting (28-5) vs. No. 1 (Indianapolis) Lutheran (28-1)

ALL Championship games are at Carmel's Cherry Tree Elementary School Complex Saturday at 11 a.m. (1A), 1:30 (2A), 4 p.m. (3A) and 7 p.m. (4A).

INDIANAPOLIS - Hanover's dramatic final inning victories over No. 6 Bremen and No. 7 Rochester last week advanced them to an even tougher test. Instead of having to beat two top-10 teams in less than 24 hours, the Lady Cats will probably be asked to defeat two top-5 teams in less than 24 hours. Hanover's semifinal game matches them with Scecina's Crusaders (25-6), the state's No. 3 team.

Scecina is clearly led by freshman Emily Wethington (14-6), who has pitched four consecutive complete game victories in the state tournament. Wethington pitched a one-hitter in a 1-0 sectional victory over Speedway and followed it up with a 4-2, nine-inning win over Heritage Christian in Indian Creek Sectional title game. Saturday, Wethington struck out 15 in a 6-0 perfect game against Switzerland City and then allowed only two hits in a 10-0 win over Host Cambridge City at the Cambridge City Regional.

Wethington is one of those pitching child prodigy's like Culver Academy's two-time 20-game winner Jackie Lawrence or Portage's Megan Gutierrez, who entered high school already having pitched hundreds of games. She has walked through state tournament competition and any thought that the Lady Cats are going to slap her around the way they did Rochester sophomore Ashley Lowe in last week's regional title game is probably blissful wishful thinking.

The fact that the Crusaders are third ranked in the state with six losses indicates they are playing the Indianapolis softball powers. A closer examination confirms that. Scecina's losses are to 4A No. 1 Center Grove, 4A No. 7 Brownsburg, 4A No. 11 Portage, 3A No. 13 Evansville Memorial and preseason national top-25 Owensboro, Kentucky. Scecina won the Indianapolis city title 1-0 over Class 1A No.1 Indianapolis Lutheran (28-1) although they did not defeat Lutheran star pitcher Nikki Naffziger (22-0). Hanover Central has played a tough schedule but no one would say that HC's schedule is as tough as Scecina's.

Wethington (14-6) has allowed just 65 hits in 133 innings with 170 strikeouts. Backup pitcher Kambria Current (11-0, 0.41, 112 strikeouts, 85 innings) hasn't thrown a pitch in the playoffs.

So, when you throw in the fact that Scecina sits about 10 miles from state semifinal site North Central and Hanover is about 140 miles away and the Lady Cats take the field Friday night as a decided underdog. Wethington is also an accomplished hitter, batting .416 after a regional where she went 6-for-6. Catcher Stephanie Thompson (.382, 15 RBIs) is obviously a key player and Current (.318) had two hits and two RBIs in the game against Cambridge. Sara Rumley lead Scecina with 18 stolen bases. But Crusader coach Tom Moorman speaks of his team's lack of offense.

If Hanover has an edge it is in experience. I'm sure it has happened, but I don't know of any freshman who have pitched their teams to state titles. Something goes wrong. This is Scecina's first state finals appearance since 1996 while Hanover was in the Final 4 last year. Scecina clearly was not tested at the regional level while Hanover won twice by one run in their last at bats. Hanover pitcher Amanda Wendlinger (19-4, 0.90 ERA, 225 strikeouts) has pitched four complete game victories in the state tournament, but all have been close games and she may have a lot more to give in the Friday night game than she will in Saturday's title match.

I like the late start for the Lady Cats Friday. It will be 85-90 degrees in Indianapolis this weekend and HC has played few games in real heat this year. They looked tired during Saturday's three-hour marathon 8-7 win over Rochester (22-6) so they'll be much better off playing in the cool of the evening. There is a significant chance of rain Friday in Indianapolis although it should clear by sunset. The state semifinals were rained out in 2003 and that could happen again. Hanover doesn't want a rainout because they don't want Wendlinger to have to pitch twice in the same day.

It isn't impossible that someone from Scecina scouted Hanover at the LaVille Regional. The Crusaders' title game at the Cambridge Regional was an afternoon game and they were reasonably certain they'd win easily. Hanover hopes Scecina was there because if Scecina scouted HC's 8-7 win over Rochester they don't have a clue about what the Lady Cats are really like. HC pitcher Amanda Wendlinger gave up a career-high seven runs on 11 hits. That won't happen again. The Lady Cats got 18 hits and left 18 runners on base. Neither of those things has any chance of happening this weekend.

The biggest positive from last week was Christie Wick, who had four hits in seven at bats. Hanover had scored just 22 runs in eight games before scoring eight against Rochester. Trisha Sheehy (.393) and Rachel Williams (.371) reached base a combined six times in the regional championship and they may be able to rattle a freshman pitcher.

Coaches who have a freshman star player will lie to you. A varsity freshman is a 15-year-old against 19-year olds. That is a factor. Scecina's left side of the infield is two seniors, 3B Elyse Knoop (.299) and SS Heather Haskin (.289). Hanover must make the freshman Wethington field the ball and the right side of the infield make plays. One throwing error against Hanover can turn the game in their favor.

Hanover showed a fighting spirit last week in a game they should have lost. More than one of the Lady Cats volunteered information that they thought Rochester openly disrespected them. You don't win a lot of playoff games unless you simply take offense at the other team beating you. To rally three times and beat a state-ranked team indicates you aren't going to fold once you fall behind. That's good because Hanover probably will fall behind this weekend. By now, Hanover expects every game now to be a crusade with enough drama for a full length movie. Scecina probably doesn't know how wild the state playoffs can get. After an 8-1 playoff record over the last two years with four one-run victories and three extra inning wins, the Lady Cats are well aware of how emotional the post-season can become. There is also a chance that Hanover hitters will relax since the team has reached its season goal of making the state finals.

On paper, Scecina wins a close game. The Crusaders have played a tougher schedule, they have a hot pitcher and they are virtually at home. Most state tournament games end up 1-0 or 2-0. Don't expect this to be like most games. Hanover Central is not located in a major metropolitan area, but Scecina beat Switzerland County and Cambridge City to get to the finals. Where are those schools? Seriously, the playoff path for Scecina has not been too tough. Their regular season schedule is not in question but Scecina will have to gear up again for this first state final.

It's very hard to guess the outcome of a game between a team you have seen dozens of times and a team you have never seen. That goes for Scecina and No. 2 Eastside (30-2), the Lady Cats probable foe in a state championship game. But if I was to guess, I would say that neither game will be a 1-0 or 2-1. And, after two final inning victory rallies in the last three games, Hanover is certainly more ready for a crazy finish that these other teams can possibly be.

FINALS NOTES: Radio station WJOB (1230) AM will follow Whiting in the 1A state finals and Lake Central in the 4A state finals. They have no plans to cover Hanover Central. Despite three consecutive sectional titles and two straight state finals appearances, no Hanover Central playoff game has ever been on radio.

Regional Results (6-5-2004)

at LaVille (2A)
HANOVER CENTRAL 1, Bremen 0
Rochester 4, Delphi 3 (10 inn.)
Championship: Hanover Central 8, Rochester 7 (12 inn.)

at (Howard Co.) Eastern (2A)
Eastside 2, Cass 0
Eastern (Greentown) 5, Heritage 0
Championship: Eastside 5, Eastern (Greentown) 3 (10 inn.)

at Cambridge City Lincoln (2A)
Indianapolis Scecina 6, Switzerland County 0
Cambridge City Lincoln 3, Wapahani 2
Championship: Indianapolis Scecina 10, Cambridge City Lincoln 0 (5 inn.)

at Forest Park (2A)
South Knox 2, South Putnam 0
Clarksville 1, Forest Park 0
Championship: Clarksville 2, South Knox 1