Class 3A & 4A - 22nd Annual Indiana State H.S. Girls Softball Finals Preview

6-9-2006

A USA-365.com Special Report by Mark Smith

INDIANAPOLIS (6-9-2006) - In a year when Classes 1A, 2A and 3A featured more rises and falls than the stock market, Class 4A shows up with three potentially great state finalists and that bracket will be the feature of the 22nd Indiana State Softball championships. There is a feeling that 3A Pendleton Heights was the state's best team, but they had internal problems and lost early. The state's player of the year is Emily Wethington of 2A Scecina, but that team is out after a meeting with a very strong Frankton team. Class 1A No. 1 Whiting (31-0) has lived in IndianA softball's version of the witness protection program all season. No good teams have seen them. So despite pretty numbers, even Whiting players can't know honestly know if they're good or not.

But 4A comes through for the fans here with good teams, tradition and good players. Martinsville is the state champ with the state home run champ. Center Grove (4 titles, 10 appearances) is the state all-time champ... and Chesterton (29-game win streak) is the regular season champ. I don't know where the other 4A state finalist Kokomo's going to go, but they've got to get out of here.

In 3A, New Palestine (2004 champ) and Boonville (6 state finals appearances) battle the new guard New Prairie and Northridge. But the 'new guard' may quickly need some 'Right Guard' because the two favorites in 3A figure to turn up the heat early on the first time finalists.

The finals' format, which has games starting at 8:30 p.m. Friday night and 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning is especially vulnerable to the weather (why not play the 1A and 2A semifinals Thursday night since those teams come back early Saturday?). But Friday night, June 9 weather is set for the low 70s and upper 60s and there's no rain in sight.

22nd Indiana State Softball Finals
Semifinals - 6-9-6
Home Team: The second-named team in each game is designated as the home team.

Semifinal Class A
Hamilton Southeastern (13910 E. 126th Street, Fishers)
Game 1 – Whiting (31-0) vs. Lafayette Catholic (18-9). 6:30 pm
Game 2 – North Central (Farmersburg) (21-4) vs. Lanesville (15-9). 8:30 pm

Semifinal Class 2A
North Central (1801 E. 86th Street, Indianapolis)
Game 1 – Frankton (26-2) vs. Bishop Noll (16-15). 6:30 pm
Game 2 – North Posey (26-9) vs. Lewis Cass (25-2). 8:30 pm

Semifinal Class 3A
Pike (5401 W. 71st Street, Indianapolis)
Game 1 – New Palestine (27-1) vs. New Prairie (30-3). 6:30 pm
Game 2 – Boonville (30-2) vs. Northridge (28-5). 8:30 pm

INDIANAPOLIS - To be blunt, Northridge and New Prairie play in what are basically 2A-3A leagues, while Boonville and New Palestine regularly test 4As. There are two clear cut favorites here. New Prairie will be lucky not to get 10-runned by New Palestine, which has scored nine runs or more in five playoff games so far. This is the biggest mismatch left in the tournament. New Pal's only loss was 3-1 to No. 1 Pendleton Heights.

New Pal hitting leader Alyssa Marcum (40-83, .482) has 38 RBIs and Erin Jackson (42-97, .433) has 22 stolen bases. Freshman pitcher Sara Evans is 18-1 with an 0.21 ERA for a team that has allowed 26 runs all season. Let's be honest, playing in their first state finals, NP chances resemble a flock of chickens walking by KFC. It's fried or extra crispy.

Very few teams win the title in their state finals' debut.

Northridge has been on the rise for two seasons and this is their first finals berth. But the Raiders have had problems against good competition. Northridge has won six in a row since a May 18 loss 5-0 to Penn, but they arguably don't have a great victory all season. Again, I think both semifinal games are mismatches.

Boonville is led by junior pitcher Erika Taylor, who has an 0.12 ERA and seven no-hitters. Taylor also has a rib cage injury and she may not be able to pitch twice this weekend. They could get by Northridge without her but not New Pal. That's why I like New Palestine to win the 3A title for the second time in three years.

Semifinal Games - Class 4A
Carmel (Cherry Tree Softball Complex, 13989 Hazel Dell Parkway, Carmel)

Game 1 – Martinsville (24-5) vs. Kokomo (21-6). 6:30 pm
Game 2 – Center Grove (28-5) vs. Chesterton (29-1). 8:30 pm

CARMEL - If you have to choose between the four sites to watch Friday night, come to Carmel where the big dogs will walk late in the evening. Martinsville brings a new attitude to softball with power hitting catcher Jessica Breeden (59-114, .518, 11 HRs, 30 RBIs, 11 stolen bases). You want Martinsville and Chesterton to reach the finals so undefeated Dawn McClellan (20-0) can face Breeden, the state base hit (59) and home run champ. Martinsville's Elizabeth Gwaltney (45-101, .426, 15 doubles) is third in the state in 2-base hits. The Artesians have two pitchers with more than a strikeout per inning and they are the defending state champs trying to be the first team to repeat.

Kokomo is here largely because 2005 state finalist McCutcheon graduated the core of their team. I don't think they can hang with Martinsville. Four-time state champ Center Grove (`86, `95, `98 and 2003) beat No. 4 Avon and arch-rival Carmel to get here and they have made a record 8 title game appearances. CG bats .360 as a team and they are singles hitters who keep the pressure on. McClellan has 18 shutouts and she has kept the Trojans in every game this year. No one has hit her consistently and Chesterton won 14 Class 4A games against the all 4A Duneland Conference. Chesterton's offense has choked up (after averaging almost 10 runs a game during the regular season) and their defense is suspect, because McClellan strikes out every other batter. But, even at the top level of competition, that could continue through this weekend. Since a 3-2 playoff-opening win over Portage, Chesterton has shut out Hobart 5-0, Crown Point 1-0, Riley 1-0 and Lake Central 1-0. But McClellan has faced few teams as battle-tested as Center Grove and few hitters like Breeden, who could win the game with one swing.

The final you want, again, is Chesterton against Martinsville. Martinsville is too strong for Kokomo but Center Grove can beat anyone. Martinsville and Center Grove have met. Breeden had three hits and Martinsville won 2-1 in early April. Center Grove beat Martinsville in the 2004 state semifinals. These two should meet again in the state title game with Martinsville winning again.

Indiana State Softball Championship Games
6-10-6 at Ben Davis, 1200 N. Girls School Road, Indianapolis,
Class A - 10:30 am
Class 2A - 1:30 pm
Class 3A - 4:30 pm
Class 4A - 7 p.m.

(Return to Top)