29th Indiana State Softball Tournament Preview

A USA-365.com Special Report By Mark Smith

IHSAA 2003 Softball Tournament
2003 State Finals Pairings
Friday, June 13, Saturday, June 14

Admission: $7 per session; $10 for season ticket.

Class 3A
June 13 at Carmel (Cherry Tree Complex)
6:30 p.m. – Indianapolis Cathedral (23-10) vs. Center Grove (26-6)
8:30 p.m. (approximate) – Lake Central (31-2-1) vs. Pendleton Heights (28-4)

June 14 at Carmel (Cherry Tree Complex)
7 p.m. -- Championship game: Friday night winners.

CARMEL (6-12-2003) - Lake Central's bid for a second consecutive state title will face worthy opposition in the championship round.

In fifth-ranked Pendleton Heights (28-4), LC star Brooke Baker (20-2-1, 260 strikeouts in 169 innings) will face one of the state's top hitting teams. The Arabians, who have lost only to 3A No. 1 McCutcheon, defending 1A state champion Clinton Prairie, Hamilton Southeastern and state finalist Center Grove (27-6), outscored five teams 43-8 in five state tournament games.

Pendleton's top pitcher, senior Shay Hoskins (20-4, 1.09 ERA) has only 98 strikeouts in 142 innings so you can put the ball in play against them. You'd better. The Arabians have scored 195 runs in 32 games (6.1 per game) against an elite schedule. The team bating average is .345. In the regional championship game against DeKalb (29-2) and a pitcher with 300 strikeouts, Pendleton Heights got 11 earned runs in a 12-0 rout. They have been held under four runs only seven times in 32 games and they have been shut out only by state finalist Carmel.

The Arabians lead of with left-handed hitter Krystle Coleman (.442), who has scored 41 runs. No. 2 hitter Jamie Lawson (.346) who has 17 extra base hits in 104 at bats. No. 3 hitter Julie Owens (.491) has hit seven home runs and has drive in 52.

Clean -up hitter Dawn Sanders (.436) is a left-handed batter with 41 hits in 94 at-bats. All of the first four batters are seniors. One-third of Pendleton's batting order is left-handed hitters. We'll know very early if Baker, the hardest throwing pitcher in northwest Indiana and an intimidator, can shake up an attack the likes of which she has not seen in this area. But even if Pendleton scores three or four runs, Lake Central can win. No. 3 hitter Katie Mitchell (. 381) has state finals experience and senior clean-up hitter Beth Adamski (.385) has 40 base hits. LC has won eight games 1-0 or 2-0, the Indian pitching has 20 shutouts and has allowed only 21 runs total all season. No one has played the schedule that Lake Central has. Of the 10 3A top 10 teams, LC has played five of them. The Indians have defeated 2A state finalist Hanover Central (25-6) and Illinois big school power Homewood-Flossmoor (26-7).

LC has won 20 consecutive games and they are very confident after Baker struck out 21 in a 1-0 win over No. 7 Mishawaka last week. No one has scored on LC in the state tournament. We will know about this game very quickly. If Baker goes through the Pendleton lineup untouched, I think LC will prevail. If the top four for the Arabians produce an early run, we'll have a high scoring contest that probably will go to Pendleton.

In the other semifinal, Cathedral has to find a way to stop Center Grove, which, like LC, has won 20 games in a row. Center Grove junior Darcy Wood (24-3), a 5-9 right-hander, has struck out 287 batters in 179 innings. Center Grove lost 8-1 to Lake Central in the 2002 state title game and they most certainly want a rematch. Wood has pitched five consecutive playoff shutouts and she has shut out 14 teams.

Darcy Wood was 12-0 last year as a sophomore but CG chose not to start her in the title game and brought her in only after the score was 5-1 for LC.

Cathedral bats .279 as a team and relies on junior pitcher Chris Halstead (17-4, 0.30, 171 strikeouts - 210 innings). Indianapolis private schools are dangerous in all sports but I think the 10 loses here by the Fighting Irish speak for themselves. Cathedral has only six players who are not freshmen or sophomores. Center Grove may have trouble scoring much but Cathedral will have trouble scoring at all. They aren't ready for this level of competition.

The big three teams here are not strangers. Center Grove is a three-time state champion and they beat LC in 1995. Pendleton Heights lost the 2001 title game and this is their third state finals appearance. LC won the title in 1992 and 2002 and beat Center Grove both times. I like the draw for Center Grove. I think that CG, the final game loser, 8-1 last year, will beat either Pendleton Heights or Lake Central in the final game.

Friday, June 13, Saturday, June 14
Admission: $7 per session; $10 for season ticket.

Class 2A
June 13 at North Central (Indianapolis)
6:30 p.m. – Norwell (19-10) vs. Gibson Southern (27-4)
8:30 p.m. (approximate) – New Palestine (24-8) vs. Hanover Central (25-6)
June 14 at Carmel
4 p.m. -- Championship game: Friday night winners.

PAST STATE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONS

Year      Champion            Record        Head Coach    Runner-Up                Score
1985     Warren Central      24 - 3    Dave Stroud         North Central (Indpls.)     5-1
1986      Center Grove        18 – 4    Rita Robbins         Michigan City Rogers        9-2
1987     New Albany          29 – 2     Jacque Hunter     Terre Haute South          13-1
1988     Northridge            20 – 8     Dave Willig          New Albany                    8-6
1989     Twin Lakes           26 – 2     Bob Smock          Bellmont                        4-0 *
1990     Tipton                 23 – 1     Brett Stoker         Pike Central                  10-8
1991     Warsaw               26 - 4     Ron Yoder            New Albany                   7-5
1992      LAKE CENTRAL      28 – 2     Tom Linger          Center Grove                  4-2
1993     MERRILLVILLE        24 – 7     Bob Bergeson      Western                        5-1
1994     Carmel                 29 – 2     Bob Brower         Western                         2-1 (9 inn)
1995     Center Grove        33 – 1     Russ Milligan        Northview                      10-3
1996     Turkey Run           26 – 1    Jerry/Keith Newlan Center Grove                 11-7
1997     MERRILLVILLE        27 – 7     Bob Bergeson      Carmel                            1-0

1998 Class 3A: Center Grove          Class 2A: ANDREAN        Class A: Eastside
                       35 – 2                           31 – 7                           32-3-1
                  Russ Milligan                 Frank Podkul              Aaron Willard
                       Portage                     Greensburg               Riverton Parke
                           4-2                               5-0                          3-1

1999 Class 3A: Penn             Class 2A: Roncalli     Class A: Morgan Township
                 27 – 8                            19 – 13                        25 – 3
             Chris Woods                    Jim Padgett                   Dana Griffin
             Decatur Central                    ANDREAN              South Spencer
                    1-0 (15 inn)                          1-0                            1-0

2000 Class 3A: Portage   Class 2A: Mt.Vernon (Fortville)        Class A: Frankton
                       30 – 4                                  29 – 1                           27 – 2
                  Jeff Smith                      Stacey Bricker                  Jeremy Parker
               Decatur Central              Evansville Memorial            Morgan Township
                        2-0                                  6-0                              2-0 (8 inn)

2001        Class 3A: Castle              Class 2A: Roncalli         Class A: Forest Park
                      29 – 6                                  26 – 9                            25 – 2
                  Pat Lockyear                    Jim Padgett                     Greg Durcholz
               Pendleton Heights              Gibson Southern         Indianapolis Lutheran
                              4-1                                13-1                                3-0

2002    3A: LAKE CENTRAL Class 2A: Evans.Memorial Class A: Clinton Prairie
                        28 – 1                      25-10-1                                 24 - 4
                     Keith Hauber                 Bob McFall                     Randy Cooper
                      Center Grove                  Blackford                          Clarksville
                              8-1                               3-0                                    5-0