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Indianapolis Star
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Five storylines to watch entering 2025 IHSAA baseball state tournament
The road to Victory Field for the IHSAA baseball state championship begins Wednesday. Here are five storylines to watch for once postseason play begins. You could make an argument that every team in Sectional 8 (Hamilton Southeastern, Fishers, Zionsville, Noblesville, Westfield and Carmel) has a legitimate shot at playing for a Class 4A title. Unfortunately, two title contenders won't make it out of the first day of the tournament. I'm not from Indiana. Maybe baseball fans prefer the current tournament format. My first job covering high school sports was in Massachusetts. Massachusetts uses power rankings that weighs average margin of victory, opponent ratings, team's overall rating (avg. margin + opponent rating) and the team's rating are adjusted for forfeits. The results are entered into a formula, and a power ranking is produced, allowing each team in a division to be seeded. I think it would be great for the regular season to have added meaning. Yes, baseball can be very random. A hot pitcher or a hot team can string together wins and get all the way to the state championship game. But I think rewarding teams with tough schedules, and teams with great regular seasons would be great too. Lake Central won a thrilling Class 4A state title over Mooresville in the longest championship game ever last season. Lake Central entered the season as the team to beat, and the Indians once again appear poised for a deep title run. Kentucky commit Joshua Flores is one of the top pitchers in the state. The righty is 7-0 with a 1.69 ERA and 57 strikeouts over 29 innings. Sophomore shortstop Parker Robinson is a top-120 prospect nationally per Prep Baseball Report. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound righty is batting .338 with 15 RBI, 10 doubles and seven stolen bases. Senior Drew Kosteba leads Lake Central with a .407 batting average, 36 RBIs, eight doubles, three triples and three home runs. Five of Lake Central's top seven batters are seniors. LC has three senior pitchers with ERAs under 2.20. The reigning champs are as deep as ever and the road to the 4A championship will likely go through the Indians. Cathedral won its first baseball state championship in 2001 playing in Class 3A. The Fighting Irish won state titles in 2007 and 2017 in Class 4A. Now the Irish are back in Class 3A and have a great chance at making a deep tournament run. Cathedral enters the tournament 17-9, but its daunting schedule should have the squad ready for the postseason. Cathedral has quality wins over Franklin, Mooresville and Carmel. The Irish lost by one to 4A title contender Center Grove and led reigning 4A champion Lake Central 2-0. Shortstop Army commit Eli Sinsabaugh is an elite table setter at the top of the lineup. IU commit Eli Bennett is a smooth-swinging lefty slugger. Senior Bo Cooper is a plus defender behind the plate, and Landon Hughes and Ethan Dorsey combine for a strong 1-2 punch on the mound. A dominant pitcher can carry a team through the postseason. These pitchers may be on teams without great records, but when they take the mound, their teams can hang with anyone in the state. The junior is 1-3 with 4.08 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 46⅓ innings. Carnes notched double-digits strikeouts twice, striking out 10 against Connersville and 11 against Warren Central. The DePauw commit has a 1-2 record with a 2.62 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 21⅓ innings. The South Florida commit has a 4-2 record with a 2.57 ERA and 53 strikeouts over 30 innings. The Dayton commit is 1-1 with a 3.43 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 32⅔ innings. The Mississippi State commit has a 3-2 record with a 1.56 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 31⅓ innings. The Kentucky commit has a 5-1 record with 51 strikeouts over 37⅔ innings. There may not be a hotter hitter in the state than Mooresville junior Tyler Denny. Over his last 10 games, Denny is 17-for-32 (.531) with 15 runs scored, 13 RBIs, seven doubles, one triple, three home runs and three stolen bases. He has six multi-hit games, a two-home run game against Plainfield, two five-RBI games and two games with three hits over that span.
Chicago Tribune
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
With MLB scouts taking notice, Jacsen Tucker turns on power to spark Oswego East past Oswego. ‘Everybody knows.'
Even though he's only a sophomore, shortstop Jacsen Tucker has developed a reputation that precedes him for Oswego East. Being ranked the No. 3 player in his class in Illinois and the No. 30 at shortstop in the nation by Prep Baseball Report will definitely grab some attention. It's also led to teams attacking Tucker with off-speed pitches, rarely giving him a fastball to hit. 'Everybody knows who he is,' Wolves coach Brian Schaeffer said. 'They're pitching to his weaknesses. He's done a really good job of adjusting. He's still hitting around .330 — he just doesn't have the numbers he had last season. 'When he sees a mistake, he's going to do what he does.' Tucker saw one of those mistakes in the first inning of Thursday's Southwest Prairie Conference game at crosstown rival Oswego. He promptly deposited that pitch well over the left-field fence, giving Oswego East a three-run lead. The Wolves wound up pulling away for a 10-4 win as Tucker finished with three hits, three runs, three RBIs and a stolen base. Devin Wheaton added four RBIs, a double, a run and a stolen base for Oswego East (16-18, 7-8). Carter Rapp scored twice, while Wilson Terrutty chipped in with an RBI double. Dylan King hit a solo homer for Oswego (20-14, 4-11). Jacob Fehrmann had two hits and an RBI and Quinn Stanley notched two hits. Four pitches into the game, Tucker showed why college recruiters and MLB scouts are hot on his trail. He tattooed a pitch to left for his fourth homer of the season, stunning the crowd. 'He got down 3-1, so I knew I had a pitch coming,' said Tucker, who gave the Wolves a 3-0 lead before an out had been recorded. 'I settled into the box, relaxed, took a deep breath. 'When I saw that pitch, I just killed it. I kind of shocked myself. I didn't think I hit it that hard until it got up to its max.' Oswego coach Joe Giarrante has seen a lot of home runs hit at his home park. Tucker's shot was one of the more impressive. 'That got out of here in a hurry,' Giarrante said. 'Just give him credit. He made a mistake and you can't do that to a good hitter. He's really matured a lot over the years. 'That was a good way for them to start the game.' Tucker's second hit, a one-out single in the fifth, showed off his new-found approach. Tucker battled the count to 3-2, then connected to the opposite field for a single. He was along for the ride on Wheaton's three-RBI double that broke open a one-run game and made it 8-4. 'He's a very patient hitter,' Schaeffer said of Tucker. 'When he sees what he wants, he goes after it, but if it's not exactly what he wants, he's patient. He gets deep into counts quite a bit.' This isn't the first time Schaeffer has had a prospect the caliber of Tucker on his hands. It was only four years ago when Noah Schultz was a first-round pick of the Chicago White Sox and teammate Ashton Izzi was a fourth-round pick of the Seattle Mariners. 'It's almost like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, now twice in four years,' Schaeffer said. 'Just enjoying baseball and enjoying high school is important.' Tucker is grateful to have a resource in Schaeffer who has gone through this process. 'It does help on my side,' Tucker said. 'If I need to talk to him about certain things, he's been through that. I lean on him a lot.' College offers are stacking up for Schaeffer, who has even heard from some pro scouts. The advice of just having fun is first and foremost for Tucker, though. 'That's just the key to it,' he said. 'You're not in high school long, so I'm taking in the moments.'
Indianapolis Star
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Brotherly glove: Gannon, Grady Grant give Center Grove baseball talented duo up the middle
GREENWOOD – Watching brothers Gannon and Grady Grant play in the middle of the Center Grove infield is almost like looking into a mirror. Older brother Gannon, a junior, wears a white compression sleeve on his right arm. Sophomore Grady sports double red wristbands. Without those differences, it may be hard to tell them apart. Both have smooth and fluid actions as they gather ground balls and fire them around the diamond. Both are great athletes, allowing them to cover a lot of ground when the ball is hit in their area. The duo has helped Center Grove get off to a 18-4 start, but having great middle infielders is nothing new to the Trojans. From Bryce Eblin (Alabama, Chicago White Sox) to Tyler Cerny (IU), to Drew Culbertson (Oklahoma State), Sam Griffith (Oakland) and Noah Coy (Notre Dame), Center Grove has had Division I-caliber players up the middle for years, but the program has never had brothers in the infield until now. "I'm really grateful to play shortstop at Center Grove and I learned a lot from Coy," Gannon said. "Grady plays shortstop when I'm pitching, so I try to teach him everything I can right now so he's the next guy. "Our chemistry has always been there. ... We're always outside throwing a baseball, working on new pitches." The brothers are just 18 months apart, but Gannon was always bigger than Grady, making it clear he was the oldest. The size difference never prevented Grady from playing up in age, using his advanced feel for the game to offset anything he lacked in size against older players. Gannon is Center Grove's everyday shortstop. When Gannon is on the mound, Grady plays shortstop. The game before or after Gannon pitches, he moves to second base and Grady slides over to shortstop. "When they were little before school, they'd go hit in the garage, they worked with each other on ground balls," said the boys' father, Michael. "They've always been each other's biggest fan. They always root for each other, and they've been working together since they were little. "With Gannon being so good, it pushed Grady. It's worked out well the way they've played together." Gannon is the No. 5-rated player in the state and 100th overall, per Prep Baseball Report. He committed to reigning national champion Tennessee in September. The 6-2, 185-pound right-hander wants to play both ways as long as he can, but his future may be on the mound. Baseball America has him rated as the 57th high school prospect in the 2026 class as a pitcher, citing an explosive fastball that touches 93 mph with arm-side run to go along with a tight slider and a tumbling changeup. Over five appearances, Gannon is 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA and 27 strikeouts over 25 ⅔ innings. At the plate, he leads the Trojans with a .400 batting average, 17 runs scored and 18 RBIs. Grady is second on the team with a .367 average, 14 runs scored and 13 RBIs. Ultimately, Tennessee coach Tony Vitello will use Grant as best as he sees fit, but for now, the Trojans junior is embracing the challenge of hitting and pitching. "It's definitely really hard," Gannon said of being a two-way player. "At practice it's hard to get all your work in. I do my hitting first, then I do all my pitching stuff. It definitely puts a lot of stress on my body, so I take the recovery really seriously. So, when I get on the field, I'm 100% to pitch, and when I'm pitching, I get to hit too." Team chemistry can make or break even the most talented teams. Center Grove has the talent with Gannon and sophomore IU commit Drake McClurg being two of the top players in their respective classes. Cal Schembra (Valparaiso), Kyle Boots (Eastern Illinois), Kellen Thomson (Ball State) and Hudson Stewart (Dayton) are all headed for Division I programs. A change in recruiting protocol prevents schools from contacting sophomores before this summer, but Grady is expected to get interest from a lot of the same schools that recruited Gannon. Talent has never been the Trojans issue, but with the Grant brothers helping elevate the team's chemistry, a trip to Victory Field for the Class 4A state championship remains a possibility. "It's fun to watch them interact with each other up the middle," Center Grove coach Keith Hatfield said. "It's something that I don't think they realize how cool it is sometimes. It has definitely helped this team. "If they come together, they have a chance to be special with the talent that they have. I've had a lot of good shortstops, never had a brother combo. A lot of times our shortstops aren't playing second, they're always over at third. So, for Gannon and Grady to be able to go back and forth, save each other's arms. ... It's pretty awesome."
Chicago Tribune
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
With future set, Bradley-bound pitcher Calen Scheider gets in some final swings for Hampshire. ‘It's super fun.'
When Hampshire's Calen Scheider committed to Bradley in August, it solidified a few things. Of course, it put into place his future college destination, but it also signaled the eventual end of his time hitting and playing in the field. The Braves recruited him as a pitcher only. That's allowed Scheider to enjoy his final season of contributing all over the place. 'It's super fun,' Scheider said. 'It's definitely a lot more relaxing going up to the plate realizing this is it. I can have fun. It's been helping me all year. I definitely feel a lot less stressed.' A stress-free Scheider set the tone Friday for the Whip-Purs in a 7-0 Fox Valley Conference win at Burlington Central. He sent a rocket over the center fielder's head for a triple and scored on a fielder's choice. Shane Pfeiffer also had a big day at the plate for Hampshire (22-7, 8-7), picking up two hits and five RBIs, including a grand slam in the seventh inning that provided a bit of insurance. Wilson Wemhoff was dominant on the mound for the Whip-Purs, striking out nine and allowing only two hits and two walks in a complete game. Bennek Braden and Zane Pollack had the hits for Burlington Central (14-12, 6-9). Scheider now leads Hampshire with 29 hits. He's added 11 steals, nine extra-base hits, 26 runs, and 20 RBIs. 'He's just an athlete and a competitor,' Hampshire coach Frank Simoncelli said. 'Sometimes, guys just have it. He's one of those guys that's a competitor. I could play him anywhere. 'Catcher, short, second, left field, right field, pitches. He does it all. And he's got a lot of speed.' Scheider filled in Friday for Wemhoff in right field but said his favorite position is behind the plate. Hampshire is set back there with Nate Kolder, but that's another thing he'll miss next season. 'I love playing defense,' Scheider said. 'Catching is actually my favorite. I almost love it more than pitching.' Bradley is pretty happy that his love of pitching won out, especially since Scheider is ranked as the No. 67 senior in the state according to Prep Baseball Report. With a fastball that sits around 90 mph, the 5-foot-9 right-hander packs a punch. This spring, he has gone 4-3 with a 2.93 ERA. 'I don't think I've taken him out of a game except one, unless it was pitch count,' Simoncelli said. 'The last four or five starts, besides the one game against Prairie Ridge, he's competed out there, complete games, throwing 90 or more pitches. 'He loves it. He doesn't want to get taken out of the game. He wants to be out there. He's one where he says, 'I'm going to get the ball and it's coming at you.'' The early run Friday was all Wemhoff needed. He kept the Rockets off balance all game. 'He threw the ball really well,' Burlington Central coach Kyle Nelson said of Wemhoff. 'We were just too passive at the plate. Obviously, he threw a lot of great pitches, but we need to be more aggressive. We need to not let him dictate the count, dictate every at-bat. 'It was just a disappointing day for us at the plate.' Simoncelli, meanwhile, has grown used to seeing performances like that from Wemhoff. 'When he's on the mound, we're confident,' Simoncelli said. 'He just competes out there.' Over the summer, Scheider formed an immediate bond with Bradley pitching coach Andrew Werner. He introduced Scheider to head coach Elvis Dominguez and the match was made. 'He was right to the point that we really like you,' Scheider said. 'This is what we want from you. That's really what did it. Then we went to the stadium. Dozier Park is beautiful.'
Indianapolis Star
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Blessed with football bloodlines, he's one of state's top WRs. But he's among nation's best in baseball
GREENWOOD — Eric McClurg knew his son, Center Grove outfielder Drake, was going to be a gifted athlete. The bloodlines are obvious. Eric and his brother Adam played football at IU. Eric a safety, Adam a standout linebacker. Eric's wife Tiffaney is a former cheerleader and swimmer at Delta, so sports — especially football — have always been a huge part of the McClurg's lives. Eric watched as Drake rapidly progressed from shooting on a Fisher-Price hoop to taking swings off a batting tee. Drake shot a basketball right-handed but started taking swings left-handed. He played his first year of tee ball at age 4 lefty, but one day in the backyard, Eric noticed something usually. Drake and current Center Grove first baseman Cayden Jones were playing a game of Cherry Bomb, throwing the ball up to themselves and hitting it before it reached the ground. Drake's hands were on the bat as a left-hander — left hand on top of his right — but he was positioned as a right-hander with body facing toward the first-base side. "I was watching out the window and I was like, 'Let me go out there real quick,'" Eric said. "I told (Drake) to turn his hands around then I threw him a couple (balls) swinging right-handed then I threw him a couple swinging left-handed and it was really good contact and swings. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. "From about his second season on we started alternating (sides of the plate) every at-bat. Then we started going off the pitcher's arm at about 9 or 10 (years old) and he's been doing it ever since." And so began McClurg's path to becoming one of the top outfielders in the nation. The sophomore is ranked at the No. 2 prospect in the state and No. 69 overall by Prep Baseball Report. The IU commit has elite times on the basepaths and produces exit velocities near the top of his class. Through 17 games, McClurg is batting .354 with 28 runs scored, eight RBIs, four doubles, three triples and nine stolen bases. He's walked 12 times and struck out just eight. The switch-hitter moved from the No. 9 spot as a freshman to batting leadoff, helping the Trojans (15-2) offense average 8.6 runs per game. "When Drake gets on base, we're a different team," Center Grove coach Keith Hatfield said. "He's a special baserunner. Obviously, he's really fast, but the reads that he gets make him a better baserunner. "When he's able to set the table, I can steal, I can bunt, I can hit-and-run, I can do a lot of different things with him on base and it makes Gannon (Grant), Carson (Bush) and Cal (Schembra) that much better." When McClurg gets on base, there's a great chance he'll use his speed to get into scoring position. Last Monday against Westfield, McClurg dropped a perfectly placed bunt to the third-base side. He stole second and used his speed to score on a Gannon Grant RBI single. Bunting is a lost art in today's game, but with McClurg's speed it's a great skill to have. "Coming here I knew I'd end up being a leadoff hitter for this program, so I have to get on base somehow," McClurg said. "A big thing in our program is bunting. We bunt guys over, and I've developed that over the last year, two years. "It's just another tool to have. Even if I'm not feeling it swinging, I always know I got the legs, I can lay down a bunt for a hit." McClurg has the patience at the plate, hitting ability and speed of a prototypical leadoff hitter. Add in his ability to switch hit, and the sophomore appears poised to wreak havoc on opposing defenses for years to come. There are shades of Max Clark in McClurg, but the scariest part about the rising sophomore is that baseball may not be his best sport. The 5-11, 180-pounder produced more than 1,200 yards on the football field as a receiver, rusher and returner this fall. Football is in the youngest McClurg's blood, and in a perfect world, he'd play both sports at IU. Drake gave up basketball as a sophomore to focus on football and baseball. Clark played football as a senior at Franklin before getting selected No. 3 overall by the Detroit Tigers in the 2023 MLB draft. McClurg has plenty of time before he has to make any decision on his future. For now, his family is enjoying his feats of athleticism in whatever sport he's playing. "I truly think with his athletic ability, the multiple positions he can play, his skill as a switch hitter at the plate, I think he can do whatever he wants," Eric said. "It's exciting for me to watch because as a dad, I always dreamed of having a son who liked the stuff that I liked. "I'm just excited that he has the passion and love for sports, similar to what I did. ... People say he's a clone of (Eric and Adam's) mentalities and he has his mom's competitiveness."
