Phone: 317-846-6601 Fax: 317-575-4244 Website: www.ihsaa.org
Blake Ress, Commissioner
____________________________________________________________________________________________
June 14, 2008
BISHOP LUERS
WINS FIRST BASEBALL TITLE, REACHES STATE MILESTONE
Second-ranked
Fort Wayne Bishop Luers scored a 2A record number of
runs in the fifth inning to break open a close game and went on to defeat No. 9
Elwood, 14-8, for the state championship at Victory Field in Indianapolis.
With the victory,
Bishop Luers became the first school in IHSAA history
to win a football, basketball and baseball title in the same school year. Earlier
this year, Bishop Luers defeated Heritage Christian,
21-6, for the 2A football state title and defeated Winchester, 69-67, to win
the 2A boys basketball championship. It was the school’s first baseball
championship and no Bishop Luers student-athlete was
on the roster of all three teams.
The Knights
(30-3) scored a 2A record six runs in the top of the fifth inning to break open
a 4-3 advantage. A pair of big hits were turned in by
senior Chuck Andrews who singled to center scoring Tyler Bunn and Tim Kawiecki and two batters later when junior Tyquan Hammock tripled to right field bringing home Dan
Wyss and Andrews. Wyss had reached on a throwing error.
Luers
added four more in the sixth inning including Wyss’ single to left that scored Daniel
Peppler and Bunn.
Elwood answered
with four of its own in the bottom half of the sixth. Trailing 14-4, senior Nate
Jones launched a lead-off home run over the left field fence. Aaron Klein
followed with a double to right and Jacob Dunnichay
reached on a fielding error. Kevin Worsley then
singled to right scoring Klein and moving Dunnichay
to third. A couple batters later, Troy Worsley
grounded out to second plating Dunnichay. Wills then
tripled to center scoring Kevin Worsley from second.
For Luers, Peppler went 4-4 with
three RBI and two runs scored and Bunn went 4-5 with two RBI and three runs.
Andrews also batted three scores for the winners and Hammock was responsible
for a double and triple. For Elwood, Troy Worsley
went 3-4 with two RBI and one score and Wills went 3-4 with three RBI. Elwood
left nine runners on base.
Elwood
(27-5) was making its first appearance in the baseball state finals and had a
16-game winning streak snapped. The Panthers were coachedby
Adrian Helm. Luers was coached by 22nd year
skipper Gary Rogers.
The two
teams combined for four more records in the game – total runs (22), hits (28),
runs in one inning (7 in the fifth) and runs batted in (20).
ELWOOD’S NATHANIEL WILLS named Mental Attitude Award winner
Nathaniel Wills
of
At the
conclusion of each championship game, the IHSAA Executive Committee presents an
award for mental attitude to an outstanding senior participant in each
classification of the state tournament. The recipient of the award, nominated
by his principal and coach, was determined to have best demonstrated mental
attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in baseball. The award
is named in honor of the late L.V. Phillips, who served as the second
commissioner of the IHSAA from 1945-62.
Wills just
graduated 10th in his senior class at Elwood where he was a member
of the National Honor Society, the Steering Committee, Student Council and the
Latin Club. He also played basketball leading the Panthers in scoring the last
two seasons earning all-conference honors.
Wills plans
to study accounting but is undecided on his college choice.
He becomes
the third student-athlete from Elwood to win an IHSAA mental attitude award and
first since 1976. That year, James Runyon won the award in wrestling. Ron Drake
also won the award for track and field in 1964.
Nathaniel is
the son of Susan and David Wills of Elwood.
Indiana
Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000
scholarship to
VSN MEANS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY
Visit our
friends at Visual Sports Network, the IHSAA’s official photographer for all state championship
events and one of the leading action photographers in the
CHAMPIONSHIP MERCHANDISE STILL AVAILABLE
For t-shirts and other merchandise commemorating this year’s tournament or for any of our events, visit our friends at Morris, Inc.
STATE FINALS PROGRAMS AVAILABLE
Couldn’t be
there for the state finals? You can still purchase a copy of the official
souvenir program while supplies last! Programs are $3.00 if you purchase in
person at the IHSAA Office (