Page 25 - 2011-12 Baseball State Finals Program

Last Year’s State Finals in Review

LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC EDGES NORTH CENTRAL
FOR THIRD STRAIGHT CROWN

Austin Munn had an RBI triple and scored the eventual only other hits in the game for North Central.
game-winning run to lead the Lafayette Central Catholic Head coach Craig Grow and the Thunderbirds made
Knights to a 3-2 victory over North Central (Farmersburg) in the school’s first appearance in the baseball state finals,
the Class A state championship game on Friday night at Vic- and finished the season with a 25-6 record.
tory Field in Indianapolis. The win gave the Knights their third Haan, who was one of just two Knights starters
consecutive Class A state championship and fifth overall. that also played in last year’s state title game, tossed a
Devin Morgan got the scoring started for the Knights complete game for coach Tim Bordenet’s Knights. Central
in the 2nd inning. Morgan tripled down the right field line, Catholic finishes the 2011 season with a 26-9 record, and
then came home on Cody Schrader’s sacrifice fly. Munn’s has now won four of the last five Class A state champion-
triple in the bottom of the 3rd scored Jake Churchill, and ships. Their five state championships ties Jasper for second
Munn scampered home with the final run on a Ryan DeBoy place on the list of most baseball state championships in
sacrifice fly. state history and they also equal Jasper as the only schools
North Central rallied in the top of the 6th when Cole to win three consecutive titles. Only LaPorte’s eight champi-
Johnson and Craig Bell had back-to-back RBI groundouts, onships ranks higher.
but Brett Haan struck out Collin Harding to end the threat. Following the game, Lafayette Central Catholic’s Devin
Thunderbirds pitcher Connor Strain pitched a complete Morgan was named the winner of the L.V. Phillips Mental
game and had three strikeouts in a losing effort, and also Attitude Award for Class A Baseball by the IHSAA Executive
went 2-for-3 at the plate. Johnson and Nate Lyday had the Committee.
SOUTH SPENCER ROLLS TO SECOND CLASS 2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
The pitching of Jordan Meece, and a strong offense in the sixth, when four of the first five Rebels hitters reached
to support him, combined to propel the South Spencer base against him. Nic Sampognaro finished the inning on
Rebels to their second the mound for the Wildcats,
Class 2A state champion- but not before South Spen-
ship on Saturday afternoon. cer plated their final run.
Meece pitched a complete The Rebels complete
game five-hitter, and also their championship season
went 3-for-5 with 3 RBI at with a record of 24-6 for
the plate as part of a 13-hit head coach Brian Kuester.
attack for the Rebels, who The win marks the second
defeated Hanover Central, state title in the last five
8-1. seasons for the school; the
Four players had two Rebels defeated Heritage,
hits or more for South 13-0, to win the Class 2A
Spencer, including shortstop title in 2007.
Jared Lauer, who finished Hanover Central, led
2-for-4 with a double, a walk by head coach Doug Nel-
and an RBI. Shelby Lashley son, finishes with a 22-6
and Zeke Harmon had two record. Nelson guided the
hits apiece. On the mound, Wildcats to the program’s
Meece kept the Wildcats off first sectional, regional and
balance all afternoon; he semistate titles during the
finished with 5 strikeouts and 2011 season.
just 1 walk. Following the game, South
Hanover Central starting Spencer’s Aaron Seiler
pitcher Adam Wellwerts was named the winner of
loaded the bases with the L.V. Phillips Mental
nobody out in the first Attitude Award for Class 2A
inning, but escaped after yielding just one run. Wellwerts Baseball by the IHSAA Executive Committee.
regrouped and pitched well until running into trouble again

IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport! 25