Page 23 - 2021-22 Baseball State Finals Program
P. 23

Outstanding Official   Last Year’s State Finals in Review


     Hernandez pitches one-hitter to help Washington Township to first state championship
                                             Senior left-hander Steven Hernandez fired a one-hit
 James Craig Honored As 2022 Baseball Official of the Year  shutout, while Logan Curren and James Kirk each drove
                                          in two runs to lead Washington Township to a 6-0 win over
    James Craig is the recipient of      James has been a licensed      James is a graduate of   Shakamak in the Class A championship game.
 the 2022 Interscholastic Athletic   baseball official for 36 years and   Indiana University-Purdue   Hernandez allowed just one walk and three other batters
 Official Association Award for   has overseen 26 sectionals, 18   University-Fort Wayne and   to reach base via errors, but didn’t allow a Shakamak
 excellence in the sport of   regionals, 11 semi-state contests,   currently works as a Supervisor   runner past second base. The only hit Hernandez allowed
 Baseball. James is to be honored   and eight State Finals! He is a   at WaterFurnace International   came with two out in the sixth inning. He finished with four
 in a special ceremony during   member of the Northeastern   of Fort Wayne. James resides in   strikeouts.
 Officials Association and previ-
 Saturday’s Baseball State Finals.     ously served as an IHSAA Certifi-  Fort Wayne and has one
    Each year, the Indiana High   cation Clinician from 1999-2019.   daughter, Jocelyn  It marks the third one-hitter in title-game history – the first
 School Athletic Association, in      James has received the   since 2007 when Shakamak also fell victim to a pitcher’s
 cooperation with the National   Indiana High School Baseball   gem.
 Federation of Interscholastic   Coaches Association’s District
 Officials Association, recognizes   Umpire of the Year Award over   The Senators of coach Randy Roberts broke through with
 and honors an outstanding official   10 times and has officiated their   the only run they would need in the fifth inning, while Kirk
 in each of 11 sports during the   North-South All-Star Series three   keyed a three-run sixth with a two-out double. Curren
 school year.  times. James is also a licensed   added a two-run single in the seventh.
    James was selected for this   IHSAA football official and has
 honor by a committee   officiated three State Finals in the   The title for the Senators (27-7) marked the first state title in
 representing the 24 officials   sport.   any sport for the school. Roberts guided WT to a runner-up
                                          finish in 2019.
 associations in Indiana.      James is a mentor to several
    officials in his area and also
 volunteers his time hosting youth        First-year coach Jeremy Yeryar’s Lakers (19-10) were
 baseball clinics that help players       seeking their third state title and have now finished as
 understand the relationship              runner-up five times.
 between themselves and umpires
 and the benefits of the game.  Reisinger leads Providence to 2A State Championship
     Ray Reisinger tossed a two-hit shutout to lead
     Providence to a 4-0 victory over Eastside in the
     Class 2A championship game.
     Reisinger dominated from the start, retiring
     the first 11 Blazers hitters and finished it off by
     scattering just two singles and compiling 11
     strikeouts without walking a batter.
     Reisinger also helped himself with his bat, as he
     doubled and scored in the second inning as the
     Pioneers (23-7) had six (of their seven) hits for
     extra-bases.
     Shortstop Casey Kaelin proved to be the hitting
     star for the winners as he rapped an RBI-double
     in the first inning, then drove in Reisinger with
     a two-out double in the third. Coach Scott
     Hutchins’s squad added two insurance runs in
     the sixth inning.
     The title is the second in program history as
     Providence also won in 2016. It was also the
     second state title of the 2020-21 school year for
     PHS, as the boys soccer team achieved that
     feat the previous fall.
     Coach Aaron Willard’s Blazers (26-7) were
     making their first appearance in the state finals.
     Eastside got hits from Dylan Hertig and Jack
     Buchanan.


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