The REPORTER
Saturday is IHSAA baseball regional day, where high school teams scatter across the state to play for a championship and earn a spot at the semi-state.
Hamilton County has three teams playing at the regional level. In Class 4A, Westfield defended its Sectional 8 title and will travel to Loeb Stadium to play Harrison for the Lafayette Jefferson regional title. First pitch is at 3 p.m.
The Raiders are 20-7 and triumphed at the four-team Kokomo sectional. Harrison beat the host Wildkats 5-2 in a semifinal game, then upset No. 7-ranked McCutcheon 6-1 in the championship.
Junior Jack Gonzalez is the Raiders’ top hitter, batting .414 with a team-leading 29 hits and 27 runs scored. Sophomore Noah Lovelady has the most RBI with 22 and counts seven doubles among his 15 hits Sophomore pitcher Chase Gothrup is 6-1 with 43 strikeouts and a 1.17 earned run average. Junior Lyrik Neal had the most strikeouts with 48 and a 2.59 ERA.
The Shamrocks head to Harrison with a 21-9 record. Westfield had to beat a pair of ranked teams to win Sectional 8 at Carmel, getting past the 13th-ranked Greyhounds 5-0 in the semifinals and edging out No. 8 Fishers 4-3 in the championship.
The ‘Rocks have several solid hitters, with junior Beck Jordan leading the team in hits (29) and RBI (27), including 10 doubles. Senior Ian Wilson has 26 hits, while sophomore Lincoln Hoffman has 24 hits, and senior Jake Russell leads the runs scored with 28. Senior Luke Collinsworth has 65 strikeouts on the mound and a 2.60 ERA.
Guerin Catholic & Cathedral
The Guerin Catholic Golden Eagles finally broke through into the winner’s circle on Monday, winning the school’s first-ever baseball sectional. They travel to Jasper’s Ruxer Field on Saturday for a 3 p.m. date with Cathedral.
The Irish are back in Class 3A after several years in 4A. Cathedral is 20-9 and won the Bishop Chatard sectional, beating Purdue Polytechnic 10-0 in the first round, Herron 18-0 in the semifinals and the host Trojans 4-2 in the championship.
Senior Eli Bennett and sophomore Connor Christiansen are Cathedral’s top hitters. Bennett bats .396 with 36 hits, 34 RBI and four home runs. Christiansen bats .393, totaling 35 hits and 33 RBI and a team-leading 23 runs scored. Senior Ethan Dorsey holds a 5-1 pitching record with a 1.08 ERA and 34 strikeouts.
Guerin Catholic is 17-12 but ranked No. 3 in the 3A poll. The Golden Eagles beat Lebanon 13-0 in the first round, outlasted sectional host and No. 13 Brebeuf Jesuit 5-3 in the semis, then took care of Crawfordsville 10-1 in the championship.
Ben Canada leads the hitting with a .423 average and 28 RBI. Canada and Karson Smith both have 33 hits, with Smith collecting a team-leading 37 runs. Ian Taylor hits .369 and has 31 hits. Tate Troxell has recorded 84 strikeouts.
University & Greencastle
University will travel to Mitchell to take on Greencastle in a Class 2A regional game. This one begins at 11 a.m.
The Tiger Cubs are 18-5 heading into the game. Greencastle won the South Vermillion sectional, with victories over the host Wildcats 6-4 in the semifinals and Parke Heritage 8-5 in the championship.
A pair of big junior hitters lead the Tiger Cubs. Sam Gooch is batting .593, with a team-leading 48 hits and 51 runs. Nathan Sutherlin hits at a .513 clip and dominates the RBI list with 43, including 11 doubles. Sophomore Bryton Gregg is a solid pitcher, with a 5-2 mark, 2.60 ERA and 63 strikeouts.
The Trailblazers are 19-11. University won the Park Tudor sectional, beating Monrovia 9-0 in the first round, Cardinal Ritter 19-2 in the semifinals, and the No. 7-ranked host Panthers 1-0 in an eight-inning championship.
Junior Beckett Suh hits .351 for the Blazers, with 29 RBI. Junior Cooper Cammack is right behind at .341, totaling 33 hits, while junior Ryan Castetter is .337 with 37 runs scored. Senior Cam Rady is 4-0 on the mound with 45 strikeouts, while junior Cole Stocker is 5-4 with 43 strikeouts.
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