2009 HIT AND RUN BASEBALL MAGAZINE

 

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The field of eight schools for the 43rd Annual IHSAA Baseball State Finals includes three former state champions (none from 2008) and three first-time participants.

 

The Class A state championship game is scheduled for Friday at 7:30 pm ET, while the 2A, 3A and 4A games will be contested at 1 pm ET, 4 pm ET and 8 pm ET, respectively, on Saturday. All four games will be played at Victory Field in Indianapolis, home of the Indianapolis Indians, the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

 

Friday’s Class A game features No. 2 Lafayette Central Catholic (27-4) taking on unranked Vincennes Rivet (16-10). The Knights are making their third championship game appearance in the last six seasons having won titles in 2004 and 2007. Central Catholic has outscored its five tournament foes, 46-5, including a 16 run outburst in the semi-state. Rivet will be seeking its first state championship in any sport after collecting its first baseball regional and semi-state crowns the last two Saturdays. The Patriots girls basketball team came away as state runner-up in March and a member of that team, Emily Montgomery, plays left field on the baseball team. She is believed to be the first female in any sport to play in an IHSAA state championship game as part of a boys team.

 

Saturday’s 2A game between unranked Cass (19-8) and No. 9 Heritage Christian (24-6) features the same two schools that battled for the Class 2A football championship won by Heritage Christian, 17-14, last November. Both are new to the baseball state finals, however. Heritage will be gunning for the schools third state crown of this school year also winning its fourth straight in 2A girls basketball. Cass will be chasing the school’s fourth overall title in six years having won in 2A boys basketball (2003) and 2A softball (2006, 2008).

 

The 3A final looks to be a hotly-contested game between top-ranked Andrean (32-2) and No. 3 West Vigo (28-1).

The 59ers, the 2005 state champs, have outscored their last five opponents, 55-7, while the Vikings have outperformed their six tourney foes 52-12. West Vigo is playing in the state finals for the second time in baseball and will be looking for the school’s first championship in any sport. Vikings catcher Jeremy Lucas was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2009 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft earlier this month. Andrean’s girls softball team played in its state championship contest last Saturday.

 

The weekend’s finale in 4A showcases a pair of unranked teams as Fort Wayne Snider (23-3) tangles with Westfield (24-5). Snider toppled top-ranked Crown Point, 4-2, in the South Bend Semi-State on Monday and returns to the state finals for just the second time after winning it all in 2006. The Panthers have won their last three games by no more than two runs and will be representing their school in a state title game for the third time this year (girls soccer, boys basketball both finished runner-up). Westfield knocked out defending state champion Decatur Central in the regional semifinal and No. 6 Castle in Saturday’s semi-state and will play for the state championship for the first time since 1998 when they fell to Jasper for the 3A trophy. Westfield senior pitcher Kyle Kramp was picked by the San Francisco Giants during the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft earlier this month.

 

Check www.ihsaa.org throughout the weekend for scoreboard updates on each contest. Line scores and computerized box scores will be available for Saturday’s four state championship games.

 

For roster, stats and schedules on all 16 teams in this year’s state finals, click here