Six county players selected for Indiana All-Star Series . . .
By RICH TORRES
FISHERS – When Matt Cherry heard six players from Hamilton County were selected to compete in the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North-South All-Star Series this coming weekend, it wasn’t surprising.
If anything, the total seemed low.
Just over a month after his Fishers Tigers captured the program’s first Class 4A state championship, Cherry knew the end result of his team’s school-record 29-7 finale in June was a credit to competitive geography.
Needing the last game of the regular season in order to clinch a hotly-contested second straight outright Hoosier Crossroads Conference title, local rivals pushed Fishers at every step en route to its state championship dogpile over Cathedral at Victory Field.
“The talent level in our area has been that way for a long time, and the style of play, competition and the programs in and around our area are top-notch,” said Cherry, who is 205-171-1 in his 12-year career at Fishers. “It’s just good that these kids get an opportunity to experience the all-star game.”
Among the six invited to the annual event in South Bend, two are Tigers in Houston recruit Craig Yoho at shortstop and pitcher Luke Albright, a Kent State pitching recruit.
The duo will compete for the South All-Stars along with Guerin Catholic pitcher Jake Andriole, an IHSBCA 3A All-State honorable mention, and Hamilton Southeastern hurler Carter Lohman.
Westfield third baseman Matthew Meyer and Noblesville outfielder Tyler Owens will play for the North All-Stars during the three-game series at Four Winds Field, the home of the South Bend Cubs, beginning on Saturday.
Noblesville outfielder Tyler Owens will play for the North All-Stars starting this Saturday in South Bend. (Photo provided)
The weekend’s festivities open on Friday with team practices and an IHSBCA Junior Showcase in the morning and afternoon followed by a banquet in the evening at Century Center in South Bend.
The North and South All-Stars take the field on Saturday for a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. On Sunday, the series concludes with a wood-bat game at noon. The players are invited to wear their high school uniforms for their last game.
“Individual awards come with team success, so it’s definitely great, and it’s great for our two guys,” Cherry said. “They were three-year starters, have been around the program for a long time, and were part of the heart and soul the past few years. We definitely could have had some other guys, too.”
IHSBCA 4A All-State first-team selections Grant Richardson, a pitcher, and Matt Wolff, a third baseman, were also worthy invitees, Cherry said, but with both already at Indiana University and Navy, respectively, neither were available to participate.
However, with Yoho and Albright, the defending state champions will be well represented.
Yoho hit an impressive .398 for the Tigers as a senior this spring, while driving in 24 runs behind 13 doubles and five home runs. The IHSBCA 4A All-State honoree had 48 runs scored and logged 10 stolen bases.
In the last three seasons, Yoho compiled 23 stolen bases, hit .355 with 67 RBI, 31 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs and had 90 runs.
Albright was dominant on the mound for the Tigers in his final season. The right-hander posted a 9-2 record with 91 strikeouts in 68.2 innings pitched. Opposing batters hit .199 against him.
He went 16-4 in his varsity career with 175 strikeouts and a 2.69 ERA.
“I’m very pleased and excited for Craig and Luke that they have the opportunity to wear the Tiger uniform one more time in that third game and represent Fishers at the All-Star games,” Cherry said.
The same can be said for the county’s other four all-stars as a combined four programs from the HCC will be involved.
Owens led the Millers in hitting this season with a .329 batting average. The Northwood recruit had 26 runs scored, 13 RBI, eight doubles, a triple, a home run and eight stolen bases as a senior for sectional runner-up Noblesville, which placed third in the HCC.
As a pitcher, Owens, an IHSBCA All-State honorable mention, posted a 4.86 ERA with a 5-3 record. He pitched 49.0 innings and struck out 32 batters. The right-hander ended his high school career with a 13-9 record and a 3.70 ERA.
Lohman, a Louisville recruit, ended his senior season with a 2-4 record and a career-best 56 strikeouts. The left-hander collected one save and held opposing hitters to a .225 average through 34.1 innings pitched.
His career ERA stands at 4.53 with an 8-10 record over the past four campaigns. He made 34 varsity appearances since freshman year and struck out 125 overall in 105.0 innings. The opposition hit .239 against him in his career and connected for only four home runs when he was on the mound for the Royals.
Meyer, a Sinclair Community College recruit, was a two-way catalyst for the Shamrocks this past season.
As a hitter, Meyer led the lineup with a .347 batting average. His 23 runs scored were first on the team along with his eight doubles and four triples. Meyer drove in 15 runs and finished 2018 with one home run. He named IHSBCA 4A All-State honorable mention.
Over the past three seasons, Meyer hit .335 with 47 RBI, 19 doubles, six triples, 34 walks and 40 runs scored in 227 at-bats.
As a pitcher, Meyer posted his lowest batting average against at .187 through 34.2 innings pitched this season. The right-hander racked up 40 strikeouts compared to 14 walks as a senior and carried a 3.03 ERA and 2-3 record. He threw two complete games and a shutout.
He was 15-15 over his last three campaigns with 95 strikeouts in 117.1 innings pitched and recorded three complete games and two shutouts.
“I think it’ll be fun for all of them, and obviously, they get to play with some of the top talent from the state. It’s just a fun experience for those guys,” Cherry said. “I feel it should be that many every year, but obviously, I’m a little biased with our area. It always seems there are great players we play against in our area every year.”