The REPORTER
Two Hamilton County baseball teams will be among the 32 squads vying for a place in the IHSAA baseball state finals on Saturday, as the semi-state round takes place that day.
Guerin Catholic will make the long trip south to Jasper’s Ruxer Field to compete in the Class 3A south semi-state. University has a much shorter trip: just across town to Lawrence Central to play in the 2A south semi-state.
The Golden Eagles play Providence in their first game, with first pitch set for 11 a.m. Providence is located in Clarksville and is playing in 3A due to the success factor. The Pioneers won a 2A state title in 2024 and claimed a regional title last year, giving them enough points to move up.
Providence is 23-5 for the season and has not yet been challenged in the postseason. The Pioneers won their sectional by beating North Harrison 10-0 and Charlestown 4-0, then cruised past Batesville 9-4 for its third consecutive regional crown and 10th overall.
Senior Lucas Mauk is Providence’s top hitter with a .477 batting average. Mauk leads the team in hits (42) and runs scored (34). Senior Gavin Jackson has batted in the most runs with 31; he and junior Zach Medlock each have six home runs.
Jackson is also the Pioneers’ top pitcher with an 8-0 record and a 0.70 earned run average. Jackson has tossed 59 strikeouts this season.
Guerin Catholic is 25-3-1. The Golden Eagles cruised through the Crawfordsville sectional, beating Danville 7-0 and Frankfort 9-3 before getting past Brebeuf Jesuit 1-0 in the championship game. Guerin Catholic took care of Northview 4-1 to defend its regional title.
Senior Ian Taylor is batting .434 for the Golden Eagles, with a team-leading 42 runs scored and 9 homers, along with 34 RBIs. Junior Carson Kail is next with a .414 average. Junior Ben Canada has hit 16 doubles, while senior Karson Smith leads the RBI list with 41.
Senior Tate Troxell is unbeaten on the mound at 7-0. He holds a 1.43 ERA and has struck out 79 batters in 44 innings.
University vs. Mater Dei
University will take on Evansville Mater Dei in an 11 a.m. semifinal.
The Wildcats are 27-3 and have been untroubled through the postseason. Mater Dei breezed to a sectional title with wins over Pike Central 10-0, Forest Park 9-6 and North Posey 11-1. The Wildcats beat Salem 6-1 for the regional crown, their second consecutive and 11th overall.
Stats for Mater Dei are not available.
The Trailblazers are 21-10. After edging out host Park Tudor 4-3 in the sectional semifinals, University sailed past Monrovia 13-1 for the championship. The Blazers took care of Greencastle 13-5 to win their second straight regional and fifth overall.
Senior Beckett Suh leads a big-hitting University team with a .554 average, 56 hits, 49 RBIs and 7 home runs. Junior Oliver Kingery and senior Ryan Castetter are tied for the top of the runs-scored list with 43 each. Both hit over .400 as well, with Kingery at .447 and Castetter at .437.
Senior Caleb Stocker is 6-1 on the mound; he holds a 3.24 ERA and has struck out 40 batters. Senior Cooper Cammack has 36 strikeouts for the season.
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