By RICHARD TORRES
For The Reporter
FRANKTON – Ten months wasn’t long enough for the Guerin Catholic Golden Eagles to forget.
Picked as the Class 3A team to beat during the IHSAA baseball state tournament last spring, the Golden Eagles had sectional title aspirations in mind, but things didn’t go as planned.
Falling to Circle City Conference rival Bishop Chatard, 4-2, in the Sectional 27 finals, Guerin Catholic missed out on a program-first championship, but after waiting all offseason the Golden Eagles are now ready to redeem themselves.
It showed on Tuesday night, as the 3A No. 2 Golden Eagles opened their campaign with a decisive 10-0 run-rule victory at Frankton in six innings.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt,” GC head coach Keith Nunley remarked on his players’ focus for 2024. “Our guys have been champing at the bit for a while to get on the field. They’re excited.”
Their anticipation is multi-faceted.
Firstly, their sectional finals setback stung them more than usual. Not because of their former state ranking but due to having beaten Bishop Chatard 13-3 and tying the Trojans 1-1 in eight innings during the regular season before the playoffs.
Secondly, they believe, much like last year, that they have the talent to win in June.
“Expectations are a playoff run. We have to win a sectional first. Win some games this year, and then get a shot at the state tournament,” GC senior Davis Wagner said. “I think about (that loss) every day. We have to play together. Don’t freak out in the moment. Just keep calm and do what we do. Do what we’re good at.”
At Frankton’s Paul Davis Stadium, the Golden Eagles were nearly perfect.
Wagner cruised through the first four innings, striking out nine, walking one and allowing just two hits with 64 pitches thrown.
At the plate, Wagner (2-for-4) contributed during a 1-run top of the first and later turned a 5-0 Guerin Catholic lead in the top of the fourth into an 8-0 game with a three-run bomb over the left-field fence on the first pitch.
“I was just looking to find a barrel. I’ve been having trouble with that the last couple of weeks, so it felt good to finally get a barrel,” said Wagner, an Augusta University commit. “I finally got one.”
The Golden Eagles laced four extra-base hits, including doubles from Grant Beard (1-for-3), Ian Taylor (1-for-2, three runs) and sophomore Tate Troxell (1-for-3).
Beard’s double plated three runs to kick start a six-run top of the fourth, which sparked eight runs scored over the final three innings.
Wagner’s home run highlighted a five-hit attack in the frame. Karson Smith (2-for-4) provided an RBI sacrifice fly.
“(Wagner has) put up numbers ever since he was a sophomore, so he’s a really good player. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do at the next level after we get done with him this year,” Nunley said.
On the mound, Wagner stuck out the first two batters he faced, retired six straight through the third and fourth innings and left a runner stranded at second base in both the second and third.
“I try to work with tempo first off, then I work fastball, curveball, slider, change-up, sinker. It depends on the hitter obviously,” Wagner said. “The fastball was working the best today. I got a lot of swings and misses. I left one over the plate, but it didn’t do too much damage, so we’re grateful for that. But everything was working today. Felt pretty good. Finally got some good velo.”
Troxell, an Alabama commit, relieved Wagner in the bottom of the fifth and pitched two hitless frames, striking out three and walking two. The Frankton Eagles were held to two hits overall and walked three times.
“Wagner has been a three-year producer for us since I got the coaching job at Guerin, and he does a fantastic job of commanding the strike zone and competing on a daily basis,” Nunley said. “Obviously, we’re early in the season, so we’re on a pitch count, but those two guys will be big horses for us for the entire season.”
The duo received ample run support in the opener with the Golden Eagles providing 11 hits in 27 at-bats.
Cuinn Morrow, who is committed to DePauw, finished 2-for-3. AJ Nunley went 1-for-2. Bryson Dorsey, a DePauw recruit, was 1-for-2.
Drew Wilhite drove in the team’s ninth run in the top of the sixth with a sacrifice fly before a passed ball scored the 10th.
The Golden Eagles host 4A Anderson on Saturday in a home opening doubleheader. They travel to Bishop Chatard on April 2 and host the Trojans on April 3.
“The last regular-season poll, we were No. 1 and then got upset in the sectional, so that’s still leaving a sour taste in our mouth, but I guess it shows some recognition by other people in the state,” Nunley said. “Recognizing the quality of guys we have in the program, and the credit goes to them. They do the work. We open doors and they walk through them.”