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Daleville earned its first state title in any sport, thanks in large part to the pitching of Brandon Vermillion and a big hit from classmate Elliott Jackson. The senior pitched a complete-game shutout, leading the Broncos past Lanesville 4-0 in the Class A baseball championship game.

Vermillion (11-4) allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out 11 batters. After getting out of jams in the third and fourth innings, he retired the final 11 batters of the game.  The win was the 400th for Coach Terry Turner in 26 years at Daleville.

The teams were scoreless through three innings, though Daleville (21-9) did threaten with two-out doubles in both the second and third innings but failed to score.
Lanesville also had opportunities. In the third inning, Jon Will laid down a perfect one-out bunt to reach first. A sacrifice moved Will to third, and Brenden Bube was intentionally walked. But Vermillion got a soft grounder to shortstop that forced Bube at second and ended the inning.

Daleville put up the game’s first run in the top of the fourth inning with one swing of the bat, thanks to T.J. Price’s home run – his fifth of the season – over the leftfield fence to lead off the inning. But Lanesville threatened again in the bottom half of the inning after Mitchell Bailey and Cameron Harvey put together back-to-back singles with one out.

But Noah Jones hit an infield grounder that Price field at shortstop and flipped the ball to Gavin Whitmore at second for the force. Whitmore’s relay to first was in time to force Jones for the third out.

The Broncos would strike again in a big way in the top of the fifth. Spencer Horsley singled with one out, and Corbin Maddox reached first on an error, moving Horsley to second. A double steal moved the pair to second and third; following a strikeout, Price was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Jackson then laced a drive over first base that just stayed fair and headed into the outfield. Horsley, Maddox and Price all scored, giving Jackson 38 RBIs on the season and the Broncos a 4-0 advantage.

Vermillion would put Lanesville down in order in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to close out the game.

Lanesville, in its first appearance in the baseball state finals, finished 15-12 under Coach Zach Payne. Bube took the loss for the Eagles, allowing one earned run and six hits over six innings.

Daleville’s Brandon Vermillion named Mental Attitude recipient
Following the game, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee announced Brandon Vermillion of Daleville High School as the winner of this year’s L.V. Phillips Mental Attitude Award in Class A Baseball.

The valedictorian of his graduating class, Brandon has shown great leadership both on and off the field at Daleville. On the field, Brandon led all Class 1A pitchers in wins this season on his way to earning All-Conference and All-Delaware County honors each of the past two seasons. In the classroom Vermillion’s 4.32 GPA has earned him Academic All-State Honors this season.

Brandon has also been involved during his time at Daleville volunteering in and out of school. In school, Vermillion is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Club, and the SADD Club. In the community, he has volunteered his time working with elementary school students and working at community breakfasts.

He is the son of Scott and Shari Vermillion of Anderson and will attend Anderson University where he will continue playing baseball while pursuing a degree in nursing.

The award is annually presented to an outstanding senior participant in each state championship game who has best demonstrated excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in baseball. The award is named in honor of the late L.V. Phillips, who served as the second commissioner of the IHSAA from 1945-62.

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA's corporate partner, presented a $1,000 scholarship to general scholarship fund at Daleville High School in the name of Brandon Vermillion.