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TOP-RANKED WOODLAN, CARMEL HEADLINE SOFTBALL FINALS
Four new state champions will be crowned on the softball diamond this Saturday as eight teams have survived and found their way to the four championship games of the 27th Annual IHSAA Softball State Finals.

The Class A championship game at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis begins the day at 10:30 am ET, the 2A final is scheduled for 1:30 pm, 3A at 4:30 pm and 4A at 7:30 pm. All four games will be carried live by WTTV in Indianapolis on digital channel 4.2 and webcast live at www.ihsaatv.org. No teams from last year’s state finals return though a pair of top-ranked teams in their respective polls will play Saturday including a matchup of the top two in Class 2A, No. 1 Woodlan and No. 2 South Putnam.

Woodlan (26-2) has advanced to the finals for the first time in 10 years and will be playing in its first softball championship game and looking for the school’s first title in any sport. The Warriors have only given up two runs in five tournament games and shut out both top 10 teams they faced – No. 9 North Miami (9-0) in the regional and No. 10 Hebron (3-0) for the semi-state title. Woodlan also avenged one of its two losses on the season when they turned away Adams Central, 1-0, in the sectional championship game.

South Putnam (27-1), which has enjoyed much sectional success with seven championships in 12 years, finally broke through for its first regional trophy this year and has carried that momentum into the 2A final game. The Eagles, whose only loss was a neutral site encounter with 3A finalist Roncalli back on April 9, will be seeking the school’s second state championship overall (1986 Class A Football). The team secured its spot in the final game thanks to 3-1 victories over No. 8 Frankton and Indianapolis Scecina in the semi-state.

The other top-ranked team involved this weekend is Carmel (27-2) which will face unranked Avon for the 4A crown. Carmel enters the game on a nine-game winning streak since its last defeat and will be looking to win the school’s 101st IHSAA state championship overall and its sixth this school year, both of which would be a state record. The Greyhounds won their first regional last week since 1997 and topped No. 4 Lake Central, 2-0, in the semi-state to advance to the state finals for the first time in 14 years. They haven’t allowed a run in their last four tournament games.

Unranked Avon (26-7) will make its first appearance in the state championship game after upsetting two top 10 teams in the last three games. The Orioles defeated No. 7 Franklin Central, 2-1, in nine innings to win their first regional crown and edged No. 10 Pendleton Heights, 2-1, for the semi-state title. Avon has won 15 of its last 16 games including seven due to the 10-run rule and is chasing the school’s second state championship overall and its first in a girls sport (Boys Golf 2009).

The 3A game features No. 4 Roncalli and Andrean. Roncalli (27-7) claimed its fourth sectional in a row and will play in the state championship game for the first time since 2001 (2A) hoping to carry away their third state title (also 1999). The Rebels have dispatched three consecutive top 10 foes – No. 3 Lebanon, No. 10 Edgewood and No. 8 Gibson Southern in succession. Roncalli took the only other state tournament meeting between the two schools – a 1-0 decision for the 1999 2A state championship.

Andrean (25-8) completed its trek to Indianapolis with a 4-0 semi-state victory over Mississinewa in a rain-delayed game that finished up on Monday night. The 59ers have been a regular participant in the softball state finals competing every other year since 2005, six times overall and have won two state championships in 1998 and 2007.

The Class A final features No. 3 Lakewood Park Christian and No. 6 Tecumseh. Lakewood Park Christian (25-5) will be making its first appearance in a state championship game in any sport on Saturday after coming up short in last year’s semi-state final to eventual winner Riverton Parke. The Panthers have outscored their five tournament foes by a 50-6 margin and also won their seventh straight sectional on May 28. One of their losses was to 2A finalist Woodlan, a 5-4 setback, on May 9.

Their opponent, Tecumseh (23-7), is no stranger to this game. The Braves settled for the runner-up spot three times before finally breaking through for their first softball championship two years ago. The Braves sealed their state-leading ninth consecutive sectional crown on May 27, shut out their next two opponents and then held on for a 7-6 decision in eight innings over No. 2 Edinburgh in the semi-state final.

 

Check www.ihsaa.orgthroughout Saturday for scoreboard updates, final box scores and recaps of each game.

Meet the Teams
For roster, stats and season results on all eight teams in this year’s state finals, click here.

State Finals
Ben Davis High School, 1200 N. Girls School Road, Indianapolis | Website
Dates: Saturday, June 11, 2011.
Admission: $9.
Home Team: The winner of the northern semi-state is the designated home team in each game.

Brackets: 4A | 3A | 2A | A

Class A | Tecumseh (23-7) vs. Lakewood Park Christian (25-5) | 10:30 am ET.
Class 2A | South Putnam (27-1) vs. Woodlan (26-2) | 1:30 pm ET.
Class 3A | Roncalli (27-7) vs. Andrean (25-8) | 4:30 pm ET.
Class 4A | Avon (26-7) vs. Carmel (27-2) | 7:30 pm ET.

Media Information

Media Hosts – Sports Information Director Jason Wille, Communications Director Chris Kaufman and assistant Toni Polizzi will be on site to assist in your coverage.

Media Credentials: The 2010-11 IHSAA State Finals Media Credential issued previously this year will allow for admission. To apply, please e-mail your request (with name of individual) as soon as possible to IHSAA Sports Information Director Jason Wille at jwille@ihsaa.org. E-mail requests MUST originate from a recognized business account; e-mails from personal accounts (ie: yahoo.com, aol.com, etc.) will not be accepted. The application deadline is Thursday, June 9, at 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT. Approved requests will be available for pickup at the main gate nearest the right field corner on Saturday.

Services – Starting lineups and game programs will be circulated to members of the media in attendance on Saturday. Computer-generated official box scores will be available following each state championship game. Line scores for all games will be posted on the IHSAA website. Complimentary wireless access also will be available in the press box for filing purposes.

 

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CHUCK SCHROEDER TO BE HONORED AS STATE'S TOP SOFTBALL OFFICIAL
Charles “Chuck” Schroeder of Greencastle is the recipient of the 2011 Interscholastic Athletic Official Association Award for excellence in the sport of Softball.  Schroeder will be honored in a special ceremony during Saturday’s state finals.
Each year, the Indiana High School Athletic Association, in cooperation with the National Federation of Interscholastic Officials Association, recognizes and honors an outstanding official in each of 11 sports during the school year.

Chuck has spent over 40 years as a player, official, and organizer of softball.  He was instrumental in establishing the Men’s Softball League in Greencastle in the mid-1970s and it continues to thrive today.  He has served on the Board of Directors that was responsible for the construction of the Greencastle Sports Complex that contains six soccer fields, two baseball fields, and four softball fields.

On the state level, Chuck volunteers his time with the Special Olympics and is the Tournament Director for the Women’s State Special Olympics Basketball tournament, the only Olympics tournament in the nation for women’s basketball.  He assists with other Special Olympics events including the State Softball Tournament held annually in Bloomington.

As a member of the Wabash Valley Officials Association, Chuck has officiated two IHSAA Softball State Finals.  He also officiates at the college level with the Missouri Valley Conference.

 

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SINGLES, DOUBLES CROWNS UP FOR GRABS IN GIRLS TENNIS
Six singles players and seven doubles teams will converge on North Central High School in Indianapolis this weekend to determine the 30th singles and 21st doubles state champions in girls tennis.

Two singles and three doubles matches will be played Friday at 2 pm ET with winners moving into Saturday morning’s semifinal round at 10 am ET. Consolation and state championship matches will contested at 2 pm.

Two singles players and a doubles team have prior experience in the tournament.

Lebanon junior Bethany Moore was the state runner-up in last year’s state tournament for singles players. She’ll begin her quest on Friday against undefeated Penn junior Alexandra Brinker. The winner of the match will face Evansville Memorial’s Macie Elliott in the next round. The sophomore helped Memorial to a state runner-up finish in last Saturday’s team finals thus earning a bye into the next round.

Taking a bye into the semifinal round of the doubles tournament is the Floyd Central team of sophomore Whitney Batliner and junior Chelsea Shackelford. The pair, which finished fourth last year, helped Floyd Central to the state semifinals of last week’s team tournament and now await the winner of the match between Ashleigh Ellenwood of Michigan City and Ashley Rogers anand Elizabeth Theil of Jasper.

Results will be available at www.ihsaa.org following each session.

State Finals
North Central High School, 1801 E. 86th Street, Indianapolis.
Dates: June 10-11, 2011.

(Regular season record followed by post-season record are listed)

Singles
Quarterfinals, Friday, 2 pm ET / 1 pm CT
Match 1 | Alexandra Brinker (11) Penn (15-0, 6-0) vs. Bethany Moore (11) Lebanon (19-1, 6-0).
Match 2 | Chelsea Carter (11) North Central (Indianapolis) (15-1, 8-0) vs. Jessica Kim (11) Evansville Central (10-5, 5-0).

Semifinals, Saturday, 10 am ET / 9 am CT
Match 3 | Winner of Match 1 vs. Macie Elliott (10) Evansville Memorial (21-1, 8-0).
Match 4 | Winner of Match 2 vs. Carly Miles (12) Eastern (Greentown) (15-3, 5-0).

Consolation, Saturday, 2 pm ET / 1 pm CT
Match 5 | Loser of Match 3 vs. Loser of Match 4.

State Championship, Saturday, 2 pm ET / 1 pm CT
Match 6 | Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4.

Doubles
Quarterfinals, Friday, 2 pm ET / 1 pm CT
Match 1 | Ashleigh Ellenwood (11) | Lauren Palmer (12) Michigan City (16-3, 6-0) vs. Ashley Rogers (10) | Elizabeth Theil (10) Jasper (17-0, 7-0).
Match 2 | Abby Long (10) | Kimberly Marsh (10) Center Grove (10-9, 5-0) vs. Kiera Bonebrake (12) | Kelly Kyle (12) North Montgomery (20-2, 5-0).
Match 3 | Carlene Eckhart (11) | Megan Fry (12) Indianapolis Cathedral (14-1, 3-0) vs. Aby Madrigal (10) | Elizabeth Quinn (12) Highland (9-0, 5-0).

Semifinals, Saturday, 10 am ET / 9 am CT
Match 4 | Winner of Match 1 vs. Whitney Batliner (10) | Chelsea Shackelford (11) Floyd Central (19-3, 7-0).
Match 5 | Winner of Match 2 vs. Winner of Match 3.

Consolation, Saturday, 2 pm ET / 1 pm CT
Match 6 | Loser of Match 4 vs. Loser of Match 5.

State Championship, Saturday, 2 pm ET / 1 pm CT
Match 7 | Winner of Match 4 vs. Winner of Match 5.

 

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BASEBALL SEMI-STATES THIS SATURDAY
The 45th annual baseball tournament moves to the semi-state round with double-headers being played at four different sites this Saturday. The winner of each game earns a spot in its respective state championship game at Victory Field in Indianapolis the following weekend.

Semi-States
Date: Saturday, June 11, 2011.
Times: 1 pm with second game to follow.
Admission: $6.
Home Team: The winner of the odd-numbered regional in each pairing (second team listed below) is the designated home team.

Brackets: 4A | 3A | 2A | A

North

South Bend Clay (Coveleski Stadium)
Class 3A | New Haven (26-7) vs. Mishawaka Marian (25-7) | 1 pm ET / 12 pm CT
Class 4A | Carroll (Fort Wayne) (30-2) vs. Crown Point (21-11) | To follow

Kokomo (Highland Park)
Class A | Lafayette Central Catholic (24-9) vs. South Central (Union Mills) (15-11) | 1 pm ET / 12 pm CT
Class 2A | Taylor (27-4) vs. Hanover Central (21-5) | To follow

South
Plainfield
Class 3A | Edgewood (19-7) vs. Crawfordsville (27-6) | 1 pm ET / 12 pm CT
Class 4A | Terre Haute South (25-7) vs. Indianapolis Cathedral (27-2) | To follow

Jasper
Class A | Loogootee (20-10-1) vs. North Central (Farmersburg) (24-5) | 1 pm ET / 12 pm CT
Class 2A | South Spencer (22-6) vs. Park Tudor (27-5) | To follow

State Finals
Victory Field, 501 W. Maryland Street, Indianapolis | Website
Dates: Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18, 2011.
Admission: $9 each day.
Home Team: The winner of the northern semi-state is the designated home team in each game.
Note: Game assignments will be made on Sunday, June 12, following the semi-state games.

Brackets: 4A | 3A | 2A | A

Friday
Class TBA, 7:30 pm ET.
Saturday
Class TBA, 1 pm ET.
Class TBA, 4 pm ET.
Class 4A, 7 pm ET.

 

Notables

Looking for First Semi-State Title (8 of 16)
4A: Crown Point, Terre Haute South.
3A: Edgewood, New Haven.
2A: Hanover Central, Taylor.
A: South Central (Union Mills), North Central (Farmersburg), Loogootee.

Most Consecutive Semi-State Championships
4 by Jasper, 1995-98.

Top 10 All-Time Semi-State Championships
11: Jasper, LaPorte.
10: Evansville Memorial.
7: Logansport.
5: Hammond Bishop Noll.
4: Andrean, Jeffersonville, Lafayette Central Catholic, Lafayette Jefferson, Marion, Richmond, Shakamak.

2010 State Finalists Still Alive
4A: Carroll (Fort Wayne) (state champion), Indianapolis Cathedral.
3A: None.
2A: None.
A: Lafayette Central Catholic (state champion).

 

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BOYS GOLF REGIONALS THURSDAY, FRIDAY
This week, boys golf regional competitors will be playing for spots in the 75th Annual IHSAA Boys Golf State Finals at seven courses around the state. The top three teams and top three low individuals not including those that advance with their team, will earn a tee time in the state finals at The Legends of Indiana in Franklin beginning on Tuesday, June 14.

Results from each host site will be added at www.ihsaa.org as they are received with the intention of posting the state finals pairings and tee times on Saturday afternoon as long as all regional tournaments are completed by Friday.

Regionals
Dates: Thursday, June 9; Friday, June 10, 2011.
Admission: Free.
Advancement from Regionals to State Finals: Top 3 teams plus; Top 3 low individuals, excluding those individuals who advance with a team. Ties for 3rd place must be played off in order to advance.

1. Center Grove (4) | Hickory Stick | Wed, 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Greenfield-Central, Lawrence Central, Martinsville, Southport.
2. Homestead (4) | Orchard Ridge | Thurs, 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: East Noble, Fort Wayne South Side, Fairfield, Warsaw.
3. Lafayette Jefferson (4) | Battle Ground | Fri, 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Crawfordsville, Lafayette Jefferson, Logansport, Peru.
4. LaPorte (4) | Beechwood | Fri, 9 am CT
Feeder Sectionals: Boone Grove, Lake Central, South Bend Riley, Valparaiso.
5. Muncie Central (4) | The Players Club | Fri, 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Huntington North, Monroe Central, Noblesville, Richmond.
6. Providence (4) | Champions Pointe | Thurs, 8 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Bedford North Lawrence, Greensburg, Madison, Providence.
7. Washington (4) | Country Oaks | Thurs, 8:30 am ET
Feeder Sectionals: Evansville Mater Dei, Jasper, Owen Valley, Vincennes Lincoln.

State Finals
The Legends of Indiana Golf Course, 2555 N. Hurricane Road, Franklin, IN, 46131.
About The Course | Driving Directions | Course Statistics | Course Photographs
Round 1: Tuesday, June 14, 2011, 7:30 am ET / 6:30 am CT.
Round 2: Wednesday, June 15, 2011, 8 am ET / 7 am CT.
Admission: $8.00 per session; $12.00 both sessions.
Advancement from Round One to Round Two: Top nine teams; Any team within 12 strokes of the lead after Round One; Top nine individuals, excluding those individuals who advance with a team plus; Any individual within four strokes of the lead after Round One; Teams tied for ninth place and medalists tied for ninth.

 

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STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS
The following lists of statistical leaders are compiled by VarVee.com, the IHSAA’s official statistics gathering partner. The IHSAA encourages each of its member schools to participate by registering at www.varvee.com and updating statistics by each Monday through the end of the season.

Baseball: State Leaders
Softball: State Leaders

 

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NEWS & NOTES FROM AROUND THE STATE
Have an interesting note? A conference or school record, coaching milestone or something else of interest? Please e-mail IHSAA Sports Information Director Jason Wille at jwille@ihsaa.org.

Former Indiana All-Star Kyle (Black) Rechlicz has been hired by her college alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, as an assistant coach. She has spent the past eight seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Dayton (2007-11) and Cleveland State University (2003-07). She is a 1998 graduate of North Central High School in Indianapolis.

Two soccer players from Indianapolis, Lauren Cheney and Lori Lindsey, are among 21 women named to the U.S. team for the World Cup. It will be the first World Cup for both. Cheney, 23, is a forward from Ben Davis High School, and Lindsey, 31, a midfielder from Pike. Five of the selections are natives of New Jersey and four are from California. Indiana is the only other state with more than one. The World Cup will be played June 26 to July 17 at nine sites in Germany.

With Crawfordsville’s victory over North Putnam on May 6th, Crawfordsville’s baseball coach John Froedge picked up his 600th victory.  This is Coach Froedge’s 30th year in coaching with all taking place at Crawfordsville High School.

Evansville Memorial baseball coach Quentin Merkel earned the 900th victory of his 42-year career on Wednesday, May 4, as his Tigers defeated Evansville Harrison, 4-3. He is one of only two baseball coaches in state history with at least 900 victories joining LaPorte’s Ken Schreiber (1,010). Merkel coached Memorial to state championships in 1978, 1989 and 1993.

The South Dearborn softball team ended its 56-game losing streak to county and conference rival East Central on May 11 with a 10-2 victory capped by senior pitcher Jordan Marshall’s three-run homerun. The first game ever between the two schools was on May 5, 1987.

Sophomore Jordan Zowanda of Marquette Catholic blasted four home runs in the Blazers’ doubleheader sweep of North Newton on Saturday, May 7. In game one, Zowanda hit two homers for three RBIs and followed up with two more round-trippers and three more RBIs in the nightcap.