Jim’s Journal, April 19th, 2024

Following a day off after getting home from Seattle, the Reds are back on the field at Great American Ballpark this evening, hosting the Los Angeles Angels.  And, Cincinnati will be wearing those black “City Connect” uniforms.  You’ll get all the action of the game live, right here.  The broadcast comes your way at 6:10 this evening, only on the radio, the Sports Voice, 103.9 FM, WRBI.  The Reds also host the Angels Saturday and Sunday, then the Phillies arrive for 4 games beginning Monday.

 

There’s been lots of baseball and softball action for our local high schoolers.  Greensburg baseball scored once in the 6th inning and one in the 7th Thursday, for a walk-off 3-2 win over South Dearborn.  Senior Leland Workman homered in the first inning for that initial score, then his classmates Gavin Owen and Cy Miller drove in a couple late runs to ice the Pirate victory.  The man with the big stick for North Decatur these days seems to be Nolan Burkhart.  Nolan went 3 for 4 at the plate Thursday, as the Chargers topped Edinburgh, 8-6.  Other scores had East Central shutting Connersville out 9-0, and Batesville doubling up Franklin County, 8-4.

Batesville’s junior varsity boys’ baseball team coached by our Rob Lafary is now 3 & 0 on its season, doing all its scoring in the bottom of the 6th inning Thursday, to get by Franklin County, 6-4.

In softball it was Greensburg remaining unbeaten by getting past Lawrenceburg 3-2 in 9 innings… Trinity Lutheran was all over South Ripley 11-1, South Dearborn outscored Batesville 9-3, Franklin County blanked Milan 11-0, the Yellowjackets of Morristown stung Oldenburg Academy 14-4, and North Decatur hammered Edinburgh, 17-5.

Diamond action on this Friday includes Jac-Cen-Del softball at South Ripley, and Franklin County hosting Bellmont.  JCD baseball will also be at South Ripley today, plus Franklin County’s hosting undefeated Hagerstown, East Central goes to Harrison of Ohio, and Batesville plays Holy Cross of Kentucky in a tournament at Dixie Heights.

 

It was a massive 13-high school invitational track meet at South Dearborn Thursday!  Batesville ran, jumped, threw, and vaulted to 119 points for the win on the boys’ side.  Lawrenceburg was 2nd at 96, Milan 3rd at 89.66, and Greensburg 4th with 78.  For the girls, Batesville was dominant, racking up 152 ½ points, putting Madison in a distant second at 83, Lawrenceburg 3rd at 73 ½, Greensburg 4th with 69 ½.  Coach Lisa Gausman says the boys’ MVP of field events for Batesville was Ayden Eckstein with 18 points all by himself, winning the high jump at 6’4″, and taking 2nd in the long jump.  His teammate Hudson Kohlman won that long jump, at 12’6″.  Brock Mahan won the boys’ discus at 148′ 2″, and Bulldog relay teams ran first in the boys’ 4 x 100, and girls’ 4 x 400 and 4 x 800.  Girls running a long way fast solo, included Kaylynn Bedel winning both the 1600 and 3200 meters, and Kaylie Raver first in the 800.  Greensburg’s Emarie Jackson won both the girls’ discus and shot put.  A lot of those track & field athletes will keep running, jumping, and more this weekend.  Greensburg’s got some of its best in a meet at Carmel tonight, and at Brown County tomorrow.  Batesville’s hosting 3 other teams Tuesday, and visiting East Central for an invitational next Thursday & Friday.

 

In boys’ golf, Batesville won a triangular match Thursday, taking only 165 strokes, to North Decatur’s 185 and Hauser’s 218.  The leading scorer for Batesville was Jackson Day, the match’s medalist, with a 2 over par 37, followed by Ian Hixson with a 39 and Landon Raver at 44.  Batesville’s now 19 & 5 on the season, 3 & 0 in the EIAC, and today at Hillcrest, they’re facing Rushville and South Dearborn.

 

The Indiana High School Athletic Association has named East Central’s rising junior Tyler Stenger to its Student Advisory Committee for next school year, ’24-’25.  Tyler’s a Trojan wrestler, a member of the FFA, and an honor roll student. Each year, only 9 juniors are chosen from across the state to join 9 seniors on that committee, getting leadership training and serving as the voices of students statewide to the IHSAA.  Congratulations to Tyler Stenger.