One of the last big sports weekends of the 23-24 high school year is on the way.
A key part of it, baseball. Local teams still in action include South Decatur, who’ll be taking their 16 & 5 record into a regional matchup with 16 & 15 Indianapolis Lutheran… and Batesville, 19 & 9 on the season, up against 23 & 8 Silver Creek. Bulldogs Coach Tyler Burcham says one of his biggest weapons is starting pitcher Jack Grunkemeyer, who’ll be throwing tomorrow, and in college too, for Northwestern University near Chicago. Burcham tells WRBI, “Immediately when he gets on the mound, you can feel from the opponent, there is an intimidation factor to him. He brings the energy every day. Even in the sectional championship, he bounced back on short rest, and gave us everything he could, to give us a chance to win. He and many others have stepped up huge for us in this run.” Burcham also expects a big game Saturday from shortstop Chris Lewis, and others. You can hear tomorrow’s contest from Floyd Central High, live starting at 10:45 Saturday morning, on the Sports Voice, 103.9 WRBI.
Also huge these next couple days, track & field. Local athletes on the way to the IU campus in Bloomington for the IHSAA Finals include a big group from East Central– Will Kemper, Trevor Perkins, Dylan Maxwell, Gavin Hicks, Chase Bellman, Anna Graf, Lauryn Huber, Jorjia Ferguson, and Callie Bentley in a wide variety of events… Emarie Jackson and Olivia Grimes of Greensburg in shot put and discus… South Ripley’s Alexa Yeomans in the hundred-meter hurdles… Kayleigh Raver, Bailey Demaree, Kaylynn Bedel, and Megan Allgeier with Batesville’s 3200-meter relay, and Bulldog Ella King throwing the shot as well. Best of luck to all competitors… the Finals are expected to run girls’ events today, and guys tomorrow.
Indiana basketball legend Larry Bird was back in the state Thursday, helping dedicate a museum of his numerous career highlights, inside the Convention Center at Terre Haute. And Larry mentioned to local officials he says he respects very much, that’s probably enough on him for a while– with a street named for him, a statue, and now the museum.