By STEVE KRAH
Lafayette Central Catholic scored a run in the top of the third inning and the Knights (25-11) made it hold up in winning a ninth Indiana High School Athletic Association Class 1A state baseball championship.
A 1-0 win against No. 1 Barr-Reeve (29-4) Saturday, June 17 at Victory Field in Indianapolis gave No. 3 LCC back-to-back state crowns.
“My hero growing up was (Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer) Spider Fields,” said Lafayette Central Catholic coach Tim Bordenet of the man who died in October 2022 at 96. “The advice he always gave me when we faced a good pitcher is shut them out and find a way to score one run.
“We did that today.”
The Knights’ third inning featured senior Evan Dienhart drawing a one-out walk, moving to third base on senior Ben Mazur’s two-out single to right and scoring on a balk.
Lafayette Central Catholic collected four hits — two by senior T.J. Bell and one each by Mazur and junior Brinn Robbins.
Of Barr-Reeve’s four hits — three were infield singles. Junior Donnie Miller doubled to left field in the first inning and added a safety in the sixth.
Junior Tyler Graber reached on a bunt single in the second and junior Ethan Graber got on via hit toward the mound in the fifth.
“We knew that was their game,” said Bordenet, an Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer with a 660-181-1 career record. “Our guys were ready. (Third baseman) Hudson Gutwein was ready to come in and field bunts.
“They layed down some tremendous bunts and our guys made great plays.”
The Vikings left five runners on base, including three in scoring position (LCC stranded six.
Right-hander Mazur (8-0) was the winning pitcher with eight strikeouts and one walk in seven innings. He threw 83 pitches (59 strikes).
“The more intense the game got, the more adrenaline that came to me and the more I was able to focus in,” said Mazur.
Said Barr-Reeve coach Trevor McConnell,
“We went against an amazing kid (in Mazur). He’s a competitor. There’s a reason he’s a Division I commit to Murray State.
“And you’re going up against a program who’s been here a lot so for us to go toe-to-toe with them with a really young team — we have a lot of guys back next year — that bodes well for our confidence.”
The Vikings won 28 straight before Saturday’s loss.
Sophomore right-hander Seth Wagler (8-2) went the distance for Barr-Reeve and took the loss. He fanned 10, walked two and threw 105 pitches (71 for strikes).
Lafayette Central Catholic senior Ryan Schummer was selected as the 1A Mental Attitude Award winner.
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