Tag Archives: Aydan Decker-Petty

Hitters hot as North, South split first two games of IHSBCA All-Stars Series

By STEVE KRAH
http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Runs and hits kept coming Saturday, June 25 in the 2022 Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series.
The North topped the South 10-6 and the South beat the North 16-8 at Indiana Wesleyan University. The two sides combined for 17 hits in Game 1 and 25 in Game 2.
There were 14 extra-base hits.
Heading into Game 3 (wood bat) at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 26 the North leads 69-67 in the all-time series.

North 10, South 6
Keaton Mahan (Westfield) took a 2-0 pitch from Connor Foley (Jasper) and socked a two-out game-winning grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Jordan Malott (Fort Wayne Carroll) and Jacob Pruitt (Yorktown) drew one-out walks. Indiana University recruit Foley coaxed a groundout and walked Joey Spin (Caston) setting the stage for Ohio State recruit Mahan’s left-handed blast.
The North forged a 6-6 tie with one run in the seventh.
Luke Siren (Fort Wayne Northrop) walked with one out and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Indiana State University-bound Pruitt.
The South went up 6-5 with two runs in the sixth.
Landon Carr (Northview) and Kannon Stull (Jeffersonville) singled. Carr later scored on a single by Purdue Fort Wayne-bound Charlie Hawk (Lawrence Central) and Stull trotted home on a wild pitch.
It was 5-4 North with two runs in the fourth.
With one out, Zach Hoskins (Penn) was hit by a pitch and Luke Smock (Delphi) singled. Hoskins scored on a single by Earlham College recruit Nick Turner (Seeger) and Smock trotted home on a throwing error.
The South led 4-3 with one run in the second.
Stull singled and was plated by a single from Bellarmine University-bound Charlie Rife (Shelbyville).
The North pulled even at 3-all with three runs in the first.
Turner reached on an infield single. Connor Misch (Lake Central) drew a one-out walk. Olivet Nazarene University recruit Nolan Johnson (Valparaiso) singled in Turner.
Misch scored on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly by Purdue Fort Wayne-bound Owen Willard (Eastside) drove in Johnson.
The three-run South first opened with Rife walking and scoring on a double by Olney Central College recruit Keifer Wilson (Greencastle).
University of Louisville-bound Tucker Biven (New Albany) followed with a triple to knock in Wilson. A sacrifice fly by Colorado Mesa recruit Dominic Decker (Silver Creek) plated Biven.
The North used five pitchers — right-hander Drew VanOeveren (Hamilton Heights) for two innings, right-hander Gage Stanifer (Westfield) for one, left-hander Ethan McCormick (Lafayette Harrison) for two scoreless, right-hander Pruitt for two and right-hander Willard for two. Willard stuck out all six hitters he faced.
South’s hurlers were right-hander Aydan Decker-Petty (New Castle) for three innings, left-hander Sam Reed (Brebeuf Jesuit) for three, right-hander Mason Grant (Brownsburg) two-plus and right-hander Foley for 1/3 on an inning.

South 16, North 8
The South led 16-1 after six innings then saw the North tally seven runs in its last three at-bats.
Taylor University-bound Sam Gladd (Columbia City) pulled the game’s second pitch over the right field wall for a home run for a 1-0 North lead.
The first six batters reached base for the South in the bottom for the first and all scored. Wilson smacked a lead-off double. Oscar Pegg (Shakamak) walked. Joe Huffman (Avon) singled. Jake Winzenread (Lawrence North) reached on an error. Tyler Cerny (Center Grove) doubled. Foley doubled.
Courtesy runner Stull (running for Wilson) scored on a wild pitch, Pegg on an error, Huffman on Cerny’s double, Winzenread and Cerney on bases-loaded walks and Foley on a groundout by Wilson (batting for the second time in the inning).
The South tallied two runs in the third, three in the fourth and four in the fifth.
Brody Chrisman (Zionsville) and Nick Wiley (Mooresville) both singled in the South third. Chrisman scored on a wild pitch and Wiley trotted home on Wilson’s groundout.
In the South fourth, Huffman walked and scored on Winzenread’s triple. A double by Cerny drove in Winzenread. Chrisman’s single plated Cerny.
Pegg powered a first-pitch home run to left to ignite the South’s four-run fifth.
Winzenread walked and Cerny singled. Both scored on Chrisman’s double. A single by Grant drove in Chrisman.
The South scored one run in the sixth.
Reed walked and later scored on a wild pitch.
Dalton Wasson (Heritage) walked to lead off a two-run seventh for the North. Pinch-runner Spin scored on Siren’s infield out. Pruitt walked and scored on Stanifer’s single.
In the North eighth, Willard walked and crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
The North’s four-run seventh opened with four straight doubles (Misch, Wapahani’s Luke Willmann, Western’s Parker Dean and Gladd). RBI two-baggers were smacked by Willmann, Dean and Gladd. Willard singled in Gladd.
Pitching for the South were right-handers Jacob Vogel (Jennings County), Andrew Lanning (Lawrenceburg) and Logan Drook (Centerville) for three innings each.
Taking the bump for the North were right-hander Dean for one inning, left-hander Camrin Worthington (LaPorte) for three, right-hander Zackary Todd (Wes-Del) for two and right-hander Aidyn Coffey (Monroe Central) for two.

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’22 IHSBCA North/South All-Star Series June 24-26

By STEVE KRAH
http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Indiana Wesleyan University will be at center stage when the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series is held Friday through Sunday, June 24-26.
Practice is slated for Friday, June 24. The North works out from 1:30-3 p.m. and the South 3-4:30.
The All-Star banquet is slated for 7 p.m. Friday, June 24 at Roseburg Event Center with former big league pitcher and 2008 Indiana Wesleyan alum Brandon Beachy as keynote speaker.
A doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday, June 25. The three-game series concludes with a wood bat contest Sunday, June 26.
The North leads 68-66 in the all-time series.
Indiana all-stars are seniors nominated by IHSBCA members and selected by a committee.
In addition, the IHSBCA Futures Game (non-seniors) is to be staged at IWU Wednesday, June 22. A doubleheader featuring four teams is scheduled to begin at noon.

IHSBCA NORTH/SOUTH ALL-STAR SERIES
2022 Rosters
North
Pitchers
Ethan McCormick (Lafayette Harrison)
Drew VanOeveren (Hamilton Heights)
Zackary Todd (Wes-Del)
Camrin Worthington (LaPorte)
Gage Stanifer (Westfield)
Will Eldridge (Carroll of Flora)
Parker Dean (Western)
Cole Wise (Northwestern)
Brayden Risedorph (East Noble)
Catchers
Nick Turner (Seeger)
Sam Gladd (Columbia City)
Luke Willmann (Wapahani)
First Basemen
Nolan Johnson (Valparaiso)
Brady Ginaven (Munster)
Middle Infielders
Owen Willard (Eastside)
Luke Smock (Delphi)
Joey Spin (Caston)
Brennen Weigert (Homestead)
Third Basemen
Aidyn Coffey (Monroe Central)
Dalton Wasson (Heritage)
Outfielders
Connor Misch (Lake Central)
Luke Siren (Fort Wayne Northrop)
Evan Pearce (Oak Hill)
Zachary Hoskins (Penn)
Keaton Mahan (Westfield)
Jacob Pruitt (Yorktown)
Head Coach
A.J. Risedorph (NorthWood head coach)
Assistants
Jack Rupley (Manchester head coach)
Aaron Willard (Eastside head coach)
Ryan VanOeveren (Hamilton Heights head coach)
Eric Emery (Oak Hill assistant)
South
Pitchers
Andrew Dutkanych (Brebeuf Jesuit)
Drew Howard (Forest Park)
Grayson Knight (University)
Tate Warner (Fishers)
Jacob Vogel (Jennings County)
Aydan Decker-Petty (New Castle)
Brock Harper (Lapel)Andrew Lanning (Lawrenceburg)
Logan Drook (Centerville)
Ethan Lyke (Evansville Central)
Sam Reed (Brebeuf Jesuit)
Catchers
Keifer Wilson (Greencastle)
Charlie Rife (Shelbyville)
Oscar Pegg (Shakamak)
First Basemen
Riley Behrmann (Indianapolis North Central)
Nick Wiley (Mooresville)
Infielders
Jake Winzenread (Lawrence North)
Tyler Cerny (Center Grove)
Dominic Decker (Silver Creek)
Joe Huffman (Avon)
Tucker Biven (New Albany)
Cameron Decker (Evansville North)
Outfielders
Kannon Stull (Jeffersonsville)
Brody Chrisman (Zionsville)
Landon Carr (Northview)
Mason Grant (Brownsburg)
Charlie Hawk (Lawrence Central)
Flex
Connor Foley (Jasper)
Head Coach
Jeremy Jones (Evansville North head coach)
Assistants
Keith Hatfield (Center Grove head coach)
Rich Winzenread (Lawrence North head coach)
Joe Decker (Silver Creek head coach)

Cooper, New Castle Trojans in semistate for first time since 1996

BY STEVE KRAH
http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Josh Cooper may have been appointed as head coach one week before the start of the 2022 New Castle (Ind.) High School baseball season, but he was already quite familiar with the players.
With the help of Rodney Scott, Cooper had coached or coached against many of the Trojans since they were 7 and saw them having success coming up through the ranks.
Eli Cooper, who is 18 and Josh’s son, is one of New Castle’s seniors.
“I know them very, very well,” says Josh Cooper of the Trojans. “It’s easy to read them. I always try to be honest and upfront with them.”
Cooper tells his players about the importance of being a good teammate. A player’s performance or game situation should not dictate that.
The players are very close. Each day after practice or a game, they spend more time together at a team members’ house or at a restaurant.
So when circumstances had the Trojans looking for someone to lead the program, 1998 New Castle graduate Cooper was encouraged to apply for the job.
That was mid-March. Flash forward to the present and the Trojans are in the semistate for the second time and first since 1996 (Josh Cooper was a sophomore on that team). Uncle Dennis Bolden was on the first semistate team in 1970 and later played in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Cut from basketball in the seventh grade, Josh focused on baseball and played high school ball for New Castle alum Gary Brown.
“He was a pretty hard-nosed coach and a good guy,” says Cooper of Brown.
On Saturday, June 11, New Castle (18-5-1) takes on No. 1-ranked Andrean (29-4) in the IHSAA Class 3A Kokomo Semistate (following the 1 p.m. 2A game). New Castle will be out to win its first semistate crown.
New Castle (enrollment around 900) is a member of the Hoosier Heritage Conference (with Delta, Greenfield-Central, Mt. Vernon of Fortville, New Palestine, Pendleton Heights, Shelbyville and Yorktown).
In winning the 2022 Yorktown Sectional, New Castle topped Hamilton Heights 4-3, Jay County 6-2 and Guerin Catholic 3-2. To prevail at the Oak Hill Regional, the Trojans bested Wawasee 9-0 (Indiana University commit Aydan Decker-Petty pitched a 16-strikeout one-hitter) and held off Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger 5-4 (behind the pitching of Eli Cooper and Corbin Malott). Dwenger scored all its runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
“I put a lot of emphasis on pitching to contact and defense,” says Cooper. “But we also spend a lot of time working in hitting.”
Leading the offense is seniors Malott (.405 average, three home runs, 20 runs batted in, 18 stolen bases), Garrett Rusch (.324, 3 HR, 24 RBI), Bryce Jenkins (.296), Eli Cooper (.276, 3 HR, 23 RBI), Decker-Petty .262) and Jake Barber (.259, 22 RBI) and junior Max Upchurch (.239).
On the mound, the Trojans are guided by right-handers Decker-Petty 4-1, 2.64 earned run average, 91 strikeouts, 22 walks in 53 innings), Eli Cooper (5-1, 4.32, 66 K’s, 27 walks, 47 IP), senior Trighton Cummings 4-1, 5.32, 20 K’s, 17 walks, 25 IP) and Malott (2-2, 0.98, 34 K’s, 12 walks, 21 IP).
Josh Cooper says Decker-Petty has fastball that has touched 91 mph while Eli Cooper has gotten up to 88.
Malott is committed to Purdue University, Eli Cooper and Jenkins to Clark State College (Springfield, Ohio) and Rusch to Allen Community College (Iola, Kan.).
Nic Besecker (Class of 2020) was with Allen Community College in 2021 and Drew Barber (2019) was at Indiana University-Kokomo. The brother of Jake Barber intends to transfer to Indiana University South Bend.
Coaching New Castle’s pitchers is alum Trey Ball, who was the seventh overall selection in the 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Boston Red Sox. The 6-foot-5 lefty pitcher/batter had committed to the University of Texas before going pro.
“Trey Ball has been so great,” says Cooper. “He brings a lot of great information.”
Scott, Tyler Smith, Zak Kellogg are also New Castle assistants. Scott digs in on analytics and scouting.
“He did a great job against Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger,” says Cooper.
A Parks and Recreation employee for the City of New Castle, Josh Cooper had established a junior high program last winter (there were 22 seventh graders and 16 eighth graders playing this spring) and was working hard to turn Denny Bolden Field — named for his grandfather who coached Babe Ruth ball in town for 50 years — into the home for junior varsity and junior high baseball when he was called to his current baseball post, turning his attention to the high school facility — revamped Collin McAtee Memorial Field (formerly Sunnyside Field).
Fencing, dugouts and scoreboard are all new. Turf Dawgs put down a bluegrass hybrid.
“I’m very thankful and the city is thankful for it,” says Cooper.
Because of the wet weather in the spring and the renovation project in progress, New Castle played just five games on their home field in 2022. Practices were held at Denny Bolden Field and “home” games were contested near Middletown, Ind., at Shenandoah High School, which is 15 miles from New Castle High. The Raiders are coached by Ryan Painter.
“They were unbelievable about helping us,” says Cooper. “Coach Painter was so gracious.”
As a thank you, Cooper is helping Painter with a field project at Shenandoah.

The 2022 New Castle (Ind.) High School Trojans.
Eli (left) and father Josh Cooper after New Castle won a 2022 regional baseball championship.