Four Southwestern Indiana Baseball Teams Claim IHSAA Regional Championships on Saturday

EVANSVILLE — The objective for Drake Branson was simple: find a way.

Sounds easy in theory. But this swing was arguably the most important of his career. And maybe for the Mater Dei baseball program in a long time.

The Mater Dei senior connected on a single over first base in the eighth to score the go-ahead run in a 2-1 victory over Barr-Reeve in the IHSAA Class 2A regional at Bosse Field. It is the first regional title for the Wildcats since 2014.

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The final inning summed up what this team has done all season. A senior-led lineup making plays at the right moment.

"I had to do it," Branson said. "No other option. I knew coming up I had to get the hit. My approach was to go the opposite way, and it just worked out for us."

Mater Dei (21-7) required every moment it could muster to beat the defending state champions. Charlie Hoffman opened the game with a home run around the left foul pole. It was the only run for the Wildcats in regular play.

Seth Wagler limited the damage for Barr-Reeve with only five hits allowed through the first six innings. His defense also stepped up with a 6-4-3 double play to end the sixth. It set up the most important half-inning for Mater Dei in 11 years, considering the stage and stakes.

Hoffman, who went 3 for 4 with three extra-base hits, led off the eighth with a double. The senior then went to third on a bunt single by Drew Schapker. Branson managed to poke the next pitch down the right field line to give Mater Dei a 2-1 cushion.

"We were just trying to shake the bats loose," Mater Dei coach Adam Schiff said. "Just find a way to get it done. Charlie had a great day at the plate. He's been our leader all year. The resilience of this group to try and figure out a way to get it done, no matter what. We found a way."

The other strength on display from Mater Dei? Its pitching. Max Miller allowed three hits and struck out four in five innings ― the only run came on a sacrifice fly. Cole Breeden also showed why his future is bright with three scoreless innings in relief. The freshman only gave up on hit.

"The battery is two freshmen in a really big spot," Schiff said. "For Cole to come into that game and hold a really good Barr-Reeve lineup down just speaks to that young man's mental (makeup). He gave us an opportunity to get one across in that last inning."

Mater Dei joins a semistate group with Shenandoah, University and Providence at a site to be determined as of Saturday night.

Huskies play to their strengths to win 4A regional

No other game may sum up this North team.

The lineup only had four hits. The defense coughed up three errors. Yet, all that mattered was the scoreboard. Because even with a roster with known limitations, the Huskies are on the doorstep of the ultimate goal.

North defeated Seymour 6-4 in the Class 4A regional at Bosse Field. The Huskies didn't record a hit until the fifth inning and had to survive a final push from the Owls. It is the first regional title for the program since 2005.

"That pretty much sums up our season right there," North coach Jeremy Jones said. "We're not pretty or perfect. We don't score a ton of runs. We grind out wins. I give our guys credit. We didn't have a hit until the fifth inning. We still just grinded it out."

North (23-8) followed the blueprint for how it won most games this season. The Huskies scored twice in the first on a sacrifice fly and wild pitch. Aiden Vaught finally put a hit in the scorebook on a single to center to make it 3-1 in the fifth. Three more important runs came in the seventh, including a two-run base knock by Daniel Cranick.

But above all, North went as far as its arms allowed. Conner Watson struck out three in three-plus innings. Braden Perry entered with two on and zero outs in the fourth ― he proceeded to go strikeout-strikeout-fly out. The senior struck out six in four innings with no earned runs.

"Just trying to help out the team," Perry said. "We usually come together when somebody steps in and does the job. Try to be the guy. We're not a super-powered team this year, but we're scrappy. We come together, and it's amazing to see."

North still had to earn it. Seymour scored three in the bottom of the seventh courtesy two errors and a single through the left side. The Owls had the tying run at the plate before Mason Renfro corralled a diving stop in center field for the final out.

Jones points to a moment in April when he thought this team was capable of more. The Huskies trailed 9-1 against North Posey on a Monday night. They proceeded to win 11-10 in extra innings. Nothing special. Just hard work and scrappy baseball.

That recipe has North in the semistate. Its group includes North Central, Franklin Community and Center Grove at a site to be determined as of Saturday night.

"Getting that regional championship is very special," Jones said. "We're not scoring 8-10 runs a game like we have in the past. (Our pitchers) just do a heck of a job throwing strikes. They battle until the bitter end."

Who else from Southwestern Indiana advanced to the semistate?

Jasper added to its illustrious program history with a 6-0 victory over Central in the Class 3A regional at Ruxer Field. Kai Kunz pitched a four-hit shutout with five strikeouts, never allowing a runner past second base and getting two double plays from his defense.

Brayden Giesler went 2 for 3 with a home run, and Jett Springer was 2 for 3 with an RBI for the Wildcats (26-6). Central finished the season with a 10-18 record after winning its first sectional since 2017.

Northeast Dubois defeated West Washington 10-0 in six innings to win the Class 1A regional at Floyd Central. Aidan Sheetz went 2 for 3 with a home run, while Jake Kluesner added a triple and double. The Jeeps (21-8) are regional champions for the first time since 2007.

Shakamak defeated Vincennes Rivet 4-3 in the Class 1A regional at Southridge. The Lakes scored four runs in the fifth to end the Patriots' season. Jayden Thacker hit a two-run double for Vincennes Rivet (17-7).

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Four Southwestern Indiana baseball teams win IHSAA regional championships Saturday