Steve DeGroote has been coaching for a year or two now, yet Tuesday he got to do something for the first time in his career.
Speaking to his 28-1 West Vigo High School baseball team, which faces 32-2 Andrean at 4 p.m. today at Victory Field for the Class 3A state championship, he was able to say, “Guys, this is your last game.”
The Vikings have reached the pinnacle. Taking laundry bags in which to discard the uniforms after the game is no longer a bad omen. And woe to the person foolish enough to suggest in DeGroote’s presence that his team might not belong.
“For all I know,” DeGroote said, and he admitted he’d received more scouting reports than usual on the 59ers, “they’re as good as people say they are. Their predicted pitcher [for today’s game, Adam Norton] is going to Notre Dame, they have several Division I players, they have strength at all positions, their defense is strong and they hit well.
“You get to the state championship and you expect to be playing the best,” the veteran coach added. “We’ve gotten better and better this season, and the talent we’ve played has gotten better and better.
“But I wouldn’t put Andrean’s kids ahead of our kids. If we’ve improved as much [this week] as we did for the other games, it should be interesting.”
The Vikings have several Division I players too, of course, and the only major league draftee in the game in catcher Jeremy Lucas.
Lucas and his batterymate today, Jordan Pearson, are headed to Indiana State, Cameron Fagg is going to Wright State and several of the team’s other starters could take similar steps in the future.
DeGroote said his team won’t be intimidated, and their thoughts earlier in the week would seem to bear that out.
“We just have to keep focused and play hard,” said senior first baseman Aaron Welch. “Play like we’ve been playing all year.”
“Timely hitting,” said left fielder Brodey McCalister when asked what the Vikings needed today. “Timely hitting and a good approach [at bat].”
“We need to put some runs up,” shortstop Tyler Wampler agreed. “Our defense and Jordan are playing well, so we should hold [the 59ers]. As long as we can score runs, we should win the game.”
“Shuttin’ ‘em down,” said second baseman Scott West, when asked about the key to today’s game.
“Preparation,” was center fielder Dylan Aff’s one-word answer to the same question.
“Preparation and hard work [are the keys],” said right fielder Cody Thornton. “We have both, and it’s probably going to pay off in the end.”
“I just hope Jordan’s arm feels good,” said senior reserve Landon Keith when asked about the key to today’s game.
Victory Field is probably the biggest park the Vikings or the 59ers have played in this season. It’s 410 feet to the left-center power alley, for example.
“Jordan said he just wants to keep the ball in the park,” DeGroote joked this week, “and we’ve got outfielders who can run. You don’t want errors, and you don’t want to walk batters.
“We’re just wanting to see how good we are,” the coach concluded. “The kids are at the point where they want to be tested on the biggest stage.”
High School
With state title on line, West Vigo baseball prepared for toughest test
- High School
-
-
It’s a rivalry-filled Memorial Day for sectional contenders
Longtime rivalries figure to determine high school baseball sectional champions throughout the Wabash Valley today, with semifinal and final games scheduled at four sites and a stand-alone championship game at a fifth.
-
South tops Oldenburg to win tennis semistate
There was no evidence of rally caps, rally towels and certainly no rally squirrels, but Terre Haute South’s No. 1 singles player Maddie Kesler needed a rally in the worst way.
-
New route leads to same place for South girls tennis
For so many years, the road to the IHSAA girls tennis state finals for local teams ran through Vincennes (regional) and Jasper (semistate). In other words, south and more south.
This year, their trip was re-routed through Greencastle (regional) and Center Grove (semistate). So it cnahged to east and more east. -
PREP ROUNDUP: Robinson tops Greenville in sectional semifinal
Robinson jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, then cruised to a convincing 12-3 victory over Greenville in a IHSA Class 2A Vandalia sectional semifinal game on Thursday.
Ashlyn Sullivan was 2 for 3 with a double, home run and three RBIs to lead the winning Maroons. -
West Vigo baseball falls in sectional to Owen Valley
West Vigo overcame the odds to win 20 high school baseball games this season with a lineup that often included four freshmen and few seniors.
-
South Vermillion softball's late-season surge comes to end
A late-season surge by South Vermillion wasn’t quite enough to halt a high school softball sectional winning streak by the host team Thursday night, as Edgewood got on top early and held on for a 5-2 win in the championship game of the Class 3A Edgewood Sectional.
The loss was just the second in the last 12 games for the Wildcats. The Mustangs, however, haven’t lost a sectional softball game for eight years in a row. -
South takes second, North third at boys track regional
Terre Haute South finished second and Terre Haute North third on Thursday night at the boys track and field regional at Evansville Central, with 11 individuals and three relay teams qualifying for the state finals June 2.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: White River Valley baseball holds off Eminence
Three Eminence errors in the top of the sixth inning finally enabled White River Valley to score in high school baseball Thursday night, and the Wolverines went on to a 5-0 win in Class A Shakamak Sectional action.
-
Feeling cursed: South bitten in sectional final again
Terre Haute South softball is not even close to being as cursed as a certain northside baseball team in Chicago, but it might just seem like it.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: Mundy, Porter, Knight individual regional winners
Chanli Mundy and Keirra Porter of Terre Haute North were among the individual winners in the IHSAA Evansville Central girls track and field regional that ended late Tuesday night.
-
Thornton puts away South Vermillion
Cody Thornton’s three-run blast over the left-field fence was the finishing touch to West Vigo’s 10-3 victory over South Vermillion in the opening game of the Class 3A Greencastle Sectional on Wednesday.
-
Lakers triumph, go home for regional
Shakamak took Class A Clay City Sectional honors in high school softball for the first time since 2009 Wednesday, defeating White River Valley 9-5 in the title tilt.
-
North Vermillion avenges losses
North Vermillion avenged two high school softball losses during the regular season to win the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional championship Wednesday with a 3-2 triumph over the host Panthers.
-
Pats, Knights will meet in sectional
Adler Ingalsbe pooh-poohed his lack of velocity Wednesday night, yet the Terre Haute North pitcher was throwing BBs in the first game compared to Mooresville’s Brandon Topie in the nightcap.
-
South outbattles Northview to reach sectional final
Even the best of high school softball pitchers can’t keep all the batters in the middle of Terre Haute South’s lineup down.
-
Panthers get 20th win in sectional
Riverton Parke will face North Vermillion in the Class A softball sectional championship at Riverton Parke today, with action commencing at 6 p.m.
-
Plainfield Sectional all about parity
Considering Terre Haute South has won five consecutive Class 4A sectional titles in high school baseball, naming the Braves as favorites to capture the 2012 Class 4A Plainfield Sectional would not seem far-fetched.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: North Vermillion in title game
Casey West had a triple and three runs scored to help North Vermillion softball advance to the championship game of the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional on Tuesday.
-
North takes second in track regional
Terre Haute North finished second with 74 points, six behind team champion Evansville Reitz, during the Evansville Central girls track and field regional that ended late Tuesday night.
-
Wildcats advance to sectional softball final; West Vigo falls
Patience, patience.
South Vermillion exhibited great patience, being very selective at the plate and it paid off royally in the fourth inning. -
South, Crawfordsville win in regional tennis semis
Terre Haute South outlasted Fountain Central 4-1 in the first round of the girls high school tennis regional Tuesday, advancing the Braves into today’s championship match against Crawfordsville.
-
Braves, Knights open with wins
It was an excellent night for starting softball pitchers to help their own cause Monday night in the Class 4A Northview Sectional.
-
Lough dreamt about McMillan
A two-time state finalist in wrestling and a two-time all-Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference football player and wrestler, Tsali Lough of Terre Haute South was named the male recipient of the 2012 McMillan Award on Monday night at South’s Senior Awards Night.
-
PREP ROUNDUP: Panthers cruise in sectional opener
Sarah Burnham pitched a two-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts in high school softball Monday evening as host Riverton Parke defeated defending champion Rockville 10-0 in opening-round action at the Class A Riverton Parke Sectional.
-
Notable tradition bodes well for Riverton Parke
Located practically in the shadow of a high school that sets one state standard in track and field, Riverton Parke has a tendency to be overlooked in that sport.
-
Vikings get 18th win over Shakamak
West Vigo began a busy week of high school baseball Monday on a winning note, defeating Shakamak 6-3.
-
Greencastle new site for girls tennis regional
The starting times might prove to be a bone of contention, but otherwise coaches Bill Blankenbaker and Emily Goff are thrilled their respective girls high school tennis teams will begin play today at the Greencastle Regional.
-
Northview sectional groups 3 20-win teams
Three teams with 20-plus victories will attempt to claim the Class 4A Northview Sectional crown for high school softball this week, and most of the other Wabash Valley sectional fields also appear to be wide open.
-
Terre Haute South softball takes Riverton Parke tournament
Terre Haute South is going into the Class 4A Sectional at Northview on Monday with momentum, confidence, a deep bench and a healthier pitching staff than it has had in quite a while.
-
North baseball splits doubleheader with Indy North Central
Some of their incentive could have been sapped a couple of nights earlier, when Center Grove achieved an eight-inning victory over Warren Central to clinch the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference high school baseball championship.
- More High School Headlines
-
It’s a rivalry-filled Memorial Day for sectional contenders
Beryl Threatens Rain, Winds on Southeast Coast
Raw Video: National Mall Concert Shut Down
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow
Astronauts Enter World's 1st Private Supply Ship
UN Blames Syrian Forces for Shelling Houla
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Today in History
Shell Readies Arctic Drill Ship
Tropical Storm Beryl Strengthens, Nears US Coast
Beryl Makes Landfall on Florida Coast
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Dragon Arrives at Space Station in Historic 1st
Passenger Restrained on Flight to Miami Arrested
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Man Rescued From River in China
Beyonce Entertains the First Family
Celtics crush Sixers in Game 7
Alleged Lego Thief Faces Felony Charges
Has Snooki Named Her Baby?
Heat Wave Warms Holiday Weekend
Inspiration for the class of 2012
Colorado College Student Shot While Trespassing
Will Smith & Josh Brolin on "Men in Black 3"
80-Year-Old Skydiver's Nightmare Jump
JWoww Sizzles in a Black Bikini
Sliders on the Grill
Cruise ship crunch
Backstage With Beyonce
Ultimate Creamy Potato Salad
Pope's Personal Butler Under Arrest
Jenny McCarthy's New Man
Tyler's Classic Coleslaw
Britney Spears Under X Factor Fire
Flesh-Eating Bacteria Victim Hits Milestone
