By Andy Amey
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.”
