Two Vigo County baseball players will sign national letters-of-intent this week to play at the Division I level, and one Wabash Valley track standout has committed to run for Indiana State.
Jacob Hayes of Terre Haute South will sign today to play for defending regular-season Big Ten champion Ohio State, and Tyler Wampler of West Vigo will ink with Indiana State during the early signing period that begins today and ends Nov. 18.
All-state sprinter Shelby Higginbottom of North Central will run for the Sycamores and women’s coach John Gartland. She cannot sign a LOI until on or after Feb. 3.
For Hayes, playing for Ohio State has been his dream ever since his cousin Mike Hayes pitched for the Buckeyes.
While Hayes said he also had interest from Indiana University, it didn’t take him long to make a decision.
“When [Ohio State] said they’d offer me a scholarship, it was a weird feeling, it really was a dream come true,” Hayes said. “I kind of knew when Ohio State offered, I knew deep down that’s where I would end up. Ohio State has made it seem like I’ll have a chance to play right away.”
Hayes, who credits his father and South coach Kyle Kraemer for his development as a player, helped the Braves win back-to-back sectional titles and a regional title in 2008. The leadoff batter had four home runs in 2009 and had a strong summer for Wayne Newton Post 346. Playing for his uncle, manager John Hayes, Jacob hit .427 and struck out just 10 times in close to 150 at-bats.
Wampler made a verbal commitment to the Sycamores earlier this fall, and the 6-foot two-sport standout at West Vigo will join two former Vikings at ISU. Second baseman Jordan Pearson and catcher Jeremy Lucas are freshmen at ISU. Those three players were key in helping West Vigo finish as runner-up in Class 3A in 2009.
“I’ll get to play with Jeremy and Jordan again and Bryan Chestnut,” Wampler said. “The progam’s really turning around. I just like what direction
they’re heading.”
Wampler expects his game to continue to improve.
“I’m a strong defender,” Wampler said. “I think the next level, they’ll get me hitting a lot better. I’ll be working with Casey DeGroote. I think they’ll raise my level of play so I can get to the next level after that.”
West Vigo coach Steve DeGroote said Wampler is a natural leader.
“There’s just certain people that have a certain characteristic that leads people in the direction that gets things started,” Steve DeGroote said.
Wampler, also a pitcher for the Vikings, finished his junior year with a .412 average. DeGroote expects an even better season in 2010.
“I really think when it’s all said and done, he will be as good as any shortstop in the state of Indiana,” DeGroote said.
“Even as good as he is, he is so willing to listen to a coach on instructions of his play. That’s where so many ballplayers are lost, they quit listening. He’s never quit listening to instructions to get better.”
Higginbottom is joining the ranks of several Sullivan County track and field athletes who have went on to great success at ISU. From North Central, Higginbottom’s coach Jessica (Crowder) Wayton was a NCAA All-American and a Missouri Valley Conference champion in cross country, and Rick Sluder held the men’s 5,000-meter track record for ISU for many years.
Higginbottom, like former Sullivan standout and ISU senior Erica Moore, excels in the shorter distances.
Higginbottom has North Central’s school records in the 100-meter dash, the 200, 400, 800 and long jump. She also has the school’s cross country record for a 5K — girls ran just 4K during Crowder’s career in the late 1990s.
Higginbottom qualified for the state finals as a freshman in the 100, 200 and long jump. As a sophomore, she earned All-State honors in two events. She was fifth place with a leap of 17-feet, 8 inches in the long jump and eighth place in the 200 with a time of 25.85.
“They might try to build her up in the jumps,” Wayton said. “I’m sure they’ll try in a few different things. I think she could do whatever she sets her mind to.”
Robinson, Ill., will have two athletes signing Thursday. Meyers Leonard, a 6-11 center on the basketball floor, will sign to play for the University of Illinois. Derek Hannahs, son of former Indiana State baseball standout Mitch Hannahs, will sign to play baseball for Ball State.
High School
Valley prep athletes pick colleges
South baseball’s Hayes, West Vigo’s Wampler and North Central’s Higginbottom will compete at next level
- High School
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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