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RUSSIAVILLE — Western has set the standard in Hoosier Conference baseball this decade. The Panthers won the East Division in 2022, ‘23 and ‘24 and took conference titles in ‘23 and ‘24.
Conference newcomer Logansport took its first shot at Western’s dominance on Tuesday, but the Panthers more than met the challenge.
The Class 3A No. 5-ranked Panthers beat the Berries 8-1 to extend their division winning streak to 31 games. The Panthers improved to 10-1 overall and 5-0 in the HC East. The Berries dropped to 5-4 and 2-1.
“We played [the Berries] last year and we know their tradition and we’ve always had good rivalries between the two schools, but for them to get into the conference just makes it a little different because you have to go deeper into your staff when you play these guys and figure out a strategy for two games,” Western coach Ryan Berryman said.
Sophomore southpaw Jaiden McNulty pitched for the Panthers on Tuesday and delivered a gem. McNulty (2-0) worked six innings and held the Berries to four hits and one run. He struck out seven, walked two and hit one batter with a pitch.
“He did a nice job of mixing up some changeups and some curveballs to keep them off balance,” Ryan Berryman said. “He got them into the air a lot [seven outfield flyouts] and we have a great outfield so we’re going to catch everything that’s out there.”
Western was crisp at the plate as well. Seven different players had at least one hit in an 11-hit attack. The Panthers also had two sacrifice bunts and three stolen bases.
“We’re pretty strong top to bottom,” Ryan Berryman said. “These guys are coachable and we hit a lot. We see a lot of stuff in the winter and we carry that over to the season. We have a good routine before games and guys just try to execute a game plan and we’re doing a good job with it.”
Castillo pitched the seventh, allowed a hit and struck out two.
Norman finished 3 for 4 with an RBI and three runs scored, Shoemaker was 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBI, Cal Berryman was 1 for 2 with a run and an RBI groundout, Gavin Denton was 2 for 3 and Comer scored two runs.
Deagan Kitchel led the Berries with a 3-for-3 game that included an RBI. Micah Rogers had a double. Braylon Ritchie had a single. Bryson Herr added a run scored.
Josh Middleton drew the start and allowed six runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Perhaps the best news of the night was that Rogers was able to return to the mound from his early season arm scare and he pitched 2 1/3 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks.
Logansport coach Dan Frye told WSAL’s Joe Stetz in his postgame interview that Tuesday was a product of Western playing well and his team not executing.
“I thought the McNulty kid threw the ball really well,” he said. “What I explained to our kids is we refused to do the things that their team does. With two strikes, we refused to cut down. We had 51 strikeouts in coming into tonight, and we had nine strikeouts tonight in seven innings.
“We’re gonna do some things different. I thought Josh threw the ball well. Unless we score a few runs, we’re not going to come back and win the game anyway. So I thought we would just get him off the bump and save some throws for maybe this weekend. He always battles, he throws it in there. Their hitters did a very good job staying back and hit the ball to right. Then they get a base hit with runners in scoring position. We airmail the cutoff guy and the batter gets to second and our pitcher’s right back in the same jam we were in to begin with. So we can keep asking and apparently that’s all we can do.”
Frye credited Western, a possible sectional opponent this year.
“This is a good baseball team. This is who we want to play. This is what we want to emulate. This is what we need to be. And it’s up to us to make the changes,” he said.
Frye added he was happy to get Rogers back on the mound.
“What has he thrown, maybe three or four innings at this point,” Frye said. “So that’s nice because we needed another arm last week and we’re gonna need another arm this week and next week I think we have five games again. So it’s nice. Hopefully he didn’t have any problems. It was nice to see him back on the mound again.”
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Conference newcomer Logansport took its first shot at Western’s dominance on Tuesday, but the Panthers more than met the challenge.
The Class 3A No. 5-ranked Panthers beat the Berries 8-1 to extend their division winning streak to 31 games. The Panthers improved to 10-1 overall and 5-0 in the HC East. The Berries dropped to 5-4 and 2-1.
“We played [the Berries] last year and we know their tradition and we’ve always had good rivalries between the two schools, but for them to get into the conference just makes it a little different because you have to go deeper into your staff when you play these guys and figure out a strategy for two games,” Western coach Ryan Berryman said.
Sophomore southpaw Jaiden McNulty pitched for the Panthers on Tuesday and delivered a gem. McNulty (2-0) worked six innings and held the Berries to four hits and one run. He struck out seven, walked two and hit one batter with a pitch.
“He did a nice job of mixing up some changeups and some curveballs to keep them off balance,” Ryan Berryman said. “He got them into the air a lot [seven outfield flyouts] and we have a great outfield so we’re going to catch everything that’s out there.”
Western was crisp at the plate as well. Seven different players had at least one hit in an 11-hit attack. The Panthers also had two sacrifice bunts and three stolen bases.
“We’re pretty strong top to bottom,” Ryan Berryman said. “These guys are coachable and we hit a lot. We see a lot of stuff in the winter and we carry that over to the season. We have a good routine before games and guys just try to execute a game plan and we’re doing a good job with it.”
Castillo pitched the seventh, allowed a hit and struck out two.
Norman finished 3 for 4 with an RBI and three runs scored, Shoemaker was 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBI, Cal Berryman was 1 for 2 with a run and an RBI groundout, Gavin Denton was 2 for 3 and Comer scored two runs.
Deagan Kitchel led the Berries with a 3-for-3 game that included an RBI. Micah Rogers had a double. Braylon Ritchie had a single. Bryson Herr added a run scored.
Josh Middleton drew the start and allowed six runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Perhaps the best news of the night was that Rogers was able to return to the mound from his early season arm scare and he pitched 2 1/3 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks.
Logansport coach Dan Frye told WSAL’s Joe Stetz in his postgame interview that Tuesday was a product of Western playing well and his team not executing.
“I thought the McNulty kid threw the ball really well,” he said. “What I explained to our kids is we refused to do the things that their team does. With two strikes, we refused to cut down. We had 51 strikeouts in coming into tonight, and we had nine strikeouts tonight in seven innings.
“We’re gonna do some things different. I thought Josh threw the ball well. Unless we score a few runs, we’re not going to come back and win the game anyway. So I thought we would just get him off the bump and save some throws for maybe this weekend. He always battles, he throws it in there. Their hitters did a very good job staying back and hit the ball to right. Then they get a base hit with runners in scoring position. We airmail the cutoff guy and the batter gets to second and our pitcher’s right back in the same jam we were in to begin with. So we can keep asking and apparently that’s all we can do.”
Frye credited Western, a possible sectional opponent this year.
“This is a good baseball team. This is who we want to play. This is what we want to emulate. This is what we need to be. And it’s up to us to make the changes,” he said.
Frye added he was happy to get Rogers back on the mound.
“What has he thrown, maybe three or four innings at this point,” Frye said. “So that’s nice because we needed another arm last week and we’re gonna need another arm this week and next week I think we have five games again. So it’s nice. Hopefully he didn’t have any problems. It was nice to see him back on the mound again.”
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