Prep Baseball Report

Hayden Jones IHSBCA All-Star MVP as North Splits Sunday DH with South


Steve Krah
PBR Indiana Correspondent

Fort Wayne Carroll catcher Hayden Jones was named MVP at the conclusion of the 2018 Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series Sunday, July 22 at Four Winds Field.

Jones, who is already enrolled at Mississippi State University, went 5-for-7 and drove in five runs in three games.

“It was fun playing with guys who are good friends of mine,” said Jones, who knew players on the North and the South. “Playing in honor of my grandpa (Bill Jones, an IHSBCA founder) was the biggest piece.

Lefty-swinging Jones consistently took pitches up the middle.

“The last one I hit off the wall was a knuckleball,” said Jones. “I’ve been working mostly at opposite field-hitting this off-season. I’ve been trying to hit it to the opposite side or up the middle. That’s been my mindset.”

After a rain-abbreviated 8-4 decision for the North Saturday, the South won 8-4 in Sunday’s first game (played with wood bats) and the North triumphed 8-0 in Game 3. Rain caused a change in the original schedule and two seven-inning games were contested Sunday.

In Game 3 of the series, the South went down 1-2-3 against right-hander Ethan Larason (Maconaquah) in the seventh.

The North turned a double play — shortstop Eric Doyle (Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger) to first baseman Jay Hammel (South Newton) — for the first two outs. The third out was a groundout.

The North left a runner at first base against right-hander Riley Bertram (Zionsville) in a score-free sixth.

With right-hander Ryan Bolda (Crown Point) on the hill, South left a runner at second base in a scoreless sixth.

The North produced one two-out run against left-hander Chase Hug (Pike) in the fifth for an 8-0 lead.

Alec Brunson (DeKalb) walked and later scored on a single to right by Chandler Banic (LaPorte).

Facing right-hander Ashton Guyer (Western), the South went scoreless in the fifth. The bases were left loaded as Guyer struck out the side.

The North left the bases loaded against right-hander Jackson Wynn (Danville) in a scoreless fourth.

After two strikeouts, Justin Graves (Lake Central) got an infield single, Wes Transier (Oak Hill) a single to right and Doyle walked before Wynn coaxed an inning-ending groundout.

The South left runners at first and second base against left-hander Sullivan Swingley (Yorktown) in a scoreless fourth.

North center fielder Clay Thompson (Andrean) made a diving catch to take a hit away from Ethan English (Jeffersonville) for the first out.

Eli Helton (Lawrenceburg) cracked a two-out double and Dillon Olejnik (Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter) walked. But both were stranded.

The North pushed across four runs against right-hander Sam Meek (Hauser) in the third for a 7-0 edge.

Pat Mills (Western) was issued a lead-off walk and later scored on a one-out single to right by Benji Nixon (Plymouth).

Ian McCutcheon (Huntington North) walked and eventually scored on a single to center by Hayden Schott (Culver Military).

That’s when right-hander Matthew Panagouleas (South Vermillion) relieved Meek.

A wild pitch allowed Nixon to score the inning’s third run.

Schott scored on the front end of a double-steal.

With two outs and the bases loaded, right-hander Wynn spelled Panagouleas on the mound and fanned a batter for the third out.

The South did not score against right-hander Alex Voss (South Bend St. Joseph) in the third. The frame ended with a double play — shortstop Payton Kerr (Penn) to second baseman Nixon to first baseman Mills.

The North tallied a two-out run against Panagouleas (in his first stint of the game) in the second to take a 3-0 lead.

Kerr was hit by a pitch and scored when Jones lofted an RBI double to deep center.

The South left runners at second and third base against Voss in a scoreless top of the second.

North third baseman Matthew Meyer (Westfield) reached into the stands to catch a foul ball for the third out.

The North scored two runs against right-hander Cameron Holycross (Lapel) in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 advantage.

Kerr was hit by a pitch and later scored on a one-out infield single by Mills.

Thompson was hit by a pitch and later scored when McCutcheon drew a bases-loaded walk.

The South went down in order against left-hander Banic in the top of a scoreless first.

Sunday’s first game was decided, but organizers decided to let the South batted in the bottom of the seventh to give players more chances.

The South came up empty against Banic, who fanned two of the four batters he faced in a scoreless half inning.

The North came up empty after threatening against Wynn in the seventh.

Mills lead-off triple but was caught when Kerr hit into a double play — pitcher Wynn to catcher Lucas McNew (Borden) to second baseman Sam Steimel (Sullivan).

The South was set down 1-2-3 by Bolda in a scoreless sixth.

The North did not score against right-hander Drew Hasson (Columbus East) in the sixth. The inning ended with a strike-them-out, throw-them-out double play. Catcher McNew fired to second for the third out.

The South racked up four runs against Larason to take an 8-4 lead.

McNew drew a one-out walk and scored on a single to center by Chase Springmeyer (Greensburg) Zyon Avery (Ben Davis) singled to right and pinch-runner Tyler Finke (Columbus North) later scored.

Springmeyer scored on a passed ball.

Craig Yoho (Fishers) drilled a double to left and later scored on a wild pitch.

“It was awesome to come here and play with the best players from all the classes (4A, 3A, 2A and 1A),” said Yoho, who who is already enrolled at the University of Houston. “Being from a bigger school, don’t get to play as many of the smaller schools. But there’s still great players there. There were a lot of players I play with in the summer that are really good.”

The North produced four runs against Hasson in the fifth to forge a 4-all tie.

Schott drew a lead-off walk and eventually scored on a fielder’s choice by Hammel.

Riley Hershberger (Logansport) walked and later crossed the plate with the frame’s second run on a single to center by Doyle.

With two outs, Jones ripped a two-run single to right to drive in Doyle and Thompson (who walked).

The South left runners at second and third base against right-hander Guyer in a scoreless fourth.

Catcher Brunson threw out a would-be stealer at second base. Guyer racked up a strikeout for the third out.

The North went down 1-2-3 against right-hander Alan Perry (Seymour) in a score-free fourth.

The South stranded runners at the corner against Swingley in a scoreless third.

The North did not cross the plate against Perry in the third. The South turned a 6-4-3 double play — shortstop Steimel to second baseman Aaron Beard (Tecumseh) to first baseman Hug.

Transier reached on an infield single.

The South took a 4-1 lead with three runs against Landon Weins (Frankton) in the second.

Caleb Meeks (Evansville Memorial) lashed a lead-off double to center and Olesnik reached on an infield single.

Meeks scored on the front end of a double steal.

Trevor Zink (Forest Park) singled to center to plate Olesnik and later scored on a groundout by Bertram.

The North went down 1-2-3 against right-hander Joey Weller (Union County) in the second.

The South scored one run against right-hander Weins to take a 1-0 lead.

Bertam hustled for a one-out double to right and later scored from third on the front end of a double-steal attempt. He crossed the plate before the trail runner was put out.

The North went down in order against Weller in the top of the first inning.

The 2019 series is to be played in Madison.