Prep Baseball Report

IHSBCA All-Stars: MVP Schmack Helps North Take Game 3, Win Series


Steve Krah
PBR Indiana Correspondent

MADISON — With a locked-in Kyle Schmack leading the way, the North beat the South 8-4 in the third and final game of the 2019 Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series.

The wood bat game was played on Sunday, June 23 at Madison Consolidated High School’s Gary O’Neal Field.

Schmack, a South Central (Union Mills) graduate, concluded a three-day series in which he went 8-of-10 at the plate with a home run, double and eight runs batted in with a 3-for-4 day that included a homer, two singles and two driven in.

“I was getting pitches I could hit and I was putting them into play,” said Schmack, who recently signed to play at Valparaiso University, where his father Brian is the head coach. Father and mother (Cari) were in Madison to witness their son’s big weekend.

Before Kyle goes to VU, he will join the Chicago area-based Midwest Rangers for travel baseball play.

Game 3

North 8, South 4

With the win Sunday, the North leads the all-time series 68-63. This was the 45th year for the series.

Game 3’s winning pitcher was right-hander Reece Rodabaugh (Lewis Cass). Right-hander Michael Dillon (Hamilton Southeastern) took the loss.

The South left runners at the corner against right-hander Grant Jablonski (Mishwaka) in the bottom of the ninth.

Brodey Heaton (Castle) singled to left field (Roncalli’s Brian Keeney ran for him).

After two outs, Kiel Brenczewski (Fishers) singled to right before Jablonski record a game-sealing strikeout (swinging).

The North stranded runners at second and third against right-hander Luke Helton (Whiteland) in the top of the ninth.

With one out, Tucker Platt (Logansport) singled to center (Western’s Gavin White ran for him) and Matt Dutkowski (NorthWood) singled to right and stole second base.

Helton fanned the last two batters (one looking, one swinging). 

The South left a runner at second base against right-hander Wyatt Geesaman (Jay County) in the bottom of the eighth.

Blayden McMahel (Jeffersonville) walked and stole second base before Geesaman retired the next three batters with two strikeouts (swinging) and a fly-out.

The North scored one run against right-hander Damien Wallace (Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter) in the top of the eighth for an 8-4 lead.

Chase Franz (Eastside) reached base on a fielder’s choice and scored on a double by Liam Patton (Warsaw).

NorthWood’s Dillion Weldy, the North student manager, was inserted as a pinch runner just prior to the third out.

The South left a runner against right-hander Hunter Robinson (New Prairie) in the in order in the bottom of the seventh.

With two outs, Brenczewski walked and courtesy runner Keeney moved to second base before an inning-ending groundout.

The North produced two runs without a hit against Jack Walker (New Palestine) in the top of the seventh for a 7-4 advantage.

With one out, Garrett Manous (Munster) singled to left. Brock Boynton (Penn) and Schmack walked to load the bases.

With two outs, Charlie Howe (Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger) was hit by a pitch forcing in Boynton.

White (running for Schmack) scored on a passed ball.

Left-hander Grant Besser (South Adams) retired the South 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth with a fly-out, groundout and pop-out.

The North stranded a runner at third base against Walker in the top of the sixth.

With one out, Connor Ayers (McCutcheon) doubled to right and advanced to third base on a groundout by Josh Dippold (Fort Wayne Bishop Luers) before Walker coerced a groundout.

The South scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to pull within 5-4.

Ethan Getz (South Dearborn) reached on infield single, moved to second on an infield single by Cooper Terry (South Vermillion) then third base on a wild pitch. He hustled in to score on a foul pop-out to third base off the bat of Tucker Schank (Southridge).

McMahel tripled to left to plate Terry. Right-hander White then relieved right-hander Ben Harris (Northwestern) on the mound for the North.

Ethan Vecrumba (Edgewood) singled to right to knock in McMahel.

The North scored two runs against right-hander Drew Buhr (Austin) in the top of the fifth for a 5-1 lead.

Schmack socked a full-count pitch to center for a two-run home run.

Boynton singled to right and was on third base after two wild pitches when Schmack launched his circuit clout.

Harris struck out the side (two swinging, one looking against the South in the bottom of the fourth.

With right-hander Parker Maddox (Columbus) pitching for the South, the North top of the fourth ended with line drive double play — shortstop McMahel to first baseman Walker.

Dippold walked and Garrison Brege (Norwell) hit the liner that lead the the twin killing.

The South tallied one run against Harris in the bottom of the third to pull within 3-1.

Getz drew a lead-off walk and was picked off first base — catcher Angel DiFederico (New Haven) to first baseman Dutkowski.

With two outs, Keeney walked a stole second base and scored on a single to left by McMahel.

The North tallied two runs in the top of the third for a 3-0 lead.

DiFederico singled to right (Rossville’s Corbin Beard subbed on the base path).

With one put, Boynton singled to right. Beard and Boynton scored on a single to right by Schmack.

Maddox then relieved Dillon on the mound for the South.

The South left a runner at first base against right-hander Kyle Iwinski (Griffith) in the bottom of the second.

With one out (swinging strikeout), Julian Greenwell (Columbus East) singled to center before Iwinski racked up a strikeout (looking) and coaxed a groundout.

The North went scoreless against Dillon in the top of the second.

Franz served a single back up the middle. He was thrown out attempting to steal second base — catcher Keeney to second baseman Getz.

The South sent three hitters against Rodabaugh in the bottom of the first.

After lead-off man Keeney reached on an error, he was forced at second when North catcher DiFederico pounced on a bunt by Schank and fired a strike to shortstop Trey Stokes (Alexandria).

The inning ended with a line drive double play — second baseman Franz to first baseman Dutkowski.

The North scored one run against Dillon in the top of the first.

Patrick Farrissee (South Bend St. Joseph) hit the game’s first pitch to center for a double.

Farrissee moved to third base on a single to left by Schmack then scored on a groundout by Platt.

The North coaching staff was led by Mark Schellinger (New Prairie) with assistance from Jeff Closser (Alexandria), Jeff Sells (Alexandria) and Brad Buckingham (South Adams).

David Bradshaw (Jac-Cen-Del) was the head coach for the South. His assistants were Jay Malott (South Dearborn), Tim Terry (South Vermillion) and T.J. Terry (South Vermillion).

The series is scheduled for Evansville in 2020.

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