Center Grove softball will 'sleep at night knowing we gave it everything we had' in 4A state final
WEST LAFAYETTE – Center Gove kept doing the right things in Saturday's Class 4A state championship game vs. Crown Point. There were the series of sure-handed plays behind starting pitcher Riley Fuhr, who was perfect in her five innings of work; the way they battled at the plate, coming back from multiple 0-1 and 0-2 counts against Crown Point ace Paige Liezert; center fielder Mae Munson's ninth-inning throws to third and home — the list goes on.
"We'll sleep at night knowing we gave it everything we had," coach Alyssa Coleman said.
Unfortunately for the Trojans, not enough breaks went their way.
Liezert stranded the bases loaded and maintained the scoreless stalemate in the bottom of the eighth with her 15th strikeout of the game.
IHSAA softball state finals: Scores, photos, complete coverage
'It all means so much': Lizzy Sinders caps Clay City career at state with dad as coach, sister as AD.
Both of Munson's throws to third and home were on target, but on both occasions, Lexi Smith jarred the ball loose (unintentionally) as she slid into the fielder's tag.
The umpire was ready to emphatically call Smith out at the plate, but had to quickly change course when the ball popped free. "The more I turned, the more she pushed it out and it just fell out of my glove," senior catcher Madisyn Tharpe said.
Crown Point added another run in the ninth, then Liezert worked around a two-out double to complete the four-hit shutout of Center Grove and secure the Bulldogs' first state championship since 2017.
Final score: 2-0.
"This group's been great. They know each other. They respond to each other. And they did a really great job of picking each other up (during the game)," Coleman said. "That's how we've gotten here. It hasn't been the coaches pushing something. The girls have just molded together. It's been a lot of fun to watch."
No single play defined Saturday's game, the first inning of which took place Friday before inclement weather forced play to be suspended.
Liezert was unbelievable. A dazzling flourish to her breakout junior campaign, she scattered four hits across nine innings, totaling 16 strikeouts, issuing only two walks and throwing 103 of her 158 pitches for strikes.
The Trojans — who made solid contact on only a handful of occasions — loaded the bases in the third and eighth innings, but were unable to come through.
They finished with seven runners left on base.
"She had a very good pitch sequence," said senior first baseman Sydney Herrmann, the 4A Mental Attitude Award recipient. "She was keeping us off-balance with the rise ball and she was also getting that river pitch (pitches off the plate), which was hard for us to barrel up to."
Leizert said her rise ball is her best pitch, then mixed in her changeup — "It showed up today," she noted — to further keep CG off-balance at the plate. "And then just trusting coach Angie (Richwalski) with her scouting report, knowing the weaknesses in their swings and knowing where I have to pitch the ball," she continued. "That helped keep me at ease."
Just as no single play defined the final score, the heartbreaking finish will not define Center Grove's 2025 campaign.
This year's team was responsible for securing the softball powerhouse's first state finals berth since 2019 and 14th overall, winning 20 games against an absolutely loaded schedule, then navigating a postseason path that began with a run-rule win over Decatur Central, then continued with wins over Franklin Central, Avon, Terre Haute North and Floyd Central.
This group got closer as the season progressed, Munson said, calling it the seniors' favorite season. "Best teammates, best bonds, best everything," she smiled.
'This team has had so much great chemistry and love for each other," Herrmann said as she fought back tears. "That's what I'll always remember.'
'This team, it just makes me feel at home," Munson added. "I feel like I have peace with myself, just being around everybody. I can count on everyone to be there for me if I need it, every single person. Even the coaches, too. … When it comes down to it, especially personally and not just softball, they're my best friends, too.'
The seniors — Munson, Tharpe, Herrmann, Addison Richards, Hayden Baird, Brooke Carlson and Ana Powell — were responsible for maintaining the impossibly high standard of Center Grove softball during their four seasons, guiding the program to 91 wins, a state runner-up finish and last year's run to the semistate finals.
"They're amazing, aren't they?" Coleman said. "I couldn't ask for a more enjoyable year with them, just watching them evolve, work together and lead the way they did — I mean, truly, we got here. This is an accomplishment. It stings right now, but there's so much to be proud of."
Asked what it has meant to be part of this program, Herrmann said no team has ever pushed her more to be a leader or a better athlete or a better person. "This team has shown so much love and support to all of us. It truly just means the world to us."
"This has been such a memorable time in our lives," Tharpe smiled.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
16 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Introducing the 2025 Post-Tribune Baseball All-Area Team
Three players from Crown Point and three players from Boone Grove highlight the first team. Alex Barr, Kankakee Valley, senior, pitcher: Went 3-2 with 0.57 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings. Also hit .452 with five home runs, 25 RBIs and 19 runs scored. North All-Star, conference pitcher of the year. Committed to Indiana. Mason Barth, Andrean, senior, shortstop: Batted .505 with three home runs, 27 RBIs, 51 runs scored and 44 steals for Class 3A state champion and Northwest Crossroads Conference champion. Also went 5-0 with title-clinching save, 1.50 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 28 innings. North All-Star, conference offensive player of the year. Committed to Notre Dame. Dylan Bowen, Hanover Central, junior, shortstop: Batted .390 with five home runs, 26 RBIs and 34 runs scored. All-conference. Committed to Oklahoma State. Braden Branigan, Andrean, senior, pitcher: Went 7-0 with 0.62 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings for 3A state champion and NCC champion. All-conference. Committed to Lindenwood. Davian Carrera, Boone Grove, senior, first baseman: Batted .466 with 47 RBIs, 35 runs scored and 11 steals for 2A state champion and Porter County Conference round-robin and tournament champion. All-conference. Committed to Indiana. Xavier Carrera, Boone Grove, senior, shortstop/pitcher: Batted .436 with four home runs, 42 RBIs, 34 runs scored and 10 steals for 2A state champion and PCC round-robin and tournament champion. Also went 6-3 with 2.28 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings. All-conference. Committed to Indiana. Linus Chariton, Crown Point, senior, pitcher: Went 8-0 with 0.62 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 45 innings for 4A sectional champion and Duneland Athletic Conference co-champion. All-conference. Committed to Olive Harvey. Billy Chidsey, Crown Point, senior, shortstop: Batted .487 with one home run, 28 RBIs, 31 runs scored and 17 steals for 4A sectional champion and DAC co-champion. North All-Star, conference most valuable position player. Committed to Purdue Northwest. Caden Crowell, Valparaiso, senior, pitcher/first baseman: Went 9-0 with 0.25 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 55 innings for 4A state champion. Also hit .375 with three home runs, 24 RBIs and 32 runs scored. North All-Star, conference most valuable pitcher. Committed to Notre Dame. Sean Dunlap, Crown Point, junior, catcher/outfielder: Batted .429 with six home runs, 35 RBIs, 36 runs scored and 15 steals for 4A sectional champion and DAC co-champion. All-conference. Committed to Tennessee. Billy Miller, Kouts, freshman, pitcher/shortstop: Went 8-1 with 0.61 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 57 innings for 1A state runner-up. Also hit .514 with five home runs, 45 RBIs, 54 runs scored and 20 steals. All-conference. Seth Pitcock, Boone Grove, senior, pitcher/shortstop: Went 9-1 with 0.74 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 66 innings for 2A state champion and PCC round-robin and tournament champion. Also hit .484 with two home runs, 29 RBIs, 52 runs scored and 33 steals. North All-Star, conference MVP. Committed to Valparaiso. Troy Barrett, Chesterton, junior, pitcher/outfielder: Went 7-1 with 1.11 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings. Also hit .368 with 20 RBIs and 30 runs scored. All-conference. Gabe Bush, Valparaiso, senior, outfielder: Batted .352 with 17 RBIs, 33 runs scored and 27 steals for 4A state champion. All-conference. Committed to Purdue Northwest. Matt Cook, Hanover Central, junior, pitcher: Went 3-3 with 2.16 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings. All-conference. Committed to Evansville. Logan Cotton, Crown Point, senior, pitcher: Went 8-2 with 1.59 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 53 innings for 4A sectional champion and DAC co-champion. All-conference. Committed to Indiana. Trevor Fenters, Valparaiso, senior, infielder/pitcher: Batted .373 with one home run, 28 RBIs and 27 runs scored for 4A state champion. Also went 6-1 with 0.77 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings. All-conference. Committed to Indiana State. Josh Flores, Lake Central, senior, pitcher: Went 7-1 with 2.76 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 38 innings for DAC co-champion. North All-Star, all-conference. Committed to Kentucky. Mason Jarrett, Munster, senior, outfielder: Batted .398 with 36 RBIs, 34 runs scored and 14 steals. All-conference. Committed to Triton. Drew Kosteba, Lake Central, senior, outfielder: Batted .404 with three home runs, 38 RBIs, 28 runs scored and 12 steals for DAC co-champion. North All-Star, all-conference. Committed to Purdue Northwest. Blake Kouder, Andrean, senior, catcher: Batted .386 with 20 RBIs and 34 runs scored for 3A state champion and NCC champion. All-conference. DJ Malloy, Valparaiso, junior, second baseman: Batted .408 with 22 RBIs and 17 runs scored for 4A state champion. All-conference. Ivan Mastalski, Andrean, senior, pitcher: Went 7-0 with 1.69 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings for 3A state champion and NCC champion. Committed to Indiana. Caiden Verrett, Hanover Central, senior, catcher: Batted .395 with three home runs, 17 RBIs, 33 runs scored and 19 steals. North All-Star. Indianapolis recruit in baseball and football.
Chicago Tribune
18 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Valparaiso's Caden Crowell, the 2025 Post-Tribune Baseball Player of the Year, is in ‘best possible position'
There are variables involved with recent Valparaiso graduate Caden Crowell's next team. But about Crowell's most recent team, which won the Class 4A state championship on June 21, there's no uncertainty in his mind. 'It was special,' Crowell said. 'I've played with a lot of different teams. But if I had to pick one team to play on for the rest of my life, it would be this team.' Behind Crowell, a Notre Dame recruit and Major League Baseball draft prospect, the Vikings made history with their first state title, following their first regional and semistate titles. In the championship game, the 6-foot-3 Crowell tossed a two-hitter with eight strikeouts and two walks in an efficient 85 pitches as the Vikings beat Evansville North 5-0. He also went 4-for-4 with a run-scoring ground-rule double. Crowell, a left-hander who also plays first base, tied the 4A championship game records for fewest hits allowed by a pitcher, set in 2004, and for the most hits by a batter, most recently accomplished in 2001. Crowell, the 2025 Post-Tribune Baseball Player of the Year, closed his stellar career for the Vikings (26-5) by going 9-0 with a 0.25 ERA, allowing only three runs — two earned — and 18 hits in 55 innings. He struck out 97 and walked just 11. He also hit .375 with three homers, 24 RBIs and 32 runs scored. Valparaiso coach Todd Evans said Crowell 'puts himself in the best possible position' through his physical and mental preparation, including working out and studying scouting reports. 'Caden set high goals for himself this year, and he achieved just about every one of them,' Evans said. 'At the beginning of the year, we always meet as a team at my house, and we set individual and team goals. His individual goal was to be Gatorade player of the year. He did not achieve that, unfortunately. But he's going to end up achieving just about every other goal. 'He's a North-South All-Star. … We win a state championship. There's just plenty of other accolades that are going to make his senior year very, very memorable.' Crowell established himself as an impact player when he was a freshman. But he saved his best for last. 'My velo was up from last year, so it's easier to put guys away earlier,' Crowell said. 'But pitching-wise, it was just a confidence level. It was knowing that when I go out there and have my best stuff, there's no one in the country who can touch me. I just go out there and just say, 'Here's my stuff, have at it. If you get a hit, good for you. The next guy's not going to.' 'And just the trust factor of my team behind me, that was huge too. But it was just knowing having the most confidence going into every game and just attacking guys and not pitching around them.' Crowell said he weighed 210 pounds at the beginning of the season, up from 190, but settled in between 200 and 205. He boosted his speed on the bases, his endurance on the mound and the velocity of his fastball. 'I was up to 92 (mph) last year, and I was up to 94 this year,' Crowell said. 'But my tail-end velocity is what really went up. I was sitting 2 to 3 miles an hour harder consistently throughout the whole game, and I could hold my velocity. In the regional championship, I was still up to 93 in the last inning, and that was really good.' Crowell also produced offensively, particularly later in the season. 'Hitting-wise, I started out slow,' he said. 'I was putting so much pressure on myself hitting because I wanted to get my name out there as a two-way and really assert myself as that. Finally, I was like, 'I just need to relax.' I hit like .600 in the postseason and just went off from there. It definitely was just the confidence in the work I put in in the offseason and trusting that.' Where that work takes Crowell, who was committed to Louisville earlier in his high school career, remains to be seen. He's scheduled to report to Notre Dame on Aug. 25. The draft begins July 13. 'We'll see what happens,' he said. 'I've definitely had a lot of teams interested, but it's going to be a tough decision to make. I'll be talking with my family, my people that are in my corner, my support system, just seeing what they all say and seeing what's the best option for me for the long run.' Evans knows Crowell has options. 'At the beginning of the year, that's the time when a lot of scouts are more active because once the college season gets going, it's a little bit more difficult to swing by those high school stadiums,' Evans said. 'But at the end of the year, we're facing Lake Central and Josh Flores is on the mound, and every MLB team is represented. We're facing Logan Cotton against Crown Point the week after, every MLB team is represented. When we're facing Javy Carrera against Boone Grove, every radar gun is up behind the backstop. 'I don't know where his draft status is right now, but it's definitely a possibility. It's definitely something on the radar. If and when that comes to fruition, decisions will have to be made. Obviously, Caden and his dad are well aware of what the process can look like, and they've taken steps to make sure if and when that happens, they're going to be in the best position possible, whether it be academically, athletically at Notre Dame, or playing for a professional baseball team.' Indeed, Crowell can rely on his father, Jim, as a particularly valuable resource. A 1992 Valparaiso graduate, Jim Crowell played at the University of Indianapolis and then spent 13 seasons in professional baseball, including parts of three in the major leagues. 'We've always had a unique bond,' Caden Crowell said. 'Being able to really appreciate him and understand he's made it to the highest level and he's done it with the best, you have to admit dad's right. The high school me wants to be like, 'No, I know what I'm talking about. You don't.' But you trust he knows what he's talking about. 'He's always been someone I've looked up to. He was an undrafted free agent and made his way to the big leagues. That's from hard work and being able to be the best you. He's someone I look up to in all facets of life, just the way he works and how much he cares about me and helped me be the best I can be.' Jim Crowell has been a coach for Caden and some of his teammates for as long as he can remember, including as part of the Vikings' staff, adding to the significance of their state title. 'He's the reason I am where I am today,' Caden Crowell said. 'He's given everything to me. He's helped me become the best me. 'When we were growing up, we had this team with my dad, Triple Crown Lightning, so we've been playing together since we were like 8. This has always been a goal of ours, and without my teammates, without their support and the coaches' support, we would have never gotten to this point. The reason we got to where we are is just because our team went out there and played for each other. There was no one for themselves. It was awesome.'
USA Today
19 hours ago
- USA Today
USC basketball, as expected, gets shut out at 2025 NBA draft
After a disappointing debut season in the Big Ten, the USC Trojans failed to have any players hear their name called the last two days at the 205 NBA draft. Instead of having their top players getting drafted, the Trojans had top players hit the transfer portal. Last season's leading scorer Desmond Claude hit the portal and committed to Washington two weeks ago. This isn't the first time this has happened. It marks the second time in the last seven years a Trojan has not been drafted. This occurrence still goes against the standard for USC. The Trojans, within the last 10 years since the 2015 NBA draft, have had the fifth-most selections of any team in the country. Some of the notable names that have been drafted in that 10-year period include Isaiah Collier, the promising role player for the Utah Jazz; Bronny James, the son of Lebron James; and this season's NBA Defensive Player of the Year, No. 3 pick (2021) Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers. USC currently sits in eighth place for the most active players in the NBA. Taking a step back and having a year in which no Trojans are featured anywhere near the top 100 prospects in a draft class is less than ideal. With this year's promising upcoming class featuring talented freshman guard Alijah Arenas, the son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, the Trojans should be back to business as usual, supplying the NBA with talent. Alijah Arenas will also look to help the USC Trojans make their presence felt in the Big Ten this upcoming season.
