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Indianapolis Star
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Despite working 3 a.m. shifts, Brownsburg grad won Big 12 Player of Year. Now, he hopes to hear name in MLB draft
Kerrington Cross is what coaches call a high-energy player. The Honolulu native and former Brownsburg High School standout does everything on the baseball field full throttle. He's high-energy in the dugout. He's high-energy on the basepaths and while fielding his position. He's the type of player coaches love, and his ability to harness his energy toward success on the field and in the classroom helped him earn Big 12 Player of the Year as a senior, slashing .396/.438/.545 with 12 home runs, 50 RBIs and 15 stolen bases while graduating from University of Cincinnati's College of Engineering. The kid who grew up admiring Ichiro Suzuki and playing in the same Brownsburg Little League that produced Tucker Barnhart, Lance Lynn and Drew Storen hopes his resume will get his name called during the two-day 2025 MLB Draft starting Sunday. He still has a passion for engineering, but getting a chance to play in the big leagues is something he's dreamed of since he started playing baseball at 5 years old. "That's the childhood dream..." Cross said of hearing his name called during the draft. "I'm going to love every bit of the journey. It is a dream, but at the same time it's what I've always wanted to do, and I don't want to just settle on hearing my name called. I want to make it all the way and give it my all until I'm done." Cross' work ethic and 110% attitude makes him well suited for whatever career path he chooses — Major League Baseball player first, engineer second — but as a sophomore at Brownsburg, the max-effort Cross needed to work on slowing things down. "Carrington's a high-energy player, no doubt about that," Brownsburg coach Dan Roman said. "He could make the flashy play, the big play, the range at shortstop in the hole. But the routine plays struggled for him a little bit, and he just needed to slow the game down. "He just wanted to do so well on every single play that I just basically harped on it and harped on it 'slow down, slow down, trust your hands, trust your feet.' And it all came around for him, not as soon as he would've liked, but by the time of his senior year, he was tremendous." Cross chose Cincinnati because of his connection with the coaching staff, the campus and the school's engineering program. Through the school's co-op program, students can split the school year between being a full-time student and working full time. Cross got the opportunity to do his co-op semesters at L'Oreal's 24-hour manufacturing site in Florence, Ky. The rigors of Division-I athletics are tough to juggle for most people. With practice, traveling and playing in games, being an athlete is basically a full-time job. Cross added full-time employment on top of his baseball duties. Leaving in the middle of the night, he navigated the dark and lonely roads to get to his 3 a.m. shift at L'Oreal. Through time management and determination, Cross completed his eight-hour shifts while finding the mental and physical strength to continue excelling on the baseball field. "I like to say it's not as hard as people think. It's more of a mental battle, but it's just making sacrifices," Cross said. "I was working unreal hours. And that kind of shaped me into a better person off the field and then it prepared me to be even one step ahead on the field. You're working tired, and when you work tired your muscles and everything start going into another gear, your muscle memory, it has to work even harder. "I don't like to brag on engineering that much, but in reality, it is one step harder as far as course load and tests and stuff like that. So, I like to just say, 'Do what's expected of you and you're going to be on top.'" Cross credits his parents for instilling a strong work ethic in him. His mother, Miki, a Japanese immigrant, worked two jobs throughout his childhood. Carrington watched his father, Harold, work for more than 20 years in the restaurant business. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Harold worked 20-plus hour days as a general manager at O'Charley's doing everything from packing up to-go orders to working in the kitchen. "I would say (work ethic) is something I've always had, but then at the same time, you could look at my dad and my mom. They kind of went through struggles, but they never gave up," Carrington said. "When we moved to Indiana, my dad was with O'Charley's for 20-plus years. ... It's kind of in our blood to have that loyalty and that trust with where you choose to end up. Things might go up and down, but it's kind of trusting that and I think growing up, I saw that in my dad and in my mom." Loyalty played an important role in Cross' college career. He redshirted his first year with the Bearcats and after a fall sit-down with the coaching staff, they let him know he likely would not be traveling with the team in the spring. Instead of entering the transfer portal, Cross continued to work on his game and battle for his spot in the lineup. He made 50 starts as a redshirt freshman, batting .291 with nine doubles, nine home runs and 30 RBIs. He led the American Athletic Conference with five triples and stole a team-high 17 bases in 23 attempts. His numbers took a slight step back as a sophomore slashing .262/.367/.466 before breaking out as a junior with a .321/.451/.534 slash line. Cross' .526 on-base percentage ranks third all-time in Cincinnati history. The third baseman was a Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist, and his 219 career games rank eighth in Bearcats history. "I kind of took the role of saying, 'I'm not ready, but how can I prepare to be ready?'" Cross said. "If you're committing somewhere that you don't think is the right fit, then you did the process wrong. I thought Cincinnati was the place for me. ... I just kind of took it upon myself to be like, I'm not ready. I've got to develop in another way. So, I kind of used that as a chip on my shoulder. "Every year you're going to have struggles. Every year you're going to go through a path where it's like, am I doing enough? And it's kind of the mindset of not really beating yourself up, but holding yourself to the standard of how can I get better? What do I need to improve on? Every year there was always something better that you could do. There was no room to get complacent."
National Post
17-06-2025
- Business
- National Post
Fiber Global Raises $20 Million Series A to Scale Circular Building Materials Platform
Article content Article content Funding Led by DBL Partners Will Accelerate Fiber Global's U.S. Manufacturing Expansion to Turn Abundant Global Waste Streams into High-Performance Products Article content BROWNSBURG, Ind. — Fiber Global, a pioneer in sustainable building materials, today announced it has raised $20 million in Series A funding. The round was led by DBL Partners, with Founder and Managing Partner Ira Ehrenpreis joining the Board of Directors. The capital will support Fiber Global's mission to transform abundant global waste streams into scalable, sustainable building materials, starting with expansion of its U.S. manufacturing footprint. Article content Fiber Global's proprietary technology platform converts abundant global waste streams into durable, high-performing building materials capable of outperforming existing solutions with a dramatically lower carbon footprint. Manufactured in the United States, Fiber Global's products are also formaldehyde free, have zero harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and are UL GREENGUARD GOLD certified. With construction materials responsible for over 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Fiber Global aims to lead the transition toward a climate-positive, affordable, and resilient building materials industry through a circular manufacturing approach that also strengthens local economies. Article content From day one, our relationship with DBL Partners and Ira Ehrenpreis has been invaluable,' Article content Article content said KC McCreery, Founder and CEO of Fiber Global. 'Their team brings more than just investment; they actively engage and support our growth on a daily basis with intentionality. DBL Partners and Ira Ehrenpreis are truly part of the Fiber Global team, sharing our mission and vision of reclaiming tomorrow. This investment round provides us with the ability to continue rapidly scaling our United States manufacturing footprint and production capacity.' Article content Over the past two and a half years, Fiber Global has focused intensely on the execution and scalability of reclaiming global waste streams to build more affordable, better performing, and truly sustainable products. The company is already partnering with leading materials companies to deploy its products across multiple building materials applications, offering a low-carbon alternative without compromising on performance or cost. DBL Partners has a long-standing track record of supporting transformative companies that rethink industry norms and apply deep innovation across both product and processes to redefine what is possible at scale. Article content 'Fiber Global exemplifies the mission-driven, execution-oriented companies DBL seeks to back,' said Ira Ehrenpreis. 'KC and his team are building a platform with the potential to revolutionize the building materials sector, combining sustainability, performance, and affordability at scale. Fiber Global is building a better and more economically compelling product that also has a superior environmental footprint, demonstrating how double bottom line is not about tradeoff or compromise but about winning with the best value proposition.' Article content With increasing global focus on the need to decarbonize the built environment and diversify the supply chains of key building materials, Fiber Global is positioned to meet a surge in demand from partners seeking high-performance, cost-effective, and environmentally cleaner alternatives. The Series A round validates the company's commercial traction and technology and sets the stage for broader expansion in the years ahead. Article content About Fiber Global Article content Fiber Global is a climate technology company redefining building materials through circular innovation. With a mission to reclaim abundant global waste streams to create sustainable, high performing building materials, Fiber Global is driving the shift toward a more resourceful and resilient future. Founded in 2023, the company is headquartered in Brownsburg, IN. Learn more at Article content About DBL Partners Article content DBL Partners is a pioneering impact investor and among the largest in the venture asset class. The firm invests in companies that can deliver both top-tier venture capital returns and enable social, environmental, and economic benefits. DBL Partners manages over $1.5B in assets, and has helped to scale industry-transforming companies across multiple sectors, including electric vehicles, the earth-space nexus, renewable energy, circular economy, and many others. More information can be found at: Article content This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding Fiber Global's growth plans, market opportunities, product capabilities, and expected impacts. These statements are based on current assumptions and estimates and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release, and Fiber Global undertakes no obligation to update them in light of new information or future events. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
Indianapolis Star
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Getting caught up on Central Indiana high school football commitments, recruitments to watch
Expect an on-rush of football commitments over the coming weeks as college programs look to get a handle on the 2026 class. A few recent commitments from Central Indiana players in the rising senior class: ∎ Kaiden Bower, Carmel: The 6-3, 250-pound defensive end committed to Charlotte over offers from Air Force, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio) Toledo and Troy. Bower finished last season with 55 tackles (24 solo), 4 ½ sacks, 6 ½ tackles for loss, and seven quarterback hurries. Bower, a three-star prospect, is one of 10 commits in Charlotte's current class for new coach Tim Albin. The 49ers were 5-7 last season. 'Finding the right program and school is so important,' Bower said. 'I visited a lot of schools so I could make the best-informed decision. From the moment I walked onto Charlotte's campus it really felt like home. The coaches and the recruiting staff were fantastic. The practice I watched was very fast paced and aggressive. The coaches pushed the players on each rep and were focused on player development, which is very important to me. You can tell Coach Albin has a clear vision and is building a strong program. The strength coach was really energetic and was pushing development in the weight room too. You could tell that there is a very high standard being set. The campus is really amazing, and the university has a great business school. Charlotte has all the resources that I need to succeed on the football field, in the classroom and at life.' ∎ C.J Scifres, Center Grove: Scifres posted his decision on social media after taking an official visit over the weekend. The 6-6, 325-pound offensive lineman is a three-star recruit, per 247Sports, and not rated by On3. Scifres was named to the IFCA's Top 50 All-State team as a junior as he did not allow a sack all season for a team that threw for more than 3,000 yards and won a Class 6A regional. ∎ Job Mavrick, Westfield: The 6-2, 280-pound offensive lineman, who transferred from Culver Academy to Westfield prior to his junior year, committed to Ohio over offers from Cornell, Mercyhurst and Western Illinois. Ohio won at least 10 games and played in a bowl game each of the past three seasons under Albin. ∎ Avin Robinson, Brownsburg: The 6-foot, 180-pound wide receiver committed to Central Michigan over and offer from Kent State. Robinson caught 41 passes for 933 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior on Brownsburg's Class 6A state championship team. ∎ William Johnson III, Avon: The 6-4, 270-pound Williams committed to Kent State over offers from Akron, Central Michigan, Fordham, Illinois State, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan and UMass. Also, Bloomington South receiver Jalen Williams committed to South Florida. The 6-5 Williams caught 21 passes for 370 yards and six TDs as a junior at Bloomington North. ∎ Heritage Hills duo: Two of the state's top recruits play for Heritage Hills, the defending Class 3A state champion (will play in 4A the next two-year cycle). Tight end Tyler Ruxer, rated as the No. 1 prospect in the state by On3sports, plans to make his announcement on July 7 at the Heritage Hills Auditorium. His teammate, quarterback/athlete Jett Goldsberry, also a top 10 in-state prospect, will also make his announcement on July 7. Ruxer has taken official visits to Duke, Northwestern and Oklahoma with Minnesota planned for this weekend. He also has Purdue and West Virginia in the mix. Goldsberry, likely one of the favorites for Mr. Football going into the season, has an official visit scheduled for Ole Miss this weekend. He also has taken official visits to Purdue and Rutgers and is visiting North Carolina (official visit June 21-22), Wake Forest (official visit June 19-20) and West Virginia (official visit June 17-18). ∎ Jerimy Finch Jr.: Warren Central defensive end Jerimy Finch Jr. is closing in on a decision. Finch has taken official visits to Purdue, Alabama and Michigan. He has an official visit scheduled to Tennessee this weekend and Miami (Fla.) the weekend of June 20. ∎ Dominick Barry: Center Grove tight end Dominick Barry has an official visit set to Wake Forest the weekend of June 20. Barry caught 31 passes for 237 yards and five touchdowns as a junior.
Indianapolis Star
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Center Grove gets off to hot start, buries Brownsburg for baseball regional title
Center Grove scored six runs in the first inning and never looked back, earning a 14-3 win over Brownsburg in the Class 4A regional championship game Saturday. The win clinches Center Grove's second regional title in the past three years. The Trojans advance to face Franklin next Saturday in the semistate semifinals. "The offense came out firing today," Center Grove starting pitcher Gannon Grant said. "I felt really comfortable. All I had to do was throw strikes and let my defense work." IHSAA baseball regionals: Statewide pairings, schedule, scores Elsewhere: North Central outlasts Greenfield-Central ace, wins first regional title since 1994 Grant allowed three runs over six innings, striking out six and walking one. Brownsburg did a great job getting hard contact on Grant, but the Trojans' defense made plays on the ball, limiting the damage. Colin McNeer and Ty Jarvis each had an RBI. Cayon Koonce had two hits and two runs scored. Carson Bush, Tristan Yerman and Hudson Stewart all drove in runs in the first inning. Bulldogs' reliever Ryan Murphy held the Trojans in check until the six innings when Center Grove scored four more runs. The Trojans added four runs in the seven as well. Yerman led Center four with four hits and seven RBIs. Gannon Grant had three hits and one run scored. Andrew Krupa had four hits and three RBIs. "That is a fabulous offensive team, so for us to come out and put six (runs) on them, maybe tighten them up a little bit, it was awesome," Center Grove coach Keith Hatfield said. "It really set the tone. Maybe we relaxed a little bit for a few innings, but when you build that kind of a lead it gives you a little leeway to not play well."
Indianapolis Star
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Kayla Pickering, 'gritty' Avon stun Brownsburg in sectional final. 'We never gave up.'
BROWNSBURG — Kayla Pickering stepped into the batter's box knowing she was going to win it. Avon had fought like crazy to get within reach of rival Brownsburg, scoring four runs in the sixth to pull within two, then escaping a bases-loaded jam in the seventh unscathed to reclaim momentum entering the final stanza. Olivia Yeary ripped a one-out single to score Reagan Cooper and advanced on the throw to set up Pickering, the team's No. 8 hitter, with runners on second and third. When she peered in from the third-base box, Kiah Ferrell could see in the junior's eyes that she was ready. She felt good, the Orioles coach said. "And when your kids are confident in themselves, that's a great feeling to have as a coach. All that preparation has paid off." Pickering fouled off the first pitch, then with the second, she rifled a sharply hit grounder through the left side of the infield. Ferrell initially motioned to hold Yeary at third, but when the ball was misplayed in the outfield, she frantically waved her home. Players began pouring from the Avon dugout as Yeary crossed home plate, mobbing her before enshrouding Pickering halfway down the third-base line. "My heart was beating on second, but I had so much faith in Kayla. Just so much," Yeary said. "I knew she was going to smack that ball into a gap." Avon wins the Class 4A Sectional 11 championship game, 10-9, its fifth consecutive sectional crown and 14th overall. The Orioles will host Center Grove in Tuesday's regional championship. "We have a lot of grit, a lot of trust in each other," Yeary said. "A lot of heart for the game, a lot of passion," added pitcher Addie Forst. "Grit" was the word of the night on the Avon side, an apt descriptor of a team that's gone 8-4 following a 3-13 start to the year. They were an inexperienced outfit staring down the barrel of a grueling Hoosier Crossroads Conference schedule entering the season, Ferrell said, and knew they were going to take their lumps. But in her heart of hearts, she knew this was going to be a second-half team. And that's when "things finally started to click," Ferrell continued. They started to hit. They played better defense behind their pitcher. And they had harder practices. "We were intentional and we focused more on the mental game," she said. "And I think it finally paid off, which is really nice." Avon's latest victory was keyed by its ability to minimize damage. Forst surrendered five runs through the first four innings, but allowed only one run and stranded the bases loaded in the top of the fourth. Her efforts were rewarded in the bottom half, with Yeary launching a three-run home run to make it 5-3. When the Bulldogs answered with four runs over the next two innings, the Orioles answered with a four-run sixth, tallying runs on a wild pitch, a two-RBI double by Lilly Heath and a Zoey Chavez base hit. "We never gave up," Pickering said. "The game doesn't know," Yeary interjected. "They threw punches," Pickering continued. "We threw them back." Amidst the rally, Ferrell looked to the dugout and asked Forst if she was ready to pitch the seventh. I'm ready for the opportunity, she replied. The first two runners reached, then Brownsburg loaded the bases with a two-out walk, but Forst buckled down and got a pop out to end the inning and hold the margin at two. "That girl likes to do that to herself," Ferrell laughed. "We've tried and tried and tried to talk about being more efficient and not getting into sticky situations, but she finds a way to get out of it. Grit is a good word to describe her." Avon advances to face Center Grove in Tuesday's regional. The Trojans won the regular-season meeting, 10-9, on May 12. "We're not done yet," Ferrell said. "And I think it's really cool that, whatever the expectation is, we like to be the underdog and we like to have our backs against the wall. We're gritty."
