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Indianapolis Star
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
This year was ridiculously loaded. Vote for Indiana high school girls athlete of the year
The 2024-25 high school sports season is officially in the books. Before we turn our attention to 2025-26 (and with it being the dog days of summer), we're recognizing Indiana's top-performing girls high school athletes from the past season! Voting for the Indiana girls athlete of the year, presented by YMCA of Greater Indianapolis, will be open until noon EST Sunday. Bell capped her career with a Class 3A state championship, hitting a career-best .313 with 333 kills last season. She also logged a career-high 63 aces, 26 blocks, 252 digs and 50 assists against the state's 24th-toughest schedule, per the IPV rankings. The Kansas incoming freshman finished her career with 1,280 kills, 1,131 digs, 168 aces, 108 total blocks and 79 assists, plus 115 wins and three regional championships in four varsity seasons. Creager claimed the all-around state championship at this year's state meet. She won the uneven bars title with a score of 9.675, placed third on beam (9.675), fourth on floor (9.275) and fifth on vault (9.775) to accumulate 37.975 points. The junior was the third Homestead all-around winner overall and first since Shellen Goltz in 2000. Crooke set a state high jump record with a nation-leading clearance of 6-2 in May, then claimed state championships in both the high jump (6-0.25, 2nd nationally; meet record) and long jump (20-4.75, 10th nationally). The Arizona track commit also notched 24 goals and six assists in 17 games for the semistate runner-up Heritage Christian soccer team (96 goals, 32 assists for her career). Dowty, a junior, finished sixth at state (17:48.79), then took fifth at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, fifth at the Foot Locker regional championships and seventh at the NXN Midwest regional championships. Dowty took sixth in the 3200 at state with a time of 10:35.95. Erb, a Kentucky-bound junior, led the Panthers to a semistate runner-up finish, batting .659 with 56 hits, 53 RBIs and 59 runs scored. Her collection of hits included 21 homers, eight triples and 15 doubles, and she also stole 18 bases and posted a .937 fielding percentage on 79 chances with two double plays. Erb is a career .652 hitter with 57 home runs and 193 RBIs. Kirkland finished runner-up at this year's state meet to become the fourth golfer in state history to finish second or better three times in their career. The Xavier incoming freshman and Mental Attitude Award recipient was a three-time all-state honoree and led her team to a fourth-place finish at the 2022 state meet. The 2025 IndyStar Indiana Miss Basketball recipient, Makalusky averaged 22.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.3 assists, while shooting 40% from 3 and 80% at the line for the semistate runner-up Royals. The IU freshman finished her career with 1,933 points. Mishler won two state titles and set a meet record at this year's state meet. The Louisville commit clocked a 21.87 to capture the 50 freestyle championship, then broke the record she set in the 100 freestyle prelims with a time of 47.86 in the finals. Mishler is Wawasee's second state champion in swimming (first since 2012) and set a national record in the 50 free (21.56) in December. Ocampo became the first girls wrestler to medal during the boys state finals, placing sixth at 106. Ocampo won her opening night match by fall in 5:46 over Plymouth's Alonzo Chantea to advance into medal contention. She wrestled back to reach the fifth-place match and lost by decision 3-0. A four-time state qualifier and three-time IHSGW state champ, Ocampo holds the most wins in school history (169) and ranks third in pins (78). The MaxPreps Female Athlete of the Year, Shackell became the second Indiana girl ever to medal at the Olympics while still in high school over the summer, then led the Greyhounds to their 39th straight state title in girls swimming in the winter. The IU swimming recruit won four state titles, leaving her with 15 for her career. The freshman claimed individual state medalist honors with a two-day score of 144 (72-72). She is only the third freshman in the 52-year history of the IHSAA finals to claim individual honors, joining Columbus North's Ava Bunker (2022) and Warsaw's Emily Johnson (2003). Snively is also the first medalist to play for the team champion (Zionsville) since 1999. Tippner led the Millers soccer team to a 19-0-2 record and a third consecutive Class 3A state championship, scoring 24 goals and 16 assists. On the hardwood, the Miami hoops commit set career-highs across the board with 26 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 4.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. Vinson overcame a life-threatening illness last summer and returned to lead the Tigers to a 4A state runner-up finish, logging 361 kills (.324 hit%), 16 aces, 40 total blocks and 84 digs over 83 sets. Now an IU freshman, she set a school-record with her 1,940 career kills, and rounded out her high school stat line with 968 digs, 199 aces and 134 blocks. The junior claimed the state cross-country title with a time of 17:12.19, helping her team to a second-place finish behind Carmel. She took first in both the 1600 (4:49.06) and 3200 (10:28.26) at the state track championships. The 2025 Indiana Miss Softball recipient, Zachary totaled a .482 batting average, 196 hits, 169 runs, 174 RBIs, 41 doubles and 20 home runs, 79 stolen bases and a .926 fielding percentage in her four high school seasons. Now a freshman at Notre Dame, she batted a career-best .543 for the state semifinalists with 10 doubles, four triples and eight homers, career-highs in both RBIs (62) and runs (46), and 50 hits, which marked her third consecutive season with at least that many.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
BYU's loss to Alabama will sting, but Kevin Young is just getting started
BYU's loss to Alabama will sting, but Kevin Young is just getting started BYU coach Kevin Young yells during a Sweet 16 game against Alabama at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News After BYU's loss to Alabama, there's a feeling that head coach Kevin Young was just kicking the tires this year. Instead of the end of a season, it may be the start of a new era for Cougar basketball. Young started the season with a learning curve and ended it with valuable NCAA Tournament experience after his first year as a major college coach at BYU. On Thursday night in the Sweet 16, No. 6 seed BYU stepped into the bright burning sun of No. 2 seed Alabama's bomb show and blinked. Advertisement Nobody's ever had 25 3-pointers rained down upon them in NCAA Tournament history until BYU did in New Jersey as it lost to Alabama 113-88. 'The future at BYU is incredibly bright,' said Young. 'I think anyone that pays attention to the sport would agree with that.' BYU coach Kevin Young Historic and amazing. For both teams. BYU decided to go under Alabama's ball screens. That opened the door for the nation's top shooting team to light them up bonfire style. Now, Young wants to make sure it never happens again. Unless it's his guys doing the bombing. Alabama came into the BYU game with 6-of-21 and 7-of-17 shooting from distance in a pair of NCAA tourney wins. As the No. 1 2-point shooting team, Young's staff emphasized stopping that aspect of Alabama's attack and analytically believed a struggling Mark Sears and Company would cool off. Advertisement They never did, and Sears made 10 treys. No shame in losing to a blistering-hot team like that. All-American Sears was on fire while Cougar Trevin Knell's 3-pointer just 10-seconds after intermission earned him a technical foul. It was that kind of night for the Cougars. This weekend, Young returns to his office with far more credibility as a college coach than he came in with last April when he replaced Kentucky-bound Mark Pope. His team finished 26-10. His program has a clear identity and blueprint. Some experts have declared BYU and the way Young is doing it is the future of the college game. Picked to finish ninth in the Big 12, his team finished tied for third with a 14-6 league record and first NCAA Tournament win in 13 years. Advertisement Losing to Alabama and going home will hurt. But nobody projected his team would be on that stage with two NCAA Tournament wins for the first time in 14 years. He's got the No. 1 high school recruit in the country coming to town in AJ Dybantsa and the No. 33-ranked 247Sports player in that class in center Xavion Staton. He could return NBA lottery pick Egor Demin and should get his best players back, All-Big 12 wing player Richie Saunders, shot-block jumper Keba Keita, Mihailo Boskovic, Dawson Baker and Dallin Hall. And just as important, if not more, his staff is attacking the transfer portal for some help. Advertisement As fellow Big 12 brethren Texas Tech, Houston, Arizona, Iowa State and others proved, much can be added to a program with instant injection of transfer talent. BYU will now hunt for pieces that will make a difference next year. Young told the media after the Alabama loss, he and 'Bama coach Nate Oats share the same philosophy and their respective offenses were No. 1 and 2 in 'efficient shot diets' this past season. 'He's one of the, I think, few teams that spaces like we do. Now, obviously, like I said, they have more dynamic guard play than we had. So when you have that kind of spacing and that kind of dynamic guard play, it's really, really difficult to guard,' said Young. 'But I think, for me anyway, it just kind of validates that that style of play is really hard to stop, especially if you can recruit to it, which they've done. And all coaches are thieves, man, so I'll just continue to learn from all these really good coaches and try to be better next year and continue to build our program.' BYU Cougars head coach Kevin Young calls out to his players while guard Egor Demin (3) controls the ball against the Wisconsin Badgers during a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament held at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Saturday, March 22, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News Young just got BYU to the Sweet 16 for only the third time in school history. Advertisement He did it in 11 months, faster than Frank Arnold did in 1981 when it took him half a decade to assemble a squad with Danny Ainge and his supporting cast of NBA players Greg Kite and Fred Roberts. Young did it faster than Dave Rose did in 2011 when he went to New York and got Jimmer Fredette to play in the backcourt with the best defensive player in school history, Jackson Emery — and it took him six years. No, Young is fast-tracking BYU basketball at a pace nobody has witnessed before. Young praised his team that he said 'had to get out of the mud' with a 1-3 start in Big 12 play, but clawed its way to stacking wins at the end of the season to the Sweet 16. He credited his players for working their butts off to forge themselves into a force. 'The future at BYU is incredibly bright,' said Young. 'I think anyone that pays attention to the sport would agree with that. This was obviously kind of a — just a statement, I think, this season, where it's like, we're a force to be reckoned with in the Big 12 and nationally, led by really good players that we had this year, and we'll continue to try to bring good players in.' Advertisement Young called what is going on in Provo 'exciting' to see unfold. 'It's exciting to think about what we can build for our staff and me, who are new in this whole thing. We had a lot of learning we had to do and are still learning, obviously. But we feel like, foundationally, we've kind of put out a blueprint of how we want to play. I think our identity is clear. 'Now we've got to hopefully do a good job to continue to recruit to that identity and continue to try to bring in high-end talent so we can play with the teams who historically have played deep into this tournament. That's our goal.' What is the ceiling for Young in the months and seasons to come? Advertisement We got a glimpse before they bowed to Alabama in Newark. After his team made 18 treys in a win over Iowa State, one of the country's best defenses, you'd think a great goal next year would be to copy or exceed what Alabama did Thursday night. Make 25 against somebody, perhaps in an NCAA tourney game, and get a third win on this stage. Brigham Young Cougars guard Trey Stewart (1) and Brigham Young Cougars guard Trevin Knell (21) talk to media at a press conference after the Brigham Young Cougars lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide in an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars guard Trey Stewart (1), Brigham Young Cougars guard Trevin Knell (21) and Brigham Young Cougars center Fousseyni Traore (45) attend a press conference after the Brigham Young Cougars lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide in an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars forward Mawot Mag (0) listens during a press conference after the Brigham Young Cougars lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide in an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News BYU head basketball coach Kevin Young speaks at a press conference after the Brigham Young Cougars lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide in an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Alabama Crimson Tide forward Max Scharnowski (45), Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon (0) and Alabama Crimson Tide forward Aiden Sherrell (22) surround Brigham Young Cougars guard Trey Stewart (1) during the second half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars center Keba Keita (13) dunks the ball during the second half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Alabama Crimson Tide forward Mouhamed Dioubate (10) tries to get the ball away from Brigham Young Cougars forward Richie Saunders (15) during the second half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars guard Trey Stewart (1) and Brigham Young Cougars guard Trevin Knell (21) hug after the Brigham Young Cougars lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide in an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars forward Richie Saunders (15) shoots over Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon (0) during the second half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Alabama Crimson Tide forwards Aiden Sherrell (22) and Jarin Stevenson (15) guard Brigham Young Cougars forward Richie Saunders (15) during an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News BYU players hug during the first half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News People wait for the Brigham Young Cougars to play the Alabama Crimson Tide in an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Blake Shepherd plays the drums with the BYU Roc Band as the Brigham Young Cougars play the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Tom Holmoe, BYU's athletic director, watches the Brigham Young Cougars play the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars forwards Mihailo Boskovic (5) and Richie Saunders (15) guard Alabama Crimson Tide forward Derrion Reid (35) during the first half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News From right, Dave Studdert, Luke Studdert and Lanie Studdert, all of Midway, cheer and smile as the Brigham Young Cougars play the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Katie Studdert holds a poster of President Donald Trump dressed in BYU clothes as the Brigham Young Cougars play the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News People watch as Brigham Young Cougars guard Trevin Knell (21) lays on the ground with a bloody nose during the first half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars forward Richie Saunders (15) yells to his teammates as the Brigham Young Cougars play the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News BYU assistant basketball coach John Linehan and Brigham Young Cougars forward Richie Saunders (15) wave to the crowd as they leave the court after losing an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game to the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars guards Dallin Hall (30) and Trey Stewart (1) guard Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon (0) in the first half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars forward Richie Saunders (15) moves around Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) during the second half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars guard Egor Demin (3) shoots between Alabama Crimson Tide guards Mark Sears (1) and Aden Holloway (2) during the second half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars guard Egor Demin (3) shoots in front of Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) during the second half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars guard Egor Demin (3) dribbles the ball during the second half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars guard Dallin Hall (30) moves around Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon (0) during the second half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars guards Dawson Baker (25) and Dallin Hall (30) hug after losing an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars forwards Mihailo Boskovic (5) and Richie Saunders (15) hug after losing an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars guard Trey Stewart (1) and Brigham Young Cougars guard Trevin Knell (21) leave the locker room after losing an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News BYU head basketball coach Kevin Young yells as the Brigham Young Cougars play the Alabama Crimson Tide in the second half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. BYU lost 113-88. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars forward Richie Saunders (15) passes the ball over Alabama Crimson Tide center Clifford Omoruyi (11) during the first half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Alabama Crimson Tide forward Jarin Stevenson (15) knocks the ball away from Brigham Young Cougars forward Mihailo Boskovic (5) in the first half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Brigham Young Cougars forward Richie Saunders (15) dribbles around Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon (0) during the first half of an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Nick Pericle plays corn hole with other BYU fans outside of the Prudential Center before the Brigham Young Cougars play the Alabama Crimson Tide in an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News People arrive at the Prudential Center before the Brigham Young Cougars play the Alabama Crimson Tide in an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Mary Diehl and Maria Miles, who traveled from the Boston area to cheer on BYU, watch their husbands pose for a spin camera outside of the Prudential Center before the Brigham Young Cougars play the Alabama Crimson Tide in an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Rush Budge, from Saratoga Springs, gets his face painted by Sister Lovely outside of the Prudential Center before the Brigham Young Cougars play the Alabama Crimson Tide in an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Seth Konopasek and Ryan Freeman play corn hole outside of the Prudential Center before the Brigham Young Cougars play the Alabama Crimson Tide in an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Jon Budge and Rush Budge, from Saratoga Springs, play Connect 4 outside of the Prudential Center before the Brigham Young Cougars play the Alabama Crimson Tide in an NCAA Sweet 16 basketball game in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, March 27, 2025. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Chicago Tribune
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Lincoln-Way West's Adam Gerl gets into groove for combined no-hitter against Shepard. ‘My style is very fiery.'
Senior right-hander Adam Gerl threw what he thought was his best pitch for Lincoln-Way West. It turned out to be the only time Shepard came close to breaking up the no-hitter. 'My style is very fiery — the most amped guy on the team,' Gerl said afterward. 'I love mixing things up because my fastball is not always on. My slider was not great (Tuesday). 'The best one I threw was the one they put on the ground.' It still ended up as an out as Gerl, who totaled eight strikeouts in three innings, guided the Warriors to a 13-0 nonconference victory in five innings over the host Astros in Palos Heights. Senior reliever Ben Joynt struck out two to close out the no-hitter for Lincoln-Way West (2-0). Kentucky-bound senior outfielder Conor Essenburg went 2-for-2 with three runs, two walks and two RBIs. Junior infielder Jackson Mansker drove in three RBIs with an inside-the-park home run. Junior pitcher Blake Bartczak struck out two and allowed just two hits in 2 2/3 innings for Shepard (1-1). He was hampered by control issues, surrendering five of the Astros' 11 walks. Gerl, however, was virtually untouchable. The Wisconsin-Parkside commit coaxed a 4-3 putout after striking out the first eight batters. He recorded strikes on 28 of his 46 pitches. 'I was able to get ahead with the fastball,' said Gerl, who notched half of his strikeouts on called strikes, with Shepard's batters frozen by his location. 'Go to two strikes, work high fastballs.' During the game, Gerl's fastball was clocked at 88 mph, a personal best. 'I shocked myself with that,' he said. 'I take every hitter and I treat them all the same. I just try to get the strikes across, no matter what the catcher calls, and get my defense involved. '(Tuesday) I didn't really need to do that.' Gerl's focus and drive are legendary among his teammates, according to Joynt. 'It doesn't matter who he's facing out there, he never thinks anyone is better than him,' Joynt said. 'He is capable of striking out anybody if he puts his mind to it. He goes after every single player. 'Coming out in relief is always a good position to be in with Adam.' As the team's top offensive threat, Essenburg understands the mentality of pitchers. 'Adam works at a great tempo,' he said. 'It's good to be able to work quickly, and he's gotten really good at that. If you watch him in between innings, he's really locked in. 'He's not getting too excited or really talking to anybody. He stays focused.' A two-year varsity regular, Gerl pitches exclusively. He doesn't have to worry playing infield or outfield or batting. He also credited the influence of his older brother, Ben. Ben, a Lincoln-Way West product, played Division I baseball at Northern Kentucky. 'My brother's a big part of my life,' Adam said. 'He's five years older than me, and I grew up watching him. My brother is one of my best friends. I can talk to him about anything, sports or school, and he's helped me a lot with the mental side of the game. 'I knew I wouldn't go to college for hitting. Starting last year, I just focused on being a pitcher.' A self-described introvert off the field, Gerl is the team's loudest booster when he's not pitching. 'Getting those strikeouts are great, but I really like watching my teammates make good plays or get nice hits, the big home run,' he said. 'My biggest thrill is just running into the dugout and getting the other guys fired up.'
