Penn tops Center Grove for sixth baseball crown

By Lewis Bagley, Special to IHSAA.org
INDIANAPOLIS – Penn made a habit of pulling out heart-stopping victories during the 2023 state baseball tournament, so why would one expect the Class 4A state title game against Center Grove at Victory Field would be any different?
Of course, it wasn’t different as evidenced by a 2-0 triumph over the Trojans giving the Kingsmen of coach Greg Dikos their econd-straight state championship and sixth overall.
True to form, it didn’t come easily.
“This is, by far, one of the most exciting state finals finishes I’ve been a part of,” said Dikos, whose team is now six for seven in championship game appearances. “These guys were focused, kept their composure and brought it home.”
After the PHS softball team claimed the 4A championship the previous week, Penn becomes only the second school in IHSAA history to win both the baseball and softball championships during the same season. New Palestine won baseball and softball in Class 3A in 2004.
Penn escaped the LaPorte semi-state the previous week with a 7-6 win over Lake Central and a 1-0 triumph over Hamilton Southeastern.
In the final, the Kingsmen used key performances in all three phases of the game – offense, pitching and defense – to take out the top-ranked Trojans of coach Keith Hatfield.
The Kingsmen (27-8 and unranked in the final state poll) scored their only runs in the third inning. With two out, senior leadoff hitter Cooper Hums smashed a triple down the right field line off CG starter Jacob Murphy.
“(Murphy) hung a fast ball and my eyes lit up,” Hums said. “I saw it go down the line and said if it gets to the wall, I’m at third.”
Cam Dombrowski followed with a double down the left field line to score Hums and Evan Tuesley completed the rally by singling in Dombrowski.
An inning later, the Penn defense came to the fore. With one out, Center Grove’s Grant Sawa sent a screaming liner to center field, but Hums came up with a near-miraculous, over-the-shoulder catch.
A batter later, Bradley Gilliam followed with a single, but Penn starter Adam Lehmann was able to get out of further trouble.
“I saw it go up and I kept running,” Hums said of Sawa’s liner. “I didn’t know if I would get it, but when it hit my glove and I fell, I knew it was the greatest catch of my life.”
“I was smiling ear-to-ear after that catch,” Dikos said.
The Trojans (29-4) tried to get to Lehmann again, who looked shaky in the sixth inning. With two outs, Sawa singled and Gilliam walked with two out.
“Adam pounds the strike zone and his pitch count is always high,” Dikos said. “I didn’t know if he would make it through that inning.”
Lehmann, however, did escape when CG’s A.J. Beggs lined the first pitch to shortstop, where Dombrowski made a nice lunging catch.
Things got even more nerve-wracking in the seventh for Penn.
Sophomore Dawson French replaced Lehmann and, with one out, Dombrowski dropped a pop-up by Gannon Grant. Clearly rattled, French walked Noah Coy to put runners on first and second before striking out Drew Culbertson looking for the second out.
French, however, survived by getting Garrison Barile to pop out for the final out.
“When I saw the ball go up, I thought ‘not another error,’” French said. “When it was caught, I just threw my glove up in the air.”
“The expectations are always high with the Penn-Harris-Madison community,” said Dikos, who completed his 36th year as head coach. “I love coaching here because those expectations are so high.
“I’m just so pleased to bring this (championship) back.”
Penn’s Zachary Pelletier named Bob Gardner Mental Attitude Award recipient
At the conclusion of the game, Zachary Pelletier of Penn High School was announced as the recipient of the Bob Gardner Mental Attitude Award for Class 4A Baseball.
The award is annually presented to a senior participant in the state finals who best demonstrates mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability and is nominated by his principal and coach.
Zachary graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned the United States Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award. He was part of his school’s Student-Athlete Leadership Council and was named Academic All-State in football. He also served as football team captain last season.
Zachary is the son of Allen and Julie Pelletier of Osceola, IN and will attend Huntington University to study Biology with a minor in Pre-Med.
The award is named in honor of Bob Gardner who served as commissioner of the IHSAA from 1995-2000 and spent a total of 15 and a half years on the IHSAA Executive Staff.
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance presented a $1,000 scholarship to Penn High School in the name of Zachary Pelletier.