The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Sports Wednesday, June 27, 2018 B- 3 Daves loses no-hitter in 7th inning as Jasper Reds shut out Western Kentucky Giants 3-0 By Ed Cahill Press-Dispatch Sports Editor sports@pressdispatch.net Pike Central High School alum Bo Daves tossed his third consecu- tive one-hitter as the Jas- per Reds semi-profession- al baseball team defeated visiting the Western Ken- tucky Giants 3-0 in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, June 23, at Rux- ter Field. Daves held the Giants hitless until surrendering a double with no outs in the seventh inning, but – with runners on second and third bases – retired the next three batters, includ- ing two on ground-outs to third baseman Lane Kirk- land, to preserve the shut- out victory. For the game, Daves walked two and struck out nine, including five straight batters in the first and sec- ond innings. With the win, Daves im- proved to 4-0 on the sea- son –during which he's al- lowed a total of six hits in 22 innings, walked two and struck out 32 – while pre- serving his earned run av- erage at 0.00. The Reds took a 1-0 run in the third inning when Adam Hedinger drew a lead-off walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Noah Luebbehusen and to third on an a ground-out by Josh Weidenbenner be- fore scoring on a throwing error. Jasper extended its lead to 3-0 with on a two-out two-run single by Austin Simmers – scoring both Hedinger and Luebbehu- sen – in the fifth inning. The Jasper Reds, who won the nightcap 1-0 to im- prove to 9 -0, will host the St. Louis Eagles on Friday, July 6, at 7:15 p.m. On Sat- urday, July 7, the Reds and Eagles will play a double- header scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. skill guys-wise, I don't know them real well, but I'm very excited about what we have, just from seeing them move around and cut a little bit." Stephens said that the team has several members who haven't ever played foot- ball on the high school lev- el – or at all – including ris- ing junior Tyler Kirby, who placed 12th in pole vault during the boys' track and field state finals last month. "He looks the part when he's running around and stuff," Stephens said. "We'll see how it goes when we start getting into actual scheme stuff, but he looks the part. There's some good freshmen that are some good looking freshmen that have come out. I can't com- plain about our skill posi- tions at all." Stephens, after announc- ing that he had been unoffi- cially hired as head football coach – pending final ap- proval by the school board – on Facebook on Monday, June 18, met with the team the following evening, on Tuesday, June 19. "I told the players when we met the first day, I'm not looking for the best players, I'm looking for the right players," Stephens said. "We want to have a certain cul- ture that's here, and we're going to be demanding in our culture, and there's student-athletes that think they can fit our culture of hard work, discipline, com- mitment, effort and enthu- siasm, then we're the right place for them, and we en- courage them to come out regardless of their skill, re- gardless of their age." "We have, I think, three first-year players that are se- niors, and it's nice to have them out here," Stephens continued. "And we've had a couple of kids, 'Coach, I hav- en't played since fifth grade.' I'm fine with that. Come out. We want anybody that's in- terested to come out. I think that we have an exciting of- fense. We're going to have an exciting style of defense. I think the kids are going to enjoy what we do and they're going to enjoy our approach. I really think that right now is the time to get on board, to join." "We're at 40 kids, and my hope is that the 40 kids that have come out will share what a positive experience it is, the things they're get- ting out of football, with some of those kids who are on the fence, and that ev- erybody will keep coming out," Stephens added. "I'd like to see us consistently, as a program, be 55 to 60 players dressed out, nine through 12, and as I think as we start doing things the right way and parents start to see what we're all about, not only in schemes and x's and o's, but what we're do- ing as far as leadership skills and teaching those kinds of things, I think we'll get those numbers." Stephens said that any student interested in play- ing football can come by the school on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., when the team will be working out both in the weight room and on the practice field. "They can contact me through my school e-mail," Stephens said. "They can call and leave a message through the school. That's fine as well. They can leave a message on the Facebook page or they can private message me. Whatever way they want to get ahold of us – we'll take any form of com- munication." Following the moratori- um week of July 2 through July 8, workouts will resume on Monday, July 9, with the Chargers scheduled to play an 11-on-11 scrimmage at home against Mount Ver- non (Posey) on Thursday, July 12 at 6:30 p.m. Pike Central will also play an 11-on-11 scrimmage at Greencastle on Friday, Ju- ly 13. "It's a little bit of a haul, but Coach (Mike) Meyer is a guy I coached with at Green- castle, and has been head coach for a long time," Ste- phens said. "I know he'll give us what we need out of it. In- stead of just going to com- pete, we'll take time, we'll do some small group work. If I need a certain look, if I need a certain thing, if I need him not to blitz, I trust him. He trusts me." "I know that we'll go up there and Pike Central will get better that day for hav- ing gone to that," Stephens added. "It is a haul, but that's why we're going to commit to going up there, because it's going to be worth it for our boys." The Chargers also have an 11-on-11 scrimmage scheduled at Edgeweood on Saturday, July 21. "Brian Rosenburgh is the head coach at Edgewood, a guy I was on staff with at Edgewood, another guy I trust to help give us what we need," Stephens said. "We're going to do the same and give him what he needs for his team." Stephens, who scheduled a meeting with parents on Wednesday, June 27, said that he had received nothing but encouragement since taking the position. "I think we can be a con- tender if we're given the right kind of time and the right kind of support," Ste- phens said. "I was ready to combat this thing and that thing, but I found quite the opposite. Every single per- son has been super sup- portive. Every person has reached out. Coach Powell is now the athletic director. He's been super supportive. Everything that we've want- ed from the administration, about certain coaches we wanted and things like that, they've been supportive of every single thing that we've asked for." In addition to J.J. How- ald as the high school var- sity team's offensive coor- dinator, the school board approved the hiring of Ca- leb Cherry as defensive co- ordinator; Michael Poteet and Mike Frazier as assis- tant coaches; Kane Osgath- arp, Jarrod Gidcumb, Jayme Kunz and Rodney Loveless as volunteer assistant coach- es; Dylan Cates as a part- time volunteer assistant coach; and Tony McHargue as a volunteer administra- tive assistant. In addition, at Pike Cen- tral Middle School, Jeremy Howald was approved as the eighth grade head coach; Jake Robinette was approved as the seventh grade head coach; Kenny Schultz was approved as an assistant coach; and Luke Vinnedge and Jacob Marchino were approved as volunteer as- sistant coaches. "I think there are a lot of great people, and there's been people who have mes- saged me, who have contact- ed me, 'Coach, anything you need, you let me know. We'll help out.' So there's been a lot of support from that, and I'm excited. I'm excited to represent this community." STEPHENS Continued from page 1 The Winslow Sports League's 8U baseball team, Sisson Steel, finished as runner-up in the Community League Tournament on Wednesday, June 20, dropping a 13-12 loss to host Lynn- ville in the championship game after taking first- place honors during the regular season. Pictured above are: Hunter Tincher, Bryer Tincher, Mason Hudson, Brody Hildenbrand, Logan Carrico, Wy- att Spaulding, Isaiah Harvey, Sawyor Thompson, Trenton Stone, Deacon Jenkins, Levi Reinhart, Assistant Coach Kirt Cates and Head Coach Josh Moore. Submitted photo The Winslow Sports League's 10U baseball team, Solar Sources, finished first in the Com- munity League Tournament on Thursday, June 21, defeated visiting Elberfeld in the champion- ship game after taking first-place honors during the regular season. Pictured above are, first row, from left to right: Landon Hart, Billy Hart, Miche- al Fultz, Andrew Vanderveer, J.J. Belmore, Nate Davis, Tre Micheal Dickerson and Hunter Moore. Second row: Trevor Keith, Aidan Myers-Jackson, Aydin Stewart and James Norrington. Third row: Coaches Justin Hart, Micheal Fultz and Scott Bel- more. Submitted photo you can learn a lot from the Newspaper! Encourage your children to make reading the newspaper a part of their everyday routine for lifelong learning. Newspapers are living textbooks, helping students develop reading, math, social studies and language skills while exploring the issues affecting our world today. 1 Year Subscriptions start at just $27.00 for Pike and Surrounding Counties CALL 812-354-8500 or e-mail subscriptions@pressdispatch.net Jasper Reds pitcher Bo Daves delivers the ball toward the plate during game action against the visiting Western Kentucky Giants in a semi-pro- fessional baseball game played at Ruxer Field. Daves held the Giants to just one hit while walk- ing two and striking out nine in a 3-0 victory. Ed Cahill photo SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY? Give us a call: 812-354-8500