On the latest edition of the Sideline Sports Show, Brice and DC recap an unforgettable weekend of high school baseball as several northeast Indiana teams battled for a trip to the state finals.
Listen to “Bluffton Advances to State, Ryan Walker Joins, Concordia to Leave SAC” on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.
The biggest story belongs to Bluffton, which is heading to the state championship game for the first time in program history. Bluffton defeated Lakeland baseball 8-2 in the semi-state championship game after edging Lafayette Central Catholic baseball in the semifinals on a bloop single by Grayson Crowder that scored Jacob Kephart.
The Tigers' postseason run has been fueled by the remarkable play of Griffin Morgan. The senior went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in the championship game after throwing a one-hit shutout in the semifinals. Over his last two appearances, Morgan has pitched 14 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while striking out 15 batters.
Now, the Tigers will face top-ranked Evansville Mater Dei in the Class 2A state championship game on Saturday.
Joining the show is Ryan Walker of the Bluffton News-Banner to discuss Bluffton's historic postseason run. The conversation centers around the Tigers' incredible power surge after hitting just one home run as a team a season ago and surpassing 25 this year, as well as what makes Griffin Morgan so difficult for opposing hitters to solve.
Elsewhere in semi-state action, the magical season for Blackhawk Christian came to an end with a 13-1 loss to Kouts.
Meanwhile, DeKalb, Norwell, and Snider all saw their seasons come to an end at semi-state.
The show then turns its attention to the future of the Summit Athletic Conference following news that Concordia will leave the conference and join the Allen County Athletic Conference. Reaction to the move has been mixed, and with the SAC publicly stating it is open to adding another member, we discuss potential candidates and whether even more conference realignment could be on the horizon.
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