Today, the No. 2 baseball team will host Brownsburg at 3 p.m. in the regional championship. The Trojans have won eight straight coming into this matchup and will look to make their ninth win one with hardware.
The two teams faced each other on May 12, where the Bulldogs eked out a 4-3 victory in extra innings. Though unranked, Brownsburg poses a threat to Center Grove through their scrappy nature of play.
“They’re a scrappy team that doesn’t give away at-bats,” senior first baseman Cal Schembra said. “They put pressure on you by putting the ball in play and forcing mistakes. Their pitching’s solid too—they don’t walk many guys. We’ve got to match that energy, play sharp defense and stay aggressive but smart at the plate. Limiting their momentum will be huge.”
Brownsburg comes into this matchup with momentum from their 2-1 win against Avon in the sectional final. To combat this momentum, the Trojans will need to keep their game clean to let their individual skill shine.
“For us, it starts on the mound. If our pitching staff can get ahead in counts and limit free bases, we put ourselves in a good spot. Offensively, we’ve got to stay disciplined at the plate and capitalize when we’ve got runners in scoring position. Clean defense and timely hitting—those are the keys,” Schembra said.
Another key to the Trojans’ success this season has been the performances of their pitchers, who have let a combined 71 runs over their 29 games, translating to an average of 2.448 runs per game. Pitching will be crucial against a team like Brownsburg.
“Going into the game against Brownsburg, our key to victory is filling up the zone, working ahead in counts and trusting our defense to make plays behind us. Brownsburg is a tough lineup—they’re disciplined and aggressive when they get pitches to hit—so I’ll need to mix my pitches well, keep them off balance and stay composed in big moments,” junior Kellen Thomson said.
The Trojans advanced won the sectional title thanks to Schembra’s two-run single but would have not been in the position to win without a smart play by sophomore Grady Grant, who stopped Franklin Central from increasing their 2-0 lead in the game by turning a double play in a crucial stage in the game. Plays like that will be important in close postseason games.
“Baseball comes down to details—cutoff throws, baserunning decisions, pitch selection. Grady’s play showed great awareness, and in tight games like this, one smart decision can be the difference. Everyone’s got to be sharp every inning,” Schembra said.
Although they have higher aspirations, the Trojans will need a win in the regional championship, not only because it allows them to advance, but also because it helps build the story they’ve written so far.
“One of our biggest strengths as a team is how tight we are—we stay locked in, pick each other up and find ways to compete no matter the situation. A win at this stage would mean everything—it’s what we’ve worked for all year, and it would be a huge step toward what we’re trying to accomplish as a team,” Thomson said.
