It's simply uncanny how this group of Noblesville Millers have become who and what they are on this journey thought the Class 4A baseball state tournament.
Tight-knit as can be with each other, head coach Justin Keever and his staff have brought the Noblesville High School baseball program to a level that it has never been. The Millers have now taken the program one step further than its ever been. In 2007, Keever and company, led on the field by current JV assistant coach and then-sophomore Jake Wood, made a state tournament run all the way to the Final Four before being bested by Cathedral.
From a personal standpoint, I was new to the area, but had honestly only seen a few of the Millers' games in that 2007 season while being a freelance writer for a local high school sports web site.
This 2014 team is just different. There's something about this group that just keeps the magic happening week after week and game after game.
Selfless could be the best word to describe this group. It didn't matter who was in the lineup each game or who came in during different situations to contribute, as long as it was for the good of the team.
This team really didn't have that one player that the opposition focused on. Head coach Justin Keever has a lineup full of players that constantly keep the opponent on its heels and wondering what will happen next.
Sure, there were numerous Millers that stand out on stat sheets, but nothing that glares off the page that becomes the focal point of the scouting report.
It was a season of winning streaks, tough losses that were scattered and moments that these players will cherish forever.
The Millers had winning streaks of 3, 7, 4 and put an exclamation point on their 4A state tournament run with a 9-game win streak that culminated with Friday night's 2-1 win over Terre Haute North, crowning them the 2014 Class 4A State Champions!
This state championship season will go down as one that Noblesville Millers players, coaches, fans, parents and the whole Noblesville community and city will never forget.
Even two days later, this still hasn't fully sunk in and seems surreal that we are the 4A State Champions for the 2014 season in the state of Indiana. It brings a smile to my face that I really haven't been able to remove since the final out was recorded on Friday night.
This being my 6th season as the PA voice of Noblesville Miller baseball, I keep etching myself deeper and deeper as a part of this Miller baseball family and I couldn't be more proud to be a part of it and having the role that I've taken on.
Class 4A State Championship - Victory Field, Indianapolis
4A #8 Noblesville 2, 4A #15 Terre Haute North 1
Noblesville 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 - 2 6 0
Terre Haute North 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 6 1
Anytime that you appear in a game at this level and on this grand stage in prime time on a Friday night, there are bound to be jitters .
This was Noblesville's first ever appearance in the baseball championship game and Terre Haute North's first since 1983, when the Patriots lost 4-2 to Fort Wayne Northrop at Bush Stadium in Indianapolis. Until 1997, all sports, excluding football, were still in the single-class format.
Being the visitors on the scoreboard, the Millers would bat first and try to shake loose the nervousness as quick as they could.
Two quick outs via a strikeout and groundout by Andrew Wilson and Brian McLean, respectively, gave North starting pitcher Austin Hicks a confidence boost. Hicks allowed his first hit as Garrett Christman slinged a 1-0 pitch to left, but pinch runner Matt Swearingen was stranded at first on Vinny Essig's strikeout to end the top of the first.
The Patriot bats weren't jittery from the start. Zach Milam mirrored Christman's hit and took a 3-2 pitch to left. Highly-touted sophomore catcher TJ Collett was hit by a pitch for two runners on with one out. Collett was relieved by pinch runner Lucas Davis.
Nathan Will duplicated Milam's single to left and drove home Milam for Terre Haute North's lone run of the night and an early 1-0 lead.
Christman got out of the jam 5 pitches later, forcing Cody Maloon into a routine 5-4-3 double play.
Noblesville's second trip to the plate was quick, but Zack St. Pierre led off with a single to right, but was doubled off first base when Easton Brock lined out to Will at first.
Garrett got more comfortable on the mound over the next few innings, striking out three and scattering just three hits before Cory Conway took over.
Bret Rundle put a spark in the Miller offense by getting aboard by an error from second baseman Jonathan Eilbracht, as Rundle's hard hit grounder took a hop and Eilbracht couldn't corral it.
Sophomore Austin Shirley was on to pinch run for Rundle. Andrew Wilson stroked a hit to right center to get the "blacked out" Miller faithful on their feet. The Noblesville crowd would jump to their feet again moments later. Brian McLean got under an 0-1 pitch and flied out to right, but that allowed Austin Shirley to trot home and Noblesville was now tied with Terre Haute North, 1-1.
Cory Conway was on with one out and Eilbracht on 2nd. CC might have been a hair nervous and he showed it a little by walking Milam and Collett (intentionally) to give the Patriots bases loaded with one out.
Not a problem at all for the sophomore crafty lefty.
Conway got a chance to show off his best, striking out Nathan Will and Cody Maloon (looking) to end the Terre Haute North threat, leaving the bags full.
Patient as he could be, Zack St. Pierre was walked by Hicks to lead off the 6th. Next, something happened that got the Miller crowd as loud as it had been all night.
Dax McLochlin got ahold of a Hicks curveball and lofted it up and over the head of center fielder Lane Dransfield. The junior first baseman was waived to come on to third by 3rd base coach Kevin Fitzgerald and did so sliding in head first. On the hit, Zach St. Pierre scored from first to give Noblesville the lead 2-1.
Noblesville's fans had completely erupted at this point and I'm glad that I was in the front row, just in front of the field tarp and just off the dugout to witness this.
Conway seemed a little tense as he could feel the pressure, but that really didn't phase the him much. Sandwiched by three walks to lead the bases for the second inning in a row, Cory was able to get two outs before senior Trevor Salmon came on in the bottom of the 6th.
Salmon hadn't pitched since Fort Wayne Carroll jumped on him for 3 runs in the first in Noblesvilles comeback Regional Championship game 13 days prior.
There couldn't be a better time for Trevor to come into the game and get his personal confidence back where it should be.
Trevor was completely focused on his task at hand and struck out Zach Milam (looking) for the third out
After the Millers left a pair of runners on base to end the top of the 7th, Salmon was back to work looking to earn the save.
TJ Collett led things off with a single to left to get the Patriots' crowd back into the game. At that point, all 4,961 in attendance at Victory Field were on their feet.
Collett was subbed once again for a pinch runner (Lucas Davis). It's much easier for a left-handed pitcher to keep tabs on a runner on base. Salmon caught Davis off of first just a little far and flicked the ball over to Dax McLochlin and picked Davis off for the first out. That made the next two outs somewhat easier for Salmon.
Nathan Will grounded out to Dax at first for the second out. Cody Maloom grounded to Vinny Essig at 2nd and Essig tossed easily to McLochlin at first and the game was over!
The Millers had outlasted the Patriots 2-1 and the dog pile ensued beside the pitcher's mound in celebration.
North left 10 runners on base, but more importantly the Patriots left the bases loaded in both the 5th and 6th innings. Noblesville left 8 on base, but was able to keep control of things with solid pitching.
Garrett Christman worked hard and left the game in the fifth with 3 strikeouts, allowing 5 hits and one run (earned).
Cory Conway fanned 3 in 1.1 innings, walked 5, but still managed to earn the win to improve his record to 5-1.
Enter Trevor Salmon to save the game. Salmon came in with two outs in the bottom of the 6th and pitched like an absolute boss. Striking out Milam with the bases juiced, the Miller crowd rose to its feet. Trevor came back out in beast mode in the bottom of the 7th to finish off the Patriots and had to face Collett first. Three up and three down and the Millers achieved their ultimate goal.
Noblesville had become something they had only dreamed about...STATE CHAMPIONS!
It came down to completely selfless play by the Millers and another solid team win. It was in the cards for the Noblesville Millers to complete this state tournament run with hoisting the state championship trophy.
This is Noblesville's first baseball state championship and the first overall for the athletic program since 1999 when the boys' golf team brought home the hardware for the second of back-to-back state titles in 1998 and 1999.
Terre Haute North's season came to an end with a record of 25-8. With 8 seniors on their roster, the Patriots should be primed for another state tournament run in 2015, especially with the help of University of Kentucky recruit and sophomore TJ Collett, along with DH Cody Maloon and RF Bretty Herndon.
Center fielder Brian McLean and manager Megan Lutz will never forget this particular birthday that they share. The two turned a year older and probably won't be able to top a birthday gift of winning the state championship.
Noblesville put the icing on the cake of the 2014 season with the state championship and finished with a 28-8 final record and a 9-game winning streak.
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