Daily Journal file photo
Jacob Murphy’s familiarity with the strike zone is capable of taking on any number of looks.
The Center Grove senior, one of four right-handers making up the top-ranked Trojans’ starting pitching rotation, has been known to use his fastball, usually clocked around 85 miles per hour, for that third strike.
Or, Murphy can use it to set up an opposing batter before slamming the door with a slider or curveball.
Throw in a changeup, and it’s easy to see why Murphy is 8-1 this season with an earned-run average of 0.90.
“I would say the majority of Jacob’s strikeouts are with his slider and curve,” Center Grove coach Keith Hatfield said. “The big thing with Jacob is you have to prepare for four pitches being a strike.
“That’s what makes him more effective than most pitchers.”
In his team-high 54 2/3 innings this season, Murphy has struck out 66 batters and walked only 13. His role is more defined than a year ago, when he went 4-0 with a 1.22 ERA as both a starter and reliever.
As the Trojans prepare for Saturday’s Class 4A semistate semifinal against Brownsburg, nine different pitchers have taken the mound this season. That group includes starters Murphy, classmates Ben Murphy (no relation) and Caden Cornett, who are 5-0 and 4-1, respectively, this season. Freshman Kobe Cherry has been impressive in his debut season on varsity with a mark of 4-0 and a 0.61 earned-run average.
“Any one of us could be the ace,” said Jacob Murphy, who committed in December to play baseball at Thomas More University, a Division II school in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. “But I think I’ve had the best season.”
It remains to be seem who gets the start on Saturday, though Murphy has faced the Bulldogs this season. Center Grove downed Brownsburg in early May, 7-1, with Murphy working six innings, permitting three hits and striking out four batters.
Murphy has pitched four complete games this season.
“In the offseason, every day I was throwing,” Murphy said. “I’m not surprised at how I’m doing, or how we’re doing as a team this season. We had a lot of experience back, and after losing to Mooresville in the semifinal of sectional last year, we just didn’t want that to happen again.
“Making a run in the tournament this season is important to a lot of us.”
Center Grove, which has won 81 of its 94 games since the start of the 2021 season, is taking part in its seventh semistate and its first since 2016.
Two more victories, and the Trojans are state finalists for a second time, joining the 1996 squad.
“All of the seniors have been playing baseball together since we were 5 or 6,” Murphy said. “Knowing all these guys have my back is important, and we go out there and have fun playing the game.”
The season Murphy is enjoying landed him a spot on Indiana’s South All-Star team, along with Trojans shortstop Drew Culbertson. The South team plays a doubleheader against the North All-Stars on June 24 at Loeb Stadium in Lafayette before playing again the following day.
“You never expect anyone to be an Indiana All-Star, and to be as good as he’s been,” Hatfield said of Murphy. “It’s been that special of a season for him.”
