Pictured are members of Greenwood’s state champion Junior League baseball team, which will compete in next week’s Central Region tournament in Midland, Michigan.
Submitted photo
The prospect of a six-hour car ride from Greenwood to the northern reaches of Michigan is one most teenagers wouldn’t embrace.
Opposing these odds are a dozen baseball players who can’t get there fast enough.
On Monday, members of the Greenwood Little League Junior All-Star baseball team (ages 13-14), the recently crowned state champion, travel to Midland, Michigan to represent Indiana at the nine-team Junior League Baseball Central Region Tournament.
Greenwood is coming off celebrating winning the state tournament at the Middlebury Little League near Elkhart, capturing four of five games and defeating host Middlebury on Sunday in the title matchup, 15-9.
“It was so exciting. That’s probably the fastest I’ve ever ran to the pitcher’s mound to hug my pitcher,” said first baseman Alex Connor, remembering his sprint in the direction of Greenwood reliever Kolton Pauley.
“A lot of happy tears. Mainly myself.”
Besides Greenwood, this week’s competition includes two teams from Michigan as well as state champions from Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Play opens Wednesday with Indiana taking on host Midland at 11 a.m. The tourney will be capped with the title game on Aug. 6.
The champion stamps its ticket to the Junior League World Series, which will be held August 13-20 in Taylor, Michigan — located a travel-friendlier 120 miles south of Midland.
“This is the first year that this team has been together,” said Greenwood manager Kent Thompson, 61, now in his 31st season a Little League coach, initially at Center Grove and more recently at Greenwood. “This group is probably not the most talented team, but they get along well and they work very hard.
“They have a great time together, and this team just doesn’t quit. They don’t let up. We’ve all bonded, the parents and the kids. I really love that part of it.”
The squad is made up of 12 players — eight of which are students in the Greenwood Community School Corporation — out of the 10-team Greenwood Little League.
Two are future Whiteland Warriors, with Center Grove and Roncalli each represented once on the roster.
Greenwood’s top pitcher, hard-throwing right-hander Parker Jarboe, is also the leadoff hitter. The catcher is Deegan Homan, while Alex Connor is at first base, A.J. Stevenson at second, Derek Rockwell at shortstop and Hank Mosemann the starting third baseman.
Jarboe takes the field at shortstop when not on the hill.
Making up the outfield, left to right, are Aiden Worgess, Pauley and Zack Hellinga. The pool of talent continues in the form of Irie Hunter, who can pitch or play first base or right field, second baseman Caden Mote and pitcher/third baseman Ashton Shell.
Thompson’s assistant coaches are Clint Jarboe, who mainly handles the pitching, and Chad Connor, who coaches first base (Thompson is at third) when Greenwood batters are at the plate.
It’s a group that has jelled quickly, having played only one scrimmage and the aforementioned five games together.
“Honestly, the whole team is really close,” said Alex Connor, who’ll soon start his freshman year at Greenwood. “Most of these guys have known each other for so long, and some of the guys from other schools I’ve known for a while.
“We’re a really hard-working team that doesn’t back down. Our coaches are pushing us, helping us become better players and better people every day.”
Strong in all facets of the game, Greenwood flourishes offensively — as evidenced by scoring a total of 51 runs in last week’s five games.
“We are definitely a hitting team,” said Thompson, a 1981 graduate of Center Grove. “We don’t have a single dead spot in the lineup.”
Greenwood’s numbers, impressive as they may be, aren’t the whole story.
“One thing the statistics aren’t going to show is that we have a really strong faith,” said Mote, who along with Stevenson will be a freshman at Whiteland. “We pray before every game, and I think that’s one of the main reasons for our success.
“We knew there would be challenges, but we were pretty confident in ourselves.”
