Baseball: Season preview

When Scott Sherry was growing up in the 1980s, he felt the lingering frustration that comes with being a fan of the Chicago Cubs — but never more so than when the hated St. Louis Cardinals were in town. With noted speed merchants Vince Coleman and Willie McGee at the top of the order, the Cards stole bases with abandon.

“It drove me crazy … ” Sherry said, “watching all those guys steal bases all the time.”

Now, Sherry gets to enjoy the feeling of being on the other side — because when the Whiteland coach fills out his lineup card, he gets to put junior Maalik Perkins in the leadoff spot.

And just as the likes of Coleman, Rickey Henderson and Tim Raines terrorized opposing pitchers and catchers decades ago, Perkins does the same when he’s on base. His mission, as he puts it, is to “start the game with some fire.” Not just for the sake of picking up extra bases, but also to create a distraction that’s going to soften the pitcher up for his Warrior teammates.

When Perkins takes that lead off of first or second base, the opposition can’t help but keep an eye on him.

“It puts the pitcher in a mindset to focus more on me,” Perkins said, “so he’s either not throwing as many strikes or he’s not as focused to hit his spots.”

As a sophomore, Perkins batted .362 and posted an on-base percentage of .450 — and once he got to one base, he often took another. He stole 26 times in 27 games last season.

His teammates took advantage more often than not; Perkins scored a team-leading 30 runs. And once he got the ball rolling, good things usually happened for the Warriors.

“When he does that, it’s a different ball game for us,” Sherry said. “When he gets on and sets the tone and causes havoc on the bases, we’re a different team.”

But it’s not just speed that makes Perkins stand out. Despite his relatively diminutive stature — he was listed at 5-foot-7 and 141 pounds this past football season and isn’t much bigger than that now — he’s also deceptively powerful. Perkins can squat 500 pounds and bench press 250, earning membership in Whiteland’s 1,000-pound club. Sherry calls him “freakishly strong.”

With that additional muscle, Perkins is hoping to improve upon his power numbers from last spring, when he had three doubles, four triples and 19 runs batted in.

“The weight room was a big thing for me this offseason, just trying to get stronger and trying to fit that in my approach,” he said. “I try to just hit line drives, so I think just with the aspect of getting stronger, it’s just going to happen for me.”

If the speed and strength weren’t enough, Perkins is also a student of the game. Now entering his third season as Whiteland’s starting center fielder, he takes pride in helping to lead the team defensively.

“In center field you can see the whole field,” Perkins said. “I usually do a scouting report the night before … so I’ll know if a guy’s a power hitter, a pull side hitter by his swing. So I’ll either get the outfield to shift, move back, something like that.”

His work to make himself as much of a complete package as possible did not go unnoticed; earlier this week, Perkins gave a verbal commitment to play collegiate baseball at Ball State. The relief he felt after calling to tell the Cardinals’ coaching staff, he says, was huge; now, he can just play his game without the pressure of the recruiting process hanging over him.

Which means opposing teams and their fans will feel that same angst that Sherry felt many years ago watching the Cardinals tear up the basepaths against his beloved Cubs.

It’s a lot more fun for Sherry being on the other side.

“We’ve had guys that are quick and guys that can run, but this is a whole different level,” the coach said. “This is top-notch stuff here. It’s pretty fun to watch and pretty fun to coach when you get to see it in person every day.

“He’s got skills you can’t teach.”

SCOUTING THE COUNTY

Center Grove Trojans

Coach: Keith Hatfield

Last season: 29-4, won county, sectional, regional and semistate titles; lost to Penn in Class 4A state championship game

Key returnees: Cameron Alford, A.J. Beggs, Noah Coy, Brendan Ealy, Connor Liford and Conner Vander Luitgaren, seniors; Cal Schembra and Easton Smith, juniors; Kobe Cherry and Gannon Grant, sophomores

Top newcomers: Jordan Jaramillo, Leo McEnulty, Talan Richey and Patrick Smith, seniors; Kyle Boots, Carson Bush, Cayden Jones and Andrew Krupa, juniors; Reed Sawa, Kellen Thomson and Tristan Yerman, sophomores; Drake McClurg, freshman

Outlook: Most schools would be completely gutted if they graduate the amount of talent that the Trojans did after last season’s run to Victory Field. But while Center Grove will need to almost completely rebuild its pitching staff, it does still have some top-end talent in place. Coy, who moonlighted as the state’s best wide receiver in the fall, will be on the baseball diamond at Notre Dame next year; Krupa and McClurg have already committed to Ball State and Indiana, respectively. Hatfield will have to figure it out on the fly with a lot of new faces, particularly on the mound, but he’s excited about the possibilities. Even if there are some bumps early, this group should be a force by late May.

Edinburgh Lancers

Coach: Jason Schoettmer

Last season: 3-22, lost to Morristown in first round of Class A sectional

Key returnees: Gabe Bennett and Austin Brockman, seniors; Milas Burkman, Dakota Graw, Jared Myers and Cole White, juniors; Jayson Music, Brayden Schoettmer and Eli Turner, sophomores

Top newcomers: Avynn Whitaker, junior; Silas Cooney, sophomore; Caden Glick, Ayden Swallows and Alex Taylor, freshmen

Outlook: With nearly everyone back and Bennett healthy after missing about half of last season, the Lancers should be better than they were last year; the only question is by how much. Edinburgh allowed more than 14 runs a game last spring and committed more than 100 errors, so shoring up the pitching and the defense is an obvious first priority. The elder Schoettmer is hoping to at least get some conference wins and perhaps push closer to the .500 mark; if the Lancers can avoid giving up the big innings, those goals might be within reach.

Franklin Grizzly Cubs

Coach: Jeremy McKinney

Last season: 14-14-1, lost to Columbus North in Class 4A sectional semifinal

Key returnees: Tyler Jones, Trevor Launonen, Lane McElyea, Brooks McNicholas and Cooper Taylor, seniors; Landen Basey, Braeden Burton and Nash Netter, juniors; Greyson Betts and Blake Smythe, sophomores

Top newcomers: Carsten Bland, Mason Gomez, Jesse Kaster, Jack Nelson and Gunner Wade, freshmen

Outlook: A return to real life awaits now that the Max Clark Experience has moved on to the pro ranks. McKinney — who starred for the Grizzly Cubs and Indiana State before serving as an assistant to former coach Ryan Feyerabend — is also going to have to rebuild a good chunk of the lineup. Basey, Launonen, Netter and Smythe were all regulars a year ago, and a strong group of freshmen is likely to contribute right away, especially pitchers Wade and Gomez. McKinney is willing to sink or swim with a young team in hopes that there will be a significant payoff in a couple of years, but 2024 could be a little bumpy at times along the way.

Greenwood Woodmen

Coach: Andy Bass

Last season: 16-15, lost to Center Grove in Class 4A sectional final

Key returnees: Brendan Bailey, Logan Connor, Spencer Fay, Wyatt Flowers, Cade Kelly, Jackson Simms, Cooper Smith, Landen Smith and Micah Vessely, seniors; Ethan King, Mavrick Pauley and Sam Thompson, juniors

Top newcomers: Jagger Bray, senior; Eli Mason and Jaden Pierce, sophomores

Outlook: The Woodmen had a nice little roll going at season’s end, winning five of their last six before running into a Center Grove buzzsaw in the sectional title game. They should be able to build on that momentum, with all but one starter and almost all of their pitching arms back again. Smith, a Ball State recruit, will once again be a mainstay at shortstop, while Vessely, Kelly and Connor headline an experienced staff of hurlers. Don’t be surprised if this Greenwood squad manages to challenge favored Mooresville at the top of the Mid-State Conference and possibly make a run in what will likely be its last 4A postseason.

Greenwood Christian Cougars

Coach: Ryan Hurley

Last season: 15-13-1, won sectional and regional titles; lost to Barr-Reeve in Class A semistate semifinal

Key returnees: Colton Flint, Cole Muhlhauser, Charlie Overton, Wyatt Schlageter and Mason Wright, seniors; Isaac Bollhorst, Caden Camden, Eli Jackson and Preston Van Til, juniors; Brandt Kieninger, Steven McClain and Jacob Schlichting, sophomores

Top newcomers: Chase Comerford, Owen Schlageter and Will Simons, freshmen

Outlook: First-year coach Hurley takes over a team that has most of its horses back from a deep tournament run, and confidence is high that the Cougars can at least replicate that success, if not take it all the way to Victory Field. Muhlhauser and Flint were GCA’s top two RBI producers last spring, and Overton scored a team-best 34 runs; offense shouldn’t be an issue. Van Til will need to step into a larger pitching role with the two leading arms from a year ago graduated, but Hurley is confident that those slots will be filled capably. If the pitching is there, then GCA has the tools to make a run at some serious hardware in Class A.

Indian Creek Braves

Coach: Greg Taylor

Last season: 11-10, lost to West Vigo in Class 3A sectional championship game

Key returnees: Brock Bragg, Bryce Harmon, T.J. Kluesner, Blayden Mann, Carter Modlin and Bryce Turner, seniors; Daylin Bohall, Trevor Cravens, Nolan Harden, Levi Laymon, Talan Steinway and Carson Volz, juniors; Colt DeHart, sophomore

Top newcomers: Brady Connell, senior; Nick Winters, freshman

Outlook: The Braves have most of their lineup back after a solid season that could have been even better; seven of the team’s 10 losses were by three runs or less, including four one-run defeats. A more experienced squad could be able to flip some of those results this time around. Steinway, a third-year starter at short, doubles as the team’s No. 1 pitcher, and he’s one of seven returning players who drove in at least 10 runs in 2023. Indian Creek should again be in the mix to challenge West Vigo for Western Indiana Conference and sectional championships, with a chance to make some real noise in the 3A tournament.

Whiteland Warriors

Coach: Scott Sherry

Last season: 13-14, lost to Columbus North in Class 4A sectional final

Key returnees: David Collins and Drew Helton, seniors; Peyton Dickens, Maalik Perkins, Blake Riddle, Brody Williams and Kayden Wilson, juniors; Jordan Palmer, sophomore

Top newcomers: Dillon Brown, Ethan Engel, Connor Grismer and Isaac Phegley, juniors

Outlook: Though the Warriors lost nearly half of last season’s roster, Sherry still has a fairly experienced core that features perhaps the county’s most proven 1-2 pitching punch in Helton and Dickens, as well as a lethal table setter at the top of the order in Perkins, a third-year starter in center field. Whiteland has a junior-heavy group with plenty of players who’ve at least had a taste of varsity action; if they can step in and capably fill full-time roles, this team could be a handful by season’s end — when Helton, who’ll play at Purdue Fort Wayne next year, makes the Warriors a very dangerous postseason matchup for anybody.