Indiana
Homers, gems and steals: Vote for IndyStar softball players of the week (Sectionals)
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IHSAA softball sectional: Cathedral routs Lawrence North to advance
Anna Moore, Mary Hughes and Aubrie Wright following Cathedral’s run-rule win over Lawrence North in the Sectional 10 championship game.
IndyStar will be recognizing the top softball players in Indiana with our players of the week poll.
Scroll to the bottom of the article to vote. Voting is open until 3 p.m. TUESDAY.
We may be doing Players of the Week for regionals. Stay tuned for details!
Congratulations to Heritage Christian’s Naomi Swisher on being voted Player of the Week for May 13-18! The freshman doubled twice, scored two runs and drove in five more in a 15-2 win over Brebeuf.
Here are this week’s nominees.
Insider: Ranking Central Indiana’s 15 sectional champions entering regionals
Regionals: Statewide pairings, schedule, scores
Reagan Bauer, Mooresville
Bauer pitched a five-inning perfect game with nine strikeouts vs. Martinsville in the sectional quarterfinals, went 2-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs against Bloomington North in the semis, then clocked a couple more hits and scored twice in the championship game vs. Center Grove. The junior batted a career-best .347 with 14 RBIs, 28 runs and 10 doubles.
More: Pios made Center Grove ‘earn everything’ in sectional final
Morgan Burgess, Gibson Southern
The senior delivered at the plate and in the circle. She totaled four hits, five RBIs (two in the semis vs. Evansville Memorial and three in the final vs. Princeton) and two runs. Burgess also pitched six innings in the sectional semifinal vs. Evansville Memorial, striking out five and allowing only one earned run (two total) on four hits over six innings.
Elise Coleman, Floyd Central
The sophomore homered twice, doubled once, drove in four runs and scored thrice in a 9-1 title-clinching win over Jeffersonville. Coleman also had an RBI single in a 7-4 semifinal win over Jennings County.
Brylie Couch, Triton Central
The junior pitched a no-hitter in the semifinals vs. Heritage Christian, racking up 13 strikeouts and issuing only one walk. Couch also had a hit and an RBI, then went 2-for-3 with a double, a homer, two RBIs and three runs scored in the championship game vs. Scecina.
Leilani Forshey, Greenfield-Central
The junior hit her 13th homer of the season and drove in three runs in GC’s semifinal win over Mt. Vernon, then collected three hits and three RBIs in the final vs. New Palestine. Forshey finished the season batting .419 with 31 hits, 34 RBIs, 23 runs scored and 13 home runs.
Holly Garrett, Beech Grove
Garrett scored twice against Purdue Poly, then delivered in the bottom of the seventh vs. Speedway. With the score tied at 3, the senior ripped a one-out double to left, stole third and came in to score the winning run on a Kylee Robinson base hit. She also had two assists and a putout in the field.
Riley Janda, Center Grove
Janda was held hitless in the semifinals against Bloomington South, but she took off against Mooresville, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a homer. She scored once and recorded four RBIs, giving her the school’s single-season record with 59.
‘They’re going to go far.’ Healthy, confident & hungry Center Grove claims sectional title.
Caitlin LaFerney, Yorktown
The senior hurler led the Tigers back to regionals. She pitched a two-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts and only one walk in a 12-0 win over Centerville (6 innings), then allowed only two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and zero walks in a 4-2 win over Jay County in the final. LaFerney also had three hits and an RBI vs. Centerville.
Emma Luther, New Prairie
Luther delivered a two-run go-ahead home run in the top of the sixth in the sectional championship game vs. Jimtown. She finished the game 1-for-2 with two walks, two RBIs and a run scored. The senior had hits against South Bend Riley and South Bend Washington, with an RBI vs. Riley and a run scored vs. Washington.
Anna Moore, Cathedral
The Purdue commit finished a double shy of the cycle vs. Pike, going 3-for-4 with five RBIs, three runs and a couple steals, then matched her hit total vs. Lawrence North with four runs and a couple RBIs. She also cleared two milestones last week, reaching 50 hits and 50 runs for the season.
Sydney Oliver, New Palestine
The senior logged a hit, an RBI and a run scored vs. Muncie Central, then picked up three hits, three RBIs and three runs vs. Pendleton Heights and two hits and two RBIs vs. Greenfield-Central. Oliver, who tripled twice, was also perfect on six chances in the outfield with five putouts, an assist and one highlight-reel double play vs. the Arabians.
‘Everyone was spectacular.’ New Palestine’s flawless fielding highlights semifinal rout
Ava Poulson, Huntington North
The senior twirled two one-hit shutouts to punch the Vikings’ ticket to regional. Poulson issued only one walk in both outings, and struck out 13 vs. Fort Wayne South Side (five innings) and eight vs. Columbia City. She also collected four hits (two triples), four runs and two RBIs at the plate.
Sydney Rainford, North Newton
The junior pitched all 10 innings of Saturday’s sectional championship game vs. Illiana Christian, allowing four unearned runs on five hits with a walk and 12 strikeouts. She also logged a hit, two walks and two steals in the 5-4 win. Rainford pitched a four-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts in the semifinals vs. Hammond Bishop Noll and a five-inning perfect game with 14 strikeouts vs. Whiting in the quarterfinals.
Maddie Rose, Castle
Rose clocked a double and two runs in an 11-1 win over Evansville Reitz, then collected a couple more hits (one homer), three runs scored and four RBIs in a 13-0 rout of Evansville North in the championship game.
Logan Rumble, Penn
The sophomore helped ensure a stress-free three-game run through sectionals for the defending 4A champions, collecting seven hits, five runs and six RBIs. Her collection of hits included doubles in each game and a grand slam in the final vs. Elkhart.
Paige Stires, Lapel
The sophomore played a big role in the Bulldogs’ run to a second consecutive sectional title. She went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in a 2-1 win over Frankton, then collected two more hits and another run scored vs. Alexandria-Monroe.
More: Free of pressure, expectations, Roncalli softball looking to make a name for itself
Hannah Sutton, Avon
The senior Murray State commit went 4-for-7 (.571 average) with a couple home runs and five RBIs as Avon won its fourth consecutive sectional title. Sutton accounted for two hits (one homer), three RBIs and a run scored in a 7-1 win over Plainfield in the semifinals.
Grace Swedarsky, Hamilton Southeastern
Swedarsky pitched a two-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts vs. Westfield, a no-hitter with 17 strikeouts and only one baserunner (hit-by-pitch) in the semifinal vs. Zionsville, then struck out 12 vs. Noblesville to lift Hamilton Southeastern to its first sectional title since 2017.
‘The umpires are wowed. I am, too.’ Grace Swedarsky tosses no-hitter in sectional semis
More: Grace Swedarsky keeps mowing ’em down, HSE wins first softball sectional title since 2017
Payton Wulf, South Bend St. Joseph
The freshman shined through the final two rounds of sectionals, collecting three hits and five RBIs. She was excellent vs. Mishawaka in the final, going 2-for-4 with a homer, a run scored and three RBIs.
Izzy Zapp, Noblesville
Zapp made her postseason debut with a 5-for-5 performance that included three runs and six RBIs in the Class 4A Sectional 8 semifinals vs. Fishers. She logged another hit against HSE in the final. The freshman finished the year batting .386 with 22 hits, 13 RBIs and 14 runs scored.
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.
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Indiana
Report: Rival executives monitoring Jarace Walker availability should Indiana Pacers keep Obi Toppin
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According to a report from Michael Scotto in HoopsHype, some executives around the league are keeping an eye on Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker and his possible future should the Pacers retain Obi Toppin in free agency.
Toppin will be a restricted free agent this offseason, and Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said that the franchise is interested in continuing their partnership. “Very happy with the fit. He seems to be happy here too as well,” Buchanan said of Toppin’s free agency. “Would like to continue the relationship, it’s all part of the business when you get into a contract situation. But, really happy with Obi as a Pacer.”
The 26-year old Toppin ended the 2023-24 campaign as Indiana’s backup power forward, which is viewed as Walker’s natural position. Should Toppin stay, he would join a second unit that could consist of T.J. McConnell, Bennedict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard, and a young center — such as Jalen Smith or Isaiah Jackson.
That leaves little room for Walker right now unless he can play more positions. That said, he is just 20-years old, and Indiana still is excited about his future. Walker was the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
“We’re still big believers in Jarace and think there’s a lot of things that he can do that this roster needs,” Buchanan said of Walker while reviewing his rookie season.
The blue and gold are transitioning from a developing team into a group with expectations that is trying to win. At the same time, the idea of what Walker could be someday would fill a lot of the team’s weaknesses. They will try to develop him as fast as possible.
Rival executives are monitoring the situation, according to Scotto. “In other Pacers news, rival executives are monitoring whether the Pacers will keep forward Obi Toppin in restricted free agency. If the Pacers re-sign Toppin, several rival executives believe Jarace Walker could become a trade candidate and are monitoring the former No. 8 overall pick’s availability,” the report reads.
Toppin’s free agency still has not been resolved, and rival executives monitor many situations. It’s their job. Still, it is noteworthy that a similar report was published about Walker’s future back in January, and he was not traded and remained with Indiana.
Scotto’s entire report can be found here. Walker averaged 3.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game during his rookie season with the Pacers.
Indiana
Indiana unemployment sees another slight increase – Inside INdiana Business
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Indiana’s unemployment rate hit 3.7% in May, up one-tenth of a percent from the previous month. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development said Tuesday that the state added 3,400 private sector jobs over April.
May’s unemployment rate marked the second consecutive month-over-month increase.
The DWD said Indiana’s total private employment stands at 2,850,400. The state primarily saw job gains in the trade, transportation and utilities; professional and business services; construction; financial activities; and leisure and hospitality sectors.
The state’s labor force participation rate fell one-tenth of a percent to 62.4%, which remains slight below the national rate of 62.5%. The labor force, which includes residents who are either employed or seeking employment, stands at 3,377,185, down nearly 1,700 from the previous month.
The DWD said the state had 98,693 open job postings as of June 17, while 19,458 unemployment insurance claims were filed as of the week ending May 25.
The state’s unemployment rate is lower than the national rate, which also rose one-tenth of a percent to 4% in May.
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Indiana
Indiana State Museum to offer an adult summer camp
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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Hoosiers can get ready for an eventful Adult Summer Camp hosted by Indiana State Museum on July 12 from 7-9 p.m.
The program is inspired by the new exhibit, Good Night Forest. The nature-inspired exhibit debuted June 8 and features hand drawn illustrations from local artist, Penelope Dullaghan.
Museum goers can enjoy outdoor activities such as archery, axe throwing, bubble bowling and an obstacle course. Activities are not limited to outdoors; visitors can also make friendship bracelets and tie-dye bandanas.
The museum’s galleries will be open for guided after-hours tours and nighttime stargazing.
This program is open to visitors 21 and older. Tickets are $45 for non-members, with a 10% discount for Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites members. Each ticket will include admission to the museum, access to all activities, snacks and one drink ticket.
Space for the summer camp is limited, tickets are available at IndianaMuseum.org.
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