Indiana
Homers, gems and steals: Vote for IndyStar softball players of the week (Sectionals)
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.
Nobody is good enough to win the national championship in the ACC, and no one looks good enough to win the national championship in the Big 12.
At this rate, we might get a 24-team College Football Playoff before a Group of 6 team makes a national title appearance.
And yet … six of the College Football Playoff selection committee’s top-25 teams suffered a loss this week, including two of the ACC’s top three. It was a good week to be idle — as were seven of the top 25 overall.
Meanwhile, Iowa, unranked by me, dropped its 12th straight to a ranked opponent: an Oregon team I’ve consistently ranked in the top seven, which has shown itself to be the Big Ten’s third-best team with a “big boy” win.
With that, here’s a look at my top 25 rankings following Week 11 of the college football season:
1. Ohio State (9-0), Previously Ranked: 1
Week 11 result: Defeated Purdue, 34-10
No Ohio State WR Carnell Tate, no problem. Buckeyes QB Julian Sayin passed for 303 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith caught 10 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown.
2. Indiana (10-0), Previously Ranked: 2
Week 11 result: Defeated Penn State, 27-24
The Hoosiers squandered a 20-7 lead but rallied late, overcoming a 24-20 deficit to secure the win on an outstanding catch by wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.
Penn State outgained Indiana in total yards, rushing yards, and passing yards, but could not make a stop when it mattered most.
Indiana became the first 10-win team in the sport this season, and the Hoosiers won at Penn State for the first time in program history.
3. Texas A&M (9-0), Previously Ranked: 3
Week 11 result: Defeated Missouri, 38-17
Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed completed 20 of 29 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Rueben Owens II added 102 yards and a pair of scores on the ground.
The Aggies are 9-0 for the first time since 1992 and 6-0 to start conference play for the first time since 1998. They are the only team in the country with three road wins vs. ranked opponents.
4. Alabama (8-1), Previously Ranked: 4
Week 11 result: Defeated LSU, 20-9
Alabama QB Ty Simpson completed 21 of 35 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown for the Crimson Tide, but the story of the game was Bama’s defense. The Crimson Tide allowed just 13 first downs and 232 yards while keeping LSU out of the end zone for the first time since the 2012 national championship game.
5. Oregon (8-1), Previously Ranked: 5
Week 11 result: Defeated Iowa, 18-16
Oregon running back Noah Whittington rushed for 118 yards as the Ducks extended their road winning streak to 11 games, which is the longest streak in the FBS. The victory keeps Oregon in position to claim the third CFP spot likely reserved for the Big Ten if current standings and rankings hold through the end of the season.
6. Georgia (8-1), Previously Ranked: 6
Week 11 result: Defeated Mississippi State, 41-21
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton accounted for 295 total yards and four touchdowns to keep the Dawgs in third place in the SEC standings.
7. Ole Miss (9-1), Previously Ranked: 7
Week 11 result: Defeated The Citadel, 49-0
The Rebels put up 603 yards of offense and allowed just 103 against their FCS opponent. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss completed 29 of 33 passes for 333 yards with three touchdowns.
8. Texas Tech (9-1), Previously Ranked: 9
Week 11 result: Defeated BYU, 29-7
Texas Tech QB Behren Morton completed 17 of 32 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown, while running back Cameron Dickey added 121 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
With the win, the Red Raiders snapped a 16-game losing streak against AP top-10 teams.
9. BYU (8-1), Previously Ranked: 8
Week 11 result: Lost to Texas Tech, 29-7
After being held scoreless in the opening half for the first time since Week 10 of 2023, the Cougars dropped their first game of the season, falling into second place in the Big 12 title race.
10. Texas (7-2), Previously Ranked: 10
Week 11 result: Idle
11. Oklahoma (7-2), Previously Ranked: 11
Week 11 result: Idle
12. Notre Dame (7-2), Previously Ranked: 12
Week 11 result: Defeated Navy, 49-10
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr completed 13 of 16 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns, while Jeremiyah Love rushed for 94 yards and two scores.
The Fighting Irish defense held Navy to just 228 yards of total offense in the win.
13. Vanderbilt (8-2), Previously Ranked: 13
Week 11 result: Defeated Auburn, 45-38
The Commodores survived an outstanding performance from Auburn QB Ashton Daniels (444 total yards with four touchdowns) and equally impressive efforts from wideouts Cam Coleman (10 catches, 143 yards, one TD) and Eric Singleton (11 catches, 102 yards, one TD) to remain in contention for a College Football Playoff spot.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia dueled with Daniels, totaling 489 yards and three touchdowns in a performance that could earn him an invitation to New York for the Heisman ceremony.
14. Georgia Tech (8-1), Previously Ranked: 14
Week 11 result: Idle
15. Michigan (7-2), Previously Ranked: 17
Week 11 result: Idle
16. Pitt (7-2), Previously Ranked: 20
Week 11 result: Idle
17. Utah (7-2), Previously Ranked: 21
Week 11 result: Idle
18. Virginia (8-2), Previously Ranked: 15
Week 11 result: Lost to Wake Forest, 16-9
Virginia starting QB Chandler Morris was forced to leave the game after taking a hit to the head while sliding. In relief, Daniel Kaelin completed 18 of 28 passes for 145 yards.
After jumping out to a 6-0 lead, the Cavaliers gave up 16 points to the Demon Deacons and managed only one score in the second half.
19. Louisville (7-2), Previously Ranked: 16
Week 11 result: Lost to Cal, 29-26
The Cardinals gave up 350 passing yards to Cal true freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele in a game Louisville was favored to win by as many as 18.5 points before kickoff.
20. Miami (Fla.) (7-2), Previously Ranked: 23
Week 11 result: Defeated Syracuse, 38-10
The Hurricanes’ defense punished the Orangemen with seven sacks, two interceptions and three total takeaways.
Miami quarterback Carson Beck threw for 247 yards and a touchdown, while the Hurricanes put up 385 yards of total offense in the win.
21. USC (7-2), Previously Ranked: 24
Week 11 result: Defeated Northwestern, 38-17
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava completed 24 of 33 passes for 299 yards with two touchdowns and an interception — and forced a fumble in the win.
22. North Texas (8-1), Previously Ranked: 25
Week 11 result: Idle
23. Tennessee (6-3), Previously Ranked: NR
Week 11 result: Idle
24. James Madison (8-1), Previously Ranked: NR
Week 11 result: Defeated Marshall, 35-23
The Dukes’ only loss this season came against Louisville, and they are one of just two undefeated teams in conference play among the Group of 6, along with San Diego State.
25. Missouri (6-3), Previously Ranked: 18
Week 11 result: Lost to Texas A&M, 38-17
The Tigers’ defense struggled to stop Texas A&M both on the ground and through the air, giving up 464 total yards — including 243 rushing yards at an average of 6.2 yards per carry — as they dropped their third conference game of the season.
Offensively, running backs Jamal Roberts and Ahmad Hardy each surpassed 100 yards on the ground, combining for 210 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown apiece.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him @RJ_Young.
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Saturday’s tilt between Penn State and Indiana in Happy Valley features the No. 2 team in the country trying to stay undefeated.
That team is a 14.5-point favorite against an underdog doing its best to play the role of spoiler.
If you’re just joining us, you may be surprised to learn that the two-score favorite in this game is actually Indiana, and it’s Penn State, which was ranked No. 2 in the AP’s preseason poll, that is relegated to spoiler.
We’re living in crazy times.
Indiana vs. Penn State odds, prediction
The Indiana Hoosiers are not your typical Cinderella.
This is the second year in a row that Indiana can claim to be one of the best teams in the country, and everything the Hoosiers have accomplished is backed up by a ridiculous statistical profile.
Indiana grades out as the nation’s best offense, per SP+, and ranks eighth in yards per play.
The Hoosiers have a star quarterback in Fernando Mendoza, but they’re far from one-dimensional. In fact, only eight teams run the ball more than Indiana this season. The effectiveness of Indiana’s rushing attack has allowed Mendoza to flourish under Curt Cignetti.
Indiana’s offense is good enough to win games on its own, but it is backed up by one of the stingiest defenses in the country.
According to SP+, only Ohio State has been better without the ball than the Hoosiers.
It’s no wonder that only one team (Iowa) has kept the Hoosiers to a single-digit margin of victory this season.
It’s hard to see Penn State joining that list.
While the Nittany Lions are still talented and should be motivated to win the biggest game left on their schedule at home, things have continued to trend in the wrong direction for Penn State.
Betting on College Football?
The Nittany Lions only mustered 14 points — all of which came in one quarter — against Ohio State, proving that the offense is rudderless without Drew Allar.
The defense grades out as No. 25 in the country per SP+, which is good, but you need to be better than that to slow down Indiana, especially when your offense can’t be relied upon to keep you fresh.
The numbers back up a bet on Indiana in this spot. The Hoosiers have proven, time and again, that they are one of the best teams in the country on both sides of the ball.
If you’re betting on Penn State, you’re just leaning into the narrative that this is their Super Bowl.
Didn’t we just try that angle last week at Ohio State?
The Play: Indiana -14.5 (-110, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
The Indiana Hoosiers are ranked No. 2 in the country and continue to make program history.
On Saturday, they will try to check off another box and do something they’ve never done before, and that’s win at Penn State.
Indiana comes into this game a 15.5-point road favorite, a spread that would have been hard to fathom before the season or really at any point in either of these programs’ histories.
But here we are.
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Bettors might be shy about going against the Hoosiers when looking at recent games. They are coming off wins of 56-6 and 55-10 in their last two games and have won all but one of their games by double digits. They’re undefeated and have won by an average of 31 points, the best margin of victory in the country.
But are these too many points on the road?
I actually like Penn State getting the points here, although it’s admittedly dangerous to bet against Indiana and their head coach Curt Cignetti.
Cignetti is not shy about running up the score on his opponents. But the Nittany Lions have the ground game to move the chains and keep the clock going — a great trait to have for an underdog catching a lot of points.
Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton were expected to spearhead a rushing attack that was going to have Penn State in the mix for a national title after coming just short in last year’s College Football Playoff semifinals. While that goal won’t be reached, the Nittany Lions can play spoiler to some extent here and at least try to disrupt Indiana’s bid for an undefeated season.
State’s quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer has taken over for the injured Drew Allar, and the results have been underwhelming through two starts. However, road games against Iowa and Ohio State are tough assignments for anyone, and now Grunkemeyer gets to finally start at home.
As difficult as it is to bet against Indiana right now, the Hoosiers do have a modest 20-15 win against Iowa on their ledger, and let’s hope — as Penn State backers — that this game can yield a similar score.
Let’s go with Penn State +15.5 and hope the running game does enough to shorten this contest and keep it within a pair of touchdowns.
PICK: Penn State (+15.5) to lose by fewer than 15.5 points
Will Hill, a contributor on the Bear Bets Podcast, has been betting on sports for over a decade. He is a betting analyst who has been a host on VSiN, as well as the Goldboys Network.
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