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.
Indiana
Weirdo Sports Columnist Gregg Doyel Gets Worked Up Over Ohio State Dominating Indiana, Gets Eviscerated On X
It’s a day that ends in the letter ‘y,’ so Indy Star sports columnist Gregg Doyel is acting strange online. Thankfully, this scenario has nothing to do with him acting creepy towards WNBA star Caitlin Clark, but instead, centers around the Ohio State Buckeyes blowing out the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday.
For anyone who may have forgotten, Doyel stole the show during Clark’s introductory press conference with the Indiana Fever by making the scene all about himself in one of the strangest moves ever seen in a media setting.
Doyel introduced himself to Clark by saying “Real quick, let me do this,” before reportedly forming a heart with his hands, a gesture Clark does towards her family after games.
Clark replied by very awkwardly asking “You like that?” before things got even weirder.
“I like that you’re here. I like that you’re here,” Doyel responded. “Yeah, I do that at my family after every game, so it’s very cool,” Clark replied.
“Okay, start doing it to me, and we’ll get along just fine,” Doyel replied back.
Long story short, Doyel later apologized for his creepy actions but was ultimately suspended by the Indy Star for two weeks.
Naturally, each time he shares his opinion on social media nowadays, he gets chirped into oblivion and Saturday was no exception.
Doyel took serious offense to Ohio State scoring a touchdown with 35 seconds left in regulation to ultimately cap off its win over Indiana 38-15. He specifically didn’t appreciate Ohio State quarterback Will Howard celebrating the nail-in-the-coffin touchdown by putting out a fake cigarette to mock Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti.
Doyel taking offense to a 23-year-old college quarterback celebrating a monumental win over an undefeated Indiana team is odd behavior, and folks in his mentions were sure to point out that fact.
Ohio State virtually guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff with the win over Indiana, and the Hoosiers should be safe as well, barring a colossal loss to Purdue to close out the regular season.
Indiana
10 Takeaways from Week 13: Seven ranked teams fall, as SEC upsets create more chaos
College football is unpredictable and delightful, which is why we live for what happens on Saturdays. And Week 13 delivered, with a Buckeye statement at the ‘Shoe, a massive upset in Norman and chaos from coast to coast.
Each Sunday, I’ll publish my biggest takeaways from the college football weekend. I’ll highlight the most interesting storylines, track College Football Playoff contenders and specifically shout out individual and team performances that deserve the spotlight.
Here are my top takeaways from Week 13:
1. The biggest winners from another wild Saturday are the ACC, Georgia, and Notre Dame.
Evaluating projected CFP after Week 13
Nicole Auerbach, Joshua Perry and Jordan Cornette discuss a chaotic Week 13 in college football, analyzing the projected College Football Playoff bracket after major upsets from Oklahoma and Auburn.
– The ACC now has a really good chance to get two teams into the 12-team bracket, now that Ole Miss and Alabama both picked up their third losses. SMU has been on the outside looking in in each of the projected brackets based on the real CFP rankings revealed thus far. The Mustangs should slide up and be in the field as an at-large team when the new rankings come out on Tuesday. My guess is that both Miami and SMU could be positioned high enough to stay in the mix as an at-large team if they lose in the ACC title game. In theory, the losers of the conference championship games aren’t supposed to be penalized for playing an extra game. We’ll see what the committee actually does, but this is the best-positioned the ACC has been to get two teams into the field in weeks.
– Georgia should be able to move up in the rankings now that the two teams it has lost to have three losses apiece. The selection committee had been honoring head-to-head results when evaluating comparable teams, which is why Georgia has been behind both Alabama and Ole Miss for the past two weeks. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bulldogs move up to be in position to host a first-round game (or to be within striking distance of a seed high enough to do that).
– Notre Dame has been arguably the most dominant team in the nation over the past two months. The committee already forgives the Irish for their September loss to Northern Illinois and has the Irish ranked high enough to host a first-round game. With Indiana falling on Saturday and Penn State struggling to beat unranked Minnesota, you have to think that Notre Dame could move up. I’d put the Irish ahead of both myself.
HLs: Notre Dame blows out Army at Yankee Stadium
No. 6 Notre Dame scored early and often against No. 19 Army, rushing for 273 yards (on just 29 carries) and five touchdowns at Yankee Stadium as the Fighting Irish earned their ninth straight win.
2. Indiana could be squarely on the CFP bubble now.
I’ve seen a wide range of reactions to Ohio State’s 38-15 win over Indiana on Saturday afternoon in Columbus. I’ve seen folks suggest that the Hoosiers acquitted themselves well enough to keep a spot in the 12-team field by not getting blown off the field by the No. 2 team in the country — and that’s certainly possible, considering how highly the CFP selection committee thinks of the Buckeyes. I also think that a potential 11-1 team whose only loss is to the No. 2 team in the country should have a pretty good chance to earn one of seven at-large spots (just like Penn State was!). Especially considering that Ole Miss and Alabama should fall out of the field after picking up their third losses.
But the Hoosiers also struggled mightily on the offensive side of the ball on Saturday outside of their opening drive. In their past three halves (dating back to the second half of the Michigan game), Indiana has tallied 169 total yards of offense combined. That’s not great! But it seems like every team in the country is flawed, and bubble teams will always have some blemishes on their resumes. And that’s where I think Indiana will be dinged a bit by the loss and the weak overall strength of schedule. Which is fine! I think the Hoosiers will be in the projected bracket when the rankings come out on Tuesday. But I’m not entirely sure where. Either way, Indiana’s definitely still in the mix, but the Hoosiers might have some restless nights between now and Dec. 8 because they no longer control their own path to the Playoff.
HLs: OSU rides strong second half to win vs. IU
In this highly-anticipated Big Ten matchup, Ohio State’s Will Howard passed for two touchdowns and ran for one more to lead the No. 2 Buckeyes to a 38-15 win over previously unbeaten Indiana in Week 13 at Ohio Stadium.
3. Ole Miss will not make the Playoff.
Lane Kiffin‘s team was supposed to be exactly the kind of program that would benefit from an expanded College Football Playoff. In the four-team CFP era, it would have basically required perfection for Ole Miss to get to the SEC title game and secure a Playoff berth. But now, 11-1 and 10-2 with a challenging SEC schedule would keep a team very squarely in the mix. And Ole Miss was comfortably in the projected bracket based on last week’s official CFP rankings, checking in at No. 9 in the rankings and the No. 10 seed in the field on the strength of the Rebels’ win over Georgia. But that signature win won’t be enough to make up for three losses to teams that are likely to all be unranked — to LSU and Florida (who are both barely above .500 on the season) and to Kentucky in the Wildcats’ only SEC win of the season. Despite all the chatter about the rigors of an SEC schedule, at some point you’ve also actually got to win the games. And Ole Miss has lost the games it couldn’t afford to do.
4. DJ Lagway should be one of the best quarterbacks in the country next year.
Lagway is the real deal. Every time I watch him play, I come away impressed with his arm strength, his poise and his athleticism. He’s even accurate when he’s getting hit or under pressure. I’m blown away by his toughness, and I can’t say I’m surprised that he led the Gators to a second win over a ranked opponent, this time over No. 9 Ole Miss. He’s 4-0 as a starter at the Swamp, which is actually a wild stat considering how hot Billy Napier‘s seat was after a 1-2 start. Now, the Gators have already committed to Napier running this program next fall and might finish a brutally challenging schedule with a 7-5 record. Part of the reason Florida kept Napier is because of Lagway, of course. He’s said he’s committed to his coach and happy about that decision. Never say never until the transfer portal closes, but there’s a lot to be excited about if you’re building a team around a quarterback as special as this one.
5. Cheers to Kansas and Florida, the ultimate season spoilers.
The Gators have knocked both LSU and Ole Miss out of the College Football Playoff picture in the past two weeks. And the Jayhawks became the first sub-.500 team to beat three consecutive ranked opponents with wins over Iowa State, BYU and now Colorado. At the time of each game, Kansas’ opponent controlled its own path to the Big 12 title game — and it most certainly did not when the clock hit zeroes. I always appreciate a good chaos agent, so I like these two teams coming out of nowhere to play their best football in time to ruin the season of everyone left on their schedules. That’s unlocking a new level of petty in a sport that thrives off of it. Bravo!
6. SMU looks like it is the best team in the ACC.
The Mustangs are certainly the league’s most complete team. And I’d argue they’re the team I trust most, as we sit here in late November. Miami’s got an electric quarterback and quick-strike offense, but it’s also got a leaky defense (that struggled for three quarters against a Wake Forest team that had only had two ACC wins coming into Saturday’s game at Miami). Meanwhile, SMU has speed and talent on both sides of the ball, and the Mustangs have now reeled off eight straight wins since their early-season, three-point loss to BYU. Quarterback Kevin Jennings has started all eight of those games, and though he’s had a couple of tough days — that five-turnover game at Duke was certainly memorable — he’s largely been quite good. Jennings throws a beautiful ball, and he’s got good chemistry with a bunch of different receivers. Couple that with Miami transfer Brashard Smith’s 1,000-plus yards as a rusher, and this is both a reliable and dangerous offense. It just feels right that this team has clinched a spot in the ACC championship game in its first year in the league.
7. More chaos in the Big 12 race sets up a potential title game between Arizona State … and Iowa State?
Another week and another round of upsets in Big 12 country! Every time we think we know something about the top of the standings, they get flipped on their head. Arizona State knocked off No. 14 BYU (and stormed the field … twice) while Kansas beat No. 16 Colorado behind Devin Neal‘s four touchdowns and nearly 300 all-purpose yards. Now, the Sun Devils have a very good chance to make it to the Big 12 title game — beat Arizona and they’re in — while Iowa State would win the tiebreaker over its fellow two-loss Big 12 brethren to meet Arizona State in said title game if the Cyclones win out, too. Colorado is still alive in the Big 12 race, but the Buffs would need significant help to get there. I can’t imagine that not playing in the Big 12 championship game will hurt Travis Hunter‘s Heisman chances too much, but it is worth noting that he wouldn’t be playing the final weekend before voting closes while other contenders will be.
8. Notre Dame is a team I really trust.
HLs: Love, Price total five touchdowns vs. Army
It was the running back tandem of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price that stole the show in No. 6 Notre Dame’s walloping of No. 19 Army in the Bronx, combining for 189 all-purpose yards and five (!) touchdowns.
The Fighting Irish have been among the nation’s most dominant teams over the past two-plus months, dating back to that brutal loss to Northern Illinois. I’ve spilled a lot of ink here arguing that Notre Dame now is a very different team from the one we saw on that fateful September day — but I no longer need to make that case, because the selection committee agrees with me already. Based on last week’s rankings, the Irish would be hosting a first-round game. But they could and should slide up after yet another dominant win, this time coming at Army’s expense. Over Notre Dame’s nine-game winning streak, the Irish have outscored opponents, 399-92. Over the course of the entire season, the Irish now have the best point differential in FBS (+301). Notre Dame has an elite defense and a great rushing attack. So many teams across college football have fluctuated week to week, leading to some of the crazy upsets we’ve seen this fall. But Notre Dame has been a consistent and reliable team that, since the NIU loss, hasn’t overlooked a single opponent. I trust the Irish.
9. Penn State should drop in the next set of CFP rankings.
Penn State has yet to earn a ‘marquee win’ in 2024
The Big Ten College Countdown crew breaks down Penn State’s narrow victory against Minnesota, questioning how good the Nittany Lions with the final College Football Playoff bracket fast approaching.
They probably won’t because of the teams ranked below them that lost, but the Nittany Lions aren’t exactly passing the eye test these days. They eked out a win over Minnesota to improve to 10-1, but that’s not exactly the kind of performance one would expect to see from the No. 4 team in the country against an unranked opponent, even on the road late in November. For the record, I don’t think Penn State is actually going to drop. But the selection committee says it starts from scratch each week, and if it truly starts from scratch it would perhaps make a bit more about the lack of a signature win on this resume and the fact that this team would be struggling mightily to move the ball without do-everything tight end Tyler Warren. It sure seems like the strongest part of Penn State’s resume is its loss to the No. 2 team in the country, and I’m just surprised that the committee continues to allow that — for both Penn State and Texas, who also has no marquee wins and is ranked third by the committee. I’d drop the Nittany Lions behind Notre Dame, personally.
10. Our long national nightmare is over: Nebraska is going bowling!
The last time the Huskers played in the postseason? Dec. 30, 2016. For proud Husker fans, it’s been a long and very painful eight years. Just last week, I said I believed Nebraska was cursed, having lost nine straight games with a chance to become bowl-eligible with eight of those losses coming in one-score games. So, to snap that skid, Nebraska decided it wouldn’t allow the game to be close — so no curses could come into play late. The Huskers took a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter and pulled away for a 44-25 win over Wisconsin. It’s the most points Nebraska has scored in a game since Matt Rhule took over the program. That in-season offensive coordinator change sure looks smart now, and I’m genuinely so happy for everyone associated with this team and its community.
Indiana
What Quarterback Kurtis Rourke Said After Indiana’s 38-15 Loss At Ohio State
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 5 Indiana lost its first game of the season Saturday at No. 2 Ohio State, 38-15.
The Hoosiers entered the game with the nation’s second-highest scoring offense, but they generated just 151 total yards and finished with a season-low 15 points. Ohio State sacked Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke five times, and he completed just 8-of-18 passes for 68 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and one fumble.
Here’s everything Rourke said after the game.
On if it was the first time Indiana had used a silent count…
Rourke: “In game, yeah, but we practiced it all week. So it wasn’t anything that was new to us.”
On what Ohio State was doing to be so impactful when blitzing…
Rourke: “They brought some good blitzes and timed it up well. Just had some good plays called and executed better.”
On what it couldn’t repeat from a successful first drive for the rest of the game…
Rourke: “I think we just executed better, at a lot higher level that first drive. We were able to take advantage of looks in plays that we had, then we didn’t execute down the stretch after that as well as we want to. In games like this, you have to.”
On what made Ohio State’s blitzes successful…
Rourke: “It’s all stuff that we’ve seen before. I gotta do a better job of recognizing them and knowing where to go with the ball. As an offense, just be able to learn from a game like this and make sure it doesn’t happen.”
On the team’s mentality after a loss, knowing there’s still plenty to play for…
Rourke: “A loss is never fun, but the good news is that we’ve got another game next week, a big game, a rivalry game. So take 24 hours, then get ready for Purdue.”
On frustration over uncharacteristic mistakes…
Rourke: “You gotta be close to perfect to beat a team like this, and we’re gonna have a chance to play a lot of similar teams like this. So knowing that we can’t have these mistakes and we gotta be on our game for the whole game, it’s a learning opportunity. But gotta be able to move on now and not have any more learning opportunities.
On if any of the mistakes surprised him, given Indiana’s veteran roster…
Rourke: “I wouldn’t think so. I think it’s just attention to detail. I always look to myself, knowing that there’s some plays I want to have back, some throws that I need to have in order for this team to move the ball down the field. There’s a lot of opportunities that I’m upset at myself and knowing that it won’t happen again. Those are mistakes that can’t continue, especially at this time of the season.”
On if there are parts of the offense Indiana has to junk after they didn’t work…
Rourke: “I don’t think so. Just gotta trust that moving forward we’re gonna handle it. I whole heartedly trust the offensive line, tight ends and receiver group and running backs. So my mindset doesn’t change, that I don’t need to do anything differently because I’ve been sacked a couple times. Biggest thing is I gotta protect the ball when I’m getting hit. That’s something I need to work on. It’s happened a couple times this year.”
On the frustration of playing behind the sticks so much…
Rourke: “Yeah, it’s hard to win games when you have second and third and long. You gotta capitalize on those. So even going back to Michigan week, we gotta make sure we don’t put ourselves in those tough situations, because it’s hard to win games, like I said.”
On the difficulty of facing many third and long situations…
Rourke: “It’s tough, especially with a defense that’s as talented as they are. Like I mentioned, it’s difficult to convert on third and long, especially a good defense. But we had an opportunity to convert, and we weren’t able to. So that’s pointed at us as well. We’re gonna be in those situations, and we’re gonna need to be able to capitalize better than we did today.”
On if Indiana has done enough this season to show it’s one of the best teams in the country…
Rourke: “Yeah, I hope so. We trust ourselves against anybody, and we look forward to hopefully an opportunity to get a rematch at some point. But just knowing that next week is the big game and we gotta go handle Purdue, and then take it one game at a time.”
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