Big season to look back on for area baseball teams
High school baseball season is in the books for Adams County schools and while the season may have ended sooner than they were hoping it would, the three area teams certainly left their mark in 2023.
From impressive individual performances to dynamic team displays, it was a memorable year with plenty of highlights.
Bellmont started their regular season schedule with a big home win over Adams Central. After that, though, the two teams’ seasons went in opposite directions.
The Braves faltered to a 2-7 start to the season, but as their final record of 10-11 indicates, the Braves stayed the course and finished the season strong.
In a tough Northeast 8 conference, the Braves battled back and climbed to third in the conference standings at the end of the season.
Without question, the enduring memory of the Bellmont season had to be what fans who made the trek to Oak Hill High School for their sectional semifinal game against Maconaquah witnessed on May 27th.
Eli Laurent gave hitters difficulty any time he stepped on the mound this season, but on a steamy warm Saturday afternoon in Converse, one could tell early on that the senior was having a game to remember.
Laurent struck out ten batters and walked just three, completing a no-hitter.
Though the Braves were denied a sectional title by the Norwell Knights two days later, Laurent’s no-hitter was an achievement that will not soon be forgotten at Bellmont.
As mentioned above, Adams Central endured a frustrating night in Decatur in early-April, but their season did not follow the same script.
The Jets posted the best record of any of the teams in Adams County. Having concluded the season 16-8 overall, with a 3-3 mark in the Allen County Athletic Conference, Adams Central slotted fourth in the ACAC table at the end of the year.
Adams Central may have reached the sectional championship game, but their road to doing so was anything but routine.
With only three outs left to work with, and facing the difficult task of playing against the sectional hosts, Adams Central cranked out four runs in the top of the seventh to rally and knock off Blackford.
Drama awaited the Jets again when locking horns with South Adams in an all-Adams County sectional semifinal.
Adams Central raced out to a 10-1 lead, but the Starfires refused to give in, chipping six runs off the margin.
With the lead whittled down to only three, and the bases loaded, the Jets recorded a close force out at second to end the game and advance.
The Jets battled hard against a tough Fort Wayne Bishop Luers ball club, but succumbed to a 4-1 defeat in the sectional final.
The heartbreaking defeat left South Adams to wonder what might have been, but the campaign was still replete with positives for the Starfires.
They finished the regular 16-12 and placed one spot lower in the ACAC than Adams Central with a 2-4 league record.
Though it was not a no-hitter, Owen Wanner produced a sensational sectional pitching performance that was one to savor.
Wanner allowed only one hit, but fanned a dozen hitters as the Starfires held on for a 2-0 victory.
So impressive was Wanner’s performance that even Blackford playerspreparing to face Adams Central in the second game of the night watched in fascination, some even tracking his stats during the late innings.
With the season having come to a close, the preparation for next season begins.
After the moments and performances that left lasting impressions, it becomes fun to imagine what lies in store for 2024.