2023 Spring Previews - 4A: No. 1-5

Mon March 20, 2023
Indiana Staff
PBR Indiana

#1

2023 HS TEAM PREVIEW: Zionsville Eagles

Head Coach: Jared Moore

Class: 4A

2022 Record: 22-12

Conference (2022 Record):  7-7

Returning Starters/Pitchers: 4/3

2023 Team Strengths:

  • Varsity Experience from Deep Playoff Run

  • Pitching

  • Defense

  • Team Speed 

Top Players: 


Outlook: Zionsville may have the best pitching rotation in 4A baseball, with the ability to roll out four division one recruits at any time. Juniors Simon Wilkinson (Illinois), Nash Wagner (Alabama), Chase Wagner (Ball State), and Mateo Wells (High Point) will make up the staff along with Senior Cam Gifford, Junior Wrigley Bumgardner, and Freshman Jackson Gilley. Seniors Easton Moore and Max Bond are returning starters from the Regional Championship team in 2022 and will be looked upon to lead the Eagles’ offensive unit. Nash Wagner (.241 / 6 XBH), Wrigley Bumgardner, and Seniors Nate Horten and Elliott Peter also return with some experience at the dish. The Eagles have an exciting group of young position players that will look to make immediate impacts. Expect Junior SS Josh Girvan to have a breakout year for Zionsville. Sophomores Riley Agbonhese and Jackson Tielker are expected to take over every day jobs and both have the talent to make big impacts as well. The pitching staff for this Zionsville squad has a chance to be special, and if the young bats live up to their potential, this will be a dangerous team to face come June.

#2

2023 HS TEAM PREVIEW: Floyd Central Highlanders

Head Coach: ​Casey LaDuke

Class: 4A

2022 Record: 19-7

Conference (2022 Record):  5-2

Returning Starters/Pitchers: 6/5

2023 Team Strengths:

  • Pitching Staff

  • Defense

  • Athletic Offense

Top Players: 


Outlook: Floyd Central will be led by a very deep, talented pitching staff in 2023. Senior Bishop Letson, a Purdue recruit, is one of the most talented pitchers in the state and will be counted on to be the ace of the Highlanders’ staff. Sophomore Blane Metz, an Indiana recruit, will join Senior Noah Wathen and Junior Evansville recruit Coen Evrard to give Floyd Central one of the deepest rotations in the state. Coach Casey LaDuke will have plenty of options offensively, led by Wathen, Junior Mercer recruit Kayden Linares, Senior Ty Becker, and Juniors Masen Moravec and Justin Early. Expect Sophomores Travis Combs and Ross Jackson to also be key contributors to the Highlanders’ lineup.

#3

2023 HS TEAM PREVIEW: Center Grove Trojans

Head Coach: Keith Hatfield

Class: 4A

2022 Record: 25-3-1

Returning Starters/Pitchers: 5/3

2023 Team Strengths:

  • Deep lineup with speed and power

  • Athletic defensively

  • Division One talent

Top Players: 


Outlook: The Trojans return one of the most talented rosters in the state, with seven division one recruits on the roster. Center Grove will look to Senior SS Drew Culbertson and Senior OF Garrison Barile to lead a loaded lineup. Barile is coming off a massive junior season, where he batted .487 with 8 2B, 7 HR, and 43 RBI. Seniors Grant Sawa (.281 / 2 HR) and OF Evan Zapp (.389 / 11 XBH), along with Juniors Noah Coy (.375) and AJ Beggs (.414), all were key contributors for the Trojan offense in 2022 and will all be counted on to do much of the same in 2023. Coach Hatfield will look to the trio of Senior arms in Ben Murphy, Caden Cornett, and Jacob Murphy to lead the pitching staff after they combined to log over 100 innings pitched in 2022. The Trojans will expect Senior Christian Brown and Junior Connor VanderLuitgaren to provide depth on the mound. 

#4

2023 HS TEAM PREVIEW: Lake Central Indians

Head Coach: Mike Swartzentruber

Class: 4A

2022 Record: 25-6

Conference (2022 Record):  12-2

Returning Starters/Pitchers: 7/7

2023 Team Strengths:

  • Talented Lineup with Experience

  • Athletic Defensively

  • Talent on the Mound

Top Players: 


Outlook: The Indians may have one of the top offenses in the state, bringing back 7 starters from their 2022 lineup that hit .368 as a team. Lake Central will look to Seniors Hunter Snyder, Josh Adamczewski, and Matt Santana, along with Junior Griffin Tobias, to headline a stellar offensive unit. These four combined for over 50 XBH’s in 2022 and will look to add upon those numbers in 2023. Seniors Garret Weber, Joey Carra, and Luka Romic will also be counted on to provide depth to the Indians’ lineup. On the mound, Lake Central will look to Griffin Tobias, Blake Sivak, Josh Warn, and Brenden Smith, all of whom have varsity experience on the mound, to be the key cogs in the Indians’ rotation. Lake Central has a talented group of sophomores in Grant Mercer, Drew Kosteba, Luke O’Keefe, Joshua Flores, and Ryder Fernandez that will all look to make contributions this year as well.

#5

2023 HS TEAM PREVIEW: Penn Kingsmen

Head Coach: Greg Dikos

Class: 4A

2022 Record: 26-6

Conference (2022 Record):  11-0

Returning Starters/Pitchers: 6/4

2023 Team Strengths:

  • Depth on the Mound

  • Strong Defensively

  • Playoff Experience

Top Players: 


Outlook: The defending 4A State Champions return plenty from their 2022 roster and are looking to make another deep playoff run in 2023. The Kingsmen return 6 starters on the offensive side of the ball, including multiple division one recruits in Junior 3B RJ Cromartie (.265), Senior OF Cooper Hums (.333) and Senior C/RHP Adam Lehmann (.366). Seniors Evan Tuesley, Cam Dombrowski, Zac Pelletier, and Colton Hudnall are also returning starters that bring back valuable experience from their 2022 state championship run. Penn will look to Lehmann and Senior RHP Ian Hernandez to lead the pitching staff this season. Expect Mason Campbell, Junior Christopher Pelletier, and Sophomore Dawson French to also see innings on the bump for the Kingsmen.