'It's a measuring stick': Yorktown baseball hopes county title sparks postseason momentum
YORKTOWN, Ind. — Head coach PJ Fauquher half-jokingly said there's a "no diving" rule for Yorktown baseball this season.
That's because three of the Tigers' top-5 hitters hurt themselves doing so in the last month. Senior two-way star Jacob Pruitt dislocated his left (non-throwing) shoulder on a diving catch attempt on April 19, then junior Garret Thurman jammed his shoulder on a head-first slide a week later.
Just when they finally returned for the team's game at Fishers on May 9, junior Jackson Furnish jammed his thumb sliding into second base. It's not broken, but he needs an MRI and missed Yorktown's Delaware County championship run.
Although those absences might've cost the Tigers a couple of wins, it forced the collective roster to grow. Not relying on Pruitt, in particular, meant others had to elevate their play, and that could pay dividends in the postseason.
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"We've had to find a way to compete this year with Pruitt (and Thurman) out, and we've done a pretty good job ... we were also without Cole Temple for a game earlier in the year when he hurt a finger," Fauquher said. "What it's done is more guys have had to step up, and they've gained more confidence over time because they've learned that we can win without our big guys."
The players matured in the past month, and their improved poise and focus was on display in both county tournament games. In the semifinals against Wapahani, Temple committed two errors but didn't let those mistakes affect his offense, finishing with a game-high four hits and three RBI's.
He recalled Fauquher earlier this season writing his name on a yellow sheet of paper, which meant he was striking out too much. Temple said that was the push he needed to re-evaluate his approach.
"It kind of put me in the right mindset of, 'I've got to kick it in gear,'" Temple said. "It just clicked today."
2022 Delaware County baseball tournament: Yorktown bests Delta 11-2 in championship
Then, after Wapahani trimmed its 9-4 deficit entering the bottom of the seventh inning to just one run, junior Landon Case calmly took the mound and threw one pitch to record the final out.
That nail-biting victory shouldn't have been so close, but the Tigers were happy to come out the victors of the tournament's most anticipated matchup. While the championship game against Delta was the easier matchup, Yorktown kept its guard up and eventually pulled away to win 11-2.
Last year, the team didn't have the same mindset in the tournament. They took Wes-Del lightly after beating them 6-0 the previous week, and were already talking about the next round's game before the first pitch against the Warriors.
Fauquher was rightfully angry they assumed a win would come easily, and the Tigers eventually lost 5-2 in a disappointing end to their two-year county title streak.
"Last year's county tourney was a tough loss ... we did not play very well," Fauquher said. "Just not a very good showing ... at some point you've just got to say, 'You've got to get the first one before you can even think about the second one.'"
ROUND 1: Wapahani, Delta advance to semifinals
This time, however, Fauquher's boys stayed ready despite lightning delays in the second and fifth innings. The Eagles were playing tough, and the score was tied 1-1 before Pruitt's three-run homer in the fifth frame.
The Tigers scored five runs in both the fifth and sixth inning to assume control, taking nothing for granted this year.
"For the guys that were here last year, we know how hard it is to lose in the first round," Pruitt said. "We weren't looking forward to the next game like we were last year. We were just focused on the moment and we were able to get it done."
Pruitt, who sports a 2.00 ERA and 1.202 OPS, is Yorktown's leader, and the team is capable of beating anyone with him on the mound. The Indiana State commit and The Star Press' 2021 big school baseball Player of the Year battled to return from his injury as quickly as possible, knowing how much his pitching can elevate the Tigers' strong offense.
His clutch hitting and strong defense in center field reassures his teammates that they're never out of a game. Pruitt is still not 100% healthy, but he sure appeared on his way this weekend.
"It was a tough time ... I was just wanting to be out there every game. So I worked my butt off to get as close to ready as I could," Pruitt said. "It was only two weeks, but it felt like an eternity."
With him and Thurman (1.052 OPS) back, as well as the overall roster's recent contributions, the Tigers are feeling good entering the final week of the regular season. It's unclear when Furnish (1.099 OPS) will return, though senior Hayden Carrow's recent play, highlighted by a five-hit, eight-RBI outing against Shelbyville on May 3, might make up for Funish's absence in the meantime.
Yorktown plays Jay County (11-7) at home in the first round of sectional on May 25. Their field is solid but winnable, with New Castle (13-3-1) being the likely favorites. The Tigers lost both games against the Trojans this season, both without Pruitt and the second without Thurman.
Having those guys back to win the county tournament might be the confidence boost Yorktown needed to make a postseason run. Upcoming contests against Oak Hill, Mt. Vernon and Frankton will challenge the group, but they now seem up to the task.
"County's big for us. We've got such great baseball in this county with everybody that winning our county championship is a huge accomplishment," Fauquher said "(It's) a measuring stick ... it's good to see where you're at and to play for a championship heading into to the state tournament to (get your mindset) ready for that."
Gus Martin is a sports reporter at The Star Press. Follow him on Twitter @GusMartin_SP, and contact him at gmartin@gannett.com or 765-729-4742.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Yorktown baseball hopes county title sparks postseason momentum
