Herald-Times names baseball player of the year, all-area team
AJ Brinson started the year 0-for-9 and it took eight games just to get his average over .200.
The Bloomington South senior third baseman ended it with a 13-game hitting streak, going 20-of-45 (.444) and ended up leading the Panthers in several offensive categories.
"The big thing is, he was always athletic," South coach Phil Kluesner said. "But it was confidence that he may have been lacking as a younger player. But he gained experience, playing varsity last year and in the summer and fall against top-notch competition with Demand Command.
"So he had that experience and I stepped the schedule up. So you're playing a guy at the top of the lineup with that experience and with that, he gained confidence. And he was a heck of a lot stronger than he was as a junior. You could see that in the way the ball came off his bat."
The 2022 Herald-Times Baseball Player of the Year not only hit well against some of the state's best pitchers, he pitched well against them. South faced seven ranked teams, including six in the final top 10 in 4A and six squads that won sectional titles.
"That's the thing," Kluesner said. "He had really good numbers and he did it against the best competition out there. He pitched against the best guys, too.
"He started the second game against (No. 1) Center Grove and it was 0-0 in the fourth. He had them off balance and three or four strikeouts. Plus the intangibles he brings as far as leadership. He was shortstop by trade but willing to play third to make the team better defensively."
Spark at the top
Brinson ended the season leading the Panthers with a .371 average (33-of-89), .452 on-base percentage, .483 slugging percentage and 23 runs scored. He stole 11 bases and was caught just once.
Just one game this year did Brinson fail to reach base in some manner, which meant he was keeping the carousel spinning as much as he was setting the table as leadoff hitters were traditionally expected to do.
Had 11 RBI, six doubles, two triples, walked 13 times to just nine strikeouts.
"The (leadoff) guys we rely on are going to have good, quality at-bats," Kluesner said. "If he needed to see the ball or needed to lay down a bunt for us.
"You're a leadoff just once a game, so you're coming up with guys on base and in scoring position and I had total confidence in him to move them or score them. With his makeup at the plate, his speed and ability to hit gap to gap, and he was my best bunter for a base hit."
A reliable arm
As a pitcher, Brinson threw 19⅔ innings, mostly in relief, going 2-3 with a 2.85 ERA, walking just five. In addition to Center Grove, he faced state-ranked Cathedral, Jasper, Evansville North, West Vigo and Mooresville, giving up a total of six earned runs.
Defensively, he played mostly third, but also had times at short and second. Take away a three-error game at East Central and he had just seven miscues in 73 chances and was a part of seven double plays.
"He was a vacuum cleaner at third," Kluesner said. "He took everything to his left. You would rarely see a ball (into the hole between short and third) turn into a base hit if he got to it."
And then the ball still has to get to second or first in time.
"You're not always throwing from the same distance," Kluesner said. "If you go left, that throw is different than when you're making a play right at you. You have to adopt different angles. And when there's two outs, you're deeper and that throw includes another 15-20 feet.
"It's not easy. It takes good talent to play third base and be consistent like he was."
Now it's time to take it to the next level. Brinson has signed with Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio, just outside of Toledo.
Coach of the Year
Bloomington South's Phil Kluesner guided a team that played most of Class 4A's top 10: No. 1 Center Grove (twice), No. 2 Mooresville, No. 3 Castle, No. 5 Evansville North, No. 8 Jasper and No. 10 Columbus North, who were a combined 139-28.
The Panthers ended up 14-13, co-champs of Conference Indiana and sectional finalist.
2022 ALL-AREA BASEBALL TEAM
Lucas Alexander, North, Jr. P/3B/1B
Solid No. 3 starter on the mound, going 4-2 with a 1.40 ERA, 23 strikeouts and 10 walks over 20 innings. At the plate, batted .329 (24-of-73) with a homer and nine RBI, striking out just eight times. Honorable mention All-CI.
Dylan Barrow, North, Jr. P/3B
Cougars' top hitter this year pounded four home runs and drove in a team high 21 RBI while battling .343 (23-of-67) with five doubles and two triples. Had a .405 on-base percentage and slugged a team best .657. Went 3-1 on the mound with a 2.10 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 20 innings. All-CI.
AJ Brinson, South, Sr. 3B/P
Leadoff hitter led Panthers in several hitting categories with a .371 average (33-of-89), .452 on-base percentage, .483 slugging percentage and 23 runs scored. Had 11 RBI, six doubles, two triples, walked 13 times to just nine strikeouts. Had 11 steals. As a pitcher, threw 19⅔ innings, going 2-3 with a 2.85 ERA, walking just five. All-CI. Signed with Lourdes University.
Cole Grupenhoff, North, So. P/OF
Threw 21 innings for the Cougars with a team best 1.33 ERA, but did not record a decision. Struck out 18 with 10 walks and gave up just seven hits. Hit .266 (21-of-79) with six doubles and two triples. Drew 11 walks, stole seven bases and scored a team high 24 runs. Honorable mention All-CI.
Cam Ingalls, Edgewood, Sr. OF
Leadoff hitter had a .458 on-base percentage with a .326 average (26-of-79), seven doubles, a triple, two homers, 20 walks, 24 RBI and a team high 36 runs scored. Stole an area best 26 bases and had just one error in 56 chances. All-WIC. Repeat All-Area. Signed with IUPU-Columbus's new NAIA program.
Isaac Lawson, Edgewood, So. SS
Batted .380 (35-of-92) with a .464 on-base percentage, with 19 RBI, 30 runs scored, six doubles, 14 walks and stole 15 bases. Pitched twice, going 1-1, 1.05 ERA, nine Ks over 6⅔. All-WIC.
Caden McCoy, North, So. P/DH
Lefty ace ate up 46 innings this year, going 2-5 with a 3.04 ERA, striking out 75 and walking 20. Batted .329 (27-of-82) with four doubles and 15 RBI. All-CI. Repeat All-Area.
Blaise Oeding, South, Sr. P/LF
Logged 55⅔ innings, going 5-4 with a 2.01 ERA, 50 strikeouts to 22 walks. At the plate, hit .273 (21-for-77) with four doubles, nine RBI and a walk-off single vs. Jasper. All-CI. Signed with Coast Guard Academy.
Conner Thummel, Edgewood, Sr. P/DH
Mustangs' ace and top hitter this season. Led team in batting average at .423 (33-of-78) with a .551 slugging percentage, with a homer, five doubles, a triple, 25 RBI and 16 runs scored. Struck out just seven times. On the mound, went 5-3 (losses were to North, South and West Vigo), with a save, 1.90 ERA, 51 strikeouts, 19 walks and 43 hits over 44⅓ innings. All-WIC. Repeat All-Area.
Nico Walters, South, Jr. P
Staff ace went 4-1 in CI play, finishing 5-3 overall with a 1.63 ERA, 73 strikeouts, 31 walks and had a team best 1.12 WHIP. Losses were to Cathedral, Columbus North (on a one-hitter) and Center Grove. Gave up four hits or fewer in seven starts and had a season high 12 strikeouts in sectional opener. All-CI.
Cooper Webb, South, Sr. OF/P
Batted .272 (22-of-81) with four doubles, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored. Led team with 14 steals without getting caught. Pitched 24 innings in five starts, going 1-0 with a 2.33 ERA. All-CI. Will play at Anderson University next year.
Honorable mention: Brandon Ault, Edgewood, So. C (.311, 1HR, 7 doubles, 18 RBI, .418 OBP); Jacob Boggs, Edgewood, So. P (0-1, 2 saves, 3.67, 21 IP, 28 K); Carson Druckrey, Edgewood, So. 3B/P (.298, 20 RBI, 13R); Brandon Flieger, Eastern Greene, So. OF (.313, .522 OB, 12 RBI, 14 R, 7 SB); Andrew Good, Edgewood, So. OF (.329, 15 RBI, 17 R, 12 SB); Peyton Lewis, Eastern Greene, Fr. DH/OF/P (.338, 22 RBI, 18 R, 8 SB; 2-1, 4.02 ERA); Jack Rees, Eastern Greene, Fr. C (.226, 10 RBI, 12 CS); Jackson Roberts, North, Jr. SS/P (.324, 9 RBI, 22 R, 10 SB; 1-1, 3.23 ERA, 17⅓ IP); Ziggy Teran, Edgewood, So. P (4-2, 3.06 ERA, 36⅔ IP, 39 K, 1.28 WHIP); Jacob Waugh, Edgewood P/3B (4-2, 3.13 ERA, 34 K, 11 BB); Mason Younger, South, Sr. 1B (.244, 7 doubles, 1 HR, 18 RBI); Justin Zaleski, South, So. 2B (.256, 18 R).
Contact Jim Gordillo at jgordillo@heraldt.com and follow on Twitter @JimGordillo.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Herald-Times names baseball player of the year, all-area team
