HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL: Mustangs hope to carry over momentum
Jun. 3—NEW WASHINGTON — Jeremy Bower readily admits that his first season as the head coach at New Washington has been an uphill battle.
"There's not a lot of people beating the door down to coach (Class) A baseball," the 43-year-old said.
Especially when the program you're taking over hasn't had a winning season in recent memory, and hasn't captured a sectional title in more than two decades.
"We struggled throughout the year trying to change the culture," Bower said. "You can change the culture, but the losing mentality is something they have to change on their own."
The Mustangs finally did that Monday.
After losing 19 of its 20 regular-season games, New Wash won consecutive contests to claim the program's second sectional title — its first since 1998.
"It's great for the kids," Bower said. "All year long we kept telling them, 'You're right there. You're right there.' But when you're 1-19 and you say, 'You're right there,' sometimes it's hard for them to see."
Saturday the Mustangs will see themselves in the Loogootee Regional. New Wash (3-19) will take on Tecumseh (16-12) at 10:30 a.m. in the first semifinal. Top-ranked Borden (22-6-1) will battle No. 2 Barr-Reeve (21-6) at around 12:30 p.m. in the second semi. The championship game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. that night.
"I want'em to be happy about winning, but I also want them to compete," Bower said of his team.
The Mustangs certainly did Monday.
"We had a little heart-to-heart and they finally brought-in — and it clicked," Bower said.
First, New Wash clipped Crothersville 12-2 in six innings — its second win of the season over the Tigers — in the first semifinal of the Shawe Memorial Sectional.
That night's championship game against West Washington, which beat the Mustangs 7-2 back on April 23 in Campbellsburg, was a little more difficult.
New Washington got off to a good start, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning and adding another in the second, before the Senators clawed their way back into the game.
West Wash tied it up in the fourth before taking a 6-5 lead with one run in the fifth.
However, New Wash responded. The Mustangs tallied three runs in the sixth to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The Senators scored once in the bottom of that inning, but that was it. New Washington freshman pitcher Darius Lang closed the door on West Wash in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the Mustangs' 8-7 win.
"That was the longest inning of my life," Bower quipped. "That was a big spot for a freshman, but he got the job done."
The Mustangs' roster features four seniors — Logan Cooper, Connor Bailey, Samuel Andes and Christian Savelli — and a trio of juniors — Mason Thompson, Colin Brown and Calvin Mullins. Thompson's dad, Jay, was a member of New Washington's last sectional-title team 24 years ago.
Sophomores Paul Giltner and Easton Nichols, as well as freshmen Conner Mertens, Connor Shaffer and Lang round out the roster.
Andes, Bailey, Thompson and Lang were selected to the All-Sectional team.
"They're all exceptional kids," Bower said. "They're hard workers and just good all-around kids."
In addition to his players Bower, who had mostly coached basketball in the past, is quick to credit his assistant coaches.
"My staff has been tremendous this year," he said.
When he was hired by New Washington athletic director Jonathan May, who is his cousin, Bower had plan.
"I'll run it like a business and hire smarter people than me," he recalled with a laugh. "And it's worked out for us."
It especially did Monday.
"It still feels like it's not real. ... I don't think I've slept much the last three days," Bower said. "I love all the stuff going on, but the competitor in me says, 'Why stop now? We've still got games to play.'"
