Marx sisters have helped lead Tecumseh softball to state championship appearance

LYNNVILLE, Ind. – Tecumseh coach Gordon Wood has a description of his ideal athlete.

It might be the same as every coach. An athlete who wants to be pushed in practice. One willing to put in the extra work. One who brings an upbeat and infectious attitude to every aspect of the team.

By his own admission, it sounds like the Hall of Fame coach is describing the Marx sisters.

Brianna and Katelyn Marx are polar opposites on the field. Brianna is a junior power hitter with the ability to change a game with one swing. Katelyn's a freshman slapper thrust into a vital role before anyone expected. What they bring to Tecumseh softball, though, is why it continues to be a dominant force in the postseason.

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“They’re from a really good family who knows how to work hard,” said Wood. “Always so upbeat and fun to be around. I want (people) asking, ‘Why is he working them so hard?' The Marxes, you’ll never get that.”

Like many, their story starts early. Their father, Steve, got Brianna started in softball around 5 years old. Katelyn followed two years later. Their passion grew exponentially. Once high school season ends, it’s off to travel ball with their father and Indiana Fusion Elite.

This year has been different. It’s the first time they’ve been teammates. A ride that continues to the ultimate goal Friday: Tecumseh will face South Central (Union City) in the Class A state championship at Purdue University at 4:30 p.m. CDT.

Winning a state championship with your sister? It would be a perfect cap to a dream year.

“I love having her as my teammate,” said Brianna. “Travel ball, I’ve always been a year or two ahead of her. We play all the same sports. We work really good together.

“She’s the person that when I’m down she’s there to pick me up,” added Katelyn.

"I started working harder"

Katelyn Marx wasn’t supposed to play an important role on a state contender.

Wood had her penciled in at the ninth spot in the lineup at right field. She had the speed and talent to start right away, but there wasn’t anywhere else to put her. It took unfortunate circumstances to force his hand.

On March 21, senior Kinsly Heichelbech was in a major car accident that left her with multiple fractures. All attention turned to her safety and then her recovery. The softball season was starting, though. Tecumseh needed to replace an All-State outfielder at the leadoff spot until she returned.

Enter the freshman.

“I thought I’m probably the next player,” said Katelyn. “I’ll have to step it up. I started working harder. We have a barn at the house. I worked in there every day on mechanics."

There was a learning curve. Katelyn would play too deep in the outfield. She needed minor adjustments against varsity pitching. But once it clicked, Wood couldn’t take her out of the lineup. She was too good.

Going into the state championship, Marx is batting .504 with 13 RBIs. She broke the program record with her 58th hit of the season against Hauser in the semistate. The freshman earned second-team All-State from the coaches association, missing the first team on a technicality because only two players from a school could be voted to the top squad.

“She was a little slow (to start) but then went 19-for-22 in a stretch,” said Wood. “Every time she went to the plate, she was on base. Hard slaps and perfect bunts. Her confidence grew. She has excelled.”

The younger Marx grew up as a middle infielder before transitioning to the outfield. She also made the change five or six years ago to learn slap hitting under Rick Jillson. Marx has accepted every challenge to make her a better player.

A driving force is her older sister. No surprise but Katelyn wants bragging rights.

“Being a freshman and doing all this stuff, (this team) makes me feel really loved and appreciated,” said Katelyn. “I always try to be the better player. We are pretty equal but in different things that we do.”

Older sister brings the power

If the freshman is the lightning strike, the junior brings the thunder.

Brianna Marx is the ideal complement to her younger sister. A first baseman who has been one of the top power hitters in the Pocket Athletic Conference for two seasons. She understands her skill set. It’s why she’ll play Division I softball.

Marx committed to Indiana State in December. She was convinced while on a recruiting visit, noting the coaches were similar in style to her father. Marx talks with him following every game to see if she missed anything.

“He’s always the one pushing me,” said Marx. “We talk after games and he’ll tell me what he sees from outside the fence. When you’re in the game, you don’t see that stuff. We just work together well as a team.”

Brianna earned first-team All-PAC honors last year with a .393 average and 27 RBIs. She was on pace for absurd numbers this spring nearly halfway through the season. Wood looked up her stats when Brianna “was crushing the ball.” He found a .600 average with five home runs.

Next came a mental slump. Her batting average dropped and so did her place in the lineup. Wood noted she never placed blame beyond herself. She would stay after practice and live in the hitting cage until the problem was fixed.

Marx turned a corner this weekend. The junior had three hits in the semistate including a 2-for-4 performance against No. 2 Hauser. Each of them hard contact. She’s batting .344 with 10 extra-base hits and 24 RBIs going into Friday.

“She has never stopped working hard or being a good teammate,” said Wood. “I told her that happens to great hitters. You keep taking good cuts and go back to the basics. She’s 6-foot tall and pretty darn quick.”

Brianna understands better than her sister how difficult the postseason can be. Marx relives the feeling of losing in the sectional championship last season constantly. It has pushed every returner to not make the same mistakes.

Both sisters went to Tecumseh games as kids. They saw the success and desperately wanted to emulate it.

They'll get their opportunity this weekend.

“We were in 2A (last year) and probably the favorite,” said Brianna. “But we lost in the sectional. You recognize those moments and don’t want them to happen again. We’ve been pushing ourselves to make it this far.”

Follow Courier & Press sports reporter Kyle Sokeland on Twitter @kylesokeland.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA softball: Tecumseh softball rides Marx sisters to state finals