State record within sight (05/20/08)

Despite hitting home runs at a ridiculous pace, the state record was still too far off in the distance to really consider. Now, the Patriots can see it clearly.

With eight home runs Monday in a 15-0, five-inning destruction of the Bluffton Tigers, the Jay County High School baseball team lifted its season total to 58 home runs.

JCHS, which jumped to No. 4 in this week's Class 4A Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association poll, is just 10 long balls short of tying the state record set by Marion in 1998. It will play two more times this week before opening sectional play Tuesday, May 27, against Fort Wayne South Side at Huntington University.

"You know, a lot of our home runs today I thought pretty much were line shots. They weren't towering," said Jay County coach Lea Selvey, who has been preaching about line drives in preparation for tournament play. "The kids just hit line drives out. That's what we work on, not necessarily hitting them out, but just hitting good line drives."

As recently as Friday, Marion's state record was still distant and the Patriots were coming off just their second homer-less game of the season. They had 42, which was 15 more than the school record set last season but still well short of 68 with just a week of regular-season games left.

But Jay County crushed seven home runs Saturday in the opening game of the Patriot Invitational against Alexandria, and Billy Wellman added another homer in the championship versus West Vigo. Then came Monday's onslaught, which included three different sets of back-to-back shots.

"It just kind of snowballed today," said Selvey. "I mean, how often do you see eight home runs in a game?"

The answer to that question, in Indiana at least, is 12. The eight homers tied Jay County with six other teams for sixth place in the record book for home runs in a single game. The record is 12 by Twin Lakes in 2000, South Newton hit 11 in 2001 and three teams have hit nine in a game.

The Patriots' 58 home runs put them in fourth place all time for a single season, just one behind Riverton Parke and Peru. Brownsburg hit 66 home runs in 2004.

"I wouldn't want to pitch to them. Of course, I do every day (in batting practice)," said Selvey, whose team is now 21-2 and has matched its highest ranking in the state poll in school history. "I'm not surprised that we've got kids all the way through the line-up who have hit them. I know in BP I see shots whiz by my head every day in practice."

Josh Ludy launched Monday's home run party with a two-run shot to right field in the first inning, and senior Thomas McCowan joined him for the first set of back-to-back blasts. Colton Lombardo, who hit his first career homer Saturday, blasted No. 2 with a two-run shot in the first.

Phil Powell, who doubled off the fence in the first inning, hit a home run to center field in the second. In the third Michael Jobe and Ludy went back-to-back, pushing Jobe's single-season school record to 15.

Wellman, who doubled off the top of the fence in the second inning, hit his 12th homer of the year in the fourth. And then came the highlight shot.

Pinch-hitting for Powell, Andrew Lancaster stepped to the plate and hit a rocket over the fence in left field. It was the first career home run for Lancaster, who has mainly been the bullpen catcher this year

He became the 10th different Patriot to hit a home run this year in just his third at bat of the season.

"That's awesome," said Selvey of the junior, who won the sectional shot put title last season as a member of the JCHS track team. "Of everything we've done, that's one of the happiest moments I've had, just to see him ... He hasn't gotten a whole lot of at bats and to come in and get one, I know it's going to pick his spirits up. He hit it well."

Phil Powell went the distance for the win as the Patriots improved to 12-0 at home, just one victory short of a perfect season at Don E. Selvey Field. He gave up only four hits and two walks while his defense turned two double plays behind him.

"As a player, if I was in the field, I would like to play behind Powell," said Selvey, whose team plays at Monroe Central today before closing the regular season at home Thursday against Bellmont. "He's going to put the ball in play. ... You know you're going to get some action. And sometimes when you get that action that brings the bats alive too."

Jay County earned 41 points in this week's Class 4A poll, putting it five ahead of No. 5 Crown Point (21-4) and three behind No. 3 Carmel (22-4). Penn (24-2) is still No. 1 in the poll with 68 points, and Indianapolis Cathedral (22-3) is second.

The Patriots were also ranked No. 4 in 2003 when they were in Class 3A.[[In-content Ad]]