1997 State Finals
Jasper became the first school in tournament history to successfully repeat as the state champion, downing Carmel 10-8 in a record-setting game to win the 31st Annual Indiana High School Athletic Association Baseball Championship June 28, 1997 at Victory Field in Indianapolis.
Jasper scored what proved to be the winning runs in the top of the sixth inning as Klint Heichelbech nailed a two-out single that scored Heath Uppencamp and Brad Eckerle. Uppencamp, who pitched the first four innings, earned the victory with relief help from Matt Mauck.
Five championship game records fell or were tied during the contest. Jasper, making its third straight appearance in the state finals and the eighth overall, broke a championship game team record with four doubles. Carmel established a new team record with 14 hits, and tied another championship game mark with three triples. Individually, Carmel's John Cera tied a record by scoring three runs, while teammateAaron Piening tied another by record four runs batted in.
Jasper defeated Richmond 3-0 in the semifinals, while Carmel knocked off Fort Wayne Northrop 4-2 in eight innings. Top-ranked Richmond closed the year 30-2, while Fort Wayne Northrop was 26-7. Mauck allowed just three hits while going the distance for Jasper in the opening game. Carmel scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie in the second semifinals. Piening delivered the big blow with a two-run homer.
Piening's home run was the first hit in the IHSAA Baseball State Finals at Victory Field as the tournament moved to the new facility after 27 of the first 30 state finals were conducted at Bush Stadium in Indianapolis.
Matt Mauck of Jasper was named the 1997 recipient of the L.V. Phillips Mental Attitude Award in baseball by the IHSAA Executive Committee. Farm Bureau Insurance, corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000 scholarship in Mauck's name to Jasper High School.
A total of 376 schools and 6,622 athletes began tournament competition at the sectional level.
Jasper (10) Carmel (8)
AB R H RBI AB R H RBI
Brayden Erny, lf/cf 5 1 1 1 Matt Abels, lf 4 1 3 1
Matt Mauck, cf/p 4 1 0 0 Tony Kuykendall, 3 1 1 0
ss
Scott Kluesner, 3b 5 1 3 2 John Cera, 2b 3 3 3 2
Jeremy Friedman, pr 0 1 0 0 Aaron Piening, 4 1 3 4
p/1b
Phil Buehler, dh 4 0 1 0 John Stephens, pr 0 1 0 0
Alex Bohnert, 1b 0 0 0 0 Joe Kohler, c 4 0 1 1
Jimmy Corbin, lf 0 0 0 0 Jeremiah Conley, 0 0 0 0
c
Heath Uppencamp, p/1b 4 1 2 1 Brandon Ackley, 4 1 1 0
rf
Brad Eckerle, c 4 2 1 0 Kylan Stuck, 3b/p 4 0 1 0
Luke Werner, 2b 2 2 2 1 Matt Armington, 4 0 0 0
1b
Klint Heichelbech, rf 2 0 1 2 Nick Blake, 3b 0 0 0 0
Chad Erny, ss 3 1 1 1 Aaron Ruse, dh 4 0 1 0
Josh Feldman, cf 0 0 0 0
Totals 33 10 12 8 Totals 34 8 14 8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Jasper 2 2 0 2 1 3 0 10 12 2
Carmel 3 0 0 1 2 2 0 8 14 4
E -- Kohler, Piening, Armington, Kuykendall, Kluesner, Uppencamp. 2B -- Kohler, Werner, Kluesner, B. Erny, Uppencamp, Piening. 3B -- Piening, Werner, Cera, Stuck. HBP -- Mauck (by Piening). DP -- Jasper. LOB -- Jasper 8, Carmel 7. WP -- Piening (4). SAC -- Kuykendall, Heichelbech (2). Umpires -- Dave Kavanaugh (Home Plate), Rick Parker (First Base), Tim Holmes (Second Base), Jerry Wallace (Third Base), Jack Wall (Left Field), Bradley Brooks (Right Field). Time of Game -- 2:14. Attendance -- 5,434; 10,289 (two sessions).
Pitching Summary
IP R ER H BB SO
Uppencamp (W, 9-3) 4 6 5 10 1 3
Mauck (SV) 3 2 2 4 0 4
Piening (L, 10-1) 5.1 8 5 10 2 6
Stuck 1.2 2 2 2 1 1