Phone: 317-846-6601 Fax: 317-575-4244 Website: www.ihsaa.org
Blake Ress, Commissioner
____________________________________________________________________________________________
June 10, 2008
UNDEFEATED
WHITING WINS CLASS A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
In a championship
game that spanned two days due to weather, the Whiting Oilers took advantage of
a pair of Tecumseh miscues to take home the Class A state softball
championship, 3-0, at Hamilton Southeastern High School. Head coach Paul Laub
and the Oilers finished the 2008 campaign with a perfect 34-0 record.
This is the
second undefeated state championship in Class A softball for Whiting, the other
coming in 2006 when the Oilers finished 33-0 and became the first softball team
in any class to finish a season undefeated. They topped Lanesville, 3-0. Whiting’s
only other state title was in boys swimming in 1933.
In the top of
the fifth inning, Whiting’s first hit came courtesy of senior Sam Plavec when
she led off the inning with a double to centerfield. Sophomore Sarah Watkins then bunted down the
third base line for an apparent sacrifice.
Tecumseh senior third baseman Katy Kruse fielded the bunt cleanly but
her throw sailed wide of the shortstop covering third allowing Plavec to score
and Whiting to take a 1-0 lead. Junior catcher Adi Cruz added to the Oilers lead
when she lifted a fly ball to right field that deflected off the glove of
Tecumseh sophomore Julie Roeder. Watkins
later scored on a wild pitch that also allowed Cruz to advance to third. With just one out, and two balls and two
strikes on Whiting senior Victoria Franco, the skies over
Play
resumed on Tuesday, June 10, at 2 pm ET at Hamilton Southeastern. Franco wasted
no time in giving the Oilers a 3-0 advantage when she lined the first pitch
into left field scoring Cruz.
With a 3-0
advantage, Whiting junior standout pitcher Mel Dumezich continued to silence
the bats of the opposition as she hurled a shutout that featured 16 strike outs
and just one hit en route to her 31st win of the season. Impressive considering the encore performance
followed a 17 strikeout, 1 hit shutout, against Frontier in the semifinal
game. Dumezich had helped the Oilers to the
Class A state title back in 2006 as a freshman, compiling
an impressive 32-0 record.
Victoria Franco of Whiting named Mental Attitude Award winner
Victoria
Franco of
Franco
finished as the valedictorian of her senior class and is highly involved in
numerous clubs and activities in both her school and community.
Her
volunteer work in her community includes her participation for project H.O.P.E.
(Hispanic Organization Promoting Excellence), the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive,
Lions Club Breakfast, and Market Day. In
addition,
Athletically,
She is the
daughter of Mark and Leslie Franco.
In the
fall, she will attend Purdue University and is undecided on her course of study
at this time.
Indiana
Farm Bureau Insurance, the corporate partner of the IHSAA, presented a $1,000
scholarship to
VSN MEANS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY
Visit our
friends at Visual Sports Network, the
IHSAA’s official photographer for all state championship events and one of the
leading action photographers in the
CHAMPIONSHIP MERCHANDISE STILL AVAILABLE
For t-shirts and other merchandise commemorating this year’s tournament or for any of our events, visit our friends at Morris, Inc.
STATE FINALS PROGRAMS AVAILABLE
Couldn’t be
there for the state finals? You can still purchase a copy of the official
souvenir program while supplies last! Programs are $3.00 if you purchase in
person at the IHSAA Office (