New Palestine’s Allie Blum, shown here in the Class 4A state championship game, was named MVP of the Softball Coaches Association of Indiana North-South All-Star game.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
New Palestine all-state shortstop Allie Blum was named MVP of the Softball Coaches Association of Indiana North-South All-Star games at Andy Mohr Field on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington Saturday.
Blum played for the South squad, which included Eastern Hancock head coach David Trackwell and outfielder Brooklyn Willis, who has signed with the University of Indianapolis.
Blum, the state’s home run leader and University of Kentucky signee, went 3-for-3 with a home run, double and single.
The South swept the doubleheader.
In her first at-bat and on the first pitch, Blum hit a two-run home run over the left field fence to give the South a 3-0 second-inning lead.
Blum and Willis were selected as representatives of District 4. Trackwell was named a coach with his selection as the District 4 Coach of the Year.
Blum was also a nominee for the Miss Softball Award.Tri-West and Oklahoma-bound pitcher Audrey Lowry won the award.
SCAI Academic All-State announced
The SCAI announced its academic all-state teams and individual academic all-state players last month.
Seven Hancock County players were named academic all-state.
Eastern Hancock was represented by senior shortstop Sammie Bolding and senior pitcher Tatem Adams. Mt. Vernon players selected were Ainsley Baer and Shelby Rakosky. New Palestine players named to the team were Blum, Ella Holman and Sydney Oliver.
Mt. Vernon’s team, with an accumulative 3.625 grade-point average, was among those earning team all-state honors.
Bolding, Rakosky, Blum and Oliver were also named to the SCAI all-state teams for performance on the field.
Boys Track and Field
Ryba is Mr. Field Event
Greenfield-Central’s Elliot Ryba, the state champion in the IHSAA Boys Track and Field State Finals in the high jump competition, was name Mr. Field Event by the Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (IATCCC).
Ryba was presented with the award at the Indiana Mr./Miss Track and Field Awards ceremony held Saturday in Terre Haute at the Indiana Track and Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame.
Ryba, headed to Purdue University to continue his career this upcoming school year, cleared 6-feet, 10-inches to win the state title.
He was state runner-up as a junior and was also state qualifier in his sophomore season.
Baseball
Sullivan among top pitchers at combine
Participating in last week’s 2024 Major League Baseball Draft Combine in Phoenix, Mt. Vernon pitcher Cameron Sullivan graded high in a pair of categories.
Sullivan ranked No. 8 in velocity at 96.5 miles per hour. He was No. 8 in spin-rate at 2933 (RPM’s) with his cutter.
Already signed with the University of Notre Dame, Sullivan has been ranked anywhere from the low 90s to the low 120s among prospects for the 2024 MLB Draft.
The draft is scheduled for July 14-16 in Fort Worth, Texas.
