WEST LAFAYETTE — One word can describe how I’m feeling after watching New Palestine’s softball team win another state championship.
Lucky.
I feel incredibly lucky to have been a part of what has proven to be an amazing experience this spring. Coming into my new position as sports editor of the Daily Reporter, I had an idea of what to expect.
I’d been told that Hancock County was filled with great people and great teams. That has proven to be true. I’ve met a lot of tremendous people and have seen a lot of talented, exciting teams play. I knew a good amount of the recent history of county teams coming into this, but that didn’t quite prepare me for what I’ve seen and experienced the past few months.
This spring, I’ve told anyone who would listen — you have got to see this Dragons team in person. I’ve seen a lot of sports in my day, and I’ve covered many teams between Iowa and Indiana, from high school to semi-pro.
This was something else.
Watching the Dragons compete was almost awe-inspiring. Every game provided another incredible moment. From watching Ashley Prange hit a home run on the first pitch she faced this season to seeing Tatum Biddle deliver the walk-off winner in a massive comeback against Greenwood, there are so many memorable moments.
Seeing this team grind out a shockingly low-scoring championship win was the perfect culmination of one heck of a spring sports season.
The thing that is so striking about this team’s players isn’t their athleticism and ability on the field, though. It’s the people they are. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a good deal of time around the Dragons in recent weeks, and it’s been a humbling experience.
Winning can breed arrogance or inflated egos, and the Dragons have certainly done their fair share of winning in recent years.
But there are no egos here. There are no attitudes. They are confident, sure, but they are humble.
Coach Ed Marcum was kind enough to invite me to the team’s hitting facility, at a barn on his dad’s property, where I spent a few hours talking to the team and watching them just enjoy themselves while honing their craft.
I was at the first “practice” for the state championship game, where I got to see the players take part in the Big Kachow Challenge, smash pies in their coaches’ faces, and practice sliding on a Slip ’n Slide.
For a team that is utterly dominant, they sure do have a lot of fun. Almost every player I spoke to this season told me that everyone on the team are “besties,” and it shows.
They had an undeniable star on the team in Prange, who is earning piles of awards and accolades as her high school career comes to an end. She gets a lot of attention, and deservedly so. But that didn’t create jealousy or resentment among her teammates, a testament to how close this team is.
It needs to be said that Ashley is also incredibly humble. It can feel rare in sports to come across an athlete as dominant as New Palestine’s shortstop has been who still stays humble and grounded, but she really does.
She’d much rather talk about her team or her teammates than herself and her own accomplishments. She’s a genuinely nice person who I’m lucky enough to have seen play high school softball for one year, and she’s an exceptional athlete with a great college career ahead of her.
But she was just a piece of a much-bigger puzzle. One friend among many.
I can’t count how many times I heard coach Marcum praise this team’s chemistry, and he is absolutely right. This team gelled from day one, and it’s something that had to be seen to truly understand.
They may be losing three very big pieces in Prange, Mackenzie Jones and Rieley Widmann, but New Palestine has a plethora of talent coming back and will still have some deep bonds among the returning group.
Marcum creates an environment with his program that is conducive to winning. Moving forward, his team isn’t apt to stop doing that any time soon.
I’m lucky to have seen this team win a state championship. I hope I’ve done them justice with my writing, as I hope I do with every team in our county.
I don’t know that any words can accurately describe what it’s been like to see New Palestine play, though. This has been a truly special season that I won’t soon forget.
The past few months have been one incredible start for me in Hancock County. I hope you had a chance to see the Dragons in person, but if not, I can safely predict they will be an exciting team again next year. They are the definition of a can’t-miss team and I don’t see that changing.
But that’s next year.
For now, I’m ready for more. I can’t wait to see what excitement awaits from our fall and winter sports teams in Hancock County. If it’s anything like this spring has been, we’re in for a treat.
Brian Heinemann is sports editor at the Daily Reporter. Send comments to [email protected].
