Dustin Sprong’s go-to pitch is a two-seam fastball, which, if released correctly, tails in the direction of a right-handed batter.
As a senior, the hard-throwing Indian Creek pitcher is prepared to develop new comfort zones.
Sprong, who is capable of throwing the two-seamer between 89 and 91 miles per hour, spent the offseason working on developing confidence in other pitches. Braves opponents this spring can expect to see a four-seam fastball, curveball, slider and changeup.
The latter two are pitches Sprong feels he’s improved most.
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“I’ve been throwing that (two-seamer) since I learned how to pitch, which is when I was 8. I probably throw it 60 to 65 percent of the time. Last year might have been a little higher,” Sprong said. “This season I’m hoping to use it about 50 percent of the time.”
He’s also a force offensively. As a junior, Sprong helped lead the Braves to a Class 3A semistate with his .393 batting average. Indian Creek finished with a 24-6 record overall, capturing the Johnson County tournament during the regular season.
Sprong is rated as the seventh-best senior in Indiana, according to Prep Baseball Report. Another Johnson County player, Center Grove shortstop Bryce Eblin, is listed as the state’s top junior.
In November, Sprong signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Xavier University. Trevor Ankney, the Daily Journal’s reigning Player of the Year, also returns to bolster the Braves’ loaded pitching rotation.
The two are good friends motivated by the other’s success.
“It seems to be a good competition all the time,” Sprong said. “It’s just pushing each other to be better.”
Sprong and Ankney lead a varsity-tested group of seniors that also includes catcher Cody Grider, outfielder Wyatt Phillips and first baseman Devyn Parr.
Time will tell whether Sprong and Indian Creek can duplicate or exceed the magical season of a year ago. It all starts Tuesday when the Braves host Lebanon.
"Dustin has really worked hard on his own in the offseason to take his game to another level," Mirizzi said. "It’s about being an all-around better baseball player. He’s prepared to give us the best season he can and trying to return us to where we were last year."
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Center Grove Trojans
Coach: Keith Hatfield
2018 record: 17-10-1, tied for MIC championship; lost to Franklin in first round of sectional
Top returnees: Brian Gaffney, Josh Johnson and A.J. Poynter, seniors; Bryce Eblin, junior
Top newcomers: Alex Devaney and Grant Herron, juniors
Outlook: Hatfield has more questions than answers at this point after graduating so many of his top players. One area he’s not concerned with is the middle infield, with Johnson and Eblin starters for a third consecutive season at second base and shortstop, respectively. "The offseason was a blast. With so many new faces and young guys, it was very beneficial and we got a lot done," Hatfield said. "We think we have a good idea of how kids will perform in a game, but the varsity game is a lot different than JV because of the pitching. In the past, with the talent we’ve had, we’ve talked about a state championship. Our goal right now is to win county. When county is over we’ll try to win conference, and when that’s over we’ll try to win sectional."
Edinburgh Lancers
Coach: Dennis Smith
2018 season: 11-10, second in Mid-Hoosier Conference; lost to Indianapolis Lutheran in first round of sectional
Top returnees: Ethan Armel, Bryce Burton, Zack Giles and Coltan Henderson, seniors; Austin Streeval, sophomore
Top newcomers: Noah Detling, sophomore; Ian Buchanan and Riley Palmeter, freshmen
Outlook: First-year coach Smith inherits a team that graduated five starters from last season. However, the Lancers bring back two of their top three pitchers in lefthander Giles and righthander Henderson. “The main thing is to compete every game,” Smith said. “Right now we have four seniors, no juniors and a lot of sophomores and freshmen who are going to play a lot of innings early. It doesn’t scare me at all because I think it’s going to help us in the long run.”
Franklin Grizzly Cubs
Coach: Ryan Feyerabend
2018 season: 12-15 overall, fourth in Mid-State Conference; lost to Greenwood in sectional semifinal
Top returnees: George Admire, C.J. Brown, Luke Miles, Tyce Miller and Jared Ross, seniors; Luke Neville, Luke Torrance and Nathaniel Whetstine, juniors
Top newcomers: Sam Albright, Peyton Newman and Carter Terrell, juniors; Jackson Klem, Brodie Rinehold, Grant Roberts, Caleb Ross and Mason Sullivan, sophomores; Jace Fowler, freshman
Outlook: The return of senior righthander Miles, who sported a 6-3 record last spring, gives the Grizzly Cubs a good starting point. Miller, Admire, Torrance and Miles are proven hitters. "We have a fair amount of guys who got a lot of experience last year. That’s going to help us moving forward," Feyerabend said. "The majority of our pitching staff is back, and that is definitely a good start. We have the potential to be pretty good offensively, but defense might be what keeps us in ballgames early."
Greenwood Woodmen
Coach: Andy Bass
Last season: 8-19 overall, seventh in Mid-State Conference; lost to Franklin Central in sectional championship game
Top returnees: Jake Houpt and Jordan Wright, seniors; Cameron Crick, Nick Duffey, Oliver Rau and Ben Sobieray, juniors; Charlie Brooks and Parker Jones, sophomores.
Top newcomers: T.J. Price and Alex Wise, seniors; Sam Bass, Noah Dixon, Gunnar Garrison, Ryan Pruitt, Josh Rugenstein and Jimmy Sannito, juniors; Sam Jeffries, sophomore
Outlook: Andy Bass, who starts his 22nd season as the Woodmen coach, lost four seniors to graduation, but feels this group could count defense as its strength, particularly early on. "I like this team defensively. If we can hit it and the pitchers do their job, we can be pretty competitive," Bass said. "The thing I like most is that the players get along and are a closer team. They come to practice and use what you’re telling them. We’re still young. You’re going to see a lot of juniors and sophomores in the lineup, but their strength will be their competitiveness."
Greenwood Christian Cougars
Coach: Doug Hagist
2018 record: 8-15 overall, seventh in PAAC; lost to Southwestern (Shelbyville) in sectional semifinal
Top returnees: Colton Crick, Griffin Huizinga, Payton Modlin and Elliott Murray, seniors; Dane Crick, Gabe Nelson, Jake Simons and Garrett Wright, sophomores
Top newcomers: Quentin Steele, senior; Noah Harris and Cameron Paulin, juniors; John Adams, sophomore
Outlook: Injuries to some of the team’s more experienced players last season forced coach Doug Hagist to put freshmen on the field sooner than expected. He’s hoping the experience pays dividends this spring. "Griffin (Huizinga), Colton (Crick) and Elliott (Murray) are all four-year starters," Hagist said. "From a leadership standpoint, we’ll be good, and I think we’ll be good at the plate. We should have pitching depth this year that we didn’t have last season." Huizinga is expected to be the top pitcher, followed by Crick and Murray.
Indian Creek Braves
Coach: Steve Mirizzi
2018 record: 24-6, won county, sectional and regional championships; lost to Silver Creek in Class 3A semistate
Top returnees: Trevor Ankney, Cody Grider, Devyn Parr, Wyatt Phillips and Dustin Sprong, seniors; Xavier Ferris, junior
Top newcomers: Jacob Fending, senior; Wyatt Rund and Mitchell Walls, juniors; Mason Britt and Zach Scott, sophomores.
Outlook: The return of Ankney and Sprong gives the Braves one of the premier 1-2 pitching punches in the state. Phillips led the squad in batting average (.408) to go along with seven home runs and 33 RBIs and was also 6-1 on the mound with a 1.46 ERA. "At the end of the day, some other guys are going to have to step up," coach Steve Mirizzi said. "A lot of our players were more role players last year. We’re looking for Xavier Ferris (2B/P), Jacob Fending (OF/DH), Mason Britt (CF) and Mitchell Walls (3B/1B) to fill in." Parr, the team’s starting first baseman before breaking his collarbone during the county tourney, is also back.
Whiteland Warriors
Coach: Scott Sherry
2018 season: 15-11, won Mid-State Conference championship; lost to Greenwood in first round of sectional
Top returnees: Aaron Baker, Luke Cline, Garrett England, Ryan Glithero, Jimmy Gruss, Luke Helton, Riley McMahon, Iyan Pelfree, Alex Reed, Brady Reed, Trevor Spilker and Tyler Wick, seniors
Top newcomers: Alec Bauman, senior; Parker Brock, Sam Pohl and Brandon Stidham, juniors
Outlook: Last season was the third outright conference title for the Warriors in the past nine seasons under Sherry. Whiteland’s pitching, led by seniors Helton and McMahon, give reason to be optimistic for another run at a league title. "The expectations are high, but the ultimate goal is to be playing your best baseball at the end of the year and make a long postseason run," Sherry said. "Right now the pitching staff is, by far, the strength of our team. Offensively, we need to consistently be able to score runs." Senior outfielder Pelfree, the team’s top hitter a year ago with a .395 average, returns but was injured during football season.
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