Preview: Penn Kingsmen baseball looking to join state royalty with third-straight title

MISHAWAKA — Winning one state championship is hard. Repeating as champs is even harder.

Winning three titles in a row? Borderline impossible.

That’s what Penn baseball has a chance to do this season, as the Kingsmen come off back-to-back Class 4A state championships. A third straight title would make Penn one of three programs in Indiana to pull off the feat, joining Lafayette Central Catholic’s five straight Class 1A titles from 2009-13 and Jasper’s three titles from 1996-98, the first two coming in the single-class era and final one in Class 3A.

2023 state final: Penn tops No. 1 Center Grove 2-0 in IHSAA 4A baseball title game

“The team is confident,” said Penn coach Greg Dikos, who carries an 820-219-5 record heading into his 37th season with the program. “Going back-to-back, it instilled even more culture of what our expectations are here at Penn High School. So far, they’re living up those expectations this spring, as far as coming in, being enthusiastic and trying to make this year its own team.”

Pitching was Penn’s 2023 calling card, especially in the postseason, as it allowed zero runs in five of its seven playoff games, including none in both the semistate and state finals. Of the eight combined runs allowed in the postseason, six came against Lake Central in the semistate semifinal.

While the Kingsmen have to replace quality pitchers Adam Lehmann, Mason Campbell and Ian Hernandez, they also return a key piece to last year’s rotation in Dawson French. The now-junior recorded a save in the win against Lake Central, pitched a complete game in a 1-0 win later that night against Hamilton Southeastern, then recorded another save in the 2-0 win against Center Grove in the state championship the following week.

Helping Penn’s cause is the return of senior Joe Trenerry, who missed all of last season after having elbow surgery. The Purdue commit went 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA as a sophomore two seasons ago. Dikos expects several others to pitch some innings as well, including senior Chris Pelletier.

“We have some nice problems to have,” Dikos said. “It looks like we’re going to be pretty deep as we get into the season.”

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Offensively, seven of the 11 players to appear in the state title game for Penn have graduated. Seniors Casey Finn, Hunter Morrett and RJ Cromartie, along with French, provide a lot of returning firepower for the Kingsmen. The three seniors all hit .330 or better last year, with Cromartie – a Notre Dame commit – second on the team with 25 RBIs.

“I feel like I’m growing in my leadership,” Cromartie said. “From being introverted my freshman year here to being where I’m at, talking to the guys and helping them out – I’m just trying to help everyone get on the right path, teach them my knowledge of the game and help them as baseball players.”

Replacing Cooper Hums might be Penn’s biggest challenge. Hums led the team in batting average, hits and runs scored last year. He also was a tremendous defender in centerfield, highlighted by his diving catch in the state finals to keep Center Grove scoreless.

Dikos is bullish on a junior filling in Hums’ place.

“River Pecina – he’s fast, and he can hit,” Dikos said. “He’s probably going to be our No. 3 hitter in our lineup. He’ll be able to steal some bases and hit some runners in.”

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While Penn knows the target will be on its back again, it went through the same experience last year defending its 2022 title. They feel well equipped to make a serious run at a three-peat because of that.

“I think it started two years ago with that initial state team, seeing that we have the talent to do it and we’re scrappy,” Cromartie said. “We just need to find ways to scratch out wins, and we’re capable of doing that. It gives us a sense of hope that we can go win a state title.”

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Penn baseball looking to join state royalty with third-straight title