Tough regular season tests have Lutheran baseball team on the brink of a state title
Lutheran baseball coach Joshua Meaney knows reaching the Class 1A state championship requires more than just racking up regular season wins.
In Year 1 as head coach last season, when the Saints won --- they won big. Lutheran outscored its opponents 197-46 during victories, winning one game against Edinburgh 34-3. On paper the Saints were dominant, but beating up on lesser opponents did not offer them the challenge needed for state tournament success. Heading into the 2023-24 season, Meaney wanted to pave a harder road to the postseason.
"We built our schedule up tremendously and now we only played one 1A school all year," Meaney said. "We went to all 3A or 4A schools: (Bishop) Chatard, Roncalli, Perry Meridian. ... We knew our record was not going to be fantastic because last year we were playing teams that were beating by 20 and 30 runs and it wasn't getting us anywhere."
Ten games into the season the Saints were 2-8. They were shutout twice and allowed more than 10 runs in three games, but Meaney knew the early season adversity would make them a better team. Through the early season struggles, the young Saints (17-15) remained confident. The Lutheran coaching staff stressed the importance of mental toughness and focusing on the process rather than fixating on the results.
"In the beginning of the season we were playing a lot of tough competition, and we were really close with the other teams," senior catcher/pitcher Gehrig Whitlock said. "In the back of my mind, it looked like we were 1-6 but in reality, it didn't really feel like it.
"We all knew we could play better than our record actually showed. ... It's all about keeping a level head and not getting too ahead of yourself."
Whitlock is one of just four seniors on the team. He was on the 2020-21 team that won eight games. He's witnessed improved culture and interest in the program under Meaney, and he wants to end his career on a high note despite playing at less than 100%.
While playing catcher against Monrovia, Whitlock sprinted after a wild pitch. While fielding the ball he slipped and his knee got caught in the ground, bending it back, spraining his MCL and putting a small tear in his meniscus. His days behind the plate are over, but with the help of a knee brace he continues to pitch for his team.
"This is the furthest I've ever been in the state tournament," he said. "There's not been another feeling like it. Being a senior, with this being my last year, I just want to help my team any way I can."
Whitlock is second on the team in innings pitched with 30⅓. Sophomore Hudson Mills has developed into the staff ace and has put together a dominant second half.
The 6-foot lefty ended the regular season with a 10-strikeout complete game against Perry Meridian. He followed up the strong outing with 11 strikeouts against Greenwood Christian to clinch the sectional championship. In the regional championship game against South Decatur, Mills was lights out, throwing a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts. In his last three starts, Mills has 32 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA. For the season, Mills is 4-4 with a 3.16 ERA and 62 strikeouts over 48⅔ innings.
"I think he's one of the rare athletes that the moment doesn't bother him," Meaney said. "He doesn't get rattled by the little things. He's really hard on himself when he's not feeling he does his best, and a lot of times his best is better than other players'. ... His mentality towards the game and how he attacks the game is a huge component to his success."
Mills leads Lutheran with a .464 batting average, 32 runs scored and 11 stolen bases. Sophomore Gage Meaney leads Lutheran with 22 RBI. Senior Jackson Brandenburg leads the Saints with six doubles and five triples. Junior Ryan Redding has a team-high five home runs.
Against semistate opponent South Central (14-8), Lutheran will need its offense to lead the way. The Rebels have allowed just seven runs all postseason, and junior pitcher Cole Thomas is coming off a three-hit, nine-strikeout complete game against Trinity Lutheran in the regional championship game.
"We've been preparing for this for four years," Meaney said. "After that (2023) season we had a solid season, but we didn't make the run in the tournament that we expected because we didn't see the high-level pitching that we saw in the championship game last year at sectionals.
"I truly feel that making our schedule as tough as we did and continuing to speak life into them, has allowed them to stick with the program."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Tough schedule prepared Lutheran high school baseball for postseason
