Is Warrick County a hotbed for Indiana high school softball? Players, coaches weigh in

EVANSVILLE — Each of the last three softball seasons has ended with a Warrick County high school team hoisting a IHSAA state championship trophy.

Boonville won the 3A title on a squeeze bunt in 2021 when Kalyn Gore was a first-year coach. Tecumseh is the back-to-back Class A champ and became the seventh program in the state's history to repeat. Castle has also played in multiple state title games with its last championship coming in 2001.

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Many local players have gone on to Division I, from Randi Jo Pryor (Indiana State) to Jackie Lis (Southern Illinois). Cora Bassett didn't play softball for Castle but recently became Indiana University's all-time runs leader. Hall of Fame coaches Pat Lockyear and Gordon Wood also have over 50 years of combined coaching experience with the Knights and Tecumseh, respectively.

Because of this success and consistency, players and coaches alike agree Warrick County is a hotbed for Indiana high school softball.

"I think the south has a bunch of really good teams," said Tecumseh senior and University of Evansville signee Jenna Donohoo. "Castle and Boonville, along with us, we all just work really hard and all kind of know each other. We've all grown up playing travel ball together and everything. It's awesome."

"Obviously, it's been a pretty good history of winning state between all three schools," Lockyear added. "It's a credit to the kids, credit to the parents. It's just a fantastic amount of work that goes into being that good."

How did Warrick County become this hotbed for Indiana high school softball? Let's take a closer look.

Another Hall of Fame coach has set the standard

Mike Wilson was one of the best softball coaches not just in Southwestern Indiana but in the entire state.

He coached at Boonville from 1986-2017, leading the Pioneers to three state championship appearances and the 2006 Class 3A title. He's Indiana's second-winningest coach with a career record of 673-155-2. His presence is still felt locally considering the Pioneers' softball field is named after him.

While Castle and Tecumseh played for state titles, they strived for the same high standards as Boonville.

"Boonville has been the best team not just in Warrick County but the whole area," Wood said. "They have kind of set the bar over the years. That's probably why Castle and Tecumseh are a lot better now. Because we got tired of getting beat by them all the time."

All three schools advanced to state together in 2007 but lost in close contests. The Knights and Braves each went to extras. Yet, Warrick County would continue to make its presence felt on the big stage.

Over the next four seasons, at least one team played for a state championship — Tecumseh won titles in 2009 and 2011. Wilson still inspires the three coaches; Gore dominated in the circle for him and Wood was inducted into the Hall of Fame by him and Lockyear. Wood still has the game ball locked up from when Tecumseh defeated Boonville for the first time in 2001.

"It ain't ever coming out," Wood said of the ball.

'They want to do the same thing that these girls have done'

The future of high school softball in Warrick County remains bright.

Castle hosted its inaugural softball invitational at Deaconess Sports Park earlier this month to feature elite teams and players headed to major college programs.

"It was a fantastic opportunity to have this many good teams come down here," Lockyear said. "I have not been to any tournaments like this in the state of Indiana where there are this many teams as good as they are."

The feeder programs also remain strong. Wood consistently has seen youth players in the stands throughout his 24 years with Tecumseh. He is proud to coach a program in which every player since 2000 has appeared in at least one state championship.

"When you go to state and you look into the stands and see all these 8- to 14-year-old girls all dressed up in Tecumseh gear, they're pumped," Wood said. "They want to do the same thing that these girls have done."

That's why players and coaches stress the importance of inspiring the next generation.

"It's really important to me," Boonville junior Peyton Pryor said. "I know the younger (players) have a lot of talent. They look up to all of us as upperclassmen."

It's not just softball that thrives in Warrick County, either. Castle and Tecumseh's volleyball teams also went to state together last fall.

All three schools are hopeful for another strong postseason run this spring. Tecumseh seeks its third consecutive state appearance — the Braves and Castle are ranked No. 2 in their respective classes. There's D-I talent on every team as Tecumseh junior Katelyn Marx and Pryor, for example, are both University of Southern Indiana commits.

"Every day, we're just going to try and get better," Castle sophomore Emma Bruggenschmidt said. "Each game, I hope that we can see us improve."

Courier & Press sports reporter Treasure Washington can be reached via her email, treasure.washington@courierpress.com, and on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Twashington490.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: How Warrick County turned into an Indiana high school softball hotbed