INDIANAPOLIS — There may not be a way to sum up this moment properly.
Mater Dei coach Adam Wildeman was searching for the right words, but failing. His focus was being pulled in multiple directions as he navigated a full concourse of well wishes and hugs.
Same for Max Miller, a senior who walked off this field with dejection last year but is now placing a jersey inside the Victory Field trophy case.
You can pinpoint to a dozen others who may spend the entire offseason trying to describe what occurred on Saturday.
Because with their backs against the wall, the Wildcats found the answer. Again.
No. 1 Mater Dei defeated Bluffton 6-3 in eight innings to win the IHSAA Class 2A state championship on June 20. The Wildcats were down to their final out before completing a story which took multiple trips to Indianapolis to finish.
For the first time in 27 years, this program earned the right to be state champions.
“It wasn’t just today,” Wildeman said. “It wasn’t just last week. It’s been all year long. These guys just fight and claw and find different ways to win baseball games. Tough to put into words that does justice, but it truly is an honor to be the head coach.”
This was, in some ways, three decades in the making.
Mater Dei played in the state championship four times since winning the 1999 title. All four visits ended in defeat. It was also an evolution of growth for a team who was eight outs from this same opportunity last season but failed.
What went down over the final innings at Victory Field proved Mater Dei (30-3) was finally ready.
Jackson Schaefer tied the game on a swinging bunt with two outs in the seventh. One inning later, again with two outs, four straight batters reached base for the Wildcats. The final two were the loudest with Miller driving home the go-ahead run and Dylan Murphy supplying a two-RBI rocket up the middle for good measure.
One week ago, Mater Dei delivered a similar sequence to beat Sullivan in the semi-state final. Moments which will be remembered as long as baseball is played on the West Side of Evansville.
“We have belief in each other,” Miller said. “We know that we can rely on each other to get the job done. After last week, I didn’t think a game could get any more exciting or stressful. It might have topped it today.”
How Mater Dei secured its second state championship is elevated by how this game played out through six innings. The Wildcats landed a blow to start the game with Spencer Schiff hitting a one-out triple to center and running home on a throwing error. Bluffton (19-11) answered in the bottom half.
Jacob Caldemeyer gave Mater Dei a 2-1 lead in the fourth via a sacrifice fly. The Tigers scored two in the fifth, the go-ahead run coming on a ground ball to third that wasn’t fielded clean, to take their first lead.
Mater Dei left 11 runners on base and coughed up three errors. This was nearly a carbon copy of how the Wildcats lost to Boone Grove last season.
What changed? Mater Dei had the experience to navigate it. The Wildcats trailed in four of their seven postseason games this spring. They had the answer every single time. Much like a state champion should.
“I don’t think there was ever that sense (of panic),” Wildeman said. “We’ve proven that and been tested throughout the season. When we’re down one late in games, these guys are just comfortable. They’re gamers. They’re the absolute biggest competitors that I’ve been around.”
What gave Mater Dei the ability to find a way back was its pitching. Sophomore Cole Breeden allowed two earned runs and struck out five in four-plus innings. His replacement was even better with the pressure pushed to the max.
Darret Branson pitched four high-stress innings in relief to secure this result. The sophomore allowed only two hits and struck out six. He stranded two runners in the fifth and sixth. Once the lineup gave him the lead, his stuff was electric. Branson retired seven straight to end the game, four on punchouts.
The same sequence went down a week ago. Branson finished both games in the semi-state, notably the nine-inning battle against Sullivan, to place Mater Dei at Victory Field. Wildeman pointed to not just his talent, but the growth shown over the last three months for why he excels in those situations.
“We just kept battling,” Branson said. “It’s throwing strikes, but the team had great defense behind me. Everybody since the first practice had the same vision. We wanted to be at this field. We got it done.”
Griffin Morgan pitched 7 2/3 innings for Bluffton before reaching the pitch limit. Schiff was 2-for-4 with a triple and double to lead a lineup which registered 10 hits and seven walks. Schaefer was named the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award winner.
None of this was ever guaranteed. Mater Dei was oozing potential but saw a leadership void following the graduation of a large class. It entered the postseason with a target as the favorite to reach Indianapolis.
What this group will be remembered for is how it responded every time they trailed. The late rally to beat Forest Park. Breeden’s effort against Salem. Murphy’s home run versus University. The extra-inning heroes to stun Sullivan. All helmed by a first-year coach who stressed the importance of one-day growth since the season started in March.
Mater Dei embodied what it takes to win a state championship.
“There was a sense of some unfinished business,” Wildeman said. “They did such a great job of realizing this was a whole different team. Nothing was going to be handed to them. I can truly say we got a little bit better each and every week building up to this run. I think that’s what put us over the top this year.
“To bring home the state title for Mater Dei High School is so special. Not only to me but our players and coaches.”
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at kyle.sokeland@courierpress.com.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Mater Dei baseball multi-year journey ends with IHSAA 2A state title
Reporting by Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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By Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press | USA TODAY Network
