FERDINAND, Ind. — There are actually three unavoidable certainties in this life.
Death and taxes are the first two. The other resides on a softball diamond in Southern Indiana. Because year after year, the same conclusion keeps being reached. It’s no longer possible to ignore with this much evidence piling up.
Tecumseh is headed to the Class 2A state championship. Again.
This marks five years in a row for those counting at home. The No. 3 Braves earned their latest ticket to West Lafayette with a pair of run-rule victories, the final being a 14-0 dusting of Eastern Hancock on Saturday, June 6 at Cedar Crest Intermediate in Dubois County. Inevitable feels appropriate in this instance.
Because it’s true.
“This group is like the other groups,” Tecumseh coach Gordon Wood said. “They’ve worked their butt off, and they’ve done everything we ask of them. (Getting to the state championship) never gets old.”
Tecumseh (28-4) has never been immune to talented players leaving the program upon graduation. It happened again last spring after winning state title No. 6 with a shutout against Andrean. Those three players, which included an Indiana Miss Softball finalist, were the first in state history to reach the championship four straight years.
Yet, the Braves did it again. Only one opponent has played them beyond five innings in the postseason (that performance from Mater Dei in the sectional continues to look better with time). The pitching has delivered five shutouts in those six games. The offense has scored 68 runs since May 27.
This a legitimate dynasty with no end in sight.
“We’re stronger in what our weaknesses have been in the past,” sophomore ace Audrey Seiler said. “We have girls that can come off the bench and run. We have girls that we trust to come in and hit. Doing the little things right. Making sure that everyone, up and down the lineup, is doing their job.”
The latest performances only drilled home how difficult it is to beat Tecumseh in June. No. 10 Southmont was in lockstep with the defending state champions until the Braves spotted 11 runs in the fourth inning. Avery Long, Adley Staples and Madelyn Isaacs all went deep in a 12-0 victory.
The championship wasn’t much different. Tecumseh scored six in the first and five in the second. Shae Bailey had three hits, including an early bomb, and three RBIs. Madelyn Jones and Seiler hit softballs over the outfield fence. The lineup connected for 12 hits in each semi-state game.
At the center of this weekend was their star pitcher. Seiler gave up two hits and struck out 11 against Southmont. She delivered a no-hitter with 12 punchouts on 60 pitches in the championship. Only one Eastern Hancock batter reached base — an error in the fourth inning.
How good has she been? Seiler has allowed only five hits and one run in 27 postseason innings. She has 70 strikeouts.
“Our hitters swung at good pitches,” Wood said. “Good hitters the second and third time through figure it out. And Seiler is being Seiler. She would have had a perfect game if it hadn’t been for that ground ball.”
Tecumseh continues to be adaptable. The first two visits to Purdue University during this legendary run featured some of the best offenses to enter the program. Then came some of the better defensive and pitching teams to do the same.
Only eight programs have reached the state championship five times. The Braves have done it five straight times.
This visit passes Center Grove for the most state championship appearances ever. A victory would tie the Trojans for the same record.
Tecumseh has become the standard for softball in Indiana. To argue otherwise at this point is foolish.
“We’ve had to make changes,” senior Shae Bailey said. “We lost a lot of players last year, three starters. Audrey is a very good pitcher. We had to step up and hit. We got our bats on the ball (this weekend).”
Will this run ever end? Tecumseh moves on to Class 3A next year due to the success factor. It will do so with key starters graduating. But six others from the semi-state lineup return, including one of the best pitchers in the Class of 2028. An ace who is looking forward to the challenge of competing with bigger and different schools.
That’s for later. Tecumseh will put its entire focus on the Class 2A state championship against Western Boone, scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on Saturday, June 13. A fifth straight trip to Purdue University. A ridiculous fact that continues to boggle the minds of many throughout Indiana.
It probably shouldn’t. Tecumseh softball is an unavoidable certainty.
“They busted their butt,” Wood said. “There are 10-12 players staying after every practice to hit. That’s after a 2 1/2 hour practice. There are not many schools that do that, if any. They want to go to state every year.”
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: Tecumseh softball dynasty continues with another IHSAA state finals appearance
Reporting by Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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By Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press | USA TODAY Network
