INDIANAPOLIS — Andrean junior third baseman Chase Nelson offered perspective.
After the school and the team’s field sustained serious damage from a tornado on June 11, Nelson understood there were bigger issues at play than the outcome of the Class 3A state championship game.
“It’s been really sad,” he said. “But we got a lot closer as a team because we wanted to do it for the school and the community. We got here, but we just couldn’t do it.”
The top-ranked 59ers couldn’t repeat as state champions and add a record-setting 10th title, losing 9-3 to No. 2 Guerin at Victory Field on Friday.
The Eagles prevailed in their first appearance in a state championship game.
“First and foremost, all the credit to that team,” Andrean coach Dave Pishkur said. “They were the far superior team today. There’s no question about it. They’re better than us. Their pitcher is good. They have more hitters than us. It’s not like, ‘OK, we’ll get to the bottom of the order. We don’t have to worry about it.’ They’re very good.”
Nelson did his part for the 59ers (30-4). He went 2-for-4 with a run-scoring single in the third inning after going 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in the 2025 state championship game. He also played well defensively at third, sticking with a swirling foul ball to end the fifth and leaping to snag a liner to end the sixth, and he didn’t allow an earned run in two innings on the mound.
Andrean utilized five pitchers against Guerin (28-3-1).
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“We’re here because of our pitching staff because we’re not a great hitting team,” Pishkur said. “We walk nine guys and hit three guys, which is the worst we’ve done all year. You get in a state championship game, these are 16-, 17- or 18-year-old guys. You think you have them prepared, and we’ve been here 12, 13 times, and we’ve never played a bad game here ever. You just don’t know.
“Credit to them. My hat’s off to them for getting us here. Just didn’t have their best game when we needed it, but still love them all.”
Guerin starter Tate Troxell, an Alabama recruit, allowed one run on four hits and three walks, and he struck out 12.
“He’s good,” Pishkur said. “He throws hard. That’s probably the hardest guy we’ve faced this year in terms of velocity. He has a nice tight slider.”
Nelson’s brother Tyler, a 2020 Andrean graduate, also was a standout, starting at shortstop on the 2018 and 2019 state championship teams.
Although Nelson and the 59ers didn’t repeat like his brother did, he appreciated the experience.
“It’s great,” he said. “Everyone should deserve a chance to come and play with the big crowd, with the nerves. Obviously, there’s a lot of pressure when you’re playing with all the people, and you just have to block out all the outside noise.”
The 59ers, who also got a two-run double from senior outfielder Luke Goben in the seventh, tried to stay focused under the unusual circumstances.
“It was no excuse,” Pishkur said. “Tough week for them with losing their field, practicing at all different places. Hell, we could’ve practiced at Andrean five times, but we weren’t going to beat these guys today probably.”
Andrean will move to Class 4A next season.
“It is what it is,” Pishkur said. “What we’ll have to do is we’ll have to really get better. The one thing cool about our program is it’s next man up. We have some sophomores that are kind of waiting, and maybe even at the end of the year, they were ready to play, and you just can’t disrupt the lineup at that point.
“Not saying we’re going to be better next year, but we have some arms that have a chance to be pretty good next year. I know these kids will work at it. They’ll get in the weight room. They’ll do the long-toss program. They’ll be coached up, and I think they’ll be better. But you know what? It’s 4A baseball, and that’s a lot harder than 3A.”
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