INDIANAPOLIS — Quite simply, Valparaiso senior left-hander Caden Crowell is a difference-maker.
Crowell, a Notre Dame recruit and likely Major League Baseball draft pick, tossed a two-hitter Saturday night as the Vikings defeated Evansville North 5-0 in the Class 4A state championship game at Victory Field.
Crowell also went 4-for-4 with a run-scoring double for the Vikings (26-5), who added their first state title in the sport to their inaugural regional and semistate titles.
The only hits Crowell allowed to Evansville North (25-9) were a two-out double off the left-field wall in the fourth inning and a one-out single in the seventh. He walked two and struck out eight.
Crowell entered the game 7-0 with a 0.29 ERA with 89 strikeouts and nine walks in 48 innings. He allowed just three runs — two earned — all season.
So when the Vikings scored two runs in the first inning, they were well on their way to their history-making title.
Valparaiso senior first baseman Trevor Fenters, an Indiana State recruit, had two hits, including a triple off the base of the left-field wall to drive in the first run. Junior second baseman DJ Malloy also had two hits, a two-run single and a run-scoring single.
Valparaiso became the second straight Duneland Athletic Conference team to win the 4A state title, following Lake Central last season, and the third Region team to win a state title this weekend, following Andrean in 3A on Friday and Boone Grove in 2A earlier Saturday.
This story will be updated.
Originally Published: June 21, 2025 at 10:12 PM CDT