Columbus North High School - Log Yearbook (Columbus, IN)

Dogs finally get tournament break For the first time in nianv years. North received a break in the annual IHSAA sec- tional tournament draw, and Coach Bill Stearman ' s Bull Dogs took full ailvautap-. The Dogs defeated Columbus East in the championship game, 5-3. after receiving a first-round bye and then beating South- western, 6-2, in the semi-finals. It was the first time since 1976 that the Bull Dogs were able to win the first round of play in the annual state tourney. Coach Stearman ' s crew struggled early, and at one time stood at 4 wins, 4 losses, but after heartbreaking 14-inning, 5-3, loss to PVanklin in the South Central Conference tournament, the Dogs ran off a 13-game winning streak going into the regional. Junior Wayne Wagers and Senior Barry Brisben were the top two hitters percentage- wise for CNHS, with .48() and .424 averages prior to the regional. Kevin Hobbs. another junior, was the slugger ot the team with six out-of-the-park home runs, seven doubles, three triples and 27 runs batted in, team- leading stats in all those departments. Bris- ben was the top run-scorer, with 27; Hobbs had 24; and junior Bill Foreman scored 22. Foreman also had the best pitching record with six wins, no losses and one save, while sophomore Jerrv Adkins was 6-1-1. Coach Stearman and various college coaches were very high in their praise of relief ace Devin Bush, a senior sinkerball specialist, who won 2 and lost one but who also saved seven games. Bush had the best strikeout ra- tio among the pitchers, and allowed the few- est hits and walks per innings pitched. Bush also owned the best Earned Run Average on the pitching staff. \ > J 154 / Varsity Baseball