Even the most optimistic fans of the Independence baseball team could not have seen this coming.
The signs really did not point to the Patriots making a deep run in 2024 postseason, but as the old saying goes, that is why you play the game.
Following a sluggish start to the season, Independence beats the odds to run through the sectional and regional tournament unscathed and advance to the state baseball tournament.
Friday morning at 10 a.m., the Patriots will play No. 1 seed and defending Class AA champion Winfield at Go-Mart Park in Charleston.
“It is a good way to go out I guess you could say,” Brayden Kiblinger said. “I am not sure it’s really kicked in yet. I am just playing baseball right now.”
Kiblinger was a freshman the last time Independence graced the diamond in the Capital City, but he also is the only player remaining from that squad which fell to North Marion in the semifinals.
“We had a great group of guys that year. I hate how it ended, but it was great to experience that and see how those guys carry themselves down there.”
There were several reasons the prospects for postseason success were limited for the Patriots.
Nicholas County entered the season as the favorite with a strong returning core that was one win away from the sectional title last year.
Only four players returned from the 2023 Indy squad that went 14-9 and was knocked out in the sectional round.
Independence also had two new faces to work into the mix as well as enough freshman, eight to be exact, to open its own daycare.
One of the two newcomers was senior Blake Stratton who transferred to Coal City from Beckley.
Although Stratton was a solid player for the Flying Eagles, he was still a bit of an unknown product after suffering a knee injury in the Coppinger Tournament last year.
In a sport where chemistry is as much a key as the talent on the field, Stratton returned to his old form and became a crucial player in the Independence line-up.
“It was a big piece. If he doesn’t come over, we are looking at most likely catching a freshman back there,” Independence head coach Scott Cuthbert said. “No matter how good they are, that is a big key position for us. The catcher is sorta like our quarterback. Even with the offensive production, he has been one of the top hitters in the lineup.”
At the dish, Stratton leads the Patriots hitting .457 with a .587 on base percentage. He has collected 42 hits and drove in 33 runs.
“It wasn’t hard at all really,” Stratton said about the transition to Independence. “Everyone was really supportive of me coming over here and they loved the fact that I came here. That has been a big key in my success and our success as a team. Everybody supports everybody. We always pick each other up.”
Stratton has also been a calming presence behind the plate.
“I try to keep them smiling and having a good time,” Stratton said about handling the pitching staff. “Just keep them from thinking too much. When they are not thinking about what they have to do, it is easier for them to throw strikes.”
Having played for Independence all four years of his career, Kiblinger was well known to the younger players.
“I have been working with (freshman) Degan (Williams) since my freshman year. We have been super close,” Cuthbert said. “Micah (Cuthbert) has been here since he was been born basically. He knows more than half of these guys.”
While the prospects of a state tournament run may have looked dim from the outside, Kiblinger did not share that view of the season.
“We worked all summer and all winter too. You could tell it was a special group,” Kiblinger said. “These young guys want to play baseball and they want to be here. I feel like this is a great opportunity too.”
As expected, success for the Patriots did not come easy, losing eight of their first 14 games. The spring break trip to Myrtle Beach seemed to help turn the tide according to the senior shortstop.
“I think the beach really set us straight. After we came back (coach Cuthbert) told us, if we wanted to do something, we had to do it now,” Kiblinger recalled. “We seemed to flip the switch and we really got it going.”
Kiblinger himself struggled in the early going, especially defensively, and had to do some reflection to right his own ship.
“(Coach Cuthbert) pulled me aside at Midland Trail and told if I wasn’t going to step up, somebody was going to take my spot,” Kiblinger said. “He even asked me if I wanted to switch (positions) and I said, no, I wanted to play shortstop. I think after that I had to take a step back and look at everything. I realized we had a chance to do something special.”
Winning 14 of its last 18 games and winning five straight games in the postseason, the early struggles now are a distant memory.
“(Coach Cuthbert) said at the beginning of the year that we needed to have some patience, but he felt like we would have a good year once everybody got all the bugs out,” Kiblinger said. “We got hot at the right time. I think the coaches had something to do with that by telling us to calm down and just have fun.”
After starting the season as an unlikely state tournament participant, the two lone seniors on the team are hoping to lead the Patriots to one more big surprise – a state championship.
“I watched how hard we worked in the off-season, so I felt like we would go a decent amount this year, but I didn’t expect to be on a state tournament team with how young we are,” Stratton said. “It is going to feel unreal when I walk on that field and see how many people are there. I am going to treat it like a regular game, try not to think about too much and just do what I do.”
