After a down year in 2024, the Clinton Central baseball team hired Ben Prickel as its head coach and bought into a new system and mentality.
“Guys have really bought into what we’re trying to accomplish,” Prickel said. “We’re just trying to put pressure on the defense and put the ball in play. The high school game is a lot different than the MLB or even college, where guys are swinging for the fences. We just need to put the ball in play and put pressure on the defense to make plays, and I think we’ve done that for the most part.”
After finishing 5-13-1 in 2024, the Bulldogs sit at 7-8 and 3-3 in a tough Hoosier Heartland Conference.
Prickel was an assistant at Harrison High School in Lafayette before taking the role with the Bulldogs. One of the things he learned at Harrison was the importance of small ball, a philosophy he’s brought over to Clinton Central
“That’s something that where I grew up, in Harrison, that was a day one thing. You lay bunts down before you take your swings,” Prickel said. “It was important then, and it’s just as important now. We have a couple of guys who can hit the ball hard, but we’re not depending on being able to hit home runs. We have to be able to bunt and do it successfully.”
Playing in the Hoosier Heartland conference, the Bulldogs have faced some tough competition. Rossville and Clinton Prairie both rank in the top 10 and are two of the three conference losses for Clinton Central. The Bulldogs also split two matchups with Delphi and picked up wins against Tri-Central and Taylor. At 3-3 in the conference, the Bulldogs are tied for fourth.
“It’s good baseball,” Prickel said. “Rossville is playing really well, I feel like we can play with anybody in the conference if we can come out and play the way I know we can. We struggled the last couple of games, but we have it in us.”
The Bulldogs received their sectional assignment last week, they’ll face another HHC opponent in Carroll, a team they play tomorrow.
“You have to be cognisant of who you’re going to pitch and who they’re (Carroll) pitching,” Prickel said. “Those are the things you have to think about going into this last week of the regular season, leading into the conference tournament and sectionals.”
Clinton Central will take on Carroll and Eastern in HHC action this week. On Saturday, the Bulldogs will take on Western Boone for a doubleheader at Loeb Stadium in Lafayette, home of the Lafayette Aviators.