The Chesterton Trojans ended their season on Friday night with a loss to Valparaiso in the Sectional Semifinal game by a score of 3-0. Troy Barrett(6IP, 4H, 3R, ER, BB, 13K) suffered the loss on the bump for Chesterton running his season record to 10-1. Chesterton was the visiting team on their home field which gave the game a strange feeling to begin with as they wore the black tops and white pants. The Trojans got things going right out of the gate with Rob Czarniecki(1-1, BB, HBP) getting hit with a ball four pitch and Troy Barrett(1-3,) lined a knock to right. Eli McClelland(0-2, SAC) did his job by moving the runners up with a sac bunt. With runners at second and third Caden Hackett(0-2) flied to right fielder in medium depth and Czarniecki attempted to tag from third. The right fielder threw a one hop strike to the plate and Czarniecki was called out even though photographic evidence showed him to have his hand on the plate as the tag was applied and the inning was over. Momentum Valpo. IU bound Trent Gill led off for Valpo with a sky-high fly ball to right that found outfield grass just beyond the second base position. The next batter grounded through the middle putting runners at first and third for Glass who was late on a fastball, and it found its way through the right side of the infield to plate Gill. Barrett fanned three batters, Malloy, Dilley, and Gear in the inning getting the outs by himself. Gary Kirkland(0-3, K) reached on an error to start the second but was quickly erased on a twin killing off the bat of super sophomore, Isaac Gertzen, who crushed the ball right at the second baseman who had plenty of time to toss it to the shortstop and he onto first. Ethan Glassman(0-2, BB, K) worked a walk but Nate Redman(0-2, 2K) struck out ending the frame. Barrett then struck out the side again with the victims being McFarden, Reaume, and Pastoret. The third had Isaiah Prater(0-2, 2K) going down on strikes and Czarniecki roping a single off relief pitcher Haas to left field and he hustled to second as the left fielder bobbled the ball. Barrett grounded out to advance Czarniecki to third but McClelland flew out to center on a hard-hit ball that was held up by the wind blowing in from center. Valpo pushed two runs across in the fifth on a hit by pitch, a Redman error in right, a Gill single that made it 2-0, and then a sac bunt that slipped out of the hand of Barrett as he threw to first and into right field plating Pastoret. Czarniecki gave Chesterton hope in the top of the sixth with a five pitch walk and Mike Szostek(BB) drew the free pass off Haas to put two Trojans on the base paths. Kirkland battled for several pitches but went down on strikes leaving two on base. Haas would get three Trojans to go down on strikes in the final frame with Anthony Rochford having a quality AB to reach via the base on balls. Barrett struck out 13 Vikings while walking just one and allowed a lone earned run in his third varsity loss of his career. The better team lost this one as the baseball Gods weren't on the side of the maroon and gold. Prior to the contest Chesterton had three players earning All DAC honors with Czarniecki sharing conference MVP honors with Sean Dunlap of Crown Point and Barrett being awarded the most valuable pitcher of the conference. Caden Hackett also received All DAC honors under the utility player category. Barrett recorded his 100th career hit with his knock in the first. Czarniecki finished the season with a batting average of .500, just .021 away from tying the single season school record. He also finished his career with 110 hits, 16 HR's, 11 3B, 81 RBI. All-State outfielder in 2024.