KOKOMO — “So what, now what?” was a quote displayed on the back of an Illiana Christian fan’s shirt.
The spectator’s shirt question was emphatically answered on Saturday night after the Class 2A No. 10 Vikings beat Delphi 12-1 in five innings to advance to their second straight state final.
They will play either Heritage Christian (18-15) or Covenant Christian (15-15) in next week’s state final at Victory Field with the time to be determined on Sunday.
While Illiana Christian won with some ease, Vikings coach Jeff VanderWoude said the job’s not done yet.
“These guys are making lifetime memories and God has put us in this place for a reason, but we all know the journey is not over yet,” he said.
Winners of six straight, Illiana Christian (24-9) put up crooked numbers on the scoreboard in the first, fourth and fifth innings and chased Oracles starter Keigan Watts after three-and-a-third innings.
The Vikings got another big performance from senior first baseman Cody DeJong, who reached base four times, with two walks and two singles and added two RBI and three runs.
Second-leading hitter Tyler Balkema, who bats seventh, reached base three times with two singles and a walk while adding an RBI and a stolen base.
“I like batting lower in the order, but it doesn’t matter because we all have good at-bats and stay within ourselves,” said Balkema.
Right fielder Tanner Post also chipped in four RBI on two sacrifice flies and a two-run single.
All of this was more than enough for starting pitcher Gavin Meyer, who pitched all five innings, allowing just four hits, one run and one walk while striking out five.
“Me and my pitching coach Shane (Zegarac) worked on spotting before the game and I wasn’t thinking about anything else because there’s been some practices where we’ve worked on just defensive things,” said Meyer.
The defensive highlights involved a heavy dose of shortstop Isaac VanderWoude, who turned two smooth, unassisted double plays in the first and second innings, respectively.
“It’s really nice to have that kind of support behind you,” admired Meyer.
When asked how the Vikings will handle the preparation for their second straight state final appearance, VanderWoude said they’re not going to change a thing.
“We’re going to continue to do what we do and go from there,” he said. “We’re going to compete the way we can and have each other’s backs because at this point, whoever we play will have to stop us and we’ll have to stop them.”