When Apollo baseball fell just one game short of a State Championship appearance in 2023, the Eagles promised that they would find a way back. It has taken three years, but Apollo has made their awaited return to the State Tournament semifinals, but awaiting them is a challenge unlike no other – No. 1 in the nation, Trinity (Louisville).
“They’re a good team. You go look at their numbers, and they are really good,” catcher Gunnar Hendricks said. “That’s what we’re going to hear all week leading up to the game is how good Trinity is. But heading into the first round, everybody was telling us how good Whitley County was, and I just think it’s baseball. Anything can happen. We go out there, we play our game, and we’re not alone; we’re a team in it together. I just think if we have everybody’s back throughout the entire game, I think anything can happen.”
The reigning state champions, the Shamrocks, are looking to become the first Kentucky team to go back-to-back since Harrison County did so in 1997 and 1998, but Apollo is no stranger to playing spoiler. They took down Meade County in the 3rd Region Championship and started their State Tournament run with a dominant 5-3 win over Whitley County, which was ranked second in the state.
“Beating Whitley was a really good start. It gave us that confidence almost,” junior Ty Lillpop said. “Because a lot of people, you could say, thought we were down there by accident. We proved this weekend a really good point that we weren’t there by accident, but to go win a state title.”
Through their first two wins of the State Tournament, the Eagles’ bats have roared to life, scoring 19 runs on 21 hits, while against Campbell County, seven of the nine starters all recorded an RBI. Hendricks has been a major catalyst, hitting home runs in both games and driving in four runs.
“Our bats have been great and have executed well. Against Whitley County, I thought we really handled the bat,” Apollo Head Coach Heath Hicks said. “Obviously, Gunnar had the big homerun, but we have bunted well. We have moved runners and have really executed one through nine, and that will have to continue on Friday.”
Apollo’s offense will be challenged by a Shamrocks pitching staff that ranks second in the state in ERA (1.61) and is anchored by Kentucky 2026 Mr. Baseball Grayson Willoughby. A University of Kentucky commit who is receiving draft consideration, Willoughby rides a fastball that can top out in the upper 90s and has three secondary pitches that leave opponents baffled.
Behind him are Konnor Stargel, who has an identical 0.73 ERA, and the team’s second-leading strikeout artist, Grayson Davis.
“It’s all about the approach and timing,” Hendricks said. “If we get up there and get our timing down, we will be just fine. I think if you look at numbers, we are one of the hottest teams in the State Tournament right now from an offensive standpoint. So, I think if we go up there, we stay within our approach, we don’t get too big at the plate, and we don’t try to do too much. Just put barrels to balls.”
Ranked 15th in the state in ERA (2.40) per KHSAA, Apollo’s pitching staff will be facing an offense that is first in RBIs (335) and runs scored (1058) and is seventh in batting average (.360). Ross Milburn and Lillpop started against Whitley County and Campbell County, respectively, with Isaac James and Ryleigh Logan both making relief appearances.
“Ross gave us five extremely strong innings against Whitley County and held one of the top offenses in the state in check,” Hicks said. “He lost his legs a bit in the sixth, but Isaac picked up right where he left off and did a phenomenal job. Ty to both start and finish a game, I think that is just a credit to his determination.”
First pitch between the two is scheduled for later today at 1:30 p.m. ET.
