Andrean's Charlie Sollars loves ‘that adrenaline rush.' Just wait until the state championship game.
If the Class 3A state championship game is on the line on Friday, Andrean senior outfielder Charlie Sollars wants to be the one at the plate.
The Lincoln Trail commit doesn't shy away from those high-pressure moments. He embraces them.
'I just love to compete,' Sollars said. 'That pressure you have sometimes when the bases are loaded and there's a 3-2 count … I love the feeling of that adrenaline rush.'
Sollars could get his chance when the 59ers (30-3), who are ranked No. 1 in the 3A state coaches poll, play No. 7 Jasper (28-6) at Victory Field in Indianapolis at 7 p.m. Friday. They will try to win their ninth state title and first since 2022.
Although Sollars pitched earlier this season, he has made most of his impact with his bat. He's hitting .357 with six doubles, one home run, a team-high 36 RBIs, 38 runs scored and 12 steals.
Sollars was in the cleanup spot during Andrean's 4-0 win over NorthWood in the LaPorte Semistate championship game on Saturday.
'He's been a consistent offensive player the whole year,' Andrean coach Dave Pishkur said. 'He's a competitor, and he likes the moment, whatever that moment may be.'
Sollars has had plenty of moments like that during his high school career, which included time as an outside linebacker on Andrean's football team. He had 71 tackles and two interceptions for the 2A semistate runner-up last season.
Pishkur said Sollars sometimes approaches baseball like he's on a football field.
'You'd expect him, being a linebacker, to take some of that mentality onto the baseball field,' Pishkur said. 'He doesn't do it in baseball because it's a different sport, but in football he's a talker. If he makes a tackle, he might say something to you as well.'
Sollars noted that he doesn't have as many opportunities to talk like that because he's in the outfield for half of the game.
'Football's a much more emotional sport,' he said. 'Baseball is more of a mental battle, so you try to keep your emotions to a minimum.'
It can be a different story during practices, however. Sollars takes advantage of opportunities to be heard by his teammates.
'Any way to create competition in practice is a good thing,' he said.
Andrean senior catcher Blake Kouder said Sollars has a knack for making practices feel like game situations.
'He can get on your nerves for sure,' Kouder said with a laugh. 'There's no harm intended with it, but sometimes during practices it can be hard to find that competition, so he just implements it himself.'
Sollars implemented that in the weight room during the offseason too.
'It's more about flexibility rather than just heavy lifting,' he said. 'Instead of getting on the bench press and trying to lift as much as you can, it's about explosive movements and power, moving the weights as fast as I can to build up the smaller, faster-twitch muscles for baseball.'
Kouder said Sollars savors any chance to compete.
'It just comes with his personality,' Kouder said. 'He's not a guy who's going to stand down to anybody. He's just competing with the guy on the mound, and he's not going to let them beat him.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
9 hours ago
- USA Today
Notre Dame pledge Mason Barth wins state baseball title
Notre Dame baseball commit Mason Barth is once again a state champion. The Andrean (Merrillville, IN) right-handed pitcher/shortstop struck out Jasper's A.J. Huelsman with the bases loaded for the final out Friday night to help his team capture the IHSAA Class 3A State Championship in Indianapolis. No. 1 Andrean scored two runs in the 6th inning and two more in the 7th before holding off Jasper in a 4-3 win at Victory Field in Indy. It is the ninth state title in program history for the 59ers. The powerhouse is 9-2 all-time in state championship games, with all nine titles coming within the last 20 years. The nine championships put the program in a tie with Lafayette Central Catholic for most all time. Andrean finished with a 31-3 record. The 5-foot-9, 195-pound Barth committed to Notre Dame in October 2022. Andrean head coach Dave Pishkur stated a few years back that Barth was the second-best freshman he's ever coached. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Dave on X: Miller_Dave
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Andrean's Charlie Sollars loves ‘that adrenaline rush.' Just wait until the state championship game.
If the Class 3A state championship game is on the line on Friday, Andrean senior outfielder Charlie Sollars wants to be the one at the plate. The Lincoln Trail commit doesn't shy away from those high-pressure moments. He embraces them. 'I just love to compete,' Sollars said. 'That pressure you have sometimes when the bases are loaded and there's a 3-2 count … I love the feeling of that adrenaline rush.' Sollars could get his chance when the 59ers (30-3), who are ranked No. 1 in the 3A state coaches poll, play No. 7 Jasper (28-6) at Victory Field in Indianapolis at 7 p.m. Friday. They will try to win their ninth state title and first since 2022. Although Sollars pitched earlier this season, he has made most of his impact with his bat. He's hitting .357 with six doubles, one home run, a team-high 36 RBIs, 38 runs scored and 12 steals. Sollars was in the cleanup spot during Andrean's 4-0 win over NorthWood in the LaPorte Semistate championship game on Saturday. 'He's been a consistent offensive player the whole year,' Andrean coach Dave Pishkur said. 'He's a competitor, and he likes the moment, whatever that moment may be.' Sollars has had plenty of moments like that during his high school career, which included time as an outside linebacker on Andrean's football team. He had 71 tackles and two interceptions for the 2A semistate runner-up last season. Pishkur said Sollars sometimes approaches baseball like he's on a football field. 'You'd expect him, being a linebacker, to take some of that mentality onto the baseball field,' Pishkur said. 'He doesn't do it in baseball because it's a different sport, but in football he's a talker. If he makes a tackle, he might say something to you as well.' Sollars noted that he doesn't have as many opportunities to talk like that because he's in the outfield for half of the game. 'Football's a much more emotional sport,' he said. 'Baseball is more of a mental battle, so you try to keep your emotions to a minimum.' It can be a different story during practices, however. Sollars takes advantage of opportunities to be heard by his teammates. 'Any way to create competition in practice is a good thing,' he said. Andrean senior catcher Blake Kouder said Sollars has a knack for making practices feel like game situations. 'He can get on your nerves for sure,' Kouder said with a laugh. 'There's no harm intended with it, but sometimes during practices it can be hard to find that competition, so he just implements it himself.' Sollars implemented that in the weight room during the offseason too. 'It's more about flexibility rather than just heavy lifting,' he said. 'Instead of getting on the bench press and trying to lift as much as you can, it's about explosive movements and power, moving the weights as fast as I can to build up the smaller, faster-twitch muscles for baseball.' Kouder said Sollars savors any chance to compete. 'It just comes with his personality,' Kouder said. 'He's not a guy who's going to stand down to anybody. He's just competing with the guy on the mound, and he's not going to let them beat him.'
Indianapolis Star
3 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
Noblesville's Meredith Tippner repeats as Gatorade Indiana Girls Soccer Player of the Year
Meredith Tippner added one last accolade to her high school resume this week, garnering Gatorade Indiana Girls Soccer Player of the Year honors for a second straight season. The Noblesville senior forward led the Millers to a 19-0-2 record and a third consecutive Class 3A state championship last fall, scoring 24 goals and 16 assists. 12 of her goals were game-winners and she assisted on all three goals in the state final vs. Center Grove. She went 24-1 in state tournament games with with four sectional titles and three state championships. Gatorade Player of the Year honors the nation's best high school athletes for their success on the court, in the classroom and in the community, and distinguishes Tippner as the state's best high school girls soccer player. IndyStar ALL-USA Central Indiana POY: Meredith Tippner Noblesville honors assistant's memory: 'If you were coached by him, you knew what love was.' 'Her athleticism is off the charts,' Hamilton Southeastern coach Greg Davidson said of the two-time United Soccer Coaches All-American and 2024-25 Indiana Miss Soccer. 'She can singlehandedly take over a game. Her mental toughness is key and helps her teammates believe in themselves.' Tippner has maintained a 4.34 weighted GPA in the classroom and has volunteered locally with the White River Food Pantry. She has also donated her time with the Humane Society of Hamilton County. The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states across 12 different high school sports and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport. Recent Indiana recipients include Noblesville's Ava Bramblett (2022-23) and Homestead's Amelia White (2021-22). As part of Gatorade's commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $5.6 million in grants to winners across more than 2,000 organizations.
