Hoosier Heroes: Indiana is home to high school baseball, softball phenoms in Maxwell Clark and Keagan Rothrock

Having the nation's best softball player and best baseball player living within a half hour of each other isn't necessarily uncommon. Softball and baseball hotbeds like Florida and Texas and especially Orange County in California are home to highly-ranked players every year.

But this is Indiana, a state known more for basketball. It's the home of Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson, Skylar Diggins and Jackie Young. Baseball and softball teams have struggled in the past to put players on the national stage.

Prior to last year when Roncalli finished No. 1, no Indiana high school softball team had been ranked higher than No. 7 in the final national rankings. No Indiana softball player had ever been named national player of the year prior to Rothrock winning the honor last season.

Likewise, only one Indiana baseball team has ever earned a mythical national championship, that being La Porte in 1987. Additionally, only 16 Hoosier State players have been selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft.

However, to quote noted time traveler Marty McFly, "History is going to change." Indiana has never had a player chosen No. 1 overall in the Major League Baseball draft, but it has come close. Pat Underwood of Kokomo went No. 2 in the 1976 draft behind Floyd Bannister. Underwood was the top pitcher in the state and he still ranks No. 1 in the state record book for shutouts in a career (22) and strikeouts in a career (637). He ranks four spots ahead of his brother Tom (553), who also played professional baseball with the Phillies.

Pat Underwood played just 113 games in the Major Leagues, however, posting a 13-18 career record. Thus the "Greatest Baseball Hoosier" honor has to go to Jasper standout Scott Rolen, who was recently elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Rolen, a second-round draft pick in 1993, ranks ahead of Evansville Reitz legend Don Mattingly with a career WAR of 70.1 to 42.4.

Looking to make his own mark is Clark, who hasn't been pegged as a No. 1 overall pick in any of the mock drafts released so far this year, but with a full high school season looming, anything is possible. Last February, Stillwater (Okla.) shortstop Jackson Holliday was nowhere to be found on first round MLB mock drafts. After a record-setting season that included 28 doubles, 79 RBI and 17 home runs, he went No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft last July.

Right now, mock drafts peg Clark as a top five pick. Clark is seen as the type of five-tool player who could rise to the top of the MLB Draft. Already blessed with speed, a strong arm and a good hitting stroke, Clark only needs to add power hitting to his set of tools to make his move to the top. He has already shown that power stroke in pressure situations, hitting the go-ahead home run against Team Canada at the 18U World Baseball Classic last fall.

"My biggest thrill is without a doubt my go ahead two-run home run against Canada, while I was playing for Team USA," Clark said. "We were trailing Canada, 5 to 4 in the bottom of the sixth. There was a runner on first, and Canada's pitcher hung a change up in the middle part of the zone. I took it over the right field fence and I have never been so overwhelmed with emotion in my life. It was single-handedly the coolest thing I've ever experienced."

Clark earned MaxPreps All-American honors last year and was the MaxPreps National Junior of the Year after batting .577 with 32 RBI and nine home runs. Franklin Community is now home to a multitude of scouts on gameday, all of them charting, timing, and filming Clark's every at-bat. It's something Clark has gotten used to.

"Personally, I love when scouts are at the games," Clark said. "I'm the type of player that is always going 100 percent, and having professional scouts at your games is a blessing. I tried to look at it as a positive, rather than something that can hurt your game." To find a softball pitching sensation in Indiana to match the prowess of Rothrock, you have to go back nearly 70 years, way before high schools even sanctioned girls softball. Patty Tatum began pitching amateur softball when she was just 13 and traveled all over the country during the 1950s, racking up no-hitters, winning a pair of World Series championships and earning a spot in the USA Softball Hall of Fame.

Fast forward to 2022 and Rothrock was putting up mind-numbing numbers of her own. She posted a 27-0 record with eight no-hitters, five perfect games, 366 strikeouts and a 0.73 ERA in winning Miss Indiana and MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors.

Racking up the awards is nice, but Rothrock's greatest thrill is facing the batter just 43 feet away.

"My greatest thrill as a player is striking girls out in pressure moments," Rothrock said. "Striking girls out in pressure moments stands out to me because it is rewarding to be able to strikeout one of the toughest batters in the lineup in a situation where the other team is looking to succeed. These types of pressure moments are moments that I thrive in and moments where I am throwing my best game."

Like Clark, Rothrock draws a multitude of college recruiters to her game. Also like Clark, it's not something she minds.

"I feel like I did really well with college recruiters attending my games. I remember I would always be able to tell my parents after the game what colleges were there and exactly where they were standing," Rothrock said. "I don't ever remember being intimidated by any of the college coaches. For me it was also never really hard to focus. I feel like the more college coaches that were there the more I was driven to perform at a higher level." Powerhouse Athletics is an indoor baseball and softball training facility located in Franklin Community. It's also the place where Clark and Rothrock have fine-tuned their skills. Imagine, one training facility in the heartland of the Midwest home to the top baseball and softball players in the country. It's thus no surprise that Clark and Rothrock have become fans of each other's talents.

"It's hard not to know Keegan Rothrock in Indiana. I've seen her play a couple times now, and the hype is no joke," Clark said. "She is a multitude of steps ahead of her competition and it is really cool to see. I think the thing that separates her from the pack is she is always having fun. Whether she's giving lessons to kids at Powerhouse or throwing a perfect game in the state championship, everything to her is fun."

Rothrock admires the hard work Clark puts into becoming a great player.

"I don't know Max very well, mainly because we aren't at the facility at the same time, but he's an awesome player. I've only ever seen film of him play, but it's incredible," Rothrock said. "He has accomplished so many awesome things and it's fun to watch his journey as well. I think one of the things that makes him a great player is his work ethic and drive. To me, that's what I think makes him such a great player."

Both Clark and Rothrock credit their school and their hometown for their tremendous support of the athletic programs.

"Roncalli is a great place to play softball for so many reasons. One reason is the girls and the coaches who play and run the program," Rothrock said. "The majority of the girls who are on the team grew up together and also grew up playing together. Because of this our bond as a team is so unique and so special and I truly think that our bond as a team has helped us to be so successful.

"The other great thing about playing softball at Roncalli is the school itself. The student body is like no other. No matter the sport, no matter the team, no matter the location, Roncalli's student body will make an appearance to support their classmates. Our hometown also rallies behind the softball team and supports us."

Clark is proud of the way his hometown supports the baseball team as well.

"Franklin Community is a fantastic place to play baseball," Clark said. "A lot of kids in my position may struggle with some people not liking them, or not really understanding. That doesn't happen in Franklin, everyone here is incredibly supportive, they all show up to every game, and they all like to stay in the loop."

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While the season hasn't started for either Clark or Rothrock, both are looking forward to what lies beyond. For Clark, it's the Major League Baseball Draft.

"I'm preparing for the MLB Draft by doing absolutely everything that I can to separate myself from the pack," Clark said. "There are a lot of really good players not only in the 2023 high school class but also the 2023 college class and I have to do anything and everything to separate myself."

Rothrock is looking forward to another strong season in the circle and continuing her career at Florida.

"I am attending the University of Florida because it has always been my dream school," Rothrock said. "Alongside that, the coaching staff is absolutely amazing. They are for the girls constantly and they are willing to do whatever it takes in order to better each girl on the roster."

Both Clark and Rothrock have their families to thank for their success.

"My family has been really influential on my athletic career," Rothrock said. "From of a young age, they've really pushed me to be the best that I can be, but have also been there for me when I am struggling or in times of success. To me, that's influential."

Clark noted the sacrifices his family has made to help him improve.

"There are not many kids that have the chance to travel the country with their entire family, playing baseball," Clark said. "I'm truly blessed to have a family that was so comfortable making sacrifices in order to help me get to where I want to be. I would not be anywhere close to where I am today without them."

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Hoosier Hysteria is a term used to define the state of excitement that surrounds basketball in Indiana, especially the state basketball tournament, which concludes Saturday for girls basketball and March 25 for the boys.

The start of the baseball and softball seasons is still a ways off. Franklin Community doesn't begin play until April 1 when it takes on Evansville North. Roncalli opens its season a few days later against Columbus North on April 4.

This year, Hoosier Hysteria gets an extended run and will take place not only during basketball season, but into baseball and softball season as well with Indiana icons Clark and Rothrock sharing the national spotlight as the high school baseball and softball players in the nation.