Bremen baseball makes a statement with win over No. 2 (1A) Triton
Bremen baseball makes a statement with win over No. 2 (1A) Triton
Kyle Smedley, South Bend Tribune Wed, May 6, 2026 at 1:44 AM UTC
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BREMEN — Constant chatter from the dugout ensured Bremen baseball never quit when they hosted Class 1A No. 2 Triton Tuesday, May 5.
Even when the Lions went down 2-0 in the top of the first inning thanks to a two-RBI single from Trojans sophomore Max Johnson, Bremen responded two innings later with two runs of its own.
When Triton reclaimed a one-run lead in the top of the fourth, the Lions fired back with five of their own across the next two frames. When the Trojans threatened with three runs in the top of the sixth inning, junior starting pitcher Casey Ton stayed on the mound for the seventh to finish his complete game and clinch a 7-6 upset victory for the Lions.
It meant that extra bit more less than 24 hours removed from a 12-8 loss vs. La Porte. Bremen hasn’t won an IHSAA Class 2A sectional championship since 2023, so a 10-2 start to the season is encouraging for upperclassmen like Ton.
“It’s been a rough going the last few years; we’ve gotten up in the win column, but we’ve never been where we want to be,” Ton said. “This year, it’s a great team, a great energy throughout the dugout. All those wins in the past don’t mean anything to us now, it’s just winning the [Indiana Northern State] Conference, winning sectionals and just keep going.”
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When sophomore left fielder JJ Cencelewski made the catch for the final out, Ton exhaled a sigh of relief. With Cencelewski and senior Corbin Van Vuren behind him in the outfield every time he toes the rubber, Ton has full confidence that he can challenge the opposing squad with pitches in the zone.
He walked just two batters and struck out three, only throwing 87 pitches. Ton allowed eight hits and four earned runs, which he said never bothers him as it would many other pitchers. He’s confident in the lineup’s ability to outscore the other team, and the only statistic Ton cares about is wins.
That mentality, head coach Aaron Perch said, extends to the Lions’ eight seniors, who know the 2026 season is their last chance to have state tournament success before they hang up the high school cleats.
“I don’t think there’s anybody in the dugout who thinks they’re above another guy,” Perch said. “Everybody’s pulling the rope together in the same direction … It might not always be pretty, but we’re going to get it done.”
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Perch said Maddux Hickman, one of two seniors who didn’t start against Triton, is the leader of Bremen’s talkative dugout, christened by his teammates as “coach Hickman.” Beating a team of the Trojans’ (13-2) caliber, along with previous wins against the likes of Jimtown and NorthWood, proves that the Lions are more than pesky. They very well could be sectional favorites, and their exuberant personality may be their X-factor.
“Once they do get fired up, nothing’s stopping them,” Perch said. “I think our guys were up for that challenge. We know we can play from behind; we’ve done it all year.”
6 errors too many for Triton
Triton sophomore catcher Max Johnson hits the baseball during a game vs. Bremen Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at Bremen's High School Varsity Baseball Field.
It’s not often a head coach participates in the post-game discipline alongside the players they instruct. Triton head coach Mark Elliott did just that after the Trojans’ loss, running from foul pole to foul pole with his team.
It was the first time he had joined Triton in any sort of discipline during his six-year tenure as head coach.
He had challenged the Trojans to a “lockdown inning” in the bottom of the fourth after they just took a 3-2 lead. However, Triton surrendered two runs in the frame, both of which via error. Bremen never relinquished that lead, and Elliott viewed that half inning as the biggest turning point of the game.
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He was disappointed in the Trojans’ fielding woes, of which they had six, but he also wanted to show them he was not above taking some of the blame himself.
“We’re all in it together; our managers ran, too,” Elliott said. “Whether it was me calling pitches or one of the assistant coaches not picking up on somebody being out of position, little things like that we’re all responsible for in the dugout. It’s trying to emphasize that we’re doing it as a team, and we need to be more fundamentally sound.”
One positive Elliott took from the loss was that back-and-forth games against quality opponents, no matter the result, help when it comes to conference play or the state tournament. While Triton might drop from the second-ranked team in Class 1A come next week’s IHSBCA poll, the Trojans should remain in the top 10 — and rightfully so.
Triton is coming off their first sectional championship in 10 years, and they’re expected to successfully defend their crown come late May/early June. Perhaps lessons learned in games like Tuesday’s can help Triton win its first regional title since 2001, too.
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleMSmedley.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Bremen baseball eyeing sectional, conference title after win vs Triton
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