Crown Point senior outfielder Sam Dunlap paid her dues.
Now Dunlap is reaping the rewards to the highest degree. In her second season as a starter, she has stepped to the forefront as the Bulldogs have reached the Class 4A state championship game.
“It’s crazy,” she said. “Especially being a senior and this being my last time playing softball, it’s definitely the best way to go out. It’s been such a great season.”
It could get even better when Crown Point (30-4), which is ranked No. 4 in the state coaches poll, plays No. 2 Center Grove (26-3) at Purdue’s Bittinger Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday. The Bulldogs won the title in 2017 in their only other appearance in a state championship game.
Dunlap said this team is special.
“The chemistry is like no other team I’ve played for,” she said. “We’re so close, and we all play not for ourselves, we play for the team, which is the best part about it.”
Dunlap and her teammates have enjoyed their time together along the way.
“We have fun while doing it,” she said. “In the dugout, it’s never quiet. We’re always goofing around. Every game, we’re eating a bunch of candy, we’re screaming and yelling. That’s why my voice is gone because we scream and yell so much. It’s fun to be there.”
Dunlap is one of the reasons it has all come together, according to Crown Point coach Angie Richwalski.
“She kind of came up through the ranks and did the whole JV-to-varsity transition the way you expect kids to traditionally do it,” Richwalski said. “She was great on JV. Our JV coach loved her.
“Her transition as a junior, she had some crazy standout moments — the game-winning hit against Andrean, a game-tying home run against Lake Central. She had a phenomenal junior year. Then for her to just come in as a senior and be really consistent and be a great leader, she’s done such a good job. She’s just really been very consistent and solid in a way the younger girls needed. She’s been a great leader all year.”
Richwalski, who was the starting third baseman for Lake Central’s 2004 state championship team that beat Center Grove, pointed to Dunlap and senior pitcher Lexi Smith as stalwarts.
“Her and Lexi have been the ones who are like, ‘OK, we’re in charge,’” Richwalski said. “Our seniors in general are very good at when somebody has to be the mom and somebody has to tell them what to do, they naturally step up, all four of them.
“But in particular, Sam and Lexi are really good at, ‘Hey, get over here. Let’s go. It’s time.’ They’re really good at just naturally stepping into that without having to be told to do so.”
Dunlap embraces those contributions beyond statistics. She’s batting .270 with two homers, 15 RBIs and 30 runs scored this season.
“I’ve put the ball in play this year, and I’ve just made sure I’m constantly talking to my teammates, making sure everyone’s ready in between innings, telling people ‘great job,’” Dunlap said. “My role is to be more of a leader, not just in the field, but also communicating between teammates.”
Junior outfielder Scarlette Tegtman, a Providence recruit, highlighted Dunlap’s dual contributions.
“Sam is just a super good person, and she’s a super good player,” Tegtman said. “She’s one of my best friends on this team. She just always has my back no matter what happens. She’s good with staying positive no matter what happens, and she’s obviously a great outfielder too.”
Dunlap had envisioned using her outfield skills in college. But she changed her mind.
“Junior year in the fall, I decided college ball was not for me,” she said. “I had definitely wanted to play in college, but it got to be a lot. I wanted to spend more time on my studies and really use this time for personal growth. College, it’s a fresh start.”
Dunlap, who will attend Miami of Ohio, has wowed her brother Sean, a standout junior catcher for Crown Point’s baseball team and a Tennessee commit.
“She’s really smart,” Sean Dunlap said before laughing. “I don’t know where she gets it from. She really works her butt off, though, in school.”
For the moment, Sam Dunlap is focused on bringing another state title back to Crown Point. Center Grove has won a state-best seven, most recently in 2019.
“This team truly has a great connection,” she said. “It’s definitely what’s taken us this far. We’ve played some great schools — LC, Penn — with a bunch of Division I athletes and commits. We just have that bond that we can really perform well. That’s what really sets us apart.”