AKRON – James Hackworth has already left his mark on Tippecanoe Valley High School's baseball program. Friday afternoon the talented, hard-throwing southpaw put his signature on a Division I scholarship. Hackworth, who in three seasons with the Vikings has recorded 323 strikeouts, inked his letter-of-intent to pitch in the Missouri Valley Conference for coach Rick Heller's Indiana State University Sycamores. "It's a good match for me," said Hackworth when asked why he chose ISU. "I like the coaches, they want to win, and so do I. I've always wanted to play Division I baseball." Hackworth, who was joined at the signing by his parents, James and Lora Hackworth, his sister, Kaira Hackworth, his grandfather, Charles Dolbee, Valley Athletic Director Duane Burkhart, Valley assistant coach Rich Krider and American Legion Post 27 coach Dean Culvin, said he will study sports management at ISU. Rich Krider, a TVHS assistant coach who has worked with Hackworth since the talented hurler was 10, said he wasn't surprised Hackworth got a Division I scholarship. "No, not at all," said Krider. "If he stays healthy, he could potentially play even further. He's a lefty, he's a hard-thrower, he's smart on the mound, he understands the game. The kid has it all." Hackworth, who was clocked this summer throwing in the low 90s, said he has three good pitches - fastball, curveball and changeup. Hackworth has struck out 323 batters in 182 career innings for Valley. He broke the single-season strikeout record with 135 as a freshman and has a career ERA of 1.73. Hackworth, who owns a 17-8 record on the mound for the Vikings, has also been solid at the plate, and owns a 3.50 career batting average. With only his senior season to play before heading off to Terre Haute, Hackworth said his goals for the upcoming season are to "improve as a team and get past the regional."
