Matt Vines

LOGANSPORT – Logansport senior Jordan Porterfield is the cheerleader, the bringer of the energy.

When Porterfield broke her hand sliding head first into second base in early March, there was concern that the cheerleader role would be Porterfield’s only role for the rest of the season.

But Porterfield is cleared to play Wednesday as Logansport begins its playoff trek as the No. 1 seed Lady Tigers (22-7) host No. 16 seed Lake Arthur (9-15).

First pitch is 6 p.m.

“Jordan hurt her hand stretching a single into a double,” said Logansport coach Kyle Creech. “You can’t fault her for being aggressive – that’s who she is and how she plays.

“I’m excited for her on a personal level because nobody works harder than she does. Getting her back gives us a shot in the arm defensively.”

The second baseman is a crucial defensive element but also has offensive value.

Porterfield has scored 19 runs and driven in 13 more in just 15 games played before her March 5 injury.

Creech said aside from her on-field production, she is the leader of what he calls the “dugout culture.”

“If anybody could embrace that (cheerleader) role, it’s Jordan, because that’s the role she playing even when she was on the field,” Creech said. “She’s a special person, and she brings the energy we need.

“There were very few times that I saw her down, even though it’s hard to be relegated to that role. But she embraced it, and she didn’t let her teammates get down. To me, the dugout is a highly underrated part of the game, and she really builds that dugout culture whether she’s playing or not.”

But everybody much prefers her to be on the field.

Logansport is going to need all hands on deck for what the Lady Tigers hope is an extended playoff run.

Lake Arthur handled No. 17 South Plaquemines 22-7 in the first round, and Creech said this squad isn’t a typical second-round team that Logansport has played in the past.

“We watched a little bit of the first-round game … and they look the part and play the part,” Creech said. “That’s a well-coached bunch, and we have to play our game and not make it about anybody else.

“It truly is a second season. We may have hit 40 home runs in the regular season and won 22 games, but as soon as the bracket came out, nobody cares what you did in the regular season.”