By STEVE KRAH
Marian University began its 2017 baseball in the Mid-South and the Knights are returning to that part of the country with a berth in the NAIA Opening Round.
It’s the first time the school has made it since the NAIA changed the postseason format over a decade ago.
Coach Todd Bacon’s club opened the campaign Feb. 17 in Blue Mountain, Miss., and will now go to Kingsport, Tenn., for a five-team double-elimination event Monday through Thursday, May 15-18.
The winner out of No. 1 seed Keiser (Fla.) (39-18), No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan (39-18), No. 3 Indiana University Southeast (45-13), No. 4 Talladega (Ala.) (36-22) and No. 5 Marian (29-21) advances to the 10-team NAIA World Series May 26-June 2 in Lewiston, Idaho. Marian meets Talladega in Game 1 Monday morning.
Other Indiana schools in the NAIA tournament are Huntington and Indiana Tech.
“We’ve really tried to upgrade our schedule each year,” says Bacon. “We’ve spent a lot of time and energy trying to get this program to where it is now.”
Bacon is in his fourth year as head coach. But he has coached in the Crossroads League (formerly known as the Mid-Central Conference) for 27 years. He’s led baseball programs at Goshen and Marian, men’s basketball squads at Goshen, women’s basketball, men’s tennis and women’s tennis at Marian).
Through it all, Bacon has demanded his players do things a certain way.
“Every team and athlete would probably tell you it’s a no-nonsense,” says Bacon, who was an MU baseball assistant to Kurt Guldner for five years before becoming head coach. “There’s not a lot of sugar coat. There’s not a lot of beating around the bush.”
Bacon lays his cards on the table when he’s recruiting.
“I can tell every kid at the end of our visit that they’ll say ‘I would love to play there’ or ‘no way am I going there,’” says Bacon. “Either way is great. Usually there’s not shades of gray. It’s pretty black and white.”
All but one player on the 2017 roster are from Indiana hometowns. It’s not only because Marian, a Catholic school that’s been in Indianapolis since 1937, does not have a bottomless recruiting budget. There’s another big reason.
“We have to watch those kids play multiple times to see how they interact with teammates, how they handle adversity, how the handle success,” says Bacon. “Most coaches recruit to their ballpark. That’s something we’ve tried to do here. If we can be very, very good at home that gives us a chance to be in the top half of the conference and compete at tournament time.”
The 2017 Knights went 16-3 at spacious Marian University Ballpark (it’s 400 feet to dead center field).
“We have thick natural grass and it does not play quick,” says Bacon. “You’ve got have some guys with sure hands in the infield because they are going have to make some plays on the move on our grass.”
Marian has been consistently solid on defense since Bacon took over the program.
“We’ve made the routine plays,” says Bacon. “That’s kept us in games when our offense has been hot and cold.”
Bacon helped Benton Central High School make it to the Elite Eight in his junior and senior baseball seasons of 1985 and 1986. The four-year varsity player was coached by Doug Jennett for the first three years and Tony Primavera his senior year.
At Earlham College, where he graduated in 1990, Bacon was a star on the basketball court and also played baseball for coach Doug Welsh.
His coaching approach is a mixture of many others he’s come across during during long career.
“You learn something from every coach you have,” says Bacon. “You pick and choose all the things that fit your personality and what you’re trying to get done.”
Bacon’s coaching staff features Mark Elder (third season), Matt Voorhees (third season), Brett Jackson (first season), Austin Gibson (fifth season) and Scott Satterthwaite (seventh season).
Elder pitched at Indiana University for coach Bob Morgan and is MU pitching coach.
Voorhees, who played four years at Wabash College, shares hitting coach duties with Bacon.
Jackson, who played up the middle for the Knights, now works with infielders.
Gibson, who was an all-conference player for Marian, helps with recruiting on the east side of the state.
Satterthwaite handles many administrative duties and some Indianapolis area recruiting.
Todd and Carmen Bacon have four children — Dakota (24), Maverick (a sophomore first baseman at Ball State University after a prep career at North Montgomery), Isaac (high school sophomore) and Teegan (sixth grader).
“In 27 years of coaching, you have to have people stand beside you through the good and the tough times,” says Bacon.
The Bacon family (from left): Isaac, Carmen, Dakota, Maverick, Teegan and Todd. The 2017 Marian University baseball season marks Todd’s fourth as head coach and ninth in the program. The Knights are bound for the NAIA Opening Round in Kingsport, Tenn.
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