Crown Point alum Bosse earns CCAC Pitcher of the Week honor with St. Ambrose U.

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Jacob Bosse was honored as Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week on April 23.

The junior left-hander at NAIA member St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, threw an eight-inning complete game with a career high-tying 12 strikeouts and four walks in a 14-1 win against Judson University. He had a shutout going until the seventh inning.

In eight mound outings (all starts) for the 2024 Fighting Bees, Bosse is 2-1 with a 6.00 earned run average, 53 strikeouts and 36 walks in 36 innings. Opponents are hitting .218 against him.

In his first season at St. Ambrose in 2023, he pitched 11 times (six as a starter) and was 1-0 with a 3.82 ERA, 53 strikeouts and 38 walks in 30 2/3 innings.

SAU head coach Tony Huntley and pitching coach Hunter Keim could decide to send Bosse to the bump Sunday, April 28 against visiting Calumet College of St. Joseph (the school in Whiting, Ind., has players familiar to Bosse including Jorge Santos) or save him for next week’s CCAC Tournament in Joliet, Ill.

Pitching wasn’t always the thing for Bosse.

Growing up in Crown Point, Ind.,and playing Little League and Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth ball and travel ball with Top Tier, he was an outfielder.

At Crown Point High School, he only stepped on the mound once in awhile.

“I’d go in if we needed a guy,” says Bosse. “I had no real feel for how to be a pitcher.”

He went up the ladder for the Bulldogs, playing on the frosh team as a freshman, junior varsity squad as a sophomore and varsity as a junior. He could be found in left field or center field.

Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Steve Strayer leads the CPHS program.

“He’s probably one of the best coaches I’ll ever have,” says Bosse of Strayer. “He’s a great guy. He really gave me confidence. 

“He helped me become a better baseball player and a better person.”

While working out for a 2020 senior season that wound up canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bosse began to get serious about pitching.

After graduation, the left-hander stuck with it.

As fits his personality, he threw himself the task of getting better at the craft.

“I’m a very fierce competitor,” says Bosse, 22. “I care a lot about what and how I’m doing. If goes beyond the game for me. I’m planning my days out around what I’m going to do to get better. 

“My competitiveness and hunger to do better every day are my best qualities.”

Delivering from a high three-quarter arm slot, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound Bosse mixes a four-seam fastball, “circle” change-up, 12-to-6 curveball and a slider.

He has topped out at 92 mph and sits at 87 to 91 mph with his fastball. His change travels at 75 to 78, curve at 70 to 74 and slider at 76 to 79.

“I try to get more arm-side sink (with the change-up),” says Bosse. “I try to get a lot of fade to it to miss more barrels. It plays really well off my fastball.

“I do get a lot of natural run. When I pull it down, I get more back spin than side spin. I try to create a rise effect with it.”

Bosse attended a Prep Baseball Report showcase through Top Tier and was drawn to South Suburban College, a National Junior College Athletic Association member in South Holland, Ill. It was where he became a pitcher-only.

Toeing the slab for the Steve Ruzich-coached Bulldogs, Bosse pitched in 37 games (29 as a reliever) in 2021 and 2022 and went 5-3 with 5.72 ERA, 96 strikeouts and 70 walks in 74 innings.

Pitching for the NWI Rippers in a Babe Ruth district game in the summer of 2021, Bosse struck out a record 20 batters. He faced 24 batters and gave up one hit in 6 2/3 innings. Of 106 pitches, 69 were strikes.

“I do consider myself to be a pretty high-strikeout pitcher,” says Bosse. “I do take into account how many pitches I’m using. If I can strike out a guy as fast as I can, I try to do that and really challenge him.”

Through Twitter (now X), Bosse was recruited to St. Ambrose by assistant coach Joe Vaccaro.

“I came out here for a visit, loved it and decided it was the place for me,” says Bosse. “It is a really nice place.”

In the summer of 2022, Bosse played for the Crown Point-based Lake County CornDogs of the Northern League. In 2023, he was with the Northwoods League’s Rochester (Minn.) Honkers. This summer he’s due to play for the NWL’s Fond du Lac (Wis.) Dock Spiders.

A Sport Management major, Bosse expects to finish his undergraduate degree in the fall then begin masters classes. He says he plans to play 2025 might come back in 2026 as a graduate student. The pandemic plus his time in junior college has added to his eligibility clock.

Bosse’s favorite MLB team is the Los Angeles Dodgers. A recreational basketball player growing up, his favorite athlete is former Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose.

“I got to see him play a couple of times when I was a kid,” says Bosse. “That’s how I grew to love Chicago.”

Jacob is the oldest of Brad and Diana Bosse’s two children. Allyson Bosse is studying Business at Indiana University South Bend.

Jacob Bosse. (St. Ambrose University Photo)

Jacob Bosse. (St. Ambrose University Photo)

Jacob Bosse. (St. Ambrose University Photo)

Jacob Bosse. (Lake County CornDogs Photo)

Jacob Bosse. (Lake County CornDogs Photo)

Jacob Bosse. (South Suburban College Photo)

Jacob Bosse.

Jacob Bosse with sister Allyson, father Brad and mother Diana.

Garrett makes education, respect foundation at tiny Cannelton

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

With an enrollment of around 80, Cannelton Junior/Senior High School is one of the smallest Indiana High School Athletic Association schools that fields a baseball team.

It’s common to have a dozen or fewer players on the team in the Ohio River town with a population of about 1,300, meaning a varsity-only schedule.

The Bulldogs belongs to the Southern Roads Conference (a league founded in 2018 that also features Christian Academy of Madison, Columbus Christian, Lighthouse Christian Academy in Bloomington, Medora, Pleasant View Christian in Montgomery and Seven Oaks Classical in Ellettsville). Cannelton currently is the lone SRC school that consistently plays baseball. All but Columbus Christian and Pleasant View are 100 or more miles from Cannelton.

The Bulldogs are part of an IHSAA Class 1A sectional grouping in 2024 with Evansville Christian, Northeast Dubois, Springs Valley, Tecumseh and Wood Memorial. Cannelton has won five sectional championships — the last in 1993.

Mike Garrett (Cannelton Class of 1989) is heading into his 17th season of guiding the program. 

“I want kids to get an education,” says Garrett of his emphasis. “School is first — no ifs, ands or buts about it then it’s sports. We have good athletes here, but they’re even better kids. They respect their teachers, coaches and classmates.

“I hold them to a very high standard.”

With such a small roster, getting outs in the era of the IHSAA pitch count rules (1 to 35 pitches requires 0 days rest; 36 to 60 requires 1 day; 61 to 80 requires 2 days; 81 to 100 requires 3 days; and 101 to 120 requires 4 days) is not easy.

“It’s hard to find kids who can pitch,” says Garrett. “Throwing a baseball is not something they do throughout the year.

“I have a kid who might throw 65 mph, but it’s a strike. He eats up some pitches. I like the (pitch count) rule, it saves a lot of arms. But I preach to our kids everyday if you make an error it’s going to add to the pitch count.”

With no dedicated practice facility, off-season workouts are limited.

Practices are usually run solo while someone coaches first base at games — usually Mike’s son and Indiana University sophomore Jhett Garrett or Mike’s brother Brian Garrett, who is principal, athletic director and in his fifth season as head girls basketball coach as well as head softball coach at the school in Perry County about 55 east of Evansville, Ind. Hawesville, Ky., is just on the other side of the Ohio.

Brian’s daughter — Allicyn Garrett — is Cannelton’s head volleyball coach.

Bill and Judy Garrett — Mike and Brian’s parents — have run The Iron Gate Pizza in town for 41 years.

“They started it 41 years ago as hobby when dad was Chief of Police,” says Mike Garrett. “It’s still kind of a hobby I guess.”

Mike Garrett catches up with his high school baseball coach — Gary Hannan — at the pizza shop.

“He was not your friend at practice,” says Garrett. “He’s a super great guy outside of baseball.”

The head boys basketball coach when Garrett was a Cannelton player was Mike McClintic.

Current team sports for Cannelton boys are baseball and basketball with some individuals in cross country of track and field. Girls are in softball, basketball, volleyball, cross country and track.

The school has not had a football team since 1972. 

Former football stadium Legion Field has been converted for baseball. The lighted facility about a mile from the school and half mile from the river has a covered grandstand with more than 300 stadium seats plus concrete seating areas and room for lawn chairs above that.

“We’ve got one of the best high school baseball fields that you’ll ever see,” says Mike Garrett. “There’s no obstructed sight lines.

“It’s just a great place to watch a baseball game.”

Cannelton played host to sectional action in 2023 (won by Evansville Christian) and 2022 (Tecumseh).

“It was packed and really loud,” says Mike Garrett. “The atmosphere is unbelievable.”

A new softball field is being built next to the baseball stadium. The girls have been playing all their games on the road.

Mike Garrett and wife of Kim Garrett have been married more than three decades and have three other sons — Drake, Bryce and Gage (Cannelton Class of 2026). Bryce and Gage have also played baseball and basketball for the Bulldogs.  Jhett played travel ball with the Indiana Prospects and Gage has played for Wow Factor.

The 2023-24 season is Mike’s first as head boys basketball coach. He also works third shift at Webb Wheel Products in Tell City, Ind. He is a former Cannelton utility lineman.

Family (from left): Gage, Jhett, Bryce, Drake, Kim and Mike Garrett.

Legion Field in Cannelton, Ind.

Another view of Legion Field. (Dan Hill Photo)

Bales talks about Butler U. baseball recruiting

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Like most NCAA Division I baseball programs, Butler University has a roster with players who have transferred in.

But the transfer portal is considered differently at the private school with just over 5,000 students in Indianapolis.

“Our niche if we’re going to go to the transfer portal we’re going to go for the (graduate transfers) because Butler is not super-easy to transfer credits to just because it’s a lot higher academically than schools kids will transfer from so they’ll lose credits,” says Bladen Bales, the Bulldogs recruiting coordinator who also works with hitters. “A kid might have two years (eligibility) left and it might take him 3 1/2 years to get the degree.”

The current roster does include a few players with two or three years left, but that is the exception rather than the rule. The idea is to have the degree end with the eligibility since Butler is not able to provide scholarship money past that point.

“That’s how we lay it out so those guys don’t accumulate a bunch of debt when they’re done,” says Bales. “I’s a pretty prestigious degree. They have to turn away a lot of kids who want that degree because they want to stay small.”

There are currently 22 new players on the 2024 Bulldogs roster — with the 50/50 split of freshmen and transfers. 

“Going forward we hope the portal is on the side,” says Bales. “We want to recruit high school kids first. That’s our goal. 

“We want them to grow at Butler University and be there for three to four years.”

On the flip side, the wish is that few players will want to transfer away.

“We’re hoping that guys enjoy their experience at Butler — education-wise, playing-wise and all that stuff.”

Bales, who attended the 2024 American Baseball Coaches Convention in Dallas, notes that Joey Urban was the Big East Conference Player of the Year in 2023. 

A righty-swinging outfielder from Jupiter, Fla., Urban started in all 55 of Butler’s games and hit .296 (66-of-223) with six home runs, three triples, 17 doubles, 35 runs batted in, 37 runs scored and a .844 OPS (.364 on-base percentage plays .480 slugging average) 

“He could’ve hit the transfer portal,” says Bales. “He’s that talented. But he likes what we’re doing. He had an opportunity to play every day. 

“He knows that he has the opportunity to be ‘the guy’ again for us. I think there’s a lot to be said about that.”

It equates to recruiting players that are already on the team.

“You have to make sure the guys that you have right now are enjoying the experience so they don’t want to go anywhere else,” says Bales. “Butler allows us to do that. It’s pretty cool as a smaller community in a big city and a tight-knit group.”

The online roster is a mix of near and far. It includes 10 players who have hometowns in Indiana with California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Wisconsin and British Columbia also represented.

“We’re trying to get the best players we can,” says Bales. “We’re hitting the Indianapolis area kids first and making sure we’re not missing out on those guys.”

After that, the search widens.

“We’re trying to be as national as we can, but we also want to stay as homegrown as we can as well,” says Bales, who is on a staff with Blake Beemer as head coach, Ross Learnard as pitching coach and Isaiah Paige as the other assistant.

Playing in the Big East gives the Bulldogs the opportunity to make trips to UConn in Storrs, Conn., Creighton in Omaha, Neb., Georgetown in Washington D.C., St. John’s in Queens, N.Y., Seton Hall in South Orange, N.J., Xavier in Cincinnati, Ohio and Villanova in Philadelphia.

Bladen Bales is 2013 graduate of Nebraska City (Neb.) High School and son of baseball coach and Pioneers program founder Tom Bales, a University of Nebraska at Kearney Hall of Famer who played in the New York Mets system in 1988.

“I knew I wanted to be a coach,” says Bladen Bales. “I really enjoyed the speed of the (college) game.”

Bales coached with Beemer at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., during the 2022 season. The Cardinals head is Rich Maloney.

Bales joined the BU program as an assistant in July of that year. After the 2023 season, he was promoted as a full-time coach and recruiting coordinator.

Prior to BSU, Bales coached for four years at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb.

Before that, he coached Nebraska City American Legion Post 8 senior and junior teams — the former finishing second in the state tournament and the latter posting a 27-2 season.

Bales played at McCook (Neb.) Community College and Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln. He earned his General Studies degree from Nebraska at Kearney in 2019.

Butler is scheduled to open the 2024 season Feb. 16 at Florida State. The first home game is slated for March 5 against Purdue Fort Wayne.

Bladen Bales. (Butler University Photo)

Rossok establishing ways as Monrovia Bulldogs head coach

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Anthony Rossok is in his first year as a teacher and head baseball coach at Monrovia (Ind.) High School.

He splits the school day as a Special Education instructor between MHS and Monrovia Middle School.

On the diamond, Rossok has been leading up to 20 players during a IHSAA Limited Contact Period which goes from Aug. 28-Oct. 14.

About half of the participants are middle schoolers with many high schoolers involved with a football program that has produced 19 victories since 2021 with sectional and regional titles in 2022.

In 90-minute sessions, the Bulldogs have learned baseball fundamentals on Mondays with intrasquad games hitting off the Hack Attack pitching machine on Wednesdays.

All the while, Rossok is beginning to establish his way of doing things.

“I want to realize what Monrovia’s had and also build my own culture,” says Rossok. “That and the little things. The little things always matter.”

Arm care will also be a priority for Rossok.

“Growing up I didn’t have everything you do now,” says Rossok, who experienced shoulder injuries in high school and college. “I want to make sure I’m teaching everything correctly for my guys.

“I don’t want them to have to go through what I went through.”

Plans call for Monrovia to have two high school squads — varsity and junior varsity — in the spring.

Sharing an on-campus diamond are seventh and eighth grade squads.

Rossok is a 2016 graduate of Greencastle (Ind.) Senior High School.

He played four years of baseball, three of football and two of basketball for the Tiger Cubs. Troy Remsburg was the baseball coach.

A pitcher-only at Anderson (Ind.) University, Rossok encountered three head coaches — Dustin Glant, Drew Brantley and Matt Bair.

“I learned a lot from Matt Bair,” says Rossok. “It was the camaraderie that he had and the leadership that he took on. I’m still in-touch with him (and getting advice).

“I still look up to him.”

Doing his student teaching at Mooresville (Ind.) High School, Rossok was freshmen coach his first year and head junior varsity coach his second on the staff of Pioneers head coach Eric McGaha.

“I owe a lot of my coaching success to Eric McGaha being under his wing and seeing how he ran things,” says Rossok. “I look up to him and what he does.

“He helped me get to the position I’m in right now.”

After graduation and looking for a job closer to home, Rossok became a teacher as well as a baseball assistant to Chris Geeser at North Putnam High School in Roachdale, Ind.

This fall begins Rossok’s third season as a head coach with the Mooresville-based Indiana Braves travel organization. He started with 15U, led 16U this past season and is with 18U in 2023-24.

Rossok’s Monrovia assistants are Carl Gilbert, Skyler Dillon and Zach Jacobs. Auctioneer Gilbert was on the staff of former Bulldogs head coach Mark Rooker. Dillon and Jacobs are also first-year teachers at Monrovia Middle School.

Darius Compton (Monrovia Class of 2023) went on to join the baseball team at Indiana University Purdue University-Columbus. 

Brayton Belcher (Monrovia Class of 2024) has indicated an interest in playing college ball.

Monrovia (enrollment around 515) is a member of the Indiana Crossroads Conference (with Beech Grove, Cascade, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, Indianapolis Lutheran, Speedway, Scecina Memorial and Triton Central).

The Bulldogs are part of an IHSAA Class 3A sectional grouping in 2024 with Crawfordsville, Danville, Lebanon, Tri-West Hendricks and Western Boone. Monrovia has not yet to won a sectional title.

Not only did Rossok start a new teaching and coaching job this year, he became a husband. Anthony wed the former Delaney Jarrett Aug. 25 in Greencastle.

Anthony Rossok. (Monrovia High School Photo)

Monrovia High School.

Brownsburg’s Birr works his way to Southern Illinois-Carbondale

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Ryan Birr was undersized and underwhelming during his prep baseball career.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound third baseman just completed two seasons at Kaskaskia College in Centralia, Ill., and is headed to NCAA Division I/Missouri Valley Conference school Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. 

Last November, Birr committed to the Lance Rhodes-coached Salukis for 2023-24 with two years of remaining eligibility.

When Birr entered Brownsburg (Ind.) High School at 5-foot-5 in the fall of 2016 and even after a growth spirt was still a “very skinny kid.”

“I was very lanky and very weak,” says Birr. “Growing up, I was always overmatched.”

Birr played Brownsburg junior varsity ball for Zach Foley then hit .111 as a junior for the Dan Roman-coached varsity Bulldogs in the spring of 2019. The senior season was missed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since leaving school, Birr has been impressed how Roman has kept up with his former players.

Along the way, Birr received a direct message through Twitter from Adam Akin, an Evansville, Ind., who played baseball at Evansville (Ind.) North High School and the University of Indianapolis, and now connected to Combine Academy in Lincolnton, N.C.

“I thought it was a scam,” says Birr. “I ignored it completely for the first two days.”

Birr learned the Combine Academy provided athletes with the opportunity to take a post-graduate year after high school. 

After doing his research, Birr decided to take that option and got to know Combine Academy President of Baseball & Golf Akin, recruiting director Jeff Birkhofer, Goats head baseball coach Tommy Goodale (now a Georgia Gwinnett College assistant), assistant Jake Sheley (now in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization), Carlos Texidor (who played at Kaskaskia and Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and now helping players in the New York Mets system) and Ian Walsh (who now works in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization).

“I really liked it,” says Birr, who took the maximum two classes through Indiana University in the fall and spring semesters and — with the help of the MyFitnessPal app — bulked up from 170 pounds in August 2021 to 195 in March 2022.

In 2023, he played in 52 games (51 starts at third base) for the Kaskaska Blue Devils (where Purdue University graduate Mitch Koester is head coach and Chris Willsey hitting coach/recruiting coordinator). Righty swinger Birr hit .365 (69-of-189) with one home run, one triple, 13 doubles, 44 runs batted in, 44 runs scored and 19 stolen bases. 

As a freshman in 2022, he split time between third base, first base and designated hitter.

“I’m really aggressive,” says Birr of his offensive approach. “I like to hit the fastball first pitch.”

He gives himself a positive self talk, saying things like “You’re the best in the world!”

“This sport is filled with failure,” says Birr. “I try not to think about anything negative. I clear my mind and visualize success.”

Birr says the time to work on mechanics is during practice — not during the game.

New to third base, Birr is learning quick reaction time is key.

“It’s called the hot corner for a reason,” says Birr.

While he is a Chicago Cubs fan, Birr appreciates St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado.

“I really admire his game,” says Birr. “I also like Nelson Cruz for his swing and approach. Everybody says this, but I was a really big fan of Derek Jeter growing up.”

Born and raised in Brownsburg, Birr played at Brownsburg Little League before travel ball seasons with the Indiana Prospects, Indiana Aces and during his sophomore and junior years of high school the Matt Bowles-coached Indiana Nitro.

“He was a really big mentor for me,” says Birr of Bowles. “He’s one of the favorite coaches I’ve ever had.”

The two remain connected to this day.

Throughout high school, Birr’s personal hitting coach was Ed Woolwine.

“He transferred my swing,” says Birr of Woolwine, who started the Fishers (Ind). Sports Academy.

Birr, who turns 21 in July, played in the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., for the back-to-back champion Bag Bandits (managed by Caleb Fenimore).

After a brief stint with the Northwoods League’s 2023 Wausau (Wis.) Woodchucks, Birr is back home working at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis and lifting, throwing and hitting at Pro-X Athlete in Westfield. His usual workout partner is Purdue University outfielder Camden Melvin (Avon High School Class of 2020).

Birr earned an associate degree at Kaskaskia and plans to be a Business major at Southern Illinois.

Ryan is the youngest of Martin and Lori Birr’s three sons.

Jamie Birr works in customer service at an insurance agency and Tyler Birr (Brownsburg Class of 2018) at a gym. 

Martin Birr is an accountant and teaches the subject at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Lori Birr is a Brownsburg teacher’s aide.

Ryan Birr. (Kaskaskia College Photo)

Ryan Birr. (Kaskaskia College Photo)

Ryan Birr. (Kaskaskia College Photo)

Ryan Birr. (Kaskaskia College Photo)

Ryan Birr. (Kaskaskia College Photo)

Butler U.’s Moroknek regaining form after surgery

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Jack Moroknek finished his high school baseball career as all-state and all-county and headed to college.

Moroknek, a 2021 graduate of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, earned honorable mention on the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 3A all-state team and was selected to the All-Marion County first team as a third baseman.

Among his top high school memories is winning the county championship as senior and socking four home runs in one day. He clubbed 11 his senior season.

The two-year starter had front row seat to Andrew Dutkanych IV’s no-hitter in the 2021 Marion County final. 

“The four-homer (day) was incredible,” says lefty swinger Moroknek. “Before that day I had never had a game with more than one homer in it so when I hit the second homer in the first game I was pretty pumped. I always wanted to do that.

“I had a lot of motivation going into that year after getting my junior year canceled due to COVID. I wanted to play my senior year for the guys that didn’t get it like Gabe Wright, Shane Bauer, Quinn Simmons, Karl Meyer and Andrew Pickett.”

As a sophomore, Moroknek hit .297 with 15 RBIs and 12 runs scored.. He went 3-for-3 against Southport left-hander Avery Short, a 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft selection.

Moroknek’s head coaches with the Braves were Jeremy Sassanella (one season) and Jeff Scott.

“It seemed like he had a lot of knowledge from playing in the minor leagues,” says Moroknek of Sassanella. “It was a good introduction to what high school baseball was.

“Coach Scott is one of the biggest role models I’ve ever had in my life. He changed the way I thought about baseball and put a lot of emphasis on how this game translates so much into life.

“He transformed the Brebeuf baseball program into a family in four years.”

Moroknek went from Brebeuf to Butler University in Indianapolis. He is considering pursuing a double major in Marketing and Accounting.

Before he could play for the Blake Beemer-coached Bulldogs he underwent Tommy John elbow surgery on Oct. 19, 2022 and missed the 2023 season.

“Rehab is progressing well,” says Moroknek, who can throw the ball up to 200 feet and is a designated hitter for T-Rex Baseball in the Arizona Collegiate Wood Bat League in Scottsdale, Ariz., this summer. He played for the Local Legends in the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., in 2022.

Since high school, Moroknek has made a big jump in his strength. He has put on 50 pounds and is now 6-foot-3 and 210.

“That is all a credit to our strength coach at Butler — Cam Razzano,” says Moroknek, 19. “He’s pushed me to work harder every day and is a key piece of our team’s success.”

A versatile player, Moroknek has spent more time as an outfielder since entering Butler.

“My defensive keys start before the pitch is thrown,” says Moroknek. “I want to make sure I know who’s throwing for us each game and how he likes to put his pithes and I can adjust based off that and also what batter is up.

“Depending on what spot in the outfield I’m playing, I have to moved based off what side of the plate they hit from. Especially late in the game I make sure to play deep with ‘no doubles’ and to keep the ball in front.

“I want to make sure I get a good jump off the bat and get behind the ball to make a strong throw if there’s a play to be made.”

When he steps in the batter’s box, Moroknek takes a patient approach.

“I definitely look for my pitch when I’m ahead in the count and make sure to learn the umpire’s strike zone early in the game,” says Moroknek. “When I get ahead, I’m usually looking for something straight and over the heart of the plate.

“I have a leg kick in my swing so when I get two strikes I try to shorten it a little and get it down early to react to breaking pitches.”

Born in Carmel, Ind., Moroknek attended Smoky Row Elementary and Carmel Middle School. 

He played for the 8U and 9U Carmel Pups, 10U to 12U Indiana Prospects and 13U to 16U Indiana Nitro then 5 Star National Midwest. His head coach with the Prospects and Nitro was the Jeff Cleckner.

Jack’s parents are Dave and Barbara Moroknek. Dave Moroknek is retired. Barbara Moroknek is a librarian.

Older brother Max Moroknek (Brebeuf Class of 2018) played golf in high school, graduated from Miami (Ohio) University and now works in New York.

Jack Moroknek. (Butler University Photo)

Jack Moroknek. (Butler University Photo)

Jack Moroknek. (Butler University Photo)

Right-hander Fender preparing for fifth year at Murray State

By STEVE KRAH
http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Ryan Fender is spending the summer of 2023 in bounce-back mode.
A 6-foot-3, 220-pound right-handed pitcher, Fender is preparing for his fifth and final year at Murray (Ky.) State University. His 2023 season was cut short by a sprained Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) experienced in Week 2.
“I definitely do prefer starting,” says Fender. “At the beginning of the year I got myself into the weekend rotation and was going to be our Sunday starter.”
Fender is doing his rehabilitation in Crown Point, Ind., where he graduated from high school in 2019. He says he expects to be throwing again in mid-July.
“It’s the end of a long process,” says Fender, 22. “I should be good to go next spring.”
Fender made two mound appearances (both starts) and was 0-1 with nine strikeouts and four walks in 8 2/3 innings in 2023.
In four seasons at Murray State (2020-23), the righty has pitched in 28 games (17 in relief) and recorded 49 strikeouts and 37 walks in 51 1/3 innings.
Fender earned a Construction Management and Architecture degree in the spring and will pursue an online Master of Business Administration while playing for the MSU Racers in 2023-24.
Dan Skirka is head coach at Missouri Valley Conference member Murray State and Steve Adkins is pitching coach.
“He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had,” says Fender of Skirka. “He truly is a players’ coach. He cares about us as humans more than anything.
“I had trouble my first couple years with command and not pitching very well, results-based issues. He never gave up on me and kept giving me chances. Eventually we got it all turned around.”
While he was still Crown Point High School, Fender was recruited by Kevin Moulder and decided to hold to his commitment when Moulder left.
Adkins has helped Fender with the mental side of pitching.
“You get to this level (NCAA D-I) everybody’s got good stuff,” says Fender. “That’s not a separator. The separator is how well you can execute no matter the situation and where you’re at mentally.”
Adkins is fond of an expression that’s a twist on the commercial with Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Mark McGwire and Heather Locklear and “Chicks Dig the Long Ball” — “Chicks Dig Mound Presence.”
Using a three-quarter overhand arm slot, Fender throws a four-seam fastball, change-up, curveball and slider.
The four-seamer has natural run on it. He got it up to 93 mph in fall 2022 scrimmages. The pitch usually sits at 89-90.
Fender employs a modified “circle” change.
“I flip the ball around a little bit,” says Fender of his grip.
Early in his pitching life, Fender took lessons from Joe Plesac and learned his curve.
“My middle finger puts pressure on the ball and I put my pointer finger where it’s comfortable,” says Fender.
Some call it a “knuckle” curve, some a “spike” curve. Fender says the first description is deceiving since the action is not like a fluttering knuckleball.
He recently added the slider to his pitch mix.
“The movement profile is more like a cutter,” says Fender. “It stays on a vertical plane but horizontally it moves 7 inches maybe.”
Born in Grand Rapids, Mich., Fender moved to Crown Point with his family around age 3.
From 6-12, he played at Crown Point Little League then Crown Point Babe Ruth.
Travel teams included the Dave Griffin-coached Outsiders Baseball Club, Troy Drosche-coached 17U Indiana Bulls and Shane Brogan-coached 18U Midwest Irish. He also played in the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., in 2021.
Fender’s coach at Crown Point High was Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Steve Strayer.
“I loved playing for Coach Strayer,” says Fender. “He always pushed us to the edge of our abilities. He got the best out of his players.
Another big thing about the culture Coach Strayer has at Crown Point. It’s like you’re truly part of a family when you’re playing. I still talk to a bunch of kids I played with.”
In 2019, Fender was an IHSBCA and Prep Baseball Report Indiana all-stater as well as an IHSBCA North/South All-Star Series participant. He was MVP of the Duneland Athletic Conference and on the first teams for the all-area squads named by the Northwest Indiana Times and Post-Tribune.
For his prep career, he was 14-4 with a 1.02 ERA and 203 strikeouts. He posted an 0.61 ERA with 126 K’s as a senior. He was IHSBCA Academic All-State in 2019 and a four-time Scholar-Athlete at Crown Point.
The Bulldogs were DAC champions in 2017 and 2019. CP was sectional champions in 2019.
Mike and Paula Fender have two children — Emily and Ryan.
Mike Fender is an Certified Orthotic Fitter and Paula Fender Vice President of Credit Risk Governance at Centier Bank. Emily (Fender) Sizemore lives in Crown Point.

Ryan Fender. (Murray State University Photo)

Ryan Fender. (Murray State University Photo)

Ryan Fender. (Murray State University Photo)

After four years at Butler, Bosecker bound for Western Kentucky

By STEVE KRAH
http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Cory Bosecker spent the past four college baseball seasons at Butler University in Indianapolis.
A 6-foot-3, 215-pound left-handed pitcher, the Evansville, Ind., native took the mound for the Bulldogs 39 times (30 starts) and posted a 5.93 earned run average while amassing 165 strikeouts and 71 walks in 162 1/3 innings.
In 2023, Bosecker made a team-high 14 mound appearances (all starts) with 5.20 earned run average, club-leading 72 K’s and 33 walks in 72 2/3 innings.
He played for two head coaches — Dave Schrage and Blake Beemer — and was also a Sports Media major.
Now — with an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic that shortened the 2020 season — Bosecker has found a new diamond home.
As a lefty, he drew plenty of interest when he entered the Transfer Portal and has landed at Western Kentucky University and will be with the Hilltoppers for his final year in 2023-24.
“I almost forgot what the recruiting process was the first time around,” says Bosecker, who signed at Butler out of Evansville Central High School where he graduated in 2019. “This has been a little more intense. It’s been fun and stressful week.”
Marc Rardin is WKU’s head coach.
Bosecker, 22, says his best qualities as a pitcher include his experience and his ability to give his team a chance to win each time he takes the mound.
“Sometimes I go out there and don’t have my best stuff, but I battle through that,” says Bosecker. “This year it helped to solidify that by adding a third pitch.”
Throwing from a three-quarter overhand arm slot, Bosecker adopted a slider to go with his four-seam fastball that sits from 90-92 mph and “circle” change-up.
“This year it went through a couple of different stages,” says Bosecker of his slider. “At the beginning of the season it was tighter. Throughout the season I got some more depth on it.”
Bosecker grew up on the north side of Evansville.
He played at Highland Little League until 12U.
Travel ball teams included East Baseball at 13U (coached by Houston Dillman), Golfmoor Baseball at 14U (Mike Fetcher and Andy Cook), Southern Illinois Bullets at 15U (Tyler Choate), Indiana Spikes (Choate) at 16U and Ironmen at 17U (Ryan Wheeler). He took his 18U summer off before heading to Butler.
Bosecker’s high school head coach was Mike Goedde.
“Coach Goedde was one of the favorite coaches I’ve had,” says Bosecker. “He was willing to help anybody and everybody.
“He’s definitely that old school coach. He wasn’t scared to tear into somebody. He was also right there to build you back up. Overall, he was a really positive guy.
“He was always dedicating his time to helping us and helping the program.”
Considering his spring workload and looking for a new college team, Bosecker opted not to play this summer.
He was with the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s North Adams (Mass.) SteepleCats in 2021 and 2022.
Cory is the son of Kevin and Jean Bosecker and older brother of Sydney Bosecker.
His father is a warehouse manager, mother a computer consultant and sister a Butler student majoring in Criminology and minoring in Psychology. The former Evansville Central tennis player just finished her freshman year.

Cory Bosecker. (Butler University Photo)

Cory Bosecker. (Butler University Photo)

Cory Bosecker. (Butler University Photo)

Van Skyock preparing Centerville Bulldogs for 2023

By STEVE KRAH
http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Corey Van Skyock, who was officially named head baseball coach at Centerville (Ind.) Senior High School Sept. 28, was an assistant to John Cate at Richmond back in the early 1990’s.
Cate went into the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1997 and the RHS Coaches Hall of Fame in 2018. His baseball teams won 285 games, 12 sectionals and eight regionals and made a pair of Final Four appearances during two different stints from 1986-2008.
“Most of my coaching styles and beliefs come from Coach Cate,” says Van Skyock, who held his first team call-out meeting Sept. 30. “Work hard. Period. Prepare.
“The more that you can prepare and work hard the simpler games become.”
Cate also taught his players about field maintenance and Van Skyock plans to pass those lessons along at Centerville.
Van Skyock went from Richmond to a three-year stint as New Castle head coach. Two of his Trojans — Wes Ireton (Miami of Ohio) and Ben Smith (Indiana State) — went on to pitch at the NCAA Division I level.
Van Skyock, who earned a Secondary Education/English at Indiana University in Bloomington, spent 19 years as a teacher and/or administrator.
Later on, he coached at the youth and travel levels.
Corey and wife Christy Van Skyock — a financial services/insurance sales veteran — have three sons — Oran, Gaven and Arian. Oran Van Skyock (Class of the 2019) and Gaven Van Skyock (Class of 2021) played baseball at Centerville. Arian Van Skyock (Class of 2026) is planning to take the diamond for the Bulldogs.
Centerville — led for 10 seasons by Tracey Crull — is coming off a 2022 season in which the Bulldogs were 21-6 and IHSAA Class 2A state runners-up. Illiana Christian beat Centerville in the championship game.
Eight of the players playing for the Bulldogs that day were seniors — Logan Drook, Kasen Duncan, Devin Frazier, Jamari Pamplin, Javontae Pamplin, Bryce Robertson, Keegan Schlotterbeck and Zach Thompson.
Juniors included Collin Clark, Jacob Crowe and Alex Wandersee plus sophomores Kollyn Peed and Colton Rinehart.
Centerville (enrollment around 550) is a member of the Tri-Eastern Conference (with Cambridge City Lincoln, Hagerstown, Knightstown, Northeastern, Tri, Union City, Union County and Winchester).
The Bulldogs were part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping in 2022 with Hagerstown, Northeastern, Shenandoah and Union County. Including 2021 and 2022, Centerville has won nine sectional titles.
Van Skyock says Wandersee is committed to Vincennes (Ind.) University and Clark and Crowe are college baseball hopefuls.
He plans to meet with parents and players to ask the question “what does your future entail and how can I help you get there?”
There will be work, but enjoyment is also the goal.
“You may not play baseball in college, but you’ve got to be able to look back and say ‘gosh, that was fun!,” says Van Skyock.
As a newly-minted head coach, Van Skyock has to have his assistant coaches approved before announcing his staff.
He has also reached out to the leadership at Centerville Youth League, which serves as a feeder system to his program. He helped coach a team with his youngest son this past season.
Van Skyock is a 1987 graduate of Union City (Ind.) Junior/Senior High School, where he played baseball for four years.
Kevin Lehman was the Indians head coach.
By throwing strikeouts and eliminating errors, Lehman saw the key to diamond success.
“The game’s a lot of simpler than people want to make it,” says Van Skyock. “Eliminate advantages that you give to the opponent and it makes the game a lot simpler.”

Corey Van Skyock (left), Oran Van Skyock and Christy Van Skyock.

Christy Van Skyock (left), Gaven Van Skyock and Corey Van Skyock.

Arian Van Skyock (left) and Corey Van Skyock.

Alum Redford first-year head coach, teacher for New Albany Bulldogs

By STEVE KRAH
http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Tim Redford was a player at New Albany (Ind.) High School when he proclaimed that one day he’d be the Bulldogs head baseball coach.
He just didn’t know that he’d be 24 when that proclamation came true.
Redford, a 2016 New Albany graduate, was offered in the job that came open with the retirement of Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Chris McIntyre in July and was school-board approved in early August.
The former catcher is also a first-year teacher with three hours each of Health and Physical Education each school day at NAHS.
Redford is heading into the fourth week of IHSAA Limited Contact practice. Twenty players who are not tied up with fall or winter sports have been on Mt. Tabor Field for two hours on Mondays and Thursdays.
“It’s nice,” says Redford of the limited contact. “I haven’t seen these kids play. I can figure out what we’ve got.”
Redford says heavy weightlifting and conditioning will likely start after fall break.
The past two years, Redford has been an assistant baseball coach at NAIA member Rheinhardt University (Waleska, Ga.).
“I love the college level,” says Redford. “But there’s nothing like home.”
Redford, who turns 25 in January, played for McIntyre. He was New Albany head coach for 26 seasons.
“He helped us off the field as much as on it with becoming good husbands, fathers and citizens,” says Redford for Coach Mac. “A lot of these kids aren’t going to play college baseball and it’s important.
“He did an incredible job.”
Redford was a catcher at New Albany and then at Kaskaskia College (a junior college in Centralia, Ill.) and NAIA member William Woods University (Fulton, Mo.). He says this experience helped prepare him for coaching.
“Catching is the hardest position in baseball in my opinion,” says Redford. “You’re involved in every play
be the quarterback on the field.”
Former Purdue University All-American Mitch Koester was Redford’s head coach at Kaskaskia.
“He’s great coach and a very, very good recruiter,” says Redford, whose college decision out of New Albany came down to the KC and John A. Logan in Carterville, Ill. “He’s a players’ coach. He knows his stuff.”
In two seasons at William Woods, Redford played for two head coaches — Brock Nehls (who went on to be pitching coach at Emporia State, Kan., University) and Chris Fletcher (who has helped start baseball at Moberly, Mo., Area Community College).
Redford earned an associate degree at Kaskaskia, an undergraduate Exercise Science degree with a concentration in Sports Management from William Woods and a Masters in Sports Administration and Leadership from Rheinhardt.
New Albany (enrollment around 1,840) is a member of the Hoosier Hills Conference (with Bedford North Lawrence, Columbus East, Floyd Central, Jeffersonville, Jennings County and Seymour).
The Bulldogs were champions of an IHSAA Class 4A sectional grouping in 2022 with Bedford North Lawrence, Floyd Central, Jeffersonville, Jennings County and Seymour. New Albany won its 23rd sectional title at Jennings County.
Redford is in the process of assembling his full coaching staff.
“We want to make sure we get the right guys in there,” says Redford.
Improvements at Mt. Tabor since Redford played include turf in fair and foul territory in the infield.
“They’ve rarely have to cancel home games last two years,” says Redford.
The facility also features in-ground dugouts, bleachers that wrap around dugout to dugout and a large press box with a locker room underneath.
New Albany Little League gives a foundation of the high school program
“Little League baseball around here has always been big,” says Redmond. “It’s got all the bells and whistles and a good reputation.
“It’s super nice to have a community that supports baseball as much as this one. That’s for sure.”
Shortstop Tucker Biven (Class of 2022) was an IHSBCA North/South All-Series participant and has moved on to the University of Louisville.
Pitcher/shortstop Landon Tiesing (Class of 2023) has committed to Kent State University.
Tim Redford III met Colleen Bayer at William Woods and recently purchased a house together. Tim III is the son of Tim Redford II and Marsha Redford and younger brother of Kyle Krinninger.

Tim Redford III. (Reinhardt University Photo)

Tim Redford III. (William Woods University Photo)