Tag Archives: Carter Mathison

DeKalb’s Smith voted 2023 Dick Crumback/NEIBA High School Player of the Year

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

Parker Smith has been voted as the 2023 Dick Crumback/Northeast Indiana Baseball Association High School Player of the Year.
Playing for head coach Collin Bice at DeKalb High School in Waterloo, Ind., senior Smith has helped the Barons win an IHSAA Class 4A sectional title and a regional berth on Saturday, June 3.
For the regular season, Smith played in 31 games and the righty swinger hit .436 (48-of-110) with one home run, three triples, nine doubles, 30 runs batted in and 30 runs scored.
As a pitcher the Wabash (Ind.) College commit made eight appearances (five starts) and went 4-1 with three complete games, one shutout, one save, a 1.45 earned run average, 66 strikeouts and 23 walks in 38 2/3 innings.
Parker will be honored pre-game at the Tuesday, June 13 Fort Wayne TinCaps game and at the NEIBA Hall of Fame induction banquet at 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 11 at Classic Cafe Catering & Event Center, 4832 Hillegas Road, Fort Wayne.  
Reservations to attend the banquet can be made at the following link: https://forms.gle/vibX4BKS2ZZjJPMg9. Tickets can also be purchased at the door.
The DeKalb High School baseball program will also receive a $1,000 donation from the Crumback family and the Fort Wayne Baseball Federation in honor of Dick Crumback.
 
Previous  NEIBA/Crumback High School Player of the Year recipients:
2022 — Dalton Wasson (Heritage).
2021 — Carter Mathison (Homestead).
2020 — High school season canceled due to pandemic.
2019 — Grant Besser (South Adams).

Parker Smith.
Parker Smith.
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Quite a game for UIndy’s Ware; IU Southeast’s White, Indiana’s Kraft shine

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

Hitting for a cycle (single, double, triple and home run in the same game) is a feat.
When you also pitch a no-hitter in that same contest that gets attention.
Such is the case for University of Indianapolis graduate student Brady Ware.
A left-handed batter and pitcher pulled off the rate accomplishment Friday, April 7 as the NCAA Division II Greyhounds bested visiting Drury 14-0 in the second game of a doubleheader.
Ware homered and tripled as part of an eight-run second inning, doubled in the third and singled in the fifth while driving in five runs and scoring two.
In seven no-hit innings, Ware struck out 11 and walked five while inducing seven fly-outs and two groundouts.

Among the state’s 39 college baseball programs, NAIA Indiana University Southeast junior Mason White has socked the most doubles so far in 2023 with 15.
The others with eight or more:
Jeremy Wiersema (Bethel) 14
Satchell Wilson (Huntington) 14
Trevor Campbell (IU Southeast) 13
Phillip Glasser (Indiana) 13
Kaleb Kolpien (Taylor) 13
Ryan Peltier (Ball State) 13
Garrett Causey (Oakland City) 12
Tyler Smitherman (Anderson) 12
T.J. Bass (Taylor) 11
Max Fries (Earlham) 11
Nathan Lancianese (Earlham) 11
A.J. Reid (Wabash) 11
Griffin Wolf (Anderson) 11
Kaleb Farnham (IU South Bend) 10
Jarrett Gray (Huntington) 10
Rocco Hanes (Manchester) 10
Chase Hug (Evansville) 10
Jenner Rodammer (Goshen) 10
Blake Bevis (Ball State) 9
Mason David (Taylor) 9
Kaden Elliott (Vincennes) 9
Colton Evans (Vincennes) 9
Kaleb Hannahs (Valparaiso) 9
Brendan Hord (Evansville) 9
Joel Kennedy (Manchester) 9
Christian Lancianese (Earlham) 9
Jack Leverenz (IU-Kokomo) 9
Hayden Lowe (Ivy Tech Northeast) 9
Michael Machnic (Calumet of St. Joseph) 9
Ian McCutcheon (Huntington) 9
Andrew Miranda (Bethel) 9
Nick Parsons (Saint Francis) 9
Tucker Platt (IU-Kokomo) 9
M.J. Stavola (Indiana Wesleyan) 9
Adam Tellier (Ball State) 9
Brock Tibbitts (Indiana) 9
Ben Berenda (IU Southeast) 8
Alex Christie (Hanover) 8
Drew Donaldson (Indianapolis) 8
Lucas Goodin (Indiana Wesleyan) 8
Luis Hernandez (Indiana State) 8
Carter Mathison (Indiana) 8
Sam Newkirk (Grace) 8
Liam Patton (Wabash) 8
Jeff Pawlik (Grace) 8
Luke Picchiotti (Taylor) 8
Zack Prajzner (Notre Dame) 8
Kody Putnam (IU Southeast) 8
Carter Putz (Notre Dame) 8
Camden Scheidt (Wabash) 8
Kyle Schmack (Valparaiso) 8
Logan Smith (IU South Bend) 8
Matt Wolff (Huntington) 8

There has been plenty of solid pitching so far this season. Among hurlers with at least 20 innings pitched and an earned run average of 3.50 or lower, the leader is NCAA D-I Indiana sophomore left-hander Ryan Kraft at 0.90.
Others meeting that standard:
Seti Manase (Indiana) 1.52
William LePretre Jr. (Calumet of St. Joseph) 1.57
Aidan Tyrell (Notre Dame) 1.62
Cole Decker (Trine) 1.66
Garrett Hill (IU Southeast) 1.66
Robbie Berger (IU South Bend) 1.70
Matthew Johnson (Franklin) 1.70
Hunter Callahan (Oakland City) 1.99
Lucas Letsinger (IU Kokomo) 1.99
Marcus Goodpaster (Hanover) 2.27
Josh Hoogewerf (Trine) 2.41
Trennor O’Donnell (Ball State) 2.51
Michael Parks (Evansville) 2.55
Lane Miller (Indiana State) 2.57
Jackson Dennies (Notre Dame) 2.59
Damien Wallace (Marian) 2.67
Justin Bultemeier (Ivy Tech Northeast) 2.70
Bobby Nowak (Valparaiso) 2.74
Drue Young (Indiana Wesleyan) 2.81
Jack Findlay (Notre Dame) 2.82
Nathan Chasey (Valparaiso) 2.83
Gavin Morris (Southern Indiana) 2.88
Jack Ross (Taylor) 2.96
Jake McKendry (IU South Bend) 3.00
Jared Spencer (Indiana State) 3.04
Alec Holcomb (Taylor) 3.06
Tyler Papenbrock (Huntington) 3.06
Joey Butz (Huntington) 3.09
Graham Kollen (Huntington) 3.11
Hunter Frost (Saint Francis) 3.20
William Myklebust (Ivy Tech Northeast) 3.20
Blaine McRae (Saint Francis) 3.27
Evan Fry (Indiana Wesleyan) 3.35
Alex Voss (Butler) 3.38
Brandon DeWitt (Indianapolis) 3.46
Jonathan Blackwell (Purdue) 3.50

NCAA D-III Franklin and NAIA Indiana Wesleyan both are on eight-game win streaks — the longest current skeins in the state.
D-I Indiana State (6), NAIA Saint Francis (5) and NAIA Huntington (4), junior college Ivy Tech Northeast (4), D-I Indiana (3) and D-III Manchester (3) are others near the top of the streak list.

Below are season records, weekly results and links to web pages, schedules and statistics.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through April 9
NCAA D-I
Ball State 23-8 (10-2 MAC)
Indiana 22-10 (7-2 Big Ten)
Evansville 19-12 (5-4 MVC)
Indiana State 18-12 (8-1 MVC)
Notre Dame 17-12 (7-8 ACC)
Purdue 14-16 (5-4 Big Ten)
Valparaiso 10-14 (2-7 MVC)
Southern Indiana 9-22 (2-7 OVC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 8-24 (5-7 Horizon)
Butler 7-23 (0-3 Big East)

Schedule Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

Stat Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 17-12 (5-11 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 6-20 (2-10 GLIAC)

Schedule Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

Stat Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

NCAA D-III
Franklin 17-6 (7-1 HCAC)
Wabash 16-9 (2-2 NCAC)
Rose-Hulman 15-7 (7-1 HCAC)
Earlham 14-10 (4-5 HCAC)
Manchester 13-11 (4-4 HCAC)
Trine 13-11 (4-2 MIAA)
Anderson 12-11 (2-6 HCAC)
Hanover 8-16 (2-7 HCAC)
DePauw 7-13 (2-2 NCAC)

Schedule Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

Stat Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

NAIA
Taylor 25-11 (18-4 CL)
Indiana Wesleyan 24-11-1 (19-3 CL)
Huntington 23-10 (17-5 CL)
Oakland City 23-14 (7-11 RSC)

Indiana Tech 20-9 (8-6 WHAC)
IU Southeast 19-14-1 (12-5-1 RSC)
IU-Kokomo 19-15 (9-8 RSC)
Grace 13-16 (5-13 CL)
Marian 13-17 (7-11 CL)
IU South Bend 13-19 (9-6 CCAC)
Bethel 13-21 (6-16 CL)
Calumet of St. Joseph 13-23 (5-10 CCAC)
Saint Francis 16-16 (11-9 CL)
Goshen 7-23 (3-15 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 2-32

Schedule Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Stat Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Junior College
Ivy Tech Northeast 16-13
Vincennes 16-20 (4-8 MWAC)
Marian’s Ancilla 5-22 (4-5 MCCAA)

Schedule Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Stat Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Through April 9
NCAA D-I
Monday, April 3
Valparaiso 5, Murray State 2

Tuesday, April 4
Ball State 12, Bellarmine 3
Evansville 12, Purdue 10
Indiana State 4, Indiana 0
Notre Dame 12, Northwestern 0
Toledo 9, Purdue Fort Wayne 8

Thursday, April 6
Ball State 3, The Citadel 2 (10 inn.)
Xavier 8, Butler 3
Notre Dame 10, Pittsburgh 8
Oakland 14, Purdue Fort Wayne 9
Southeast Missouri 13, Southern Indiana 4

Friday, April 7
Ball State 9, The Citadel 8 (8 inn.)
The Citadel 4, Ball State 0
Xavier 4, Butler 2
Valparaiso 6, Evansville 1
Iowa 7, Indiana 1
Indiana State 2, Illinois State 0
Notre Dame 11, Pittsburgh 2
Purdue 3, Minnesota 0
Oakland 7, Purdue Fort Wayne 2
Southern Indiana 9, Southeast Missouri 6

Saturday, April 8
Xavier 13, Butler 6
Evansville 9, Valparaiso 8
Indiana 2, Iowa 0 (10 inn.)
Indiana State 4, Illinois State 3 (10 inn.)
Pittsburgh 9, Notre Dame 5
Purdue 15, Minnesota 3
Oakland 7, Purdue Fort Wayne 6
Southeast Missouri 14, Southern Indiana 2

Sunday, April 9
Evansville 4, Valparaiso 3
Indiana 4, Iowa 2
Indiana State 4, Illinois State 3
Minnesota 9, Purdue 3

NCAA D-II
Thursday, April 6
Indianapolis 9, Drury 1
Purdue Northwest 10, Wayne State 8

Friday, April 7
Indianapolis 8, Drury 7
Indianapolis 13, Drury 0
Wayne State 9, Purdue Northwest 4
Wayne State 22, Purdue Northwest 6

Saturday, April 8
Drury 6, Indianapolis 3
Wayne State 7, Purdue Northwest 3

NCAA D-III
Monday, April 3
Franklin 13, Hanover 11

Tuesday, April 4
Wabash 6, DePauw 3
Wabash 14, DePauw 4
Trine 6, Adrian 5 (15 inn.)

Friday, April 7
Bluffton 7, Earlham 6 (12 inn.)
Rose-Hulman 13, Hanover 7
Manchester 2, Defiance 0
Manchester 10, Defiance 5
Trine 7, Kalamazoo 3

Saturday, April 8
Franklin 11, Anderson 3
Franklin 13, Anderson 2
DePauw 6, Oberlin 3
DePauw 8, Oberlin 7
Bluffton 7, Earlham 6
Bluffton 5, Earlham 3
Hanover 10, Rose-Hulman 8
Rose-Hulman 7, Hanover 3
Manchester 2, Defiance 1 (10 inn.)
Kalamazoo 14, Trine 3
Kalamazoo 14, Trine 4

NAIA
Monday, April 3
Midway 14, IU-Kokomo 4
Saint Ambrose 13, IU South Bend 2
Indiana Tech 21, Madonna 6
Madonna 13, Indiana Tech 12
Saint Francis 13, Spring Arbor 3
Saint Francis 7, Spring Arbor 5

Tuesday, April 4
IU-Kokomo 7, Georgetown (Ky.) 4
IU Southeast 14, IUPU-Columbus 4

Wednesday, April 5
Indiana Wesleyan 6, Mount Vernon Nazarene 0
Indiana Wesleyan 5, Mount Vernon Nazarene 3

Thursday, April 6
Taylor 14, Bethel 1
Taylor 2, Bethel 0
Huntington 5, Goshen 1
Huntington 3, Goshen 0
Spring Arbor 3, Grace 2
Spring Arbor 21, Grace 5
Indiana Wesleyan 10, Mount Vernon Nazarene 2
Indiana Wesleyan 2, Mount Vernon Nazarene 0
Saint Francis 8, Marian 2
Saint Francis 17, Marian 4

Friday, April 7
Saint Ambrose 15, Calumet of St. Joseph 4
IU-Kokomo 5, West Virginia Tech 0
West Virginia Tech 8, IU-Kokomo 6
Trinity Christian 4, IU South Bend 2
Indiana Tech 4, Aquinas 3
Aquinas 8, Indiana Tech 1
Midway 12, Oakland City 1

Saturday, April 8
Saint Ambrose 2, Calumet of St. Joseph 1
Saint Ambrose 7, Calumet of St. Joseph 5
IU-Kokomo 4, West Virginia Tech 2
IUPU-Columbus 6, Miami-Hamilton 4
Miami-Hamilton 7, IUPU-Columbus 1
IU South Bend 8, Trinity Christian 0
IU South Bend 5, Trinity Christian 0
Point Park 5, IU Southeast 3
IU Southeast 5, Point Park 2
Indiana Tech 2, Cornerstone 1
Indiana Tech 6, Cornerstone 5
Oakland City 10, Midway 3
Midway 3, Oakland City 1

Sunday, April 9
IU Southeast 10, Point Park 9

Junior College
Thursday, April 6
Glen Oaks 3, Marian’s Ancilla 1
Marian’s Ancilla 11, Glen Oaks 10

Friday, April 7
Kalamazoo Valley 13, Marian’s Ancilla 10
Heartland 8, Vincennes 3
Heartland 10, Vincennes 3

Saturday, April 8
Ivy Tech Northeast 15, Alpena 5
Ivy Tech Northeast 9, Muskegon 8
Glen Oaks 11, Marian’s Ancilla 1
Marian’s Ancilla 7, Glen Oaks 5
Heartland 20, Vincennes 2
Heartland 19, Vincennes 10

Who are state’s best run producers so far in ’23?

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

Indiana college baseball teams have combined to score nearly 5,800 runs so far in 2023.
Based on posted numbers, NAIA Taylor averages 9.5 runs per game. Other leaders in the division are Indiana Tech (8.6), Huntington (8.3), IU-Kokomo (8.2) and Indiana Wesleyan (8.1).
Ball State (8.3), Indiana (7.8), Purdue (7.5), Evansville (7.4 are at the top of the NCAA Division I list.
NCAA Division II Indianapolis scores 8.5 runs per contest.
NCAA D-III leaders are Wabash (9.0), Anderson (8.7), Earlham (7.8), Franklin (7.7), Manchester (7.5) and Hanover (7.2.)
Pacing junior colleges is Vincennes (7.7).

Here’s a list of individual runs batted in leaders:
T.J. Bass (Taylor) 33
Lucas Goodin (Indiana Wesleyan) 33
Paul Toetz (Purdue) 33
Kade Vander Molen (Taylor) 33
Eric Roberts (Evansville) 32
Jarrett Gray (Huntington) 31
Trevor Campbell (IU Southeast) 30
Colton Evans (Vincennes) 29
Ben Kalbaugh (Taylor) 29
Luke Picchiotti (Taylor) 29
Kaden Elliott (Vincennes) 28
Max Fries (Earlham) 28
Langston Ginder (Huntington) 28
Kaleb Kolpien (Taylor) 28
Brayden Manning (Taylor) 28
Luke Barnes (IU Kokomo) 27
A.J. Reid (Wabash) 27
Brock Tibbitts (Indiana) 27
Nick Wiley (Indiana Wesleyan) 27
Xander Willis (Oakland City) 27
Jenner Rodammer (Goshen) 26
Nicholas Anderson (Calumet of St. Joseph) 25
Jayden Lepper (Saint Francis) 25
Jordan Malott (Huntington) 25
Ryan Peltier (Ball State) 25
Brenden Bell (IU South Bend) 24
Noah Matheson (Ivy Tech Northeast) 24
Andrew Miranda (Bethel) 24
Satchell Wilson (Huntington) 24
Matt Wolff (Huntington) 24
Alex Christie (Hanover) 23
Xavier Croxton (Saint Francis) 22
Tucker Ebest (Southern Indiana) 22
Kaleb Farnham (IU South Bend) 22
Eli MacDonald (Bethel) 22
Christian Mojica (Indiana Tech) 22
Conner Oxley (Oakland City) 22
Kody Putnam (IU Southeast) 22
Tyler Stahl (Indiana Tech) 22
M.J. Stavola (Indiana Wesleyan) 22
Mason David (Taylor) 21
Kamden Earley (Wabash) 21
Caleb Engelsman (Indiana Wesleyan) 21
Brendan Hord (Evansville) 21
Ian McCutcheon (Huntington) 21
Justin Reed (Anderson) 21
Mike Sears (Indiana State) 21
Sam Gladd (Taylor) 20
Phillip Glasser (Indiana) 20
Treven Madden (Oakland City) 20
Sam Newkirk (Grace) 20
Nick Parsons (Saint Francis) 20
Aidan Stevens (Manchester) 20
Mason White (IU Southeast) 20
Parker Bates (Indiana Tech) 19
Ben Berenda (IU Southeast) 19
Blake Bevis (Ball State) 19
Braedon Blackford (Purdue Fort Wayne) 19
Garrett Causey (Oakland City 19
Jacob Daftari (Indiana) Tech) 19
Matthew Ellis (Indiana) 19
Ben Higgins (Purdue Fort Wayne) 19
Jake Jarvis (Purdue) 19
Caleb Niehaus (Southern Indiana) 19
Sam Pesa (Saint Francis) 19
Josh Pyne (Indiana) 19
Brent Widder (Evansville) 19
Evan Albrecht (Purdue) 18
Jared Bujdos (Indianapolis) 18
Bryce Davenport (Marian) 18
Drew Donaldson (Indianapolis) 18
Riley Garczynski (IU Kokomo) 18
Jarod Gillespie (IU Kokomo) 18
Chase Hug (Evansville) 18
Hayden Lowe (Ivy Tech Northeast) 18
Liam Patton (Wabash) 18
Jeff Pawlik (Grace) 18
Sam Pinckert (Oakland City) 18
Matthew Rivera (Ball State) 18
Brett Sikoroski (IU South Bend) 18
Dion Wintjes (Marian) 18
Danny Borgstrom (Evansville) 17
Trevor Goodwin (IU Southeast) 17
Brayden Hazelwood (IU Southeast) 17
Camden Knepp (Taylor) 17
Sebastian Kuhns (Huntington) 17
Tysen Lipscomb (Franklin) 17
Carter Mathison (Indiana) 17
J.J. Rivera (Marian) 17
Kyle Schmack (Valparaiso) 17
Sean Sullivan (Franklin) 17
Joey Urban (Butler) 17
Kobe Bartlett (Vincennes) 16
Jacob Dupps (Hanover) 16
Seth Gergely (Indiana State) 16
Jared Holley (Manchester) 16
Ben Kennedy (Taylor) 16
Darrius Little (Calumet of St. Joseph) 16
Michael Machnic (Calumet of St. Joseph) 16
David Miller (Saint Francis) 16
Carter Putz (Notre Dame) 16
Decker Scheffler (Ball State) 16
Tyler Smitherman (Anderson) 16
Jo Stevens (Purdue) 16
Alex Stout (Bethel) 16
Devin Taylor (Indiana) 16
Cooper Tolson (Bethel) 16
Peyton Blinn (IUPU-Columbus) 15
Hunter Dobbins (Ball State) 15
Matt Earley (Franklin) 15
Kip Fougerousse (Evansville) 15
Connor Gordon (Anderson) 15
Rocco Hanes (Manchester) 15
Rylan Huntley (Marian) 15
John Joyce (Grace) 15
Jack Leverenz (IU Kokomo) 15
Ty Mathews (Indiana Wesleyan) 15
Lucas McNew (Southern Indiana) 15
Thomas Obergfell (IU Kokomo) 15
Jake Parr (Purdue) 15
Brady Renfro (Valparaiso) 15
Simon Scherry (Evansville) 15
Bobby Whalen (Indiana) 15
Carter Whitehead (Vincennes) 15

Not forgetting about the pitchers, here are the victory leaders:
Ryan Troxel (Indiana Tech) 6
Lucas Letsinger (IU Kokomo) 5
Tyler Papenrock (Huntington) 5
Ryan Brown (Ball State) 4
Jack Findlay (Notre Dame) 4
Marcus Goodpaster (Hanover) 4
Alec Holcomb (Taylor) 4
Graham Kollen (Huntington) 4
Blaine McRae (Saint Francis) 4
Jack Ross (Taylor) 4
Donovan Schultz (Evansville) 4
Damien Wallace (Marian) 4
Matthew Alter (Hanover) 3
Cason Bennett (Earlham) 3
Jarrett Blunt (Evansville) 3
Brandon DeWitt (Indianapolis) 3
Caleb Everson (Wabash) 3
Ben Harris (IU Kokomo) 3
Jacob Hartlaub (Ball State) 3
Derek Haslett (Wabash) 3
Matthew Johnson (Franklin) 3
Ty Johnson (Ball State) 3
Maddox Manes (Franklin) 3
William Myklebust (Ivy Tech Northeast) 3
Gabel Pentecost (Taylor) 3
Gage Smith (Ivy Tech Northeast) 3
Jake Stuteville (Vincennes) 3
Aaron Suval (Purdue) 3
Aidan Tyrell (Notre Dame) 3
Craig Yoho (Indiana) 3
Drue Young (Indiana Wesleyan) 3
Tyler Yotkewich (IU Southeast) 3
Jackson Young (Franklin) 3
Zach Zaborowski (Indiana Tech) 3

The saves leaders:

Ryan Kraft (Indiana) 5
Hunter Schumacher (Grace) 4
Jared Crandall (Taylor) 3
Jonathan Oliger (Rose-Hulman) 3
Wyatt Phillips (Indianapolis) 3
Jack Ross (Taylor) 3
Grant Simmons (Huntington) 3
Aaron Barokas (Butler) 2
Robbie Berger (IU South Bend) 2
Carter Bosch (Notre Dame) 2
Noah Brettin (Trine) 2
Jesse Burch (Indiana Tech) 2
Hunter Frost (Saint Francis) 2
Riley Gallagher (Purdue Northwest) 2
Nate Hardman (Evansville) 2
Xavier Hart (Vincennes) 2
Garrett Hill (IU Southeast) 2
Carter Hooks (Manchester) 2
Maddox Manes (Franklin) 2
Sam Phillips (Wabash) 2
Jaden Siemer (Hanover) 2
Taylor Sopor (Marian) 2
Benjamin Witterstaetter (Goshen) 2

Below are season records, weekly results and links to web pages, schedules and statistics for all of Indiana’s 39 collegiate programs.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through March 26
NCAA D-I
Ball State 17-6 (8-1 MAC)
Indiana 17-7 (3-0 Big Ten)
Evansville 16-7 (3-0 MVC)
Notre Dame 12-9 (5-4 ACC)
Indiana State 11-11 (3-0 MVC)
Purdue 10-12 (1-2 Big Ten)
Valparaiso 7-10 (0-3 MVC)
Southern Indiana 7-17 (0-3 OVC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 6-18 (3-3 Horizon)
Butler 5-18 (0-0 Big East)

Schedule Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

Stat Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 11-7 (0-7 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 4-12 (0-2 GLIAC)

Schedule Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

Stat Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

NCAA D-III
Wabash 13-6 (0-0 NCAC)
Earlham 12-5 (2-1 HCAC)
Anderson 11-6 (1-1 HCAC)
Franklin 11-6 (2-1 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 9-6 (2-0 HCAC)
Trine 9-8 (0-0 MIAA)
Manchester 9-9 (1-2 HCAC)
Hanover 7-10 (1-2 HCAC)
DePauw 5-7 (0-0 NCAC)

Schedule Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

Stat Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

NAIA
Oakland City 22-9 (6-6 RSC)
Taylor 21-9 (14-2 CL)
Huntington 19-8 (13-3 CL)
Indiana Tech 15-5 (4-2 WHAC)
IU-Kokomo 15-10 (7-3 RSC)
Indiana Wesleyan 15-10-1 (10-3 CL)
IU Southeast 13-13 (8-4 RSC)
Bethel 13-15 (6-10 CL)
Calumet of St. Joseph 12-18 (2-5 CCAC)
Grace 11-12 (3-9 CL)
Marian 11-15 (5-9 CL)
Saint Francis 11-15 (6-8 CL)
IU South Bend 9-16 (4-3 CCAC)
Goshen 6-19 (2-11 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 1-28

Schedule Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Stat Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Junior College
Vincennes 14-13 (4-2 MWAC)
Ivy Tech Northeast 12-11
Marian’s Ancilla 2-18 (1-1 MCCAA)

Schedule Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Stat Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Through March 26
NCAA D-I
Monday, March 20
Butler 3, Northwestern 2

Tuesday, March 21
Butler 9, Eastern Michigan 7
Indiana 15, Indiana State 5
Notre Dame 8, Valparaiso 4
Illinois-Chicago 6, Purdue 4
Bowling Green 8, Purdue Fort Wayne 6
Belmont 6, Southern Indiana 3

Wednesday, March 22
Ball State 19, Butler 2
Evansville 11, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 7

Friday, March 24
Ball State 2, Eastern Michigan 1
Notre Dame 4, Louisville 3
Purdue 5, Michigan State 4
Purdue Fort Wayne 6, Northern Kentucky 5

Saturday, March 25
Ball State at 16, Eastern Michigan 5
Cincinnati 15, Butler 5
Evansville 12, Missouri State 7
Evansville 7, Missouri State 3
Indiana 14, Ohio State 6
Indiana State 10, Valparaiso 1
Morehead State 3, Southern Indiana 2

Sunday, March 26
Ball State 7, Eastern Michigan 3
Butler 8, Cincinnati 5
Cincinnati 13, Butler 3
Evansville 7, Missouri State 4
Indiana 9, Ohio State 6
Indiana 7, Ohio State 5
Indiana State 7, Valparaiso 2
Indiana State 4, Valparaiso 2
Notre Dame 5, Louisville 4
Louisville 2, Notre Dame 1
Michigan State 5, Purdue 4
Michigan State 12, Purdue 6
Purdue Fort Wayne 9, Northern Kentucky 5
Northern Kentucky 10, Purdue Fort Wayne 1
Morehead State 11, Southern Indiana 4
Morehead State 5, Southern Indiana 1

NCAA D-II
Tuesday, March 21
Findlay 10, Indianapolis 7

Friday, March 24
Saginaw Valley State 7, Purdue Northwest 1
Saginaw Valley State 3, Purdue Northwest 2

Saturday, March 25
Illinois-Springfield 11, Indianapolis 10
Illinois-Springfield 5, Indianapolis 3

Sunday, March 26
Indianapolis at Illinois-Springfield
Indianapolis at Illinois-Springfield

NCAA D-III
Monday, March 20
Franklin 18, Trine 8
Franklin 14, Trine 1
Heidelberg 11, Manchester 10
Heidelberg 11, Manchester 3
Wisconsin-Osh Kosh 16, Rose-Hulman 5

Tuesday, March 21
Anderson 16, Alma 14
Anderson 16, Alma 6
Earlham 15, Principia 2
Spalding 14, Hanover 13
Trine 13, Manchester 10

Wednesday, March 22
Calvin 6, Manchester 0

Saturday, March 25
Manchester 9, Earlham 6
Transylvania 11, Franklin 0
Mount St. Joseph 6, Hanover 5

Sunday, March 26
Bluffton 10, Anderson 9
Anderson 19, Bluffton 3
DePauw 11, Houston-Victoria 9
Earlham 7, Manchester 6
Earlham 5, Manchester 4
Franklin 6, Transylvania 4
Franklin 14, Transylvania 7
Hanover 3, Mount St. Joseph 0
Mount St. Joseph 19, Hanover 9
Rose-Hulman 10, Defiance 2
Rose-Hulman 5, Defiance 3
Trine 5, Wright State Lake Campus 2
Trine 3, Wright State Lake Campus 2
Wabash 8, Illinois Wesleyan 7 (10 inn.)
Wabash 12, Illinois Wesleyan 9

NAIA
Monday, March 20
Saint Francis 12, Bethel 4
Saint Francis 10, Bethel 4
Olivet Nazarene 18, Calumet of St. Joseph 4
Indiana Wesleyan 9, Goshen 3
Indiana Wesleyan 20, Goshen 2
Mount Vernon Nazarene 10, Grace 8
Mount Vernon Nazarene 4, Grace 3
Saint Xavier 8, IU South Bend 4
Saint Xavier 13, IU South Bend 3
Lourdes 9, Indiana Tech 8
Lourdes 15, Indiana Tech 5
Oakland City 2, Rio Grande 1

Tuesday, March 21
Indiana Southeast 20, IUPU-Columbus 2
Indiana Southeast 14, IUPU-Columbus 6
Indiana Tech 7, Siena Heights 3
Indiana Tech 9, Siena Heights 3
Spring Arbor 10, Marian 9
Spring Arbor 11, Marian 5

Wednesday, March 22
Taylor 10, Mount Vernon Nazarene 7
Taylor 14, Mount Vernon Nazarene 2

Thursday, March 23
Huntington 9, Bethel 8
Huntington 13, Bethel 1
Asbury 13, IUPU-Columbus 12
Asbury 22, IUPU-Columbus 5

Friday, March 24
Bethel 6, Huntington 2
Huntington 12, Bethel 2
Calumet of St. Joseph 4, Saint Francis (Ill.) 0
Saint Francis (Ill.) 3, Calumet of St. Joseph 2
Spring Arbor 8, Goshen 0
Spring Arbor 10, Goshen 2
Grace 10, Marian 3
Grace 6, Marian 1
IU South Bend 11, Trinity International 1
Saint Francis 8, Indiana Wesleyan 4
Indiana Wesleyan 4, Saint Francis 1
Taylor 6, Mount Vernon Nazarene 3
Taylor 3, Mount Vernon Nazarene 2

Saturday, March 25
IU Southeast 5, Alice Lloyd 3
West Virginia Tech 13, Oakland City 5

Sunday, March 26
Saint Francis (Ill.) at Calumet of St. Joseph
IU-Kokomo 12, Ohio Christian 2
Ohio Christian 9, IU-Kokomo 7
IU South Bend 12, Trinity International 4
IU South Bend 8, Trinity International 1
IU Southeast 7, Alice Lloyd 2
IU Southeast 18, Alice Lloyd 0
Indiana Tech 3, Lawrence Tech 2
Indiana Tech 15, Lawrence Tech 0
Oakland City 9, West Virginia Tech 3
Oakland City 10, West Virginia Tech 2

Junior College
Monday, March 20
Ivy Tech Northeast 7, Muskegon 5
Muskegon 5, Ivy Tech Northeast 4
Vincennes 12, Danville Area 2
Vincennes 7, Danville Area 4

Tuesday, March 21
Ivy Tech Northeast 11, Lakeland 1
Ivy Tech Northeast 17, Lakeland 2
Marian’s Ancilla 6, Glen Oaks 4
Vincennes 18, Danville Area 6
Vincennes 19, Danville Area 11

Thursday, March 23
Kellogg 10, Marian’s Ancilla 2

Sunday, March 26
Ivy Tech Northeast 5, Cuyahoga 4
Illinois Central 13, Vincennes 2
Illinois Central 11, Vincennes 0

NEIBA announces ’23 Dick Crumback Player of the Year Watch List

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

IHSAA baseball practice has arrived and the Northeast Indiana Baseball Association has announced its Dick Crumback/NEIBA High School Player of the Year watch list for 2023.
An email was sent out to the baseball coaches from Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Noble, Huntington, Wells and Whitley counties. These are the counties that the NEIBA covers when choosing their Hall of Fame members. Each coach was asked to nominate any player(s) that he feels could be in the running for such an honor. 
The watch list features 70 players. The list will be narrowed down in early May and finalists will be announced.
The Dick Crumback/NEIBA High School Player of the Year will be honored May 24 to coincide with the start of the IHSAA state tournament.
The Player of the Year will be honored at a Fort Wayne TinCaps game and at the June 11 Hall of Fame banquet.
Past winners of the award include Grant Besser (South Adams) in 2019, Carter Mathison (Homestead) in 2021 and Dalton Wasson (Heritage) in 2022.
The organization has honored local baseball players, personnel and ambassadors since 1961.
For more information, contact Gary Rogers at grogers@eacs.k.in.us or Brett Windmiller at brett.windmiller@nacs.k.in.us. 

DICK CRUMBACK/NEIBA
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
WATCH LIST
2023

Adams Central (Coach Josh Foster)
Sr. Logan Uhlman
Jr. Trevor Currie
Jr. Dakota Perry
Jr. Keegan Bluhm
Jr. Jack Hamilton
Sr. Ethan Poling
Jr. Keagen Combs
Sr. Ryan Black
Jr. Ryan Tester

Bishop Dwenger (Coach Jason Garrett)
Jr. Brayton Thomas
Sr. Keegan McMahon
Sr. Carter Bradley

Bishop Luers (Coach Jeff Stanski)
Sr. Nate Heflin
Sr. Qwenton Roach
Sr. Johnny Bloom
Sr. Brayden McInturf
Jr. Isaac Zay

Bluffton (Coach Jason Pierce)
Jr. Braxton Betancourt
Sr. Andrew Onuegbu
Sr. Andrew Pressler

Carroll (Coach Dave Ginder)
Sr. Will Worrel
Sr. Gabe Starks
Sr. Andrew Sinish
Sr. Cameron Saunders
Sr. Cooper Rudolph
Sr. Daniel Kirk
Sr. Camden Herschberger
Sr. Michael Dierckman
Jr. Conner Barkel

Churubusco (Coach Jordan Turner)
Sr. Croix Haberstock
Jr. Keaton Blessing
Sr. Wyatt Marks

Columbia City (Coach Rob Bell)
Jr. Brady Schroeder
Sr. Landyn Iden

DeKalb (Coach Collin Bice
Sr. Parker Smith
Sr. Ethan Jordan
Sr. Alex Leslie
Sr. Elijah Ehmke
Sr. Donnie Wiley
Sr. Tegan Irk
Jr. Aaden Lytle
Sr. Will Seigel

Eastside (Coach Cade Willard)
So. Jace Mayberry
Jr. Ryder Reed

Fort Wayne Northrop (Coach Austin Mannan)
Jr. Pernell Whitsett
Jr. Nathan Jessup
Jr. Jayden Sloniker

Garrett (Coach Jason Richards)
Sr. Peyton Simmons
Sr. Luke Byers
Jr. Luke Holcomb

Heritage (Coach Dean Lehrman)
Sr. Jackson Bearman
Sr. Morgan Andrews
Jr. Andrew Mirelez

Homestead (Coach Nick Byall)
Sr. Bryce Yoder
Sr. Jake Goode
Jr. Alex Graber
Sr. Griffin Tinkel
Jr. Mason Weaver

Lakewood Park Christian (Coach Scott Boles)
Jr. Corbin White
Jr. Gabe Dager

Leo (Coach Gary Rogers)
Sr. Jevon Walker
Sr. Gray Hoeppner
Sr. Christian Griewank
Jr. Kylar Decker

North Side (Coach Mike Werling)
Sr. Gabriel Oliva
So. Jamison Tindall

Norwell (Coach Dave Goodmiller)
Jr. Cade Shelton
So. Drew Graft

Snider (Coach Josh Clinkenbeard)
So. Landen Fry
So. Brandon Logan

Led by Gaff, Mathison, Moss, Risedorph, Summit City Baseball Academy coming in December

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

Sharing their knowledge to the next wave of players, four current or recent collegians from northeast Indiana will lead the Summit City Baseball Academy.
The developmental camp featuring instruction by Tanner Gaff, Carter Mathison, Treyvin Moss and Brayden Risedorph and organized by Jayce Riegling is slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 27-28 for Grades 5-6 and 7-8 and Thursday and Friday, Dec. 29-30 for high schoolers at Summit City Sluggers, 5730 Bluffton Road, Fort Wayne.
A Summit City Baseball Academy pitching session is scheduled each day from noon to 2:30 p.m. with hitting from 3:30 to 6 p.m. (all Eastern Time). Cost is $100 for one session or $150 for two. Spots are limited. Entry deadline is Dec. 14.
Gaff, a 2016 Whitko High School graduate who pitched at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, began his professional career this summer in the Minnesota Twins organization. The right-hander was with the Florida Complex League Twins followed the instructional league. As a youngster, he played for the Sluggers.
“We’re trying to help them get to that next level whether that’s improving their mechanics or velocity or teaching them the fundamentals of the game,” says Gaff. “We want to give back to the 260 community though its open to everyone around.”
While he is likely to keep it basic with the younger pitchers, Gaff foresees being able to get into more details with high schoolers.
“Pitching is kinetic chain-oriented, which is how the whole body works,” says Gaff. “It’s working from the ground up. It’s using their body efficiently. A lot of pitching has to do with the lower half. The upper half tags along at the end of a throw. That’s simple way of explaining it. The arm is pulled through.
“There is no such thing as perfect mechanics. There are elite compensators that know how to get into certain positions better than others or use other parts of their body to make up for what they lack.”

Mathison, a 2021 Homestead High School graduate and former Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Player of the Year, is a sophomore outfielder at Indiana University coming off a summer with the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s Keene (N.H.) Swamp Bats.
“I know I’ll be working with hitters,” says Mathison. “With the high schoolers I’m thinking about teaching them a lot about the mental game, the mental side of hitting as well as some drills. With the junior high kids, it will be what they need to be thinking about when they’re at-bat and what position they need to be in to be a successful hitter.”
Mathison says confidence is the key to hitting for him. He goes the plate thinking he’s going to find his pitch and hit it hard.
Moss, a Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran High School alum (Class of 2018), is a redshirt senior outfielder at Northern Kentucky University.
“We want to spread the knowledge that we gained over the years,” says Moss. “We’re in a position now that these kids would love to be in our shoes. We want to inspire and work with this younger generation.
Moss, whose father Randy is the director of player development for the Summit City Sluggers, anticipates some points of emphasis at the camp.
“For the high school kids it will be more about the mental game,” says Moss. “Any collegiate-level player will tell you how big the mental side of the game is.
“With the younger (players), it’s the basic mechanics that can help them along the way.”
Risedorph, an East Noble High School alum (Class of 2022) and IHSBCA North/South Series participant, is a freshman right-handed pitcher at Indiana University. He played for the Sluggers during his prep sophomore summer.
“If you have a way of giving back to the community, it’s pretty important to do something,” says Risedorph. “I’ve been exposed to some great baseball people and great talent. It would be a waste not to spread the love and spread the knowledge.
“I thought this would be fun to do and give back a little bit. It’ll be some mechanical stuff and the mental aspects of the game like learning how to compete and have fun. I’ll share some pitching drills that have helped me throughout my career.”
Riegling, a 2020 graduate Lakeland High School, where he was a three-sport athlete (football, basketball and baseball), is a student at Indiana University with a goal of becoming a sports agent. Among his projects is the JKR Podcast.
Mark Delagarza founded the Summit City Sluggers in 1996 and has coached college baseball.
“Jayce wants to utilize their skills and knowledge and transfer it to the kids who sign up for the camp,” says Delagarza. “It says a lot about these guys that they’re willing to do it.
“These guys appreciate what was giving to them in the day. I think it’s awesome that they want to share and help the young kids get better like someone did for them.”
For more information, contact Riegling at (260) 585-4388 or Jayce.SCLA@gmail.com.

Tanner Gaff.

Carter Mathison.

Treyvin Moss.

Brayden Risedorph.
Jayce Riegling.

Rutgers-bound Besser keeps on buzzing the ball past batters

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

Grant Besser’s habit of dodging bats with his pitches got him noticed during his prep days and it continues at the collegiate level.
At South Adams High School in Berne, Ind., the left-hander and four-time first-team all-Allen County Athletic Conference selection whiffed 451 in 241 innings with a 1.27 earned run average. He also hit .397 with eight home runs and 58 runs batted in.
As a senior, Besser fanned 130 in 54 frame and posted a 0.77 ERA and hit .426 with two homers and 17 RBIs for the Brad Buckingham-coached Starfires. He began working out that winter in Fort Wayne with Pittsburgh Pirates strength trainer Dru Scott.
When not pitching, lefty Besser was the unorthodox choice for South Adams at shortstop his last three seasons.
“I knew it looked silly, but I had been playing shortstop all my life,” says Besser. “I can throw from any arm angle. I had a great time doing it.
“Besides I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do it for long. I knew pitching is what I wanted to do.”
Besser played in the 2019 Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series in Madison. He was honored as the 2019 Northeast Indiana Baseball Association/Dick Crumback Player of the Year.
The 2021 recipient of the award — Carter Mathison (Homestead/Indiana University) is Besser’s teammate this summer with New England Collegiate Baseball League’s Keene (N.H.) Swamp Bats. Mathison was also the 2021 Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Player of the Year.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Besser shined on the mound at Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers.
In 36 appearances (10 starts), he went 6-4 with eight saves and a 2.66 earned run average as the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Buccaneers posted marks of 16-11 in 2020 (COVID-19 shortened), 44-16 in 2021 and 42-15 in 2022. He amassed 125 strikeouts and 42 walks in 94 2/3 innings.
Besser played no summer ball in 2020 and dealt with an injury at the beginning of the 2021. He came back and hurled five innings in the state tournament and did not allow a baserunner.
“I really saw a spike in all of my numbers for the good (in 2022),” says Besser. “I blew every category away from the previous years.”
He was in 20 games in 2022 and went 3-2 with six saves, a 1.28 ERA, 61 K’s and 16 walks in 42 1/3 innings.
Ben Bizier is head coach at Florida SouthWestern State. Derrick Conatser is Bucs pitching coach.
“I like that toughness to he brings to the table,” says Besser of Bizier.
In his exit interview with Bizier Besser was told that 18 Major League Baseball organizations have been following him as they prepare for the 2022 First-Year Player Draft (July 17-19 in Los Angeles).
“He said there’s a really good chance it happens this year,” says Besser, who turns 22 in September. “Out of high school I had zero (college) offers. Coach Buckingham offered me to Florida JUCO’s. I earned a scholarship at FSW in the spring.
“Money has never been the big thing for me. It’s opportunity and getting my foot in the door.”
This is Besser’s second straight summer at Keene and he has had several meaningful chats with Swamp Bats president and general manager Kevin Watterson.
So far, Besser has made four appearances (one start) and is 1-0 with an 0.87 ERA. In 10 1/3 innings, the southpaw has 10 strikeouts and one walk. The NECBL regular season ends July 30.
Throughout his college experience, Besser has been used in multiple pitching roles, including starter, long reliever and a closer.
“It doesn’t matter to me as long as we get a win,” says Besser. “I’m very versatile.”
Besser has excelled with an ability to keep his head when things get tense.
“It’s mental toughness. I preach it,” says Besser. “I can spot when somebody doesn’t have that mental toughness.
“I’m ready for the situation. I’m consistent with all that I do. I work quick and throw strikes. Preparation and a steady mindset is key.”
Throwing from a three-quarter arm slot, Besser uses a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, change-up and curveball.
“My four-seamer has natural run and a high spin rate,” says Besser. “Up in the zone is where I get the most out of it.
“This summer it’s been sitting 89 to 91 mph (it hit 92 at Florida SouthWestern State).”
Besser’s two-seamer moves in to left-handed hitters and away from righties.
His “circle” change-up break to his arm side and is usually clocked around 83 mph.
“My curveball is more of a slurve,” says Besser of the pitch that’s often delivered at around 78 mph. “I mix and match. Sometimes it’s 12-to-6 and sometimes I sweep it. It depends on the situation.”
Grant is the oldest of Mike and Katina Besser’s two sons. Adam Besser, a right-handed pitcher for Ivy Tech Northeast in Fort Wayne, turns 20 in August.
Mike Besser is a salesman for Moser Motor Sales. Katina Besser is chief financial officer at Swiss Village Retirement Community.
The family moved from Geneva and Berne when Grant was in the fifth grade. Beginning at 9U, he played travel ball for the Muncie Longhorns and Indiana Bandits and then Summit City Sluggers founder Mark DeLaGarza reached out to him and he spent two summers with the 17U Sluggers, playing for head coaches Todd Armstrong and Brent Alwine.
“My parents’ sacrifices let me do that,” says Grant. “The Sluggers gave me a lot of knowledge on baseball.”

With two years of eligibility remaining, has committed to NCAA Division I Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. He signed with the Scarlet Knights over the winter.
Why Rutgers?
“What really attracting me was coming home to the Big Ten,” says Besser, who was born in Fort Wayne and grew up in Geneva and Berne. “It’s up-and-coming program and pretty hard-nosed.”
With Steve Owens as head coach and Brendan Monaghan guiding pitchers, the Scarlet Knights posted an overall mark of 44-17 and Big Ten record of 17-7 in 2022. Rutgers played Michigan in the conference tournament championship game.
After earning an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management at Florida SouthWestern State, Besser is considering a Labor and Relations major at Rutgers.

Grant Besser (Florida SouthWestern State College Photo)

Grant Besser (Florida SouthWestern State College Photo)
Grant Besser (Florida SouthWestern State College Photo)
Head coach Ben Bizier (left) and Grant Besser (Florida SouthWestern State College Photo)

City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, Fla.
City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, Fla.
Grant Besser (Keene Swamp Bats Photo)

Notre Dame bound for Statesboro Regional; Look who conferences honored

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

Notre Dame — the last college baseball team from Indiana left standing in 2022 — found out today (May 30) that the Irish will be in the Statesboro Regional for the 64-team NCAA Division I tournament.
The No. 2-seeded Irish (35-14) play No. 3 Texas Tech (37-20) at 2 p.m. Friday, June 3. Site host and top-seeded Georgia Southern (40-18) plays No. UNC Greensboro (34-28) at 7 p.m. Friday.
Notre Dame made it to the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.
Regionals continue through June 6 with super regionals June 10-13 and the College World Series June 17-27.
Ball State made it to the “if necessary” Mid-American Conference tournament championship game against Central Michigan and lost 11-7 to wind up the season at 40-19 overall and 32-7 as MAC regular-season champions. Central Michigan earned an automatic NCAA tournament bid.
Evansville (32-24, 14-6), Indiana State (26-22-1, 10-10-1) and Valparaiso (16-32, 5-15) bowed out in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
Seasons came to a close for Purdue (29-21, 9-12) and Indiana (27-32, 10-14) at the Big Ten tournament.
Purdue Fort Wayne (18-36, 13-15) finished up in the Horizon League tournament.
In the past few weeks, conferences have handed out postseason awards at the NCAA D-I, D-II and D-III, NAIA and junior college levels and there is a list of those below.

CONFERENCE AWARDS
NCAA D-I
Atlantic Coast: NOTRE DAME — lhp John Michael Bertrand (first team), of Ryan Cole (third team).
Big East: BUTLER— ss Travis Holt (second team), rhp Derek Drees (second team).
Big Ten: PURDUE — dh C.J. Valdez (first team), lhp Jackson Smeltz (third team), lhp Troy Wansing (freshman), of Tanner Haston (sportsmanship). INDIANA — c Matthew Ellis (third team), 1b Brock Tibbitts (freshman), ss Evan Goforth (freshman), 3b Josh Pyne (freshman), of Carter Mathison (freshman), if Tyler Doanes (sportsmanship).
Horizon: PURDUE FORT WAYNE — c Cade Fitzpatrick (second team), 3b Jack Lang (second team), rhp Rex Stills (freshman).
Mid-American: BALL STATE — lhp Tyler Schweitzer (pitcher of the year, first team), rhp Ryan Brown (freshman pitcher of the year, second team), 3b Ryan Peltier (defensive player of the year, second team, defensive), hc Rich Maloney (coach of the year), 1b Trenton Quartermaine (first team), of Zach Cole (first team, defensive), rhp Sam Klein (first team), of Amir Wright (second team), rhp Ty Johnson (second team).
Missouri Valley: EVANSVILLE — rhp Nick Smith (pitcher of the year, first team), hc Wes Carroll (coach of the year), 3b Brent Widder (first team), of Mark Shallenberger (first team), rhp Shane Gray (first team), 1b Tanner Craig (second team), ss Simon Scherry (second team), rhp Drew Dominik (second team), 2b Evan Berkey (honorable mention), of Eric Roberts (honorable mention). INDIANA STATE — ss Jordan Schaffer (first team), rhp Matt Jachec (first team, defensive), 2b Josue Urdaneta (second team), of Seth Gergely (second team, defensive), of Sean Ross (honorable mention), c Grant Magill (defensive). VALPARAISO — 2b Nolan Tucker (first team), rhp Colin Fields (second team), rhp Bobby Nowak (honorable mention), 3b Kaleb Hannahs (defensive).

NCAA D-II
Great Lakes Intercollegiate: PURDUE NORTHWEST — 2b Ethan Imlach (first team), of Ray Hilbrich (first team), c Jack Gallagher (second team), rhp Tyler Schultz (honorable mention), rhp Sam Shively (honorable mention).
Great Lakes Valley: INDIANAPOLIS — lhp Xavier Rivas (pitcher of the year, first team), ss Alex Vela (second team, sportsmanship), of Brandon DeWitt (second team). SOUTHERN INDIANA —lhp Sammy Barnett (sportsmanship).

NCAA D-III
Heartland Collegiate: FRANKLIN— c Logan Demkovich (first team), of Tysen Lipscomb (first team), rhp Nick McClanahan (pitcher of the year, first team), rhp Alex Reinoehl (first team), ss A.J. Sanders (first team), of Sean Sullivan (first team), 1b Matthew Earley (honorable mention), hc Lance Marshall (coach of the year), rhp Nick Elmendorf (sportsmanship). ROSE-HULMAN — rhp Ian Kline (first team), 1b Josh Mesenbrink (player of the year, first team), 3b Brett Tuttle (first team), 2b Colter Couillard-Rodak (second team), of Harrison Finch (second team), ss Manuel Lopez (second team), ut Adam Taylor (honorable mention), of Nathan Burke (sportsmanship). EARLHAM — dh Andrew Bradley (first team), 3b Devin Basley (second team), 2b Christian Lancianese (second team), of Nathan Lancianese (second team), rhp Aidan Talerek (second team), of Cameron McCabe (honorable mention), c Easton Embry (sportsmanship). ANDERSON— 1b Tyler Smitherman (first team), rhp Evan Doan (second team), lhp Kasey Henderson (second team), rhp Logan Nickel (second team), ss Justin Reed (second team), of Grahm Reedy (second team), of Jake Stank (newcomer of the year, second team), mif T.J. Price (honorable mention), c Tyler Young (sportsmanship). HANOVER — of Andrew Littlefield (first team), c Charlie Burton (second team), 1b Alex Christie (second team), rhp Charlie Joyce (second team), of Eric Roudebush (honorable mention), 3b/1b Jacob Dupps (sportsmanship). MANCHESTER— lhp Carter Hooks (first team), ut Rocco Hanes (second team), dh/ut Harrison Pittsford (second team), rhp/if Zach White (honorable mention, sportsmanship).
Michigan Intercollegiate: TRINE— rhp Josh Hoogewerf (second team), of Brenden Warner (second team).
North Coast: DEPAUW— 1b Kyle Callahan (first team), of Nick Nelson (first team), lhp Michael Vallone (first team), 2b Cameron Macon (second team), ss Evan Barnes (honorable mention), 3b Brian May (honorable mention), of/ut Danny Glimco (honorable mention). WABASH — 2b Austin Simmers (first team).

NAIA
Chicagoland: Calumet of St. Joseph — dh Bubba Davenport (second team), of Gabriel Quinones (second team). INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTH BEND— 2b Jake Vanderwoude (first team), c Kole Miller (second team).
Crossroads: TAYLOR — c/of T.J. Bass (player of year, first team), rhp Luke Shively (pitcher of the year, first team), rhp/of Kaleb Kolpein (newcomer of the year, second team), rhp Noah Huseman (first team), if Nick Rusche (first team, gold glove), of Conner Crawford (second team), 1b Kade VanderMolen (gold glove). INDIANA WESLEYAN — if Denver Blinn (first team), c Bryce Ginder (first team), if Lucas Goodin (first team), rhp Hunter Hoffman (first team), ut Evan Salmon (first team, gold glove), c Colby Jenkins (gold glove). HUNTINGTON — 3b Daniel Lichty (first team, gold glove), of/rhp Ian McCutcheon (first team), mif Satchell Wilson (second team). MARIAN — if Matteo Porcellato (first team), 1b Bryce Davenport (second team), of J.J. Rivera (second team, gold glove), Dion Wintjes (gold glove). SAINT FRANCIS — of-dh David Miller (first team), if/of/c Alec Brunson (gold glove). BETHEL— rhp Frank Plesac (first team), c Dominic Densler (second team), if/rhp Jeremy Wiersema (second team), if/rhp Ty Mickiewicz (gold glove). GRACE — rhp Evan Etchison (second team), rhp Hunter Schumacher (second team). GOSHEN — of Jenner Rodammer (second team, gold glove)
River States: INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTHEAST — 3b Trevor Campbell (player of the year, first team, gold glove), lhp Hunter Kloke (pitcher of the year, first team), hc Ben Reel (coach of the year), c Brody Tanksley (first team, gold glove), 2b Clay Woeste (first team, gold glove), of Marco Romero (first team, gold glove), rhp Lane Oesterling (second team), of Derek Wagner (second team), ut Brandon Boxer (second team), if Daunte DeCello (gold glove, Champions of Character). INDIANA UNIVERSITY KOKOMO — lhp Owen Callaghan (first team), of Patrick Mills (first team), lhp J.T. Holton (second team), 1b Noah Hurlock (second team), ss Riley Garczynski (second team), of Jack Leverenz (second team), dh Jared Heard (second team), if Matt Iacobucci (Champions of Character). OAKLAND CITY — ss Chandler Dunn (first team), of Noah Baugher (second team), if Austin Morris (Champions of Character).
Wolverine-Hoosier: INDIANA TECH — rhp Hayes Stutsman (first team), c Manuel Ascanio (second team), of Ashtin Moxey (second team), ut Trevor Patterson (gold glove), ss Jayden Reed (gold glove, second team), 2b Mike Snyder (second team), if Michael Oliger (Champions of Character).

Junior College
Michigan Community College: MARIAN’S ANCILLA — if Rylan Huntley (first team), if Josh Ledgard (honorable mention).
Mid-West: Vincennes — ss Peyton Lane (second team), ut Colton Evans (second team).

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through May 29
NCAA D-I
Ball State 40-19 (32-7 MAC)
Notre Dame 35-14 (16-11 ACC)
Evansville 32-24 (14-6 MVC)
Purdue 29-21 (9-12 Big Ten)
Indiana State 26-22-1 (10-10-1 MVC)
Indiana 27-32 (10-14 Big Ten)
Butler 20-35-1 (4-16-1 Big East)
Purdue Fort Wayne 18-36 (13-15 Horizon)
Valparaiso 16-32 (5-15 MVC)

NCAA D-II
Southern Indiana 21-28 (10-14 GLVC)
Indianapolis 21-31 (11-13 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 18-21 (7-17 GLIAC)

NCAA D-III
Franklin 29-14 (13-5 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 28-13 (12-6 HCAC)
Earlham 26-13 (12-6 HCAC)
DePauw 22-17 (12-6 NCAC)
Wabash 20-19 (4-14 NCAC)
Anderson 20-21 (11-7 HCAC)
Hanover 16-22 (10-8 HCAC)
Trine 14-23 (9-12 MIAA)
Manchester 10-27 (6-12 HCAC)

NAIA
Taylor 41-18 (26-10 CL)
Indiana University Southeast 40-15 (20-4 RSC)
Indiana Tech 32-21 (13-7 WHAC)
Indiana Wesleyan 31-23 (23-13 CL)
Oakland City 31-23 (11-11 RSC)
Huntington 27-23 (21-15 CL)
Marian 27-27 (17-19 CL)
Saint Francis 27-28 (15-21 CL)
Indiana University-Kokomo 26-22 (16-7 RSC)
Bethel 25-29 (19-17 CL)
Grace 17-33 (10-26 CL)
Calumet of Saint Joseph 16-32 (11-18 CCAC)
Indiana University South Bend 16-32-1 (9-20-1 CCAC)
Goshen 11-39 (6-30 CL)

Junior College
Vincennes 25-32 (15-19 MWAC)
Ivy Tech Northeast 16-19
Marian’s Ancilla 8-40 (6-22 MCCAA)

Week of May 23-29
NCAA D-I
Tuesday, May 24
Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament
Pittsburgh 12, Georgia Tech 6
North Carolina State 11, Wake Forest 8
North Carolina 9, Clemson 2

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
Missouri State 9, Illinois State 4

Wednesday, May 25
Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament
Pittsburgh 6, Louisville 5
Florida State 13, Virginia 3
North Carolina State 9, Miami 6

Horizon League Tournament
Youngstown State 6, Purdue Fort Wayne 0
Northern Kentucky 3, Illinois-Chicago 2

Mid-American Conference Tournament
Central Michigan 11, Toledo 10

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
Indiana State 8, Valparaiso 0
Missouri State 5, Southern Illinois 1
Evansville 9, Indiana State 1

Thursday, May 26
Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament
Georgia Tech 9, Louisville 4
Notre Dame 5, Florida State 3
Virginia Tech 18, Clemson 6

Big Ten Conference Tournament
Penn State 5, Iowa 2
Rutgers 10, Purdue 3
Maryland 6, Indiana 5
Michigan 7, Illinois 5

Horizon League Tournament
Wright State 18, Northern Kentucky 4
Oakland 2, Youngstown State 0

Mid-American Conference Tournament
Ball State 6, Ohio 4

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
Dallas Baptist 4, Bradley 3

Friday, May 27
Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament
Notre Dame 3, Virginia 0
Wake Forest 16, Miami 3
North Carolina 10, Virginia Tech 0

Big Ten Conference Tournament
Iowa 5, Purdue 4
Rutgers 5, Penn State 4
Indiana 8, Illinois 1
Michigan 15, Maryland 8

Horizon League Tournament
Youngstown State 11, Northern Kentucky 7
Wright State 14, Oakland 3
Oakland 4, Youngstown State 2

Mid-American Conference Tournament
Toledo 13, Ohio 5
Ball State 9, Central Michigan 7

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
Southern Illinois 8, Indiana State 2
Missouri State 19, Bradley 3
Evansville 21, Dallas Baptist 2

Saturday, May 28
Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament
North Carolina 7, Notre Dame 2
North Carolina State 8, Pittsburgh 3

Big Ten Conference Tournament
Iowa 11, Penn State 3
Indiana 6, Maryland 4 (11 inn.)
Iowa 7, Michigan 3
Rutgers 14, Indiana 2

Horizon League
Championship
Wright State 24, Oakland 0

Mid-American Conference Tournament
Central Michigan 10, Toledo 7
Central Michigan 12, Ball State 3

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
Southern Illinois 7, Dallas Baptist 5
Missouri State 7, Evansville 6
Southern Illinois 8, Evansville 5

Sunday, May 29
Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament
Championship
North Carolina 9, North Carolina State 5

Big Ten Conference Tournament
Michigan 13, Iowa 1
Championship
Michigan 10, Rutgers 4

Mid-American Conference Tournament
Championship
Central Michigan 11, Ball State 7

Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
Southern Illinois 9, Missouri State 6
Championship
Missouri State 13, Southern Illinois 3

Pyne steps right into starting role as Indiana University freshman

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

Josh Pyne decided early in life that he wanted to play college baseball.
And not just anywhere.
Pyne desired to play at Indiana University, having been born in Bedford, Ind., and grown up near Bloomington in Linton, Ind.
“We were a 25-minute drive away,” says Pyne, a 19-year-old freshman who has started all 31 games so far for the 2022 Hoosiers. “My dad a huge IU basketball fan and still is. I grew up an IU baseball fan.”
Pyne verbally committed to IU his freshman year at Linton-Stockton High School when Chris Lemonis was Hoosiers head coach.
Jared Pyne is a lineman superintendent for Greene County REMC. His wife, Brooke Pyne, works for a Navy contractor. Oldest son Jacob, 23, is a Daviess County REMC lineman. Daughter Adalyn, 17, is a Linton-Stockton junior involved in cheerleading and track and interested in animals.
Middle child Josh followed Jacob into motocross as the family criss-crossed the country on that circuit.
After Josh raced for a few years, along came baseball. He threw himself into the diamond sport, playing for the Smithville Scrappers at 9. Family friend Mike Vaughn coached that team and would be Pyne’s coach with the Indiana Nitro and Indiana Bulls through his 15U summer.
“I appreciate everything he’s done for me,” says Pyne of Vaughn.
Another summer with the Jeremy Honaker-coached Bulls was followed by a summer with Jay Hundley’s Canes Midwest team.
In the fall of his junior year at Linton-Stockton, Pyne was with the Jeff Petty-coached Canes National squad. The next summer he played for Johnny Goodrich’s Orlando Scorpions.
To help with the transition from high school to college, freshmen were brought on-campus last summer to take classes, get in the weight room and begin the bonding process. It’s a class that includes infielder Evan Goforth (Floyd Central), right-handed pitcher Luke Hayden (Edgewood) and outfielder Carter Mathison (Homestead). The latter has started in 29 games and appeared in 31 this spring.
Business Management major Pyne already had a relationship with one Hoosier, having played baseball and basketball with Kip Fougerousse (who was a 1,000-point scorer on the hardwood) at Linton-Stockton.
Josh and sophomore catcher/infielder Kip hang out a lot at IU.
“I go over to his house almost everyday,” says Pyne. “We play cards or get some food. We have a background like nobody else on the team.”
Pyne say it was a big adjustment going from high school to college, but that has been eased by the bonding, the leadership or older players and the coaching staff led by Jeff Mercer.
The biggest difference in high school and college baseball to Pyne is the pace of play.
“I see how much faster everything is,” says Pyne. “Balls are balls hit harder. Pitches are quicker. You have less reaction time.”
To adapt to this, the Hoosiers practice and train at game speed.
“You have to go full speed and push yourself to get used to that pace of play,” says Pyne. “Some drills uncomfortable because it speeds us up. But you have to be uncomfortable to be better.”
Pyne, who was a shortstop in high school and travel ball, has gotten used to “27 outs” when Mercer or assistant Derek Simmons laces balls all over the field and Pyne can get live reads off the bat at 100 mph or more.
Mercer has plenty of praise for Pyne.
“Josh is just an A ++ kid. I’m super proud of him,” says Mercer. “He’s a southern Indiana kid at IU playing his tail off. He’s an awesome dude. He’s very talented. He can have a great at-bat. He’s a great defender and baserunner and an awesome teammate.
“He’s everything a Hoosier should be.”
Pyne was a four-year letterwinner and four-time captain at Linton-Stockton playing for Miners baseball head coach Matt Fougerousse, Kip’s father.
As a senior, Pyne was an all-state selection and the team MVP. He was all-Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference three times and set a single-season school record with 50 hits.
As a basketball player for coach Joey Hart, Pyne was part of three IHSAA Class 2A sectional championships and played in the 2019 2A state championship game as a sophomore.
“I played basketball to keep in shape and for the fun of it,” says Pyne.
Josh recalls that Matt Fougerousse’s was always there for late-night batting practice after basketball games or practices.
“He helped me for those four years,” says Pyne. “He even stayed and coached me for my senior year when he really didn’t have to.”
Matt stepped away from coaching at the end of the 2021 season, giving himself more of a chance to see Indiana play.
Going into a Big Ten Conference series April 15-17 at Rutgers, righty swinger Pyne is hitting .301 (37-of-103) with four home runs, seven doubles (tied for second on the team), 31 runs batted in (second on the team) and 19 runs scored. He carries an OPS of .820 (.365 on-base plus .455 slugging).
Pyne produced a career highs three hits, four RBIs and two runs scored April 10 at Purdue. He rapped two doubles April 2 against Northwestern.
Indiana 13-18 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers are 3-5 in April.
The team’s freshmen third baseman is confident IU will get rolling.
“We just need to compete on the mound and at the plate,” says Pyne. “It will all fall into place.
“We have the talent to do it.”

Josh Pyne (Indiana Athletics Photo)
Josh Pyne (Indiana Athletics Photo)
Josh Pyne (Indiana Athletics Photo)

NEIBA releases ’22 Dick Crumback Player of the Year Watch List

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

With the beginning of IHSAA baseball practice, the Northeast Indiana Baseball Association has put out its Dick Crumback/NEIBA High School Player of the Year Watch List for 2022.
An email was sent to baseball coaches in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Noble, Huntington, Wells and Whitley counties. These are the counties that the NEIBA covers when choosing their Hall of Famers. Each coach was asked to nominated any player(s) that he feels could be in the running for such an honor.
The list of 72 will be narrowed down in finalists in early May and the Dick Crumback/NEIBA Player of the Year will be announced May 25 to coincide with the beginning of the IHSAA baseball tournament series.
The player of the year will be honored at a Fort Wayne TinCaps game in early June and at the NEIBA Hall of Fame banquet June 12.
Homestead’s Carter Mathison was the 2021 honoree.
The organization has honored local baseball players, personnel and ambassadors since 1961.
For more information, contact Gary Rogers at grogers@eacs.k.in.us or Brett Windmiller at brett.windmiller@nacs.k.in.us. 

DICK CRUMBACK/NEIBA
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
WATCH LIST
2022
Adams Central (Coach Dave Neuenschwander)
Sr. Alex Currie
Jr. Ryan Black
Sr. Jaron Hildebrand
Sr. Blake Heyerly
Bishop Dwenger (Coach Jason Garrett)
So. Brayton Thomas
Sr. Xavier Aguirre
Sr. Jack Tippmann
Bishop Luers (Coach Jeff Stanski)
Jr. Cam Martinez
Sr. Paul Birkmeier
Carroll (Coach Dave Ginder)
Sr. Alex Smith
Sr. Jaydan Duba
Sr. Jordan Malott
Jr. Will Worrel
Jr. Thomas Tratnyek
Jr. Andrew Sinish
Jr. Daniel Kirk
So. Conner Barkel
Central Noble (Coach Tyler Graybeal)
Sr. Will Hoover
Churubusco (Coach Jordan Turner)
Sr. Keenan Hendricks
Sr. Cal Ostrowski
Columbia City (Coach Rob Bell)
Sr. Sam Gladd
Sr. Adin Miller
Sr. Julian Osselaer
DeKalb (Coach Collin Bice)
Sr. Bryce Dobson
Sr. Logan Jordan
Jr. Eli Ehmke
Jr. Tegan Irk
Jr. Ethan Jordan
Jr. Alex Leslie
Jr. Logan Montoya
Jr. Parker Smith
Jr. Donnie Wiley
East Noble (Coach Aaron Desmonds)
Sr. Brayden Risedorph
Eastside (Coach Aaron Willard)
Sr. Jack Buchanan
Sr. Nick Snyder
Sr. Owen Willard
Garrett (Coach Jason Richards)
Sr. Graham Kelham
Sr. Trey Richards
Sr. Kail Baughman
Jr. Luke Byers
So. Luke Holcomb
Heritage (Coach Dean Lehrman)
Sr. Dalton D. Wasson
Homestead (Coach Nick Byall)
Sr. Brennen Weigert
Sr. Nick Hockemeyer
Sr. Caden Tarango
Jr. Jake Goode
Jr. Bryce Yoder
Sr. Braydon Quintana
Sr. Carter Dixon
Sr. Jackson Todor
Huntington North (Coach Jarod Hammel)
Sr. Austin Oswalt
Leo (Coach Gary Rogers)
Sr. Cohden Brubaker
Sr. Donavin Massing
Jr. Jevon Walker
So. Kylar Decker
New Haven (Coach Dave Bischoff)
Sr. Connor Cannon
Northrop (Coach Matt Brumbaugh)
Sr. Luke Siren
So. Pernell Whitsett
North Side (Coach Austin Mannan)
Jr. Gabriel Oliva
Snider (Coach Josh Clinkenbeard)
Sr. Trevor Newman
Sr. Cade Hinton
Fr. Landen Fry
Fr. Brandon Logan
Sr. Aaron Fenn
Sr. Domanic Moon
Sr. Jakob Byler
South Adams (Coach Brad Buckingham)
Sr. A.J. Dull
South Side (Coach Will Coursen-Carr)
Sr. Perry Stow
So. Evan Harl
Southern Wells (Coach Blade Rheinhart)
Sr. Branson Rheinhart
Sr. Evan Reynolds
Sr. Owen Vickrey

Homers fly, especially for Hanover’s Christie, Indiana Wesleyan’s Salmon

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

Several players doubled down on power during the Indiana college baseball week of Feb. 28-March 6.
NCAA Division III Hanover’s Alex Christie (Center Grove High School graduate) knocked five home runs for the week — two against Purchase and one each against Mary Washington, Kean and Neumann — in Myrtle Beach, S.C. It was Christie’s first five homers of the 2022 season.
Also lofting five homers was NAIA Indiana Wesleyan’s Evan Salmon — two homers in Game 1 and one in Game 2 against Cleary and one apiece in Games 3 and 4 against Spring Arbor.
IWU’s Zach Rabe clouted two in Game 1 against Cleary and two in Game 3 against Spring Arbor. Salmon has eight homers in ’22 and Rabe four.
NCAA D-I’s Ball State’s Trenton Quartermaine socked four home runs for the week — one against Coastal Carolina, one in Game 1 against Florida A&M and two in Game 2 against Florida A&M. Quartermaine’s season total for circuit clouts is five.
NAIA Indiana Southeast’s Trevor Campbell homered twice against Lindsey Wilson and once each in Games 1 and 3 against Northwestern Ohio. Ray Aponte smacked homers against Lindsey Wilson and Northwestern Ohio (Games 1 and 3).
NCAA D-III Franklin’s Logan Demkovich (Munster) homered in all three games against Hope while Noah Wood (Indianapolis Lutheran) produced big flies in Games 1 and 2.
Purdue’s Cam Thompson cracked a walk-off homer as Purdue (12-0) topped Longwood 6-5 in 11 innings in Game 3 of the series. The Boilermakers continue to enjoy the best start in program history. Thompson has two homers in ’22.
Indiana’s Brock Tibbitts (New Albany) rapped two homers against Miami (Ohio) while teammates Matthew Ellis (Miami and Game 2 vs. Missouri State) and Homestead graduate Carter Mathison (Games 1 and 3 vs. Missouri State) also enjoyed two-homer weeks. Ellis has five dingers on the year while Tibbitts and Mathison (the 2021 Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Player of the Year) have two each.
Butler’s Aaron Steinhart went deep twice against Northern Kentucky. The blasts were his first two of ’22.
Evansville’s Tanner Craig (Austin) cranked homers against Kentucky, Ohio (Game 1) and Illinois-Chicago (Game 2). He has six homers on the season.
At 5-3, Valparaiso is off to its best eight-game start since 1999.
NCAA D-II University of Indianapolis third baseman Armen Torosian homered in Games 2 and 3 against Wayne State, raising his season total to three.
Purdue Northwest finally opened its season and went 3-1 in a series at Southwest Baptist.
Anderson’s Tyler Smitherman (Westfield) bashed two homers in Game 1 against St. Norbert, doubling his season HR tally.
Earlham’s Christian Lancianese homered twice in Game 2 against Wilmington. Nathan Lancianese homered once in Game 3 of the series. They were the season’s first bombs for both players.
Manchester’s Brady Perez (Rochester) ahieved lift-off in Games 2 and 4 against Kalamazoo, raising his season HR mark to five.
Rose-Hulman’s Shane Garner (Sullivan) rapped his first two homers of ’22 in Game 1 against Saint Mary’s (Minn.) and Dubuque.
NAIA Saint Francis freshman Sam Pesa (Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger) homered in Games 1 and 3 against Huntington. His grand slam in Game 1 was part of a 13-run fifth inning. Pesa has a team-best five homers in ’22.
Goshen’s Peyton Smith (Daleville) homered in Games 3 and 4 against Grace. He has three homers on the season.
It wasn’t all about slugging.
NAIA Indiana University Kokomo posted three shutouts against visiting Ohio Christian — 5-0, 10-0 and 1-0. Owen Callaghan (Hamilton Southeastern), Lucas Letsinger (Hamilton Heights), Ben Harris (Northwestern), J.T. Holton (Clinton Central) and Ryan Beck (Mt. Vernon of Fortville) combined for 18 strikeouts and six walks over 23 innings.
Indiana University South Bend beat Concordia (Neb. 1) 2-1 in Game 2 in Auburndale, Fla., without a hit. Nolan Unger’s second-inning groundout drove in Coby Campbell with the first run and Jake Dykstra (Lake Central) scored on a seventh-inning wild pitch. The Titans have won four straight.
Crown Point graduate Josh Hoogewerf (9 K’s, 0 BB, 7 IP) and New Prairie alum Noah Brettin (2 K’s, 0 BB, 1 IP) combined on a 1-hitter as NCAA D-III Trine beat John Carroll 1-0 in the first game of a doubleheader in Lake Myrtle, Fla.
Dalton Nikirk (Bedford North Lawrence) delivered the walk-off RBI single to plate Easton Rhodes (DeKalb) for the Thunder.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through March 6

NCAA D-I
Purdue 12-0 (0-0 Big Ten)
Notre Dame 8-1 (0-0 ACC)
Indiana State 6-4 (0-0 MVC)
Valparaiso 5-3 (0-0 MVC)
Butler 5-6 (0-0 Big East)
Ball State 5-7 (0-0 MAC)
Indiana 4-6 (0-0 Big Ten)
Evansville 3-9 (0-0 MVC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 0-11 (0-0 Horizon)

NCAA D-II
Southern Indiana 6-3 (0-0 GLVC)
Indianapolis 4-6 (0-0 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 3-1 (0-0 GLIAC)

NCAA D-III
Earlham 5-1 (0-0 HCAC)
Franklin 4-2 (0-0 HCAC)
Anderson 4-4 (0-0 HCAC)
DePauw 4-4 (0-0 NCA
Wabash 3-1 (0-0 NCAC)
Rose-Hulman 3-3 (0-0 HCAC)
Trine 2-3 (0-0 MIAA)
Hanover 2-6 (0-0 HCAC)
Manchester 0-7 (0-0 HCAC)

NAIA
Oakland City 13-5 (2-1 RSC)
Saint Francis 12-6 (2-2 CL)
Taylor 12-7 (3-1 CL)
Grace 9-8 (3-1 CL)
Marian 9-9 (1-3 CL)
Indiana University-Kokomo 8-6 (3-0 RSC)
Indiana University Southeast 8-7 (0-0 RSC)
Indiana Wesleyan 7-9 (3-1 CL)
Bethel 7-13 (1-3 CL)
Indiana Tech 5-6 (0-0 WHAC)
Indiana University South Bend 6-8 (0-0 CCAC)
Huntington 4-8 (2-2 CL)
Calumet of Saint Joseph 4-6 (0-0 CCAC)
Goshen 4-10 (1-3 CL)

Junior College
Vincennes 5-9 (0-0 MWAC)
Ivy Tech Northeast 3-2 (0-0 NJCAA XII)
Marian’s Ancilla 1-13 (0-0 MCCAA)

Week of Feb. 28-March 6
NCAA D-I
Monday, Feb. 28
Coastal Carolina 9, Ball State 6

Tuesday, March 1
Northern Kentucky 13, Butler 8
Indiana 15, Miami (Ohio) 2

Wednesday, March 2
Butler 5, Manchester 2
Kentucky 5, Evansville 4
Purdue 6, Charlotte 2

Friday, March 4
Ball State 6, Florida A&M 3
Jacksonville 4, Butler 1
Evansville 4, llinois-Chicago 2
Notre Dame 6, Illinois 1
Purdue 6, Longwood 1
Tennessee Tech 13, Purdue Fort Wayne 4
Missouri State 9, Indiana 7
East Carolina 5, Indiana State 4
Valparaiso 4, Omaha 2
Omaha 9, Valparaiso 2

Saturday, March 5
Ball State 7, Florida A&M 4
Ball State 6, Florida A&M 1
Jacksonville 11, Butler 3
Evansville 12, Ohio 5
Illinois-Chicago 7, Evansville 5
Notre Dame 2, Michigan 1
Purdue 6, Longwood 5 (13 inn.)
Tennessee Tech 7, Purdue Fort Wayne 1
Indiana 12, Missouri State 3
Maryland 10, Indiana State 4
Valparaiso 7, Omaha 5

Sunday, March 6
Florida A&M 5, Ball State 3
Butler 7, Jacksonville 3
Ohio 6, Evansville 4
Indiana State 6, Michigan 5
Purdue 6, Longwood 5 (11 inn.)
Tennessee Tech 15, Purdue Fort Wayne 7
Indiana vs. Missouri State
Indiana State vs. Michigan
Notre Dame 3, Minnesota 1

NCAA D-II
Monday, Feb. 28
Lake Erie 6, Southern Indiana 3

Friday, March 4
Indianapolis 5, Wayne State 3
Southwest Baptist 7, Purdue Northwest 4
Purdue Northwest 5, Southwest Baptist 0
Southern Indiana 11, Trevecca Nazarene 3

Saturday, March 5
Wayne State 13, Indianapolis 2
Wayne State 26, Indianapolis 11
Purdue Northwest 7, Southwest Baptist 2
Trevecca Nazarene 9, Southern Indiana 4
Trevecca Nazarene 15, Southern Indiana 3

Sunday, March 6
Wayne State 13, Indianapolis 3
Purdue Northwest 6, Southwest Baptist 5

NCAA D-III
Monday, Feb. 28
Rose-Hulman 8, Saint Mary’s (Minn.) 5

Tuesday, March 1
Christopher Newport 10, Hanover 6
Cabrini 9, Hanover 5 (11 inn.)

Wednesday, March 2
Butler 5, Manchester 2
Mary Washington 13, Hanover 5
Grove City 2, Rose-Hulman 0

Thursday, March 3
Saint Mary’s (Minn.) 16, Rose-Hulman 7
Hanover 19, Purchase 6

Friday, March 4
Wilmington 9, Earlham 8
Hope 14, Franklin 13
Dubuque 9, Rose-Hulman 7
Kean 9, Hanover 5
Hendrix 14, DePauw 7

Saturday, March 5
Earlham 19, Wilmington 9
Franklin 18, Hope 6
Hope 27, Franklin 7
Hanover 11, Neumann 3
Anderson 11, St. Norbert 4
Anderson 20, St. Norbert 11
Kalamazoo 19, Manchester 6
Kalamazoo 13, Manchester 5
DePauw 9, Hendrix 6
Hendrix 8, DePauw 6
Aurora 9, Wabash 8 (10 inn.)
Wabash 16, Aurora 3

Sunday, March 6
Anderson 6, St. Norbert 2
Earlham 12, Wilmington 11
Kalamazoo 15, Manchester 1
Kalamazoo 8, Manchester 6
Trine 1, John Carroll 0 (8 inn.)
John Carroll 15, Trine 0

NAIA
Monday, Feb. 28
Spring Arbor 9, Goshen 2
Spring Arbor 3, Goshen 0

Tuesday, March 1
Calumet of St. Joseph 19, Lincoln Christian 1
Calumet of St. Joseph 8, Lincoln Christian 0 (suspended in 3rd to April 11)
Grace 12, IU South Bend 7

Wednesday, March 2
Indiana Wesleyan 17, Cleary 8
Cleary 11, Indiana Wesleyan 2
IU Southeast 16, Lindsey Wilson 2

Friday, March 4
Brewton-Parker 20, Calumet of St. Joseph 4
Saint Francis 14, Huntington 9
Huntington 6, Saint Francis 1
Bethel 9, Mt. Vernon Nazarene 6
Mt. Vernon Nazarene 13, Bethel 0
Grace 6, Goshen 2
Goshen 1, Grace 0
Spring Arbor 2, Indiana Wesleyan 1
Indiana Wesleyan 7, Spring Arbor 6
Taylor 8, Marian 1
Taylor 5, Marian 1
IU Kokomo 5, Ohio Christian 0
Oakland City 4, West Virginia Tech 2

Saturday, March 5
Calumet of St. Joseph 6, Brewton-Parker 4
Brewton-Parker 12, Calumet of St. Joseph 11
Huntington 6, Saint Francis 5
Saint Francis 6, Huntington 1
Bethel 9, Mt. Nazarene 6
Mt. Vernon Nazarene 5, Bethel 2
Mt. Vernon Nazarene 5, Bethel 3
Grace 16, Goshen 12
Grace 13, Goshen 11
Indiana Wesleyan 26, Spring Arbor 1
Indiana Wesleyan 19, Spring Arbor 18
Marian 20, Taylor 10 (8 inn.)
Taylor 12, Marian 10
IU Kokomo 10, Ohio Christian 0
IU Kokomo 1, Ohio Christian 0
Oakland 11, West Virginia Tech 10 (11 inn.)
Oakland 7, West Virginia Tech 6
IU Southeast 26, Northwestern Ohio 12
Northwestern Ohio 3, IU Southeast 2
IU South Bend 20, Michigan-Dearborn 5
IU South Bend 13, Michigan-Dearborn 9

Sunday, March 6
IU Southeast 11, Northwestern Ohio 8
IU South Bend 8, Concorida (Neb.) 7
IU South Bend 2, Concorida (Neb.) 1
Southeastern 6, Indiana Tech 2
Southeastern 6, Indiana Tech 0

Junior College
Monday, Feb. 28
Vincennes 7, Joliet 2

Friday, March 4
Ivy Tech Northeast 4, Anderson JV 3
Wabash Valley 16, Vincennes 0
Kellogg 16, Vincennes 7

Saturday, March 5
Wabash Valley 16, Vincennes 0
Kellogg 16, Vincennes 7
Miami-Hamilton 13, Marian’s Ancilla 8
Ivy Tech Northeast 13, Lincoln Trail 3
Lincoln Trail 8, Ivy Tech Northeast 6

Sunday, March 6
Lake County 1, Marian’s Ancilla 0
Lake County 16, Marian’s Ancilla 5
Lincoln Trail 12, Ivy Tech Northeast 5
Ivy Tech Northeast 6, Lincoln Trail 1