NAIA conference tourneys here; UIndy on 11-game win streak

BY STEVE KRAH 

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Qualified NAIA teams play this week in conference tournaments.

Regular-season champion Taylor University is the top seed and host of the Crossroads League May 1-6 at Winterholter Field in Upland, Ind. The Kyle Gould-coached Trojans are 37-13 overall and went 30-6 in league play.

Indiana Wesleyan University (33-13, 27-9) is the No. 2 seed, University of Saint Francis (34-15, 24-12) No. 3, Huntington University (29-19, 23-13) No. 4, Mount Vernon Nazarene University (22-24, 18-18) No. 5, Marian University (22-25, 17-19) No. 6, Spring Arbor University (22-26, 16-20) No. 7 and Grace College (18-30, 12-24) No. 8.

The River States Conference is May 2-6 at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Indiana University Southeast (29-17, 20-4) is the No. 2 seed. Indiana University-Kokomo (30-19, 18-6) is No. 4 and Oakland City University (38-14, 17-7) No. 5.

Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference is May 1-7  with host sites the first three days and a best-of-3 championship series May 6-7.

Indiana Tech (27-22, 24-8) is the No. 3 seed and will compete in the Concordia Pod.

The Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference is May 4-9 at Duly Health & Care Field in Joliet, Ill.

Indiana University South Bend (18-32, 10-22) is the No. 5 and Calumet College of St. Joseph (21-29, 14-18) No. 8.

At 11 games, NCAA Division II University of Indianapolis has the state’s best winning streak through the Week of April 22-28.

The Al Ready-coached Greyhounds are 32-14 overall and 27-5 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

The Taylor Trojans have won their last nine. 

Riding a six-game win streak is Kip McWilliams’ Indiana Tech Warriors.

NCAA Division I Purdue University has strung together four wins, including one April 26 against Northwestern at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Greg Goff’s Boilermakers are 29-15 in all games and 11-4 in the Big Ten Conference.

Ryan Roth’s Grace Lancers have also won four straight. 

Five programs are on three-game win streaks — Thad Frame’s Huntington Foresters, Ian MacDonald’s Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats, Grant Bellak’s NCAA Division III Hanover College Panthers, Adam Rosen’s NCAA D-III Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Fightin’ Engineers and Jeff Mercer’s NCAA D-I Indiana University Hoosiers.

Hanover is 24-11 overall and 15-3 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

RHIT is 21-14 in all games and 12-6 in the HCAC.

Indiana is 25-18-1 overall and 10-5 in the Big Ten.

The Hoosiers go to Purdue Friday though Sunday, May 3-5.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL

Records Through April 28

NCAA D-I

Indiana State 31-9 (14-4 MVC)

Purdue 29-15 (11-4 Big Ten)

Ball State 25-18 (12-9 MAC)

Indiana 25-18-1 (10-5 Big Ten)

Evansville 24-19 (12-6 MVC)

Notre Dame 22-20 (7-17 ACC)

Southern Indiana 19-25 (8-10 OVC)

Butler 17-26 (3-9 Big East)

Purdue Fort Wayne 15-28 (8-13 Horizon)

Valparaiso 13-28 (5-13 MVC)

NCAA D-II

Indianapolis 32-14 (27-5 GLVC)

Purdue Northwest 17-25 (7-19 GLIAC)

NCAA D-III

Hanover 24-11 (15-3 HCAC)

Anderson 22-14 (12-6 HCAC)

Rose-Hulman 21-14 (12-6 HCAC)

DePauw 20-13 (9-3 NCAC)

Wabash 19-17 (5-7 NCAC)

Franklin 18-17 (7-11 HCAC)

Manchester 14-21 (7-11 HCAC)

Earlham 13-19 (5-13 HCAC)

Trine 10-25 (2-16 MIAA)

NAIA

Oakland City 38-14 (17-7 RSC) 

Taylor 37-13 (30-6 CL)

Saint Francis 34-15 (24-12 CL)

Indiana Wesleyan 33-13 (27-9 CL)

IU-Kokomo 30-19 (18-6 RSC)

IU Southeast 29-17 (20-4 RSC)

Huntington 29-19 (23-13 CL)

Indiana Tech 27-22 (24-8 WHAC)

Marian 22-25 (17-19 CL)

Calumet of St. Joseph 21-29 (14-18 CCAC)

Grace 18-30 (12-24 CL)

IU South Bend 18-32 (10-22 CCAC)

Goshen 12-36 (7-29 CL)

Bethel 11-35 (6-30 CL)

IUPU-Columbus 10-42 (2-22 RSC)

Junior College

Marian’s Ancilla 16-25 (3-18 MCCAA)

Vincennes 13-38 (5-23 MWAC)

Results Through April 28

NCAA D-I

Tuesday, April 23

Southern Indiana 4, Belmont 3 (11 inn.)

Northern Illinois 10, Valparaiso 9

Wednesday, April 24

Indiana 7, Ball State 7 (12 inn.)

Butler 10, Eastern Illinois 6

Purdue 10, Evansville 6

Central Michigan 2, Notre Dame 0

Purdue Fort Wayne 4, Toledo 3 (13 inn.)

Thursday, April 25

Eastern Illinois 4, Southern Indiana 2

Southern Indiana 8, Eastern Illinois 1

Friday, April 26

North Carolina State 10, Ball State 2

Seton Hall 7, Butler 3

Evansville 4, Missouri State 1

Indiana 8, Rutgers 3

Southern Illinois 3, Indiana State 2

Wake Forest 4, Notre Dame 3

Purdue 9, Northwestern 3

Wright State 5, Purdue Fort Wayne 1

Illinois-Chicago 8, Valparaiso 6

Saturday, April 27

North Carolina State 9, Ball State 3

Seton Hall 13, Butler 1

Evansville 8, Missouri State 7

Indiana 12, Rutgers 6

Indiana State 9, Southern Illinois 7

Notre Dame 11, Wake Forest 3

Purdue 10, Northwestern 7

Wright State 11, Purdue Fort Wayne 4

Southern Indiana 14, Eastern Illinois 3

Illinois-Chicago 3, Valparaiso 2

Sunday, April 28

North Carolina State 11, Ball State 3

Butler 3, Seton Hall 2

Missouri State 19, Evansville 8

Indiana 18, Rutgers 6

Indiana State 7, Southern Illinois 2

Notre Dame 8, Wake Forest 7

Purdue 11, Northwestern 3

Wright State 2, Purdue Fort Wayne 1

Valparaiso 20, Illinois-Chicago 0

NCAA D-II

Tuesday, April 23

Indianapolis 6, Findlay 2

Wednesday, April 24

Lewis 6, Purdue Northwest 5

Thursday, April 25

Wisconsin-Parkside 4, Purdue Northwest 2

Friday, April 26

Indianapolis 14, Truman 1

Saturday, April 27

Indianapolis 7, Truman 6

Indianapolis 9, Truman 7

Wisconsin-Parkside 4, Purdue Northwest 0

Wisconsin-Parkside 14, Purdue Northwest 13

Sunday, April 28

Indianapolis 12, Truman 5

Wisconsin-Parkside 13, Purdue Northwest 10

NCAA D-III

Tuesday, April 23

Spalding 6, Hanover 5

Wednesday, April 24

Wabash 11, Anderson 0

Franklin 13, Wilmington 2

Maryville 12, Hanover 2

Thursday, April 25

Wabash 14, Greenville 8

Friday, April 26

Hanover 7, Earlham 6

Manchester 10, Mount St. Joseph 8

Alma 5, Trine 4

Saturday, April 27

Anderson 9, Bluffton 4

Anderson 12, Bluffton 5

DePauw 9, Kenyon 3

Kenyon 17, DePauw 5

Hanover 14, Earlham 8

Hanover 14, Earlham 2

Transylvania 7, Franklin 6

Transylvania 14, Franklin 4

Manchester 13, Mount St. Joseph 2

Mount St. Joseph 9, Manchester 1

Rose-Hulman 11, Defiance 10

Alma 20, Trine 5

Alma 9, Trine 2

Wabash 21, Oberlin 8

Wabash 12, Oberlin 7

Sunday, April 28

Bluffton 9, Anderson 8

DePauw 14, Franklin 7

Franklin 10, DePauw 9

Rose-Hulman 14, Defiance 1

Rose-Hulman 12, Defiance 5

NAIA

Tuesday, April 23

Cumberlands (Ky.) 12, IU-Kokomo 2

IU South Bend 5, Saint Francis (Ill.) 2

Saint Francis (Ill.) 16, IU South Bend 6

IU Southeast 13, Campbellsville 3

Bethel (Tenn.) 17, Oakland City 12

Wednesday, April 24

Grace 5, Bethel (Ind.) 4

Grace 4, Bethel (Ind.) 3

Thursday, April 25

Grace 6, Bethel (Ind.) 2

Grace 5, Bethel (Ind.) 3

Calumet of St. Joseph at 6 Judson 2

Calumet of St. Joseph 19, Judson 0

Taylor 10, Goshen 0

Taylor 10, Goshen 2

Marian 6, Huntington 4

Huntington 6, Marian 1

Shawnee State 3, IU-Kokomo 1

Shawnee State 5, IU-Kokomo 0

Point Park 6, IU Southeast 3

Point Park 6, IU Southeast 3

Spring Arbor 3, Indiana Wesleyan 0

Indiana Wesleyan 10, Spring Arbor 2

Oakland City 17, Alice Lloyd 5

Oakland City 15, Alice Lloyd 1

Saint Francis (Ind.) 7, Mount Vernon Nazarene 6

Saint Francis (Ind.) 7, Mount Vernon Nazarene 1

Friday, April 26

West Virginia Tech 10, IUPU-Columbus 4

Roosevelt 17, IU South Bend 15

Roosevelt 12, IU South Bend 1

Indiana Tech 10, Cornerstone 4

Indiana Tech 8, Cornerstone 7

Indiana Wesleyan 8, Spring Arbor 2

Indiana Wesleyan 3, Spring Arbor 2

Saint Francis (Ind.) 3, Mount Vernon Nazarene 2

Mount Vernon Nazarene 4, Saint Francis (Ind.) 2

Saturday, April 27

Calumet of St. Joseph 4, Judson 3

Calumet of St. Joseph 2, Judson 0

Taylor 26, Goshen 2

Taylor 8, Goshen 7

Huntington 13, Marian 3

Huntington 7, Marian 1

West Virginia Tech 14, IUPU-Columbus 4

Roosevelt 12, IU South Bend 8

Roosevelt 11, IU South Bend 9

Indiana Tech 19, Cornerstone 4

Indiana Tech 7, Cornerstone 3

Sunday, April 28

St. Ambrose 16, Calumet of St. Joseph at St. Ambrose 15

St. Ambrose 12, Calumet of St. Joseph at St. Ambrose 4

Junior College

Thursday, April 25

Lansing 18, Marian’s Ancilla 1

Lansing 6, Marian’s Ancilla 0

Lincoln Trail 5, Vincennes 1

Friday, April 26

Lansing 12, Marian’s Ancilla 2

Lansing 10, Marian’s Ancilla 2

Saturday, April 27

John Wood 8, Vincennes 0

John Wood 14, Vincennes 4

Sunday, April 28

John Wood 13, Vincennes 12

John Wood 8, Vincennes 7

Gonzalez guides pitchers, recruiting, more as IUSB Associate Head Coach

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Zane Gonzalez grew up in a baseball-loving family north of Grand Rapids, Mich., and now shares his passion for the game as Associate Head Coach, pitching coach, recruiting coordinator and groundskeeper at Indiana University South Bend.

“I do a little bit of everything,” says Zane, who is the youngest of John and Pam Gonzalez’s three sons. 

Zak Gonzalez (a 2007 graduate of Comstock Park High School) was a left-handed pitcher at Jackson (Mich.) Community College and Davenport University in Grand Rapids and has coached travel and college club baseball and worked for minor league teams, mostly recently part-time for the Charlotte (N.C.) Knights while holding a full-time job in college admissions. His favorite team is the Seattle Mariners.

Ty Gonzalez (Comstock Park Class of 2011) played at Kalamazoo (Mich.) Valley Community College where he was team MVP his sophomore year as a starting pitcher and position player. He works full-time in manufacturing and is also a hip-hop artist. He roots for the New York Mets.

Journalist John Gonzalez founded Flames travel baseball in Grand Rapids and coached middle school basketball for two decades.

Since 2021, John, Zak, Ty and Zane have been part of Big League Dreaming The Podcast — a title inspired by Ty’s CD called “Big League Dreaming.”

“The podcast is something that my dad wanted to do to keep us all connected through baseball since we all love it so much and it’s played such a big part in our lives,” says Zane. “We all live in different parts of the country — Zak in North Carolina, Ty in Michigan and me in Indiana — so it’s something we can do to stay in-touch.”

Zane Gonzalez (Comstock Park Class of 2014) is a dedicated fan of the Boston Red Sox.

The lefty pitcher played for Tim Johnson — a member of the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame — while with the Comstock Park Panthers.

“Skip was the best,” says Gonzalez of Johnson. “He’s one of the best baseball minds I’ve been around. He was no-nonsense guy. He knew his style of baseball. It was traditional, old school, small-ball baseball. 

“He did a good job getting guys to buy into it. He put the intricacies of the game on us. The freshman team played that way. The JV team played that way. By the time you got to that varsity team you were expected to be able to bunt.”

Gonzalez was a three-year varsity starter and set a Comstock Park record with a career 0.76 earned run average. He excelled at KVCC in 2015 and 2016 for Cougars head coach Cody Piechocki and was a reliever/closer at IUSB in 2017 and 2018 for Titans head coaches Mike Huling and Doug Buysse.

“I loved my time here playing and there’s definitely a reason why I wanted to come back and coach here,” says Gonzalez. “It’s what it has to offer and how great this place can be. I wanted to help shape everything and get it to the next level.”

It’s the connections that Buysse makes the impresses Gonzalez about the IUSB field boss.

“It’s the relationships he builds with his players,” says Gonzalez. “He does a real good job of talking to guys and getting to know them on a personal level. 

“He makes kids comfortable while they’re here and makes this feel like a second home to them. Because that’s what it is. They’re here for pretty much eight or nine months out of the year.”

Gonzalez helped coach the Piechocki-managed Kalamazoo Growlers of the Northwoods League in the summer of 2018 and was the team’s pitching coach in 2019 and 2020.

Not only did Piechocki coach Ty and Zane at KVCC, he had Zak on the Kalamazoo Cubs in summer ball. 

“Me and Coach Piechocki had a pretty good relationship even before I played for him,” says Gonzalez. “We connected really well.”

Piechocki also helped encourage Gonzalez in his pursuit of coaching.

“He gave me that validation,” says Gonzalez. “If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be where I am. It’s how much he believed and trusted in me. He taught me as a young coach and was a huge advocate for me.

“He got on me a little bit, but it was good for me.”

In the springs of 2019 and 2020, Gonzalez was a graduate assistant at the University of Rio Grande (Ohio), an NAIA program. He helped RedStorm head coach Brad Warnimont with hitters the first year and then was in charge of pitchers.

Rio Grande won the River States Conference title in 2019 and apparent in the NAIA national tournament. The RedStorm beat No. 10 Middle Georgia State before bowing to No. 1 Southeastern.

Buysse added Gonzalez to his IUSB staff for the 2021 season. After that first year, he was promoted to Associate Head Coach.

Gonzalez stresses certain things as the man in charge of moundsmen.

“Being efficient is the biggest thing for me with our pitching staff,” says Gonzalez. “We put an emphasis on quick innings and creating weak contact.”

If opponents get a hit, it needs to be a single and no go for extra bases.

“At the end of the day hitting is super-hard to do,” says Gonzalez. “We’re putting the ball in their court a little bit and making sure we’re on top of our stuff.”

Team activity wrapped at IUSB — a member of the NAIA and the Chicagoland Collegiate Conference — in mid-October and the individual practice phase has begun. For four or five weeks, players meet in small groups.

Gonzalez met with each pitcher individually to come up with a plan of areas to work on then gets together with them a few at time on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“In those small group settings I can get more hands-on with every single guy and give them the attention they deserve,” says Gonzalez. “That will lead us all the way up to Thanksgiving. 

“After that it’s finish the semester strong and go home for holiday break and they feel comfortable because we spend four or five weeks coming up with a really good plan and things to work on even if they are on their own.”

Gonzalez has helped guide Titans pitchers to program bests in 14 different statistical categories.

As recruiting coordinator, the focus is based on needs. The 2023 team had a large senior class making for a larger need for new players.

“We like to go with a mix junior college and high school guys,” says Gonzalez. “That’s going to be our bread and butter. Bringing in junior college guys alongside freshmen to bring those guys and also someone with college baseball experience. 

“I went to junior college so I understand what they’ve been through at the junior college level.”

No matter where the players come from, the expectation is the same.

“We’re looking for kids who are going to come in and work their butt off every single day, take care of business in the classroom and are here for the right reasons,” says Gonzalez. “We’re going to all-around great dudes who want to play baseball and want to get a degree from IU South Bend.”

In a partnership with Harris Baseball & Softball in Granger, Ind., the Titans play home games about 10 miles off-campus at Rex Weade Stadium at Harris Township Park.

Gonzalez, who is on a staff that also features Kevin Phelps, is responsible to make sure the grass is cut and the field is ready for play. 

Besides IUSB in the spring, the facility is the site of up to 40 travel ball games in the summer.

An American Baseball Coaches Association member, Gonzalez says he expects to go with his fellow IUSB coaches to the ABCA Convention Jan. 4-7, 2024 in Dallas.

Zane and wife Bailey reside in Mishawaka, Ind. The couple has no children.

Zane Gonzalez. (Indiana University South Bend Photo)

Indiana Wesleyan, UIndy, Franklin, Oakland City, Taylor, Vincennes keep seasons alive

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

Indiana Wesleyan, Franklin and Oakland City won college baseball tournament championships this past week (May 8-14).
IWU, which received votes in the final NAIA rankings, reigned in the Crossroads League event at Huntington. The Rich Benjamin-coached Wildcats are the No. 4 seed in the NAIA Opening Round Kingsport (Tenn.) Bracket.
Crossroads League regular-season champion Taylor is the No. 2 seed in the Upland Bracket hosted by the Kyle Gould-coached and No. 19-ranked Trojans.
Both Opening Round tournaments are slated for Monday to Thursday, Monday to Thursday, May 15-18.
The 10-team NAIA World Series is slated for Friday to Friday, May 26-June 2 at Lewiston, Idaho.
Franklin prevailed in the Heartland College Athletic Conference tournament for the fourth time. Next up for the Lance Marshall-coached Grizzlies is an NCAA D-III regional as the No. 3 seed May 19-21 at Birmingham, Ala.
After being eliminated in the River State Conference tournament the previous week, Oakland City won the National Christian College Athletic Association Mideast Regional at Wilmore, Ky., and the Andy Lasher-coached Mighty Oaks advanced to the NCCAA World Series. The 10-team event is Friday to Tuesday, May 19-23 in Kansas City, Mo.
Also in the NAIA, the curtain came down for Huntington and Saint Francis in the Crossroads League, Indiana Tech in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference and Indiana University South Bend in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
In NCAA D-II, two teams bowed out in conference tourneys — Indianapolis in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and Purdue Northwest in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament.
In the first season with Thad Frame in charge of the program, Huntington (38-16) surpassed its 2022 win total by 11.
Dustin Butcher’s USF Cougars (29-25) were two victories better than 2022.
Kip McWilliams-coached Indiana Tech (33-17) edged 2022 by one win.
Doug Buysse-coached IUSB (23-25) earned seven more victories than 2022.
Al Ready-coached UIndy (34-19) bested its 2022 win total by 13. The Greyhounds’ season continues with an at-large bid and No. 7 seed in the D-II Midwest Regional tournament May 18-20 in Springfield, Ill.
D-III Wabash lost in the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament and Anderson, Rose-Hulman and Manchester were bounced in the HCAC.
Jake Martin-coached Wabash (24-18) triumphed four more times than in 2022.
Matt Bair-coached Anderson (27-19) finished seven wins above 2022.
Rick Espeset-coached Manchester (22-20) won 12 more than in 2022.
In junior college ball, Vincennes qualified for the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 24 tournament. It is scheduled for Wednesday to Saturday, May 17-20 at Normal, Ill.
Ivy Tech Northeast lost in the NJCAA Region 12 district tournament in what is likely the final games for the Titans program after six seasons of existence (2018-23).

The state’s longest current win streaks belong to Indiana (7), Indiana Wesleyan (3) and Notre Dame (3).

At 15-6, Indiana is tied for first place in the Big Ten Conference with Maryland.
Indiana State (21-3) leads the Missouri Valley Conference by three games over second-place Missouri State.
Ball State (19-8) is two games behind Kent State for the top of the Mid-American Conference.

The NCAA Division I RPI (Rating Percentage Index) rankings through May 14 has Kentucky as the overall No. 1.
Among the state’s schools, Indiana State is No. 14, Indiana No. 29, Notre Dame No. 46, Evansville No. 89, Valparaiso No. 109, Ball State No. 119, Purdue No. 211, Butler No. 225, Southern Indiana No. 280 and Purdue Fort Wayne No. 283.
The D-I regular season concludes Sunday, May 21. After conference tournaments comes the national tournament selection announcement on Monday, May 29 (Memorial Day).

Below are season records, weekly results and links to web pages, schedules and statistics for all 39 programs.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through May 14
NCAA D-I
Indiana 38-14 (15-6 Big Ten)
Indiana State 35-14 (21-3 MVC)
Ball State 32-18 (19-8 MAC)
Evansville 31-20 (13-11 MVC)
Notre Dame 29-19 (14-13 ACC)
Purdue 23-27 (10-11 Big Ten)
Valparaiso 19-23 (9-15 MVC)
Southern Indiana 15-35 (6-14 OVC)
Butler 12-40 (5-13 Big East)
Purdue Fort Wayne 10-41 (6-21 Horizon)

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 34-19 (17-15 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 16-35 (9-21 GLIAC)

Schedule Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

Stat Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

NCAA D-III
Franklin 33-11 (18-4 HCAC)
Anderson 27-19 (12-10 HCAC)
Wabash 24-18 (8-8 NCAC)
Rose-Hulman 23-21 (13-9 HCAC)
Manchester 22-20 (12-10 HCAC)
Earlham 20-18 (10-12 HCAC)
Hanover 16-23 (10-12 HCAC)
Trine 15-24 (6-15 MIAA)
DePauw 12-26 (4-12 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
Huntington 38-16 (27-9 CL)
Taylor 37-15 (30-6 CL)
Indiana Wesleyan 36-18-1 (26-10 CL)
Indiana Tech 33-17 (18-12 WHAC)
IU Southeast 33-20 (20-7 RSC)
Oakland City 33-22 (13-14 RSC)
Saint Francis 29-25 (21-15 CL)
IU-Kokomo 28-21 (17-10 RSC)
IU South Bend 24-25 (15-10 CCAC)
Grace 21-27 (13-23 CL)
Bethel 19-30 (12-24 CL)
Marian 17-31 (11-25 CL)
Calumet of St. Joseph 17-32-1 (9-17-1 CCAC)
Goshen 10-38 (6-30 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 5-41

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 29-19
Vincennes 25-31 (10-18 MWAC)
Marian’s Ancilla 9-37-1 (8-17 MCCAA)

Schedule Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Stat Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Through May 14
NCAA D-I
Tuesday, May 9
Indiana State 11, Ball State 1
Northern Kentucky 7, Butler 6
Evansville 6, Bellarmine 5
Valparaiso 9, Western Michigan 6

Wednesday, May 10
Dayton 7, Butler 6
Indiana 8, Xavier 6
Illinois-Chicago 7, Purdue 3

Thursday, May 11
Oakland 11, Purdue Fort Wayne 5

Friday, May 12
Miami (Ohio) 14, Ball State 8
Connecticut 6, Butler 5 (13 inn.)
Evansville 9, Bradley 7
Indiana 26, Purdue 11
Notre Dame 5, Akron 2
Murray State 12, Indiana State 5
Oakland 11, Purdue Fort Wayne 5
Oral Roberts 12, Southern Indiana
Valparaiso 12, Belmont 3

Saturday, May 13
Ball State 5, Miami (Ohio) 1
Connecticut 7, Butler 6
Bradley 13, Evansville 6
Indiana 15, Purdue 3
Indiana State 5, Murray State 0
Notre Dame 5, Akron 4
Oakland 12, Purdue Fort Wayne 9
Oral Roberts 9, Southern Indiana 2
Belmont 13, Valparaiso 3 (7 inn.)

Sunday, May 14
Ball State 8, Miami (Ohio) 3
Butler 11, Connecticut 8
Evansville 7, Bradley 2
Indiana 10, Purdue 2
Indiana State 6, Murray State 2
Notre Dame 2, Akron 1
Oral Roberts 5, Southern Indiana 0
Belmont 5, Valparaiso 1

NCAA D-II
Great Lakes Valley
Conference Tournament
(At Marion, Ill.)
Thursday, May 11
Indianapolis 3, Lewis 1
Drury 6, Maryville 3
William Jewell 13, Illinois-Springfield 3
Quincy 9, Missouri S&T 8

Friday, May 12
Maryville 10, Illinois-Springfield 2
Lewis 4, Missouri S&T 3
Drury 12, William Jewell 4
Quincy 7, Indianapolis 5

Saturday, May 13
Maryville 11, William Jewell 9
Indianapolis 12, Lewis 4
Quincy 12, Maryville 8
Drury 11, Indianapolis 4

Sunday, May 14
Championship
Quincy 13, Drury 6

Great Lakes Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference Tournament
(At Lansing, Mich.)
Thursday, May 11
Purdue Northwest 9, Davenport 1
Wayne State 6, Wisconsin-Parkside 4
Grand Valley State 8, Saginaw Valley State 7 (12 inn.)

Friday, May 12
Davenport 10, Wisconsin-Parkside 5
Wayne State 3, Saginaw Valley State 1
Purdue Northwest 13, Grand Valley State 8

Saturday, May 13
Wayne State 10, Purdue Northwest 1
Grand Valley State 7, Davenport 5
Grand Valley State 9, Purdue Northwest 2

Sunday, May 14
Grand Valley State 9, Wayne State 8 (10 inn.)
Championship
Wayne State 4, Grand Valley State 2

NCAA D-III
Heartland Collegiate Athletic
Conference Tournament
(At Kokomo, Ind.)
Thursday, May 11
Manchester 11, Bluffton 3
Rose-Hulman 4, Anderson 3
Franklin 7, Manchester 6
Transylvania 9, Rose-Hulman 4

Friday, May 12
Anderson 8, Bluffton 5
Rose-Hulman 10, Manchester 4
Franklin 7, Transylvania 3
Anderson 6, Rose-Hulman 3

Saturday, May 13
Anderson 7, Transylvania 6 (10 inn.)
Anderson 6, Franklin 5

Sunday, May 14
Championship
Franklin 12, Anderson 2

North Coast Athletic
Conference Tournament
(At Chillicothe, Ohio)
Thursday, May 11
Dension 9, Wabash 5
Wittenberg 6, Wooster 3

Friday, May 12
Denison 10, Wittenberg 4
Wooster 7, Wabash 6
Wittenberg 15, Wooster 9

Sunday, May 14

Championship
Denison 7, Wittenberg 2

NAIA
Crossroads League Tournament
(At Huntington, Ind.)
Tuesday, May 9
Huntington 8, Saint Francis (Ind.) 5
Championship
Indiana Wesleyan 6, Huntington 5 (10 inn.)

Chicagoland Collegiate
Athletic Conference Tournament
(At Joliet, Ill.)
Monday, May 8
Saint Xavier 7, Roosevelt 4
Saint Xavier 4, IU South Bend 2

Tuesday, May 9
Championship
Saint Xavier 7, IU South Bend 1

National Christian College
Athletic Association Mideast Regional
(At Wilmore, Ky.)
Tuesday, May 9
Oakland City 14, Alice Lloyd 5
Asbury 7, Kentucky Christian 2

Wednesday, May 10
Kentucky Christian 4, Alice Lloyd 1
Oakland City 12, Asbury 4
Kentucky Christian 3, Asbury 1

Thursday, May 11
Kentucky Christian 7, Oakland City 2
Championship
Oakland City 8, Kentucky Christian 4

Junior College
NJCAA Region XII District Tournament
Thursday, May 11
Grand Rapids 12, Ivy Tech Northeast 2
Championship
Grand Rapids 3, Ivy Tech Northeast 1

Other Games
Thursday, May 11
Vincennes 12, Spoon River 2 (5 inn.)
Vincennes 11, Spoon River 1 (5 inn.)

Friday, May 12
Vincennes 10, Spoon River 0 (6 inn.)
Spoon River 5, Vincennes 3

Postseason heating up at NAIA, NCAA D-II, NCAA D-III, NJCAA levels

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

NAIA conference tournaments are winding down as the calendar turns to the second week of May.
Going into the finals today (May 8) at Huntington, the Crossroads League has three teams left — Indiana Wesleyan, Huntington and Saint Francis.
Regular-season champion Taylor lost both its CL tournament games. The Trojans now turn their attention to hosting an NAIA Opening Round site May 15-18.
Indiana University South Bend made it to the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament championship slated later today (May 8) in Joliet, Ill.
Indiana University Southeast lost in the championship of the River States Conference.
RSC member Oakland City bowed out in the tournament and will now play in the National Christian College Athletic Association Mideast Regional May 9-11 as Asbury University in Wilmore, Ky.
Indiana Tech lost in the championship round of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference tournament at Ann Arbor, Mich.
The 2023 season has concluded for NAIA schools Bethel, Calumet St. Joseph, Goshen, Grace, IU-Kokomo, IUPU-Columbus and Marian.
NCAA Division II Indianapolis is the No. 5 seed in the eight-team Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament May 11-14 in Marion, Ill.
NCAA D-II Purdue Northwest is the No. 5 seed in the six-team Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference tournament May 11-14 in Lansing, Mich.
At the NCAA D-III level, tournaments for the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and North Coast Athletic Conference will include Indiana-based teams.
The six-team HCAC tournament is May 11-14 at Kokomo Municipal Stadium. Regular-season champion Franklin is the No. 1 seed. Rose-Hulman is No. 4, Anderson No. 5 and Manchester No. 6. Earlham and Hanover did not make the postseason.
The top four teams made the NCAC tourney field May 11-12 and 14 at Chillicothe, Ohio. Among those is No. 4 seed Wabash. DePauw did not make the tournament.
Trine did not qualify in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
In what is likely the program’s final season, Ivy Tech Northeast won the Ohio Community College Athletic Association Region/Sub-District and qualified for the National Junior College Athletic Association Great Lakes Region 12 May 11-12 at Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College.
In other NJCAA news, Vincennes sophomore Colin Long became the Trailblazers’ career hits leader. The Evansville (Ind.) Reitz High School graduate surpassed Jeffrey Hanna (1989) with 163 and now has 167.

The state’s longest current win streaks belong to Indiana State (6), Anderson (3), Franklin (3), Indiana (3), Indianapolis (3), Ivy Tech Northeast (3) and Rose-Hulman (3).

The NCAA Division I RPI (Rating Percentage Index) rankings through May 7 has Kentucky as the overall No. 1.
Among the state’s schools, Indiana State is No. 9, Indiana No. 34, Notre Dame No. 43, Evansville No. 72, Ball State No. 102, Valparaiso No. 107, Purdue No. 196, Butler No. 232, Purdue Fort Wayne No. 278 and Southern Indiana No. 287.
There are two more weekends left in the D-I regular season.

Below are season records, weekly results and links to web pages, schedules and statistics for all 39 programs.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through May 7
NCAA D-I
Indiana 34-14 (12-6 Big Ten)
Indiana State 32-13 (19-2 MVC)
Ball State 30-16 (17-7 MAC)
Evansville 28-19 11-10 MVC)
Notre Dame 26-19 (14-13 ACC)
Purdue 23-23 (10-8 Big Ten)
Valparaiso 17-21 (8-13 MVC)
Southern Indiana 15-32 (6-14 OVC)
Butler 11-36 (4-11 Big East)
Purdue Fort Wayne 10-38 (6-24 Horizon)

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 31-17 (17-15 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 14-32 (9-21 GLIAC)

Schedule Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

Stat Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

NCAA D-III
Franklin 30-10 (18-5 HCAC)
Wabash 24-16 (8-8 NCAC)
Anderson 23-17 (12-10 HCAC)
Manchester 21-18 (12-10 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 21-19 (13-9 HCAC)
Earlham 20-18 (10-12 HCAC)
Hanover 16-23 (10-12 HCAC)
Trine 15-24 (6-15 MIAA)
DePauw 12-26 (4-12 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 37-15 (30-6 CL)
Huntington 37-15 (27-9 CL)
Indiana Wesleyan 35-18-1 (26-10 CL)
Indiana Tech 33-17 (18-12 WHAC)
IU Southeast 33-20 (20-7 RSC)
Oakland City 30-21 (13-14 RSC)
Saint Francis 29-24 (21-15 CL)
IU-Kokomo 28-21 (17-10 RSC)
IU South Bend 23-23 (15-10 CCAC)
Grace 21-27 (13-23 CL)
Bethel 19-30 (12-24 CL)
Marian 17-31 (11-25 CL)
Calumet of St. Joseph 17-32-1 (9-17-1 CCAC)
Goshen 10-38 (6-30 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 5-41

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 29-17
Vincennes 22-30 (10-18 MWAC)
Marian’s Ancilla 9-37-1 (8-17 MCCAA)

Schedule Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Stat Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Through May 7
NCAA D-I
Tuesday, May 2
Indiana State 5, Illinois 4 (13 inn.)
Southern Illinois 14, Southern Indiana 3

Wednesday, May 3
Evansville 4, Butler 1
Miami (Ohio) 12, Southern Indiana 2

Thursday, May 4
Notre Dame 9, North Carolina State 7

Friday, May 5
Ball State 5, Ohio 3
Georgetown 3, Butler 2
Evansville 13, Illinois State 3
Indiana 4, Northwestern 0
Indiana State 6, Bradley 1
North Carolina State 5, Notre Dame 1
Purdue 10, South Dakota State 7
Youngstown State 9, Purdue Fort Wayne 4
Arkansas-Little Rock 4, Southern Indiana 3
Valparaiso 9, Southern Illinois 8

Saturday, May 6
Ohio 5, Ball State 3
Ball State 7, Ohio 6
Butler at Georgetown
Evansville 1, Illinois State 0
Indiana 5, Northwestern 2 (12 inn.)
Indiana State 2, Bradley 0
North Carolina State 6, Notre Dame 1
South Dakota State 7, Purdue 5
Youngstown State 12, Purdue Fort Wayne 3
Arkansas-Little Rock 14, Southern Indiana 10
Southern Illinois 7, Valparaiso 3

Sunday, May 7
Butler 20, Georgetown 7 (7 inn.)
Illinois State 7, Evansville 2
Indiana 11, Northwestern 9
Indiana State 8, Bradley 3
Purdue 3, South Dakota State 2
Youngstown State 14, Purdue Fort Wayne 10
Southern Illinois 10, Valparaiso 6

NCAA D-II
Friday, May 5
Lewis 11, Indianapolis 1 (8 inn.)
Wisconsin-Parkside 7, Purdue Northwest 5
Purdue Northwest 10, Wisconsin-Parkside 6

Saturday, May 6
Indianapolis 4, Lewis 1
Indianapolis 5, Lewis 3

Sunday, May 7
Indianapolis 11, Lewis 5
Wisconsin-Parkside 7, Purdue Northwest 4
Purdue Northwest 11, Wisconsin-Parkside 6

NCAA D-III
Tuesday, May 2
Anderson 17, Hanover 16
Hanover 9, Anderson 5

Wednesday, May 3
Wittenberg 12, DePauw 0 (8 inn.)
Wittenberg 8, DePauw 2

Thursday, May 4
Hope 11, Trine 2

Friday, May 5
Bluffton 6, Rose-Hulman 5
Rose-Hulman at Bluffton
Hope 7, Trine 5
Trine 2, Hope 1

Saturday, May 6
Transylvania 13, Anderson 3 (7 inn.)
Anderson 13, Transylvania 10
DePauw 13, Hiram 0 (7 inn.)
Hiram 5, DePauw 3
Earlham 3, Franklin 2 (10 inn.)
Franklin 11, Earlham 8
Hanover 4, Defiance 0
Hanover 6, Defiance 1
Manchester 7, Mount St. Joseph 4
Manchester 9, Mount St. Joseph 6
Wooster 9, Wabash 4
Wabash 8, Wooster 4

Sunday, May 7
Anderson 17, Mount St. Joseph 12
Anderson 10, Mount St. Joseph 7
Case Western Reserve 18, DePauw 7 (7 inn.)
Transylvania 2, Earlham 0
Transylvania 5, Earlham 4
Franklin 13, Defiance 3 (7 inn.)
Franklin 8, Defiance 2
Hanover 17, Bluffton 2
Bluffton 5, Hanover 2
Rose-Hulman 19, Manchester 3
Rose-Hulman 6, Manchester 5
Wabash 10, Ohio Wesleyan 4
Ohio Wesleyan 18, Wabash 7 (8 inn.)

NAIA
Crossroads League Tournament
(At Huntington, Ind.)
Wednesday, May 3
Spring Arbor 6, Grace 2
Mount Vernon Nazarene 5, Bethel 3

Thursday, May 4
Huntington 7, Mount Vernon Nazarene 4
Spring Arbor 6, Taylor 4 (10 inn.)
Indiana Wesleyan 7, Saint Francis (Ind.) 5

Friday, May 5
Mount Vernon Nazarene 5, Taylor 3
Saint Francis (Ind.) 12, Spring Arbor 4
Huntington 12, Indiana Wesleyan 3

Saturday, May 6
Indiana Wesleyan 8, Spring Arbor 5
Saint Francis (Ind.) 3, Mount Vernon Nazarene 2
Indiana Wesleyan 5, Huntington 1

Monday, May 8
Huntington vs. Saint Francis (Ind.)
Championship
Indiana Wesleyan vs. Huntington/Saint Francis (Ind.) winner

Chicagoland Collegiate
Athletic Conference Tournament
(At Joliet, Ill.)
Thursday, May 4
IU South Bend 5, Trinity Christian 1
Saint Xavier 3, Olivet Nazarene 2
Roosevelt 12, Saint Ambrose 5
Saint Francis (Ill.) 10, Calumet of St. Joseph 5

Friday, May 5
Saint Ambrose 5, Olivet Nazarene 3
Trinity Christian 6, Calumet of St. Joseph 1
Roosevelt 7, Saint Xavier 1
IU South Bend 11, Saint Francis (Ill.) 7

Saturday, May 6
Saint Ambrose 7, Saint Francis (Ill.) 2
Saint Xavier 9, Trinity Christian 6
Saint Xavier 7, Saint Ambrose 2
IU South Bend 8, Roosevelt 7

Monday, May 8
Roosevelt vs. Saint Xavier
Championship
IU South Bend vs. Roosevelt/Saint Xavier winner

River States Conference Tournament
(At Chillicothe, Ohio)
Thursday, May 4
Midway 8, Oakland City 6
Rio Grande 7, Point Park 6
IU Southeast 5, IU-Kokomo 4

Friday, May 5
Point Park 6, Oakland City 1
IU-Kokomo 14, Midway 6
IU Southeast 8, Rio Grande 6

Saturday, May 6
Rio Grande 7, Midway 5
Point Park 9, IU-Kokomo 0
IU Southeast 8, Rio Grande 3

Sunday, May 7
Point Park 15, IU Southeast 3
Championship
Point Park 18, IU Southeast 4

Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic
Conference Tournament
Location A (Madonna)
Thursday, May 4
Aquinas 9, Northwestern Ohio 5
Madonna 11, Northwestern Ohio 0
Madonna 7, Aquinas 4

Friday, May 5
Madonna 29, Aquinas 6

Location B (Concordia)
Thursday, May 4
Indiana Tech 8, Lawrence Tech 6
Concordia 9, Lawrence Tech 4
Concordia 10, Indiana Tech 5

Friday, May 5
Concordia 8, Indiana Tech 4

Championship (Best-of-3)
Monday, May 8
Madonna at Concordia

Tuesday, May 9
Madonna at Concordia
Madonna at Concordia (if necessary)

Junior College
Thursday, May 4
OCCAC/Region XII Sub-Regional
Ivy Tech Northeast 3, Edison State 1
Championship
Ivy Tech Northeast 6, Clark State 5

Other Games
Kalamazoo Valley 0, Marian’s Ancilla 0, tie
Kalamazoo Valley 4, Marian’s Ancilla 0

Friday, May 5
Parkland 12, Vincennes 2
Parkland 11, Vincennes 1

Saturday, May 6
Kalamazoo Valley 4, Marian’s Ancilla 0
Marian’s Ancilla 7, Kalamazoo Valley 3 (7 inn.)
Parkland 10, Vincennes 5
Vincennes 3, Parkland 2

IUSB’s Berger tries to stay away from free passes

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

Robbie Berger will be working with numbers when he graduates.
Right now the senior right-handed pitcher is putting up some impressive digits for the Indiana University South Bend baseball team.
A fifth-year senior playing for head coach Doug Buysse and associate head coach/pitching coach Zane Gonzalez, Berger is scheduled to graduate this spring with an Accounting. He already has a job lined up in that field.
As a pitcher, the 23-year-old has 11 mound appearances (10 in relief) in 2023 heading into a home game today (April 25) against Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Saint Francis (Ill.) at Rex Weade Stadium in Granger and is 1-2 with three saves and a 2.63 earned run average.
In 51 1/3 innings, he has 42 strikeouts and just three walks, three hit batsmen and one wild pitch.
“I’ve never been a hard thrower in my life,” says Berger. “I’ve always kind of relied on making batters get themselves out.
“I’m always going to give up hits and that’s part of the game. But if I can eliminate walks and hit-by-pitches it makes it that much harder to score runs.”
Berger averages 7.4 K’s per nine innings.
“I never really try to strike out guys,” says Berger. “I just try to be around the (strike) zone.”
The 5-foot-10, 200-pounder throws from a high three-quarter arm slot and uses a four-seam fastball that sits at 83 to 85 mph, a straight change-up, cutter (thrown as hard as possible with slider-like movement) and a “1-to-7” curveball.
The way Berger is used reflects his team’s new approach to pitching.
“At IUSB — for the most part — we changed around the way we attack games,” says Berger. “We’re trying to steal outs essentially.
“In the past, our back-end bullpen guys had trouble getting outs. So we put those guys at the front of the game and see if they can get through three innings and have our normal starters from past years come in an close out the game.
“We flip the script a little bit (closer, middle relief then starter).”
It’s the NAIA Titans’ take on the “opener” thing that the Tampa Bay Rays have done successfully in the majors.
“The mindset of the pitching staff is to constantly get to the next guy,” says Berger. “There’s 27 outs and we want to get them as fast as possible.”
In Berger’s 2023 relief outings, he has been used for 4, 3, 4, 4, 6, 6, 6, 6, 4 and 5 innings.
Born and raised in South Bend, Berger played travel ball for the Indiana Land Sharks 10U until his junior year at John Glenn High School in Walkerton, Ind.
He credits Land Sharks coaches John Kehoe, Tom Washburn and Dennis Ryans for guiding his early baseball path.
John Nadolny was his head coach at Glenn.
“He’s a great guy and was fun to play baseball for,” says Berger of “Nud.” “He wants the best out of his players and was good at pushing and motivating us.”
Berger was selected for the 2018 Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series in South Bend. He did not play and underwent Tommy John surgery that summer.
He was invited by head coach Kevin Bowers to Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Ill., where he was part of the team while rehabbing from his procedure.
To be closer to home, he transferred to IUSB.
While still recovering, he played some with Buysse’s summer team in 2019. He played for Buysse’s summer team in 2021 and took last summer off to concentrate of weight training and arm care.
What are Berger’s top qualities as an athlete?
“Consistent and hard-working,” says Berger. “Day in and day out, you’re going to get the same from me.”
The righty made three starts with a complete game and went 2-1 and 19 strikeouts and no walks in 18 innings in 2020 — the season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Berger made 10 mound appearances (all starts) with two complete games and was 5-4 with 53 strikeouts and 14 walks in 53 1/3 innings.
In 2022, he started seven times in 14 outings with two complete games and was 2-2 with 52 K’s and 12 walks in 42 2/3 innings.
Robbie is the son of educator and boys basketball Robb Berger, who has 387 wins in 25 seasons and is in his second stint at Mishawaka Marian High School. He teaches at South Bend Washington High School.
Robbie says his father has always been able to pick up on body language.
“If I had a bad day and he noticed it, he said, ‘you better change that right now,’” says Robbie Berger of Robb. “The stuff you can control the most is attitude and body language.”
Grandfather Bob Berger, an Elkhart County Sports Hall of Fame inductee and Nappanee (Ind.) High School graduate, coached basketball in South Bend for 32 years, including 20 as head coach at Riley High School.
“He tells me to try to stay positive,” says Robbie Berger of Bob. “He tells me I have stuff to work on if I had a bad day — stuff like that.”
Robbie is two years older than sister Cassee, who is an IUSB junior.

Robbie Berger. (Indiana University South Bend Photo)

Robbie Berger. (Indiana University South Bend Photo)

IUSB’s Buysse notes change in catching philosophy

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

Doug Buysse is passionate about catching.
He was a catcher at John Glenn High School (Walkerton, Ind.) and Saint Joseph’s College (Rensselaer, Ind.).
For years, he has offered catching instruction at levels from youth to collegiate.
Buysse, who is entering his sixth year as head baseball coach at Indiana University South Bend in 2023, gave catching pointers at the December 2022 meeting of the South Bend Cubs Foundation Coaches Club at Four Winds Field.
Addressing an audience with both travel and college coaches, Buysse noted that catcher and pitcher are the two positions that can’t be pushed on young kids.
“Kids have to really want to catch,” said Buysse. “You have to have that mentality that I’m going to strap that gear on and get behind the plate.”
Catchers have to be decisive, vocal leaders.
“I want my catchers to be the loudest guys on the field,” says Buysse. “Even if they’re wrong, they have to run things. I’d rather see them make a call forcefully and it be the wrong call (than say nothing or make a hesitant call).”
Buysse, who brought juniors Kaleb Farnham (Hamilton High School Class of 2020) and Anthony Pohl (Pewamo-Westphalia, Mich., Class of 2019) for drill demonstrations, spent much of his time on receiving.
“Catchers who receive well help a (pitching) staff and a team,” said Buysse. “They make the game flow.
“Chasing the ball to the backstop really kills the pace of the game.”
Buysse said the way he teaches receiving now is much different than seven years ago when he began offering instruction at 1st Source Bank Performance Center, where Mark Haley is general manager and executive director of the South Bend Cubs Foundation.
“The the way I was taught was what I call ‘drive the wheel system,’” said Buysse. “You caught the inside pitch here, top pitch here, outside pitch here and I worked around the wheel.
“The philosophy of catching has really changed. We work down to up and back to the middle.”
At IUSB — a member of the NAIA and Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference — the hardest throwers might touch 89 mph making the pitch at the bottom of the strike zone very important.
“A low pitch is a big deal for us,” said Buysse. “We want that more than we want any other pitch.
“With nobody on and no count we want them to be as low as they can get so the umpire can see over them. We want to stay below the baseball as much as possible.”
Buysse wants his catcher to be stable and comfortable.
“Playing with stances and getting comfortable is where we start with all of our (catchers),” said Buysse.
Catchers might prefer a two-feet stance, right leg down or left leg down. They might put the opposite leg way out to the side aka “kickstand” in order to get low.
Buysse said using the left leg down stance often helps younger players who can concentrate on what their arm and glove is doing and not on being able to hold their position.
“They don’t have the physical strength to stick (the inside pitch to a right-handed hitter) well,” said Buysse. “On two feet their (left) knee gets in the way the most.
“Don’t be afraid to put (young catchers) on a knee. It takes away from that fear that (they’re) going to fall over.”
While receiving, the idea is working everyone back to the middle of the plate and not chasing or dragging pitches out of the strike zone.
“As they get older the pitch they chase out of the zone the most is a breaking ball,” said Buysse.
The coach emphasized a habit catchers should develop.
“Too many kids keep their head (stationary) and use their eyes to follow the baseball,” said Buysse. “Let their head move. I’ve heard coaches talk about I don’t like my catcher’s head to move because he distracts the umpire.
“He’s not looking at your head. He’s looking where the ball’s at.”
Tracking the ball with the eyes really comes into play with the high pitch.
“My natural instinct when the ball goes above my head is to duck my head and stick my hand up,” said Buysse. “I lose that ball at about 50 feet. In the last 10 feet I’m hoping my glove’s in the way.
“The head has to go up with (the ball). That’s something you’ve to work on. At our level, any ball in the air has to be caught. That’s our rule.”
Buysse talked about blocking pitches.
“The glove has got to go first,” said Buysse. “Where the glove goes the butt follows.
“Once glove is down we’re working forward. We want to block off our belly button as much as we can.”
He encourages young catches to block straight down on pitches inside their two feet and get a body in front of anything outside.
One blocking drill that is used at IUSB is the “sit and get hit.”
The concept calls for having the chest up and absorbing the pitch with the body.
This gets catchers to stop flinching, which makes them stuff and allows balls to ricochet to different places.
“They track that ball until it hits him,” said Buysse. “I don’t want them to just sit there waiting to get hit.”
IUSB monitors development for all players with the use of video that is shared on a Google Drive. Catchers are captured on a tablet (a phone can also be used) during drills and bullpen sessions and can see what they’re doing right and wrong.
What about about stealing pitches (turning balls into strikes)?
“Don’t try to steal every pitch as a strike,” said Buysse. “Keep balls (as) balls.
“Umpires catch on. If you try to steal every ball that’s thrown by the third inning they’re not going to give you anything close because they think you’re trying to steal it.”
IUSB is scheduled to open the 2023 season Feb. 3 against Rio Grande and Lindsey Wilson in Johnson City, Tenn. The Titans’ first home game at Rex Weade Stadium in Granger is slated for March 14 vs. Judson.

Doug Buysse. (Indiana University South Bend 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

Pullins, Olivet Nazarene bound for NAIA Opening Round in California

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

Gunnar Pullins sees his future as an event coordinator.
Graduated May 7 from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill., with a Marketing degree, Pullins has job possibilities all around.
“I’m open to going anywhere in the country,” says Pullins, 22.
But right now the young man who has planned cornhole tournaments for festivals around northwest Indiana is getting ready for a baseball event.
A senior first baseman for the ONU baseball team, Pullins and his teammates recently won the program’s third straight Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament title (not counting the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season) and earned a berth in the NAIA Opening Round.
“We want to be as far from home as possible,” says Pullins.
On Thursday, Pullins got his wish as the Tigers learned that they will play at the site hosted by Westmont in Santa Barbara, Calif., for the right to compete in the 2022 NAIA World Series May 27-June 3 in Lewiston, Idaho.
In the Opening Round, Westmont is the No. 1 seed, Indiana University Southeast No. 2, Olivet Nazarene No. 3 and Antelope Valley (Calif.) No 4. The event is May 16-19.
Pullins, a righty swinger, is hitting .358 (53-of-148) with three home runs, three triples, six doubles, 35 runs batted in and 39 runs scored. In 51 games, he sports a .955 OPS (.455 on-base percentage plus .500 slugging average) and has 11-of-14 in stolen base attempts.
This is his first season at first base and even though he has another year of eligibility it’s his last as a collegiate player.
“My shoulder can only take so much more,” says Pullins. “I tore my shoulder senior year of high school.
“I went went from throwing hard to throwing very soft.”
He was a shortstop at Valparaiso (Ind.) High School, where he graduated in 2018. He played a lot of third base at Olivet Nazarene until he came to a decision with Tigers head coach Jeff Mullikin to move to the other corner to save his arm.
A teammate had done the same in 2021 and did very well.
From 2019-21, Pullins got into 80 games for ONU and hit .258 (25-of-97) with no homers, one triple, three doubles, 24 RBIs and 45 runs. He had a .652 OPS (.342/.309) and was 15-of-22 in the stolen base department.
In a game of adjustments, Pullins has learned to make his share. Not only changing positions. But he has learned to adjust at-bat to at-bat and pitch to pitch.
Olivet Nazarene has not faced a pitcher with velocity approaching 90 mph in awhile and is sure to see it in the Opening Round.
“It’s about getting the foot down and the hands through the (strike) zone at a certain time,” says Pullins, who is preparing with batting practice against live arms and machines. “We do a 40/90 with one of our BP throwers 40 feet away and he’s chucking it and trying to find barrels.”
Velocity is one thing and then there is adjustment when the ball breaks.
“There are people who throw the ball straight and there are people who have movement,” says Pullins. “It’s easier to get a barrel on it and hit it hard somewhere when it’s straight.”
Born and raised in Valparaiso, Pullins played travel ball with the Lake of the Four Seasons Warriors from Crown Point/Boone Grove area then the Cougars who became the Indiana Breakers around Chesterton then the Outsiders Baseball Club with Dave Griffin (the Purdue Northwest head coach).
A varsity player for three of his four years at Valparaiso, Pullins recalls the beginning of practice with Vikings head coach Todd Evans.
“He called us gentlemen everyday,” says Pullins of Evans. “It was a respectful way to start off our days.”
Pullins played basketball as a Valpo freshman and tennis as a junior. Once he committed to Olivet Nazarene, he spent much of his time honing his baseball skills.
Why ONU?
“They gave me the best opportunity to get the education I wanted,” says Pullins. “And an opportunity to play right away as a freshman.”
That first season, Pullins got a few starts and plenty of pinch-hit opportunities.
“I could not get into a rhythm the COVID year,” says Pullins. “As a junior, I struggled confidence-wise.”
Over the summer, he played slow pitch men’s softball.
“I was putting a barrel on the ball,” says Pullins. “Something switched (in baseball). It was a click.”
It hasn’t been all baseball and academics for Pullins, He’s been dating the same girl for most of his time in college.
“I’ve met a lot of people and played intramural (sports) prior to senior year,” says Pullins. “They have a lot of events here — like every other week.”
At the beginning of the year, there’s “Ollies Follies” — games and events with classes competing against each other.
“It’s a lot of fun,” says Pullins.
Gunnar is the son of Bub Pullins and Samantha Cardwell. He has two sisters. Alex is older. Lyric is younger.

Gunnar Pullins (Olivet Nazarene University Photo)

Gunnar Pullins (Olivet Nazarene University Photo)

Gunnar Pullins (Olivet Nazarene University Photo)

Gunnar Pullins (Olivet Nazarene University Photo)

It’s all about ‘family’ for Nowakowski, Calumet College of St. Joseph Crimson Wave

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

Calumet College of St. Joseph — a private four-year Catholic institution with about 380 undergraduates in Whiting, Ind., embraces a close-knit community.
“It’s a family-oriented school and we have a family-oriented team,” says Brian Nowakowski, head baseball coach for the Crimson Wave since the fall of 2012. “We do everything together (including community service, meals and study tables). We don’t single out a single player for any misdoing.
“When someone hurts we all hurt.”
When Brian and Jeannine Nowakowski’s son, Bryce, required two open heart surgeries in the first year of his young life and then a heart transplant at 2, the CCSJ family rallied with support. Part of the cost of tickets to the Midwest Collegiate League (now rebranded as the Northern League) All-Star Game held at the Crimson Wave’s home park — Oil City Stadium — were given to the Nowakowski family.
When Bryce was prepared for, underwent and recovered from his July 30, 2014 transplant at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, the school allowed the head coach to stay there while his assistants — younger brother Scott Nowakowski and Juan Alonso — led the CCSJ baseball team.
“The school let me work from home and I never skipped a beat,” says Nowakowski, whose son is now 9. “I could never re-pay them back.”
With Bryce’s medical condition and his mother recovering after beating cancer, Nowakowski decided it was best not to travel much during a 2021 season effected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If I had COIVD I would not be able to go home,” says Nowakowski, who resides with his wife of 11 years and child in Dyer, Ind.
The 2021 Crimson Wave only played games in the NAIA-affiliated Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
“Competing in the CCAC is hard,” says Nowakowski. “We’re fighting for same kids in recruiting. All the teams are very competitive.”
Olivet Nazarene University finished atop the ’21 conference standings.
One feather in the Crimson Wave’s cap is Oil City Stadium, located on 119th Street in downtown Whiting with a unique oil refinery backdrop in the outfield.
“It’s a great stadium,” says Nowakowski. “The City of Whiting does a great job keeping it up. It helps in recruiting.”
Eight Calumet of St. Joseph players — Michael Biegel, Julian Espino, Kevin McCune, Thomas Montes, Cody Plebanski, Shaun Quinn, Glenford Wagner and Luke Woodward — made the 2021 CCAC all-academic team.
A typical mix, the current Crimson Waves roster consists mostly of players from Chicagoland and the Calumet Region with some international students.
“We find the best players we can,” says Nowakowki. “If you want to be a part of the school we’re going to take you.
“We have affordable tuition. There’s no in-state, out-of-state or intentional. It’s all the same.”
Located on New York Avenue in Whiting, CCSJ has an agreement with The Illiana, located across the street. In Oct. 1, the school broke ground on its first residence hall.
In 2022, CCSJ is to open the season Feb. 25 at Hannibal (Mo.)-LaGrange.
The following weekend the Crimson Wave plays a series at Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Ga.
From there CCSJ goes to Lake Wales, Fla., to play in the Warner University Invitational and other games, including at Southeastern.
CCSJ finished outdoor fall practice about two weeks ago. The Crimson Wave did drill work four days a week and competed in intrasquad games on the fifth day.
Right now, players are at the Rittenmeyer Center four days a week conditioning with weightlifting and stability exercises.
Besides Scott Nowakowski (in his seventh year at Calumet College of St. Joseph), the coaching staff also features Nick Relli, Nestor Carillo and Rocco Mossuto. Elli played for Nowakowski at CCSJ. Carillo (Morton Community College in Cicero, Ill.) and Rocco Mossuto (Saint Xavier University in Chicago) are both former head coaches.
Nowakowski grew up on Chicago’s East Side and graduated in 1997 from St. Francis de Sales High School, a member of the vaunted Chicago Catholic League.
“It’s tough competition,” says Nowakowki. “There’s no easy games in the Chicago Catholic League.”
Nowakowski played for Pioneers head coach Al Lodl and was good enough as a right-handed pitcher to sign a free agent contract with the Minnesota Twins organization in 1997 and reported to spring training in 1998. He pitched in the minors that year and 1999 and then was employed in private sector jobs.
But the diamond beckoned.
“I’ve been a baseball guy most of my life,” says Nowakowski. “I missed the game.”
Nowakowski got into coaching as an assistant to Pat Montalbano at Hammond Clark High School and was a Crimson Waves assistant to Tony Myszak for one year before becoming head coach.
A few years into the job, Nowakowski earned an Organizational Management degree from CCSJ.

Brian Nowakowski (Calumet College of St. Joseph Photo)

Notre Dame advances to Super Regional; slates close for ISU, IUS

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

Notre Dame powered its way to a South Bend Regional championship and now the Irish know they will play host and No. 7 national seed Mississippi State in the NCAA Division I tournament‘s Starkville Super Regional (the Bulldogs went unbeaten in winning the Starkville Regional, which wrapped Monday, June 7).
The winner of that best-of-3 super regional series June 11-14 at Dudy Noble Field/Polk-DeMent Stadium will advance to the eight-team College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
Former Indiana University head coach Chris Lemonis is the bench boss for the MSU Bulldogs.
Link Jarrett is in his second season as head coach at Notre Dame (33-11).
The No. 10 seed Irish lashed 49 hits with 23 for extra bases and 15 home runs in beating Central Michigan 10-0, Connecticut 26-3 and Central Michigan 14-2 Friday through Sunday June 4-6 at Frank Eck Stadium in taking the South Bend Regional.
Irish senior first baseman Niko Kavadas (Penn High School graduate) belted two home runs and drove in four runs in the first win against CMU.
The lefty slugger that smacked two homers and drove in eight against UConn. In the second game against Central Michigan, Kavadas hit one homer (his school record-setting 21st of the season) with one RBI.
The other dingers rang off the bats of junior Carter Putz (4), senior Ryan Cole (3), junior Brooks Coetzee (2) and senior David LaManna.
Indiana State saw its season end at the Nashville Regional hosted by Vanderbilt. The Mitch Hannahs-coached Sycamores lost 7-6 to Georgia Tech, beat Presbyterian 9-2 and lost 9-0 to Georgia Tech.
Redshirt junior Jordan Schaffer (West Vigo High School) hit .367 with seven homers, one triple, 10 doubles, 34 runs batted in, 52 runs scored and 11 stolen bases for ISU (31-21).
Indiana University Southeast was greeted by a large crowd when it got back to New Albany after its first appearance in the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.
Playing May 28-June 1, Ben Reel’s Grenadiers (50-16) topped against Concordia (Neb) 4-2, lost 11-5 to Central Methodist (Mo.), bested Keiser (Fla.) 9-7 and lost 14-10 to Faulkner (Ala,).
For the season, senior Matt Monahan (who missed the World Series because of injury) hit .428, junior Brody Tanksley (Bedford North Lawrence High School) drove in 70 runs and junior Clay Woeste (Lawrenceburg High School) stole 38 bases.
Georgia Gwinnett — coached by former Saint Joseph’s College (Rensselaer, Ind.) assistant Jeremy Sheetinger — won the red banner as 2021 NAIA national champions. Sheets returned to coaching this season after serving with the American Baseball Coaches Association. He hosts the Dugout Chatter Podcast Powered by Stick & Ball TV.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through June 7
NCAA Division I
Ball State 38-18 (25-11 MAC)
Notre Dame 33-11 (25-10 ACC)
Evansville 28-27 (11-16 MVC)
Indiana State 31-21 (14-10 MVC)
Indiana 26-18 (26-18 Big Ten)
Purdue 14-25 (14-25 Big Ten)
Butler 14-23 (8-13 Big East)
Valparaiso 16-35 (9-19 MVC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 11-35 (8-28 HL)

NCAA Division II
Indianapolis 27-21 (19-13 GLVC)
Southern Indiana 24-20 (18-14 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 11-22 (5-19 GLIAC)

NCAA Division III
Franklin 25-14 (23-12 HCAC)
Earlham 25-20 (21-18 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 23-14 (23-12 HCAC)
Anderson 23-19 (20-17 HCAC)
Hanover 20-20 (20-18 HCAC)
Manchester 19-22 (19-20 HCAC)
Wabash 18-15 (9-6 NCAC)
DePauw 15-21 (8-8 NCAC)
Trine 6-28 (6-17 MIAA)

NAIA
Indiana University Southeast 50-16 (26-1 RSC)
Indiana Wesleyan 44-14 (28-4 CL)
Taylor 37-20 (24-12 CL)
Indiana Tech 35-27 (16-6 WHAC)
Saint Francis 34-22 (23-13 CL)
Huntington 33-16 (23-13 CL)
Indiana University-Kokomo 28-20 (16-10 RSC)
Marian 25-29 (17-19 CL)
Indiana University South Bend 24-24 (19-11 CCAC)
Oakland City 17-27 (10-17 RSC)
Bethel 15-39 (12-24 CL)
Grace 12-31 (9-23 CL)
Calumet of Saint Joseph 7-29 (7-20 CCAC)
Goshen 3-34 (2-26 CL)

Junior College
Ivy Tech Northeast 31-25
Vincennes 24-31 (11-21 MWAC)
Ancilla 6-29 (2-18 MCCAA)

Conferences
NCAA Division I
Big Ten
Atlantic Coast (ACC)
Big East
Horizon (HL)
Mid-American (MAC)
Missouri Valley (MVC)

NCAA Division II
Great Lakes Valley (GLVC)
Great Lakes Intercollegiate (GLIAC)

NCAA Division III
Heartland Collegiate (HCAC)
Michigan Intercollegiate (MIAA)

NAIA
Crossroads League (CL)
Chicagoland Collegiate (CCAC)
Wolverine Hoosier (WHAC)
River States Conference (RSC)

Junior College
Mid-West Athletic (MWAC)
Michigan Community College (MCCAA)

Niko Kavadas (U. of Notre Dame Photo)