Evansville Christian School in Newburgh, Ind., opened the home portion of the 2024 high school baseball season Thursday, April 1 against defending IHSAA Class 1A state runner-up Barr-Reeve.
“We lost a yard barn, a batting cage, half of our fence all-around including our backstop. We also had some damage to our concession stand,” says Evansville Christian coach Joe Paulin in a partial list of the wreckage at Scott Township Park caused by high winds. “Our first base bleachers blew up over a 20-foot fence and skipped across our field and into the left field corner and smashed the fence out. We woke up to that damage and it was heart-breaking.”
At a house next to the field, a tree fell and covered it and the roof was blown off of its hollow-block garage.
“There were no fatalities and thankful no one was (at the field) at the time,” says Paulin.
Almost immediately the clean-up work began. The community has rallied to repair the off-campus facility the team has called home for seven years while Eagles baseball — varsity, junior varsity and Cub — has scrambled to find places to play and practice.
“We’ve had to do a lot of re-scheduling,” says Paulin.
The weekend before the storm, there were about 50 volunteers doing work on the field to get it ready for the season.
“We had it in the best shape it’s ever been,” says Paulin. “Less than a week later is when he damage occurred.”
Through much time, effort and donations, the field is coming back.
“We feel that God has a plan,” says Paulin. “We’re going to build it better than it was.”
More than a month after the today, Evansville Christian plans to play its second home game of the spring on its home field. There’s a night game slated Friday, May 10 against Vincennes Rivet.
Paulin started the EC program in 2017. Another memorable moment is his time there is when the team bus broke down. While waiting for help, he had the Eagles practicing in a gas station parking lot.
Says Paulin, “We needed the work.”
Heading into a May 3 road game against Perry Central, Evansville Christian is 4-6. The 2024 regular season is winding down with IHSAA sectional tournaments beginning the end of the week leading into Memorial Day (May 27).
Greyhounds head coach Al Ready and pitching coach Adam Cornwell have decided to hand the ball to junior right-hander Diego Cardenas to start today (May 2). First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. Central Time.
Cardenas, a 21-year-old South Bend, Ind., native and Environmental Sustainability major, brings up the same word when describing Ready and Cornwell.
“It’s amazing,” says Cardenas of playing for Ready. “It’s a great experience. It’s a unique way of coaching and a lot of the players get along with it. He’s very brave and confident in his guys.
“He trusts all of his players and that’s pretty sweet.”
Cardenas says Ready, who played at UIndy and is in his 17th season coaching in the program (sixth as head coach), does not go by the book.
“He’s very unorthodox,” says Cardenas of the man who has the Greyhounds at 32-14 overall and 27-5 at the top of the GLVC standings. The team has won 11 straight.
Says Cardenas, “(Cornwell) gives me a lot of confidence by giving me my own space and making corrections when they’re due.
“He lets us be our own person which is great.”
Cardenas has gone from a reliever going into the season to a mid-week starter and then a weekend arm for conference games.
In eight mound appearances (all starts) in 2024, Cardenas is 5-0 with a 2.70 earned run average, 37 strikeouts and 25 walks in 46 2/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .195 against him.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder throws from a three-quarter arm angle and uses a two-seam fastball, change-up and slider to get hitters out.
“I get a ton of arm-side run,” says Cardenas of his two seamer which has hit 91 mph and sets at 86 to 89. “Not a lot of vertical (movement), more horizontal.”
A combination of splitter and change-up, he calls that pitch a “splange” and it goes 80 to 83 mph.
“I choke the daylights out of it,” says Cardenas of the grip.
Wedging the ball deep in his hands in a traditional slider grip, the righty makes deliveries at 77 to 80 mph.
Born and raised in South Bend with Larry and Kelly Cardenas as parents and former John Adams High School ballplayers Esai Cardenas and Benicio Cardenas (who also on the team at Marian University’s Ancilla College) as older brothers, Diego played at South Bend East Side Little League as a youngster and travel ball as a teen with the Indiana Nitro.
At Adams, 2021 graduate Diego Cardenas was a middle infielder when not on the mound.
Cardenas underwent Ulnar Collateral Ligament reconstruction (Tommy John surgery) and redshirted for the 2022 UIndy season. That summer he played in the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., for the Turf Monsters.
In his debut season with Indianapolis in 2023, Cardenas got into nine games (all in relief) and went 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA, eight strikeouts and 11 walks in eight innings.
But before that there’s business to attend at UIndy. The eight-team GLVC tournament is May 8-11 in Marion, Ill. After that comes an NCAA D-II Midwest Regional May 16-19 at a campus site and a chance to advance to a Midwest Super Regional May 24-25 at a campus site and then the D-II World Series June 1-8 in Cary, N.C.
“We’re playing loose and confident,” says Cardenas. “We’re playing in a very fun way.”
While he has no real allegiance to an MLB team, Cardenas does have a favorite player.
“I’ve always been a big fan of Marcus Stroman,” says Cardenas of the New York Yankees right-hander. “I love his confidence and his flash.”
Cardenas has two years of remaining eligibility. He expects to take one in 2025 while finishing his undergraduate degree then a graduate year. He says if he had to decide on his concentration now it would be in Management Sciences.
After baseball, he foresees a career in renewable energies, performing research and analytics and hands-in field work.
“I love the outdoors,” says Cardenas. “It’s pretty awesome.”
Diego Cardenas. (University of Indianapolis Photo)
Diego Cardenas. (University of Indianapolis Photo)
Diego Cardenas. (University of Indianapolis Photo)
Diego Cardenas. (University of Indianapolis Image)
Diego Cardenas. (University of Indianapolis Photo)
Diego Cardenas. (University of Indianapolis Photo)
Diego Cardenas. (University of Indianapolis Photo)
Austin Pizer is scheduled to make a spot start on the mound today (April 30) for the Benedictine University Eagles. A doubleheader is slated for noon Central Time at Illinois Tech in Chicago.
Whenever the junior right-hander takes to the hill, he has a few keys in his mind that he takes from Ben U. pitching coach Adam O’Malley.
“Throw everything with confidence,” says Pizer. “We’ve worked really hard to command the baseball and worked on the pitch shapes. Now I have to go to trust it. We know the stuff is there, we just to be able to throw every pitch in every count, have confidence in myself and the defense that we’re going to get the job done.”
“It gives us all the data we could ever imagine for pitching,” says Pizer, who has used feedback on release height and movement patterns to help him throw more strikes.
“I want to limit the walks,” says Pizer. “That’s been a big key this year.”
In 13 appearances (12 out of the bullpen), Pizer is 4-1 with four saves, a 1.93 earned run average, 29 strikeouts and seven walks in 32 2/3 innings. Opponents hit .248 against the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder.
From there, he mixes a two-seam fastball, slider and change-up.
The two-seamer is a strictly horizontal pitch — moving 9-to-3 on the clock face — with arm-side run. It’s topped at 84 mph and sits at 81 to 83.
The slider has very little to no vertical break.
“The two-seam and slider play very well off each other,” says Pizer.
Since he has dropped down, it’s not a typical “circle” change that comes from Pizer.
“It drops a little more on the back foot of a righty that a traditional change-up,” says Pizer.
Throwing with minor discomfort during his first season at Benedictine, Pizer got into nine games (all in relief) and was 2-0 with one save, a 4.66 ERA, 15 strikeouts and five walks in 19 1/3 innings. He followed that up in 2023 with five bullpen appearances, a 0-0 record, a save 11.12 ERA, five K’s and five walks in 5 2/3 innings.
Born in Munster, Ind., Pizer grew up in Highland, Ind.
From age 7 to 13, he played both at Highland Little League and for much of that time with the traveling Highland Heat.
He was injured his freshman year (2018) at Highland High School. Pizer was on varsity as a sophomore (2019) and senior (2021). The COVID-19 pandemic took away his junior season in 2020.
“He’s a great guy,” says Pizer of Bogner, who is now head coach at Chesterton (Ind.) High School. “He’s really, really passionate about what he does. I definitely would not be where I am now without him.
“He put a really big emphasis playing the game the right way. That’s one of the things I respected most about him. Whether we were going to win or lose it was going to be with class and the right way. That’s something I carry with me to this day.”
If his arm continues to feel good, Pizer says he plans to return to the Northern League’s Lake County CornDogs for summer ball. He was with the Crown Point, Ind.- based team in 2023. He took the summer of 2022 off to rest his arm. That led to an MRI which led to surgery for a torn labrum in August 2022.
Pizer, 21, is Social Science major at Benedictine with an emphasis in History. His minor is Secondary Education.
“I’m a big fan of the Revolutionary War and Colonial America,” says Pizer. “That’s what I’m interested in.”
Older brother Zak Pizer, who briefly attended Benedictine, is a Social Studies teacher and first-year head baseball coach at Highland High.
Zak (who turns 24 in May) and Austin are the sons of Michael and Annamarie Pizer.
Austin roots for the Chicago White Sox. He admires many big leaguers.
“Tanner Houck of the (Boston) Red Sox is quickly becoming one of my favorite pitchers to watch,” says Pizer of the right-hander. “The way he throws and attacks the game is how I imagine myself to look like. We have a very similar pitch arsenal.
“I’ve always partial to (right-hander) Marcus Stroman (now with the New York Yankees) as well and how he competes. He’s an undersized guy. He plays with a lot of passion.
Maddox, who joined former Eagles head coach Brad Douglas as junior varsity head coach/varsity assistant for the 2020 season that was erased by the COVID-19 pandemic and will lead an Indiana Prospects 16U National travel team this summer, spent the time leading up to the 2024 Frankton season by breaking players up into position groups as well as focusing on batting approaches.
“It’s what we want our players thinking when they step into the box or what they need to be looking to do in different counts,” says Maddox. “Or what their job is with two strikes, how they can adjust their swing to make sure they can put a ball in-play, move a runner or drive a runner in.”
Many seniors graduated from the 2023 team, including Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association first team all-state second baseman and IHSBCA North/South All-Stars Series participant Bradyn Douglas (now at Vincennes University), meaning the Eagles are young this spring.
“Our focus in the fall and winter was showing them what it takes to compete at the varsity level,” says Maddox. “We wanted to be more prepared so we could hit the ground running once the season came around.”
The Eagles are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping with Lapel, Monroe Central, Muncie Burris, Wapahani and Winchester Community. Frankton has won seven sectional titles — the last in 2018. Frankton rotates as site host with Lapel is to host in 2024.
Maddox is a 2014 graduate of Daleville (Ind.) Junior/Senior High School, where his head coach was Daniel Hanson.
“Many of the things I learned while playing for Coach Hanson and coaching with Coach Douglas are things that I use today and teach our players,” says Maddox. “The importance of field work and taking pride in how the field looks and plays is something both of those guys took pride in and is a major reason it’s so important to us still today in my time at Frankton.
“We have spent a lot of long cold days getting fields in shape.”
Located at Frankton Elementary School, Paul Davis Stadium is maintained by players and coaches.
“It’s one of the nicer high school fields in the state,” says Maddox.
The 2024 Frankton coaching staff features newcomer Jason Stecher and returnees Mark Caldwell, Trevor McCorkle and Nick Hutton.
Stecher, a Frankton administrator, has decades of coaching experience. He was head coach at Anderson Highland High School, where he Scots’s home diamond was became Bob Stecher Field in honor of his father. He was an assistant to Terry Turner for Daleville’s 2018 1A state champions.
McCorkle is JV head coach and is assisted by Huttton, who coached in Frankton’s middle school program.
Seventh and eighth graders play 15 to 20 games in the spring. Many players get their diamond starts at Frankton Town & Country Baseball and most play travel ball.
Maddox earned a Sport Administration degree at Ball State University and has been a full-time member of the Muncie Fire Department for five-plus years, currently holding the rank of sergeant.
To coach baseball, he uses personal and vacation time and trades shifts.
Maddox has a girlfriend named Amber Privett. Her two children are Adaline (5) and Leo (3).
Frankton baseball is on social media via X (formerly Twitter) with the handle @FHSBaseball01 and GameChanger.
Hayden Wynja’s career as a baseball pitcher has not gone in a straight line.
In fact, the lanky left-hander looked to be at the end of the line on more than one occasion.
But Wynja persisted through rough patches and finds himself preparing for his third year in the pros with the San Francisco Giants organization.
“All I ever wanted to do was play professional baseball,” says Wynja, 25. “It’s been a crazy, crazy, crazy journey. But it’s been a lot of fun.
“I’m very blessed. That’s for sure.”
A 2017 graduate of Heritage Christian High School in Indianapolis who helped the Dan Ambrose-coached Eagles win three IHSAA sectional titles was selected in the 30th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Atlanta Braves but did not sign.
Wynja (pronounced Win-Yuh) red-shirted in his first year at Purdue University (2018) then hurled 11 2/3 innings over eight outings for the Boilermakers in 2019.
“I essentially got cut,” says Wynja.
During the COVID-19-shortened season of 2020, Wynja got into five games and logged 13 1/3 innings at Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Ill.
“I gave everything to the ARMory,” says Wynja who landed at Murray (Ky.) State University. “Murray State and the Florida Baseball ARMory are why I’m still playing baseball.”
With the Dan Skirka-coached MSU Racers, Wynja earned the Friday night starter job in 2022. He took the mound 15 times (14 starts) and went 6-4 with a 3.67 ERA, 86 strikeouts and 24 walks in 73 2/3 innings
Last off-season, Wynja wrote the 70-page paper he needed to complete a Communications degree from Murray State.
Signed by the Giants as a minor league free agent July 28, 2022, Wynja pitched in three contests and 3 1/3 innings for the the Orange team in the Arizona Complex League that season.
In 2023 with the Low Class-A San Jose (Calif.) Giants and Advanced-A Eugene (Ore.) Emeralds, Wynja made 29 mound appearances (16 starts) and went 7-6 with two saves, a 4.16 earned run average, 115 strikeouts and 38 walks in 97 1/3 innings. He fanned batters at a rate of 10.6 per nine innings.
“It was a super honor,” says Wynja, who worked in five games and went 1-0 with a 7.20 ERA, 16 strikeouts and nine walks in 10 innings. His K-per-9 rate with the Scottsdale Scorpions was 14.4.
Throwing from a high three-quarter arm angle, Wynja delivers a four-seam fastball that traveled at 90 to 94 mph and a hard slider that went 81 to 84 mph.
“That’s my swing-and-miss pitch,” says Wynja. “I’ve had a couple of hitters call it the ‘ghost ball.’ — you can’t quite see the spin.
“I execute my slider really well. I haven’t developed nearly what I will be. I’m not a polished product. I don’t go into outings trying to strike out guys ever. But I try to attack and get ahead in the count. My thought process is when it gets to 1-2 or 0-2, they’re mine every time. I have that much trust in my slider.
“I put people away quick.”
In 2023, he threw his change-up 4 percent of the time and is now working toward 15-percent usage.
It was also in the AFL that Wynja began diving into his release point.
At 8 feet, 2 inches his extension is one of the longest in baseball.
Wynja joined an exclusive club on May 13, 2023 when he threw an immaculate inning (nine pitches and nine strikes) against Lake Elsinore.
“That was crazy,” says Wynja. “That’s one of those things you never think about having.”
Beginning the season as San Jose’s closer, Wynja was moved to the starting rotation and it was in the final inning of one of his first starts that he went immaculate.
San Jose pitching coach Dan Runzler told Wynja to empty the tank and that’s what he did.
The goal-oriented Wynja only held one job before joining the Giants and that was as grocery store bagger for a few months in his early teens. As a minor leaguer he does not make lots of cash, but he manages and uses Airbnb while traveling to train.
“I’m getting paid for pitching,” says Wynja. “It’s hard to complain.”
One of Wynja’s goal this off-season is to put on some pounds.
The 6-foot-9 southpaw is currently tips the scales at 218 (up from 205 at season’s end).
“The idea is to get to up to 220 to 225,” says Wynja. “I heard that’s where (6-foot-10 Hall of Famer and lefty) Randy Johnson sat at.
“Putting on weight does a couple of things for me. It’ll provide me a lot of consistency with my delivery. I’ll stay strong and it’ll help my velo increase. As my weight goes up I’ll become a better pitcher.”
Wynja returned to Indianapolis in mid-November. After a couple weeks of rest, he trained at PRP Baseball in Noblesville, Ind., during the week with some weekend workouts at RoundTripper Sports Academy in Westfield, Ind. He started his throwing progression a couple of weeks ago.
“It’s great to be from Indiana and play baseball,” says Wynja. “We have a lot of resources.”
At PRP, Wynja got to observe and talk with big leaguers Tim Herrin and Bryan Hoeing. Both 6-foot-6, lefty Herrin is a Terre Haute (Ind.) South Vigo High School graduate and former Indiana University hurler now with the Cleveland Guardians and righty Hoeing is a Batesville (Ind.) High School alum who shined at the University of Louisville and is now with the Miami Marlins.
The day after Christmas, Wynja hit the road. The plan was to see his girlfriend in Atlanta and fly to New York to spend time with family while celebrating father Brad Wynja’s birthday (Hayden is the oldest sibling of two blended families and has a sister — Bella Wynja — who plays volleyball at Mercer University in Macon, Ga.).
After vacation, Wynja goes back to Atlanta and then heads to the Florida Baseball ARMory — something he did last winter — to ramp up for spring training in Scottsdale.
“I’ll be around a whole new set of big leaguers,” says Wynja. Among those is Seattle Mariners 6-foot-6 right-hander Logan Gilbert. “When I’m a big leaguer I hope to look like (Gilbert). We have similar builds. We move similar. We think about pitching in similar ways. I could pick his brain for hours and hours and hours.
“(FBA gives me a) great environment for me to buy in and really improve. I want to learn how big leaguers train in the off-season — how they eat, sleep, recover. I know I have one shot at this. I’m going to emulate these guys who are super-successful.
“You want to surround yourself with who you want to be or where you’re trying to go.”
Hayden Wynja’s immaculate inning. (San Jose Giants Video)
The 2015 graduate began coaching while in college and was later junior varsity head coach on Eagles head coach Rob Bell’s staff for five years then served as associate head coach in 2023.
“Coach Bell gave me the keys to the car to transition to head coach,” says Dailey, who went through an interview process and was officially hired at a Nov. 20 Whitley County Consolidated Schools board meeting. “He let me coach third base and he still handled administrative stuff.”
Now that Dailey, 27, is in charge he has some points of emphasis.
Among those is knowledge of the game.
“We want savvy players with high Baseball I.Q. Another point of emphasis is knowing our signs and systems. We do a lot with that,” says Dailey. “We want to make sure our guys play the game the right way, play hard and respect the game with hustle and effort.
“We want to play fast.”
Even before the transition, Dailey and other coaches conducted IHSAA Limited Contact Period practices in the fall and winter sessions are now happening two times a week for two hours.
“I’ve got a good support staff,” says Dailey. “Our boosters and our parents are great.”
Dailey’s assistants include pitching coach Trent Huffman, hitting/infield coach Matt Deckman, JV head coach Wyatt Warner and volunteer Chris McGehee plus veteran high school/travel coach Todd Armstrong and Brandon Marshall on a part-time basis.
Former Huntington University pitcher Huffman, former Ball State player and Monroe Central Junior/Senior High School head coach Deckman and Purdue Fort Wayne student Warner are returnees from 2023. McGehee, who is also head boys tennis coach at Columbia City and a CCHS teacher, was on Bell’s staff in 2018.
“(Armstrong) taught me everywhere I know about baseball,” says Dailey, who played for Armstrong and Mark DeLaGarza in the Summit City Sluggers travel organization then coached alongside Armstrong for the Sluggers in 2018 and 2019 and Fort Wayne TinCaps Travel Baseball from 2020-23. “I want to thank (athletic director) Khelli Leitch and (teacher/head football coach) Brett Fox, the interview committee, Coach Bell and Coach Armstrong for mentoring me.”
Lance Hershberger, who has coached in Fort Wayne for decades with much success at Bishop Dwenger High School, Indiana Tech and Ivy Tech Community College, is now in the TinCaps system and has long coached with Armstrong.
“Lance Hershberger has a big coaching tree,” says Dailey. “We run all his stuff.”
The CC Eagles won 19 games in 2023 and the goals are high.
“We expect to compete for conference and sectional championships,” says Dailey.
The Eagles are part of an IHSAA Class 4A sectional grouping with Fort Wayne South Side, Fort Wayne Wayne, Homestead, Huntington North and New Haven. Columbia City has won nine sectional crowns — the last in 2007.
Columbia City’s on-campus field was new in 2020. Located just off S.R. 9, things can get loud and busy at 5:30 p.m. on a weekday.
“We’re finally starting to settle in,” says Dailey. “We’re super-lucky to have such a nice field. We take great pride to make sure our field is up to standard or above standard.
“Our players are fixing the bullpen mounds, game mound and home plate area after every game.”
Recent alums to move on to college baseball include the Class of 2021’s Preston Henschen (Trine University), 2022’s Sam Gladd (Taylor University) and 2023’s Landyn Iden (Lake Michigan College) and Drew Vanderford (Trine University).
Among those attracting college interest are Brady Schroeder (Columbia City Class of 2024) and Grayson Bradberry (Columbia City Class of 2025).
Dailey, who lives in town, earned a Physical Education degree at Indiana Tech and is now teaching sixth grade science at Indian Springs Middle School in Columbia City.
Nic Gibson wants to change to baseball culture at his alma mater.
Now that the 2002 graduate of Brown County High School in Nashville, Ind., has been named Eagles head coach he is starting that process after getting facilities keys last week.
“I want to change the mindset,” says Gibson, who was a varsity assistant at BCHS in 2023. “I’m tired of people not believing in themselves. You can’t win if you can’t believe. Feeling sorry for ourselves has got to stop.
“I’m in it to win it. I want to hang banners. I know it’s not going to happen right away. You give me enough time, I will turn this program around.”
The coach sees being outside the school as a business owner as an advantage.
“I can get more personal with these guys and get more of a family atmosphere,” says Gibson. “That’s going to help the mindset thing.”
K&N Construction of Bean Blossom, Ind., takes on both residential and commercial projects.
Nic and wife Kendra Gibson have two children — seventh grader Everett (13) and fourth grader Kenzie (10).
Since Everett Gibson was 7 and playing at the 8U travel level, his father has been his coach. Nic Gibson is now head coach of the 13U Indiana Astros.
Gibson plans to establish a feeder system by working with coaches and parents in the Brown County Parks & Rec leagues through conducting clinics and hosting tryouts and teaching them the way he does things at the high school.
“These are not my concepts,” says Gibson. “I learned them from super-intelligent people and was willing to absorb as much as I could.
“If we want to win, there has to be changes. I’m about to do that to our community.”
During its 12U season, the Class of 2024 lost one game and won a Tri-County League championship with Gibson as coach.
“They handed all their participation trophies to all their siblings,” says Gibson. “They looked at their parents and said, ‘we’re going to get the real one.’ I knew right then their determination was where it needed to be.
“I just need to get them back to that.”
Gibson has put out feelers to potential assistant coaches but has not yet named his Eagles staff.
In four prep seasons, Gibson played for four different head coaches.
He learned much while playing for the Bloomington Wizards — a travel squad coached by Phil Kluesner, Eric Dodds and Brandon Jackson (who was on Brown County’s sectional championship team in 1993). He also got lessons for years at Indiana University and attended baseball camps at Indiana State and Ball State and one featuring major leaguer Jeff Reboulet.
“I’m chock-full of all this knowledge,” says Gibson, who is constantly watching YouTube videos to further his diamond comprehension.
After high school, Gibson went to Marian College (now Marian University) in Indianapolis. The pitch blew out his arm as a freshman and it took his high-90’s mph fastball down to about 80.
“All my hopes and dreams went down the hill of going pro,” says Gibson. “When that happened I went into a depression and had to pull myself back out. It took years and years and years.”
Born and raised in Brown County, Gibson spent about five years in Indianapolis then returned to his roots.
“The saying ‘You can take the boy out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the boy’ — that is so me it’s unreal,” says Gibson. “I was like a duck without a pond. The conveniences were awesome but I need to go back home.”
The home of Brown County High School baseball is about two miles east of campus at Eagle Park off S.R. 46.
“It’s a beautiful facility,” says Gibson. “It’s surrounded by the woods. It’s our Little Piece of Heaven.”
The program has a new Facebook page: Brown County Baseball.
Rob Bell has decided to step down to devote more time to his full-time job and his loved ones.
“Serving as the head baseball coach and assistant principal at the high school just became too much,” says Bell, who became diamond boss for the 2018 season. “I had a lot of things happen last year in my personal life that made me step back and re-evaluate if I could continue to justify the time I was devoting to my jobs, and not spending with my family and friends.”
Rob is a husband to Lori Bell and father of sons Dalton Bell (Columbia City Class of 2019) and Brady Bell (Columbia City Class of 2022).
The Eagles program came a long way under Bell’s tutelage. The two seasons prior to his arrival saw Columbia City post marks of 2-19, and 1-20 record respectively.
The 2018 team went 6-21, followed by 7-18 in 2019, a season without baseball in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 11-17 in 2021, 14-12 in 2022 and 19-9 in 2023. The latter is the third-best record in school history.
“I’m really proud of where we were able to take the program,” says Bell. “There has always been a lot of pride and tradition buried deep in the program and we just had to find a way to re-establish it in our guys … I think we were able to get that done.”
His 57 wins places him fifth on the all-time list of coaching victories at Columbia City. The top four are Dan Dorman (138), Jason Smith (92), Tom Wood (90) and Roger Tuggle (71).
While Bell’s Eagle teams and players have made their mark on the school record boards, Bell is most proud of where the program has grown in terms of respect earned both in the community and across the region and state.
The educator points to the past three consecutive years where the Eagles were honored as an American Baseball Coaches Association National Academic Excellence team for their outstanding team grade-point average.
Combine that with three IHSBCA Academic All-State award winners, four IHSBCA All-State players, 15 all-NE8 selections and an IHSBCA North All-Star in Sam Gladd in 2022 and Bell beams with pride.
“That’s what coaching at the high school level is all about, helping young men reach their potential and chase their dreams as student-athletes,” says Bell. “While each of those individual accomplishments are outstanding, I’m even more proud of the teams that we were able to build which allowed those guys to be recognized for their accomplishments.”
Bell was an assistant to Indiana Basketball Hall of Famer Wayne Kreiger for Columbia City’s girls basketball program and served on the Eagles boys basketball staff of Chris Benedict and coached middle school basketball and football at Columbia City.
There have also been stints as girls basketball head coach at Whitko and girls basketball freshman coach at Angola as well as football and softball assistant jobs at Garrett, the school Bell graduated from in 1991.
Bell, 50, is in his 23rd year at Columbia City for 23 years. He was first a science teacher then dean of students and now assistant principal. Along the way, he was convinced that he was the man to help Eagles baseball.
An Eagle Scout while he was in high school, Bell brought in the Boy Scout Law (A scout is: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent) as a code of conduct in his first head coaching job with Whitko girls basketballers.
With Columbia City baseball, he’s added Discipline to the list.
Bell played baseball his first two years at Garrett then switched to track. He went to Butler University to study pharmacy and play football. Along the way, he gave up the grid and switched to education. He finished college at Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne.
After 30 years in coaching, Bell hesitates to say that he’s retired from it, but he’s not sure yet what’s next for him in the arena. He does know that it will be some time down the road if it comes again.
“I stepped away because of the time I need to spend with those that I love, and that’s hard to say because I love each and every one of my guys and my loyal assistant coaches, but right now they don’t need me as much as others do,” says Bell. “My staff and I were hired to rebuild the pride in the Eagle Baseball program and to mentor the young coaches so that they could hopefully be ready to take over when the time was right.
“I believe we’ve done that and I believe the time is right to hand over the program.” Bell pointed to the fact that there were 118 future Eagles in the team’s summer camp this past year and 47 players in the high school program, not to mention the myriad of local travel teams that are building future Eagles.
He also acknowledged the former players and coaches from decades ago who reached out to share their pride and excitement with what the Eagles were building.
“There’s excitement and pride in being associated with Columbia City Eagle Baseball again,” says Bell. “I’m so proud of our guys for building that back up, it really gives me a lot of pride.
“You just always hope that you did enough to show them how much you truly love and care about them, I hope they know they’ll always be my boys and I’ll do anything for them.”
The search for Bell’s replacement began in early September.
The Eagles are slated to open the 2024 season at Central Noble on Monday, March 25.
Rob Bell. (Columbia City High School Photo)
Cam Harris (Columbia City Class of 2019) and Rob Bell.
Cory Taylor has been trending upward as he gets to the latter part of his college baseball career.
A utility player who prepped at Shelbyville (Ind.) High School (Class of 2020) and bats and throws righty at Eastern Michigan University, Taylor heads into his senior year in 2023-24 after enjoying success in the spring and summer seasons in 2022-23.
“I have one more year guaranteed,” says Taylor of his eligibility. “I’m going to appeal. Maybe I’ll get lucky and I’ll get another one.”
In 48 games (47 starts) with EMU, he hit .297 (49-of-165) with seven home runs, two triples, 12 doubles, 32 runs batted in, 32 runs scored, a .905 OPS (.384 on-base percentage plus .521 slugging average) and 12 stolen bases. He put together and a team-best 12-game hit streak. He was the Eagles’ everyday second baseman at season’s end.
Taylor returned to the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate League’s Alexandria (Va.) Aces this summer and performed well enough to be named an all-star. In 29 regular-season games, Taylor hit .330 (36-of-109) with five homers, eight doubles, 25 RBIs, 27 runs, a .964 OPS (.423/.541) and 17 steals. He played infield and outfield for Alexandria.
“Chris Berset is a fantastic coach,” says Taylor of the Aces field boss who was a catcher at the University of Michigan and in the Cincinnati Reds system. “He was just a players’ coach.”
Enjoyment was had at Frank Mann Field and the Washington D.C. area.
“There’s so much to do, my teammates were great and I had a lot of fun,” says Taylor.
In 2022, Taylor saw limited playing time for the EMU Eagles. In 17 games (12 starts), he hit .209 (9-of-43). Both his extra-base hits were home runs. He plated five runs, scored five runs and swiped two stolen bases.
Because of a broken hand, he was only in nine games with the 2022 Alexandria Aces.
Eric Roof was EMU’s head coach for Taylor’s first three seasons.
“He gave me the opportunity to follow my dream of playing Division I baseball and I thank him for that,” says Taylor of Roof.
Robbie Britt, who was head coach at the University of Charleston in West Virginia, is now in charge at Eastern Michigan.
Classes start at EMU on Aug. 28. Taylor has been in Ypsilanti since the end of summer ball. Individual skills practice is to start Sept. 4. NCAA D-I teams are allowed some fall games. The Eagles are to play at Michigan Sept. 30 and against Wright State Oct. 14 at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio.
Taylor’s favorite major leaguer is Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper. He also appreciates the swing of New York Yankees star Aaron Judge.
“I watch a lot of video on MLB hitters and I try to adapt certain moves and feels that they do,” says Taylor. “I wouldn’t say my swing looks like theirs by any means but I try to do a lot of the same things that they do.”
Richard Schenck is Judge’s personal hitting coach and Taylor has been taking in the available information and applying it.
“I used to be a really out-front hitter,” says Taylor. “I’ve changed that to a back-side hitter.”
Defensively, Taylor is known for his range.
“I’m pretty quick so I can cover a lot of ground in the outfield and the same in the infield,” says Taylor. “I’d like to think I have a pretty solid arm.”
“I wanted to get a job where I could stick round sports if baseball comes to an end for whatever reason.
“I’ve been looking at going into physical therapy.”
Taylor was born in Indianapolis and raised in Shelbyville. He played T-ball in Morristown, Ind., and in the Shelby County Babe Ruth League before travel team stints with the Shelby Sliders, Indiana Bandits, Pony Express and Indiana Prospects. The last two summers with the Prospects his head coaches were Jason Noel in 2019 and P.J. Fauquher in 2020.
At Shelbyville High, Taylor gathered three baseball letters with the 2020 prep season taken away by the COVID-19 pandemic. He posted a career average of .278 with 62 hits and 35 RBIs and led the Hoosier Heritage Conference in stolen bases.
Royce Carlton became the Golden Bears head coach in Taylor’s sophomore year.
“He did a lot for me,” says Taylor of Carlton, who played baseball at UIndy. “He was trying to set me up for success later on with my work ethic and getting in the weight room as much as possible.
“I thank him for that.”
Taylor also earned four soccer letters at Shelbyville. As a forward, he produced 33 goals and 18 assists in 66 games and was named all-HHC and academic all-state.
One of his soccer teammates was older brother Tyce Taylor (Class of 2018) who went on the play on the pitch for the University of Indianapolis.
Pat and Kim Taylor are parents to Tyce and Cory. Former Columbus (Ind.) East High School and Saint Joseph’s College football player Pat Taylor is an IT manager for Eli Lily. Former Lawrence Central High School gymnast Kim Taylor retired as a Registered Nurse.
Cory Taylor. (Eastern Michigan University Photo)
Cory Taylor. (Eastern Michigan University Photo)
Cory Taylor. (Eastern Michigan University Photo)
Cory Taylor. (Eastern Michigan University Photo)
Cory Taylor. (Eastern Michigan University Photo)
Cory Taylor. (Alexandria Aces Photo)
Cory Taylor. (Eastern Michigan University Photo)
Cory Taylor (27). (Eastern Michigan University Photo)
“I’m really incredibility grateful for the experience I had this summer with the Cape Catfish,” says Chrisman. “They really found a way to make the game even more enjoyable which I thought was impossible because I love baseball, obviously.
“Those guys taught me so many lessons.”
In 49 games, the lefty swinger hit .385 (69-of-179) with five home runs, 17 doubles, 55 runs batted in, 41 runs scored, a .934 OPS (.472 on-base percentage plus .564 slugging average) and 15 stolen bases.
Chrisman, who turned 20 in July, explains his batting approach.
“I try to keep things simple — see ball; hit ball,” says Chrisman. “I try to keep the ball middle-away. Anything inside I try to pull. I just stay through the baseball, sit fastball and adjust off-speed.”
As an outfielder, Chrisman is a righty thrower.
“Defensively, I just go where the ball takes me, make the play, trust my other outfielders and always play aggressive,” says Chrisman.
A 6-foot-3 and 205-pounder, Chrisman was placed on the Catfish through a relationship between Purdue head coach Greg Goff and Cape general manager/director of operations Mark Hogan. As a coach, he won 911 games, including 526 as head coach at Southeast Missouri State.
Says Chrisman of Goff, “He’s always pushing us to be our best. He’s always trying to bring out the best in people. I’ve learned a lot from him and the entirety of the (Purdue) coaching staff both last year and so far this year.
“It’s a blessing to be here at Purdue and pursuing my dream of playing baseball.”
Classes began Monday and there has been voluntary baseball activity. Official fall team practice starts Sept. 11.
Born in Bedford, Texas, Chrisman moved to Indiana with his family — father Lance, mother Melissa and older brother Kyle — around age 4 and grew up in Zionsville. From 7U/8U to 13U, he played in the Zionsville Baseball Club.
At Zionsville Community, Chrisman was on the JV White team as a freshman, missed his sophomore year because of the COVID-19 pandemic then won letters as a junior and senior in 2021 and 2022.
“It was an incredible experience,” says Chrisman of his time from ZBC through high school. “Coach (Jered) Moore taught me so many valuable life lessons and so many useful skills in baseball, it’s hard to quantify.
“It was amazing how well (youth ball) fed into (high school). I remember going to a game and getting introduced with the high school players and thinking it was the coolest thing in the world. Then it comes full circle and you’ve got little kids standing next to you. The community of Zionsville is great with that.”
Chrisman was honored as Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association first-team all-state as a senior and honorable mention all-state as a junior.
A two-time winner of the team’s most outstanding offensive player award, he hit .451 with 34 RBIs and 28 runs and a .558 on-base percentage in 29 games in 2021 and .414 with 24 RBIs, 20 runs and a .512 OBP in 33 games in 2022.
Chrisman was also team MVP as a senior while helping the Eagles win sectional and regional titles. He socked two homers in the sectional championship game.
Two big leaguers that Chrisman admires are Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout and Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich.
“Everybody loves Mike Trout’s game,” says Chrisman. “I also try to base myself a little bit off Christian Yelich’s game seeing as we have a similar frame.
Former Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne and Huntington University baseball player Lance Chrisman is in corporate philanthropy. Melissa Chrisman runs her own marketing business. Kyle Chrisman (Class of 2019) played baseball at Zionsville Community, recently graduated from Purdue as a General Management major and took a job in Orlando, Fla.
www.IndianaRBI.com 