Pace gets chance as head coach at alma mater Scottsburg

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

The year 2023 will go down as a momentous one for Johnny Pace.

Kriston Pace, whom Johnny married in 2019, gave birth to the couple’s first child — daughter Dawson — in October. 

In the spring — Johnny aka J.P. — became a first-time high school baseball coach when he became junior varsity/varsity assistant to Brian Wichman at Scottsburg (Ind.) High School.

Since his days at Western Kentucky University, Pace had been playing a lot of slow pitch softball. 

“I made the decision that I need to get back to the gave I love and get away from T-ball for adults,” says Pace. 

After Wichman stepped away in the fall, Pace was made interim head coach and guided the Warriors through IHSAA Limited Contact Period practices.

In early November, Scott County School District No. 2 made it official and chose 2009 SHS graduate and former all-Mid-Southern Conference honoree Pace was chosen as head coach. 

“The guys would agree to this: I care so much about each and every one of them,” says Pace. “I’m so thrilled about this opportunity and can’t wait to grow with this team.”

In his new role, his points of emphasis include focus and mental toughness for the current group of high schoolers and building the feeder system.

Scottsburg went 19-10 in 2023, losing 9-5 to eventual Class 3A state champion Silver Creek in the Madison Consolidated Sectional championship game. The Dragons rallied for five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to best the Warriors.

“We had (Silver Creek) completely dead to rights,” says Pace. “Just a little bit of focus and mental toughness was the difference between surrendering the lead in the seventh inning and closing that out and winning the first sectional since 1996.

A growing middle school program, local travel teams starting at the 9U level, Scott County Youth League and Lexington Youth Baseball League are all considered as Warrior feeders.

“I was born and raised here,” says Pace. “I have no intention of ever leaving. As long as they’ll have me I will be right here so it’s really important for me to start developing these kids at a young age with proper fundamentals, good coaching, a good environment and a great culture all the way from age 7 to 18.

“I want to pay a lot of attention to that and make sure they have the resources they need. Any home starts with a sturdy foundation. The earlier you start that foundation the faster you complete the build.”

In the MSC with Scottsburg (enrollment around 740) is Austin, Brownstown Central, Charlestown, Corydon Central, Eastern of Pekin, North Harrison, Salem and Silver Creek.

The Warriors are part of an IHSAA Class 3A sectional grouping in 2024 with Charlestown, Corydon Central, Madison Consolidated, North Harrison, Salem and Silver Creek. Scottsburg has won six sectional titles — the last in 1996.

Another Limited Contact Period opened Dec. 4 and Scottsburg took advantage of those twice-a-week sessions until Christmas break. Pace says those will resume Jan. 3.

A trio from the Class of 2023 — David Edwards (Dyersburg, Tenn., State Community College), Jacob Martin (Danville, Ill., Area Community College) and Nate Montgomery (Vincennes, Ind., University) — have moved on to college baseball.

Three current Warriors have made commits — Class of 2024’s Carter Gricius (Vincennes U.) and Brentley Spaw (Georgetown, Ky., College) and 2025’s Brandt Kendall (Ball State University).

Clayton Baker is junior varsity/varsity assistant to Pace. Others on the coaching staff are Greg McClellan, Dakota McIntosh and Josh Spaw (father of Brentley). Pace anticipates having 24 or 25 players for two teams — varsity and JV.

Scottsburg plays its games on-campus.

“The athletic department has done a tremendous job over the last five or six seasons of really improving the grass and the grade of that field versus what it was 15 years ago,” says Pace. “They’ve made it a far more appealing and quality playing surface.”

After playing two years each for Bobby Doriot (whose son Tucker Doriot is a baseball player at Scottsburg) and Ben Bottorff (who now coaches Warriors boys and girls golf) at Scottsburg as a shortstop/center fielder, Pace went to college in Bowling Green, Ky. He earned a Broadcast Journalism degree from WKU in 2013. 

As he was finishing up, his father John was diagnosed with terminal illness.

Chasing the broadcast dream might take Johnny most anywhere in the country. He opted to come home, find a new career path while spending the quality time that he had left with his father who died in 2015 and helping his mother Debra.

“The best decision I ever made in my life was choosing the latter,” says Pace. 

The Paces, which married in 2019, live in Marysville, Ind. The rural Clark County community is about 12 miles southeast of Scottsburg High.

Pace is director of sales for ProEnclosures of Milton, Ky., across the Ohio River from Madison, Ind. The company build cabin manufactures forklift enclosures, windshields, roofs and accessories.

“The ownership group here is remarkable,” says Pace. “When the opportunity to be an assistant coach was presented they were all in-favor. When this opportunity was was presented they were very excited for me and strongly urged me to see it out.

“I couldn’t have a better culture.”

Johnny and Kriston Pace.

Johnny Pace.

Johnny Pace.

Johnny Pace (4).

Scottsburg High School.

Wheeler moves up to head coach position at Silver Creek

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Ryan Wheeler has been part of an exceptional era in Silver Creek High School baseball.

After pitching for and then coaching with Rick Parr at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany and spending five seasons as head coach at Christian Academy of Indiana — also in New Albany — Wheeler joined Joe Decker’s Dragons coaching staff in 2010.

“Coach Decker allowed me to have an influence with compete control of pitching,” says Wheeler, helped Silver Creek win 12 sectionals, four regionals, two semistates, a state runner-up finish (2018) and a state championship (2023).

Decker, who won 634 games in a 30-year career, made it known he planned to retire at the end of the 2023 season. Wheeler applied and was told he would be head coach at the school in Sellersburg, Ind., as the season was ending.

 “I’ve always been a relationship kind of a coach,” says Wheeler. “My approach has always been I have four years to have an impact in their life. Along the way I really hope they’re successful in baseball and have a lot of really good life-learning experiences.

“As a head coach I don’t see that role changing a whole lot.”

What about the Dragons between the white lines?

“As a program we’re going to be extremely aggressive — a lot of the them attributes Coach Decker taught,” says Wheeler. “We’ll pressure on with the bunt game and controlling the counts. 

“We’ll have very competitive at-bats (taking advantage of a hitter’s count) and be very competitive in pitching.”

Wheeler wants his hurlers throwing strikes and avoiding free passes.

Continuity continues with Wheeler’s assistants. Ritchie Ware, Jacob Barnett, J.D. Ehringer, Brent Falcone and Noah Bays are all also returnees. 

“Ritchie Ware is my co-head coach to be honest with you,” says Ware. “We run a lot of things through each other. We always have.

“He’s a major role model for me.”

Ware was an assistant at IU Southeast when Wheeler was a Grenadier. 

Barnett, Ehringer and Bays all played for Wheeler and Ware at Silver Creek. 

“They know the emotion of the program,” says Wheeler. “They’ve been through it.”

Falcone, who hails from Canada and played at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tenn., is Ware’s brother-in-law. 

Wheeler played for Parr. American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer and former Marion College (now Indiana Wesleyan University), Trevecca Nazarene and Lee University (Cleveland, Tenn.) field boss David Altopp coached Parr, Ware and Falcone.

“It’s a really cool dynamic on how that all works,” says Wheeler.

Silver Creek (enrollment around 950) is a member of the Mid-Southern Conference (with Austin, Brownstown Central, Charlestown, Corydon Central, Eastern of Pekin, North Harrison, Salem and Scottsburg).

The Dragons are part of an IHSAA Class 3A sectional grouping in 2024 with Charlestown, Corydon Central, Madison Consolidated, North Harrison, Salem and Scottsburg. Silver Creek has won 12 sectional titles. Not counting 2020 when the season was called off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dragons have won six straight sectionals through 2023.

After playing all its games away from campus in 2023, Silver Creek has a new athletic facility — Hunter Station Pizza Stadium — which has turf fields for baseball, softball, soccer and football.

“It’s going to be really special,” says Wheeler.

The baseball field (which traded locations with the football field) has not been completely released to the team yet. That means player evaluation during the IHSAA Limited Contact Period period which ends this week has been somewhat restricted.

“Kids adapt,” says Wheeler. “I love the young kids coming into the program and the existing kids that are coming back and their leadership.”

Developing players for the high school program are Silver Creek Middle School (seventh and eighth grade teams play in the spring) and area travel organizations as well as Silver Creek Little League (which has had teams just miss qualifying for the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., the past few years). 

“We’ve got to get involved with the Little League at lot more,” says Wheeler.

A 1992 graduate of Brownstown (Ind.) Central High School, Wheeler was with the independent pro Heartland League’s Dubois County Dragons in 1996 and 1997 — managed by R.C. Lichtenstein — after his IUS playing days. The 6-foot-1 right-hander started the all-star game staged at Huntingburg League Stadium in 1997.

Tyler Wheeler (Silver Creek Class of 2019) — the second of Ryan and Shellie Wheeler’s three children — played for the Dubois County Bombers — pitching a nine-inning complete game in the Ohio Valley League championship in 2021 and one game in 2022.

“Huntingburg, Indiana has been very good to both Tyler and myself,” says Ryan Wheeler. “We have been blessed to make many lifetime friends amongst the community.”

Oldest child Shelby (25) recently gave Ryan — an engineer for AT&T for the past 24 years — and Shellie their first grandchild. The couple was wed in 2000.

Hit with a second major arm injury a few weeks ago, 6-1 right-hander Tyler Wheeler (22) has ended his playing career at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville. 

Cameron Wheeler (19) is a 2023 Silver Creek graduate who was a sophomore on an IHSAA Class 3A state championship basketball team in 2020-21. His last two years, the 6-5 athlete played volleyball in the spring and was all-state as a senior.

Tyler was a four-year volleyball manager who went through the same workouts and drills as the players as a member of the scout team.

“Volleyball really changed Tyler’s athleticism,” says Ryan Wheeler.

Silver Creek regularly sends players on to college baseball. From the Class of 2022, there is Dominic Decker (son of Joe Decker) at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Ala. There’s also 2023’s Jace Burton (Indiana State University) and Dane DeWees (Southeast Illinois University, a community college in Saline County, Ill.). 

Tyler Kapust (Silver Creek Class of 2019) is also at USI.

Tommy Holman (Class of 2024) has committed to Spalding University in Louisville and the others in the senior class have also shown interest in playing college ball.

Joe Decker (left), Ryan Wheeler and Ritchie Ware.

Hunter Station Pizza Stadium at Silver Creek High School.

Leach takes over as Clarksville Generals field boss

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Ethan Leach is now in charge of the baseball program at Clarksville (Ind.) High School.

Leach, who was hired in August, was an assistant coach at Southwestern Middle/High School in Hanover, Ind., the past six years — three on Dan Thurston’s staff with the Rebels winning 50 games after three aiding Derik Hutton.

The opening with the Generals came when 1983 Clarksville graduate Jamie Knight stepped down as head coach at the end of the 2023 season. Knight is an assistant to CHS athletic director Levi Carmichael.

“I’ve had a great relationship with Levi,” says Leach. “He’s been really responsive.”

Leach, 26, is a 2015 graduate of Madison (Ind.) Consolidated High School where he played three varsity seasons for then-Cubs head coach Shannon Barger.

Born in LaGrange, Ky., 30 miles south of Madison, Leach lived all around Kentucky, moved to Alabama in the seventh grade and to Madison his freshman year.

He played baseball briefly at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany and considers former Grenadiers head coach Ben Reel a mentor. 

Leach then entered into the family business. The original company was Ohio Valley Excavating in Madison, which is now run by younger brother Eric Leach. Superior Vault in Charlestown was purchased in 2021. There is also a properties company.

Leach brings former Southwestern (Hanover) and Hanover College assistant Brendon Bump to Clarksville as his pitching coach. He is a former Marshall University pitcher.

“I have a lot of faith in what Bump can do,” says Leach. “I’m extremely lucky that I’ve got him.”

Interviews are scheduled with other coaching candidates.

In 2023, Clarksville had 12 players at the end of the season and competed only at the varsity level.

Clarksville (enrollment around 390) is an athletic independent.

While there are no conference titles to win or honors to receive, that’s not what matters most to Leach.

“I want to get to (IHSAA) tournament time and win those titles,” says Leach. “(Being independent) also helps with your pitching. It’s Monday or Wednesday night and I have to pitch this guy because it’s a conference game or I can’t pitch him because a conference game is the next day.”

The Generals are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping in with Crawford County, Eastern (Pekin), Paoli and Providence. Clarksville has won 14 sectional titles — the last in 2018.

Respecting the fall seasons of players, Leach has not met with players during the current IHSAA Limited Contact Period, which concludes Oct. 14 and has his sights on the next one.

“We will definitely hit it a few times a week in the winter,” says Leach.

The Generals practice and play on Wayne Stock Field (named for the former coach and Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer).

“Coach Knight did a tremendous job of taking care of the field,” says Leach. “He’s got it in really good shape and that’s something we plan to keep doing.”

In recent years, a press box/concession stand was among upgrades to the facility.

Leach says he plans to former a relationship with Clarksville Little League.

“I want to at least make my presence known,” says Leach. “I’ll try to make a difference that way, whether they come to (Clarksville) or not.”

Clarksville Middle School, which has grades 5-8, fields a team in the spring.

Ethan and Bri Leach, who reside in Sellersburg, Ind., were married in July and have a son — Graham (almost 5 months).

Ethan Leach.

Clarksville High School.

Second-year head coach Higgs has Brownstown Central in regional

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

Brownstown Central — in its second season with Duane Higgs as head coach — has just won the third sectional baseball title in school history.
The Braves beat Brown County 11-0, Milan 1-0 and Austin 4-2 to win the 2023 IHSAA Class 2A Austin Sectional.
Junior Ethan Garland (6-2) was the winning pitcher against Brown County and Austin with the sectional title game being a two-hitter. In the semifinals against Milan, senior Carson Darlage (6-0) tossed a 15-strikeout one-hitter.
As is BC athletics championship tradition, a fire truck ride and pep rally followed.
“It was cool and the kids had a blast,” says Higgs, who is now preparing Brownstown Central (23-8) to meet Providence (25-3) in a one-game Class 2A regional at 11 a.m. ET Saturday, June 3 on the grass at Floyd Central. The winner moves on to semistate, where four teams will play three contests June 10 for the right to be in the 2A state championship game.
Darlage (.481) plays center field and Garland (.402) shortstop when not on the mound.
Others in the BC mix are senior Ethan Fultz at designated hitter, junior Trent Lowery at first base and pitcher, junior Quentin “Chick” Tiemeyer at second base, sophomore Dalton Reedy at catcher and pitcher, sophomore Pierson Wheeler at third base and a quartet of freshmen — catcher Grayson Cassidy, left fielder Preston Garrison, right fielder Lane Pendleton and utility man Jaxson Johnson.
Recent BC graduates in college baseball include Ethan Davis (Marian University/Frontier Community College) and Jake Pauley (College of DuPage).
Higgs says he sees collegiate potential for three-sport standout/left-hander Darlage (who plans to attend Purdue University), Garland and Lowery.
Brownstown Central (enrollment around 480) is a member of the Mid-Southern Conference (with Austin, Charlestown, Corydon Central, Eastern of Pekin, North Harrison, Salem, Scottsburg and Silver Creek).
Besides Austin, Brown County and Milan, Hauser, South Ripley, Southwestern (Hanover) and Switzerland County is in the sectional group with Brownstown. The Braves’ previous sectional crowns came in 1982 and 2016. Former head coach Steve Schrink won 482 games.
Higgs is a 2003 graduate of Franklin County High School in Brookville, Ind., where he played for Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Jim Hughes (who died in 2018) and Clark Sherwood.
“Coach Hughes is in the Hall of Fame for a reason,” says Higgs, who remembers the discipline and accountability stressed by the coach. “He ran a great program. That baseball field (which now bears his name) was his baby.
“(Sherwood) taught a lot about the game and fundamentals.”
Higgs’ BC assistants are Kyle Williams, Austin Greene (Brownstown Central Class of 2016) and Nigel Myers (Class of 2015).
Brownstown Central feeders include a middle school program for seventh and eighth graders plus Brownstown Baseball Association, the traveling Brownstown Impact and other travel organizations.
Higgs earned a Kinesiology degree from Indiana University in 2009.
He was a middle school Physical Education teacher in Bedford schools for nine years.
In 2022-23, he taught Engineering, Business Math, Credit Recovery, Physical Education and Health. He is slated to teach Business Math, P.E. and Health in 2023-24.
Prior to Brownstown Central, he was an assistant baseball coach at Bloomington South 2008-13, head coach at Paoli 2014-15 and assistant at Bedford North Lawrence 2016-21. He also coached in the Zach McClellan-led Demand Command travel ball organization 2011-21.
Higgs and girlfriend Mackenzi have a son — Hatcher (3).

Brownstown (Ind.) Central High School’s 2023 Class 2A sectional baseball champions.

Brownstown Central High School.

Payton in second year of return to Paoli Rams dugout

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

Jeremy Payton took over the baseball program at alma mater Paoli (Ind.) Junior-Senior High School on the second day of official practice in 2022 and was soon coaching the Rams in games.
As the 1994 Paoli graduate approaches his second season in 2023, Payton has been able to actually prepare.
“We didn’t have a lot of time to break things down,” says Payton. “We’re way ahead of the curve.
“We’re already way ahead of where we were last year. I didn’t know where kids played when I took over.”
Players — mostly pitchers — who are not involved in basketball have been attending IHSAA Limited Contact Period sessions and preparing their arms and bodies for the season.
“They been throwing 30 to 45 minutes two days a week,” says Payton. “They come in tired from doing weights and conditioning.”
The first official day of IHSAA practice is March 13.
Coming back to high school baseball Payton had to familiarize himself with the pitch count rule (1 to 35 pitches requires 0 days rest; 36 to 60 requires 1 day; 61 to 80 requires 2 days; 81 to 100 requires 3 days; and 101 to 120 requires 4 days). When he last coached the limit was based on innings.
“That was definitely learning curve last year,” says Payton. “The kids didn’t have the endurance and the ability to cover more than 40 or 50 pitches early and that was different than what I was used to.”
Payton’s coaching staff includes varsity assistant Jeremy Reynolds, volunteer Davis Minton (Class of 2020) and junior varsity coach Ashton Minton (Class of 2019).
In a group of about 24 players for varsity and junior varsity squads, there are three seniors and eight or nine freshmen.
Among returnees is junior Trey Rominger, who only struck out three times in 65 plate appearances while hitting .327 with a .431 on-base percentage, in 2022 has been drawing college interest. He is already the school’s all-time leading rusher in football.
There are also a number of travel ball players.
“We’ve got a lot of good things coming,” says Payton. “It’s just a matter of getting all the pieces in the right spot.”
Aron Busick (Class of 2020) is on the baseball team at Oakland City (Ind.) University.
Paoli (enrollment around 400) is a member of the Patoka Lake Athletic Conference (with Crawford County, Mitchell, Orleans, Perry Central, Springs Valley and West Washington).
The Rams are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping in 2023 with Clarksville, Crawford County, Eastern (Pekin) and Providence. Paoli has won eight sectional titles — the last in 1995.
Paoli plays on Trinkle Field (named for Ken Trinkle, who pitched in 216 big league games for the New York Giants in 1943, 1946-48 and Philadelphia Phillies in 1949).
As a U.S. Army Corporal during World War II, Trinkle saw action in the “Battle of the Bulge” and was awarded a Bronze Star.
The on-campus facility recently got upgrades to sod, dirt and warning track and an updated seating area and locker room. The old press box was torn down and a storage room was put in its place.
As a feeder system there is Paoli Youth Diamond Sports (T-ball to 12U) and a school-affiliated junior high program for Grades 6-8. That team has 18 games scheduled April 4-May 22 with home dates at Trinkle Field. The team plays PLAC and non-conference opponents.
Payton’s baseball coach at Paoli was Tom Stuckwisch.
“He was a mentor,” says Payton of Stuckwisch. “He was our baseball coach, math teacher and assistant football coach.
“He was easy to approach. He was very laid-back.
“You didn’t have to make the game real complicated. Just go out and play and relax. Do the little things right and good things happen.”
During Payton’s prep career, the Rams were won about three quarters of their games. The 1993 team won a sectional then lost to Jasper and Scott Rolen in the regional. The 1994 team — ranked among the state’s Top 20 — was edged 2-1 by Springs Valley in the sectional championship game.
Payton graduated from the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville.
He moved back to town in 2000 and was a Rams baseball assistant for four years in the mid-2000’s on the staffs of John Hahn and Kyle DeSpain.
Hahn played baseball at Butler University in Indianapolis. DeSpain holds the Hanover (Ind.) College single-season record for doubles with 25 in 2001.
After his baseball stint, Payton served as head softball coach at Paoli through 2012.
Outside of coaching, he is an independent financial advisor in town. Jeremy and wife Marci have two children — Addie (13) and Collier (9) — in Paoli schools.
“My son loves baseball,” says Payton. “He’s been coming to practices and throwing and hitting.”

Jeremy Payton.

Jones measuring what Eastern Musketeers can do

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

Eastern High School in Pekin, Ind., is less than two months away from its 2023 baseball season.
While also assisting with the school’s varsity boys basketball team, Lincoln Jones is getting ready for his second season as head baseball coach.
During the fall IHSAA Limited Contact Period, Jones had high school and junior high athletes in simulated game-like situations. He recorded things like first-to-time, stolen base and POP times and exit velocity off the tee.
“We wanted to get measurable data points so we could see that growth or lack there of,” says Jones. “Sometimes it’s just as motivating to see a lack of growth compared to your peers as it is to see your numbers jump.
“Numbers speak to the kids today. They resonate.”
Eastern (enrollment around 420) is a member of the Mid-Southern Conference (with Austin, Brownstown Central, Charlestown, Corydon Central, North Harrison, Salem, Scottsburg and Silver Creek).
The Musketeers are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping in 2023 with Clarksville, Crawford County, Paoli and Providence. Eastern has won four sectional titles — the last in 2012.
Eastern players began throwing Feb 2. A Limited Contact Period devoted an hour to throwing and an hour to hitting. Most of the weight training takes place during the school day.
Jones, who teaches at EHS, says the participation across Eastern athletics is in a down cycle. The Musketeers wound up with 13 players in the program at the end of the 2022 baseball season and none of them were seniors.
The only player gone from that group — Martin Lewen —  transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
It was not usual for four or five freshmen to be in the starting lineup. The bulk of the expected returnees for 2023 will be in the Class of 2025.
“We’re spending some time down at our youth levels — the fifth through eighth grade ranks,” says Jones. “We’re trying to drive some interest there and get our numbers back to where you’d like to see them in the 24 range where you could split into a JV and varsity on a given night and send 12 both ways.”
Jones has the Musketeers employing a “pressure offense.”
“We’re probably not going to have a bunch of guys hitting the ball out of the yard and you can’t really rely on that year in and year out. I want to put pressure on the defense and put the ball in-play, bunt the ball, steal bases. We want to have high (Baseball) I.Q. guys who can read situations like dirt ball reads. You can really take advantage of the next 90 feet.
“Defensively, you don’t have to make the flashy plays. If you field the ball that comes to you and catch the ball that’s in the air you’re going to have success.
The metric that Jones tracks for moundsmen is 67 percent strikes.
“My pitching philosophy has always been ‘9 vs. 1,’” says Jones. “There’s nine guys on defense vs. one hitter. You’re at an advantage if you can get it across the plate and give your defense a chance to do some work.”
Faith plays a major part in why Jones is a coach.
“Baseball is cool,” says Jones. “Ultimately, it’s an avenue to teach kids and have an impact. From a great picture, my biggest mission is to make Jesus known.”
Jones’ 2023 assistants are Mike Lawson with volunteers Rick Snelling, Shane Miller and Landon Snelling.
Eastern plays and practices on-campus on Larry Ingram Field. The facility is named after the longtime coach. Three years ago, the infield was resurfaced and leveled. A turf halo was placed around the plate area.
“The field is kind of unique,” says Jones. “It’s cut into the side of a hill. People sit on the berm to watch the game. It drains pretty well.”
There is a junior high baseball program in the Eastern community. Seventh and eighth graders play in the spring and summer.
Younger players learn the game at East Washington Baseball/Softball Association.
Recent Eastern graduates who went on to college baseball include the Class of 2020’s Rhett Pennington (Greenville University) and the Class of 2021’s Snyder Pennington (Franklin College) and Cauy Motsinger (Vincennes University).
Jones is a 2011 graduate of North Harrison High School in Ramsey, Ind., and played four years of baseball, four years of basketball and three years of tennis. The Cougars head baseball coach was former University of Southern Indiana player Gregg Oppel.
“He instilled a work ethic in us that was second to none,” says Jones of Oppel. “He brought that old school grit. He was more discipline-oriented and wanted to make his presence known. He was an authority figure.
“I learned a lot in my four years under him.”
Bart Bigham coached Jones on the tennis court and was also his junior varsity basketball coach.
“My coaching style probably mimics his more closely than anybody else,” says Jones. “I always appreciated the way he handled his business. He was very laid-back and mild-mannered. He expected you to get your work done. That’s the environment I work well under. I was going to push myself more so than any coach was going to push me.”
Jones played baseball at Franklin (Ind.) College for head coach Lance Marshall. Grant Bellak (now head coach at Hanover, Ind., College) was an assistant. Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Phil Webster was Grizzlies pitching coach Jones’ freshman year. Former Vanderbilt University/Libscomb University player Richie Goodenow was in that role for his sophomore through senior seasons.
After earning a Business degree from Franklin in 2015, Jones worked for four years at his father’s shop — Jones Machine & Tool — while also coaching at North Harrison. He was with junior high basketball and baseball teams and then baseball squads at the high school.
He earned transition to teaching certification online from Taylor University and taught and coached on former college roommate Brent Ingram’s staff at West Washington before going to Eastern and assisting Jeff Pennington for one season before taking over the Musketeers program.
On the boys basketball side, Jones has coached the eighth grade and junior varsity and is now a varsity assistant to Ray Weatherford.
Lincoln and wife Dallas (a University of South Carolina graduate) were wed in 2017 and had their daughter — Raleigh — in 2020. The couple met while she was doing an internship with the 2014 Louisville Bats. The Jones family has long been Louisville Redbirds/Bats season ticket holders.

Lincoln Jones (24).

Lincoln Jones (24).

Dallas, Lincoln and Raleigh Jones.

Dallas, Lincoln and Raleigh Jones.

Watson putting premium on running as new Providence head coach

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

Tre’ Watson played for one state championship baseball team at Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville, Ind., and was an assistant coach for another.
Now he’s the interim head coach for the Pioneers. His promotion was announced in late October 2022.
Watson, who turned 25 in September, helped guide players through the fall IHSAA Limited Contact Period and is doing so again this winter. There has been individual skills work, including hitting and defense.
“We’re pushing baserunning,” says Watson. “That’s going to be pretty big for us.
“We have a lot of speed and a lot of smart baserunners.”
The idea is to force the opposing defense into mistakes and capitalize on them.
“That was not our M.O. when I was playing,” says Watson, noting that Providence went 27-3 his final prep season with all three losses being by one run. “We had really good pitching and offensively were good at situational hitting.”
Watson was a key member of the 2016 IHSAA Class 2A state championship squad as a senior. He drew two walks and made two putouts while playing first base and third base in the state championship game and was presented with the L.V. Phillips Mental Attitude Award.
After an injury-plagued stint at Vincennes (Ind.) University, Watson (who has had four knee operations and one hip surgery) moved closer to home, enrolled at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany and joined Scott Hornung’s Providence baseball staff for the 2018 season.
Watson worked toward the Business Administration degree he earned in 2021.
Longtime assistant Scott Hutchins took over the Providence program after the 2019 season. The Pioneers won another 2A state crown in 2021.
Eli Watson — younger brother of Tre’ — was a senior in 2021 and also was named to the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series. Eli is now a redshirt freshman outfielder at Western Kentucky University.
Providence (enrollment around 350) went 18-11 in 2022 and is an athletic independent.
The Pioneers are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping in 2023 with Clarksville, Crawford County, Eastern (Pekin) and Paoli. Providence has won 20 sectional titles — the last two in 2021 and 2022.
Home games are contested on Pioneer Field with its turf infield and Bermuda grass outfield. The synthetic surface makes rainouts a rarity.
Among the eight seniors on the 2023 team are three college commits — middle infielder Grant Borden (Mercer University), right-handed pitcher/third baseman Cody Jackson (Anderson University) and right-hander Grant Seebold (Oakland City University). Sophomore outfielder Cole Huett, who swings and throws lefty, is verbally committed to the University of Virginia. Grant Borden is the brother of Houston Astros minor leaguer Tim Borden II.
Other impact players include seniors Nathan Julius (outfielder), Casey Kaelin (middle infielder) and Brantley Whitlock (first baseman/third baseman) and juniors Jack Beyl (outfielder/right-hander), Luke Kruer (outfielder/right-hander) and Brian Wall (second baseman).
Watson, who expects to have 25 or 26 players for varsity and junior varsity squads, counts Jay Lorenz, Jared Clemons, Brian Jackson, Scott Hornung and Reece Davis among his assistant coaches.
Lorenz squeezed home the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning in the 2016 state title game.
Hornung is Watson’s father-in-law. Tre’ married Jacquie Hornung (Providence Class of 2016 and a former volleyball player at Bellarmine University in Louisville) in 2021. The couple resides in New Albany.
Tre’ Watson was born in Louisville to Charles II (aka Chuck) and Denna Watson and was raised in Jeffersonville, Ind. He was part of successful all-star teams at Jeff/GRC Little League.
Outside of coaching, Watson is business manager of St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish in New Albany.

Brothers Eli Watson (left) and Tre’ Watson celebrate Providence’s IHSAA Class 2A baseball state championship in 2021.

Jacquie Hornung (left) and Tre’ Watson celebrate Providence’s IHSAA Class 2A baseball state championship in 2021. The two were married shortly after this game. Tre’ and Jacquie Watson reside in New Albany, Ind.

Alum Reister emphasizes ‘little things’ with Henryville Hornets

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

Henryville (Ind.) Junior/Senior High School’s uniforms say “Hornets.” But first-year head baseball coach and alum Cody Reister wants “guys that have the dog in them.”
“We want to be tough defensively and on the base paths — someone that executes all the time,” says Reister (Class of 2013). “That’s our focus. Everyone can hit to some extent, but not everyone can do the little things well.”
Reister played for and coached with Jeff Schroeder who led the Henryville for 27 seasons.
As a student and player at Hanover (Ind.) College — where pitched for Panthers coach Shayne Stock (the 6-foot-3 right-hander was 6-1 out of the bullpen as a senior) — Reister would help out Schroeder’s Henyrville teams when he could.
Reister was born in Jeffersonville, Ind., and moved from Salem, Ind., to Henryville in second grade. He played American Legion baseball for Doc Boyd’s Scottsburg Post 234 team and later Ricky Romans’ Floyds Knobs Post 42 squad.
After graduating HC in 2017 with a History degree, Reister came home and became a middle school science teacher and to coach in the boys basketball and baseball programs.
As Henryville approaches the start of official practice March 14, Reister sees six or seven players with mound potential.
During conditioning, his players have been throwing footballs to build up arm strength.
A year ago, Reister worked almost exclusively with pitchers and catchers.
“We threw a ton of fastballs and change-ups,” says Reister. “It’s just as effective as anything if you can do it correctly.”
The competitor in Reister would not have been receptive to the pitch count rule (1 to 35 pitches requires 0 days rest; 36 to 60 requires 1 day; 61 to 80 requires 2 days; 81 to 100 requires 3 days; and 101 to 120 requires 4 days) when he played. But the coach in him understands.
“It puts you in-tune with development and what you’re guys can do,” says Reister. “I understand the reasoning for it.”
Reister, who is assisted by Henrville classmate Bailey Hall as well as Tim Hawkins, expects have have 12 or 13 players in 2022.
“We’re pretty light this year,” says Reister. “We have a bunch of kids in middle school. Hopefully we get them to continue on (with baseball).”
As a feeder system, there is Henryville Youth Sports (wee-ball to 12U) and Henryville Elite (a teams for Grades 6-8 not affiliated with the school that plays in the spring and summer).
The Hornets play on a diamond located on the west side of campus.
“Our field is very, very nice,” says Reister of the facility with Bermuda grass in the infield.
Henryville (enrollment around 300) is a member of the Southern Athletic Conference (with Borden, Crothersville, Lanesville, New Washington and South Central (Elizabeth).
Other non-conference foes include Brownstown Central, Charlestown, Clarksville, Corydon Central, Orleans, Paoli, Perry Central, Providence, Rock Creek Academy, Salem, Seymour, Scottsburg, Silver Creek, Southwestern (Hanvover) and Trinity Lutheran.
In 2021, the Hornets were part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping with Austin, Clarksville, Crawford County, Eastern (Pekin) and Providence. Henryville has won six sectional titles — the last in 2008.
March 2 marked 10 years since a EF4 tornado caused extensive damage to Henryville, killing one person and destroying the schools.
Rise Above Mental Health/Illness is a podcast hosted by Henryville senior athletes Caleb Lehaceanu, J.D. Michael and Tyler Orberson. The latest episode was dedicated to the tornado. Senior Sam Gilles, who was inside the elementary on that unforgettable day in 2012, was a podcast guest.
Reister is to be on the student-led podcast in the near future.
To follow the Hornets, see the Henrville High School Baseball page on Facebook.

Cody Reister.

Henryville (Ind.) Junior/Senior High School’s baseball field.

Wichman raises interest, expectations for Scottsburg Warriors

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

Brian Wichman has helped Scottsburg (Ind.) High School to many baseball successes since taking over the Warriors program.
When he came on board prior to the 2018 season, Scottsburg had not had not posted a record above .500 since 2004 and high school players were not involved in travel ball in the summer.
“We had to get back to the basics and get people interested in ball,” says Wichman. “I’ve tried to really push kids toward travel ball.”
Wichman’s Warriors went 15-13 in 2018, regressed to 9-19 in 2019 with a young squad (there were only two seniors and one junior), missed the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic then sported 19-10 mark in 2021 bolstered by the senior and sophomore classes.
There were 22 players to take on varsity and junior varsity schedules.
Scottsburg (enrollment around 770) is a member of the Mid-Southern Conference (with Austin, Brownstown Central, Charlestown, Clarksville, Corydon Central, Eastern of Pekin, North Harrison, Salem and Silver Creek).
In 2021, the Warriors were part of an IHSAA Class 3A sectional grouping with Brownstown Central, Charlestown, Corydon Central, Madison Consolidated, North Harrison, Salem and Silver Creek (the 2021 host). Scottsburg has won six sectional crowns — the last in 1996.
Scottsburg plays on Warrior Field, an on-campus facility that was laser-graded four years ago and has Bermuda grass.
“It looks really good, especially when we get to May,” says Wichman.
Feeder systems include Scott County Youth League (T-ball through 12U) and a middle school team of seventh and eighth graders that play schools in the MSC and Hoosier Hills Conference.
Wichman, who teaches engineering and welding classes and is involved in Project Lead The Way at Scottsburg, has extensive coaching experiences at the high school and travel ball levels.
His first season was as a Columbus (Ind.) East High School assistant in 1995 while he was doing his student teaching. Wichman graduated from Ball State University with an Industrial Technology degree. He played baseball for one season (1991) at Indiana University Southeast before transferring to BSU.
Wichman served as an assistant at North Harrison High School in Ramsey, Ind., in 1996 and 1997 and helped at Columbus (Ind.) North High School in 2007.
From 2004-14, he ran the Indiana Blazers travel organization and coached for the Indiana Prospects in 2015 and 2016.
Brian and wife Cathy have four sons and all played for the Blazers and other travel teams, including the Indiana Prospects, Cincinnati Flames
Evansville Razorbacks and Indiana Bulls, as well as at Columbus East.
Left-handed pitcher Brian “B.T.” Wichman (Columbus East Class of 2013) was at Murray State University, Gulf Coast Community College and the University of Indianapolis. Peyton Gray, a 2014 Columbus East graduate now in the Kansas City Royals organization, was a high school and GCCC teammate.
Defensive back/catcher Christian Wichman (Columbus East Class of 2014) went to Thomas More University in Crestview Hills, Ky., for football and baseball then transferred to play baseball at the University of West Georgia (Carrollton, Ga.).
Defensive back Noah Wichman (Columbus East Class of 2016) played football at Taylor University in Upland, Ind.
Infielder Jonah Wichman (Columbus East Class of 2019) was on the baseball team at Butler University in Indianapolis in 2020 and 2021 and has transferred to St. Charles Community College (Cottleville, Mo.).
The past two summers, Brian Wichman has been an assistant in the College Summer League at Grand Park — in 2020 with head coach Joe Thatcher’s Park Rangers and in 2021 with head coach Kevin Christman’s Moon Shots.
A 1990 graduate of Seymour (Ind.) High School, Wichman played one varsity season for Owls coach Bob Bowman.

Brian Wichman (Eyes Of The Heart Photography)

The Wichman family (from left): Noah. B.T., Cathy, Brian, Christian and Jonah.

The Wichmans (from left): First row — Cathy and Brian; Second row — Noah, B.T., Jonah and Christian.

Cathy and Brian Wichman.

Brian and Cathy Wichman.

Cathy, B.T. and Brian Wichman.

Brian, Jonah and Cathy Wichman.

Hannon builds relationships with Paoli Rams baseball

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Aaron Hannon was drawn to coaching because of the coach-player relationship.

Hannon enjoyed that as a baseball catcher at John Adams High School‘ in South Bend, Ind., with head coaches Joel Reinebold (now at South Bend Clay) and Scott Sherry (now at Whiteland) and assistant John Huemmer (now at Mishawaka).

“They built that relationship with me,” says Hannon, who is heading into his sixth season as head baseball coach at Paoli (Ind.) High School  in Orange County and is also the defensive coordinator for Rams football. “All three are examples of people who are building people and not just players.

“They took the time to develop kids.”

Hannon played football at Hanover (Ind.) College for Wayne Perry, a man who took the same approach to coaching. 

“He found it just as important to mentor and mold young men and as make football players,” says Hannon. “I respect him and everything he did for me.”

Hannon, who graduated from Adams in 2001 and Hanover in 2005, is emphasizing fundamentals with his Paoli baseball players while building a sense of trust.

“If you can’t do the basic things it’s going to be difficult,” says Hannon. “When we build those relationships, I can ask things of them and they are willing to go the extra mile.

“When they are comfortable, they can have conversation with you that they can’t have when you keep kids at a distance.”

Hannon wants his young athletes to discover the reason for doing things in a certain way.

“Why are we doing this?,” says Hannon. “We have to understand the why.

“The fun part as a coach is seeing the kids take ownership once they understand what’s going on. It’s not just adults pulling the strings.”

Hannon is assisted in 2021 by Springs Valley Junior-Senior High School graduate Chris Meehan and Forest Park Junior-Senior High School alum Jaxon Cronin.

“As coaches, we don’t take things for granted,” says Hannon. “We don’t assume the kid knows something. I think the kids appreciate that.

“We want to make sure we’re all on the same page and in the same flow.”

Hannon wants his players to shoot him straight and he returns the favor.

“You have to be honest,” says Hannon. “Kids respect honesty.”

The same concepts — honesty and communication — are at work for Hannon as a fifth grade math teacher at Throop Elementary in Paoli.

“Feedback is huge,” says Hannon. “Kids can tell you things you had no idea was going on.

“It’s just important for me to listen to what that kid is saying.”

Paoli (enrollment around 430) is a member of the Patoka Lake Athletic Conference (with Crawford County, Mitchell‘, Orleans, Perry Central, Springs Valley and West Washington).

The Rams are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping with Eastern Greene, Linton-Stockton, Mitchell (the 2021 host), North Knox and South Knox‘. Paoli has won eight sectional crowns — the last in 1995.

Aside from conference and sectional games, the Rams are slated to play Eastern (Pekin), Scottsburg, Shoals, Northeast Dubois, Brownstown Central, Henryville, Lanesville, North Harrison and Cannelton. The Rams are to take part in the May 15 Les Page Classic at Loogootee (which also features Princeton Community and Tecumseh).

Paoli play its home games on a lighted on-campus diamond called Trinkle Field. It is named in honor of Ken Trinkle, a Paoli native who pitched for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies in the 1940’s and served as a corporal in the U.S. Army during World War II.

The high school program is fed by seventh and eighth graders who play and practice in the spring on Trinkle Field.

Paoli Youth Diamond Sports serves players age 4 through sixth grade at Paoli Community Park.

With Hannon coaching football and many athletes involved in football, cross country and tennis in the fall, most off-season baseball team activities started after Christmas break.

Of 23 players in the program, one is a senior. With COVID-19 taking away the 2020 season, the last time three of those players appeared in a varsity game was as freshmen in 2019.

“We’ll have lots of competition and varying lineups to see what are best combination is,” says Hannon. “I’m excited. It’s been very fun group to worth with so far.”

Seven seniors graduated in 2020, including current Indiana Tech reserve squad player Aron Busick. 

Aaron and wife Terri Hannon have four children — Michael (17), Tyler (13), Kalyn (11) and Beau (3). Michael Hannon is currently on the Paoli track team. Tyler Hannon plays junior high baseball. Kalyn is involved in elementary volleyball and then goes to youth softball. Beau Hannon is enjoying being a part of it all.

Aaron and Paoli graduate Terri met at Hanover, where she was on the softball team. 

Aaron and wife Terri Hannon have four children — Michael (17), Tyler (13), Kalyn (11) and Beau (3). Michael Hannon is currently on the Paoli track team. Tyler Hannon plays junior high baseball. Kalyn is involved in elementary volleyball and then goes to youth softball. Beau Hannon is enjoying being a part of it all.

Aaron and 1999 Paoli graduate Terri met at Hanover, where she was on the softball team. 

Aaron Hannon (Paoli baseball coach)