Taulman takes the reins at Lawrence North

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Jason Taulman has been a baseball coach at the collegiate level. He has his own training business and started a travel organization.

Now Taulman can add high school head coach to that list.

On Dec. 11, he was named to lead the program at Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis.

The Jason Taulman Pitching owner and Indy Sharks founder was planning to focus on those things in 2024 after ending a three-year run as pitching coach at Marian University in Indianapolis (he has also served in that capacity at Butler University, Ball State University and Saint Joseph’s College).

Except for helping behind the scenes with some teams, this is 1991 West Lafayette (Ind.) Junior/Senior High School/1995 SJC graduate Taulman’s first time as a high school coach.

When Richard Winzenread announced his retirement in late October after 32 years as Lawrence North head coach, Taulman was encouraged to apply.

“He did just a remarkable job,” says Taulman of Winzenread, who led the Wildcats to numerous sectional, conference and county championships with a state runner-up finish in 1999. “He sent so many players into college and pro ball.”

Current minor leaguers include right-handed pitchers Nolan Watson in the San Diego Padres organization, Garrett Burhenn (Detroit Tigers) and Ty Johnson (Chicago Cubs) and catcher/designated hitter Duncan Hewitt (Minnesota Twins).

College players from the past three LN classes include 2021’s Josh Haller (Indiana Wesleyan University), Enas Hayden (Purdue University), Robbie Manuzzi (Wabash College), Caleb Olsen (Indiana Wesleyan University), Calvin Shepherd (LSU Shreveport), Jack Taulman (Olney, Ill., Central College), Tyler Walkup (Marian U.) and Michael Willeke (Marian U.), 2022’s Trevor Jones (Hanover College), Owen Quinn (Ball State University), Jake Winzenread (University of Southern Indiana) and Coby Stephens (Wabash College) and 2023’s Nathan Olsen (Indiana University-Kokomo) and John Morgan (Marian University’s Ancilla College). 

College commit’s from 2024 include Logan Crock (Butler) and Brock Taulman (Frontier Community College in Fairfield, Ill.).

Jason and Kelly Taulman have four sons — Clark (25), Nick (23), Jack (21) and Brock (18). 

Clark graduated from Marian in May. The two youngest Taulman brothers played for Winzenread at LN. Jack is now on the team at Olney Central and Brock (Class of 2024) is still with the Wildcats.

“I was going to put more time into the Sharks and player training (at a private facility on 96th Street in Indianapolis),” says Jason Taulman. “The only reason I put my name in is that some of the boys on the team asked me to.

“We’ll have fun with it.”

Lawrence North (enrollment around 2,850) is a member of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference (with Ben Davis, Indianapolis North Central, Lawrence Central, Pike and Warren Central).

MIC teams play home-and-road two-game series within the same week, typically on consecutive days.

The Wildcats are part of an IHSAA Class 4A sectional grouping in 2024 with Ben Davis, Indianapolis Cathedral, Indianapolis Crispus Attucks, Indianapolis North Central, Lawrence Central and Pike. Lawrence North has won eight sectional titles — the last in 2016.

Taulman’s assistants include LN alum J.T. Burns, who coached with Winzenread and is also a coach with the Indy Sharks, plus two hired by Winzenread who helped guide the Wildcats during the fall IHSAA Limited Contact Period in Cam Cook and Cole Sherman (Lawrence North Class of 2019 and a former Hanover player). Taulman is seeking a head junior varsity coach.

A meeting of coaches and administrators was planned to map on gym space and schedule winter Limited Contact Period practice sessions.

Lawrence North will have a new varsity field in the spring. When the 2023 season wrapped, construction began on the old JV field and a stadium with turf, lights and seating was placed there. 

The adjacent original dirt-and-grass varsity field will be used for practice as well as JV and freshmen games.

Besides various travel teams, the Lawrence North program is fed by seventh and eighth grade teams at Fall Creek Valley Middle School plus Fall Creek Softball & Baseball, Oaklandon Youth Organization and Skiles Test Baseball and Softball.

Jason Taulman. (Lawrence North High School Photo)

Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis.

All-Marion County baseball team selected for 2021

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

Marion County high school baseball coaches have selected their all-county team for 2021.
The first team features six seniors — Southport catcher Landon Godsey, Lawrence Central first baseman Charlie Hawk, Warren Central second baseman Gavin DeBerry, Lawrence North outfielder Enas Hayden, Park Tudor outfielder C.J. Richmond and Lawrence North pitcher Cal Shepard. Also honored are junior pitcher Andrew Dutkanych of Brebeuf Jesuit, Indianapolis Lutheran junior shortstop Sean Moore sophomore outfielder Jordan Alexander of Warren Central.
Second-teamers include four seniors — Decatur Central catcher Nico Avila, Franklin Central first baseman Cyrus Robinson and Lawrence North third baseman Tyler Walkup — plus six juniors in second baseman Trevor Jones of Lawrence North, outfielders Keyshaun Pipken of North Central, Owen Quinn of Lawrence North and Johnny Roeder of Roncalli and pitchers Phil Pritchett of Franklin Central and Jayden Anderson of Lawrence Central.
Brebeuf’s Jeff Scott was chosen as the Marion County Coach of the Year.

ALL-MARION COUNTY BASEBALL TEAM
(Class of 2021 Unless Noted)
First Team
C — Landon Godsey (Southport).
1B — Charlie Hawk (Lawrence Central).
2B — Gavin DeBerry (Warren Central).
3B — Jack Moroknek (Brebeuf Jesuit).
SS — Jr. Sean Moore (Indianapolis Lutheran).
OF — Enas Hayden (Lawrence North).
OF — C.J. Richmond (Park Tudor).
OF — So. Jordan Alexander (Warren Central).
P — Cal Shepard (Lawrence North).
P — Jr. Andrew Dutkanych (Brebeuf Jesuit).

Second Team
C — Nico Avila (Decatur Central).
1B — Cyrus Robinson (Franklin Central).
2B — Jr. Trevor Jones (Lawrence North).
3B — Tyler Walkup (Lawrence North).
SS — Cole Beckman (Roncalli).
OF — Jr. Keyshaun Pipkin (North Central).
OF — Jr. Owen Quinn (Lawrence North).
OF — Jr. Johnny Roeder (Roncalli).
P — Jr. Phil Pritchett (Franklin Central).
P — Jr. Jayden Anderson (Lawrence Central).
Coach of the Year: Jeff Scott (Brebeuf Jesuit).