Sam Pesa recently completed his second baseball season at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Ind. A right-handed swinger and thrower, he played mostly first base and a little outfield. The 5-foot-9, 205-pounder played in 52 games (48 starts) for the 2023 Cougars and hit .245 (38-of-155) with eight home runs, four doubles, 39 runs batted in and 28 runs scored. In two seasons at USF, Pesa has played in 104 games (94 starts) and is hitting .260 (78-of-300) with 17 homers, 10 doubles, 80 RBIs and 50 runs. “Something we preach at Saint Francis is timing and rhythm,” says Pesa. “Early in the (ball-strike) count I look for something in my (strike) zone I can hit hard. I think about hitting that fast ball to right-center and be on-time to hit the off-speed to left-center. “Late in the count, you’ve just got to protect the zone. I just do my best to get the bat on the ball and put it in-play.” Pesa, who turns 21 in July, also has keys on defense. “One thing that I always have done is prep-stepping and being ready right at the point of contact so I can react to the ball off the bat,” says Pesa. “It’s definitely more difficult at first to react to those ones right at you. In the outfield, you have to be able to notice and follow the swing path because that will determine the ball flight and where you need to be to catch the ball or take it off the ground and throw it.” Dustin Butcher is head coach at Saint Francis. “I love playing for Coach Butch,” says Pesa. “He’s a great guy. He’ll always have your back and fight for you. “He’s very knowledgeable about the game and he’s definitely a very good leader.” Away from the field, Pesa is a Business Administration major. Pesa is a 2021 graduate of Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger High School. “It was very enjoyable,” says Pesa of his time at Dwenger. “I made a lot of lifelong friends there. I enjoyed football and baseball a lot.” A linebacker on the gridiron, Pesa says he takes an aggressive and team mindset to the diamond. “You’ve got to compete on every single play. You’ve got to trust that if you do your job the guys are you will do theirs, too.” Jason Garrett is the head coach for Bishop Dwenger Saints football and baseball. “When I think of Coach Garrett I think of a very faith-filled person and a great leader,” says Pesa. “He’s one of the favorite coaches that I’ve had. He’s a terrific guy. I always loved playing for him.” Born in Fort Wayne, Pesa grew up in the Cherry Hill section of town and played at Saint Joe Little League. Travel teams included the Wallen Jackers (coached by Sam Nolan, father of Xavier Nolan, who is now at Saint Francis teammate), Fort Wayne Diamondbacks and Summit City Sluggers. After not playing the past two summers, Pesa is now with the Prospect League’s Terre Haute (Ind.) Rex. Splitting time between first base and right field, he drove in seven runs in his first six games. Sam is the oldest of Dwenger alums Paul and Jen Pesa’s three children. Lindsey Pesa played volleyball and softball at Dwenger and is heading into her sophomore year at Purdue University. Ali Pesa also plays those two sports and will be a Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic School eight grader in the fall.
Moneyball — the film based on the non-fiction book “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game” by Michael Lewis — came out in 2011. Brodey Heaton was 9 or 10 and living in Newburgh, Ind., when he first saw it. “I liked the storyline and as I grew up and started getting more into math and statistics it just started becoming my favorite movie,” says Heaton, who is a first baseman — the same position played by Scott Hatteberg of the Oakland Athletics in real life and the film. Now 22 and a 6-foot-5, 235-pounder at NCAA Division I Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., Heaton has already earned an undergraduate degree in Applied Mathematics. With an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Heaton plans to play for the Bruins again in 2024 while pursuing a Master of Sport Administration. Batting primarily in the 3-hole, Heaton has played in 52 games (50 starts) in 2023 and is hitting .241 (46-of-191) with six home runs, 10 doubles, 33 runs batted in, 28 runs scored and .724 OPS (.326 on-base percentage plus .398 slugging average). “I try to drive in runs or be productive for the team — try to have a tough at-bat and set up the rest of the lineup the best I can,” says Heaton, who went 2-of-3 and scored a run Tuesday, May 16 at Tennessee. For his college career, the righty swinger/thrower has played in 174 games (172 starts) and is hitting .286 (191-of-669) with 23 homers, 39 doubles, 149 RBIs, 97 runs and .825 OPS (.360/.465). Heaton was an all-Ohio Valley Conference tournament team in 2022. If Belmont (23-30, 8-16) qualifies for the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference tourney, that event is May 23-27 at Indiana State. Teammates voted Heaton and left-handed pitcher Andy Bean as co-captains for 2023. “Part of my job is the communicate between the coaches and the rest of the team,” says Heaton. “And to be an extra coach out there. Since I’ve probably been here the longest I help the new guys out and give them little pointers when they need it. “It’s also being a relaxing presence for people and showing them the way we do things at Belmont.” In that way, Heaton is a reflection of his veteran head coach. Dave Jarvis is in his 26th season as Belmont head coach and 41st year of coaching overall. “He’s a calm presence in the dugout,” says Heaton of Jarvis. “He’s always positive. He’s always telling us to be calm and ready for the moment.” Heaton benefits from physical strength and mental acuity, honed by playing football (tight end), basketball (power forward) and baseball (first base) at Castle High School, where he graduated in 2019. “Strength is a big part of my game now,” says Heaton. “I’ve always been naturally strong but in my years at Belmont I’ve put in a lot more work in the weight room. I’ve gotten a lot more strength, especially in my lower body. I’ve worked with our strength coach (assistant sports performance coach Jarett Thompson) just to stay healthy and strong. “It’s paid dividends for me. “I’m not the quickest. Playing three sports in high school has made me more athletic. My Baseball I.Q. helps me know what’s going on and get to balls or take extra bases.” Curt Welch was Heaton’s head baseball coach in high school, instilling drive and providing life lessons. “He is super competitive,” says Heaton of Welch. “He wants it a lot out there and he takes that into his teams. “He has that attention to detail. You can just tell that he wants to make us competitive. I really appreciated playing for him.” As a senior, Heaton hit .392 and was named to the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series in Madison and was all-state honorable mention, first-team all-Southern Indiana Athletic Conference and the All-Metro Player of the Year. He helped the Knights win two sectionals and two regionals. Growing up in Newburgh, Heaton started out with local teams, played Newburgh Junior Baseball in middle school and was with the Indiana Bulls travel organization from 11U to 17U. Sean Laird was the head coach in his 17U summer. He then went with the Jeremy Johnson-coached Evansville Razorbacks before heading to Belmont. After his freshman season with the Bruins, Heaton went to College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. Early in the 2021 spring season, he suffered a torn labrum in his left hip and partially-torn quadriceps and played through it. Surgery kept him off the field that summer. Heaton played for the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s Ocean State Waves in 2022 and expects to go back to South Kingstown, R.I., this summer. Bryan and Crystal Heaton have two children — Brodey and Katelyn (19). Bryan Heaton is a project manager for Toyota. Crystal Heaton is in the finance department of Deaconess Health System. Katelyn Heaton is studying speech therapy at Murray (Ky.) State University.
Scholar Athlete Spotlight on Belmont U.’s Brodey Heaton (Missouri Valley Conference)
Brock Boynton came from a very successful prep baseball program and he’s experienced more of the same in college. The 2019 graduate of Penn High School in Mishawaka, Ind., where the Kingsmen have won five state titles and numerous conference, sectional, regional and semistate crowns, landed at NCAA Division II dynamo Quincy (Ill.) University. The Hawks (44-9 overall, 27-5 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in 2023) are on a 14-game win streak after winning the GLVC tournament and host a D-II Midwest Region tournament Thursday to Saturday, May 18-20. The winner of the event that also includes Wayne State and Northwood moves on to a best-of-three super regional for a chance to compete in the D-II World Series June 3-10 in Cary, N.C. Quincy, which calls QU Stadium (built in 1938 under the Works Project Administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt), is No. 4 in the Collegiate Baseball D-II poll and No. 1 in the NCAA Midwest D-II rankings. A lefty batting and throwing senior center fielder, Boyton has played in 51 games (50 starts) and is hitting .294 (52-of-177) with eight home runs, eight doubles, 41 runs batted in, 42 runs scored and an .849 OPS (.374 on-base percentage plus .475 slugging average). Quincy opened the 2023 season in Florida and went 4-3 against traditional D-II powers Tampa, Saint Leo and Rollins. Boynton hit .387 (12-of-31) on the trip. “I felt pretty good,” says Boynton of that start. “I came back up (north) and struggled a little bit. “I’m just trying to ride the wave — not get too high or get too low — and just take one pitch at a time. It know there are times coming up where the team is going to need you. This is playoff baseball. Every pitch counts. It doesn’t matter if you’re hitting or on defense, you’ve got to put everything aside. It’s a new season. I’m going up the plate every single time to do a job for my team. “Our inside joke for our hitters is “The Union: We do jobs.” During his four-year QU career, Boynton has been in 161 games (157 starts) and is hitting .304 (164-of-539) with 16 homers, 22 doubles, 104 RBIs, 122 runs and an .847 OPS (.398/.449). With Boynton on the team, Quincy is 120-55. Boynton really takes satisfaction from his impact on defense. “It’s everything,” says Boynton. “Because baseball is a very hard sport and you’ve got guys being paid millions of dollars to fail 7 out of 10 times. A buddy always told me, ‘Your offense will always come and go, but your defense can always stay.’ That has always sat with me. “I take so much pride in the outfield and being that leader in center field. To take runs away (from the other team) and be there for your pitcher. My nickname on the team is ‘Golden Retriever.’ I’m going to chase down that ball for you.” Among his favorite MLB players are Mike Trout and Bryce Harper. “You look at photos of me back in rec ball and I had the eye black nearly down to my chin,” says Boynton. “Those are two guys I model my game on.” Quincy’s head coach for Boynton’s first two seasons was Josh Rabe (who played 38 games in the majors with the Minnesota Twins in 2006 and 2007). Matt Schissel has guided the program the past two. “The knowledge that (Rabe) has is unbelievable,” says Boynton of the man who is now Quincy’s athletic director. “That dude has seen a lot of baseball. I tried to be a sponge around him. “(Hitting coach/recruiting coordinator) Chandler Purcell played for Josh. He has done an excellent job.” The 2023 Hawks are led by junior catcher and GLVC Player of the Year Luke Napleton (.359, 27 homers, 83 RBIs). “Our lineup is very scary because 1 through 9 can change the game in one swing,” says Boynton. “That’s what sets us apart from any other team we play.” Boynton, who turns 23 in July, received his diploma Monday, May 15 and graduated with a Sport Management degree. Though he is entitled to a fifth season, his plan is to play this summer for the Northwoods League’s Kokomo (Ind.) Jackrabbits and try to make his way into independent pro baseball. “I’m putting all my chips out on the table and betting on myself this season and this summer,” says Hobbs. “I know I have the tools to play at the next level.” Johnston Hobbs, who earned a Master of Kinesiology degree from Indiana University, has been named as Kokomo head coach/manager for 2023. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder spent the summer of 2022 honing his game at PRP Baseball in Noblesville, Ind. He was briefly with the 2021 Quincy Gems of the Prospect League and spent 2020 with the Northwoods League’s Kalamazoo (Mich.) Mac Daddies. Boynton was born in South Bend, Ind., and grew up on the south side of Osceola, Ind. He started organized baseball at what is now Penn Park in Osceola through 12U and moved on to Harris Township Black, the Granger Irish (coached by father Brad Boynton and Rick Berg) and then in high school the South Bend Cubs Elite. “There were all the same faces in high school and travel ball which is awesome,” says Boynton. A stint with the Illinois-based 29ers (now Midwest Hitmen) for a tournament in Georgia is how he got connected to Quincy. At Penn, Boynton played for Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Greg Dikos. “Coach Dikos will go down as one of the best baseball coaches I’ve ever had in my life,” says Boynton. “That man means the world to me. “He’s a Founding Father of 574 Baseball in my opinion. There’s no other coach in (north central) Indiana that has the accolades that man has.” Besides all the rings, Dikos has amassed more than 800 career victories. A memory for Boynton is Dikos bringing out a training device when he wanted the Kingsmen — on the way to a school record number of home runs — to level out their upper-cut swings. “We were hitting too many pop flies,” says Boynton. “With this flat red tee if you didn’t have a flat swing you were busting your bat or you were busting this tee. You either hit the ball on the ground or it became a line drive.” Guess what Quincy, a team that has D-II-leading 118 home runs, uses? “Every single day here we use that flat red tee,” says Boynton. “I thought I’d never see it again since leaving high school.” Boynton also shined for Penn on the gridiron. He caught a game-winning touchdown at Elkhart Central and was featured on ESPN and saluted by Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss during his “You Got Mossed!” segment in October 2018. The same fall, Boynton committed to Quincy for baseball. He was invited to play football at QU as a receiver/kick returner but decided to focus on the diamond. “I love football,” says Boynton. “That is a different side of me. I had a lot more offers for baseball. The fact that my parents don’t have to pay a single cent for me to go to school here is the cherry on top.” Even though it’s a 770-mile roundtrip from Osceola to Quincy and back and closest GLVC school (Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill.) is 117 miles one-way, Brad and Stephanie Boynton are able to get to all of Brock’s games. Brad Boynton was a sophomore starting center fielder on the Kingsmen’s first state championship team in 1994. He now works at Hoosier Spring Company in South Bend. Stephanie Boynton owns Artistic Hair in South Bend. Younger brother Hunter Boynton (Penn Class of 2021) was a high school wrestler and is now an electrician for Weaver Electric & Heating Corp., in Mishawaka.
Khal Stephen was accustomed to being a baseball starting pitcher prior to arriving at Purdue University. The 2021 graduate of Seeger Memorial Junior-Senior High School in West Lebanon, Ind., was used exclusively out of the Boilermakers bullpen in 2022 with a team-leading 23 mound appearances. As a Purdue freshman, the right-hander went 3-4 with two saves, an 8.34 earned run average, 38 strikeouts and 18 walks in 33 2/3 innings. His WHIP (walks and hits per inning) was 1.69 and opponents hit .287 against him. In the summer of 2022, Khal (pronounced Cal) was with the Prospect League’s Danville (Ill.) Dans and earned the circuit’s Roland Hemond Pro Prospect of the Year Award after going 4-0 with a 2.02 ERA and 36 strikeouts vs. 19 hits in 26 2/3 innings. He started in three of five mound appearances. “It is crazy with your mental ability to approach a week with the knowledge that this is my day,” says Stephen. “Without a doubt a starting role is what I wanted to be in last year and where I always wanted to be. “I’m very blessed and happy with my situation now.” In 12 appearances (12 starts) in 2023, he is 7-2 with 3.93 ERA, 58 strikeouts and 24 walks in 66 1/3 innings. His WHIP is 1.19 and foes are hitting .224. His last outing came May 5 and he tied tied career- and season-high marks with eight strikeouts and went a career-best eight innings. “If starters go deep, especially on Fridays, it’ll set up your bullpen throughout the weekend so you’re not using three or four guys a game.” Stephen’s next start is scheduled for Friday, May 12 against Indiana University in Bloomington. The Boilers go into the three-game series at 23-23 overall and 10-8 in the Big Ten. “It’ll be a fired-up for sure,” says Stephen. The 6-foot-4, 225 pound athlete throws a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, slider and change-up. The four-seamer tends to sit at 92 to 94 mph and touches 96. The two-seamer has more sink and is clocked at 91 to 93 mph. The slider has more downward than sweeping movement. Stephen’s “circle” change possesses arm-side action with depth. The former high school quarterback delivers these pitches from a high three-quarter arm slot. “That gives me more ride on my fastball and more deception to the hitter,” says Stephen. “Being at the stature I am I’m able to get that downward plane on a fastball and throw a slider off of it. It just plays really well.” Greg Goff is Purdue’s head coach. What Stephen values most about the Boilers’ field boss is his energy and enthusiasm. “He’s a voice you keep hearing that’s encouraging for everybody,” says Stephen. “That’s really nice. “He’s a coach that cares about every player as well as the whole team.” After Chris Marx leading hurlers in 2022, Boilers pitching coach duties this season are handled by Terry Rooney. “I love working with Coach Rooney,” says Stephen. “The way he carries himself and says things, he’s very professional. “He’s just a very ‘real’ coach. He’s not going to say your pitch is good when it’s not. I appreciate how true everything he says is.” Rooney is the one who builds the pitchers’ schedule so they will be ready to fulfill their respective roles. The summer before coming to Purdue, Stephen played in the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. This summer plans call for him to join the Cape Cod League’s Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. Born in Danville, Ill., Stephen grew up on a farm near Williamsport, Ind., and close to Seeger. He took part in rec ball until he was about 12 and played travel ball for the Illinois-based Illiana Chiefs, Lafayette-based Northern Stars and Indiana Nitro. Tim Burns was his Nitro head coach. Like older brothers Kohle Stephen (Class of 2012) and Khayne Stephen (Class of 2019), Khal was on the football (QB, receiver and safety), basketball (power forward and post) and baseball (pitcher and shortstop) teams at Seeger. While he earned 11 varsity letters, his head coaches were Herb King on the gridiron, John Collins on the hardwood and Reed Foxworthy on the diamond. “He did not have a whole lot of words, but when he had something to say everyone had all eyes on him,” says Stephen of Foxworthy. “He led the team like manager should. Everyone had respect for him.” In the spring of 2021, Stephen posted a 1.35 ERA and collected 100 strikeouts and just seven walks in 51 2/3 innings and holding opponents to a .165 batting average. With a bat in his hands, Stephen hit .541 with 26 extra-base hits and 40 runs batted in. The 2021 Lafayette Journal & Courier Small School Area Player of the Year was named to the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series in Evansville. The 2020 Journal & Courier’s Area Defensive Player of the Year was also picked for the 2021 Indiana Football Coaches Association North/South All-Star Game but was unable to play because of a schedule conflict. The COVID-19 pandemic took away the 2020 high school baseball season. In 2019, Stephen fanned 99 varsity batters. On the academic side, Stephen is a Finance major. Khal is the young of Mark and Kris Stephen’s three sons. “My parents are crazy supportive in a great way,” says Stephen. “I don’t think my mom’s missed any game — not just when I’m pitching. This dates back to when I’m 10. “My dad’s a farmer and this is a super-busy time. But every (start) my dad’s there.”
Brendon Saget played on Traders Point Christian Academy’s first baseball team in 2013 and graduated from the school in Whitestown, Ind., that same spring. Darin Grice was the head coach of that inaugural team during the pre-IHSAA era. Two decades later, Saget is in his first season as Knights head baseball coach. He had previously coached junior high basketball and baseball at the school and helped with varsity basketball, baseball and volleyball and in the athletic office. He’s also coached travel baseball for the Indy Thrashers, Indy Titans and Primetime Baseball. More recently, Saget coached eighth grade baseball at Zionsville (Ind.) Middle School and basketball at Zionsville West Middle School as well as serving as a junior varsity basketball assistant at Zionsville Community High School. Traders Point Christian (enrollment around 100) is an athletic independent. The Knights are part of an IHSAA Class 1A sectional grouping in 2023 with Bethesda Christian, Indiana Deaf, Providence Cristo Rey and Tindley. Traders Point won the program’s first IHSAA Class 1A sectional championships in 2021 and 2022. Saget looks to build on that success while establishing his own program. “Accountability and hard work are what we try to prioritize,” says Saget. “And doing things the right way.” Multi-sport athletes are the rule for the Knights. “We feel like we have a gold mine here at Traders Point with a great Christian education and giving our athletes a chance to play multiple sports. “It’s good for our football players to see a different perspective from a different coach.” Saget, who is the third head baseball coach at Traders Point in four years, considers himself a “free” coach. “I like to teach the game in practice and then go out in the games and let the kids play,” says Saget. “Let the kids understand, let them experiment and figure things out. That’s the way to learn the game. “We fail and learn from it.” Traders Point plays its home games 24 miles from campus at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. To be closer, Senior Night is scheduled for May 12 vs. Crispus Attucks at Zionsville West. Saget’s assistants are Clayton Sayre, Drew Minnich and volunteers James Gilbert and Ben Wilson. Sayre and Saget have coached together in some capacity for the past decade. Pitching coach Minnich is a Traders Point teacher and a former pitcher at NorthWood High School in Nappanee, Ind., and Cedarville (Ohio) University. “He’s implemented a lot of great things, trying to keep our guys healthy,” says Saget of Minnich. Gilbert has helped for four years and has a son — senior Jameson Gilbert — on the team. Wilson is a Traders Point alum and former player. He helps with pitchers and runs the strength and conditioning program. The varsity-only roster of 15 also features seniors Max Harris and Eli Meals. Second baseman/right-handed pitcher Harris is committed to Manchester University (North Manchester, Ind.). Meals aka “Meals on Wheels” is the Knights’ lead-off hitter, starting shortstop and pitching ace and is currently uncommitted for college. “He is just lightning fast on the base paths,” says Saget of Meals, who is also a standout as a football wideout. “He can read like no other. He just has a knack for the game. He’s very quiet, but he shows so much passion and heart on the field. “He gives his teammates of what an elite athlete looks like.” Traders Point also has a K-8 school. While numbers are too low this spring for games, there is a junior high program led by alum and former Ivy Tech Northeast Community College player Camden Pavey. Sage says clinics and other opportunities are planned for younger players this summer. Little League Central Region Complex is in Whitestown — less than two miles away from Traders Point. “We’re building a relationship with them and looking to serve at their field and have them partner with our youth programs,” says Saget. Born and raised in Burbank, Calif., Saget moved up to the Bay Area — thus his allegiance to the Oakland Athletics — then to Indiana as a youngster. He started at Traders Point as a sophomore. The middle and high school school director at Zionsville Presbyterian Church, Saget graduated from Grand Canyon University (online) with a degree in Christian Arts with an emphasis in Youth Ministry. He is working toward a Masters of Ministerial Leadership from the University of Northwestern-St. Paul (online) and will then pursue a Masters of Divinity from the same school. “I’m living my dream,” says Saget. “I’m a youth pastor as well as the varsity baseball coach at Traders Point.”
Jeremy Wiersema left the diamond behind for a time. When he came back, he started to excel on the baseball field for Bethel University in Mishawaka, Ind., especially on the base paths. The Allendale (Mich.) High School graduate was a standout in soccer, football, basketball and baseball during his prep days. He was all-state as a kicker/punter as well as all-conference and all-district in baseball and all-conference in basketball and soccer. Wiersema stayed near home to be a football kicker at Grand Valley State University in Allendale. When that experience didn’t meet his expectations he decided to follow another Allendale alum — Cooper Tolson — to Bethel baseball. Wiersema redshirted in his first football season at GVSU. The next year the season was wiped out because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I really didn’t like it that much,” says Wiersema. “We’d have five-hour practices and only kicking for 15 minutes. It’s not very fun. “My buddy Cooper texted me. He said (Bethel) needs middle infielders.” Next thing you know Wiersema is at Bethel — joining the baseball team for the spring semester in 2020 — and working toward a Sport Management degree. He will get that next month. With another year of college athletic eligibility, Wiersema is considering coming back in the fall. Only he’s thinking about changing to golf. “I just like to switch up,” says Wiersema, who carries a 3.7 handicap. Wiersema and first baseman Tolson were two of six Bethel baseball players honored Friday, April 21 on Senior Day. The others are center fielder Andrew Miranda, third baseman Alex Stout and pitchers Hunter Crist and Sam Lewandowski. In 2023, Wiersema, has been at or near the top among NAIA leaders in stolen bases. After the Pilots’ first 44 games, he was No. 1 with 40 (in 44 attempts). LSU Shreveport senior Ryan Major was second with 39. Indiana University Purdue University-Columbus freshman Wyatt Sutton was fourth with 35. Along the way Wiersema has surpassed the Bethel single-season record of 37 set by Kawambe Moss is 2021. “I just like to do it,” says Wiersema of pilfering bags. “I’ve done it more in college because I’ve figured out the pitching and whatnot and how to steal bases.” Wiersema stole 22 in 2022 and has copped multiple bases in a game a dozen times, including four and three against Taylor and three twice vs. Indiana Wesleyan and once vs. Marian. Batting No. 2 in Bethel coach Seth Zartman’s order, the righty-swinging second baseman is hitting .379 with 15 doubles, four home runs, 26 runs batted in and 37 runs scored. His on-base percentage is .413. “I try to come to the (batter’s) box with a clear mindset,” says Wiersema. “I just really try to focus on driving the ball and hitting it hard somewhere and from there just hustling to first base. “I’m trying to get on every time. I have a green light (from Zartman). I go off what I feel and my reads.” The oversized sliding glove — which looks like an oven mitt — has become prevalent in baseball the last few years. Wiersema now wears one on his right hand but not for necessarily for sliding. “I didn’t even use one last year,” says Wiersema. “In the first game of the season we were traveling south and I jammed a finger on my right hand. “(The glove) is just there to protect it.” Bethel has four more regular-season games left — Crossroads League doubleheaders Friday and Saturday, April 28-29 — at Grace. If the Pilots qualify for the league tournament, that is slated May 3-8 at Huntington.
Lane Miller’s final college baseball season is ending with him performing a different function than when he began. Before the 2023 campaign at Indiana State University, Miller announced he would join the U.S. Marines after the season and apply for Officer Candidates School (OCS) in Quantico, Va. He has completed a Sport Management degree and Master of Business Administration (MBA) certification at ISU and is now working on a Sports Leadership minor. “I talked to the coaches and my priority was going to be to get ready for that,” says Miller. “I was just going to be a leader on the team and help where I needed to help.” He coached up his teammates, gathered statistics and contributed to scouting reports.” Then came a need for him to pitch. He made starts March 28 against Purdue, April 2 against Illinois-Chicago, April 9 against Illinois State, April 16 against Belmont and — in an adjusted schedule — is slated to start again Monday, April 24 against Missouri Valley Conference foe Southern Illinois at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute. 6-foot-4, 211-pound right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.95 earned run average. He has 16 strikeouts and eight walks in 27 2/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .196 against him. With a 10-2 victory at No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 22 Indiana State ran its win streak to 11 (Illinois-Chicago two games, Indiana, Illinois State three games, Purdue, Belmont three games and Vandy). It’s the second double-digit streak since Mitch Hannahs has been head coach. The Sycamores previously won 12 in a row in 2014. Through April 19, Indiana State was No. 12 in the NCAA Division I RPI (Rating Percentage Index) rankings. “Everybody is taking it game-by-game,” says Miler. “We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. Coach Hannahs says, ‘anywhere anytime.’ That’s how it is in college baseball right now. Any team can beat anybody at anytime.” Miller says the Sycamores are out to prove that they deserve the recognition. “We just pick each other up on good days and bad days and keep moving forward,” says Miller. Consistency is what Miller sees when he looks at Hannahs. “It’s knowing that we’re going to get the same thing every day when we show up at the field. I know he has a high expectation not only for himself, but for his coaches and the team as a whole. “His loyalty to us is second to none.” Miller, who made 15 mound appearances (18 innings) 2020-22, works closest with Sycamores pitching coach Justin Hancock. “He’s very determined,” says Miller of Hancock. “He knows what he wants out of the pitching staff and each player. He holds them to a high standard. “His standard never falters on a daily basis.” Miller throws a two-seam fastball, change-up and slider and has been working in a pitch that is a mix of slider and curve. Depending on the count or situation, he also change arm slots — over-the-top or sidearm. Throwing from the side, his two-seamer moves left to right and slider right to left. “I’ve done a good job of not doing one or the other (arm slot) too much,” says Miller. “I’m a very quick pitcher. I tend to work fast. With the 20-second pitch clock rule the faster I work the less time the hitter gets to think. “It’s really worked to my benefit.” Born in Evansville, Ind., to a military family, Miller spent early years in South Carolina and Idaho, and settled in Boonville, Ind., in his seventh grade year. He played most of his travel ball in middle school and high school with the Ironmen. Lane is the son of Todd Miller and Summer (Hart) Williams. His father was in the military for more than 20 years, serving in the U.S. Navy and with the Special Forces. His mother played basketball at the University of Evansville. Sister Daleigh Miller is an Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis senior. Brother Caiden Miller is a Marine. A 2017 graduate of Boonville High School, Miller was an all-Pocket Athletic Conference performer in football, basketball and baseball. On the diamond, his head coach was Cory Julian. “He held me to a higher standard than he did anybody else,” says Miller of Julian. “He counted on me to be the leader of the team.” Miller played multiple positions for the Pioneers in all three sports — wide receiver, quarterback, cornerback, punter and kicker in football, forward and center in basketball and first base, third base, shortstop outfield and pitcher in baseball. Miller played with the Terre Haute Rex at the end of the summer of 2022. He was with the Local Legends of the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., in 2021. He did not play summer ball in 2020 — the year of limited opportunities because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The righty was Pitcher of the Year with the Saugerties (N.Y.) Stallions of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League in 2019. He was with the Rex in 2018. He went to summer school at Indiana University in 2017. Recruited by Chris Lemonis (who departed IU for Mississippi State), Miller left after the fall and transferred to ISU. He sat out the first year with the Sycamores and also underwent foot surgery as a freshman and had surgery on both hips in 2020.
Jack Van Remortel was born and raised in the middle of America. Baseball has allowed him to see the USA from from coast-to-coast. And he’s only 23. Carmel, Ind., native Van Remortel is a fifth-year senior first baseman at the University of Michigan. The Wolverines were to open the 2023 home season today (March 8) after games in Arizona, California and Texas. “It’s good to play some high-quality opponents early in the season,” says Van Remortel, whose already gone against Fresno State, Michigan State, UC San Diego, Grand Canyton, Cal State Fullerton, UCLA, UC Irvine, UCLA, Texas Christian, Texas Tech and Louisville. “You learn the things you need to work on as a team. “I always think about how awesome it is where the game of baseball takes you. Being able to see these cool parks and places is really neat.” Van Remortel went to the Wolverines after graduating from Carmel High School in 2018. He appeared in 16 Michigan games as a pinch-hitter and in the infield in 2019 then played for the New England Collegiate Baseball League’s Sanford (Maine) Mariners. “That was a great experience,” says Van Remortel. “I got my first taste of summer ball.” The 2020 NCAA season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic and Van Remortel got into two U-M games with one at-bat. At the suggestion of then-Wolverines head coach Erik Bakich, Van Remortel went to Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., to play for Jeremiah Robbins in 2020-21 with the idea of coming back to Michigan. “I went to get some at-bats and some experience,” says Van Remortel, who appeared in 37 games and rapped four home runs and drove in 28 runs in for the IronHawks. Relationships and connections took Van Remortel to Oregon. Michigan catcher Casey Buckley, who also went from Michigan to Umpqua and back to the Wolverines, is a California native and the son of Troy Buckley (now pitching coach at Fresno State). The elder Buckley is a friend of Bakich and Robbins, who led Lewis and Clark State to three titles (2015, 2016 and 2017) and two runner-up finishes at the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. “I went out there for Coach Robbins and to learn under him,” says Van Remortel, who briefly played with the 2021 Bellingham (Wash.) Bells of the West Coast League before experiencing a ankle injury and went back to that team for a month in the summer of 2022. “I’ve been all over the country,” says Van Remortel. Primarily a third baseman in high school, Van Remortel has found a home at first base and explains how he approaches the position. “When I’m on the field I always like to be talking and communicating,” says Van Remortel. “That’s important. And then just being the steady force over there. Having some stability at that spot is key. A lot of plays go through first base. “Baseball is really catching and throwing the ball when you break it down on defense. Being able to make those long throws is an advantage.” A Sport Management major, Van Remortel is scheduled to graduate in the spring. What’s next? “My passion is in baseball,” says Van Remortel. “I’ve always wanted to stay in sports. Recently I’ve leaned toward coaching. “Coaching college players is something I’d be really passionate about. I’ve learned a lot in college. It’s a great age to grow and develop.” Van Remortel got his start in travel ball with Indiana Mustangs and played for the Indiana Nitro then several years with the Indiana Bulls. A four-year varsity player at Carmel, Van Remortel had Dan Roman as head coach his freshman and sophomore seasons and Matt Buczkowski for his junior and senior campaigns for the Greyhounds. “It’s kind of cool to see how different people approach the game. Having two different perspectives from Coach Roman and Coach Buczkowski is really good,” says Van Remortel, who was all-state and all-conference in baseball and all-conference in football at Carmel. He is seeing another perspective this season in Ann Arbor. Tracy Smith, a graduate of South Newton High School in Kentland, Ind., and former head coach at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio), Indiana University and Arizona State University, is now head coach at Michigan. Three members of Smith’s staff — associate head coach/recruiting coordinator Ben Greenspan, pitching coach Brock Huntzinger and director of operations Danny Stolper — worked with him at ASU. Former big league catcher, Indiana University and Terre Haute North Vigo High School product Josh Phegley is Director of Player Development for the Wolverines. Tyler Graham is volunteer coach/hitting instructor. Hunter Satterthwaite is director of data analytics. Jack is the oldest of David and Kelly Van Remortel’s two children. Lauren Van Remortel is 21 and a senior volleyball player at Northern Michigan University. David Van Remortel played rugby at University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse. Kelly (Niedbalski) Van Remortel played volleyball at Purdue University. Uncle Chris Gambol played offensive line at the University of Iowa and in the National Football League for the Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions and New England Patriots.
A year ago, Gage Stanifer was preparing for his senior baseball season at Westfield (Ind.) High School. This week, the right-handed pitcher heads to Dunedin, Fla., for his first spring training camp. Stanifer made 10 mound appearances for Westfield (eight starts) and went 5-2 with a 0.74 earned run average, 83 strikeouts and 32 walks in 38 innings in 2022 and was selected for the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion as a North pitcher. As a junior in 2021, he hurled in 10 games (nine starts) and was 7-1 with a 0.94 ERA, 100 strikeouts and 28 walks in 52 innings. He was on the Shamrocks junior varsity as a freshman in 2019. The 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When not pitching, he started out as a third baseman and moved to the outfield. Ryan Bunnell is the longtime head coach at Westfield. Stanifer credits him for beneficial advice. “His biggest thing was teaching the players to have their own routine and stick by that,” says Stanifer, 19. “Knowing how I go about things has helped me a lot as a player.” Selected in the 19th round of the 2022 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, Stanifer signed with Midwest area scout Matt Huck rather than go to a junior college (he de-committed from the University of Cincinnati) and reported to Florida where he was in some live at-bat sessions and attending some camps. “They wanted some more one-on-one time to see how I work, just get a deeper look at me before sending me into games,” says Stanifer. “It was just getting me fine-tuned. “As long as I compete well in spring training and stay healthy I give myself a good shot of making the (Low Class-A Dunedin Blue Jays) roster.” A 6-foot-3, 202-pounder, Stanifer throws a two-seam fastball, slider and a splitter. He got the fastball up to 97 mph in 2022 and has been at 92 to 95 in recent throwing sessions. “I throw a ‘bullet’ slider,” says Stanifer. “It tunnels real well with my fastball. It drops off and disappears from a batter’s perspective a couple of feet.” The slider — his go-to off-speed pitch — is usually clocked at 83 to 86 mph. “The splitter has a lot more late depth — a little more depth than the change-up and a little harder as well (86 to 88 mph). It’s a good put-away pitch for lefties but I’m getting a lot more confident throwing it to righties as well.” What about his arm slot? “I’d say it’s pretty unique,” says Stanifer. “I kind of throw like a quarterback. I short-arm a little bit. I throw tight and compact. I hide the ball really well from the batters.” Stanifer attended quarterback camps with Ryan Pepiot and followed him in his baseball career through high school to Butler University and to the Los Angeles Dodgers. “We’ve stay in-touch,” says Stanifer, who is the fifth Westfield player drafted following Kyle Kramp (2009, San Francisco Giants), Kevin Plawecki (2012, New York Mets), Harrison Freed (2019, Giants) and Pepiot. “It’s cool to see someone you know have their hard work pay off.” Stanifer played football through eighth grade then stopped. He broke his collar bone in fifth grade and had numerous concussions. In the off-season, Stanifer went through some remote programming with North Carolina-based Tread Athletics and trainer Devin Hayes and was in-house Monday through Friday at PRP Baseball in Noblesville, Ind., since the first week of November. He has been going there since 2017, working with Greg Vogt and Anthony Gomez. Vogt is also the Rehab Pitching Coach for the Blue Jays and Gomez was recently hired as bullpen coach for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Another pitcher who has worked out at PRP — 24-year-old right-hander Michael Brewer — just signed with the Blue Jays. “I’m glad Mike finally got his opportunity,” says Stanifer of the 2018 Fort Wayne (Ind.) Snider High School graduate. “He’s a great person and a great player.” A collector of gloves (he has 14), Stanifer wore a mint green one in high school and has recently added a red, blue and baby blue to the collection.
Gage, who turns 20 in November, is the son of Butch and Melissa Stanifer. His two older sisters are former Westfield cheerleader Skyler (Class of 2017) and volleyball player Raigan (Class of 2019). Butch Stanifer played one year of football at Indiana State University then turned his attention to bodybuilding and was part owner in a gym before going into real estate. His father has taught his son about nutrition and weightlifting. “He’s given advice along the way about how to lift and eating the right food to stay healthy,” says Gage. Melissa and Skyler are also realtors. Skyler Stanifer is an Indiana University graduate. Raigan Stanifer is an IU senior speech pathology major.
Jaylon Cushenberry is now in charge of the baseball program at Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis. His hiring was finalized in November and he went about establishing the culture for the Bears. “At LC we’ve padded our schedule. It’s a lot tougher than it’s ever been,” says Cushenberry, who won IHSAA Class 1A sectionals in both his seasons as head coach at Traders Point Christian in Whitestown, Ind. “We play teams like Zionsville, Western, Westfield, University and a couple of other teams. “Our goal with our regular season is to play as many championship caliber teams as we can and see how we stack up. “When you think of LC Baseball from here on out you’re going to see blue collar workers who won’t quit. We have a lot of grit and determination. “They’ve all bought into the plan — play very, very hard for seven-plus innings.” Lawrence Central (enrollment around 2,365) is a member of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference (with Ben Davis, Indianapolis North Central, Lawrence North, Pike and Warren Central). MIC teams play home-and-home series on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The Bears are part of an IHSAA Class 4A sectional grouping in 2023 with Ben Davis, Indianapolis Cathedral, Indianapolis Crispus Attucks, Indianapolis North Central, Lawrence North and Pike. Lawrence Central has won eight sectional titles — the last in 2004. Cushenberry, a graduate of Avon (Ind.) High School and Marian University in Indianapolis, is a Special Education Paraprofessional at Zionsville (Ind.) Community High School, where he is also defensive line coach for the football team. Because of the timing of his hiring he was not there to guide IHSAA Limited Contact Period sessions in the fall, but Cushenberry has regularly had 35 to 40 as winter activities and expects 10 to 15 more when winter sports are complete. The focus so far has been on getting to know one another while also teaching the game. “We want to build a great relationship with our players,” says Cushenberry. “We’re trying to get our guys to buy into who we are. “We want to build that mindset to be aggressive and not be passive and look for the easy way out.” A year ago, the Bears fielded varsity and junior varsity teams. Cushenberry says if there are enough quality players LC may have three teams this spring. Three of Cushenberry’s 2023 assistants — Conner Madding, Nolan Nihiser and Ernie Mudis — were on his Traders Point staff. At Lawrence Central, Madding is the pitching coach, Nihiser the outfield coordinator and Mudis a varsity assistant. In addition, there varsity assistant Jack Johnson, varsity assistant/junior varsity head coach Davon Hardy, JV assistant C.J. Wilson and infield coordinator Uriak Marquez. The Venezuelan played several years in professional baseball, including two in the Chicago Cubs system. Cushenberry is hitting and baserunning coordinator. He will be helped on the hitting side by Nihiser and Marquez. “Traders Point taught me how to coach,” says Cushenberry. “It taught me patience and understanding how to work with kids of lesser talent and also how to develop players at a high level. “It also taught me how to be humbled. With every high there’s a low. Our kids found that out very quickly. You win back-to-back sectionals and are a couple or runs or mistakes from being in the regional championship. “Baseball is a humbling game and teaches you so many life lessons.” The Bears play on-campus on Community Health Field. Plans call for a new all-turf field with lights next to the current one in 2024. Like Lawrence Central, Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township partner Lawrence Central is also due to get turf fields for baseball and softball, according to Cushenberry. Rainouts — which take away game and practice time — are significantly lessened with turf and a major reason so many schools are going to it. “Turf is a necessity item for us,” says Cushenberry. The Lawrence Central program is fed by Belzer and Fall Creek Valley middle schools and Fall Creek Softball & Baseball. Among Lawrence Central graduates in college baseball there’s Class of 2019’s Zach Lane (Ball State University) and Class of 2022’s Charlie Hawk (Purdue Fort Wayne). Class of 2024’s Ahmaad Duff is committed to the University of Alabama. Two others from that class — Nick Johnson and Bryson Luter — have been getting looks from collegiate baseball programs. Cushenberry, who has coach with the Indiana Mustangs travel organization in the summer, was among the many Indiana high school coaches attending the 2023 American Baseball Coaches Convention in Nashville. “It was so much fun and we learned so much,” says Cushenberry.
Jaylen Cushenberry. (Lawrence Central High School Photo)
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