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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schedule Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

Stat Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 34-19 (17-15 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 16-35 (9-21 GLIAC)

Schedule Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

Stat Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

NCAA D-III
Franklin 33-11 (18-4 HCAC)
Anderson 27-19 (12-10 HCAC)
Wabash 24-18 (8-8 NCAC)
Rose-Hulman 23-21 (13-9 HCAC)
Manchester 22-20 (12-10 HCAC)
Earlham 20-18 (10-12 HCAC)
Hanover 16-23 (10-12 HCAC)
Trine 15-24 (6-15 MIAA)
DePauw 12-26 (4-12 NCAC)

Schedule Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

Stat Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

NAIA
Huntington 38-16 (27-9 CL)
Taylor 37-15 (30-6 CL)
Indiana Wesleyan 36-18-1 (26-10 CL)
Indiana Tech 33-17 (18-12 WHAC)
IU Southeast 33-20 (20-7 RSC)
Oakland City 33-22 (13-14 RSC)
Saint Francis 29-25 (21-15 CL)
IU-Kokomo 28-21 (17-10 RSC)
IU South Bend 24-25 (15-10 CCAC)
Grace 21-27 (13-23 CL)
Bethel 19-30 (12-24 CL)
Marian 17-31 (11-25 CL)
Calumet of St. Joseph 17-32-1 (9-17-1 CCAC)
Goshen 10-38 (6-30 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 5-41

Schedule Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Stat Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

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

Schedule Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Stat Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

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

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

Thursday, May 11
Oakland 11, Purdue Fort Wayne 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, May 14
Championship
Quincy 13, Drury 6

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, May 14
Championship
Franklin 12, Anderson 2

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

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

Sunday, May 14

Championship
Denison 7, Wittenberg 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advertisement

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schedule Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

Stat Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 31-17 (17-15 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 14-32 (9-21 GLIAC)

Schedule Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

Stat Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

NCAA D-III
Franklin 30-10 (18-5 HCAC)
Wabash 24-16 (8-8 NCAC)
Anderson 23-17 (12-10 HCAC)
Manchester 21-18 (12-10 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 21-19 (13-9 HCAC)
Earlham 20-18 (10-12 HCAC)
Hanover 16-23 (10-12 HCAC)
Trine 15-24 (6-15 MIAA)
DePauw 12-26 (4-12 NCAC)

Schedule Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

Stat Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

NAIA
Taylor 37-15 (30-6 CL)
Huntington 37-15 (27-9 CL)
Indiana Wesleyan 35-18-1 (26-10 CL)
Indiana Tech 33-17 (18-12 WHAC)
IU Southeast 33-20 (20-7 RSC)
Oakland City 30-21 (13-14 RSC)
Saint Francis 29-24 (21-15 CL)
IU-Kokomo 28-21 (17-10 RSC)
IU South Bend 23-23 (15-10 CCAC)
Grace 21-27 (13-23 CL)
Bethel 19-30 (12-24 CL)
Marian 17-31 (11-25 CL)
Calumet of St. Joseph 17-32-1 (9-17-1 CCAC)
Goshen 10-38 (6-30 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 5-41

Schedule Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Stat Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

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

Schedule Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Stat Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday, May 4
Hope 11, Trine 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday, May 5
Madonna 29, Aquinas 6

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

Friday, May 5
Concordia 8, Indiana Tech 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

Piotrowicz making coaching transition at Saginaw Valley State

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

Adam Piotrowicz is preparing for his first season as a college baseball head coach.
He is running the show at NCAA Division II Saginaw Valley State University in University Center, Mich., after assistant stints at NCAA D-III Heidelberg University (2008-10), NCAA D-I Valparaiso (Ind.) University (2010-13) and NCAA D-I Western Michigan University (2013-22).
“I feel very prepared for this because of all the people I’ve worked for and with,” says Piotrowicz, 37. “(Western Michigan head coach) Billy Gernon gave me all kinds of freedom and increased my role every year.
“Brian Scmack at Valpo is another big mentor for me I’ve always been able to lean on.”
Piotrowicz served as the associate head coach, recruiting coordinator, hitting coach and catching coach at WMU before making the transition to skipper of the SVSU Cardinals.
“The one big difference is that my phone is always ringing,” says Piotrowicz. “It was always ringing before but I always knew it was recruits. Now it’s anything and everything.
“It’s compliance or a fundraising thing or an alum that wants to meet up for dinner or the bus company. I was prepared for it. It comes with the territory. I knew that was what the job was going to be.”
As Saginaw Valley prepares to open the 2023 season Friday, Feb. 17 against Cedarville University in Xenia, Ohio, the roster is full of upperclassmen.
“Thankfully we have a real good group of older guys coming back,” says Piotrowicz. “It helps from a recruiting standpoint that I’ve been recruiting the state for the past nine years.
“I’ve got good assistants in-place and that’s key, having the right people around you.”
The coaching staff features pitching coach/co-recruiting coordinator Justin McMurtrey, co-recruiting coordinator/baserunning/outfield coach Brandon Evans and hitting/infielder coach Demeris Barlow.
McMurtrey pitched at Eastern Michigan University.
Evans was an pitcher/outfielder at Rochester University.
Barlow was a corner infielder at Indiana Tech and Indiana University South Bend (playing for Doug Buysse, a teammate of Piotrowicz at John Glenn High School in Walkerton, Ind.) and is on the coaching staff of the 2023 Lafayette Aviators of the summer collegiate wood bat Prospect League.
Piotriowicz took his assistants to the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention in Nashville in January.
“I like to listen to the speakers,” says Piotrowicz. “We have a young coaching staff and it’s good for them to go down and network. They see what the profession is like.”
Saginaw Valley belongs to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. As an NCAA D-II school, the game limit is 50 — six less than D-I.
“My thing is I want this place to be ran like a Division I school,” says Piotrowicz. “The first guy I worked for — Matt Palm — said make it ‘big time wherever you’re at.’ We were a small, little Heidelberg University (in Tiffin, Ohio). We treated each day like we were competing for a spot in Omaha (and the D-I College World Series).
“We have a few less hours to work with (players) out-of-season but it’s nothing major,” says Piotrowicz, who sees the recruiting, player development and in-season and out-of-season periods as very similar.
In addition to getting the Cardinals prepared, SVSU has hosted prospect and youth camps.
“We try to make those affordable so we can get more kids out and excited about baseball,” says Piotrowicz. “This area for baseball is really, really good. I feel like it gets under-recruited sometimes. Some of the best guys I coached at Western were from out of this area.”
University Center is about 110 miles northwest of Detroit and about 100 miles northeast of Lansing.
Left-hander Keegan Akin, who went to high school in Midland, Mich., made 45 appearances for the 2022 Baltimore Orioles.
There’s also Connor Smith, Alex Goodwin, Chad Mayle and Grant Miller.
“A lot of those guys didn’t have a lot going on out of high school,” says Piotrowicz. “You’ve got smaller schools but with that you get some multi-sport (athletes). Once they get to focus on baseball year-round the development really takes off.”
Piotrowicz says the transfer portal has many D-I programs looking there for players at the expense of those at the prep level.
“More and more high school guys are not getting the looks they would have four or five years ago. There are more grad transfers because of COVID. It all kind of goes together.
“That opens up a really good market for us at the Division II level.” says Piotrowicz.
Not many players come to the Cardinals via the portal.
“It has to be the right fit,” says Piotrowicz. “I’d rather get guys through high school or our (junior college) connections.”
Saginaw Valley plays at the SVSU Baseball Complex and — when the weather does not allow for outdoor work — trains in the SVSU Fieldhouse.
“Everything we have is better than some of the (D-I Mid-American Conference) schools,” says Piotrowicz. “We have a beautiful indoor turf football field with a track and windows all around that makes it pop as a first impression.
“There’s an auxiliary gym with an additional 2 1/2 batting cages. We’ve got a Division I weight room.”
The Cardinals also have access to outdoor turf football and soccer fields.
Piotrowicz graduated from John Glenn in 2004 and Manchester University (North Manchester, Ind.) in 2008.
Adam and wife Heather have two sons — Hunter (7) and Elliot (4) — and a third one due in the middle of April.
“It’s a very nature/outdoors type of area and my kids love that,” says Piotrowicz. “(First grader Hunter) is into baseball, basketball and hockey — all that stuff. He’s made the transition very well.”

Adam Piotrowicz. (Saginaw Valley State University Image)

Griffin oversees transition as Purdue Northwest baseball coach

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

Dave Griffin is heading into his 10th season of coaching college baseball in northwest Indiana in 2023.
After six seasons in charge at Bishop Noll Institute in Hammond (the Warriors won an IHSAA Class 2A state title in 2004 and were 2A state runner-up in 2006), Griffin established the Purdue Calumet program and coached the Peregrines for three seasons (2014-16).
Purdue Calumet and Purdue North Central merged to form Purdue Northwest and Griffin has led the Pride since the 2017 season.
The first alumni game was played in October 2022.
“Overall it’s gone pretty well,” says Griffin of the merger. “The big challenge was you had a couple of coaching staffs and a lot of players you had to mold into one.
“Taking the program to (NCAA) Division II was another challenge.”
The 2018 campaign marked PNW’s first in D-II after starting out as an NAIA member. The Pride are part of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
“If you’re an established program it won’t take as long, but we hadn’t been that long so it took a little time,” says Griffin of the level change. “It’s been a journey to say the least.”
The 2017 team went 30-18. PNW posted a 18-25 mark in 2018, 21-24 in 2019, 4-5 in 2020 (a season shortened by COVID-19), 11-22 in 2021 and 21-23 in 2022.
For 31 years, the coach has operated Dave Griffin Baseball School. The past 25 years it has been located in Griffith. The organization will field 11 travel ball squads — the Indiana Playmakers — in 2023. Griffin coaches the 17U/18U squad, which helps him with recruiting.
“I get to go out and see kids play,” says Griffin. “That’s always been a good formula for me.”
Griffin says when it comes to recruiting, there’s more to it than the numbers hyped on social media.
“When you say velocity that doesn’t equate to being a good pitcher,” says Griffin. “When you say exit velocity that doesn’t equate to being a good hitter. At some point you’ve got to be able to play.
“It think they tried the same thing in football at the (NFL) Combine. If he ran real well or lifted real well they drafted him high. A lot of times those didn’t work out too well.
“Nobody cares about how they perform. What are their metrics? Don’t get me wrong. Metrics are good, but you’ve got to be able to perform. The challenge we all encounter is finding kids that have metrics that match the ability on the field.”
Griffin notes that even professional scouts often get player evaluations wrong.
“You try to do your homework on a kid as much as you can. We’re talking about scholarship kids,” says Griffin. “On walk-on kids you might take a flier. He might not be fully-mature physically. He might be a late bloomer. Those kids come along, too.”
More 1,500 DGB alums have gone on to college baseball and over 70 have been selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, including Sean Manaea, Kody Hoese, Ryan Basham and Nick Podkul. Chad Patrick pitched for PNW and is now in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.
“I’ve put a lot of time into both jobs,” says Griffin. “I wake up early and I come home late.
“It’s fun. I like watching the development of players.”
Because of the talent in The Region and the low cost of education at the school where most student takes classes on the Hammond campus (there is a Westville site), PNW gets some bounce-backs from other institutions.
“Kids see that we are starting to build a solid program here,” says Griffin. “It checks a lot of boxes for them.”
The bulk of the current roster comes from Indiana and Illinois. There are players from Michigan, California, Iowa and Texas.
D-II teams are allowed to give up to nine scholarships. PNW is short of that number.
“We’re working our way up,” says Griffin, who currently has 47 players on his roster. Of that number, 35 will be on the travel squad.
As well as overseeing the whole team, Griffin works primarily with hitters and defense.
Hobart (Ind.) High School graduate and former University of South Carolina hurler Brandon Murray is the pitching coach. Former PNW player Anthony Agne is in charge of infielders and former Robert Morris University (Lansing, Ill.) assistant Adam Pasko outfielders.
PNW plays its home games at Laborers’ Local 41 Field in Hammond’s Dowling Park.
“I like the turf and the ambiance of it, being in a neighborhood,” says Griffin. “It’s a good place to play. The sight lines are tremendous.”

Dave Griffin. (Purdue Northwest Photo)

Grand Valley State gold glover Nelson a student first, but he still loves being an athlete

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

Spencer Nelson enjoyed a comeback baseball season for NCAA Division II Grand Valley State University (Allendale, Mich.) in 2022.
After missing the 2021 campaign while recovering from surgery for a torn left hip labrum, South Bend, Ind., native Nelson started in all 50 of GVSU’s games and .325 (67-of-206) with eight home runs, six triples, 17 doubles, 35 runs batted in and 49 runs scored.
The righty-swinging lead-off hitter posted a .969 OPS (.386 on-base percentage plus .583 slugging average) and was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Midwest all-region second team and all-Great Lakes Interscholastic Athletic Conference second team. He enjoyed four-hit games against Wayne State and Davenport and produced 20 multi-hit contests.
A center fielder, Nelson also collected an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award while completing a bachelors degree in Information Systems.
“I’m a student first and an athlete second,” says Nelson. “School and athletics is sometimes hard to balance out.”
He was on a Pre-Med track while also playing baseball then made a switch.
“I knew I wasn’t going to get much sleep on Sundays with a lot of stress and sacrifices,” says Nelson. “I decided to devote myself to developing myself as a player and a teammate.
“I love baseball and I was not not ready to give it up.”
Nelson, 23, plans to pursue a masters in Computer Science while playing for the GVSU Lakers in the spring of 2023.
His role in 2022 was often as center fielder and lead-off hitter.
“You’re in-charge out there (in center field),” says Nelson. “You can roam wherever you want. It’s a fun little area to hang out.”
Playing the outfield, communication becomes key when tracking the ball and making relay throws.
“Everybody in the outfield should be aggressive to catch it,” says Nelson. “This year I had a lot of trust in my guys as I tend to do every year.
“In college, covering the gaps is extremely important. I’m always telling the left fielder and right fielder no to play straight up and eliminate extra bases when possible.”
As for leading off, Nelson also gets to use his speed.
“It’s more about contact than power,” says Nelson. “But I’m I’m very adjustable to wherever I play. I’ve batted in the 3-hole.
“Wherever you put me I will adjust to that role.”
Nelson helped Grand Valley State go 30-22 in 2022.
“We definitely played our hearts out,” says Nelson. “But with talent we have we can definitely do better.”
Jamie Detillion is the Lakers head coach.
“He definitely vouches for his guys,” says Nelson of Detillion. “He’s a very very caring guy and wants to be a winner.
“He’s aways listening to input and adjusts to our liking (as players) while maintaining his role.”
Born and raised in South Bend, Nelson first fell for the game as a T-ball player at South East Side Little League.
He played travel ball for the Michiana Scrappers, South Bend Silver Hawks and Hitters Edge.
He played varsity baseball for four years at John Adams High School in South Bend, where he earned the all-academic award four times and was a three-time team MVP, two-time team captain and first-team all-Northern Indiana Conference as a senior.
Mike Cass was the Eagles head coach when Nelson graduated in 2017.
“(Cass) wanted to win and develop the program,” says Nelson. “He made calls for me to (Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Mich.) and that helped quite a bit.
“It’s about being respectful to those above you so they can show respect back to you.”
Nelson played for the Kellogg Bruins in 2018 and 2019.
“I had two amazing coaches (head coach Eric Laskovy and assistant head coach Jim Miller),” says Nelson. “It was tough love. They taught me a lot on and off the field.”
Now 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, Nelson left high school weighing about 170.
“I was pretty scrawny,” says Nelson. “Kellogg is a blue collar athletic program and school. You’re taught to work hard.
“Eating right was the No. 1 thing. I think I worked out for three or four years without missing a day (minus Sundays)
“It helped me become a little bigger and made my body as healthy as it’s been.”
Nelson played in the South Bend men’s league each summer from 2017-21. He was with the Mishawaka Brewers until joining the South Bend Royals in 2021.
In 2022, he played 21 games with the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League’s Muskegon (Mich.) Clippers and hit .293 with four homers and 16 RBIs before coming home to earn some money for college.
Spencer is the youngest of Bill and Sheila Nelson’s five children. Indianapolis-based educational administrator Naomi is the oldest, followed by consultant to medical companies Tiara and IBM employee Madison in California and software engineer Connor in Arizona. Bill Nelson is a retired salesman. Sheila Nelson is a hairdresser.

Spencer Nelson (Grand Valley State University Photo)

Spencer Nelson (Kellogg Community College Photo)

Spencer Nelson (Grand Valley State University Photo)

Chicago-born lefty Djuraskovic takes circuitous baseball route

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

Cal Djuraskovic has had short daily commutes.
And one very long one.
Born in Chicago and raised on the city’s southeast side, Cal attended nearby Bishop Noll Institute in Hammond, Ind. — the alma mater of his mother.
Before he could drive, Cal got to school by boarding the South Shore Line at the Hegewisch station. The train trip took a little over 30 minutes each way.
A few years later, Djuraskovic (pronounced Jur-Oss-Coe-Vich) found himself studying and playing baseball at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Not wishing to sign a long-term lease during the uncertainty of COVID-19 pandemic, Cal drove back and forth to school everyday. That’s a roundtrip of about 330 miles or five hours of windshield time.
“I did not want to get stuck,” says Djuraskovic. “I gave pitching lessons after practice to make up the money for gas.”
And that’s when gas could be had for about $2 a gallon.
A left-handed pitcher, Djuraskovic took a circuitous route to Davenport and wound up close to home as a professional ballplayer.
After a stint with the independent American Association’s Gary (Ind.) SouthShore RailCats, he finished the 2021 season with the Windy City ThunderBolts and is back with that indy Frontier League club in the Chicago suburb of Crestwood, Ill., in 2022.
“My whole life I wanted to be a pro ball player,” says Djuraskovic, 26. “By college I knew I can make it happen.”
Cal played outfield and had a little mound time at Bishop Noll before to his senior season, but it was that spring of 2014 that he blossomed as a pitcher. He threw a perfect game, a no-hitter and was named first-team all-Greater South Shore Conference.
His head coach for his first three seasons with the BNI Warriors was Paul Wirtz.
“He didn’t mess around,” says Djuraskovic of Wirtz. “It was a good thing. If you want to get better you have to take this game seriously.
“If you want to be a Warrior, you’ve got to act like one.”
He played travel ball with the Michigan Jets and competed against teams like Michigan Jets like the Indiana Bulls and Top Tier.
The southpaw of Serbian descent’s first college experience was at NCAA Division II Tiffin (Ohio) University. Deciding that wasn’t the right fit for him, he transferred to D-I Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant. Going from the D-II to a D-I, he was required to sit out a season as a “grayshirt” for 2016 and retained all his eligibility.
It was at CMU while building strength in the weight room that he broke knee cartilage that led to micro-fracture surgery. Then his scholarship was cut.
Cal landed on his feet with the D-II DU Panthers.
“By the grace of God I had Davenport,” says Djuraskovic, who played four years for head coach Kevin Tidey (Eric Lawrence was the pitching coach at the end of his DU days) and earned his degree in Sport Management with a minor in Business.
Used primarily out of the bullpen, Cal went 6-4 with a 4.04 earned run average at Davenport. It was in 2021 that he enjoyed his best season. He made 25 mound appearances and produced a 2.62 ERA with eight saves. In 44 2/3 innings, he struck out 61 and walked 16 and was named first-team all-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
He spent three summers in the Northwoods League — two stints in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., and one in Traverse City, Mich.
Along the way, Cal picked up a pitching mentor. It was during his time in the National Team Identification Series at USA Baseball headquarters in Cary, N.C., that he met Jim Hall.
Djuraskovic later went to his Hall’s house in Lockport, Ill., and he still occasionally gets pointers from him. Hall stays in-touch with Cal’s family.
“This man has definitely changed my life for the better,” says Djuraskovic of Hall, who is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association and Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association halls of fame.
Cal’s mother is Allison Saberniak. Her father is Albert Saberniak, who turned Cal into a South Side baseball rooter.
“I’m a diehard White Sox fan,” says Djuraskovic. “I get that from my grandfather. We went to a couple of playoff games in ’05 (the year the White Sox won the World Series). We watch Cubs games to see them lose.
“But don’t get me wrong. If the Cubs gave me a contract I’d sign it in a heartbeat.”
Cal pitched in three games with Gary (one as a starter) and five with Windy City (all in relief) in 2021, going a combined 0-2 with two saves, a 1.59 ERA, 11 strikeouts and eight walks in 11 1/3 innings.
As a middle to late reliever for the ’22 ThunderBolts, Djuraskovic has no decisions and a 1.80 ERA in five games. He has eight strikeouts and three walks in five innings.
At 6-foot-4 and 217 pounds — he has trimmed down from 240 — Djuraskovic uses a three-quarter arm slot to deliver a four-seam fastball, slider, splitter and two-seam fastball.
His four-seamer has been clocked at 97 mph and sits at 92 to 94 mph.
Cal’s slider breaks “a little late and sharp.”
In his second full season of throwing it consistently, Djuraskovic learned his splitter from teammates and began doing as former splitter-throwing White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras by using a softball to stretch out the distance between his index and middle fingers.
“It has a mind of its own,” says Djuraskovic of the pitch that serves as a change-up. “Sometimes it gets a little knuckeballish. Sometimes it dives. The best I can do is try to spot it up.”
Lefty Cal’s two-seamer runs in on left-handed hitters.
Windy City, which is managed by Brian Smith, plays at Ozinga Field.
Djuraskovic has also enjoyed some Frontier League trips. He especially liked visits to the Florence (Ky.) Y’alls and Evansville (Ind.) Otters.
“I like the (Florence) area and they have a really nice ballpark,” says Djuraskovic. (Evansville’s Bosse Field) is so historic. You can feel the presence of greatness.”

Cal Djuraskovic (Windy City ThunderBolts Photo)

Cal Djuraskovic (Davenport University Photo)

Cal Djuraskovic (Windy City ThunderBolts Photo)

Cal Djuraskovic (left) embraces with catcher Manny Garcia after Djuraskovic “shut the door” June 15 to close out the game for the victorious Windy City ThunderBolts. (Windy City ThunderBolts Photo)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Niko Kavadas (U. of Notre Dame Photo)

IU Southeast dodges elimination at NAIA World Series; Notre Dame, Indiana State get NCAA bids

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Indiana University Southeast was a winner in its first-ever NAIA Baseball World Series game. 

The Grenadiers beat Concordia (Neb.) 4-2 Friday, May 28 in Lewiston, Idaho.

The next day IUS fell 11-5 to Central Methodist (Mo.) and played in an elimination game Monday, May 31 against Keiser (Fla.). 

IU Southeast (50-15) was a 9-7 winner in that one. The Grenadiers  face Faulkner (Ala.) today (June 1).

The NAIA Word Series continue until June 4.

Notre Dame and Indiana State are the teams from the state making the NCAA Division I tournament (the draw for the Road to Omaha was announced Monday).

After beating Virginia Tech 8-0 and losing to Virginia 14-1 at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., the Irish will host the South Bend Regional. It will be the first time postseason baseball has been at ND since 2004.

Each regional field features four teams, playing in a double-elimination format. All 16 regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, June 4 to Monday, June 7 (if necessary).

Notre Dame (30-11) plays Central Michigan (40-16) at 1 p.m., followed by Connecticut (33-17) against Michigan (27-17) at 7. Irish head coach Link Jarrett was named the ACC Coach of the Year.

Indiana State went 3-2 at the Missouri Valley Conference tournament in Carbondale, Ill. — beating Illinois State 5-2 and Southern Illinois 11-8, losing to Dallas Baptist 10-1, beating Southern Illinois 9-7 then losing to Dallas Baptist 12-8 (in 11 innings).

The Sycamores are in the Nashville Regional. Georgia Tech (29-23) plays Indiana State (30-19) at 1 p.m. Friday while Vanderbilt (40-15) takes on Presbyerian (22-21) at 7.

Indiana State earned its 11th NCAA postseason appearance in program history and the third under head coach Mitch Hannahs.

Ball State (38-18) swept a four-game Mid-American Conference home series with Miami (Ohio). The Cardinals did not hear their name called Monday.

Nor did Indiana (26-18). The Hoosiers went 1-2 in a Big Ten Conference series at Maryland.

Purdue (16-26) wrapped the season with one win against Penn State and a doubleheader split against Minnesota in a Big Ten pod weekend.

The 2021 season also closed at the MVC tournament for Valparaiso (16-35) and Evansville (28-27). Valpo went 2-2 and UE 1-1 in Carbondale.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL

Records Through May 23

NCAA Division I

Ball State 38-18 (25-11 MAC) 

Notre Dame 30-11 (25-10 ACC) 

Evansville 28-27 (11-16 MVC) 

Indiana State 27-17 (14-10 MVC) 

Indiana 26-18 (26-18 Big Ten)

Purdue 14-25 (14-25 Big Ten) 

Butler 14-23 (8-13 Big East) 

Valparaiso 16-35 (9-19 MVC) 

Purdue Fort Wayne 11-35 (8-28 HL) 

NCAA Division II

Indianapolis 27-21 (19-13 GLVC) 

Southern Indiana 24-20 (18-14 GLVC) 

Purdue Northwest 11-22 (5-19 GLIAC) 

NCAA Division III

Franklin 25-14 (23-12 HCAC) 

Earlham 25-20 (21-18 HCAC) 

Rose-Hulman 23-14 (23-12 HCAC)

Anderson 23-19 (20-17 HCAC) 

Hanover 20-20 (20-18 HCAC) 

Manchester 19-22 (19-20 HCAC) 

Wabash 18-15 (9-6 NCAC) 

DePauw 15-21 (8-8 NCAC) 

Trine 6-28 (6-17 MIAA) 

NAIA

Indiana University Southeast 50-15 (26-1 RSC) 

Indiana Wesleyan 44-14 (28-4 CL) 

Taylor 37-20 (24-12 CL) 

Indiana Tech 35-27 (16-6 WHAC) 

Saint Francis 34-22 (23-13 CL) 

Huntington 33-16 (23-13 CL) 

Indiana University-Kokomo 28-20 (16-10 RSC) 

Marian 25-29 (17-19 CL) 

Indiana University South Bend 24-24 (19-11 CCAC) 

Oakland City 17-27 (10-17 RSC) 

Bethel 15-39 (12-24 CL) 

Grace 12-31 (9-23 CL) 

Calumet of Saint Joseph 7-29 (7-20 CCAC) 

Goshen 3-34 (2-26 CL) 

Junior College

Ivy Tech Northeast 31-25 

Vincennes 24-31 (11-21 MWAC) 

Ancilla 6-29 (2-18 MCCAA) 

Conferences

NCAA Division I

Big Ten

Atlantic Coast (ACC)

Big East 

Horizon (HL)

Mid-American (MAC)

Missouri Valley (MVC)

NCAA Division II

Great Lakes Valley (GLVC)

Great Lakes Intercollegiate (GLIAC)

NCAA Division III

Heartland Collegiate (HCAC)

Michigan Intercollegiate (MIAA)

NAIA

Crossroads League (CL)

Chicagoland Collegiate (CCAC)

Wolverine Hoosier (WHAC)

River States Conference (RSC)

Junior College 

Mid-West Athletic (MWAC)

Michigan Community College (MCCAA)

Notre Dame top seed in ACC; Indiana State No. 2 in MVC

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Notre Dame (29-10, 25-10) has earned the No. 1 seed for the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. 

The event is slated for May 25-30 in Greensboro, N.C.

The Irish meet No. 12 seed Virginia Tech in Tuesday’s second game. ND’s current four-game win streak includes a three game weekend sweep at Virginia Tech.

Penn High School graduate and Notre Dame first baseman Niko Kavadas heads to Carolina with 16 home runs and 49 runs batted in.

Missouri Valley Conference tournament play begins and Indiana State (27-17, 14-10) goes in as the No. 2 seed while Evansville (28-26, 11-16) is No. 7 and Valparaiso (14-33, 9-19) No. 8.

Games will be played May 25-29 at Southern Illinois-Carbondale.

The Sycamores receive a first-round bye to Day 2 while UE (vs. Illinois State) and Valpo (vs. Missouri State) play on the first day.

Indiana State overcame an 8-0 deficit to win 13-10 at Evansville Saturday to secure the No. 2 seed in the eight-team tourney behind Dallas Baptist (33-15).

Left-hander Geremy Guerrero is 9-1 with a 1.92 earned run average and catcher Max Wright has 14 homers and 37 RBIs for the Sycamores.

Ball State (34-18, 25-11) won its first two games then lost two in a Mid-American Conference series at Ohio. The Cardinals wrap the MAC season May 28-30 with four games against Miami (Ohio) in Muncie.

Nick Powell (.353) leads BSU in hitting. Right-hander John Baker (7-3, 2.45) has been the No. 1 starting pitcher.

Indiana (24-16, 24-16) has lost the first three games of its Big Ten Conference pod series, dropping two to Nebraska and one to Ohio State in Bloomington. The Hoosiers host the Buckeyes again today (May 24).

A 9-8 loss for Purdue (14-25, 14-25) at Minnesota Sunday kept the Boilermakers from a four-game sweep of the Golden Gophers. 

A three-team pod (Purdue, Penn State, Minnesota) in West Lafayette is slated for May 27-29.

The 2021 season came to a close for both Butler (14-23 overall, 8-13 in the Big East Conference) and Purdue Fort Wayne (11-35 overall and 8-28 in the Horizon League).

The five-team finals of the NCAA Division III Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament saw Transylvania emerge as champions.

Transy bested Earlham (25-20, 21-18) in the final game. Bluffton knocked out Anderson (23-19, 20-17). A loss to Anderson eliminated Franklin (25-14, 23-12).

Indiana Tech (35-27) and Indiana Wesleyan (44-14) both bowed out in NAIA Opening Round play in the Marion Bracket.

Vincennes (24-31) saw its slate finish in the junior college Mid-West Athletic Conference tournament.

Of the state’s 38 college baseball programs, eight are still playing. There’s seven in NCAA Division I and there’s one in NAIA.

Indiana University Southeast (48-14) earned its first trip to the NAIA College World Series, which is May 28-June 4 in Lewiston, Idaho.

More on the Grenadiers’ special season can be found here.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL

Records Through May 23

NCAA Division I

Ball State 34-18 (25-11 MAC) 

Notre Dame 29-10 (25-10 ACC) 

Evansville 28-26 (11-16 MVC) 

Indiana State 27-17 (14-10 MVC) 

Indiana 24-16 (24-16 Big Ten)

Purdue 14-25 (14-25 Big Ten) 

Butler 14-23 (8-13 Big East) 

Valparaiso 14-33 (9-19 MVC) 

Purdue Fort Wayne 11-35 (8-28 HL) 

NCAA Division II

Indianapolis 27-21 (19-13 GLVC) 

Southern Indiana 24-20 (18-14 GLVC) 

Purdue Northwest 11-22 (5-19 GLIAC) 

NCAA Division III

Franklin 25-14 (23-12 HCAC) 

Earlham 25-20 (21-18 HCAC) 

Rose-Hulman 23-14 (23-12 HCAC)

Anderson 23-19 (20-17 HCAC) 

Hanover 20-20 (20-18 HCAC) 

Manchester 19-22 (19-20 HCAC) 

Wabash 18-15 (9-6 NCAC) 

DePauw 15-21 (8-8 NCAC) 

Trine 6-28 (6-17 MIAA) 

NAIA

Indiana University Southeast 48-14 (26-1 RSC) 

Indiana Wesleyan 44-14 (28-4 CL) 

Taylor 37-20 (24-12 CL) 

Indiana Tech 35-27 (16-6 WHAC) 

Saint Francis 34-22 (23-13 CL) 

Huntington 33-16 (23-13 CL) 

Indiana University-Kokomo 28-20 (16-10 RSC) 

Marian 25-29 (17-19 CL) 

Indiana University South Bend 24-24 (19-11 CCAC) 

Oakland City 17-27 (10-17 RSC) 

Bethel 15-39 (12-24 CL) 

Grace 12-31 (9-23 CL) 

Calumet of Saint Joseph 7-29 (7-20 CCAC) 

Goshen 3-34 (2-26 CL) 

Junior College

Ivy Tech Northeast 31-25 

Vincennes 24-31 (11-21 MWAC) 

Ancilla 6-29 (2-18 MCCAA) 

Conferences

NCAA Division I

Big Ten

Atlantic Coast (ACC)

Big East 

Horizon (HL)

Mid-American (MAC)

Missouri Valley (MVC)

NCAA Division II

Great Lakes Valley (GLVC)

Great Lakes Intercollegiate (GLIAC)

NCAA Division III

Heartland Collegiate (HCAC)

Michigan Intercollegiate (MIAA)

NAIA

Crossroads League (CL)

Chicagoland Collegiate (CCAC)

Wolverine Hoosier (WHAC)

River States Conference (RSC)

Junior College 

Mid-West Athletic (MWAC)

Michigan Community College (MCCAA)

Tourney time here in NAIA, NCAA D-III; many teams close seasons

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

The 2021 NAIA Opening Round baseball tournament begins Monday, May 17 and three Indiana teams will be involved.

No. 2 seed Indiana Wesleyan (43-12) and No. 5 Indiana Tech (31-25) are part of the five-team Marion (Ind.) Bracket at Indiana Wesleyan.

IWU, coached by Rich Benjamin, won the regular-season and tournament titles in the Crossroads League.

Indiana Tech, coached by Kip McWilliams, was the regular-season champion in the Wolverine-Hoosier Conference.

No. 2 seed Indiana University Southeast (45-14) will be one of five teams competing in the Kingsport (Tenn.) Bracket.

IU Southeast, coached by Ben Reel, was the regular season and tournament champion in the River States Conference.

The NAIA season has ended for Taylor (37-20), Saint Francis (34-22), Huntington (33-16), Indiana University-Kokomo (28-20), Marian (25-29), Indiana University South Bend (24-24), Oakland City (17-27), Bethel (15-39), Grace (12-31), Calumet of Saint Joseph (7-29) and Goshen (3-34).

The 34 wins is a single-season school record for Saint Francis and Panthers coach Dustin Butcher.

Franklin (25-12), Earlham (23-18) and Anderson ( 20-17) were among teams winning opening round series and making it to the five-team finals in the NCAA Division III Heartland Collegiate Conference tournament.

Transylvania and Bluffton will be the other two teams. The tourney is to conclude Sunday, May 23.

The 2021 season is over for Indiana’s other D-III programs — Rose-Hulman (23-14), Hanover (20-20), Manchester (19-22), Wabash (18-15), DePauw (15-21) and Trine (6-28).

NCAA D-III teams Indianapolis (27-21), Southern Indiana (24-20) and Purdue Northwest (11-22) have also seen their slates come to a close.

Ivy Tech Northwest (31-25) lost 2-1 to Kellogg in a three-game National Junior College Athletic Association Regional in Battle Creek, Mich., and wrapped its season.

Max Flock homered three times and collected five hits and six runs batted in as Vincennes swept a doubleheader from Spoon River and made the Mid-West Athletic Conference tournament May 20-23 in Normal, Ill.

NJCAA member Ancilla (6-29) has concluded its season.

NCAA Division I Notre Dame (26-10) was idle in Atlantic Coast Conference play and yet the Irish earned the program’s first regular season title since 2006 by winning the ACC Atlantic Division.

ND has one more ACC series May 20-22 at Virginia Tech before the conference tournament in Charlotte, N.C.

Indiana (24-12, 24-12) is second in the Big Ten Conference to Nebraska (25-11, 25-11). The Hoosiers have eight more conference games remaining. There will be no Big Ten tournament.

Ball State (32-16, 23-9) holds a slight lead on Central Michigan (32-17, 23-10) at the top of the Mid-American Conference standings. 

BSU has a May 21-23 road series against Ohio and May 28-30 home series with Miami (Ohio) before the postseason.

The eight-team Missouri Valley Conference tournament is scheduled for May 25-29 in Carbondale, Ill. Right now Dallas Baptist (31-13, 16-4) and Indiana State (25-15, 12-8) are the top two seeds with Evansville (26-24, 9-14) No. 6 and Valparaiso (14-29, 9-15) No. 7.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL

Records Through May 16

NCAA Division I

Ball State 32-16 (23-9 MAC) 

Notre Dame 26-10 (22-10 ACC) 

Indiana State 25-15 (12-8 MVC) 

Evansville 26-24 (9-14 MVC) 

Indiana 24-12 (24-12 Big Ten) 

Valparaiso 14-29 (9-15 MVC) 

Purdue 11-24 (11-24 Big Ten) 

Butler 11-22 (5-12 Big East) 

Purdue Fort Wayne 10-32 (7-25 HL) 

NCAA Division II

Indianapolis 27-21 (19-13 GLVC) 

Southern Indiana 24-20 (18-14 GLVC) 

Purdue Northwest 11-22 (5-19 GLIAC) 

NCAA Division III

Franklin 25-12 (23-12 HCAC)

Rose-Hulman 23-14 (23-12 HCAC)

Earlham 23-18 (21-18 HCAC)

Anderson 20-17 (20-17 HCAC)

Hanover 20-20 (20-18 HCAC) 

Manchester 19-22 (19-20 HCAC) 

Wabash 18-15 (9-6 NCAC) 

DePauw 15-21 (8-8 NCAC) 

Trine 6-28 (6-17 MIAA) 

NAIA

Indiana University Southeast 45-14 (26-1 RSC) 

Indiana Wesleyan 43-12 (28-4 CL) 

Taylor 37-20 (24-12 CL) 

Saint Francis 34-22 (23-13 CL) 

Huntington 33-16 (23-13 CL) 

Indiana Tech 31-25 (16-6 WHAC) 

Indiana University-Kokomo 28-20 (16-10 RSC) 

Marian 25-29 (17-19 CL) 

Indiana University South Bend 24-24 (19-11 CCAC) 

Oakland City 17-27 (10-17 RSC) 

Bethel 15-39 (12-24 CL) 

Grace 12-31 (9-23 CL) 

Calumet of Saint Joseph 7-29 (7-20 CCAC) 

Goshen 3-34 (2-26 CL) 

Junior College

Ivy Tech Northeast 31-25 

Vincennes 23-29 (11-21 MWAC) 

Ancilla 6-29 (2-18 MCCAA) 

Conferences

NCAA Division I

Big Ten

Atlantic Coast (ACC)

Big East 

Horizon (HL)

Mid-American (MAC)

Missouri Valley (MVC)

NCAA Division II

Great Lakes Valley (GLVC)

Great Lakes Intercollegiate (GLIAC)

NCAA Division III

Heartland Collegiate (HCAC)

Michigan Intercollegiate (MIAA)

NAIA

Crossroads League (CL)

Chicagoland Collegiate (CCAC)

Wolverine Hoosier (WHAC)

River States Conference (RSC)

Junior College 

Mid-West Athletic (MWAC)

Michigan Community College (MCCAA)