Tyler Nemtuda did not get to pitch in a competitive baseball game for three years. He got the chance to get back in the game in 2023 and he made the most of it. A left-hander and 2020 graduate of Portage (Ind.) High School, Nemtuda lost his senior season with the Indians to the COVID-19 pandemic. While competing in a travel-ball PBR Future Games event at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., Nemtuda attracted the attention of coaches at Florence-Darlington Technical College — a junior college in Florence, S.C. He went for a visit and decided to become a Flo-Dar Stinger. But a car accident about a year into school caused him to drop all his classes and miss out on the 2021 baseball season. Just before the 2022 slate, Nemtuda dislocated his left knee cap. He had surgery and missed that campaign as well. “I had a pretty rough two years,” says Nemtuda. He began running and throwing last July. With his knee on the mend, he got to play for the first time since his junior year at Portage. This spring, the southpaw played for head coach head coach Preston McDonald, pitching coach Jeremy McDonald (not relation to Preston) and assistant pitching coach Ryan Smith and made 18 mound appearances (16 in relief), going 3-1 with two saves, a 3.77 earned run average, 32 strikeouts and 15 walks in 28 2/3 innings. “They told us to work hard, never give up and do your best every time you go out there,” says Nemtuda of his Flo-Dar coaches. “We learned a lot, made a lot of friends and had a good time.” Throwing from an arm slot between three-quarter overhand and sidearm, the lefty uses a two-seam fastball, slider and change-up. The two-seamer can move into or away a hitter on either side of the plate and sits at 87 to 89 mph and has topped out at 90. “That’s like my best pitch right now,” says Nemtuda. “I have a lot of arm-side run and then it will sometimes cut into righties, too. I get a lot of ground balls. He also gets plenty of swings and misses with the fastball when he puts it inside or up in the strike zone. The slider moves to left to right, landing on the back foot of a right-handed hitter. His change-up is a three-finger splitter with the ring and pointer fingers placed outside of his two-seam grip. Nemtuda earned an associate degree in Arts at Florence-Darlington and is committed to join the Bearcats of NCAA Division II Lander University in Greenwood, S.C., in the fall while studying Business Administration. Jason Burke is Lander’s head coach. Alex Moore is pitching coach. The Bearcats are Peach Belt Conference members. Baseball and school keep him busy, but when he has time Nemtuda enjoys fishing. He tends to go for brown trout, steelhead and bass at home and bass in South Carolina. Tyler was born in Chesterton, Ind., and and attended school there until moving to nearby Portage after his freshman year as his father went there for a basketball coaching job. Father Bob Nemtuda is now a Physical Education teacher at Liberty Elementary School in Chesterton. Mother Tracy Nemtuda is nurse for Ambiomed. Older sister Taylor Nemtuda was involved in cross country, tennis and some basketball at Chesterton. Tyler played baseball at what is now Liberty Rec Babe Ruth and State Park Little League — both in Chesterton — and then went into travel ball with the Chesterton-based Duneland Flyers, Illinois-based Elite Baseball and the Indiana Bulls. He was on the Chesterton High School junior varsity as a freshman and the Portage varsity as a sophomore and junior. He played first base and right field when not pitching. His coaches were Bob Dixon and John Selman. “They were just great coaches that would help you with anything,” says Nemtuda. “I lift a lot. They’d always open the gym and weight room for me, which was awesome. “I still talk to them to this day.” Former Portage head coach Doug Nelson has also given facilities access to Nemtuda. This summer, Nemtuda is with the Northern League’s Northwest Indiana Oilmen. The Adam Enright-managed team is to open its season today (May 25) at Lake County (Crown Point, Ind.) with the home opener at Oil City Stadium in Whiting, Ind., June 7.
Plymouth (Ind.) American Legion Post 27 baseball is back. After a six-season hiatus, the Diamond Spyders are getting ready for the 2023 summer season. Post 27 last fielded a senior (19U) team in 2016. Plymouth comes back this year its first junior (17U) team with the goal of having a senior squad in 2024. Ryan Jessen is the Diamond Spyders general manager. Jessen says the season is 2023 important for re-establishing Post 27 in the Legion baseball community. There’s a few other reasons. “It provides a cost-efficient, family-friendly option to play baseball locally,” says Jessen. “Lastly, it gives our players an opportunity to develop their skills in a ‘practice-first’ model, encouraging daily skill-building over participating in weekend tournaments.” Why did Jessen decide to revive Post 27? “My son had a great summer last year playing on a 15U team in Indianapolis,” says Jessen. “He had a good coaching staff who played him at multiple positions. He met a lot of really nice people. “Our only issue was logistically speaking, we were spending more time on the road than we were at the field.” A tournament schedule at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind.. typically starts with one game on Thursday and Friday morning, then finished over the weekend. “We had four hours of drive time, four days a week,” says Jessen. “In this time, my son got roughly 10 at-bats and maybe 40 bullpen reps. That’s just not enough. I reached out to the Legion because I want to offer a local program focused on daily skill-building. “My hope is each kid can get 100-plus reps a day. Our season will not be determined by a win-and-loss record. We want each kid to focus on nutrition, strength-building and skill development. If we do that, then our goal of a cost-efficient, family-friendly, skill-based program will be more than successful.” A roster currently of 16 consisting of players who attend three high schools — Plymouth, Culver Community and Culver Military — is slated to open the season June 6. Home games will be played at Bill Nixon Field in Plymouth’s Centennial Park. The state tournament is in late July. Two high school varsity head coaches — Ryan Wolfe (Plymouth) and Kurt Christiansen (Culver Military) — are on the coaching staff along with Clayton Adamson and Michael Delp. Blake Mackey serves as marketing intern/communications analyst.
Through March 19 NCAA D-I Tuesday, March 14 Kentucky 12, Indiana 2 (7 inn.) Notre Dame 6, Saint Joseph’s 3 Southern Indiana 10, Saint Louis 2
Wednesday, March 15 Evansville 14, Bellarmine 2 Indiana 6, Morehead State 5 (10 inn.) Indiana State 7, Illinois 3 Notre Dame 10, Saint Joseph’s 9 Purdue 14, Northern Illinois 5 Southern Illinois 16, Southern Indiana 9
Thursday, March 16 Indiana 23, Morehead State 5
Friday, March 17 Ball State 14, Toledo 2 Evansville 5, Purdue 2 Indiana 5, Morehead State 4 Purdue Fort Wayne 12, Wright State 10 Wright State 6, Purdue Fort Wayne 2 Murray State 15, Southern Indiana 1
Saturday, March 18 Wake Forest 4, Notre Dame 1 Wake Forest 12, Notre Dame 3 Murray State 11, Southern Indiana 4
Sunday, March 19 Ball State 19, Toledo 16 (13 inn.) Ball State 7, Toledo 4 Northwestern 5, Butler 1 Evansville 6, Purdue 4 Michigan State 8, Indiana State 2 Michigan State 10, Indiana State 7 Notre Dame 3, Wake Forest 1 Wright State 13, Purdue Fort Wayne 4 Murray State 13, Southern 3
NCAA D-II Tuesday, March 14 Saint Leo 8, Purdue Northwest 3 Eckerd 4, Purdue Northwest 3
NAIA Monday, March 13 Oakland City 14, Baptist Bible 13
Tuesday, March 14 Thomas More 14, IUPU-Columbus 3 Indiana Tech 7, Mid-America Christian 5
Wednesday, March 15 Calumet of St. Joseph 1, Trinity Christian 0 Trinity Christian 5, Calumet of St. Joseph 4 Grace 4, Taylor 1 Taylor 6, Grace 0 Mount Vernon Nazarene 7, Huntington 6 Huntington 9, Mount Vernon Nazarene 2 Indiana Wesleyan 16, IUPU-Columbus 5 IU-South Bend 9, Judson 5 (7 inn.) Judson 10, IU-South Bend 5 Baptist Bible 13, Oakland City 11
Thursday, March 16 Saint Francis 5, Bethel 4 Saint Francis 10, Bethel 3 (7 inn.) Indiana Wesleyan 14, Goshen 4 (8 inn.) Taylor 27, Grace 5 Taylor 13, Grace 0 Huntington 14, Mount Vernon Nazarene 13 Huntington 11, Mount Vernon Nazarene 0 IU-Kokomo 17, Alice Lloyd 5 IU-Kokomo 11, Alice Lloyd 0 Ohio Christian 7, IU Southeast 6 IU Southeast 4, Ohio Christian 2 Marian 8, Spring Arbor 7 Spring Arbor 11, Marian 8
Friday, March 17 IU Southeast 25, Ohio Christian 1
Sunday, March 19 Olivet Nazarene 16, Calumet of St. Joseph 6 Olivet Nazarene 9, Calumet of St. Joseph 5 Miami-Hamilton 5, IUPU-Columbus 4 Miami-Hamilton 19, IUPU-Columbus 4 IU-South Bend 5, Saint Xavier 1 Oakland City 9, Rio Grande 5 Oakland City 7, Rio Grando 1
Junior College Wednesday, March 15 Ivy Tech Northeast 15, Glen Oaks 9
Thursday, March 16 Kellogg 8, Ivy Tech Northeast 7
The University of Indianapolis is off to an 11-0 start to the 2023 baseball season. The Al Ready-coached Greyhounds are coming off a 5-0 week with two wins against Purdue Northwest and three against Davenport — all at Greyhound Park/Bill Bright Field. The last time NCAA D-II UIndy started a season 11-0 was 1997. PNW started its southern trip by splitting a Sunday doubleheader at Ave Maria. In NCAA III, Anderson University coach Matt Bair collected his 100th career victory. It came in a Sunday win against St. Thomas (Maine) in Davenport, Fla. Also in Florida, Wabash went 6-0 in Port Charlotte and Fort Myers for the week. The Jake Martin-coached Little Giants are 10-4. Rose-Hulman played its first home game at Art Nehf Field in 2023 and won all four, moving the Adam Rosen-coached Fightin’ Engineers’ victory streak to six. The Berea (Ky.) at Manchester series became a Saturday doubleheader at Grand Park in Westfield. The Rick Espeset-coached Spartans (8-3) earned a sweep and ran their win streak to three. Greg Perschke-coached Trine (6-5) concluded an eight-game stint in Florida with two victories. NAIA Taylor’s 5-1 week in the Crossroads League helped the Kyle Gould-coached Trojans move to 14-8 overall and 7-1 in the conference. A 3-1 week allowed Thad Frame-coached Huntington Foresters to be 13-6 overall and 7-1 in the CL. As part of the U.S. Highway 20 Cup, Bethel (12-8) took four CL games against Goshen. The first two games were played in Mishawaka and — because of inclement weather — the next two at Grand Park. By topping No. 22 Oklahoma City Sunday, Kip McWilliams’ visiting Indiana Tech Warriors advanced to 10-3. In NCAA D-I, Indiana and Indiana State both enjoyed 5-0 weeks. The Hoosiers swept a four-game home series against Bellarmine and the Sycamores took three at Memphis. Ball State’s 3-1 week included 2-1 against visiting Mid-American Conference foe Western Michigan. Evansville won two of three at Middle Tennessee. A 2-1 loss at No. 7 Vanderbilt was epic. The Wednesday game went 17 innings and took 4 hours, 44 minutes. Sunday’s Purdue at Mississippi game featured two pitchers from northwest Indiana high schools in starting roles. Xavier Rivas (Portage) hurled the first six innings and got the win for Ole Miss. Kyle Iwinski (Griffith) went five frames and absorbed the loss for the Boilermakers. When Valparaiso beat Southern Mississippi 6-1 in the opener of the three-game series Friday, it was the Beacons’ first win against a nationally-ranked opponent since 2018. In junior college, Kirk Cabana earned his first victory as head coach at Marian’s Ancilla. The Chargers beat Minnesota State Community & Technical College in the second game of a doubleheader Friday in Orlando, Fla. Vincennes (10-11) enjoyed a 5-1 week that featured a four-game sweep of Schoolcraft. At 3-2 week makes Ivy Tech Northeast 6-8.
Below are season records, weekly results and links to web pages, schedules and statistics for all of Indiana’s 39 collegiate programs.
Through March 12 NCAA D-I Monday, March 6 Louisiana State 11, Butler 0 (7 inn.)
Tuesday, March 7 Ball State 11, Florida A&M 9 Indiana State 8, Southeast Missouri 3 Austin Peay 10, Southern Indiana 6 Mississippi State 12, Valparaiso 2 (7 inn.)
Wednesday, March 8 Jackson State 11, Butler 7 Vanderbilt 2, Evansville 1 (17 inn.) Indiana 15, Purdue Fort Wayne 1 Indiana State 7, Southeast Missouri 4
Thursday, March 9 Indiana 5, Bellarmine 3
Friday, March 10 Ball State 11, Western Michigan 3 Southeast Missouri 8, Butler 0 Middle Tennessee 2, Evansville 0 Indiana 9, Bellarmine 7 Indiana State 5, Memphis 1 Georgia Tech 7, Notre Dame 4 Mississippi 15, Purdue 7 Austin Peay 9, Purdue Fort Wayne 0 Austin Peay 6, Purdue Fort Wayne 5 Oakland 4, Southern Indiana 2 Valparaiso 6, Southern Mississippi 1
Saturday, March 11 Western Michigan 10, Ball State 1 Ball State 15, Western Michigan 3 (7 inn.) Southeast Missouri 7, Butler 2 Evansville 5, Middle Tennessee 3 Indiana 13, Bellarmine 3 Indiana State 7, Memphis 3 Georgia Tech 15, Notre Dame 2 Notre Dame 17, Georgia Tech 4 Mississippi 7, Purdue 6 (10 inn.) Purdue Fort Wayne 5, Austin Peay 3 (8 inn.) Austin Peay 4, Purdue Fort Wayne 2 Oakland 7, Southern Indiana 5 Southern Mississippi 8, Valparaiso 3
NCAA D-II Tuesday, March 7 Indianapolis 7, Purdue Northwest 5 Indianapolis 6, Purdue Northwest 1
Friday, March 10 Indianapolis 10, Davenport 7
Saturday, March 11 Indianapolis 7, Davenport 4 Indianapolis 2, Davenport 1 (10 inn.)
Sunday, March 12 Ave Maria 16, Purdue Northwest Purdue Northwest 10, Ave Maria 7
NCAA D-III Monday, March 6 Trine 3, St. Vincent 1 Wabash 23, Swarthmore 4
Tuesday, March 7 Grove City 11, Trine 4 Wabash 10, Lebanon Valley 9
Wednesday, March 8 Wilmington 7, Franklin 4 Spalding 14, Hanover 2 Manchester 12, Olivet 2 Rose-Hulman 6, Greenville 4 Dominican (Ill.) 17, Trine 13 Wabash 7, Kean 1
Thursday, March 9 Waynesburg 7, Trine 6
Friday, March 10 Aurora 9, Anderson 2 Anderson 4, Aurora 3 Wilmington 15, Earlham 3 Hanover 14, Hope 4 Trine 7, Penn State-Altoona 0 Trine 7, Penn State-Altoona 4 Wabash 16, Saint John’s 6
Saturday, March 11 Fontbonne 9, Anderson 2 Wisconsin-Osh Kosh 3, DePauw 2 Transylvania 5, DePauw 3 Wilmington 12, Earlham 3 Earlham 8, Wilmington 2 Franklin 15, Albion 4 Albion 4, Franklin 1 Hope 5, Hanover 3 Manchester 13, Berea 5 Manchester 2, Berea 1 Rose-Hulman 4, Alma 0 Rose-Hulman 9, Alma 6 Wabash 17, Western Connecticut 6 Wabash 10, Western Connecticut 3
Sunday, March 12 Anderson 11, Thomas (Maine) 0 Transylvania 9, DePauw 1 Franklin 5, Albion 3 Hanover 14, Millikin 4 Millikin 8, Hanover 5 Rose-Hulman 10, Alma 0
NAIA Monday, March 6 Calumet of St. Joseph 17, Siena Heights 9 IU-Kokomo 10, Oakland City 3 Indiana Wesleyan 14, Grace 6 Indiana Wesleyan 7, Grace 1 Marian 15, Spring Arbor 4 (8 inn.) Marian 9, Spring Arbor 5 Taylor 13, Saint Francis 3 Taylor 8, Saint Francis 2
Tuesday, March 7 Calumet of St. Joseph 7, Siena Heights 6 IU-Kokomo 12, IUPU-Columbus 7
Wednesday, March 8 Southeastern 14, Calumet of St. Joseph 1
Thursday, March 9 Bethel 6, Goshen 3 Bethel 9, Goshen 2 St. Thomas 6, Calumet of St. Joseph 5 Calumet of St. Joseph 9, Siena Heights 7 Huntington 10, Saint Francis 8 Saint Francis 6, Huntington 5 Indiana Wesleyan 9, Marian 3 Indiana Wesleyan 5, Marian 4 (9 inn.) Taylor 11, Spring Arbor 10 Taylor 6, Spring Arbor 5
Friday, March 10 Lawrence Tech 9, Calumet of St. Joseph 6 Concordia (Neb.) 23, Calumet of St. Joseph 3 IU Southeast 11, IU-Kokomo 9 Oakland City 17, Brescia 2 (7 inn.)
Saturday, March 11 Bethel 20, Goshen 3 Bethel 8, Goshen 6 Siena Heights 20, Calumet of St. Joseph 3 Huntington 8, Saint Francis 6 Huntington 18, Saint Francis 0 IU-Kokomo 10, IU Southeast 1 IU Southeast 4, IU-Kokomo 1 Concordia (Mich.) 9, IUPU-Columbus 1 Concordia (Mich.) 10, IUPU-Columbus 2 Oklahoma City 2, Indiana Tech 1 Oklahoma City 10, Indiana Tech 2 Marian 5, Indiana Wesleyan 0 Marian 7, Indiana Wesleyan 4 Brescia 9, Oakland City 2 Brescia 2, Oakland City 1 Taylor 5, Spring Arbor 2 Spring Arbor 5, Taylor 0
Sunday, March 12 Concordia (Mich.) 3, IUPU-Columbus 1 Concordia (Mich.) 3, IUPU-Columbus 1 Indiana Tech 7, Oklahoma City 1
Junior College Monday, March 6 Ivy Tech Northeast 9, Anderson JV 7 Minnesota North-Vermillion 5, Marian’s Ancilla 3 Minnesota North-Vermillion 6, Marian’s Ancilla 5
Tuesday, March 7 Vincennes 17, Oakland City JV 7
Wednesday, March 8 Mid-Michigan 7, Marian’s Ancilla 2 Volunteer State 16, Vincennes 3
An American shined in Canada and got the chance to play in Mexico. That’s the story of Tasker Strobel’s 2022 as a professional baseball pitcher. Strobel, a graduate of Avon (Ind.) High School (2013) and Saint Joseph’s College (2017), spent the spring and summer with the independent/MLB Partner League American Association’s Winnipeg Goldeyes. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound left-hander performances for the Gary (Ind.) SouthShore RailCats against Winnipeg in 2021 made Goldeyes manager/pitching coach Rick Forney want Strobel in 2022. The 27-year-old southpaw was given a chance to compete for the closer role, landed it and made 53 appearances (all in relief) and went 2-3 with 21 saves (second in the AA to the 23 for Fargo-Moorhead’s Alex DuBord) and a 3.41 earned run average. Strobel racked up 58 strikeouts with 21 walks in 55 1/3 innings. “(Forney) was good for my career,” says Strobel. “If you were doing well he let you ride and do your own thing.” The longtime baseball man maintains connections South of the Border and had former Winnipeg slugger Kyle Martin play for Mayos de Navojoa of the Mexican Pacific League (Liga Mexicana del Pacífico or LMP in Spanish) in 2021-22. Navojoa — managed by Homar Rojas — reached out saying they needed a closer for 2022-23. Strobel and his agent deemed it a good fit and he signed to compete in the 10-team league that has a 68-game regular season runs from October to December and is followed by a playoff series in January to determine the league champion and a berth in the Caribbean Series. The way it was explained to Strobel, the winter league is essentially all-star teams from the 18-team Mexican League (which runs from April to August) with a few imports mixed in among native Mexicans. Mayos teammates include three players from the 2022 American Association season — infielder Grant Kay (Chicago Dogs), pitcher Max Kuhns (Sioux City Explorer) and outfielder Zach Nehrir (Cleburne Railroaders). Through Mexican Pacific League games of Nov. 1, Strobel had finished seven games and was 0-0 with four saves, 4.26 ERA, four strikeouts and one walk in 6 1/3 innings. What makes a closer in Strobel’s eyes? “You’ve got to be a little crazy and have that mindset of getting everyone out,” says Strobel. (The other team is) not going to score a run on you. “You have to lock it in. You can’t miss a spot with any pitch, especially the American Association.” Throwing from a low three-quarter arm slot, Strobel employs a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, curveball, slider and change-up. His four-seamer sits at 90 to 91 mph and has been up to 94. His curve has more of a sweeping action that his slider, which is tighter and faster. “I have two sliders that vary depending on counts and batters,” says Strobel. “I throw a class ‘circle’ change.” While in Mexico, Strobel is working to learn the basics of Spanish. “I took German in high school,” says Strobel, who is expanding his vocabulary with online lessons. He also uses Google Translate extensively. Tasker was born in Overland Park, Kan., and moved to Indiana at 4. The oldest of Chris and Janelle Strobel’s two sons (2017 Avon graduate Spencer Strobel is a super senior lefty pitcher at Indiana Tech) grew up in Avon and went from rec ball to travel ball as soon as he could with the Hendricks County Hurricanes. In high school, Tasker played with the Indiana Bulls and Jeff Mercer Sr. Strobel’s varsity coach at Avon High was Troy Drosche. The Orioles pitching coach then was Bob McPike and Strobel also took lessons from former big leaguer Bill Sampen. These days, Strobel helps Drosche with his high school and Indiana Bulls teams when he is able. His two seasons at Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Ill. (2014 and 2015) are what Strobel calls “one of the greatest experiences of my life.” Kevin Bowers was — and still is the Statemen’s head coach. Max Hudson coached pitchers in 2014 and Kyle Medley led them in 2015. “It was literally baseball and school,” says Strobel. “It was about being a JUCO Bandit and I loved it.” That diamond chapter was followed up by two campaigns with head coach/pitching coach Rick O’Dette at NCAA Division II Saint Joe. “I love that guy,” says Strobel of Coach O. “He led me into how I think about pitching now. “We would sometimes butt heads, but we were a good pairing.” Strobel was a SJC senior in 2017 — the year the school closed and the Pumas program went with it. That spring, Strobel made 14 appearances (13 starts) and was 7-3 with three complete games, a 3.17 ERA and 68 strikeouts and 30 walks in 88 innings. As a junior, he hurled in 12 games (nine starts) and went went 4-4 with a 4.53 ERA with 57 strikeouts and 13 walks in 57 2/3 innings. Business degrees were earned from both Lincoln Trail and Saint Joseph’s. The lefty began his professional career in 2017 with seven appearances for the Frontier League’s Joliet (Ill.) Slammers. Strobel had Tommy John surgery on his elbow at the end of 2017 and did not play in 2018. As soon as he was cleared, he began training at PRP Baseball in Noblesville, Ind., and still goes there in the off-season to work with Greg Vogt and Anthony Gomez and to coach other pitchers. Bullpen Tournaments and Pro X Athlete Development — both at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. — also employed Strobel during his time away from playing the game. With the independent Utica, Mich.-based United Shore Professional Baseball League’s 2020 Westside Woolly Mammoths, the lefty played in 10 games (nine in relief) with no decisions, a 3.97 ERA, 18 strikeouts and four walks in 11 1/3 innings. Strobel pitched parts of 2019 and 2021 with the Greg Tagert-managed RailCats, getting into 34 games and going 3-5, a 3.84 ERA, 72 strikeouts and 21 walks in 70 1/3 innings. Strobel, who is contracted to return to Winnipeg in 2023, wasn’t the only Indiana native in the 2022 Goldeyes bullpen. Right-hander Zac Ryan, an Andrean High School graduate and former Georgia Tech pitcher drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in 2017 and released in 2021, made 32 appearances (all in relief) for Winnipeg in 2022. He was 2-1 with a 3.72 ERA, 33 strikeouts and 16 walks in 29 innings.
Matthew Alter can see a future in baseball coaching at the collegiate level. He’s already gotten a head start by assisting in travel ball while also a college player himself. The 2019 graduate of Indianapolis Lutheran School with two years of eligibility remaining at Hanover (Ind.) College is in his third summer with the Indiana Bulls. He assisted with Scott French’s 15U Bulls Black squad in 2020. That team featured Class of 2023 standouts Max Clark (Franklin Community) and Andrew Wiggins (Heritage Christian). Alter aided (former Anderson University assistant) John Becker with the 15U Bulls Grey squad in 2021 and is now helping Becker’s 16U Bulls Grey team. By summer’s end the group will have played about 40 games with tournaments at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., LakePoint Sports in Emerson, Ga., and Creekside Baseball Park in Parkville, Mo. “After college the plan is to be a college baseball coach,” says Alter, who turned 22 in May. “The quickest way to be an assistant is to be a pitching coach. But I’m also interested in being a graduate assistant.” Matthew’s cousin, Jared Broughton, is a college baseball coach. He most recently served for three years at Clemson (S.C.) University. Dick Alter, Matthew’s father, retired from Indianapolis Lutheran following the 2019 season after 40 years of coaching (about the last 25 years of that as a teacher). “There’s so many thing he taught me,” says Matthew of the shared wisdom shared. “The biggest thing my dad taught me is that baseball is the game of life. “It doesn’t matter what you did today, it’s what you do tomorrow and the next day.” Born in Carmel, Ind., Matthew the son of Dick and Karen Alter (who is president of Borshoff, a public relations and advertising agency in Indianapolis). The Alter family moved to the south side of Indianapolis when their son was 3. He played at what is now Franklin Township Little League (located behind the former Wanamaker Elementary School) and then was in travel ball with the Indiana Prospects and Indiana Pony Express. Alter played football, basketball and baseball (for his father) at Lutheran then went to Piedmont College in Demorest, Ga., where Broughton was associate head coach. Matthew says going to college to play baseball meant “going from being an only child to having 40 brothers.” He counts slugger Alex Christie (Center Grove) among his good friends on the team. As a right-handed pitcher, Alter made six relief appearances during the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 season and went 1-0 with a 2.65 earned run average, nine strikeouts and six walks in 17 innings for the Piedmont Lions. Alter decided to transfer to another NCAA Division III school in Hanover. Grant Bellak is the Panthers head coach. Until leaving for another job, Thomas Murphy was HC’s pitching coach. “(Coach Bellak) and I have a great relationship,” says Alter. “He focuses more on hitters and infielders.” Murphy helped Alter in 2020-21 by helping him build up his lower half to utilize his power and increase velocity. Using a Core Velocity Belt and throwing weighted PlyoCare Balls with Driveline Baseball exercises were part of the routine. “(Murphy) helped us pitchers with the mental aspect of the game,” says Alter. “He is big on visualizing success and always trying to stay positive. It’s about keeping composure and maintaining positivity and self talk.” Alter pitched in 11 games (eight starts) in 2021 and went 5-0 with 45 strikeouts and 33 walks in 52 1/3 innings. In 13 contests (11 starts) in 2022, he was 5-5 with 45 strikeouts and 29 walks in 72 innings. The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference plays Saturday and Tuesday doubleheaders and Alter was the Saturday morning starter. “A lot of the teams (in the HCAC) are very similar,” says Alter. “They have a few good pitchers. But it relies solely on hitting. “That was evident in our conference tournament. There were a lot of high-scoring games.” Alter spent just over two weeks with the 2022 summer wood-bat Coastal Plain League’s Lexington County (S.C.) Blowfish before shutting it down for the summer with a tender shoulder. “It was from overuse,” says Alter, who did not play on any summer teams in 2019, 2020 and 2021. “But I did not tear my labrum.” Using a three-quarter arm slot, Alter throws two kinds of fastballs (four-seam and two-seam) plus a slider, change-up and curveball. He topped out at 87 mph with the four-seamer this summer. “The two-seamer is one of my best pitches,” says Alter. “It definitely moves. It starts at the middle of the plate and ends up outside to a lefty. It moves so much I’m able to fool hitters.” Alter employs a “circle” change and a 12-to-6 curve that he is able to throw for a strike in any count. A Communication major, Alter is on pace to graduate at the end of his fourth year in 2023. If he takes a fifth year, he says he will likely pursue a masters in Communication. Hanover does not have a graduate program in that subject.
Bob Rutherford has been a supporter of youth sports for the majority of his 84 years. One can find him at all sorts of events involving athletes from Western High School in Russiaville, Ind. One of eight in the 1957 WHS graduating class and a 10-letterwinner (track, basketball and baseball), Rutherford carries a shiny lifetime pass that allows him to cheer on the Panthers at home contests. At baseball games he can be found behind home plate between the scoreboard and the backstop. He also has his favorite locations to view basketball, football and more. What is now Russiaville Youth Baseball League purchased land from Rutherford and expanded while he and wife Anna Mae moved to New London — which is two miles due north of Russiaville and 10 miles southwest of Kokomo. There is a baseball diamond in the back yard and batting cages in his garage at New London. “The minor league team needed a place to practice and we had 2.75 acres so we just built us a ball diamond out back,” says Rutherford, who was a volunteer Little League umpire for 14 years. Bob and Anna Mae have been married 56 years. They had three daughters (one died at 42). Rutherford goes all over the region — Championship Park (Kokomo), Kokomo Municipal Stadium, Grand Park (Westfield) and more — and is a fixture at Kokomo Post 6 games. When Post 6 is at home as it is this weekend for the regional tournament against Lafayette Post 11, he can be found in his favorite spot high in the third base side bleachers at CFD Investment Stadium at Highland Park. “I attend as many as I can,” says Rutherford. “I don’t miss any home games.” To say he is a loyal customer is an understatement. “I love the game,” says Rutherford. “I played it and I love it.” Though he never played at Highland Park, he did attend a tryout there for the Kokomo Dodgers following high school. He recalls seeing future Baseball Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda when he was the the minor league team. “That’s where he used to hit his home runs,” says Rutherford while pointing to a house beyond the Highland Park fence. After the Dodgers, the Kokomo Highlanders attracted baseball fans — including Rutherford — to Highland Park. Purdue standout Dennis Brady and Del Harris (who went on to coach in the NBA and go into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame) was were Highlanders in the late 1960’s. Rutherford played in front of large crowds during his fast pitch softball days at Foster Park. He worked at Delco in Kokomo. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1958-62 and belong to Kokomo Post 6, which is celebrating its centennial in 2022. Harold Rutherford — one of Bob’s four siblings — was the president of the first class at Western (a consolation of the New London Quakers, Russiaville Cossacks and West Middleton Broncos). In 1985, Rutherford helped start the Russiaville American Legion Post 412 Cubs. The team traveled far and wide and made some noise in a tournament in Pueblo, Colo. “They wanted to know where Russiaville, Ind., was,” says Rutherford of a team that drew players from Western, Northwestern and Clinton Central high schools. “Eventually they started coming up here and play ball. We’d roast a hog. They really enjoyed it.” Russiaville hosted wooden bat classic every year in July with teams coming from places like Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota and Ontario. “The kids really enjoyed what we tried to build out there,” says Rutherford. “You get to see them expand. That’s why I like Legion ball. “These kids are developing to the next step.”
Bob Rutherford (Steve Krah Photo)
Bob Rutherford’s lifetime pass to Western High School sports.
Dalton Back was a coach pitch player when he chose his favorite position on the baseball field — catcher. “The thing that I love about it most now that older is that it’s like a game within a game — calling pitches and locations, keeping track of baserunners and whatnot,” says Back, 20 and the veteran of two college seasons. “What kept me in it when I was little was just being involved in every pitch. It’s the most active position on the field. That’s what I like most about it.” Born and raised in Columbus, Ind., to Dwayne and Jennifer Back, Dalton played in was in now Youth Baseball of Bartholomew County and was later part of two district championship and state tournament teams. When it came time to play travel ball, Back went with the Blazers then the Evoshield Canes. “They changed the way I saw baseball and how I played it,” says Back of Canes coaches Jay Hundley and Phillip Webb. “They turned me into the man and player I was back then and who I am now. “They really grew the game for me. I appreciate that a lot.” Back is a 2020 graduate of Columbus East High School. He earned three letters for Olympians head coach Jon Gratz. “He’s very open-minded,” says Back of Gratz. “He did a lot of experimental stuff. He was very open and willing to learn. He didn’t see himself as a know-it-all in baseball.” Columbus East went 25-5 and lost 3-2 to Hamilton Southeastern in the 2019 IHSAA Class 4A state championship. Back, who batted No. 2 in the order and contributed a triple and two walks in that game, is convinced that Gratz’s inclination of listening to his players was a major contributing factor to the Olympians’ run. “We would just brainstorm different ideas about what we could do better in certain areas like productivity in practice or how to hold each other accountable,” says Back, who was an all-stater in 2019 and all-Hoosier Hills Conference in 2018 and 2019 and missed his senior season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “(Gratz) allowed the players to lead which is very nice.” At Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Back played 76 games (65 as a starter) and hit .224 with seven home runs, 16 doubles, 37 runs batted in and 39 runs scored. He homered four times and enjoyed a pair of three-RBI games in 2022. Back, a 5-foot-10, 200-pounder, is now in the Transfer Portal with two years of eligibility. His next diamond destination is still to be determined. “I’m trying to stay relaxed and calm about it,” says Back of making a decision of where to play and study next. He has participated in each of the College Summer League at Grand Park’s three seasons — Local Legends in 2020, Turf Monsters in 2021 and Tropics in 2022. The league based in Westfield, Ind., is attractive to Back because the schedule is not too rigorous and there are helpful amenities. “There are not so many games a week where you’re killing your body,” says Back. “I have access to Pro X (Athlete Development on the Grand Park campus) to hit and lift all the time. “Everything is close around here. It’s easy to manage your time.” A righty swinger, Back describes his offensive approach. “The main thing that helps me is to just keep reminding myself to swing 80 percent all the time,” says Back. “A lot of times I swing way too hard and I’m trying to do too much with the baseball. “If I have a slow heart beat, go 80 percent and I’m nice and smooth with my swing, a lot of times I can let the bat do the work. Most of the time that’s how I have success at the plate.” As a college student, Back has studied Kinesiology (the science of human movement) and can see himself as a physical therapist after his playing career. “I’ve always been attracted to human physiology,” says Back. “I got real big into the weight room in high school. I loved it. I was fascinated with how everything works and how the body recovers. With physical therapy I’d be able to stay around athletics and help other athletes.” Dalton has an older brother — Joey Back (24).
Dalton Back (Miami University Photo)
Dalton Back of the 2022 College Summer League at Grand Park’s Tropics (Steve Krah Photo)
Dimitri Ivetic does not yet know where he will play college baseball in 2022-23. But the right-handed pitcher has been in this position before and he’s not pushing the panic button. Along his college baseball path, 2019 Highland (Ind.) High School graduate Ivetic has been at Palomar College in San Marcos, Calif., Santa Barbara (Calif.) City College and Danville (Ill.) Area Community College. Ivetic (pronounced Eave-Uh-Titch) made the decision to attend each only a few weeks before going there. “I think it helps me weigh my options and advice and make the decision that I think works best for me,” says Ivetic, 21. Born in Dyer, Ind., and played in the Highland Babe Ruth League, then travel ball with Morris Chiefs (now 5 Star Great Lakes Chiefs) coached by Matt Mamula and Dave Sutkowski and Florida Pokers. His head coach at Highland High was John Bogner. “He’s very adamant on the fundamentals,” says Ivetic of Bogner. “He was very big on arm healthy and keeping guys healthy. Those are the biggest things I’ve been able to carry over into college. “We had a rough senior year, but my sophomore and junior years we won quite a few games.” How did a kid from northwest Indiana end up on the West Coast? “Ever since I was younger it was my dream to play college baseball,” says Ivetic. “My favorite school was UCLA. I always wanted to play there. I wasn’t good enough to go to UCLA so I decided to go to JUCO out in California.” Through a friend, Ivetic met Palomar pitching coach Hayden Carter while the latter was managing the summer wood-bat Kokomo (Ind.) Jackrabbits. After a visit and seeing the facilities and experiencing the weather, Ivetic joined the program. The righty got into five games totaling three innings for the 2020 Palomar Comets. “I struggled with command a little bit,” says Ivetic. “Then the pandemic hit and we got shut down with mandates and restrictions. We are all like super-disappointed. “During that time I was able to go throw at nearby fields. On one of the last days I strained my forearm. I felt something pull in there. “That bugged me for the next couple months. I worked through it and made some mechanical adjustments which ended up paying off.” Away from baseball, Ivetic went to the beach and on hikes with his roommates. “We became a lot closer,” says Ivetic. “Those are some of my best friends to this day that I still talk to (regularly).” In the summer of 2020, Ivetic did not play but trained at Randy Sullivan’s Florida Baseball ARMory in Lakeland. “He’s a great guy,” says Ivetic of Sullivan. “He’s very innovative. He helped me a lot over the course of a couple years.” When Ivetic learned that the pandemic was going to keep Palomar from baseball activities in the fall of 2020 he decided to transfer to Santa Barbara City College. That turned out to be a tough situation with several COVID-19-related shutdowns and — eventually — no 2021 season. He played for the Bomb Squad in the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., then went back to Santa Barbara in the fall and it did not go well. “My velocity was down and I struggled,” says Ivetic. “I made one little adjustment that kind of messed everything up.” During his fall exit meeting, Ivetic was advised that if he wanted more playing time in 2022 he should transfer so he went back to the Midwest and Danville Area, where he pitched in 12 games (26 2/3 innings) and went 2-2 with two saves, 36 strikeouts and 12 walks. “Danville was great,” says Ivetic. “The coaches were great. We struggled through some stuff, but overall it was decent. “I definitely made some memories.” Throwing from a high three-quarter arm slot, Ivetic uses a four-seam fastball (which has been clocked as high as 90 mph), curveball and sweeping slider. “My slider is what I’ve been most comfortable with,” says Ivetic. “I can throw it for a strike in basically any count. It’s got more horizontal movement, but sometimes it will start to look more like my curveball.” Ivetic says he could return to Danville Area in the fall, but has no plans to do so. “It wouldn’t make much sense to go back to junior college at this point because — academically — it would just put me so far behind on how many credits would transfer,” says Ivetic, a Finance major who is in the Transfer Portal. “I’m not quite sure where I’m going. But we’re starting to get some idea of where I’d like to go.” Ivetic is back with the CSL’s Bomb Squad and was named to the July 4 All-Star Game. He also trains with PRP Baseball at the Mojo Up Sports Complex in Noblesville, visiting there before games at Grand Park. PRP Baseball, which was founded by Greg Vogt (now a rehab pitching coach for the Toronto Blue Jays organization), is under the day-to-day guidance of Anthony Gomez. He has coached Ivetic since he was 16. Dimitri is of Serbian descent and the only child born to Zarko and Paula Ivetic. His father sells for Jack Tuchten Wholesale Produce in Chicago and his mother works at Nordstrom.
Dimitri Ivetic (Palomar College Photo)
Dimitri Ivetic of the College Summer League at Grand Park’s Bomb Squad (Steve Krah Photo)
Northeast Indiana is moving toward a large sports facility and baseball will be part of the mix. Auburn Sports Group is bringing Auburn Sports Park — a $42 million 170-acre multi-sport complex plus 90 more acres for retail (restaurants, gas stations, hotels) — to land adjacent once owned by RM Auctions/RM Sotheby’s on the east side of I-69 .1 of a mile off Exit 11A. Auburn Sports Park will be located about 30 miles south of the Indiana-Michigan line on I-69; about 20 miles to the heart of Fort Wayne, Ind.; about 60 miles west of Napoleon, Ohio; about 50 miles northeast of Warsaw, Ind.; about 120 miles southwest of Lansing, Mich.; about 100 miles southeast of Kalamazoo, Mich.; about 130 miles northeast of Grand Park in Westfield, Ind Auburn Sports Group’s leadership team features co-owner Joe Fisher, president/co-order Rod Sinn, vice president/director of basketball Grant Sinn and director of operations/director of outdoor fields Cole Walker. Brett Ratcliffe, assistant baseball coach at Trine University in Angola, Ind., and former head coach at Garrett (Ind.) High School, is the director of baseball/softball. Auburn Sports Park is to have eight turf fields suitable for high school/college baseball and softball. “A multi-sport complete in northeast Indiana is something that’s needed,” says Ratcliffe of the place which has already had commitments to bring events to serve athletes from Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and beyond. “This is another venue they can go to.” Existing buildings will be used and there will be construction and renovation to bring indoor basketball and volleyball courts and a multi-purpose field for football, soccer and lacrosse. One building will house seven batting cages. In addition, a 2-mile walking trail around the campus is planned as well as a splash pad. “We want to make sure it’s a great experience for kids and a good memory for people who come here,” says Ratcliffe, who expects some of the facility to be ready for events by late summer. Auburn Sports Park will be home to Prospect Select and Crossroads Baseball Series and the site of national championships. Eric Blakeley, who played baseball at Indiana University and in the Seattle Mariners organization, is Crossroads Baseball Series CEO. Jeremy Plexico, former pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Ball State University, is Prospect Select president. Travis Keesling, who played and coached at Pendleton Heights High School, is Crossroads Baseball Series executive vice president. Ratcliffe says entities like the DeKalb County Visitors Bureau have been supportive and other partnerships have been discussed with the World Baseball Academy, Indiana Collegiate Summer Baseball League and Empowered Sports Club —all based in Fort Wayne — plus the YMCA of DeKalb County in Auburn and Team Pineapple Volleyball Club/Ball Sports Academy of Angola. With its location, Ratcliffe says Auburn Sports Park will be a great place for teams from NCAA D-I, D-II and D-III to NAIA and National Junior College Athletic Association schools to recruit.
Auburn Sports Group runs Auburn Sports Park in Auburn, Ind.
www.IndianaRBI.com 