Reliever Rush getting first taste of professional baseball

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Caleb Rush threw his last competitive collegiate pitch for the University of Charleston (W.Va) on April 14.

The fireballer signed his first professional baseball career with the Empire State Greys of the Frontier League (an MLB Partner League) on June 18.

A team without a home field, the Greys travel throughout the season.

“It’s interesting,” says Rush. “I’m used to a homestand every now and then. We stayed in hotels all the time.

“It’s very taxing.”

Rush, who turned 23 in May, met the team in Washington, Pa., then went to Little Falls, N.J., and Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.

The 6-foot-6, 235-pound right-hander struggled in four outings, giving up 12 runs in 3 1/3 relief innings.

“I got released (June 26),” says Rush. “I couldn’t find my off-speed stuff so they sent me down to their feeder team (Tupper Lake, N.Y., Riverpigs) for two weeks to figure my stuff out.”

Delivering the ball from a high three-quarter arm angle, Rush has a four-seam fastball clocked in the past week between 93 to 95 mph, a 12-to-6 curveball, slider and splitter.

“It’s a makeshift forkball,” says Rush of the sinking pitch.

At Charleston, where he earned a Sport Business degree, Rush made eight mound appearances (five in relief) in the spring and went 0-0 with one save, a 1.35 earned run average, 13 strikeouts and 16 walks in 13 1/3 innings.

In three seasons with the Golden Eagles (2021-23), he pitched in 26 games (23 out of the bullpen) and was 2-0 with one save, a 4.15 ERA, 37 strikeouts and 29 walks in 30 1/3 innings.

Robbie Britt (who is now head coach at Eastern Michigan University) was Charleston’s head coach. Rush worked with two different pitching coaches during his time there — Anthony Zona and Maddux Minton. The team went 33-13 in 2021, 40-18 in 2022, 43-12 in 2023.

He ended up with the NCAA Division II program in West Virginia’s capitol after two seasons at Frontier Community College in Fairfield, Ill. (2019 and 2020) — the latter shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic. His head coach was Brandon Benton. Jimmy Brenneman was the Bobcats pitching coach.

Rush is a 2018 graduate of Mount Vernon High School in Fortville, Ind. The three-year varsity player had Ryan Carr as a head coach.

What Rush appreciated most about Carr was his humor.

“He was hard on us at times, but he was also understanding. He kept things fun and light most of the time,” says Rush. “He was definitely a players’ coach.”

Rush was also part of the Marauders basketball program.

Born in Indianapolis, Rush was in Franklin, Ind., until moving to Fortville at 8.

He played rec ball then travel ball for the Indy Stix (coached by Dale Reid), Indiana Prospects (coached by Mark Horsley and Danny Cappelletti) and back to the Indy Stix (coached by Dan Turner).

In the summer of 2019, he played in a central Indiana college league with the Indianapolis Eagles. The next summer, it was the Indianapolis Chiefs of the Indiana Baseball League.

In 2021, Rush played for the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League’s Lima (Ohio) Locos.

As part of an internship class, he gave baseball lessons in Nitro, W.Va., in the summer of 2022.

Caleb’s parents are John Rush (married to Jennifer Rush) and Shannon Weaver (married to Charlie Weaver). 

He has two biological siblings — Nathaniel (21) and Michaela (20).

His step-siblings are Kassidy (21), Jacob (20), Kenton (13), Kaylee (11) and Izland (9).

Caleb Rush. (Empire State Greys Photo)

Caleb Rush. (Empire State Greys Photo)

Caleb Rush. (Empire State Greys Photo)

Caleb Rush. (University of Charleston Photo)

Caleb Rush. (University of Charleston Photo)

Caleb Rush. (University of Charleston Photo)

Indy Heat wins 35-plus Lou Palmer Memorial Florida World Series

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

An Indiana team earned baseball hardware last weekend in the Sunshine State.
The Indy Heat reigned in the 35-and-over division at the 2021 National Adult Baseball Association Lou Palmer Memorial Florida World Series Nov. 11-14 in Cocoa and Melbourne.
The team made up of Hoosier Townball Association and Indiana Baseball League players from around the central part of the state went 6-1 – 4-1 as the No. 1 seed in pool play – to take the title in the wood bat event.
Formed early in 2021 and playing in exhibitions against the Jasper (Ind.) Reds and IBL 18-and-over Rays at new Loeb Stadium in Lafayette, Ind., and in a Labor Day tournament at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., the Indy Heat is co-managed by catcher Paul Staten (46), center fielder/pitcher Chad Justice (38) and pitcher Gabe Cuevas (41). Staten was the oldest in Florida. The youngest was catcher Trevor Nielsen (34). Rules allowed two players no younger than 33 who were not used as pitchers.
Most Indy Heat players have experience in high school and beyond. Some play in both the HTA and IBL.
Staten played at North Forrest High School in Hattiesburg, Miss., and one year at Jones College in Ellisville, Miss.
Justice played at New Castle (Ind.) High School, graduated from Shenandoah High School in Middletown, Ind., ran track on scholarship and also played baseball for Indiana Baseball Hall of Famer Jerry Blemker at Vincennes (Ind.) University.
Cuevas played at South Bend (Ind.) Washington High School and Triton College in River Grove, Ill.
“Playing against the Jasper Reds gives us a good dose of baseball early in the season,” says Staten, whose team was competitive in four losses to the long-established organization. “We gave them a ball game.
“We’re going to continue exhibition with those guys.”
Adult baseball players tends swing wood.
“Some of these guys can still create quite a bit of exit velocity with aluminum and composite bats,” says Staten.
“The (Men’s Senior Baseball League) tries to adhere to MLB rules as much as possible,” says Justice.
Sixteen Indy Heat players were able to make the Florida trip. About half of the team entry fee was picked up by sponsors. Players arranged hotels or airbnb accommodations.
The Indy Heat beat the Angels 16-0 in Game 1. John Zangrilli pitched a complete-game shutout.
Game 7 was a 15-7 loss to the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Phillies. That’s when the Indiana team opted to scrap their gale blue jerseys for black ones accented by gale blue and laser fuchsia and wore those the rest of the tournament.
“We’re not superstitious,” says Staten. “Dirty or not, we were wearing our black jerseys.”
The Heat concluded pool games by topping the Dallas (Texas) Redbirds 8-3, Northwest Indiana Royals 6-1 and the Dade City (Fla.) Brewers with Mitch Brock tossing a shutout in the latter contest.
The field of eight was cut to four after pool play with overall record being the top criteria for semifinals seeding. Runs against was the first tiebreaker followed by runs scored. The Heat outscored pool play opponents 48-16.
The Indy Heat bested the Chattanooga Phillies 14-6 in the semifinals. Yasidro Matos came on in long relief of Zangrilli for the Indiana winners.
A rematch with the Dallas Redbirds — a team with players who’ve been together for years — in the championship game resulted in a 4-3 Indy Heat win Cuevas pitching a nine-inning shutout. The tournament started with games having a three-hour time limit, but rains caused that to be cut to two hours in games leading up to the final one.
“Hats off to the pitching staff,” says Staten.
Indy Heat managers employed a bullpen strategy in Florida. By holding pitchers to about 60 pitches they had fresher arms at the end of the tournament.
“Other teams were dying out and we had three good arms going into the finals,” says Justice. “I didn’t guys want to throw more than 60 pitches and seeing (the opposing) lineup more than two or three times.”
Restrictions were lifted later in the event.
“That’s the time you leave it on the line,” says Staten. “There’s nothing going on after that.”
What’s next for the Indy Heat?
‘I don’t foresee us playing in anything competitive between now and spring,” says Staten, who notes that players will keep sharp in batting cages and keep sharp with a few practices before that time. “We’ve got guys that are ready to go now. They’re pumped coming off a championship.”

Representing the Indy Heat in winning the 35-and-over division at the 2021 National Adult Baseball Association Lou Palmer Memorial Florida World Series Nov. 11-14 in Cocoa and Melbourne are (from left): First row — David Hobbs, Paul Staten, Trevor Nielsen, Brandon Robertson, Carlos Paredes, Matt Miller, Yasidro Matos and Josh Doane; Second row — John Zangrilli, Ryan Sweda, Chad Justice, Derek DeVaughan, Mitch Brock, Mike Schuyler, Jay Gober and Gabe Cuevas. (NABA Photo)

Hasper sharing love of baseball at Indianapolis Metropolitan

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

At 51, Roger Hasper still plays the game.
He’s also sharing his love of baseball with youngsters — many who are experiencing it for first time.
Hasper plays in the Indianapolis Baseball League and has competed in 25-and-over, 35-and-over and 45-and-over leagues. He came back to the diamond as a player at 41 after a two-decade absence. He has been a second baseman and third baseman and in his 35-and-over league, made the all-star team as a pitcher.
“I throw a change-up and off-speed — 75 (mph) at the most,” says Hasper. “I use (hitters’) aggressiveness to my advantage.”
IBL games are played at a variety of high schools with more than half at Grand Park in Westfield.
Hasper is also the head baseball coach at Indianapolis Metropolitan High School and an English Language Acquisition Paraprofessional at the Goodwill-affiliated institution with an enrollment of about 275 about 1.5 miles northwest of Victory Field that caters to “students with barriers.”
“We’ll get kids as juniors and seniors who are credit-deficient,” says Hasper. “We don’t get many freshmen.”
Hasper started the program in February 2020 — a few weeks before the COVID-19 shutdown took away that season. The revamped revamped Pumas debuted in 2021 as a club team and finished the season with 10 athletes. Only one had played baseball before.
“We have really good athletes here,” says Hasper. “It’s just changing their mind from basketball and football to baseball.
“We had a really fun year last year.”
Hasper, who was the lone coach last year, says there’s been a groundswell of baseball interest at the school.
“I’m looking at 20 or 30 kids,” says Hasper. “If that’s the case I’ll definitely need some (coaching) help.”
In 2022, Indianapolis Metropolitan will a bona fide IHSAA team with orange, blue and white uniforms.
Metropolitan is a member of the Greater Indianapolis Athletic Conference (with Crispus Attucks, Eminence, Indianapolis Washington, Irvington Preparatory Academy, Purdue Polytechnic, Tindley and Victory College Preparatory).
Last year, Metropolitan played two games against Purdue Polytechnic — one at Howe. Next spring, Hasper hopes the Pumas will be able to play and practice at either Howe or Rhoadius Park.
Hasper got his coaching start at Herron High School in Indianapolis where he assisted Rusty Hughes for five seasons (2015-19).
As a high school player and student, he attended what is now Prosser Career Academy in Chicago into the start of his junior year before moving to California and finishing at Los Angeles Baptist. He then went to College of the Canyons, a junior college in Santa Clarita, Calif. Decades later, he’s been taking two courses a semester at Ivy Tech in Indianapolis to finish his degree.
Hasper says he plans to give many of his players a chance to pitch in order to cover the pitch county requirement and because of lack of stamina for those just learning mound skills.
“I wouldn’t want to hurt anybody,” says Hasper. “Give me a good two (innings) and we’re good.”
Hasper also sees baseball as a leverage tool.
“You’ve got to get the grades to make the team,” says Hasper. “It’s bigger than baseball.”

Roger Hasper swings the bat.

Roger Hasper.

Roger Hasper.

Coach Roger Hasper and the 2021 Indianapolis Metropolitan High School baseball team.