Driven right-hander Olejnik helping Miami U. RedHawks win ball games

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Peyton Oljenik has gotten better as his college baseball career has progressed.

A junior right-handed pitcher in his first year at the Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, is driven to put away hitters and add to the RedHawks’ win column.

Miami is 25-23 overall and 17-13 in the Mid-American Conference in no small part to the contribution of 6-foot-10 3/4, 210-pound Olejnik, who has made 17 mound appearances (14 in relief) is 7-1 (seven straight victories) with one save, a 5.29 earned run average, 71 strikeouts and 23 walks in 56 1/3 innings. He has faced 249 batters and opponents are hitting .250 against him.

In his last two trips to the bump, Olejnik worked 1 1/3 hitless innings Friday, May 10 against Ohio and picked up the win then came in for four frames the next day, giving up four hits and three runs against the Bobcats.

“I’m a competitor,” says Olejnik, a 2021 graduate of Hanover Central High School in Cedar Lake, Ind. “I hate to lose and I love to win. The love-hate relationship makes me try even harder for the team. At the end of the day, it’s about how many victories we get as a team. It’s been like that since Day 1.

“(Miami head coach Brian Smiley) tells us all the time that you make your bed, you lay in it. He’s told me that I just need to produce. I have that hard-working, blue-collar grit mentality. You don’t give up. You get knocked down and you get back up.”

Polish-American Olejnik (pronounced Oh-len-ick) has also seen that kind of spirit from his team.

“We may get down and we may get punched early in the game, but we don’t ever give up,” says Olejnik, 21. “We’re going to fight all the way to the end. For myself, there’s a few pitches I wish I could get back. But I still need to do my job and minimize the damage. I go out there with that grit and give my team the best chance to win the game.”

Larry Scully is the RedHawks pitching coach. 

“Coach Scully’s been around the game for many, many years and has top draft picks year in and year out,” says Olejnik. “I’m picking his brain as much as I possibly can, learning about myself, hitters and things I could do right.”

Olejnik is often called on to take the baseball in latter innings or be a bulk guy out of the bullpen.

“It’s about a trust thing,” says Olejnik. “(Smiley and Scully) trust me late in the game. That’s a huge role to have. I’ll close the game on Friday and if they want to bring me back on Saturday or Sunday for long relief and let somebody else close in the ninth, that’s what we’ve been doing.

“We’ve seen a lot of success with it.”

Miami’s regular season is winding down. The team has a three-game home series May 16-18 against East Tennessee State before heading to the MAC tournament after an extended absence from the postseason. The 2024 six-team event is slated for May 22-26 in Avon, Ohio.

Throwing from a high three-quarter arm slot and whip-like release, Olejnik mixes a four-seam fastball that hits 96 mph, a slider that goes 84 to 86 when adrenaline takes over and a “circle” change-up. He did not have a slider in high school or the beginning of his college days and used an 11-to-5 curveball and can still show that pitch to batters when needed.

Olejnik was at the University of Oklahoma in 2023, making five appearances with a 4.15 ERA. Opponents his .154 against him. 

“Mentally, I grew stronger,” says Olejnik of his time with the Sooners. “It was a learning experience for me and I just needed to get better, put on weight and get stronger.”

He entered the NCAA Transfer Portal after the season and wound in Oxford.

“I really didn’t know what to expect coming to Miami. Now that I’ve been here for almost a year now, I love it. There are guys here I will be friends with for life. There are great relationships with coaches and teammates.

“It’s crazy to see how we’re changing the culture here. This is where I belong.”

Triton College in River Grove, Ill. was Olenik’s baseball home in 2022. At 6-9 and 175, the righty pitched in 11 games (eight starts) and was 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA, 73 strikeouts and 26 walks in 46 1/3 innings.

“Going through that grind has helped me,” says Olejnik of his time in junior college baseball. “For me, a JUCO Bandit is a guy who gets down and dirty and plays hard. It takes a different character to play JUCO ball. 

“You’ve got to be there to experience it.”

Olejnik spent the summer of 2022 with the MLB Draft League’s West Virginia Black Bears and the summer of 2023 with the New England Collegiate League’s Martha’s Vineyard Sharks.

He has options this summer. Depending on his work load at Miami, he could pitch in the Cape Cod League or train in preparation for the July 14-16 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

The Sport Management major has one year of remaining college eligibility.

Born in La Porte, Ind., to Tom and Toni Olejnik, Peyton moved with his family to Lake County by 4. 

Peyton played until 14 for the St. John Tomahawks (now part of the Indiana Bulls) and was coached by his father.

Tom Olejnik pitched at Thornton Fractional South High School in Lansing, Ill., and then Michigan State University in the mid-1990’s and now gives pitching lessons at “The Armory” in Cedar Lake.

Peyton’s mother was a cheerleader at Monmouth (Ill.) College. Sister Brooke Olejnik (Hanover Central Class of 2024) is a dancer bound for the University of Alabama.

From 15U to 18U, Peyton experienced his travel ball with Top Tier. 

Along the way, he was headed toward being at the top of his teams on the height chart thanks to quite a growth spurt.

As a Hanover Central freshman in 2018, Olejnik was 5-foot-10. That means he has grown more than a foot in the past six years. 

In his senior prep season, Peyton was part of a IHSAA Class 3A state runner-up team and earned Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association honorable mention all-state honors. The Wildcats were coached by Ryan Bridges.

“My senior class is still close to him today,” says Olejnik. “We’re grateful for the spot he got us to. He’s one of the best thought-out coaches I’ve had.”

Peyton Olejnik video by @Nick_Feigl7.

Peyton Olejnik. (Miami University Photo)

Peyton Olejnik. (Miami University Photo)

Peyton Olejnik. (Miami University Photo)

Lipscomb makes many diamond memories at Franklin College

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

As Tysen Lipscomb’s baseball career winds downs, the fifth-year senior at Franklin (Ind.) College has plenty of memories to cherish.

The 23-year-old lefty-swinging and righty-throwing left fielder has played in 36 games (all starts) in 2024 and is hitting .397 (54-of-136) with eight home runs, one triple, 14 doubles, 45 runs batted in, 47 runs scored and a 1.214 OPS (.523 on-base percentage plus .691 slugging average). 

Lipscomb has been batting in the No. 2 or No. 3 slot in veteran head coach Lance Marshall’s lineup and has 16 multi-hit games with four March 2 vs. Hope College and three on four occasions. He was chosen as NCAA Division III Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week on March 18.

“It’s definitely been a blast and a blessing,” says Lipscomb of Marshall, who took over leadership of the FC program in August 1997. “He’s going to push you. He’s going to tell you like it is. That’s what I love and his players love about him.

“But he’s always going to bring you aside if you’re struggling a little bit and talking you off the ledge. It’s a ‘this to shall pass’ sort of thing. He can definitely do both things. He’s very knowledgeable about the game. There’s no secret to why he’s won so many games (632 to date). He’s a great coach and he really cares about his players.”

A starter in 157 of 158 career contests, Lipscomb is hitting .354 (214-of-604) with 22 homers, five triples, 53 doubles, 177 RBIs (a school record), 166 runs, 36 stolen bases and a 1.045 OPS (.477/.568).

Lipscomb shared his offensive keys.

“It’s about what I do well,” says Lipscomb. “When I’m at my best I’m hitting the ball to all fields well, especially the opposite way. I focus on that in practice and pre-game.”

“You have to know what kind of pitcher you’re going up against and their game plan against you. I’m always confident when I’m up there.”

Marshall works with Franklin hitters with help from assistant coach Luke Adams. When Lipscomb catches, he collaborates with Grizzlies pitching coach Jake Sprinkle on how to attack opposing hitters.

The 5-foot-9, 185-pounder has been primarily a left fielder with a handful of games at catcher in 2024. He split time between the two positions in 2023. He was mostly in left in 2022 and a designated hitter in 2021. He played in just one game in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.

“Being in the outfield is definitely a change-up,” says Lipscomb, who enjoys controlling the game and leading from behind the plate. “You have to adapt in-game (as an outfielder). It’s about working and communicating with the other outfielders about where we’re supposed to be.

“I fly around and give 100 percent effort.”

Pre-game scouting involves knowing wind and sun conditions and the distance to the warning track and fence.

Lipscomb and the ’24 Grizzlies are 18-18 overall and 7-11 in the HCAC heading into regular season-ending conference doubleheaders Friday, May 3 vs. Bluffton (Ohio) University and Sunday, May 5 at Anderson (Ind.) University.

Franklin is fighting for a spot in the six-team HCAC Tournament May 9-12 at Kokomo Municipal Stadium. Hanover and Transylvania are tied for first place at 15-3, followed by Anderson and Rose-Hulman. Franklin and Manchester have the same HCAC record.

Says Lipscomb, “We’re coming down to crunch time.”

During his college years, Lipscomb was with the Nighthawks of the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., in 2020.

“It was a great experience because it challenged me so much,” says Lipscomb of the CSL’s first season.

He was also with the Southern Collegiate Baseball League’s Carolina Disco Turkeys (Winston-Salem, N.C.) in 2023.

“I’m kind of jealous,” says Lipscomb. “(The Disco Turkeys) are going to become the Yacht Rockers for a game. I wish I could have been a Yacht Rocker.”

Lipscomb has already earned a Exercise Science degree at Franklin and is finishing his course work for an Athletic Training masters degree with internship hours to complete. He could likely have another year of eligibility but plans to enter the work force. He is currently exploring high school athletic training jobs.

Tysen was born in Muncie, Ind., to Gary and Andora Lipscomb and the younger brother of Kylee and was in second grade when the family moved to the Selma, Ind., area. His parents and sister all graduated from Muncie Southside High School. 

Gary Lipscomb played baseball. His daughter played softball and golf in high school pursued the latter sport at Indiana University East in Richmond.

As a youngster, Tysen played both Selma youth league and travel ball beginning around 7. He started with the Indiana Longhorns then went to a team formed by his father — the Magic City Orioles. Then came the Indiana Eagles. He got his first taste of competition at the next level by playing in the Fort Wayne-based wood bat circuit (Indiana Collegiate Summer Baseball League) in 2019 after putting his four varsity campaigns graduating from Wapahani High School.

Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Brian Dudley led the Raiders program and is now an assistant to Heath Dudley on a staff that now includes Gary Lipscomb. This year, the Wapahani diamond became Brian J. Dudley Field.

“Brian’s really focused,” says Lipscomb. “He really cares about his players. He wants to see them do well not only inside but outside baseball

“Brian’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen. If he doesn’t know something, he’s going to get that answer and come back and start implementing it. He was one of my biggest role models growing up.”

With Lipscomb on the team, Wapahani won sectional crown in 2017 and 2019, a regional title in 2019, a semistate championship in 2017 and was Class 2A state runners-up in 2017.

“I’m proud to be part of that history,” says Lipscomb. “I loved every minute of it.”

A Cincinnati Reds rooter, Lipscomb’s favorite current MLB player in Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper.

“I like the passion he plays with,” says Harper. “I like the way he’s grown in the game. He’s definitely a lot more mature and a leader.

“His swing is my favorite in the game because it’s the closest to mine that I’ve seen. I try to do a lot of the things that he does.”

Tysen Lipscomb. (Franklin College Photo)

Tysen Lipscomb. (Franklin College Photo)

Tysen Lipscomb. (Franklin College Photo)

Tysen Lipscomb. (b_swolltography Photo)

Tysen Lipscomb. (Franklin College Photo)

Barnes makes short move to lead Tecumseh baseball

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Eric Barnes has taken to coaching baseball on the other end of Warrick County in southwestern Indiana.

After six seasons (including COVID-19 campaign taken away in 2020) leading the Pioneers program at Boonville High School to the south, Barnes has gone to Lynnville-based Tecumseh Middle/High School  to the north.

Barnes was hired to guide the Braves in the summer and began his second year teaching at Lynnville Elementary in the fall after serving as an educator at Castle Elementary. He is still in the Warrick County Community School Corporation, just closer to wife and Warrick Education Center/Warrick Pathways and Career Center homeschool advisor and Tecumseh volleyball assistant coach Katy Barnes and son Mason Landry Barnes (3). 

As Eric says with the initials MLB, his son has grow up to play baseball.

For the second straight year, Tecumseh volleyball was the IHSAA Class 1A state runners-up. Braves spikers have been in the State Finals five times since 2002.

The school boasts state champions in boys basketball (1999), girls basketball (2021-22) and softball (2009, 2011, 2017, 2022 and 2023).

On the baseball side, Barnes takes over a very successful program. Tecumseh has won 17 sectional crowns — the last in 2022. The Braves were 1A state champions in 2003 and state runners-up in 2002, 2010 and 2022. 

“The success of a community that is so small is impressive to see,” says Barnes. “They all have such a spirt for Tecumseh and Tecumseh sports. 

“They support the school in a way that just blows my mine.”

Tecumseh (enrollment around 290) is part of an IHSAA Class 1A sectional grouping in 2024 with Cannelton, Evansville Christian, Northeast Dubois, Springs Valley and Wood Memorial. 

“Hopefully, in the next couple of years, we have the chance to go for a state championship,” says Barnes. “(Being close to home and a shot at a state title) were on my mind when I made the decision (to accept the Tecumseh job).”

The Braves are a member of the Pocket Athletic Conference (with Boonville, Forest Park, Gibson Southern, Heritage Hills, Mt. Vernon, North Posey, Pike Central, Princeton Community, Southridge, South Spencer, Tell City and Washington).

An IHSAA Limited Contact Period ran Aug. 28 to Oct. 14 and Barnes conducted at least a dozen workouts two times a week for up to two hours.

Considering Tecumseh’s small size and other sports, the numbers were good with up 14 at some of the sessions. 

“We took advantage of those days,” says Barnes. “We had pretty good weather.”

The current “dead” period which includes weightlifting but no baseball activities ends with the beginning of the next Limited Contact Period on Dec. 4. 

Barnes says he is expecting around 11 at those practices with others involved in basketball and wrestling.

“Those guys will get a lot of work in and once winter sports is done we’ll hop right in with some game stuff,” says Barnes, who introducing players to how he and his staff want things done. “It’s just projecting those expectations that Tecumseh has had for years now. Nothing’s changed really it’s just different people.”

Barnes is a 2007 graduate of Evansville (Ind.) Bosse High School who was briefly at the University of Southern Indiana then finished at Oakland City (Ind.) University for Mighty Oaks head coach T-Ray Fletcher.

Two of Barnes’ Tecumseh assistants — Tristan Cummings and Trent Creek — also played at OCU. Both have pitching backgrounds.

Cummings (Tecumseh Class of 2015) was also on the Braves coaching staff of Ted Thompson (who led the program to a 96-54 mark in six seasons and is now head coach at Henderson County in Kentucky). Creek is an alum of the former New Harmony High School and was a junior varsity and later varsity assistant for Barnes at Boonville.

Barnes is in the process of finding junior varsity coaches.

Tecumseh’s home field is Braves Ballpark, which played host to a sectional in 2023. The on-campus facility was new in 2019 and features lights and is all-Bermuda grass which makes it easier to maintain. There were cut-outs for the bases.

The field is next to the tennis courts but seems isolated with a field or woods on two sides.

“There’s a certain feel that you have,” says Barnes. “The fans are right on top of the action. They are there and engaged.

“It’s almost feels like a college baseball atmosphere in some ways. There’s just a buzz going on. 

“It feel like everybody’s with us.”

Tecumseh has a Cub baseball program for seventh and eighth graders (and occasionally sixth graders). Workouts began a couple of Sundays ago and 14 players attended. The season begins around spring break.

Working with these players gives Barnes a chance to know them and have them understand his vision at Tecumseh.

“There’s talent there,” says Barnes. “That’s exciting to see.”

Many younger players come through the Lynnville Summer League or Elberfeld Baseball & Softball League.

Recent Tecumseh alums moving on to college baseball include the Class of 2020’s Dustin DuPoint (Quincy, Ill., University) and 2023’s Conner Anglin (Southern Indiana), Dax Bailey (Oakland City), Drew DuPont (Lake Land College in Mattoon, Ill.) and Brody Julian (Danville, Ill., Community College).

D.J. DuPont (Tecumseh Class of 2024) is considering college options. There is also large and talented Class of 2025, some just getting to the varsity level.

Katy, Eric and Mason Barnes.

Katy, Mason and Eric Barnes.

Tecumseh Middle/High School.

Coaching opportunity leads Weaver back to Huntington U.

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Relationships took Jamar Weaver to Huntington University as a student-athlete and they’ve got him back with the Foresters as a coach.

Weaver, who played four baseball seasons the Frames — father Mike and son Thad — graduated from HU in 2018 as a double major in Management and Marketing was hired in June to join the coaching staff for 2023-24. 

Weaver spent the better part of three years in purchasing at Keystone RV in Goshen, Ind., after college while also serving as an assistant at Westview Junior/Senior High School near Topeka, Ind., 2019-21. He and wife Ciara Borg-Weaver moved to Chicago and Jamar handled the website for the family business — Weaver Furniture Sales in Shipshewana, Ind. — remotely.

Ciara Borg-Weaver is also a Westview graduate. As a dance major at Ball State University her likeness appeared on banners and billboards as part of the “We Fly” marketing campaign. The couple was married in May 2021.

An invitation from Thad Frame, who took over as head coach for the 2022-23 season, put a change in their lives.

“After spending quite a few months praying about it and talking to my wife about it, I felt like God was pushing us back to Huntington,” says Weaver, 28. “Thad’s a big reason for that. He’s an outstanding recruiter and relationship builder.

“One of the big reasons I came to Huntington was the relationship I built with Thad. He developed into an older brother figure for me. I stayed connect with him through the years even after I graduated.

“(Long-time Foresters head coach Mike Frame) was a good figure in my life. He was hard-nosed, expected the best from guys and pushed guys to play with a passion and desire.”

Weaver was a second baseman his freshman and sophomore years, moved to center field as a junior then split time between second base and shortstop as a senior. 

His last two seasons, he hit .281 and .275 with 43 runs batted in, 68 runs scored and 17 stolen bases. The 2017 team went 35-13 and played in the NAIA national tournament.

As a player at Westview, Weaver played his last three seasons for Huntington graduate Jason Rahn then served on his coaching staff.

“Jason is another one I look to as an older brother figure,” says Weaver. “Some of the things he taught me was to coach guys differently. Not everyone is built the same way and handles the same style of coaching. 

“He was harder on some guys — me being one of them — because he recognized that they can handle that tough coaching and correction. Other guys need more encouragement and positive feedback.”

Joel Mishler was Weaver’s head coach as a Westview freshman.

“I took a lot of lessons from him growing up and also played in the (Indiana) Chargers (travel) organization (founded by Mishler),” says Weaver. “He taught me how to play the game the right way. A lot of the ideas I’ve taken on how to attack the game of baseball I got from him.”

Mishler instilled the concept of respect for the game and people in it and hustling.

“He laid the groundwork,” says Weaver. “He has a vast knowledge of the game and is well-connected throughout baseball.”

Weaver played in the youth leagues around Shipshewana, including a Sandy Koufax League while in junior high.

Father Mervin Weaver, who comes from an Amish background, is a big basketball fan but also encouraged his son’s affinity for the diamond.

“He recognized I had a passion for baseball,” says Jamar Weaver. “He supported me in all of that.

“He soaked in as much information as he could. I owe a lot to my father.”

Mervin Weaver watched baseball videos, threw plenty of batting practice and hit many ground balls.

On the hardwood, Jamar scored 388 career points. When Westview was the 2014 IHSAA Class 2A state runner-up to Park Tudor, Weaver was selected as an Arthur L. Trester Mental Attitude Award winner.

“That was a special year,” says Weaver. “At the time I didn’t see the significance of that award. It has been brought up multiple times. 

“Seeing the names of those who won it before me and even afterward really put an emphasis on how cool that award is. It really means a lot.”

As a Huntington baseball assistant, Weaver’s duties include coordinating defense and baserunning and sharing recruiting with new pitching new Mike Mokma. 

Weaver notes that recruiting has been focused on pitching with a few spots needed in the infield and outfield. 

“We’re looking to add depth,” says Weaver.

Each recruiting class has around 10 players — give or take a few.

Graduate assistant Langston Ginder helps Thame on the offensive side of things for the Foresters. Huntington went 37-16 overall and 27-9 in the Crossroads League in 2023.

Jamar Weaver. (Huntington University Image).

Fougerousse comes through in clutch for Evansville Purple Aces

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Kip Fougerousse did not shy away during crunch time in his first season in a University of Evansville baseball uniform in 2023.

“I came up with a lot of clutch moments,” says Fougerousse, who played his first two collegiate seasons at Indiana University.

The righty swinger socked a two-run home run in the eighth inning and a go-ahead grand slam in the ninth to a spark Evansville’s 7-6 comeback win April 22 at Murray State.

On May 20 at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Fougerousse belted a two-run blast in the ninth inning to propel the Purple Aces to a 2-1 victory.

Playing for a Wes Carroll-coached team that went 37-24 and lost to Indiana State University in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament final, Fougerousse played in 58 games (57 starts) and hit .288 (65-of-226) with 13 homers, eight doubles, 47 runs batted in, 37 runs scored and .872 OPS (.376 on-base percentage plus .496 slugging average). 

Power is part of the equation for the 2023 all-MVC first-teamer.

“I can put the ball over the field almost anywhere on the field,” says the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Fougerousse. 

His focus in the batter’s box is straightforward.

“Hit the fastball,” says Fougerousse. “If you’re on-time for the fastball you can be on-time for the off-speed.

“I like to work counts, but if that first pitch is in there I’m not afraid to take a hack at it.”

While he was at the top of the lineup at the beginning of the season, a few of Fougerousse’s homers came on the first pitch of the game. By the end of the campaign he hitting No. 3 or No. 4.

Wherever he plays on defense, Kip has keys and that starts with not getting too keyed up.

“Just breathe,” says Fougerousse. “A lot of people get nervous.

“Expect the ball to be hit to you. Be an athlete. Make the play. Don’t get in your head too much. You’ve done the work in practice.”

As Aces field boss, Carroll has seen to it that Fougerousse and his teammates have enjoyed their UE baseball experience.

“It’s fun all the time,” says Fougerousse of Carroll. “He cracks jokes. He makes it light. He makes it fun.

“There’s still work to be done. He can be intense at time and he can be silly at times. It’s the best of both worlds.”

The versatlie Fougerousse has played a lot of first base and second base but as he gets ready for his final season of eligibility in 2024 he says he could be at first base, second base, third base or even in the outfield on a given day.

“I don’t really consider myself a position,” says Fougerousse. “It’s wherever I’m needed.

“I’d say I’m utility more than a specific place (on the field).”

Fougerousse, who turned 22 in April, began the summer by taking a summer class while competing with the Northwoods League’s Mankato (Minn.) MoonDogs, managed by Danny Kneeland.

In 50 games, he hit .314 (66-of-210) with eight homers, one triple, 15 doubles, 37 RBIs, 49 runs and a .913 OPS (.403/.510).

“It was fun up there,” says Fougerousse. “They have nice facilities. Danny was always there early to get in whatever kind of work we had to do. If the game started at 6:30, we’d be there at 2 o’clock doing extra hitting or taking ground balls. It was cool to be around him.

“The Northwoods was a grind. It was everyday playing games. It was important to have a manager like Danny who will put in the extra time and keep light and fun.”

Fougerousse took a class at the start of the summer then could focus on getting better as a player.

“I got a chance to work on some things and just invest myself into baseball,” says Fougerousse.

The first day of fall classes at Evansville was Aug. 23 with individuals practices starting Aug. 28. Team practice begins this week.

Fougerousse was born in Greene County General Hospital in Linton, Ind., and grew up in that town. 

Kip played four or five years with the Sandlot Spartans, a travel team made up of area players and coached by Matt Fougerousse and other fathers.

From junior high through high school, Kip was with the traveling Indiana Prospects.

At Linton-Stockton High School, he shined on the diamond and hardwood.

Playing for his father, Kip was a two-time all-stater in baseball and left the Miners program as the record record-holder for both batting average and walks. He missed his senior season — 2020 — because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“He knows some baseball,” says Kip of Matt Fougerousse. “He got to teach me a lot from an early age on into high school.

“People think it’s tough playing for your dad because they might get on your a little more. But that’s part of it. Being a coach’s son you know what you need to do to get yourself prepared.”

The elder Fougerousse stepped away from the Linton-Stockton program after the 2021 season and continues to teach elementary and junior high Physical Education and high school Health at Shakamak.

In basketball, Kip Fougerousse scored 1,142 points and sank a school-record 168 3-pointers with a record nine in one game and helped Linton-Stockton to 91 victories in four seasons. The 2018-19 Miners went 27-4 and were Class 2A state runners-up.

Fougerousse’s favorite athlete is LeBron James.

The power forward has been in the NBA since 2003-04.

“He’s had the longevity and he’s never been in trouble with the spotlight being on him,” says Fougerousse. “He’s dominated the league for so long.

“I’ve enjoyed watching him since I was a kid.”

Did Fougerousse, whose uncle is Jeff Oliphant (member of the Indiana University’s 1987 NCAA basketball champions) and grandfather is Tom Oliphant (who coached Jeff at tiny L&M) consider pursuing college basketball?

“I committed to Indiana (for baseball) the summer after my freshman year,” says Fougerousse. “I didn’t know how good I was going to be at basketball. 

“I love basketball. It was always fun. But I never really saw myself playing in college. I just did it to compete.”

Before heading to IU, Fougerousse was part of the first season of the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. He performed well enough for the Snapping Turtles to earn an invitation to the CSL All-Star Game at Victory Field in Indianapolis.

It was in that league that Fougerousse met future Evansville teammate Brendan Hord, a former Kentucky prepster who also played for Mankato in 2022 and 2023.

Fougerousse spent the summers of 2021 and 2022 with the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League’s Saugerties (N.Y.) Stallions, playing in 51 games and hitting .299 (53-of-177) with five homers, 12 doubles, 42 RBIs and 33 runs. The team won the league title in 2021.

In two baseball seasons at Indiana (2021 and 2022), Fougerousse got into 45 games (33 starts) and hit .190 (27-of-142) with three homers, one triple, three doubles, 22 RBIs, 27 runs and a .524 OPS (.235/.289).

He transferred to Evansville, where he was a Sociology major before changing his degree path to Marketing.

Kip’s mother — Jill Fougerousse — in a dental hygienist in Bloomington, Ind. Sister Libbi Fougerousse (Linton-Stockton Class of 2016) was a standout volleyball player coached my her mother in high school, graduated from Indiana State University and is now a teacher in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Kip Fougerousse. (University of Evansville Photo)

Kip Fougerousse. (Mankato MoonDogs Photo)

Kip Fougerousse. (University of Evansville Photo)

Kip Fougerousse. (University of Evansville Photo)

Alum Collins wants ‘refuse to lose’ effort from Shakamak Lakers

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

In its storied baseball history, Shakamak Junior/Senior High School in Jasonville, Ind., has appeared in an IHSAA state championship game eight times.
Dylan Collins was on three of those teams — 2012, 2014 and 2015. The Lakers reigned over Class 1A in 2014.
Collins played catcher his first two varsity seasons, second baseman as a junior and shortstop as a senior. He was in the 2-hole in 2012 and at the top of his team’s batting order in the 2014 and 2015.
His head coach for the first three seasons was Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Chip Sweet. Todd Gambill took over the program after Sweet’s retirement.
“Coach Sweet was an all-around good guy,” says Collins. “We looked up to him as a father figure. He was very well-respected and we wanted to win for him.
“We had only one year with Coach Gambill. He was energetic. He knew what he was getting and we produced for him.”
Collins played two seasons at Vincennes (Ind.) University for Chris Barney and one at Purdue Northwest for Dave Griffin.
“(Barney) wanted me from the first time he saw me,” says Collins. “He told you how it was and lived up to the promise.
“(Griffin) was an honest guy and fun to play for.”
Collins came back home to work at Jasonville Utilities and joined the Shakamak baseball coaching staff.
After three seasons as junior varsity coach, Collins was named last week as head coach.
As a product of a program that has has won 27 sectional titles (the last two in 2021 and 2022) with state championships in 2008 and 2014 and runner-up finishes in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2015 and 2021, Collins knows that expectations are high in the Shakamak community.
“That’s what drives me to do what I do,” says Collins. “That’s the fun part of it.”
Every time Collins comes to Shakamak on-campus diamond he recalls the Laker legacy.
“It’s all the history there,” says Collins. “I remember 2004 and one of the first state runs. My brother (Class of 2006’s Derek Collins) was on the team. I was young and running around.
“There are so many memories.”
Collins’s 2023 coaching staff features Class of 2015’s Jake Walters and pitching coach Braxton Yeryar and Jason Pegg (Bloomfield alum) with previous head coach Jeremy Yeryar (Shakamak of Class of 1993) also helping out.
Braxton Yeryar was Collins’ teammate at Shakamak and a teammate and roommate at Vincennes U.
As the man in charge, Collins wants his Lakers to “refuse to lose” and play with confidence.
Among returnees from a 2022 team that went 16-14 is Indiana Wesleyan University commit and senior Brady Yeryar (.559 with seven home runs and 34 runs batted in as a junior).
Ethan Burdette (Class of 2021) is now at VU.
Shakamak (enrollment around 200) is a member of the Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference (with Bloomfield, Clay City, Eastern Greene, Linton-Stockton, North Central of Farmsburg, North Daviess and White River Valley).
SWIAC teams meet each other one time.
The Lakers are part of an IHSAA Class 1A sectional grouping in 2023 with Bloomfield, Clay City, Dugger Union, North Central (Farmersburg) and White River Valley.
Shakamak is to open the 2023 season March 31 at Jasper.
There was weight training and conditioning for the Lakers during the fall IHSAA Limited Contact Period. Collins says hitting and other activities will take after the Christmas break.
Shakamak has a junior high baseball team of seventh and eighth graders which play on the high school diamond in the spring. Another feeder is the Shakamak Youth League (T-ball through majors).
Collins and girlfriend Bailey Scott have a 4-month son named Kooper Collins. Dylan’s parents are Jeff and Denise Collins. Jeff Collins (Shakamak Class of 1983) played for head coach Herschel Allen and once held batting records for the Lakers. Brooke Griffith (Class of 2007) is the sister to Dylan and Derek.

Jonathan Miller (left), Dylan Collins and Jeff Gambill.

Dylan Collins, Bailey Scott and their son Kooper Collins.

Dylan Collins (front) is surrounded by brother Derek Collins (left), mother Denise Collins, father Jeff Collins and sister Brooke Griffith.

Alum Frank moves up to head coach at Evansville Central

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

Robbie Frank was a sophomore starter on Evansville (Ind.) Central High School’s IHSAA state runner-up baseball team in 1987.
The 29-win Bears lost 4-1 to LaPorte in the championship game. The Slicers went to be named mythical national champions in that season.
Frank started at shortstop for Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Paul Griese as a junior and senior at Central and played one season as a utility player at Saint Louis University for Billikens head coach Bob Hughes.
The Central Bears were ranked No. 1 during the 1988 season. Central lost to Memorial in the sectional championship in both 1988 and 1989 — 3-0 and 8-2. The Tigers lost in the first round of the semistate in 1988 and won the state crown in 1989.
Energy and passion are two things Frank saw Griese bring to the diamond.
“It was a great experience to play under him,” says Frank. “We were a very talent team 1987-89. It was a good time to be at Central.”
In the summer of 1989, Frank played American Legion baseball for Evansville Funkhouser Post 8. Henry “Mac” LaRue was the manager and son Mark LaRue the head coach.
Later on, Frank coached Highland Little League teams in Evansville, including a state runner-up squad when his players were 12 and state champion unit when they were 13. Bryce Frank, Robbie’s son, was on those teams.
Robbie Frank has served as manager for Evansville Pate American Legion Post 265, guiding a junior squad to the state championship in 2021 and leading a senior team in 2022. He plans to do the same again in 2023, scheduling 30 to 35 games against the best competition he can find.
Frank also spent the past 10 years as an Evansville Central assistant. After head coach Mike Goedde retired at the end of a 12-year run in 2022, Frank was elevated to head coach.
“He’s an old school coach,” says Frank of Goedde. “He’s big on playing the game the right way. He gives a lot of responsibility to the kids — not only in baseball but in life.”
Goedde expected his players to represent themselves, their families and their schools in an appropriate way.
“You never know who’s watching or looking out,” says Frank.
When Frank was hired as Central head coach he had one-on-one meetings with returning sophomores, juniors and seniors to discuss expectations.
He plans to have IHSAA Limited Contact Period practices — twice a week for two hours — working around basketball which is also having LCP workouts.
Among the recent Central graduates to move on to college baseball are the Class of 2022’s Aiden Esarey (Goshen College), Gavin Kelley (Grace College), Ben Kennedy (Taylor University), Ethan Lyke (Murray State University), Ethan Rothschild (University of Southern Indiana) and Kaiden Turner (Grace College), 2021’s Henry Brown (Indiana State University), Garrett Causey (University of Southern Indiana) and Mason Simon (Oakland City University), 2019’s Cory Bosecker (Butler University) and Kody Putnam (Southeastern Illinois College and transferred to Jacksonville State University), 2018’s Sean Becker (Indiana University-Kokomo and transferred to Kentucky Wesleyan College) and Mason White (Indiana University Southeast) and 2017’s Evan Kahre (University of Southern Indiana).
Evansville Central (enrollment around 1,075) is a member of the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference (with Castle, Evansville Bosse, Evansville Harrison, Evansville Mater Dei, Evansville Memorial, Evansville North, Evansville Reitz, Jasper and Vincennes Lincoln).
The Bears were part of an IHSAA Class 4A sectional grouping in 2022 with Castle, Evansville Harrison, Evansville North, Evansville Reitz and Jasper.
“It’s a dogfight every year,” says Frank.
Central has won nine sectional titles — the last in 2017.
The process of hiring Frank’s assistant coaches is in progress.
The Bears play home games at Paul Griese Field. Goedde had Bermuda grass added to the infield a few years ago.
Each spring, Cub Baseball in Evansville has eighth graders (and some seventh graders) competing on behalf of the high schools they are feeding.
Robbie Frank, who is president of Frank Insurance Services Inc. (owned by father Gene Frank), has three children — Faith, Ellie and Bryce. Faith Frank (20) is a former Evansville Central basketball and track athlete now studying at Ivy Tech in Evansville. Ellie Frank (19) was a two-time first-team all-state lacrosse player for the Bears and is now a Murray (Ky.) State University freshman. Bryce Frank (17) is a junior baseball player at Evansville Central.

Robbie Frank.

Neese moves up to head coach role for Brebeuf Jesuit

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

Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School baseball ended the 2022 season as IHSAA Class 3A state runners-up.
The 2021 Braves participated at the semistate level.
Wes Neese was an assistant coach with those clubs and is now Brebeuf head coach after Jeff Scott stepped away from the post.
“There won’t be a ton of changes,” says Neese. “Our philosophies were so much the same. We did everything together.”
Neese and Scott met each other as assistants on the Mooresville (Ind.) High School staff led by Eric McGaha.
Scott was Neese’s assistant during his time leading the Pioneers program. Neese aided Scott for two previous seasons at Brebeuf, three at Martinsville (Ind.) High School and the most-recent stint with the Indianapolis-based Braves.
“I’ve been fortunate to be with coaches who didn’t have a big ego and let you coach as an assistant,” says Neese. “Coach McGaha did not micro-manage us. Jeff and I have continued that.”
As a Brebeuf assistant, Neese was third base and pitching coach. He called the pitches.
“I was able to learn a lot,” says Neese, who looks forward to getting ready for 2023 during the upcoming IHSAA Limited Contact Period.
“I’m letting kids get settled into school roles right now,” says Neese. “Starting Sept. 6 we’ll go two days a week for two hours until fall break.”
There will be practices on Father O’Brien Field and weightlifting days.
“We have quite a few fall athletes so we won’t have our whole team,” says Neese. “We’ll get to know as many kids as we can.”
Many position players are expected back for 2023. About 15 varsity innings return to the pitching staff with the graduation of Andrew Dutkanych IV (Vanderbilt University commit), Sam Reed (Eastern Michigan University), Chase Golden (Western Illinois University) and A.J. Rinebold (who plans to try to walk on at Purdue University).
Luke Bauer is bound for baseball at Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) and Anthony Annee football at Marian University in Indianapolis.
Neese says there are no college baseball commitments yet in the Class of 2023 but Jayden Ohmer has gotten D-I schools to indicate interest.
First base coach Thomas Parker (a former Huntington North High School and Anderson University player) and infield coach/data and analytics coordinator Eric Hartung (who works for the NCAA in Indianapolis) return to the varsity coaching staff. Mooresville graduate and retired Ford Motor Company quality lead Eric Fenwick is an addition and will guide outfielders. Neese is interviewing junior varsity coach candidates.
The Class of 2021 had to two college players in 2022 — Nathan Bingman at Virginia Military Institute and Jack Moronek at Butler University in Indianapolis with the Class of 2020’s Shane Bauer at Dartmouth College (Hanover, N.H.), Karl Meyer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Andrew Pickett at Hope College (Holland, Mich.). Gabe Wright extended his prep school time at IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.).
Neese is a 1997 graduate of Greencastle (Ind.) High School, where Stan Ward was the head baseball coach his freshman year and Glen Hile was in charge of the Tiger Cubs the last three.
After being cut from baseball in fall at DePauw University in Greencastle, Neese opted to change his major to Secondary Education and began coaching at the youth and high school levels.
After a long stint as a teacher at Mooresville, Neese opted for a career change and went to work for Adrenaline Fundraising territory owner Scott and works from his Plainfield, Ind., home as business operations manager.
Wes and wife Jean Ann, a pharmacist at Eli Lily, celebrated 20 years of marriage in June. The couple has two sons — Brebeuf sophomore football/baseball player Steven Neese and Plainfield Community Middle School eighth grade footballer Brayden Neese.
What Wes Neese appreciates is the support Brebeuf baseball gets from president Fr. William Verbryke, athletic director Ted Hampton and assistants AD’s Brad Weinstein and Jacob Weinstein.
“There’s never been a time when we needed something that they weren’t there to provide it,” says Neese. “Working of the right people is credibly important to me and Brebeuf is the right place because of the people.”
Brebeuf (enrollment around 825) is four-year private school a member of the Circle City Conference (with Covenant Christian, Guerin Catholic, Heritage Christian, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard and Roncalli).
The Braves were part of an IHSAA Class 3A sectional grouping in 2022 with Danville Community, Greencastle, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter and Tri-West Hendricks. Brebeuf has won 16 sectional titles — the last dozen coming in the 2000’s.

Wes Neese (left) and Jeff Scott.

Joe Perkins (left), Thomas Parker, Jeff Scott, Wes Neese and Eric Hartung.

Aiden Holtzapple (left) and Wes Neese.

The Neese family (from left): Wes, Jean Ann, Steven and Brayden.

Edgewood alum Pittsford learns from many along his diamond path

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

Harrison Pittsford is soaking up the knowledge of veterans while getting in his summer reps as a first-year player for the South Bend Royals, members of men’s wood bat leagues in both South Bend and Fort Wayne.
At 20, Pittsford is younger than most of his Royals teammates. That includes 53-year-old Jayson Best.
“It’s cool learning from guys like Bestie,” says Pittsford, who completed his second year at NCAA Division III Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind., in the spring. “I see how they play the game.
“It’s a great experience playing with those guys.”
Best, who was born in Lafayette, Ind., played professional baseball from 1989-97. He ascended to Double-A in the Minnesota Twins organization as a pitcher and later was head baseball coach at Goshen (Ind.) College. He pitched a no-hitter for the Royals in Mishawaka, Ind., on July 10.
Pittsford, a 2020 graduate of Edgewood High School in Ellettsville, Ind., comes up to play mostly weekend doubleheaders with former GC hitting star and current Eastern (Greentown) head coach Erik Hisner-managed Royals and Manchester teammate/roommate Hunter Aker (a South Bend Clay High School graduate).
While he does some catching, Pittsford is getting playing time in the outfield since he expects to be there much of the time at Manchester.
The Royals are to compete in a National Amateur Baseball Federation regional in Fort Wayne July 28-30. The top two finishers move on to the NABF World Series Aug. 2-5 in Battle Creek, Mich.
Pittsford was named to the 2022 all-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference second team at designated hitter.
The righty swinger played in 30 games (28 starts) and hit .327 (33-of-101) with six home runs, eight doubles, 29 runs batted in, 27 runs scored and a 1.002 OPS (.418 on-base percentage plus .584 slugging average).
Rick Espeset competed his 26th season as Manchester head coach in 2022.
“Espy got my attention in the recruiting process,” says Pittsford. “His success and longevity eye-catching for me.”
Espeset’s Spartans have won 619 games with six national tournament appearances, including two trips to the D-III World Series (2004 and 2013).
As much as Pittsford appreciates all the knowledge that Espeset shares, he is also grateful for the insights on the mental approach.
“We’re taking time to detach from baseball with breathing and mindfulness,” says Pittsford.
As a D-III program, Manchester conducts four weeks of fall practice with the whole team and coaches. Players are then on their own for a few months until everyone reconvenes shortly before the start of the season.
“Nothing’s really forced on us,” says Pittsford. “If guys want to get better they are going to get better. I get motivated seeing my teammates working out.
“We have good leadership from underclassmen.”
A Sport Management major, Pittsford was named Academic all-HCAC in 2022.
“I want to stay involved in sports in some capacity,” says Pittsford of his post-college path. “That could be coaching, running a sports facility or being an athletic director. I want to be involved in sports and make a difference for kids and make sure the next generation has the same opportunities I had coming up.
“Sports can teach you a lot of life lessons like building character and making friendships.”
Born in Bloomington, Ind., and growing up in Ellettsville, Pittsford participated in baseball and basketball through Richland Bean Blossom Youth Sports and was also part of Monroe County Youth Football Association.
He was in travel ball with the Ellettsville Explosion, Diamond Dynamics and then Tier Ten.
It was with Diamond Dynamics that Pittsford met coach/instructor Tony Kestranek.
“He was passionate about baseball,” says Pittsford of Kestranek. “He taught us when to be aggressive and when not to be aggressive.”
At Edgewood, Pittsford played four years each of football and baseball and two of basketball.
A special teams player as a freshman, he was the Mustangs’ starting center for three seasons.
Brian Rosenburgh was defensive coordinator Pittsford’s freshman year then head coach for the last three.
“I loved him as a person and a coach,” says Pittsford of Rosenburgh, who was also a Physical Education teacher at Edgewood.
An football coach was Mychal Doering.
“He’s an amazing guy,” says Pittsford of the father of classmate Izaiah Doering and JAG (Jobs for America’s Graduates) specialist at Edgewood. “He was high-energy and he motivated you. He was always checking on people outside of school and he taught me about life and handling the ups and down.
“He’s going through chemo (for cancer). It’s cool to see how he’s battling through that.”
Pittsford considered playing college football, but decided to go with his first love of baseball. Besides, at 6-foot, 230 pounds he is considered to be undersized for a college lineman.
Bob Jones, who has been a Business teacher for more than 40 years and head baseball coach for 36, passed along many diamond lessons to Pittsford.
“He knows a lot of baseball,” says Pittsford of Jones, who went into the Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame last week. “It’s nice to learn from a guy who’s been around the game for so long.”
One of Jones’ more than 500 victories came during the first game of 2019 — a season that ended with the Mustangs finishing as IHSAA Class 3A state runners-up.
Playing in a tournament at Vincennes University, Edgewood fell behind 11-0 to Terre Haute North Vigo after four innings.
The Mustangs chipped away and eventually won 20-18 in a game that was played in a steady drizzle.
“It was a pretty crazy game,” says Pittsford, who started at catcher and batted No. 2 that day and drove in two runs.
Later moved to the No. 9 hole, it was there that Pittsford smacked a walk-off home run against West Vigo in the semifinals of the Owen Valley Sectional.
Several other Edgewood players wound up playing college baseball, including Class of 2019’s Joe Kido (Indiana State University), Ethan Vecrumba (Indiana University), Cooper Thacker (University of Southern Indiana) and Blake Deckard (Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology), Class of 2020’s Pittsford and Sam Kido (Indiana University South Bend) and Class of 2021’s Luke Hayden (Indiana University).
Satoshi Kido — father of Mac, Joe and Sam — was an Edgewood assistant in 2019 and has been Pittsford’s hitting coach since he was 7 or 8.
“He’s helped me so much with my swing over the years,” says Pittsford. “He always knows how to fix my swing when I get in a slump.”
Pittsford spent much of 2021 dealing with a torn right shoulder labrum.
Harrison is the youngest of 1986 Edgewood alums Jay and Cheryl Pittsford’s two sons. Alex Pittsford (25) is a graduate of Edgewood (2016) and Wabash College (2020) and is now pursing his Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Notre Dame. He was in football and swimming in high school.
Jay Pittsford taught English for 19 1/2 years and then served as an assistant principal. Cheryl Pittsford is an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) Physician’s Assistant.

Harrison Pittsford (Manchester University Photo)

Harrison Pittsford (Timothy Jacob Photography)

Harrison Pittsford (Timothy Jacob Photography)

Harrison Pittsford (Timothy Jacob Photography)

Harrison Pittsford (Timothy Jacob Photography)

Harrison Pittsford (Timothy Jacob Photography)

Columbus East grad Back enjoys ‘game within the game’ as baseball backstop

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

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)