Clinkscales explains why Indiana State withdrew super regional bid

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

Indiana State will be the home team on the scoreboard in Game 1 and — if necessary — Game 3 in NCAA super regional Friday through Sunday, June 9-11.
As the higher seed, the regional-champion Sycamores earned the right to play Texas Christian University at home.
But those contests won’t be held at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute.
ISU will fly out Wednesday (June 7) for the Fort Worth Super Regional to be hosted by TCU. The first two games are are slated for 5 p.m. Eastern Time Friday and 6 p.m. ET Saturday. Both are on ESPNU. Game 3 — if necessary — would be contested Sunday.
The Sycamores (45-15) won the Terre Haute Regional, which wrapped Sunday, June 4. The Horned Frogs (40-22) prevailed in the Fayetteville Regional hosted by Arkansas.
Sherard Clinkscales, Indiana State’s Director of Athletics, explained the reason during press availability Tuesday (June 6).
“I know this has been very disappointing over the 24 hours,” said Clinkscales, who expressed his gratitude that ISU was able to also host the Missouri Valley Conference tournament (the Sycamores won MVC regular-season and tourney titles). “I want to thank (head coach Mitch) Hannahs and his staff and our student-athletes.
“They put it on the line each and every day. They’ve earned the right to go to super regional. We’re very proud of them. I just want to thank them fall their effort and hard work.”
Clinkscales, who serves on NCAA baseball committee, laid out a timeline related to being a regional and super regional host.
“Bids to host regional and super regional are required by the NCAA to be completed and submitted at the same time,” said Clinkscales. “The deadline for this bid to be sent was May 22, 2023.
“On May 27, 2023, during a discussion about hosting requirements at the Division I NCAA baseball committee meeting, the super regional bid was withdrawn. I take responsibility from for ISU for drawing this the super regional bid. I base that on information that I had at the time between May 22 and May 27.
“I base it on NCAA accommodations, lodging requirements, and our previous scheduled commitments. I did not believe we could host two exceptional sporting events for both (Indiana) Special Olympics and the ISU baseball team that both programs deserve for their commitment and accomplishments.”
Clinkscales notes that Indiana Special Olympics State Summer Games scheduled for June 9-11 brings in more than 3,000 athletes and 1,500 volunteers plus families. That taxes the available workers and the hotels etc.
A former player, coach and scout in college and professional baseball, Clinkscales called his decision “excruciating.”
“You know me,” said Clinkscales. “I’m very competitive.
“People think we didn’t want this. Our student-athletes earned the right.
“But for me, I had to look out for our student athletes or our coaches and from a liability standpoint and I just know after being here for seven years what a big event and a wonderful brand the Special Olympics is. I know that we already had some challenges with some volunteers. And so I had to make the tough decision.”
Clinkscales is found of using the phrase “competitive resiliency” with all of Indiana State’s intercollegiate programs.
“This (baseball) team has demonstrated that probably more than any other team this year,” said Clinkscales. “If there’s any kind of silver lining we still will be the home team in the first and third game so we don’t lose that at all. But this is bigger than that.
“This is a big disappointment. I want our alumni and our fans to know that we appreciate all their support. But this decision was not made in a vacuum.”
Also Tuesday, Hannahs addressed the situation and his team’s 2023 season and showdown with the Horned Frogs.
“We found out yesterday and we just we talked about a little while ago (as a team),” said Hannahs. “I think the bottom line is that that has kind of come and sailed and from this point forward we’ve got to focus on playing a game on the road at TCU.”
Hannahs said the Kirk Saarloos-coached Horned Frogs will force his team to make some adjustments.
“We’ve got to be ready,” said Hannahs. “We’ve got to understand what the (scouting report) is this week.
“We’ve got to do a good job preparing.”
Hannah’s noted how his squad has been fearless.
“That’s what this team has been all year,” said Hannahs. “We went down the stretch for about a month that we really couldn’t afford to lose a game if we wanted to host a regional and that was a lot on these guys.
“You’d like to be able to drop a game here and there but because of the RPI and where we were at and some of the teams were playing — even on the road — it was such a grind just to get to this backside. And it’s still a grind.”
And the grind and a chance to go to the College World Series June 16-26 in Omaha, Neb., continues in Texas.

Sherard Clinkscales (Indiana State Athletics Video)

Mitch Hannahs (Indiana State Athletics Video)

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Before joining Marines, Miller helping Indiana State on mound

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

Lane Miller’s final college baseball season is ending with him performing a different function than when he began.
Before the 2023 campaign at Indiana State University, Miller announced he would join the U.S. Marines after the season and apply for Officer Candidates School (OCS) in Quantico, Va. He has completed a Sport Management degree and Master of Business Administration (MBA) certification at ISU and is now working on a Sports Leadership minor.
“I talked to the coaches and my priority was going to be to get ready for that,” says Miller. “I was just going to be a leader on the team and help where I needed to help.”
He coached up his teammates, gathered statistics and contributed to scouting reports.”
Then came a need for him to pitch. He made starts March 28 against Purdue, April 2 against Illinois-Chicago, April 9 against Illinois State, April 16 against Belmont and — in an adjusted schedule — is slated to start again Monday, April 24 against Missouri Valley Conference foe Southern Illinois at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute.
6-foot-4, 211-pound right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.95 earned run average. He has 16 strikeouts and eight walks in 27 2/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .196 against him.
With a 10-2 victory at No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 22 Indiana State ran its win streak to 11 (Illinois-Chicago two games, Indiana, Illinois State three games, Purdue, Belmont three games and Vandy).
It’s the second double-digit streak since Mitch Hannahs has been head coach. The Sycamores previously won 12 in a row in 2014.
Through April 19, Indiana State was No. 12 in the NCAA Division I RPI (Rating Percentage Index) rankings.
“Everybody is taking it game-by-game,” says Miler. “We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. Coach Hannahs says, ‘anywhere anytime.’ That’s how it is in college baseball right now. Any team can beat anybody at anytime.”
Miller says the Sycamores are out to prove that they deserve the recognition.
“We just pick each other up on good days and bad days and keep moving forward,” says Miller.
Consistency is what Miller sees when he looks at Hannahs.
“It’s knowing that we’re going to get the same thing every day when we show up at the field. I know he has a high expectation not only for himself, but for his coaches and the team as a whole.
“His loyalty to us is second to none.”
Miller, who made 15 mound appearances (18 innings) 2020-22, works closest with Sycamores pitching coach Justin Hancock.
“He’s very determined,” says Miller of Hancock. “He knows what he wants out of the pitching staff and each player. He holds them to a high standard.
“His standard never falters on a daily basis.”
Miller throws a two-seam fastball, change-up and slider and has been working in a pitch that is a mix of slider and curve. Depending on the count or situation, he also change arm slots — over-the-top or sidearm.
Throwing from the side, his two-seamer moves left to right and slider right to left.
“I’ve done a good job of not doing one or the other (arm slot) too much,” says Miller. “I’m a very quick pitcher. I tend to work fast. With the 20-second pitch clock rule the faster I work the less time the hitter gets to think.
“It’s really worked to my benefit.”
Born in Evansville, Ind., to a military family, Miller spent early years in South Carolina and Idaho, and settled in Boonville, Ind., in his seventh grade year. He played most of his travel ball in middle school and high school with the Ironmen.
Lane is the son of Todd Miller and Summer (Hart) Williams. His father was in the military for more than 20 years, serving in the U.S. Navy and with the Special Forces. His mother played basketball at the University of Evansville. Sister Daleigh Miller is an Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis senior. Brother Caiden Miller is a Marine.
A 2017 graduate of Boonville High School, Miller was an all-Pocket Athletic Conference performer in football, basketball and baseball. On the diamond, his head coach was Cory Julian.
“He held me to a higher standard than he did anybody else,” says Miller of Julian. “He counted on me to be the leader of the team.”
Miller played multiple positions for the Pioneers in all three sports — wide receiver, quarterback, cornerback, punter and kicker in football, forward and center in basketball and first base, third base, shortstop outfield and pitcher in baseball.
Miller played with the Terre Haute Rex at the end of the summer of 2022. He was with the Local Legends of the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., in 2021. He did not play summer ball in 2020 — the year of limited opportunities because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The righty was Pitcher of the Year with the Saugerties (N.Y.) Stallions of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League in 2019. He was with the Rex in 2018. He went to summer school at Indiana University in 2017.
Recruited by Chris Lemonis (who departed IU for Mississippi State), Miller left after the fall and transferred to ISU. He sat out the first year with the Sycamores and also underwent foot surgery as a freshman and had surgery on both hips in 2020.

Lane Miller. (Indiana State University)

Lane Miller. (Indiana State University)

Oakland City ‘mighty’ strong out of the gate

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

NAIA member Oakland City University is off to a 15-1 start to the 2023 baseball season.
The Andy Lasher-coached Mighty Oaks pushed their win streak to seven with four more this week.
Heritage Hills High School graduate Sam Pinckert (.357) and Evansville Central alum Garrett Causey (.351) lead OCU in hitting.
Right-handers Hunter Callahan (3-0), Vincennes Lincoln product Blake Mincey (2-0) and North Vermillion alum Luke Osborn (2-0) account for nearly half the pitching victories.
Another NAIA squad — Grace (8-3) — enjoyed a 3-1 week.
The Ryan Roth-coached Lancers are led offensively on the season by Sam Newkirk (.410), Grant Hartley (.345) and Bradyn McIntosh (.343). Three players have bashed three homers — Newkirk, Perry Meridian graduate John Joyce and Penn alum Jeff Pawlik.
Washington Township graduate and left-hander Steven Hernandez (2-1) paces the pitching staff in wins. Westview alum and right-hander Hunter Schumacher has three saves.
Jordan Wiersema (.472) and Cooper Tolson (.423) are hitting leaders for NAIA Bethel (7-5).
Logansport graduate Tucker Platt (.410) has the top average and Carmel alum Luke Barnes has popped five homers for NAIA Indiana University-Kokomo (7-7).
Homestead graduate Kaleb Kolpien is hitting .448 with three homers and Greenwood Community alum T.J. Bass (.328) has clubbed four homers for NAIA Taylor (7-7).
Hamilton Southeastern graduate Jacob Daftari has a pair of two-homer games in a four-game sweep for NAIA Indiana Tech (6-1). Brice Stultz went deep for the Warriors in another contest.
Mississinewa alum Tyler Jakob (.385) is the top hitter while right-handers Joey Butz (Heritage Christian) and Tyler Papenbrock (Leo) have two pitching victories each for NAIA Huntington (6-5).
Bryce Davenport (.429) has started seven games and Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter alum right-hander Damien Wallace has two wins for NAIA Marian (2-2).
Homestead graduate Jayden Lepper (.400) and David Miller (three homers) has played all 12 games and right-hander Blaine McRae (Fort Wayne South Side) has two wins for NAIA Saint Francis (5-7).
Sean Moore (.400) has played in all 12 games and right-hander Maxwell Everaert (Hebron) has two wins for NAIA Calumet of St. Joseph (4-7).
Trent Sillett (.417) has the best average, Jenner Rodammer has socked three homers and right-hander David Lopez has two victories for NAIA Goshen (4-7).
Greensburg alum Logan Smith (.429) is the top hitter, Brenden Bell has three homers and right-hander Robbie Berger (John Glenn) two saves for NAIA Indiana University South Bend (4-7).
Decatur Central graduate Brayden Hazelwood (.405) has played in all 11 games for Indiana University Southeast (3-8).
Tri-West Hendricks alum Lucas Goodin (.422) has 11 starts and Mooresville graduate Nick Wiley three homers for NAIA Indiana Wesleyan (3-7-1).
NCAA D-II University of Indianapolis (6-0) produced another three-game series sweep.
Top hitters for the Al Ready-coached Greyhounds so far are Brandon DeWitt (.500), Drew Donaldson (.462), Union County alum Denton Shepler (.444), Lewis Cass graduate Easton Good (.435) and Lawrence North alum Caleb Vaughn (.429). Three of four hits for Brady Ware are home runs.
Left-hander DeWitt (2-0) and right-hander Logan Peterson are UIndy victory leaders.
NCAA D-III Rose-Hulman knocked off No. 3-ranked LaGrange (Ga.) 6-3 Sunday.
The first four hitters in the lineup for the Adam Rosen-coached Fightin’ Engineers — Terre Haute South Vigo graduate Kade Kline, Colter Coulliard-Rodak, Dalton Busboom and Andy Krajecki — scored a run.
Warsaw alum Liam Patton (.435) is off to a hot offensive start and right-hander Derek Haslett (Indianapolis Cathedral) is 2-0 for D-III Wabash (4-2).
Trine (3-0) got four runs batted in each from Cory Erbskorn and Bedford North Lawrence graduate Dalton Nikirk during a season-opening series sweep for the Greg Perschke-coached Thunder.
Among the state’s 10 NCAA D-I programs, Purdue and Southern Indiana are off to the best starts.
Both the Boilermakers and Screaming Eagles are 5-3. Purdue just split four games with New Jersey Institute of Technology. Southern Indiana took two of three against Bellarmine.
Couper Cornblum (.375), Jake Jarvis (.375) and Evan Albrecht (.346) are leading hitters for Purdue. Paul Toetz has a team-leading three homers. Right-hander Aaron Suval is 2-0 with one save and a 1.23 ERA.
Ricardo Van Grieken has started all eight games for USI and is hitting .429. Tucker Ebest has slugged a team-best three homers. On the mound, righty and Jeffersonville alum Gavin Seebold is 1-0 with a 1.08 earned run average.
Right-hander Luke Sinnard picked up the win Sunday as Indiana (3-4) won 4-2 at Texas. The 6-foot-8 Sinnard is 2-0.
Among other D-I leaders in homers, South Central (Union Mills) graduate Kyle Schmack of Valparaiso (4-2) and Ryan Peltier of Ball State (4-4) have four, Joey Urban of Butler (2-5), Linton-Stockton alum Kip Fougerousse of Evansville (2-5) and Valpo’s Nolan Tucker, a Hanover Central graduate, have three.
In junior college ball, Shakamak alum Ethan Burdette (.441) is the leading hitter for Vincennes (4-8).

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through Feb. 26
NCAA D-I
Purdue 5-3 (0-0 Big Ten)
Southern Indiana 5-3 (0-0 OVC)
Valparaiso 4-2 (0-0 MVC)
Ball State 4-4 (0-0 MAC)
Notre Dame 3-3 (0-0 ACC)
Indiana 3-4 (0-0 Big Ten)
Butler 2-5 (0-0 Big East)
Evansville 2-5 (0-0 MVC)
Indiana State 2-5 (0-0 MVC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 1-7 (0-0 Horizon)

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 6-0 (0-0 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 1-3 (0-0 GLIAC)

NCAA D-III
Wabash 4-2 (0-0 NCAC)
Earlham 3-0 (0-0 HCAC)
Trine 3-0 (0-0 MIAA)
Franklin 2-0 (0-0 HCAC)
DePauw 2-3 (0-0 NCAC)
Manchester 1-1 (0-0 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 1-2 (0-0 HCAC)
Anderson 0-3 (0-0 HCAC)
Hanover 0-3 (0-0 HCAC)

NAIA
Oakland City 15-1 (0-0 RSC)
Grace 8-3 (0-0 CL)
Bethel 7-5 (0-0 CL)
IU-Kokomo 7-7 (0-0 RSC)
Taylor 7-7 (0-0 CL)
Indiana Tech 6-1 (0-0 WHAC)
Huntington 6-5 (0-0 CL)
Marian 6-6 (0-0 CL)
Saint Francis 5-7 (0-0 CL)
Calumet of Saint Joseph 4-7 (0-0 CCAC)
Goshen 4-7 (0-0 CL)
IU South Bend 4-11 (0-0 CCAC)
IU Southeast 3-8 (0-0 RSC)
Indiana Wesleyan 3-7-1 (0-0 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 1-11

Junior College
Vincennes 4-8 (0-0 MWAC)
Ivy Tech Northeast 1-4
Marian’s Ancilla 0-8 (0-0 MCCAA)

Through Feb. 26
NCAA D-I
Tuesday, Feb. 21
Kentucky 6, Evansville 3
Indiana 13, Miami (Ohio) 5
Indiana State 8, Florida Gulf Coast 7
Lipscomb 6, Southern Indiana 4

Wednesday, Feb. 22
Miami (Fla.) 9, Indiana State 3

Friday, Feb. 24
Ball State 9, Merrimack 0
Campbell 9, Butler 4
Eastern Michigan 5, Evansville 2
Texas 4, Indiana 2
Notre Dame 6, UNC-Greensboro 5
Purdue 6, New Jersey Institute of Technology 5
New Jersey Institute of Technology 5, Purdue 1
Bethune-Cookman 13, Purdue Fort Wayne 8
Bellarmine 4, Southern Indiana 2
Valparaiso 10, Tennessee-Martin 2

Saturday, Feb. 25
Ball State 5, Rutgers 4
Bucknell 7, Ball State 2
Campbell 25, Butler 6
Evansville 9, Eastern Michigan 7
Texas 5, Indiana 2
Northeastern 9, Indiana State 5
Northeastern 15, Indiana State 10
UNC-Greensboro 12, Notre Dame 0
Purdue 7, New Jersey Institute of Technology 4
Bethune-Cookman 9, Purdue Fort Wayne 5
Bethune-Cookman 7, Purdue Fort Wayne 4
Southern Indiana 6, Bellarmine 3
Valparaiso 5, Tennessee-Martin 4 (10 inn.)

Sunday, Feb. 26
Ball State 6, Canisius 1
Campbell 10, Butler 9
Evansville 5, Eastern Michigan 3
Indiana 4, Texas 2
Northeastern 8, Indiana State 7 (11 inn.)
Notre Dame 7, UNC-Greensboro 4
New Jersey Institute of Technology 7, Purdue 5
Bethune-Cookman 10, Purdue Fort Wayne 0
Southern Indiana 18, Bellarmine 5
Valparaiso 17, Tennessee-Martin 4

NCAA D-II
Saturday, Feb. 25
Indianapolis 4, Grand Valley State 2
Indianapolis 10, Grand Valley State 8
Northwood 4, Purdue Northwest 3
Northwood 9, Purdue Northwest 8

Sunday, Feb. 26
Indianapolis 7, Grand Valley State 4
Purdue Northwest 6, Northwood 4
Northwood 13, Purdue Northwest 2

NCAA D-III
Friday, Feb. 24
Webster 16, DePauw 5
Earlham 12, Olivet 10
Maryville 16, Hanover 5

Saturday, Feb. 25
Trine 8, Anderson 5
Trine 8, Anderson 2
Spalding 4, DePauw 3
Earlham 11, Olivet 9
Earlham 9, Olivet 3
Manchester 12, York (Pa.) 5
LaGrange 20, Rose-Hulman 3
LaGrange 14, Rose-Hulman 2
Wabash 14, Albion 2
Hope 12, Wabash 5

Sunday, Feb. 26
Trine 7, Anderson 4
DePauw 4, Wilmington 2
Franklin 3, Saint Mary’s (Minn.) 2
Franklin 1, Saint Mary’s (Minn.) 0
Maryville 4, Hanover 3
Maryville 16, Hanover 12
York (Pa.) 3, Manchester
Rose-Hulman 6, LaGrange 3
Heidelberg 6, Wabash 2

NAIA
Thursday, Feb. 23
Bethel 16, Toccoa Falls 14
Grace 9, Trinity Christian 7
Trinity Christian 15, Grace 7
Oakland City 13, IUPU-Columbus 2
Oakland City 11, IUPU-Columbus 1
Taylor 20, Olivet Nazarene 5 (7 inn.)
Taylor 13, Olivet Nazarene 1

Friday, Feb. 24
Toccoa Falls 8, Bethel 7
Toccoa Falls 9, Bethel 7
Calumet of St. Joseph 7, Hannibal-LaGrange 0
Calumet of St. Joseph 9, Hannibal-LaGrange 0
IU Southeast 5, Huntington 1
IU Southeast 8, Huntington 7
Oakland City 11, IUPU-Columbus 4
Oakland City 5, IUPU-Columbus 3
Georgia Gwinnett 6, IU South Bend 3
Georgia Gwinnett 8, IU South Bend 4
Faulkner 8, Indiana Wesleyan 7
Faulkner 7, Indiana Wesleyan 1

Saturday, Feb. 25
Hannibal-LaGrange 6, Calumet of St. Joseph 5
Calumet of St. Joseph 7, Hannibal-LaGrange 6
Goshen 7, Brescia 0
Brescia 3, Goshen 2
Grace 6, Trinity Christian 3
Grace 11, Trinity Christian 5
Northwest Ohio 4, Huntington 1
Northwest Ohio 3, Huntington 2
IU-Kokomo 6, Saint Francis (Ind.) 2
Saint Francis (Ind.) 4, Madonna 2
Madonna 4, IU-Kokomo 2
Georgia Gwinnett 10, IU South Bend 5
Georgia Gwinnett 10, IU South Bend 2
Indiana Tech 12, Saint Ambrose 8
Indiana Tech 7, Saint Ambrose 3
Faulkner 10, Indiana Wesleyan 4
Concordia (Mich.) 9, Marian 6
Concordia (Mich.) 9, Marian 7
Taylor 6, Olivet Nazarene 5
Olivet Nazarene 4, Taylor 3

Sunday, Feb. 26
Goshen 6, Brescia 4
Goshen 7, Brescia 5
Madonna 10, IU-Kokomo 4
Saint Francis (Ind.) 14, Madonna 2
IU-Kokomo 7, Saint Francis (Ind.) 5
IUPU-Columbus at Cincinnati-Clermont
Northwestern Ohio 8, IU Southeast 7
IU Southeast 7, Northwestern Ohio 2
Indiana Tech 7, Saint Ambrose 2
Indiana Tech 4, Saint Ambrose 2
Marian 12, Concordia (Mich.) 6

Junior College
Tuesday, Feb. 21
Wabash Valley 8, Vincennes 2

Friday, Feb. 24
Olney Central 9, Vincennes 5

Saturday, Feb. 25
Morton 12, Vincennes 9
Joliet 12, Vincennes 9

Sunday, Feb. 26
Vincennes 12, Morton 4

Indiana college baseball gets rolling for 2023

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

The 2023 season has begun most of Indiana’s 39 baseball-playing colleges and universities.
All 10 NCAA Division I schools opened up Friday, Feb. 17. Purdue and Southern Indiana enjoyed 3-1 weekends.
It was the first games for the Tracy Archuleta-coached Screaming Eagles since moving up from NCAA D-II.
Butler’s Blake Beemer picked up his first two wins as a collegiate head coach.
Shawn Stiffler earned his first triumph as head coach at Notre Dame.
At the D-II level, Indianapolis racked up 62 runs in a three-game sweep of Notre Dame College.
D-III Wabash — coached by Jake Martin — went 3-0 with wins against three different foes.
The only other Indiana school in the division to get started was DePauw (1-1). The other seven are slated to start this week.
NAIA boasts 15 Indiana schools and some have been going for weeks.
The hottest starters are Oakland City (11-1), Huntington (6-1), Bethel (6-3) and Grace (5-2).
Andy Lasher’s OCU Mighty Oaks are coming off a 3-1 weekend.
Huntington is in its first season with Thad Frame as Foresters head coach.
This is the hottest start for Bethel since the Seth Zartman-led Pilots began 15-2, including 11-1 in the fall.
Ryan Roth’s Grace Lancers are coming off a 3-1 weekend against Aquinas.
Indiana University Purdue University at Columbus launched its program and it’s first victory under Pride head coach Scott Bickel came Feb. 12 against Huntington. Jared Ross socked the first home run in program history.
In junior college ball, Chris Barney’s 3-4 Vincennes Trailblazers won their last two games.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through Feb. 19
NCAA D-I
Purdue 3-1 (0-0 Big Ten)
Southern Indiana 3-1 (0-OVC)
Butler 2-2 (0-0 Big East)
Indiana State 1-1 (0-0 MVC)
Notre Dame 1-2 (0-0 ACC)
Indiana 1-2 (0-0 Big Ten)
Valparaiso 1-2 (0-0 MVC)
Ball State 1-3 (0-0 MAC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 1-3 (0-0 Horizon)
Evansville 0-3 (0-0 MVC)

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 3-0 (0-0 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 0-0 (0-0 GLIAC)

NCAA D-III
Wabash 3-0 (0-0 NCAC)
DePauw 1-1 (0-0 NCAC)
Anderson 0-0 (0-0 HCAC)
Earlham 0-0 (0-0 HCAC)
Franklin 0-0 (0-0 HCAC)
Hanover 0-0 (0-0 HCAC)
Manchester 0-0 (0-0 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 0-0 (0-0 HCAC)
Trine 0-0 (0-0 MIAA)

NAIA
Oakland City 11-1 (0-0 RSC)
Huntington 6-1 (0-0 CL)
Bethel 6-3 (0-0 CL)
Grace 5-2 (0-0 CL)
Marian 5-4 (0-0 CL)
IU-Kokomo 5-5 (0-0 RSC)
Taylor 4-6 (0-0 CL)
IU South Bend 4-7 (0-0 CCAC)
Indiana Wesleyan 3-4-1 (0-0 CL)
Saint Francis 3-5 (0-0 CL)
Indiana Tech 2-1 (0-0 WHAC)
Calumet of Saint Joseph 1-6 (0-0 CCAC)
Goshen 1-6 (0-0 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 1-6
IU Southeast 0-7 (0-0 RSC)

Junior College
Vincennes 3-4 (0-0 MWAC)
Ivy Tech Northeast 1-3
Marian’s Ancilla 0-8 (0-0 MCCAA)

Through Feb. 19
NCAA D-I
Friday, Feb. 17
Ball State 2, Charlotte 1
Lipscomb 5, Notre Dame 4
Troy 12, Evansville 7
Purdue 12, Holy Cross 1
Iowa 6, Indiana State 2
Auburn 8, Indiana 4
Farleigh Dickinson 9, Butler 8
Alabama State 13, Purdue Fort Wayne 0
Southern Indiana 11, Western Illinois 5
Kansas 5, Valparaiso 1

Saturday, Feb. 18
Charlotte 9, Ball State 4
Charlotte 9, Ball State 5
Notre Dame 8, Lipscomb 4
Troy 8, Evansville 7
Purdue 14, Holy Cross 4 (7 inn.)
Holy Cross 12, Purdue 3
Indiana State 6, Quinnipiac 1
Auburn 6, Indiana 1
Butler 3, Farleigh Dickinson 0
Butler 16, Farleigh Dickinson 7
Purdue Fort Wayne 4, Alabama State 3
Alabama State 18, Purdue Fort Wayne 4
Western Illinois 5, Southern Indiana 2
Southern Indiana 6, Western Illinois 0
Valparaiso 11, Kansas 3

Sunday, Feb. 19
Charlotte 19, Ball State 5
Lipscomb 4, Notre Dame 2
Troy 11, Evansville 10
Purdue 12, Holy Cross 2 (8 inn.)
Indiana 11, Auburn 2
Farleigh Dickinson 10, Butler 9
Alabama State 13, Purdue Fort Wayne 11
Southern Indiana 5, Western Illinois 4
Kansas 6, Valparaiso 4

NCAA D-II
Saturday, Feb. 18
Indianapolis 17, Notre Dame College 1
Indianapolis 32, Notre Dame College 7
Saturday, Feb. 19
Indianapolis 13, Notre Dame College 1 (7 inn.)

NCAA D-III
Friday, Feb. 17
Wabash 5, Augustana 1

Saturday, Feb. 18
Wabash 11, Wisconsin-Eau Claire 6

Sunday, Feb. 19
DePauw 11, Ripon 10
North Central 8, DePauw 2
Wabash 10, Rhodes 9

NAIA
Thursday, Jan. 26
Benedictine at Mesa 3, Taylor 2

Friday, Jan. 27
Taylor 17, Kansas Wesleyan 10

Saturday, Jan. 28
Embry-Riddle 8, Taylor 4

Friday, Feb. 3
Blue Mountain 11, Bethel 3
IU-Kokomo 14, Point 2
Georgia Gwinnett 5, Indiana Wesleyan 1
Indiana Wesleyan 6, Georgia Gwinnett 4

Saturday, Feb. 4
Blue Mountain 4, Bethel 3
Bethel 4, Blue Mountain 3
Tennessee Southern 14, Calumet of St. Joseph 3
Tennessee Southern 7, Calumet of St. Joseph 6
Union 9, Goshen 5
Union 14, Goshen 1
IU-Kokomo 14, Cumberland 7
IU-Kokomo 15, St. Andrews 2
IU South Bend 6, Thomas More 1
West Virginia Tech 1, IU South Bend 0
Georgia Gwinnett 5, Indiana Wesleyan 3

Sunday, Feb. 5
Calumet of St. Joseph 23, Tennessee Southern 14
Tennessee Southern 17, Calumet of St. Joseph 11
Union 6, Goshen 0
Union 7, Goshen 5
Lindsey Wilson 5, IU South Bend 3
Culver-Stockton 5, Marian 4
Faulkner 9, Marian 6
Oakland City 13, Johnson 5
Oakland City 6, Johnson 2

Monday, Feb. 6
Cumberlands 7, IU Southeast 6
Oakland City 4, Johnson 3
Thursday, Feb. 9
Indiana Wesleyan 12, Cumberland 12 (13 inn.)

Friday, Feb. 10
Bethel 7, Champion Christian 3
Bethel 10, Champion Christian 4
Oakland City 5, Calumet of St. Joseph 1
Grace 2, Trinity International 1
Grace 3, Trinity International 2
Huntington 11, IUPU-Columbus 0
Huntington 4, IUPU-Columbus 3
IU-Kokomo 7, Truett McConnell 0
Truett McConnell 13, IU-Kokomo 2
Tennessee Southern 3, IU South Bend 0
Tennessee Southern 7, IU South Bend 0
Indiana Wesleyan 11, Cumberland 7
Freed-Hardeman 10, Saint Francis 0
Freed-Hardeman 13, Saint Francis 4
Georgia Gwinnett 9, Taylor 4
Georgia Gwinnett 8, Taylor 1

Saturday, Feb. 11
Bethel 9, Champion Christian 1
Bethel 13, Champion Christian 0
Oakland City 10, Calumet of St. Joseph 0
Oakland City 9, Calumet of St. Joseph 3
Grace 3, Trinity International 2
Truett McConnell 20, IU-Kokomo 19
Tennessee Southern 5, IU South Bend 3
Tennessee Southern 10, IU South Bend 6
Columbia College 9, IU Southeast 4
Columbia College 4, IU Southeast 3
Indiana Wesleyan 11, Cumberland 7
Marian 5, Tougaloo 1
Marian 17, Tougaloo 4
Freed-Hardeman 2, Saint Francis 1
Freed-Hardeman 8, Saint Francis 7
Georgia Gwinnett 6, Taylor 4

Sunday, Feb. 12
IUPU-Columbus 5, Huntington 2
Huntington 14, IUPU-Columbus 5
Columbia College 11, IU Southeast 4
Marian 7, Tougaloo 2

Wednesday, Feb. 15
Taylor 30, IUPU-Columbus 1

Friday, Feb. 17
Ecclesia 6, Goshen 2
Middle Georgia State 11, IU-Kokomo 0
IU-Kokomo 11, Middle Georgia State 1
Webber International 6, IU Southeast 5
Taylor 6, Point Park 2 (10 inn.)

Saturday, Feb. 18
Bethel 7, Oakland City 4
Oakland City 6, Bethel 4
Ecclesia 4, Goshen 3
Goshen 16, Ecclesia 0
Grace 9, Aquinas 7
Aquinas 10, Grace 9 (10 inn.)
Huntington 3, Saint Xavier 0
Huntington 11, Saint Xavier 0
Indiana Tech 11, Midway 10 (10 inn.)
Middle Georgia State 3, IU-Kokomo 0
Middle Georgia State 7, IU-Kokomo 4
Marian 19, IUPU-Columbus 10
Marian 9, IUPU-Columbus 8
IU South Bend 6, Culver-Stockton 4
IU South Bend 9, Culver-Stockton 3
Lindsey Wilson 12, Indiana Wesleyan 11 (10 inn.)
Lindsey Wilson 13, Indiana Wesleyan 8
Tennessee Southern 10, Saint Francis 5
Saint Francis 7, Tennessee Southern 0 (8 inn.)
Taylor 15, IU Southeast 5 (8 inn.)
William Carey 12, Taylor 3

Sunday, Feb. 19
Aquinas 14, Grace 9
Grace 16, Aquinas 11
Huntington 10, Georgetown College 5
Midway 10, Indiana Tech 8
Indiana Tech 12, Midway 7
Culver-Stockton 11, IU South Bend 4
IU South Bend 9, Culver-Stockton 8
Rheinhardt 11, IU Southeast 2
Oakland City 7, Marian 4
Oakland City 4, Marian 2
Saint Francis 7, Tennessee Southern 5
Saint Francis 23, Tennessee Southern 8

Junior College
Tuesday, Feb. 7
Kellogg 9, Ivy Tech Northeast 2

Friday, Feb. 10
Vincennes 7, Cleveland State CC 4
Cleveland State CC 3, Vincennes 0

Saturday, Feb. 11
Southeastern Illinois 14, Marian’s Ancilla 1 (5 inn.)
Southeastern Illinois 7, Marian’s Ancilla 1 (7 inn.)
Cleveland State CC 9, Vincennes 5

Sunday, Feb. 12
Southeastern Illinois 9, Marian’s Ancilla 1 (7 inn.)
Southeastern Illinois 12, Marian’s Ancilla 7 (7 inn.)

Wednesday, Feb.15
Frontier 8, Vincennes 1

Saturday, Feb. 18
Frontier 11, Marian’s Ancilla 1 (5 inn.)
Olney Central 5, Ivy Tech Northeast 3
Olney Central 9, Ivy Tech Northeast 1
South Sububurn 15, Vincennes 12
Vincennes 7, Marian’s Ancilla 0

Sunday, Feb. 19
Olney Central 2, Ivy Tech Northeast 1
South Suburban 16, Marian’s Ancilla 9
Vincennes 13, Marian’s Ancilla 4

Former scout Trcka signed Hall of Famer Rolen, several other big leaguers

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

Scott Rolen, who was a standout at Jasper (Ind.) High School and for 17 Major League Baseball seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays, will be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., this summer.
July 23 is the big induction day.
The man who signed the future Hall of Famer who was selected in the second round of the 1993 MLB First-Year Player Draft is also a Hoosier.
Hobart’s Scott Trcka was an area scout with the Phillies when he secured Rolen.
“I followed him all summer,” says Trcka, who saw Rolen play multiple times and became friendly with his family. “I did all the leg work. I did all the (research on) make-up and signability.”
The popular theory in the scouting world was that Rolen would pursue his hoops option instead of baseball.
“Indiana’s a basketball heaven,” says Trcka. “Both of his parents (Ed and Linda) were teachers. He had a scholarship for basketball at (the University of) Georgia.
“(Other scouts) didn’t think he would sign. I had a handshake. It was a tough negotiation. It was a long summer. But it got done.
“He was not like a $1,000 college senior. He was a high school player and you needed to spend some time on him.”
It was a different environment three decades years ago.
“Today they’d walk away from a guy like that or drop a ton of money on him,” says Trcka. “Compared to the player he is, I gave him nothing. I gave him fair money for the round and the place. I didn’t over do it.
“It was a trust thing.”
At Jasper, Rolen was a third baseman, shortstop and pitcher.
“He had a fastball he could pump up to 93 (mph),” says Trcka. “He showed his arm strength then and all it did was improve. When he got up to the big leagues he had a rocket.
“With his arm and his agility he could’ve played shortstop in the big leagues.”
Track notes that average major league runner gets down down the line from the plate to first base in 4.3 seconds. Rolen was clocked in 4.01.
“That’s flying — especially for a big man.” says Trcka of player who was 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds in the majors. “He had pretty good instincts on the bases. He’d take that extra bag.
“He was a special guy.”
Rolen went into the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2019 and is now Director of Player Development at Indiana University.
In a New York Times article by Tyler Kepner dated Jan. 24, 2023, Trcka is credited with Dick Lawlor and Marti Wolever as scouts that recommended Rolen to former Phillies scouting director Mike Arbuckle.
Like so many relationships he made in 27-plus years as an MLB scout, Trcka enjoyed the one he made with Rolen’s parents. He still gets Christmas cards from them and still hears from players, families, coaches and other scouts.
“It was a great game,” says Trcka. “I loved it. Even though the job did take me away from the family, I couldn’t ask for a job that I enjoyed more.”
In various capacities Trcka scouted for the Phillies 1989-2001 and 2013-16, San Diego Padres 2002-05 and New York Mets 2006-12.
He covered winter ball in the Dominican Republic from 1998-2001. In 2005, he was assigned four MLB teams in spring training along with 24 minor league teams during the season. In 2007, he spent two weeks covering pro baseball in Japan.
“It was a good job,” says Trcka. “I enjoyed my time. I met a lot of great people. If you were to tell me I’d have access to go into major league clubhouses and things like that when I was a kid, I would probably lose my marbles and couldn’t wait to grow up.
“I signed a lot of big leaguers. That was the biggest thrill.”
Besides Rolen, Trcka also signed the following MLB players as an area supervisor: Steve Parris (1989, fifth round), Gary Bennett (1990, 11th), Mike Grace (1991, 10th), Tony Fiore (1992, 28th), David Doster (1993, 27th), Kevin Sefcik (1993, 33rd), Jason Boyd (1994, eighth) and Kevin Plawecki (2012, first, 35th overall selection).
New Haven (Ind.) High School graduate Doster played mostly second base at Indiana State University and in the bigs and Japan.
Westfield (Ind.) High School alum Plawecki was a catcher at Purdue University and played his eighth MLB season in 2022.
As a crosschecker, Trcka recommended Pat Burrell, Jason Michaels, Jorge Padilla, Brett Myers, Marlon Byrd, Gavin Floyd, Khalil Greene, Tim Stauffer, Colt Morton, Dirk Hayhurst and Aaron Nola.
The first time Trcka saw LaTroy Hawkins he was a lanky freshman at Gary (Ind.) West Side High School.
“He was a good kid,” says Trcka. “I really liked him. He had a whip for an arm. You knew he was going to be pretty good.
“He turned out to be a real gem.”
Hawkins went on to pitch 21 seasons in the majors and went in the IHSBCA Hall of Fame in 2018.
Trcka helped fellow scout Bill Bryk conduct tryout camps for the Pittsburgh Pirates in northwest Indiana.
It was during the change toward more analytics and less traditional scouting that Trcka was let go by the Phillies.
“Everything has changed now,” says Trcka. “Baseball people don’t run the game anymore.
“It was once a great game, but it’s far from that anymore. Statistical information doesn’t tell what a real player is about inside.”
Not that Trcka ignored the numbers.
When scouting college players, he always sought out the press box and found the stat sheet.
He wanted to know how many times a batter struck out or walked and how many stolen bases a player had.
“Doubles were always big,” says Trcka. “Doubles can show what the future holds for you as far as home run power.
“We looked at all that stuff. All scouts did that. Not just me.”
What about WAR (Wins Above Replacement)?
“I don’t know how to do it and I don’t want to know,” says Trcka. “It was a different time. I know you’ve got to move with the times, but when something’s not broke don’t fix it.”
In recent years, Trcka has been focused on his family including grandchildren.
When he happened to be watching a game on TV and saw a batter make the last out in one inning and start on second base in extra innings, he was introduced to what commonly is called the “ghost runner.”
“What’s going on in this game?,” says Trcka. “They’re doing a fine job of trying to destroy the game.
“It’s a sad commentary.”
The son of Dick and Joan Trcka, Scott spent his first three years of high school at Hobart and his senior year at Calumet, graduating in 1976.
As a Warrior, Trcka played for his father and against future big league slugger Ron Kittle, who was a senior at Gary Wirt High School.
Dick Trcka spent 28 years in a variety of coaching roles at Calumet and won more than 200 games as head baseball coach. The field at what is now Calumet New Tech bears his name.
Scott Trcka was Director of Player Personnel and Development for the summer collegiate wood bat Northwest Indiana Oilmen in 2019.

Scott Trcka.

James-led Purdue Polytechnic Englewood eligible for IHSAA tournament in 2023

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

Purdue Polytechnic Englewood — a charter high school on the Near East Side of Indianapolis — becomes IHSAA baseball tournament-eligible in 2023.
The Techies are part of a Class 3A sectional grouping with Beech Grove, Christel House, Herron, Speedway and Washington.
Purdue Polytechnic Englewood (enrollment around 580) is a member of the Greater Indianapolis Conference (with Christel House, Eminence, Indiana Math & Science, Irvington Prep, Metropolitan, Riverside, Tindley, Victory Prep and Washington). IMS and Victory Prep are not expected to field baseball teams in 2023.
Eric James, who is an IT Specialist at the school and coached offensive linemen for the past four Purdue Polytechnic Englewood football seasons, is the Techies first-year head coach for the third-year baseball program. James was an assistant to Ryan Broadstreet in 2021 and 2022.
Player development is a priority for James.
“At our school a lot of the students don’t come to the school for athletics,” says James. “The guys that do come out have a love of baseball. I want to see strides of improvement. That’s my satisfaction.”
James is a 2013 graduate of Arsenal Tech High School in Indianapolis, where he played football, baseball and golf and participated for a short time in wrestling.
He was an Information Technology major and Management Information Systems minor at Indiana State University, graduating in 2017.
Purdue Polytechnic Englewood players participated in the Indianapolis RBI program in the summer and fall.
“That allowed them to get more reps and opportunities to play the game,” says James, who is assisted by Donald Baker III and Derrick Strode and expects around 18 players for a varsity-only season at Purdue Polytechnic Englewood in the spring. “We’re trying to get some recognition so our guys can play at the next level.”
The winter IHSAA Limited Contact Period is going on now.
“We’re just trying to get in as much of the fundamentals as possible,” says James, who has his Techies improving their footwork, agility as well as catching and throwing techniques. “We’re putting emphasis on fundamentals and why they do things and how it effects them on the field.
“We’re getting them as much baseball knowledge as we can.”
James attended his first Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association State Clinic Jan. 12-14 in Indianapolis.
He picked up many pointers on drills, strength and conditioning and more.
“It was very informative,” says James. “I did enjoy my time there.”
The Schweitzer Center at Englewood houses Purdue Polytechnic Englewood and Paramount Englewood (elementary). The schools are in the renovated P.R. Mallory Building.
Techies athletics use the facilities at T.C. Howe Community High School located about two miles to the east.
Purdue Polytechnic North is located in the former Broad Ripple High School. The Lynx have separate sports programs.

Eric James.

Illinois junior colleges tap into Indiana baseball talent

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

Illinois junior college baseball has long been a destination for Indiana players.
Many have used the two-year institutions to springboard into a four-year school or the professional ranks.
Our neighbors to the west sport 41 National Junior College Athletic Association programs in Division I, II and III (Regions 4 or 24).
There is a difference between divisions.
NJCAA Divisions I and II can offer up to 24 athletic scholarships. Division III schools do not. Most (but not all) junior colleges have other scholarship and financial aid options.
Illinois’ NJCAA D-I teams include Frontier Community College (Fairfield), John A. Logan College (Carterville), Kakaskia College (Centralia), Kishwaukee College (Malta), Lake Land College (Mattoon), Lincoln Trail College (Robinson), Olive-Harvey College (Chicago), Olney Central College (Olney), Rend Lake College (Ina), Shawnee CC (Ullin), South Suburban College (South Holland), Southeastern Illinois College (Harrisburg), Southwestern Illinois College (Swansea), Triton College (River Grove) and Wabash Valley College (Mount Carmel).
Wabash Valley went 59-9 and qualified for the 2022 NJCAA D-I World Series in Grand Junction, Colo.
“We’ve been very fortunate,” says Wabash Valley coach Aaron Biddle, who is in his eighth season with the Warriors and first as head coach in 2023. “We’ve had some very good Indiana kids over the years. We’re just right across the border form Princeton, Ind. Getting into Evansville and going up to Indianapolis are great recruiting sources for us.
“Our conference is real competitive.”
John A. Logan, Kakaskia, Lake Land, Lincoln Trail, Olney Central, Rend Lake, Shawnee, Southeastern Illinois, Southwestern Illinois and Wabash Valley is in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference.
WVC plays mostly D-I schools with a few D-II’s sprinkled in.
“The more D-I opponents you have on your schedule the better it is for your (RPI) rankings,” says Biddle.
What does “JUCO Bandit” means to Biddle, who started his college playing career at former NJCAA D-III St. Catharine in Kentucky and finished at NCAA D-II Kentucky Wesleyan.
“Maybe he’s not be getting the offers he wants at (NCAA) D-I or a big school and he’s going to bet on himself and he’s going to go the JUCO route, grind for two years and get better everyday and definitely get that offer he’s not getting right now,” says Biddle. “We get to spend a lot of time with our guys. We get to be with them almost every single day. There’s not a lot of restrictions on how much practice time we have.
“The big things is that in the fall, we get to play 14 dates. We get to play every weekend. Guys are getting all those extra innings and they’re getting to compete. That’s a big thing for us.
“In baseball you’ve got to play to get better.”
Biddle says the funnest aspect of his job is seeing players land at their dream school.
South Suburban posted a 42-19 record in 2022.
Kevin Bowers has been head coach at Lincoln Trail since the 2010 season. That was the sophomore season of Justin Hancock (who went on to pitch in the big leagues and is now an Indiana State University assistant).
Bowers was on the LTC staff since 2001 and was an assistant to then-Statesmen head coach Mitch Hannahs (who is now head coach at Indiana State).
Bowers coached at ISU for the 2000 season. Lincoln Trail is about 10 miles from the Indiana line and 40 miles from ISU.
“The talent level is just off the chart,” says Bowers. “I’m certainly not knocking the state of Illinois. We’ve had a great deal of success with kids out of Indiana.”
Bowers has a take on “JUCO Bandit.”
“We develop an ‘ask no quarter, take no quarter’ mentality,” says Bowers. “We don’t want for a lot. We don’t need a lot. But we try to get a lot done.
“’Bandit has that negative connotation to it. When you go to junior college your mindset is that you’re foregoing the 100,000-seat football stadium. There’s not a lot of nightlife. Campus activities are geared around the athletics. You develop a worker’s mentality.
“There’s not a lot of thrills, but the talent at this level is crazy good.”
Bowers said there was a time when junior college baseball was battling the perception that their players had got booted from another school or could not make grades.
“Our guys are getting it done in the classroom and they’re getting it done on the field,” says Bowers, whose program earned a 2021-22 American Baseball Coaches Association Team Excellence Award for posting a grade-point average of 3.0 or above. “It’s a situation where academically you’re not going to lose ground.”
Illinois’ NJCAA D-II squads are Black Hawk-Moline College (Moline), Carl Sandburg College (Galesburg), Danville Area CC (Danville), Elgin CC (Elgin), Heartland CC (Normal), Highland College (Freeport), Illinois Central College (East Peoria), Illinois Valley CC (Oglesby), John Wood CC (Quincy), Kankakee CC (Kankakee), College of Lake County (Grayslake), Lewis & Clark CC (Godfrey), Lincoln Land CC (Springfield), McHenry County College (Crystal Lake), Moraine Valley CC (Palos Heights), Morton College (Cicero), Parkland College (Champaign), Prairie State College (Chicago Heights), Sauk Valley CC (Dixon) and Spoon River College (Canton).
Heartland (49-10) played in the 2022 NJCAA D-II World Series in Enid, Okla.
The Mid-West Athletic Conference features Heartland, Danville Area, Illinois Central, John Wood, Lewis & Clark, Lincoln Land, Parkland and Spoon River plus Vincennes (Ind.) University.
Also in 2022, Kankakee went 43-17, McHenry 40-18, Black Hawk-Moline 35-20, Lake County 32-20 and Morton 32-20.
Illinois’ NJCAA D-III features College of DuPage (Glen Ellyn), Harper College (Palatine), Joliet Junior College (Joliet), Oakton CC (Skokie), Rock Valley College (Rockport) and Waubonsee CC (Sugar Grove).
The Arrowhead Conference is made up of Black Hawk-Moline, Carl Sandburg, Highland, Illinois Valley, Kishwaukee and Sauk Valley.
Oakton (34-28-1) competed in the 2022 NJCAA D-III World Series in Greenville, Tenn.
Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference includes Lake County, Elgin, McHenry County, Moraine Valley, Morton, Oakton, Prairie State and Waubonsee.
Since 1993, Triton is a two-time D-I World Series runner-up (1993 and 1994).
D-II World Series titles were earned by Kishwaukee (1999), Lincoln Land (2000), Parkland (2002 and 2009) and Kankakee (2017). Parkland was also a runner-up in 2018.
Joliet earned D-III World Series championships in 1994, 2008 and 2012 and placed second in 1995 and 2015. Oakton reigned in D-III in 2018 and Waubonsee was runner-up in 1996.

Rosselli sees Terre Haute Rex as community asset

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

The Terre Haute Rex have been on the summer collegiate wood bat baseball scene since 2010.
Terre Haute native Bruce Rosselli was there at the start.
A 1976 North Vigo High School graduate and former Indiana State University track and field decathlete who went on to spend 17 years as an elite bobsled driver (he is a three-time national champion, two-time world champion and a winner in the Europa Cup and Americas Cup), was a volunteer assistant speed and strength coach for the Rex.
He attended home games and put players through workouts at Union Hospital.
“I worked on their speed and their psyche,” says Rosselli. “I took some of the things I learned from driving a bobsled like positive thinking and mental imagery. I had to slow everything down and learn to push away negativity.
“I was teaching pitchers how to be confident on the mound and control the tempo of the game.”
The Rex (which takes their name from a coffee brand established in 1879) was originally owned by the Indiana State University Foundation.
In December 2013, Rosselli and partners — Brian Dorsett (field manager 2010-12), Bob Brown, John Newton, Ray Kepner and Kevin Hoolehan — bought the team.
General manager Rosselli and Dorsett are principal owners of the Rex. Newton later stepped down, leaving the others as the current ownership group.
Rosselli’s position is full-time and does everything from marketing to recruiting players.
He sees the Rex as an asset to the community.
In 2014, Rosselli and company had their first season with the Rex and a survey found that 63 percent of fans who exit a baseball stadium don’t know who won or lost the game.
“They just know they had a good time,” says Rosselli. “That’s who we market to. The 37 percent are always going to be there. How do we get the 63 percent back every time?
“It’s entertainment.”
The Rex markets to a 40- to 50-mile radius of Terre Haute. The Wabash Valley represents about 500,000 people.
Rosselli wants them to consider coming to ISU’s Bob Warn Field when they come to town to dine or go to Terre Haute Children’s Museum.
“We have between-inning games with kids running and racing and dizzy bat,” says Rosselli. “The baseball game itself is secondary.
“We’re putting on this big show.”
Community members and sponsors are recognized. Low-cost, high-quality concessions is a priority.
“We don’t want people coming here saying that food is no good so we’re going to eat somewhere else before (the game),” says Rosselli. “We bring $1.5 million to $2.1 million (annually) to the local economy every summer.”
Stores, retail shops, gas stations, hotels and restaurants all benefit from having the Rex in Terre Haute.
“Every $1 turns over seven times,” says Rosselli.
Rosselli says some companies that partner with the team are looking for Return On Investment (ROI) and others do it as a service to the community.
“They’re helping us provide entertainment for all of the Wabash Valley,” says Rosselli. “We couldn’t do it without them.”
On the baseball side of things, Rosselli hires a manager to assemble a team of players from around the country. In 2023, it will be Harry Markotay.
“We do want to have competitive play,” says Rosselli. “Since we’ve owned the team we’ve only had one year where we didn’t have a very good season.”
The Rex went 37-23 in the Prospect League 2022. Terre Haute won Prospect League titles in 2015 (managed by Bobby Segal) and 2018 (managed by Tyler Wampler).
Rosselli begins making recruiting calls as soon as the season is over. All position players on a roster of around 30 are committed and the focus for 2023 is to get more pitchers.
Players stay with host families — some who’ve been with the Rex since Day 1.
“They love having that experience with a player in their home,” says Rosselli. “They can go out there and root for them every game, know their name and their parents’ names.
“It’s a friend for life.”
Bruce and wife Cheryl Rosselli (a former world table tennis champion) have two children — Paige and Tony.
Paige Rosselli (North Vigo Class of 2008) is a former Rex intern. Tony Rosselli (North Vigo Class of 2012) played a Indiana State University and with the Rex. He has had host families as a college and independent pro player.
There are many moving parts and a short window between the end of the Indiana State season and the beginning for the Rex. Tractor trailers bring in trash cans. Beverage sales and souvenir sales must be set up. Up to 60 banners stored in Rosselli’s office across Third Street are put up around the ballpark.
“We saw the stadium come alive,” says Rosselli.
The Rex partners with ISU for Sport Management and Marketing students to do internships with the team. There’s also the opportunity work with the media company who broadcasts the games.
“I want to see players go to the next level, but it’s also just as gratifying seeing our interns going to the next level,” says Rosselli. “Every year I say, ‘how do we make our team better and how do we make our staff better?’ One doesn’t run without the other.
“There’s two teams here.”
The owner/GM encourages interns to sit in with him on sponsorship meetings. They also get to rotate through different jobs such as ticket sales, retail and press box operations. They see the coordination between the PA announcer and on-field announcer.
“It’s like an orchestra going on,” says Rosselli.
Many Rex interns have gone on to serve in professional or college sports positions and not just in baseball.
Austin Bishop went from the Rex to the NBA’s Detroit Pistons to the University of Illinois and is now Assistant Manager of Athletic Ticketing at ISU.
Chris Poindexter was Communications Assistant and Intern Supervisor for the Rex and went on to become Video Production and Social Media Manager with the Bowling Green Hot Rods, High-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.
“I didn’t get where I’m at without help,” says Rosselli. “So it’s sort of paying it forward. I can help somebody else do that they want to do.”
Beginning in 2016, Rosselli was president of the Prospect League for five years.
In that role, he dealt with disciplinary matters and led league meetings. He brought in an outside contractor to provide certified NCAA umpires and found vendors for league uniforms and baseballs.
“I always thought in order for this league to grow we should all look to be in the black (at the end of the fiscal year) and not some teams in the red,” says Rosselli. “That was more of an attraction to outside investors.
“Lowering the operational costs would help us all.”
The Prospect League — with David Brauer as commissioner — will field 17 teams in seven states in 2023. Opening Day for a 58-game slate is to begin May 31.
Additions include the Jackson (Tenn.) Rockabillys and an as-yet-to-be-branded club in Marion, Ill., once a member of the independent professional Frontier League. Finalists for the Marion team name include Angry Beavers, Fungi, Monkey Rats, Swamp Foxes and Thrillbillies.
For the better part 10 years, Rosselli has been working to get a new stadium for the Rex — something similar to Kokomo (Ind.) Municipal Stadium.
Rosselli said Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett was in favor, but the Terre Haute Convention Center came first.
Rosselli says he would like to see a multi-sport complex on the east side of town. Add to that housing and retail spaces.
“It’s about a $75 million project,” says Rosselli. “You’ve got to have a lot of ground — at least 150 acres.
“I don’t want to be part of something done halfway. Let’s do it right. We’ve got to be able to grow it.”
In August 2022, the Vigo County Capital Improvement Board approved the start of a process for a feasibility study for a sports and water complex.
In November 2022, the CIB approved Brownsburg-based PROS Consulting Inc., to conduct that study.

Bruce Rosselli.

Gries cherishes memories of coaching at Evansville Central, Tri-State Hot Stove League

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

Paul Gries has been a very active member of the Evansville, Ind., athletic community.
The Pocket City native taught for 34 years in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation — 10 at Plaza Park (K-8) and the rest at Central High School. His main subjects were Physical Education and Health.
Whatever the season, Gries was organizing and coaching youngsters in flag football, softball, baseball, soccer, basketball and more.
In 1978, he accepted an invitation to join John Wessel’s Central boys basketball coaching staff.
In 1980, he was asked to be a Bears baseball assistant.
“We hardly had a program at all,” says Gries, who took over as head coach in 1981 and began working in earnest on Central’s field.
“If you want to call it a field,” says Gries. “It was nothing. But I had dreams of what I wanted the baseball field to look like.”
With the help of players, coaches and parents, a diamond which was named in honor of Gries in 2016 (Paul Gries Field was dedicated in 2017 a few days after Gries underwent heart surgery) was steadily-crafted.
Gries, 79, was head baseball coach at Central for 21 seasons (1981-2001) before retiring at 58 and going into the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002.
His teams went 408-196 and earned the first seven sectional titles in program history (1981, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1996, 1997 and 1998) plus the first two regional championships (1981 and 1987) and only semistate crown (1987). Central lost 4-1 to the LaPorte’s mythical national champions in the ’87 state championship game at Bush Stadium in Indianapolis.
Gries coached in the IHSBCA North/South All-Star Series in 1987 and was named National Coach of the Year in 2000.
“I had some good players (including 1985 graduate and future big league pitcher Andy Benes) and tied to get the most out of every player,” says Gries. “I was spending 14-hour days at Central High School. I was putting every ounce into it.
“It just wore me out.”
It was in 1987 that Gries was approached by longtime professional baseball man and Evansville resident “Singing” Ed Nottle, who had a daughter who was taught by Gries.
Nottle wanted to help Gries and other coaches raise money for their programs.
“We had car washes, candy sales and whatever you can image, but we were making making peanuts until Ed came along,” says Gries, who gathered all the high school and college coaches in town at the EVSC office and what came from planning sessions was the Friends of Bosse Field “Night of Memories.”
What began as a group of former baseball professionals who wanted to ensure that the history of Bosse Field would not be forgotten while fundraising turned into the Tri-State Hot Stove League. Gries served with that organization for 31 years, including stints as vice president and president, and is still involved.
One of the first “Night of Memories” guests was National Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra. Gries flew to New Jersey to bring Yogi to town.
Over the years, Evansville native and Indiana Baseball Hall of Famer Don Mattingly aka “Donnie Baseball” was at the first special night and has only missed it on a few occasions.
Gries coached Taylor Mattingly (Don’s oldest son) at Central. When Don was playing for the New York Yankees, he would get in the batting cage take swings after winter workouts by the Bears.
“He’d say, ‘Paul, give me some situations.’ I’d, ‘man on third, tie game, one out in the eighth or ninth inning’ and Mattingly just hit those fly balls,” says Griese. “It was unbelievable how Mattingly prepared himself.”
The next Tri-State Hot Stove League “Night of Memories” is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023 at Meeks Family Fieldhouse in the Carson Center at the University of Evansville. A paid autograph session is slated from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Central Time followed by a chat and live/silent auction at 6.
Featured guests include Don Mattingly, Jamey Carroll, Jerad Eickhoff, Aaron Barrett, Colson Montgomery, Elijah Dunham, Cameron Decker, Wayne Hagin, Denny McLain, Darrell Evans and Graig Nettles.
“He’s unbelievable,” says Gries of emcee Hagin, who has been a play-by-play man for the Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. “People love listening to the stories.”
Among past guests: Mattingly, Carroll, Eickhoff, Barrett, Hagin, Gabby Allison, Rick Ankiel, Clint Barmes, Andy Benes, Yogi Berra, Raymond Berry, Lou Brock, Don Buse, Steve Carlton, Jack Clark, Roger Clemens, Danny Cox, Andre Dawson, Jim Edmonds, George Foster, Kyle Freeland, Steve Garvey, Bob Gibson, Goose Gossage, Mark Grace, Bob Griese, Kevin Hardy, Keith Hernandez, Whitey Herzog, Paul Hornung, Al Hrabosky, Andruw Jones, Tommy John, Jim Kiick, Harmon Killebrew, Lily King, Ray Lankford, Tony LaRussa, Johnny Latner, Larry Little, Gaylord Perry, Bobby Plump, Ozzie Smith, Bob Feller, Brooks Robinson, Scott Rolen, Enos Slaughter, Frank Robinson, Andy Van Slyke, Lee Smith and Brad Wilkerson.
“They come from all over when they know Don Mattingly is here,” says Gries. “They can get close to him. People in New York can’t do that.”
College/Pro Football Hall of Famer Griese (Rex Mundi High School Class of 1963 and Purdue University Class of 1967) has been to many “Night of Memories.”
“We do this for the kids,” says Gries, who notes that the a non-profit group has raised close to $2 million for youth athletics and youth-focused organizations in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky in three decades.
Gries says the event at its peak netted up to $90,000 in one day.
Some of the money has been given to Habitat for Humanity. Gries says Mattingly, Bob Griese, Brian Griese (Bob’s son who now coaches with the San Francisco 49ers), Calbert Cheaney (a 1989 Evansville Harrison High School graduate who played at Indiana University, the National Basketball Association and now coaches with the Indiana Pacers) and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan (who played at Evansville College and the NBA and was a longtime NBA coach) all
gave large sums to sponsor homes.
A 1961 graduate of Evansville Mater Dei High School, Gries’ prep baseball coach was Len Will (an Indiana Football Hall of Famer).
“He was the gentlest man that I know,” says Gries. “That was the example he shared with us (athletes).”
On the basketball court, Gries eclipsed the 40-point mark three times including a single-game record of 44. That was long before the 3-point arc was put in place. Mater Dei was led on the hardwood by Ed Schultheis in Gries’ freshman and sophomore years and Tom Gore in his junior and senior seasons.
Gries went to Indiana State College (now Indiana State University) for basketball and baseball during an era when freshmen were not allowed to play on the varsity.
The injury bug kept biting him on the hardwood. He suffered torn cartilage working out early in his freshman year then experienced ankle and groin ailments as a sophomore and decided not to stick with the Duane Klueh-coached Sycamores.
On the diamond, Gries earned three letters (1963-65, helping the Sycamores go a combined 37-24-2) playing for Paul Wolf (who wound up as a member of both the IHSBCA Hall of Fame and ISU Athletics Hall of Fame).
One of his fond memories is playing catch with future IHSBCA Hall of Famer Tommy John and having John feed the pitching machine for him during preseason workouts before the 1961 Terre Haute Gerstmeyer High School valedictorian reported to spring training.
Gries paced Indiana State in batting average, hits and runs as a junior in 1964 (.357, 25 and 20 ) and senior in 1965 (.413, 26 and 13). He hit .439 in conference games and was Indiana Collegiate Conference co-MVP with Ball State’s Merv Rettenmund (who went on to play 13 in the majors with the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres and California Angels and coached for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres twice, Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers).
“The great thing about Paul Wolf is that he was old school,” says Gries.
Wolf was a minor league middle infielder 1926-33, including time with the Indianapolis Indians in 1930-31. He was able to pass on wisdom to Gries, who was a switch-hitting shortstop at Indiana State and moved to second base in his second of two pro seasons in the Washington Senators organization (1965-66).
“Pee Wee” (he was 5-foot-9 and 157pounds) spent much of the 1965 Appalachian League season on the disabled list with a sprained ankle after a collision at home plate.
It was during the Vietnam War era and Gries left baseball to joined the U.S. Army Reserves and got married for the first time.
“I got to see the difference between high school and college and college and pro,” says Gries. “What a big step it is.”
Divorced in 1989, Gries was single for 14 years and has been married to Mary, a fellow Catholic who moved to Evansville from Auburn, Ind., for 19 years.
Gries has five children, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
“They are the joy of my life,” says Gries. “I’m going to spend as much time with my kids as I can.”

Paul Gries.

Paul Gries at the Tri-State Hot Stove League “Night of Memories.”

Geeser puts passion over flash with North Putnam Cougars

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

Chris Geeser is entering his eighth season as a baseball coach at North Putnam High School in Roachdale, Ind.
The 2023 season will mark his fourth in charge of the Cougars program.
It’s is Geeser’s desire to put a “well-organized, hard-nose competitive team” on the field.
“We’re going to play the game hard,” says Geeser. “We’ll run out ground balls and give it our best effort.”
Geeser, 31, promotes sportsmanship and sees no room for showboating and bat flipping in baseball.
“I’d rather see the passion than the flashiness,” says Geeser.
A true-blue Chicago Cubs fan, Geeser counts former North Side pitcher Carlos Zambrano among his favorites.
“He was so passionate,” says Geeser of a player who won 125 games and socked 24 home runs in 11 seasons with the Cubs.
Geeser was born in Rockford, Ill., and moved to Martinsville, Ind., as a fourth grader.
He played four years of baseball for the Martinsville High School. Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Bill Tutterow led the Artesians in Geeser’s freshman year. Luke Moscrip was head coach the next season and Mike Swartzentruber (now a Lake Central) in 2009 and 2010.
“I was a big fan,” says Geeser of Swartzentruber. “We had a lot of talent my junior and senior year. He was very detailed and very intense.”
Geeser graduated from Indiana State University in 2015 and was hired to teach Business at North Putnam about a week before school began in 2015-16.
North Putnam (enrollment around 445) is a member of the Western Indiana Conference (with Class 2A Brown County, 2A Cloverdale, 3A Edgewood, 2A Greencastle, 3A Indian Creek, 3A Northview, 3A Owen Valley, 2A South Putnam, 2A Sullivan and 3A West Vigo).
Each WIC team meets one time during the season.
The Cougars are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping in 2023 with Cloverdale, Greencastle, Parke Heritage, South Putnam and Southmont. North Putnam has won four sectional titles — the last in 2007.
With many North Putnam athletes involved in football, soccer or cross country, Geeser held IHSAA Limited Contact Period practices once a week in the fall. Those attending got a chance to throw and work on defensive basics and take plenty of batting practice.
“The skill that falls off faster than anything is hitting,” says Geeser. Since the winter Limited Contact Period began the Cougars are spending one day on bullpens and defensive drills and the other on hitting (in the cage or at stations around the gym).
“There’s not a whole lot of standing around at my practices,” says Geeser. “We’d like to get 100-150 swings.”
Sharing facilities with winter sports means coming in before school or going later in the evening.
North Putnam offers basketball, wrestling and swimming in the winter.
Winter workouts have had as many as 20 attendees, but the average is around 12.
Since Geeser became head coach the Cougars have fielded varsity and junior varsity teams and he expects the same in 2023. He guesses there might be 24 or 25 players in the program in the spring.
While there are no recent graduates in college baseball, Geeser sees that potential for junior right-handed pitcher Jaylen Windmiller, who struck out 27 and walked five in 22 2/3 innings for a 2022 team that went 13-13.
Geeser’s assistant coaches include returnees Cameron Brothers and Jackson Kendall and newcomer Anthony Rossock. Brothers and Kendall are North Putnam graduates and Rossock, who played at Anderson University, is a Greencastle alum. All three are North Putnam teachers.
North Putnam Middle School fields a team in the spring made up of seventh and eighth graders (and sometimes sixth graders).
North Putnam Youth Baseball League sponsors teams from T-ball to 12U. Geeser is actively involved with the organization.
A number of renovations to the school’s on-field diamond last summer, including rolling and re-building the infield, mound and home plate areas.
“I think our field’s pretty nice,” says Geeser. “We have really good lights.”
A Musco Lighting system can be controlled by a phone app.
Chris andy Lacey Geeser celebrated four years of marriage in the summer of 2022.

Chris Geeser. (North Putnam High School Photo)