College players find summer home in Grand Park league

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Three months after their 2020 spring seasons were halted, several baseball ballplayers competed again.

Monday, June 15 marked the Opening Day for the new College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind.

A team effort between Bullpen Tournaments and Pro X Athlete Development, the 12-team league gives players an opportunity to improve in a COVID-19 world that has seen many shutdowns, including summer leagues.

“We created because a lot of these guys had nowhere to play,” says Luke Dietz, director of operations for Bullpen Tournaments and acting commissioner for the College Summer League. “We also give them the option to play-and-train, too.”

The CSL is set up to have games turf fields on Mondays and Tuesdays (this week that meant one Monday and two Tuesday). Players can go through training at Pro X, located on the Grand Park Sports Campus, Wednesday through Friday.

Several players also work in various capacities at Grand Park.

“We were not planning on having a collegiate league,” says Dietz. “The way everything happened gave us a way to do it safety.

“We think this is going to be a good opportunity for us to do it for years to come. What’s great about us is that you play all your games here and you have a training schedule as well.”

The focus in the league is not to extend anyone too far.

“We’re directly in-contact with all of their coaches at their colleges,” says Dietz. “They’re setting their programs with us (at Pro X). 

“(CSL coaches and trainers) know this guy is only supposed to throw 25 pitches this week. He’s not going to go past that. 

“That sets us apart from other leagues.

Dietz says ‘The League” is focused on the needs of the athletes and that’s how the the idea of playing a few games plus training and earning money by working came about.

“Everything we do is for the players,” says Dietz. “It’s not about revenue or anything like that.

“We probably have 40 guys working for us to pay off the league. That’s an opportunity for them to see how we opportunity and put some money in their pocket.”

The CSL sports 261 players, which were gathered through them asking to be invited and by recruiting. Of that number, more than 120 come from NCAA Division I programs. 

“It’s not just a league in Indiana,” says Dietz. “It’s a high level of competition college league for sure.”

Populating rosters of teams called The A-Team, Screwballs, Tropics, Park Rangers, Turf Monsters, Marksmen, Local Legends, Snapping Turtles, Snakes, Woodchucks, Juice and Nighthawks are players from programs all over the country as well as Anderson, Ball State, Butler, DePauw, Earlham, Evansville, Franklin, Hanover, Indiana, Indiana University Kokomo, Indiana University South Bend, Indiana University Southeast, Indiana State, Indiana Tech, Indianapolis, Manchester, Marian, Purdue, Purdue Fort Wayne, Purdue Northwest, Saint Francis, Southern Indiana, Valparaiso and Wabash.

Daylan Nanny, a Plainfield (Ind.) High School graduate who was a lefty-swinging junior outfielder/first baseman at Western Carolina University in the spring, is in the CSL.

“It’s cool to be back here playing,” says Nanny, who was a 14-year-old travel ball player with the Outlaws (now Evoshield Canes Midwest) in some of the early games at Grand Park and then went to work there. “I’ve spent a good amount of my time on the Grand Park complex. Bullpen Tournaments is a great place to work. They’re great people and I love it.”

Nanny appreciates the summer league’s format.

“This is a really good opportunity to get better,” says Nanny. “The middle of the week to the end of the week is to work on what you struggled with on Monday and Tuesday 

“Use that time and get ready to come out the next week ready to play again. It’s a unique setting. If you do it right, you can get really good out of here.”

Some players are from junior colleges and others are incoming freshmen. One ballplayer came from Texas and is staying in a motor home with his father.

There are athletes staying with teammates who live in the area, some in an Air BnB with buddies and others in apartments.

“We sold it as a commuter league, trying to get all of our local guys,” says Dietz. “Especially with the uncertainty of when we were able to start the league because of everything go on in the world, we weren’t going to be able to do housing on such a short notice.”

Every team has at least two college coaches on its staff. One of those is Butler assistant Matt Kennedy.

“We want to get the guys back on the field, knock the rust off a little bit and get them reps,” says Kennedy. “We want to prepare them to go back to their institutions in the fall and be ready to play.”

There was a couple of weeks of “spring training” leading into CSL games. Players came out and took batting practice and fielded grounders. Pitchers threw bullpens.

Kennedy says he expects teams will play close to 36 games in eight weeks.

“In my opinion, that’s a good thing,” says Kennedy. “It’s not 70 games. It gives these guys enough time to play and develop and time to rest and get int he weight room as well.

“These guys have been done basically for three months. Easing them into it with this format is really good. Guys have plenty of time to recover.”

Games began Monday, June 15 in the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. The collegiate circuit has 12 teams and 261 players and all games and training is done at Grand Park or Pro X Athlete Development. (Steve Krah Photo)

Games began Monday, June 15 in the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. The collegiate circuit has 12 teams and 261 players and all games and training is done at Grand Park or Pro X Athlete Development. (Steve Krah Photo)

Games began Monday, June 15 in the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. The collegiate circuit has 12 teams and 261 players and all games and training is done at Grand Park or Pro X Athlete Development. (Bullpen Tournaments/Pro X Athlete Development Image)

Fort Wayne’s DeJesus recalls amateur, professional roots

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Javier DeJesus was born in Puerto Rico, shined on the high school diamonds of Texas and excelled collegiately in Louisiana.

Drafted by the Minnesota Twins, his professional baseball career put DeJesus in Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1994.

The former left-handed pitcher has been around the Summit City most of the time since toeing the rubber for the Fort Wayne Wizards (now known as the Fort Wayne TinCaps).

Javi met a local girl (Deborah), fell in love, got married and had three sons (Damon, Jordan and Evan) while staying close to his favorite game.

DeJesus’ day job as a health care administator keeps him busy, but he still has time to teach lessons at The Diamond Baseball and Softball Academy, where Manny Lopez is director of baseball operations.

Javi DeJesus helps coach Fort Wayne Diamondbacks travel teams featuring Jordan (14U DeJesus) and Evan (12U). Damon DeJesus, who played at Indiana University South Bend and in the independent Empire League, is the 14U head coach.

DeJesus and former WOWO radio personality Charly Butcher founded the Fort Wayne Cubs, which later became the Diamondbacks.

Born in Ponce, P.R., DeJesus moved to Moss Bluff, La., as a boy then Beaumont, Texas, where he was one of only two sophomores to play varsity baseball at West Brook Senior High School (catcher Jason Smith, who went on to the University of Texas-Arlington and the Colorado Rockies organization, was the other).

It was as a 10th grader that DeJesus caught the attention of University of Southwestern Louisiana assistant coach Emrick Jagneaux.

“He said, ‘once you get this thing figured out with the curveball, I’ll come back and pick you up,’” says DeJesus of Jagneaux. “He was true to his word.”

DeJesus went to USL (now known as the University of Louisiana-Lafayette) and went 23-1 in three seasons (1990-92) for the Mike Boulanger-coached Ragin’ Cajuns. 

One of his signature victories was a complete game at Mississippi State University in 1991. That team was coached by American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Ron Polk and inside rowdy and intimidating Dudy Noble Field.

The lefty was 22-0 as a starter. He came on in relief against Oregon State University and three crucial errors led to his only college setback.

In his three seasons, the Ragin’ Cajuns went 47-18, 49-20 and 38-23 and won two American South Conference titles and a Sun Belt Conference West crown. 

DeJesus won 13 games for Southwest Louisiana in 1992, was an All-American, co-Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year and selected to Team Puerto Rico. An elbow injury suffered during the Olympic Trials kept him from going to the Barcelona Games, where first-time Olympic baseball qualifier Puerto Rico placed fifth.

In the summer of 1990, DeJesus played American Legion Baseball in Louisiana for McNeese State University head coach Tony Robichaux and assistant Todd Butler.

Robichaux was head coach at Louisiana-Lafayette 1995-2019 (he died after the 2019 season) and won more than 1,100 games in his 33-year career.

The Twins selected DeJesus in the 17th round of the 1992 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

He got into just two games in 1992 then went 9-0 at rookie-level Elizabethton, Tenn., in 1993. 

Ray Smith was the Elizabethton manager.

“He’s one of the nicest overall men that has ever graced us with his presence,” says DeJesus of Smith. “His philosophy was very simple: Show us what you can do.”

DeJesus remembers that Smith was very mild-mannered until the morning after an Appalachian League playoff loss at Bluefield, Va., that saw the team get extra-boisterous at the hotel.

Let’s just say the Twins were chewed out before riding back to Tennessee.

Playing at Low Class-A Fort Wayne in 1994, DeJesus encountered manager Jim Dwyer and pitching coach Stew Cliburn.

It was in Fort Wayne that DeJesus, who was in the bullpen at old Memorial Stadium, witnessed the first professional home run for 18-year-old Alex Rodriguez. 

DeJesus can still see the hanging slider by Shane Bowers, who had a cup of coffee with the 1997 Twins, that A-Rod popped for the Appleton Foxes.

Southpaw DeJesus was 5-2 with two saves, a 0.93 earned run average, 55 strikeouts and 13 walks in 38 2/3 innings at Fort Wayne and was at Double-A Nashville briefly before injury cut his season short.

DeJesus recalls that a Nashville TV station aired a lengthy piece about his injury. Xpress manager Phil Roof and pitching coach Rick Anderson were complimentary, saying how the lefty had the make-up to be a top-flight closer or set-up man. 

“My fastball never came back after surgery,” says DeJesus.

After four games at Double-A New Britain, Conn., in 1995, DeJesus spent parts of that season and all of 1996 in independent pro ball with the Alexandria (La.) Aces and the Rio Grande Valley White Wings in Harlingen, Texas.

DeJesus was with Alexandria again in 1997 and hooked on with the Chicago Cubs system, going 3-1 in eight games in 1997 and 5-5 in 1998 — both for High Class-A Daytona, Fla.

Stan Cliburn, twin brother of Stew and Alexandria manager in 1997, fondly recalls DeJesus.

“Great competitor and a winner when he toed the pitchers mound!,” says Cliburn. “Class act.”

Ricky VanAsselberg, who is now the general manager/field manager of the Acadiana Cane Cutters summer collegiate team in Lafayette, La., was an Alexandria teammate.

“I love Javi,” says VanAsselberg. “What a great guy. Great competitor.

“Warrior on the mound.”

It was Alan Dunn, Daytona pitching coach in 1997, that DeJesus learned the 3-2-1 pitch sequencing method that he employs with his young players to this day.

“He showed me that concept and it’s made a world of difference,” says DeJesus. “It gives you the opportunity to be your own pitching coach.”

The method begins with 12 pitches to various parts of the strike zone — inside and outside — and allows the pitcher to evaluate where is more or less consistent, where he is improving or regressing and where his mechanics can be altered to effect the release point.

DeJesus, who likes to take to Twitter to debunk modern training philosophy, is not a big fan of speed for speed’s sake.

“Look at players’ heart,” says DeJesus. “That can’t be quantified. They don’t play for numbers.

“Velocity is king now. To me that’s not pitching. That’s measurables. You have to integrate velocity and command. 

“If you have no clue where it’s going, what’s the purpose of training.”

When teaching his sons to hit, DeJesus has spent time listening to hitting coaches and it’s also helped him as pitching instructor.

“The more I know about hitting, the more I can help pitchers,” says DeJesus. “We can expose weaknesses.”

Puerto Rico-born Jose Santiago, a former big league pitcher and Daytona’s pitching coach in 1998, tried to get DeJesus to become a coach in the Cubs organization.

“I thought I still had some games to play,” says DeJesus. “I wanted to retire on my own terms and not someone else’s.”

The final three pro seasons for DeJesus were spent in independent ball — Nashua (N.H.) Pride in 1999, Lehigh Valley (Pa.) Black Diamonds in 2000 and Alexandria Aces in 2001.

The 2000 season is memorable because it wound up with the team living in tents when bankruptcy proceedings got them thrown out of area hotels.

New Orleans native Kim Batiste, who played on the Philadelphia Phillies World Series team in 1993, cooked for his teammates.

It was also in the Atlantic League that DeJesus got a valuable baseball lesson thanks to former big league slugger Ruben Sierra.

During a pro career that spanned 1983-2006, Puerto Rican Sierra was with the Atlantic City Surf in 1999 and rapped a few offerings from Nashua’s DeJesus.

Baseball lifer Doc Edwards was the Atlantic City manager. 

“Those are the guys who taught me how to pitch,” says DeJesus, who got a chance to talk baseball with those men deep into the night. “The conversation got me to understand what it is to pitch.

“Today, too many pitchers don’t call their own pitches. They don’t get to think for themselves.”

Javier DeJesus and his sons are involved with the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Diamondbacks travel baseball organization.

Javier DeJesus was an All-American baseball player at Southwestern Louisiana University (now known as the University of Louisville-Lafayette).

Javier DeJesus with the Elizabethton (Tenn.) Twins (Classic Best Image).

Javier DeJesus with the Rio Grande Valley White Wings.

Javier DeJesus with the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Wizards (Fleer Image).

Javier DeJesus with the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Wizards (Fleer Image).

Javier DeJesus with the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Wizards (Fleer Image).

Baseball Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman (left) meets with Javier DeJesus. The latter played 10 years in pro baseball and lives in Fort Wayne, Ind.

DeDario takes over South Bend Riley Wildcats program

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Vince DeDario wanted to be a high school baseball coach when he began his teaching career 15 years ago.

It turned out that he launched into a career as a high school football assistant and spent 15 seasons on various staffs in South Bend, Ind. — Washington, Adams and Clay.

The 2020 will be his first as head baseball coach at South Bend Riley, where he is also a physical education and health teacher.

DeDario inherits a program that graduated several seniors in 2019.

“It’s a pretty fresh start,” says DeDario. “We’ve got two returning seniors and two juniors. The rest are freshmen and sophomores.

“We’re building from the bottom up. It’s all about fundamentals, playing the game the right way and having fun while we do it. I’m recruiting the heck out of the hallways. I’m probably going to end up with maybe six seniors now because of that.”

Demario led the Wildcats through IHSAA Limited Contract practice in the fall and winter workouts are now in progress. The turnout has been high.

“I’m expecting 40 kids for tryouts,” says Demario. “I want to keep 30.

“The kids are excited. I’m excited.”

Weather permitting, Riley will play a full schedule, which features nine road games to open the season.

During spring break, the Wildcats will have an overnight trip with a contest against Lindblom Math & Science Academy on April 7 on the turf of Curtis Granderson Stadium at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

On April 8, Riley plays Bowman Academy in Hammond.

Wildcats assistant Larry Vaznonis was a baseball and basketball standout at Hammond Gavit High School and Purdue University Calumet and is a member of the Hammond Sports Hall of Fame. He reached out to Purdue Northwest and arranged for Riley to practice and play on the turf at Dowling Park.

The following weekend, Riley will play Kokomo in a doubleheader at Kokomo Municipal Stadium.

Riley (enrollment around 1,100) is a member of the Northern Indiana Conference (with Bremen, Elkhart Central, Jimtown, John Glenn, Marian, Mishawaka, New Prairie, Penn, South Bend Adams, South Bend Clay, South Bend St. Joseph and South Bend Washington).

NIC teams play one another once and games are scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays and sometimes Fridays. The Wildcats’ first conference game is slated for April 13 on the new turf at Penn’s Jordan Automotive Group Field.

Riley is part of an IHSAA Class 4A sectional grouping with LaPorte, Michigan City, Mishawaka, Plymouth and South Bend Adams. The Wildcats have won two sectional titles — 1975 and 1991.

While retired teacher Vaznonis comes in as varsity first base coach, Mishawaka Police Department detective Mike Armey returns from the 2019 Riley season and will be varsity pitch coach.

Former Benedictine University and Eastern Illinois University pitcher and Notre Dame video crew worker Kyle Arnett is the head JV coach.

Mishawaka Police officer Jacob Craft is a JV assistant.

Former Riley all-conference softball player and current Harrison Elementary teacher Courtney (Armey) Mitchell is the Wildcats’ academic advisor.

DeDario and Arnett are developing a plan for pitchers with arm care in mind.

“We want to limit the number of throws put on each kids’ arm even at practice,” says DeDario. “When a kid pitches on a Monday, I don’t necessarily want him starting at shortstop on Wednesday after going through an entire infield practice on Tuesday.

“We want to be very diligent on how we’re using each kid. You have to be smart about it.”

Riley plans to return to using the diamond at Jackson Middle School for JV games and practices. The varsity will continue to call Bob Rush Field home.

DeDario is a 1999 graduate of Marian High School in Mishawaka. He played baseball freshmen and sophomore year. His freshmen year was the last as head coach for Lou Lanzalotto.

Football was the sport DeDario played throughout high school with Reggie Glon as head coach.

DeDario played some club baseball at Loyola University in Chicago. He earned an associate degree at Holy Cross College and received a bachelor’s degree in education from Indiana University South Bend.

He was on the football staffs of Frank Amato and, most recently, Jay Johnson at Washington, Joe Szajko at Clay and Amato at Adams.

For many years, DeDario has taken to the air waves as a sports broadcaster. He currently helps with color commentary and occasional talk show duty at WSBT AM 960. He is also a Notre Dame football analyst for Blue & Gold Illustrated.

Vince and Kristen DeDario were married in 2004 and have five children — seventh grader Dylan (12), fourth grade twins Ella (10) and Lily (10), second grader Chloe (7) and pre-schooler Liam (4).

DeDario spent the past six years coaching middle school baseball at South Bend’s Jefferson Traditional School.

The Bulldogs had gone winless when he took over the program and got to the point where they competed for the championship in 2017 and 2018 and won it in 2019

Jefferson played against South Bend schools and against Inter-City Catholic League and Catholic Youth Organization members. Besides public schools, the varsity played against ICCL squads and the junior varsity against CYO competition.

Many games were played at Riley.

“We built the program up so much that I had to have cuts the past two years,” says DeDario. “We had 40 kids coming out for the team.”

Some of those players will be part of DeDario’s Riley program.

Vince DeDario is the new head baseball coach for 2020 at South Bend (Ind.) Riley High School, where he also teaches physical education and health. (Steve Krah Photo)

 

Indiana Tech, IU Southeast, Huntington, Marian in NAIA Opening Round

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

A quest for an NAIA baseball national title begins today (May 13) for four Indiana schools.

The double-elimination Opening Round begins at nine sites. Indiana Tech is the No. 2 seed at Williamsburg, Ky., Indiana University Southeast is No. 3 at Lawrenceville, Ga., Huntington is No. 4 at Macon, Ga., and Marian is No. 5 at Kingsport, Tenn.

Indiana Tech (38-14-1) takes on Lyon (Ark.) in its first game while IU Southeast (35-18) faces Georgetown (Ky.), Huntington (26-14) squares off against British Columbia and Marian (30-19) clashes with Madonna (Mich.).

Winners in the Opening Round, which is scheduled to conclude May 16, advance to the 63rd annual NAIA World Series May 24-31 in Lewiston, Idaho.

No. 3 seed Oakland City (21-13) will host the National Christian College Athletic Association Mid-East Regional and plays Hiwassee (Tenn.) today. The regional goes through May 16. The NCCAA World Series is May 22-25 in Easley, S.C.

By beating Rose-Hulman in the championship of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament, Franklin (28-13) earned a berth in the NCAA Division III regionals and were to learn where they go today.

In NCAA Division I, Indiana (33-18, 14-7) is in second place in the Big Ten Conference standings behind Michigan (37-13, 15-5). The eight-team conference tournament is May 22-26 in Omaha, Neb. Before that, the Hoosiers play host to Louisville Tuesday, May 14 then Rutgers in a Friday-Saturday-Sunday series.

Purdue (19-31, 7-13) is in 12th in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers play host to Xavier Tuesday, May, 14 then Ohio State for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Indiana State (34-14, 11-7) is in second in the Missouri Valley Conference behind Dallas Baptist (36-15, 12-6) and Illinois State (30-21, 12-6). The Sycamores host Bradley Friday, Saturday and Sunday before the eight-team MVC tournament May 21-15 in Normal, Ill.

Evansville (23-24, 10-8) is fifth in the MVC. The Purple Aces visit Belmont Tuesday and Illinois State Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Valparaiso (13-32, 6-12) is seventh in the MVC. The Crusaders plays host to Chicago State Tuesday then goes to Missouri State Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Ball State (33-17, 17-5) sits in second in the Mid-American Conference behind Central Michigan (39-12, 19-5). The Cardinals, coming off combined a nine-inning no-hitter by John Baker and Luke Jaksich, host Toledo Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The MAC tournament is scheduled for May 22-26 in Avon, Ohio.

Butler (25-23, 5-9) is fifth in the Big East Conference. The Bulldogs visit Eastern Illinois Tuesday and Georgetown Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Big East tournament is May 23-26 at a site to be determined.

Notre Dame (22-26, 12-15) is sixth the Atlantic Coast Conference Atlantic Division, which has its 12-team tournament May 21-26 in Durham, N.C. The Irish go to Northwestern Tuesday and Boston College Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Purdue Fort Wayne (6-42, 1-26 Summit League) is at Toledo Tuesday and at home with Western Illinois Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Summit League tournament is slated for May 22-25 in Tulsa, Okla.

Vincennes (25-28, 13-18 in the Mid-West Conference) play in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Midwest District May 16-20 in Normal, Ill.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL

Records Through May 12

NCAA Division I

Indiana State 34-14 (11-7 Missouri Valley)

Indiana 33-18 (14-7 Big Ten)

Ball State 33-17 (17-5 Mid-American)

Butler 25-23 (5-9 Big East)

Evansville 23-24 (10-8 Missouri Valley)

Notre Dame 22-26 (12-15 Atlantic Coast)

Purdue 19-31 (7-13 Big Ten)

Valparaiso 13-32 (6-12 Missouri Valley)

Purdue Fort Wayne 6-42 (1-26 Summit)

NCAA Division II

Indianapolis 30-20 (19-14 Great Lakes Valley)

Southern Indiana 30-21 (21-12 Great Lakes Valley)

Oakland City 21-13

NCAA Division III

Franklin 28-13 (12-6 Heartland)

Rose-Hulman 27-12 (14-2 Heartland)

DePauw 22-15 (8-8 North Coast)

Wabash 22-19 (9-8 North Coast)

Anderson 21-16 (10-8 Heartland)

Earlham 16-21 (8-10 Heartland)

Hanover 15-19 (7-11 Heartland)

Trine 15-25 (8-20 Michigan Intercollegiate)

Manchester 14-23 (8-9 Heartland)

NAIA

Indiana Tech 38-14-1 (17-4-1 Wolverine-Hoosier)

Taylor 38-18 (15-12 Crossroads)

Indiana University-Kokomo 36-18 (19-8 River States)

Indiana University Southeast 35-18 (21-6 River States)

Marian 30-19 (17-10 Crossroads)

Huntington 26-14 (20-7 Crossroads)

Indiana Wesleyan 22-30 (15-11 Crossroads)

Purdue Northwest 21-27 (16-12 Great Lakes Intercollegiate)

Goshen 20-29 (12-15 Crossroads)

Grace 17-27 (10-17 Crossroads)

Indiana University South Bend 13-38 (11-19 Chicagoland)

Saint Francis 13-40 (7-20 Crossroads)

Bethel 11-29 (7-20 Crossroads)

Calumet of Saint Joseph 8-39 (1-27 Chicagoland)

Junior College

Ivy Tech Northeast 33-14

Vincennes 25-28 (13-18 Mid-West)

Ancilla 5-30 (4-24 Michigan Community)

Indiana State, Rose-Hulman, IU Southeast among hot teams

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

May is almost here and college baseball teams are gearing up for the home stretch.

Two of Indiana’s hottests squads call Terre Haute home.

Through April 28 NCAA Division I Indiana State (32-9) was on a five-game win streak after the Mitch Hannahs-coached Sycamores’ seventh weekend series sweep of the 2019 season — this time against Southern Illinois. ISU is 8-2 in its last 10 games.

Rose-Human (22-9) has made Terre Haute proud, too. The NCAA Division III Fightin’ Engineers are 9-1 in their last 10 and riding a five-game win streak under head coach Jeff Jenkins.

The longest current victory streak among Indiana-based teams belongs to NAIA power Indiana University Southeast (34-16). The Ben Reel-led Grenadiers have reeled off seven straight W’s.

NAIA’s Kip McWilliams-coached Warriors of Indiana Tech (33-14-1) are 8-1-1 in their last 10 contests.

Also in NAIA, Mike Frame’s Foresters of Huntington (25-12) is 8-2 and Rich Benjamin’s Wildcats of Indiana Wesleyan (21-27) 7-3 in their previous 10 games.

NCAA D-III Franklin (23-11) is a on a six-game win streak under the guidance of coach Lance Marshall. The Grizzlies are 9-1 in their last 10.

Also in D-III, Blake Allen’s Tigers of DePauw (22-13) and Matt Bair’s Ravens of Anderson (19-11) are both 8-2 in their last 10 while Jake Martin’s Little Giants of Wabash (20-16) are 7-3.

After winning its Big Ten weekend series against Minnesota 2-1, Indiana (30-14) is 8-2 in its previous 10 for coach Jeff Mercer.

NCAA Division I Notre Dame (19-23) took two of three over the weekend from North Carolina State and is 7-3 in its last 10 for coach Mik Aoki.

NCAA D-I’s Ball State (28-15) and Purdue (17-26) are both 6-4 in their last 10. Rich Maloney’s Cardinals are coming off a three-game MAC series sweep of Bowling Green. Mark Wasikowski’s Boilermakers went 2-1 in a non-conference series against Southeast Missouri State.

NCAA D-II’s Southern Indiana (26-18, 18-12) has won its last five under coach Tracy Archuleta. The Screaming Eagles are coming off a three-game sweep of Missouri-St. Louis.

Second-year junior college program Ivy Tech Northeast (29-12-1) is 8-1-1 in its last 10 under coach Lance Hershberger. The Titans are based in Fort Wayne.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL

Records Through April 28

NCAA Division I

Indiana State 32-9 (9-3 Missouri Valley); Streak: W5; Last 10: 8-2.

Indiana 30-14 (11-4 Big Ten); Streak: W2; Last 10: 8-2.

Ball State 28-15 (12-4 Mid-American); Streak: W3; L10: 6-4.

Butler 21-20 (3-8 Big East); Streak: L1; Last 10: 4-6.

Evansville 21-19 (8-4 Missouri Valley); Streak: W1; Last 10: 4-6.

Notre Dame 19-23 (12-12 Atlantic Coast); Streak: W1; Last 10: 7-3.

Purdue 17-26 (6-8 Big Ten) Streak: W1 last 10 6-4 2-1 Southeast Missouri State

Valparaiso 9-29 (2-10 Missouri Valley); Streak: L1; Last 10: 3-7.

Fort Wayne 5-36 (0-21 Summit); Streak: L15; Last 10: 0-10.

NCAA Division II

Indianapolis 28-19 (17-13 Great Lakes Valley); Streak: L3; Last 10: 5-5.

Southern Indiana 26-18 (18-12 Great Lakes Valley): Streak: W4; Last 10: 5-5.

Oakland City 21-13; Streak: W2; Last 10: 6-4.

NCAA Division III

Franklin 23-11 (10-4 Heartland); Streak: W6; Last 10 9-1.

Rose-Hulman 22-9 (11-1 Heartland); Streak: W5; Last 10: 9-1.

DePauw 22-13 (8-6 North Coast); Streak: W1; Last 10: 8-2.

Wabash 20-16 (8-7 North Coast); Streak: L1; Last 10: 7-3.

Anderson 19-11 (9-5 Heartland); Streak: W3; Last 10: 8-2.

Earlham 15-20 (7-9 Heartland); Streak: L6; Last 10: 4-6.

Trine 14-21 (7-16 Michigan Intercollegiate); Streak: L4; Last 10: 4-6.

Hanover 13-17 (5-9 Heartland); Streak: L1; Last 10: 5-5.

Manchester 13-22 (7-8 Heartland); Streak: W1; Last 10: 5-5.

NAIA

Taylor 35-16 (15-12 Crossroads); Streak: W3; Last: 10: 7-3.

Indiana University Southeast 34-16 (21-6 River States); Streak: W7; Last: 10: 7-3.

Indiana University-Kokomo 33-16 (19-8 River States); Streak: W3; Last: 10: 6-4.

Indiana Tech 33-14-1 (17-4-1 Wolverine-Hoosier); Streak: W2; Last: 10: 8-1-1.

Huntington 25-12 (19-7 Crossroads); Streak: L1; Last: 10: 8-2.

Marian 25-18 (17-12 Crossroads); Streak: W1; Last 10: 7-3.

Indiana Wesleyan 21-27 (15-11 Crossroads); Streak: W1; Last 10: 7-3.

Purdue Northwest 20-22 (15-9 Great Lakes Intercollegiate); Streak: L1; Last 10: 6-4.

Goshen 18-27 (12-15 Crossroads); Streak: W2 last 10 6-4.

Grace 14-25 (10-17 Crossroads); Streak: L2; Last 10: 2-8.

Indiana University South Bend 13-35 (11-18 Chicagoland); Streak: W2; Last: 10: 5-5.

Saint Francis Cougars 13-40 (7-20 Crossroads); Streak: L12; Last: 10: 0-10.

Bethel 11-29 (7-20 Crossroads); Streak: L3; Last 10: 2-8.

Calumet of Saint Joseph 8-39 (1-26 Chicagoland); Streak: L16; Last: 10: 0-10.

Junior College

Ivy Tech Northwest 29-12-1: Streak: T1; Last 10: 8-1-1.

Vincennes 20-25 (8-16 Mid-West); Streak: L1; Last 10: 2-8.

Ancilla 5-26 (4-20 Michigan Community); Streak: L8; Last 10 2-8.

Sycamores earn another sweep; Tuesday schedule chock-full

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Indiana State University swept its sixth weekend series of the 2019 college baseball season, topping Valparaiso University three times in Terre Haute Friday and Saturday, April 12-13.

The Sycamores (27-7) are scheduled to visit Vanderbilt at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 16.

Also Tuesday, Ball State goes to Indiana with a 6:05 p.m. start at Bart Kaufman Field.

The Hoosiers (24-12) are riding a seven-game win streak, including a three-game weekend sweep of Evansville. The Cardinals (23-12) have won four of their previous five games.

NCAA Division III’s Rose-Hulman (17-8) is on a five-game win streak.

The Ivy Tech Northeast program in Fort Wayne recently got the thumbs up from its administration to get going with the program, which is in its second season as a pilot for athletics in the Ivy Tech statewide system.

The Lance Hershberger-coached Titans won 25 games in 2018 and already have 22 victories in 2019, including the 600th of Hershberger’s storied coaching career.

If weather cooperates, there will be plenty of collegiate diamond action around Indiana Tuesday, including (all times local):

NCAA Division I

Western Michigan at Valparaiso, 3 p.m.

Evansville at Murray State, 5 p.m.

Northwestern at Notre Dame, 6 p.m.

Ball State at Indiana, 6:05 p.m.

Butler at Purdue, 7 p.m.

NCAA Division II

Lake Erie at Indianapolis (DH), 1 p.m.

Kentucky Wesleyan at Southern Indiana, 6 p.m.

NCAA Division III

Wittenberg at DePauw (DH), noon.

Wabash at Ohio Wesleyan (DH), noon.

Bluffton at Anderson (DH), 1 p.m.

Defiance at Manchester (DH), 1 p.m.

Earlham at Mount St. Joseph (DH), 4 p.m.

Franklin at Rose-Hulman (DH), 4 p.m.

NAIA

Mount Vernon Nazarene at Saint Francis (DH), 1 p.m.

Taylor at Bethel (DH), 1 p.m.

Goshen at Spring Arbor (DH), 1 p.m.

Indiana Wesleyan at Grace (DH), 2 p.m.

Marian at Huntington (DH), 3 p.m.

IU Southeast at Lindenwood-Belleville, 3 p.m.

IU South Bend at St. Ambrose, 4 p.m.

St. Francis (Ill.) at Calumet of St. Joseph, 4 p.m.

Junior College

Sinclair at Ivy Tech Northeast (DH), 2 p.m.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL

Records Through April 14

NCAA Division I

Indiana State  27-7 (4-2 Missouri Valley)

Indiana 24-12 (7-2 Big Ten)

Ball State 23-12 (7-3 Mid-American)

Butler 18-15 (2-4 Big East)

Evansville 17-15 (5-1 Missouri Valley)

Notre Dame 13-21 (8-10 Atlantic Coast)

Purdue 11-23 (5-6 Big Ten)

Valparaiso 6-24 (1-8 Missouri Valley)

Fort Wayne 5-28 (0-15 Summit)

NCAA Division II

Indianapolis 23-14 (15-9 Great Lakes Valley)

Southern Indiana 21-14 (14-9 Great Lakes Valley)

Oakland City 19-11

NCAA Division III

Rose-Hulman 17-8 (6-0 Heartland)

Franklin 16-10 (5-3 Heartland)

DePauw 15-11 (2-4 North Coast)

Anderson 13-10 (4-4 Heartland)

Earlham 13-14 (5-5 Heartland)

Wabash 13-14 (1-6 North Coast)

Trine 11-15 (4-10 Michigan Intercollegiate)

Hanover 10-14 (2-6 Heartland)

Manchester 8-19 (3-5 Heartland)

NAIA

Taylor Trojans 29-13 (9-9 Crossroads)

Indiana University-Kokomo 28-13 (15-6 River States)

Indiana University Southeast 27-14 (15-6 River States)

Indiana Tech 25-13 (9-3 Wolverine-Hoosier)

Huntington 20-10 (14-5 Crossroads)

Marian 19-16 (11-8 Crossroads)

Indiana Wesleyan 17-24 (11-8 Crossroads)

Purdue Northwest 14-18 (9-5 Great Lakes Intercollegiate)

Goshen 13-24 (7-12 Crossroads)

Saint Francis Cougars 13-28 (7-12 Crossroads)

Grace 12-19 (8-11 Crossroads)

Bethel 9-23 (5-14 Crossroads)

Calumet of Saint Joseph 8-32 (1-19 Chicagoland)

Indiana University South Bend 8-32 (6-15 Chicagoland)

Junior College

Ivy Tech Northwest 22-11

Vincennes 18-18 (6-10 Mid-West)

Ancilla 5-18 (4-12 Michigan Community)

Indiana State, IU-Kokomo, IU Southeast, Taylor over 20-win mark

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Four schools have already reached or surpassed the 20-win mark on the 2019 college baseball season.

No fooling.

Going into April, NCAA Division I member Indiana State (21-4), NAIA schools Indiana University-Kokomo (24-9) and Indiana University Southeast (23-9) and NAIA affiliate Taylor (24-9) are leading the way in victories among Indiana teams.

In addition, Ball State (17-9), Southern Indiana (17-9), Butler (16-9), Indianapolis (16-10), Indiana Tech (16-10), Vincennes (15-8) and Indiana (15-10) have surpassed the 15-victory plateau.

At 12-3, IUK and IUS are tied atop the River States Conference standings.

The most recent rankings showed Southern Indiana receiving votes in NCAA Division II with Indiana Tech No. 16 and Taylor No. 20 in NAIA.

The longest current winning streaks for college programs in the state belong to Ball State (8), IU Southeast (8), DePauw (5), Evansville (5), Butler (4) and Purdue (4).

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL

Records Through March 31

NCAA Division I

Ball State 17-9 (4-0 Mid-American)

Butler 16-9 (0-0 Big East)

Evansville 14-9 (3-0 Missouri Valley)

Fort Wayne 4-21 (0-9 Summit)

Indiana 15-10 (5-1 Big Ten)

Indiana State  21-4 (1-2 Missouri Valley)

Notre Dame 11-14 (6-6 Atlantic Coast)

Purdue 10-16 (4-1 Big Ten)

Valparaiso 5-18 (0-3 Missouri Valley)

NCAA Division II

Indianapolis 16-10 (7-6 Great Lakes Valley)

Oakland City 14-7

Southern Indiana 17-9 (10-4 Great Lakes Valley)

NCAA Division III

Anderson 8-6 (0-0 Heartland)

DePauw 12-6 (0-0 North Coast)

Earlham 8-11 (0-2 Heartland)

Franklin 10-8 (0-2 Heartland)

Hanover 8-7 (0-0 Heartland)

Manchester 5-13 (0-0 Heartland)

Rose-Hulman 10-16 (0-0 Heartland)

Trine 7-7 (0-2 Michigan Intercollegiate)

Wabash 10-8 (0-1 North Coast)

NAIA

Bethel 8-15 (4-6 Crossroads)

Calumet of Saint Joseph 6-20 (0-11 Chicagoland)

Goshen 10-17 (4-6 Crossroads)

Grace 8-11 (4-6 Crossroads)

Huntington 11-8 (7-3 Crossroads)

Indiana Tech 16-10 (3-1 Wolverine-Hoosier)

Indiana Wesleyan 9-22 (3-6 Crossroads)

Indiana University-Kokomo 24-9 (12-3 River States)

Indiana University South Bend 5-24 (3-8 Chicagoland)

Indiana University Southeast 23-9 (12-3 River States)

Marian 14-11 (6-3 Crossroads)

Purdue Northwest 9-13 (6-2 Great Lakes Intercollegiate)

Saint Francis 10-20 (4-5 Crossroads)

Taylor 24-9 (4-5 Crossroads)

Junior College

Ancilla 3-12 (2-6 Michigan Community)

Ivy Tech Northwest 10-10

Vincennes 15-8 (4-0 Mid-West)

 

IUSB’s Buysse stresses importance of receiving to baseball catching

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Catchers catch the baseball. It is in the title of the position.

And yet Doug Buysse often sees an emphasis placed elsewhere when it comes to the player who wears the mask, chester protector and shinguards.

“A lot of people want to talk about the sexy stuff — blocking and throwing,” said Buysse, the Indiana University South Bend head baseball coach and a former Saint Joseph’s College catcher. “That part’s awesome. But far more important — the day-to-day stuff — is receiving and the true catching part.”

Buysse and IUSB junior catcher Jordan Moore gave a demonstration on catching Tuesday, March 5 for the South Bend Cubs Foundation’s Cubbies Coaches Club at Four Winds Field.

“In a game, we may have 130 pitches and Jordan may block it 10 times,” said Buysse. “He maybe throws a guy out at second three or four times. He catches the ball 130 times.

“That’s what we’re going to spend the majority of our time on. Receiving is the most-important part.”

Buysse has a simple goal for his catchers: Keep strikes strikes, turns three balls a game into strikes and balls out of the strike zone are kept there.

“If you can’t receive and keep strikes strikes, you need to go play first base,” said Buysse. “We spend more time doing this than anything else.”

The coach noted that there are umpires who call he pitch where it is caught and not where it crosses the plate.

“Nothing’s worse than watching a kid throw a really good pitch and our catchers catches it and because of the way he caught it, it’s (called) a ball,” said Buysse.

IUSB pitchers generally do not have swing-and-miss stuff.

“Our staff has got to pound the zone, work down and work ahead (in the count),” said Buysse.

That makes it important to have a catcher that can accommodate their needs and strengths.

When he is recruiting receivers, the first Buysse looks at is the player’s hips.

“Some kids are genuinely blessed with good hips,” said Buysse. “But it’s one of the things we can work on.”

Buysse has his catchers go through a position-specific daily stretching routine that takes 10 minutes or less.

“You can’t expect your catchers to use the exact same stretches that outfielders do because they’re using different muscles,” said Buysse.

The routine helps with the flexibility in the ball and socket joint and get hips used to moving in the desired direction.

The coach said catchers who are doing squats and cleans in the weight room need this daily stretching or else they will be too tight in the hips to be an effective receiver.

“Jordan’s probably going to catch 40 to 45 games for us so he’s got to keep himself really loose,” said Buysse. “The looser he is, the quicker he’s going to recover.”

Buysse noted that since the chair came along people don’t squat like they once did. He has noticed many young catchers who are not comfortable in their stance.

“One way we eliminate that is to put the left knee down (with no runners on base),” said Buysse.

Moore does this more than half the time when catching for IUSB.

Buysse said the benefits are twofold — it saves his legs and he can work a little bit lower.

“It took a long time for me to be OK with this,” said Buysse. “I’ve accepted it. It helps and he can give a lower target.”

On pitches with a lot of run, it helps having the knee out of the way with the zone opened up.

“We’re looking to give our catchers freedom to move and give our guys the best possible scenario to keep a strike a strike,” said Buysse.

Buysse went through receiving drills using tennis and plyo balls. He fed the ball to Moore, who received it with the idea of being quiet and efficient.

After listening to Tim Cossins (former minor league catching coordinator with the Florida/Miami Marlins, field coordinator with the Chicago Cubs and now major league field coordinator/catching instructor with the Baltimore Orioles) speak a few years ago at the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention, Buysse has been having his catchers start with their glove hand on the ground.

“We want our catchers to work up to catch the ball and stick the pitch instead of chasing it out of the zone,” said Buysse. “There’s less movement.

“For for a long time, I was a ‘drive the wheel’ guy. Now we start down and we work up.”

Buysse insists that his catcher’s head and eyes follow the ball as if a string was tied from their mask to the their middle finger.

On high pitches, the instinct for many younger guesses is for their head to go down and hand to go up.

“Now I’m guessing,” said Buysse. “It’s sounds simple and it sounds easy. But you’d be surprised how many kids don’t watch a ball all the way into their gloves.”

Buysse said the wrist — not the arm — is to be kept soft when receiving a pitch. The throwing hand should be kept out of harm’s way.

Buysse called Twitter a great resource for baseball drills. He found a reaction drill where one person stands behind the catcher and throws tennis balls off the wall which a catcher must receive with the proper technique.

Buysse said one way to build confidence for catchers is to receive balls from a pitching machine (or a coach) from shorter and short distances. One example might be 75 mph at 45 feet.

“Don’t be afraid to experiment with things and try to make them better,” said Buysse.

When it comes to throwing, Buysse said catchers should use the time when they’re playing catch to work on things like transfers and footwork for throwing to bases.

“It’s right to left, left to target and throw,” said Buysse. “When you make a bad throw, it starts with your feet.

“Catchers can do this every single day.”

At the college level, Buysse has his catchers do a lot of throwing during fall practice. During the season, he does not want too much extra throwing, considering all the times the catcher must throw the ball back to the pitcher, down to second after warm-up pitches and around the horn after strikeouts etc.

When it comes to throwing, Buysse said catchers should use the time when they’re playing catch to work on things like transfers and footwork for throwing to bases.

“It’s right to left, left to target and throw,” said Buysse. “When you make a bad throw, it starts with your feet.

“Catchers can do this every single day.”

Buysse wants his catchers to block balls to the field and not to the plate. The former keeps the ball in front of them with their momentum going into the direction they’re throwing.

He also insists that “the chin has to dig into my chest protector.”

“Protect your neck,” said Buysse.

The Cubbies Coaches Club is done meeting for the off-season but 1st Source Bank Performance Center director and South Bend Cubs travel team coach Mark Haley encourages area coaches to continue to call on the baseball community centered in South Bend if they have questions.

The Performance Center is at 525 S. Lafayette Blvd., South Bend. The phone number is 574-404-3636.

Doug Buysse is the head baseball coach at Indiana University South Bend. He was a catcher at Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind.

 

Bridges wants Hanover Central Wildcats to be smart, aggressive on bases

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Power may not show up at the field every day.

But there’s no reason aggressiveness on the base paths can’t be a part of each game.

That’s the way third-year Hanover Central High School head baseball coach Ryan Bridges sees it as he looks forward to the 2019 season.

“We did a very good job last year of taking the extra base,” says Bridges, who played four seasons at Griffith (Ind.) High School and five at Purdue University. “We’d see the ball in the dirt and were gone. It’s something I expect out of each one of my kids — to be a good, aggressive base runners.

“We always try to put pressure on the defense and make them make a play. High school kids are prone to make mistakes — even the best of them. A little bit of pressure can go a long way.

“You’re not always going to have those boppers. You can teach these kids to run bases and keep going. I can keep playing that style.”

Bridges and his Wildcats are part of the Greater South Shore Conference (with Calumet, Griffith, Hammond Bishop Noll, Lake Station Edison, River Forest, Wheeler and Whiting as baseball-playing members).

To get his team ready for the postseason, Bridges has beefed up the non-conference schedule. It includes contests against IHSAA members Crown Point, Hammond Morton, Highland, Hobart, Kankakee Valley, Lowell, Munster, Portage and Valparaiso and Illiana Christian, an Illinois High School Association school in Dyer, Ind.

A year ago, Bridges took his team to McCutcheon (now led by former Purdue head coach Doug Schreiber).

A game in the annual High School Baseball Challenge hosted by the Gary SouthShore RailCats at U.S. Steel Yard in Gary is scheduled against Lowell on Friday, April 12.

Hanover Central (enrollment around 715) is part of an IHSAA Class 3A sectional grouping with Andrean, Kankakee Valley, Knox, Twin Lakes and Wheeler. The Wildcats have won one sectional crown — 2011. That team went on to be 2A state runners-up.

Bridges played for head coach Brian Jennings at Griffith and graduated in 2007.

A corner infielder and designated hitter for Purdue, Bridges appeared in 126 games (85 as a starter) and hit .288 with six home runs and 61 runs batted in. A back injury in his freshmen season led to a medical redshirt.

“I enjoyed every second of all five years of it,” says Bridges of his Purdue days.

He credits Schreiber for his attention to detail whether it was a bunt play, study tables or the amount of commitment it took to achieve excellence.

“He likes things done a certain way,” says Bridges. “If kids understand the level of commitment needed at the next level, it will help them for the four years of high school.”

Recent HC graduates with college programs include Troy Cullen and Jose Sanchez at Indiana University South Bend, Michael Biegel at Calumet College of St. Joseph and Eric Lakomek at Wabash College. Among players Bridges coached at Griffith there’s Kody Hoese at Tulane University and Amir Wright at Saint Leo University.

Current Wildcats shortstop Nolan Tucker has signed with Valparaiso University. Sophomore center fielder Jared Comia has received D-I offers.

Purdue was Big Ten Conference champions in Bridges’ final season (2012). Two of his Boliermaker teammates — catcher Kevin Plawecki and pitcher Nick Wittgren — are now with the Cleveland Indians.

Bridges graduated from Purdue and has a special education endorsement and masters degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. He taught in the Griffith system and was an assistant on Jennings’ baseball staff for four seasons before going to Hanover Central, where he teaches physical education at the middle school in addition to going baseball.

While he may not have been that way when he was playing for him, Bridges says he saw Jennings come to the see the value of giving his players a physical and mental break when it’s needed.

“We get the whole week off before tryouts,” says Bridges of his Wildcats program. “Once it starts, there’s no break.

“That’s pretty important.”

During this IHSAA limited contact period where coaches can lead their teams in baseball activities for two hours two times a week, Bridges has players coming in at 5:30 a.m.

“We have quite a few basketball kids,” says Bridges. “Coach (Bryon) Clouse is nice enough to let my pitchers throw.”

“I the way they have it set up now,” says Bridges. “Coaches are aren’t running these kids four days a week in January and February.

“But I wish they would let pitchers throw a little more. Arm care is important and some of these kids have nowhere to throw — not only pitchers, but position players.”

Hanover Central pitchers began bullpens this week. Bridges will slowly progress their pitch counts moving up to the first official day of practice (March 11) and beyond.

“I’ll use more arms earlier in the (season) before I can get arms in shape,” says Bridges, who does not recall any of his hurlers reaching the limit of the pitch count rule adopted in 2017 (1 to 35 pitches requires 0 days rest; 36 to 60 requires 1 day; 61 to 80 requires 2 days; 81 to 100 requires 3 days; and 101 to 120 requires 4 days). I’m very precautionary when it comes to that. Some of these kids have futures (as college pitchers).”

Bridges’ coaching staff features Nic Sampognaro, Cole Mathys, Anthony Gomez and Mike Halls. Sampognaro is a 2011 Hanover Central graduate who played at Saint Joseph’s College. Volunteer Mathys is also an HC graduate. Gomez played at Munster and moved on to Vincennes University and Ball State University. Halls is in charge of the Wildcats’ junior varsity.

Noting that the community is growing and that there are a number of baseball players in the eighth grade, Bridges says there is the possibility of having a C-team in the future.

Hanover Central is located in Cedar Lake, Ind. Cedar Lake also sends some students to Crown Point. Some St. John students wind up at Hanover Central.

Hanover Central Middle School fields a team for Grades 6-8 in the fall.

In the summer, there is Cedar Lake Youth Baseball and Saint John Youth Baseball. Both offer teams for Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth players. There are also a number of area travel ball organizations.

Bridges has known John Mallee for two decades. He went to him for hitting lessons as a kid. He is now a hitting advisor for Mallee and this summer will coach the Northwest Indiana Shockers 16U team. Indoor workouts are held at All Aspects Baseball and Softball Academy in South Chicago Heights, Ill., and The Sparta Dome in Crown Point, Ind. Mallee is the hitting coach for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Catcher Jesse Wilkening, a 2015 Hanover Central graduate, made his professional debut in the Phillies system in 2018.

Hanover Central plays it home games on-campus. Since Bridges has been with the Wildcats, they have added a batting cage behind the home dugout and got a portable “Big Bubba” portable batting cage and pitching machine.

“We always looking to improve the field,” says Bridges. “But I want to help the kids first with their skills.”

Ryan and Nicole Bridges have a daughter. Harper turns 2 in March.

The Hanover Central Wildcats (Hanover Central Graphic)

Head coach Ryan Bridges and his Hanover Central Wildcats baseball team.

The baseball team from Hanover Central High School in Cedar Lake, Ind., gathers at U.S. Steel Yard in Gary. The Wildcats, coached by Ryan Bridges, are to play at the home of the Gary SouthShore RailCats again April 12, 2019.

The Bridges family (from left): Ryan, Nicole and Harper. Ryan Bridges is head baseball coach at Hanover Central High School in Cedar Lake, Ind. He teaches physical education at Hanover Central Middle School.

 

Buysse, Haley offer wisdom on practice, recruiting to Cubbies Coaches Club

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Indiana University South Bend head baseball coach Doug Buysse shared his methods for making the most of practices at the first Cubbies Coaches Club meeting of 2018-19.

Organization and communication are two key concepts to Buysse.

“Having a plan walking into practice is a big deal,” said Buysse. “You want to have something kids can see.”

By detailing each part of practice in writing, it allows the team to have a focus for the day.

“You wanted to be as detailed as possible,” said Buysse. “That makes your life easier as a coach.”

Buysse posts the IUSB schedule for a 4:30 p.m. practice by noon using a group app or e-mail. Players come to expect it at that time and if it’s not there the coach hears about it.

“Expectation is really important,” said Buysse, who likes to throw out pop quizzes to his players about what is on the detailed practice plan. “They need to read this and know the expectation.

“It becomes ingrained. It helps the kids. It helps you.”

Buysse says he looks for his Titans to compete in everything they do and that includes practice.

Whether IUSB is playing catch or working on offense or defense, they are keeping track of these repetitions to see who is doing them best and who needs to work harder to make up the difference.

One defensive drill involves cones and is called “fungo hockey.” Each stop is recorded.

In a four-spot infield practice, there are places for screen placements, flippers and fungo hitters.

Buysse identifies his four best fungo hitters — usually older pitchers — to hit 75 to 100 ground balls in about nine minutes.

“We chart the chances and errors,” said Buysse. “We’re creating an environment where it’s no acceptable to be last.”

Competition is also incorporated through tracking exit velocity or by hitting four quadrants during hitting drills. The first hitter in a group to hit each square twice wins.

“We’re putting it out there for guys to see,” said Buysse.

Again, it’s infusing competition into everything.

Batting practice is made more efficient by having multiple hitters taking cuts against live or machine pitches at the same time while others do front toss and flip drills.

Buysse notes that machines can be used for more than pitching. They can launch grounders and flies.

Outfielders get live reads during BP.

“You maximize what you have and be creative,” said Buysse.

Cubbies Coaches Club meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month through March in the Pepsi Stadium Club at Four Winds Field in downtown South Bend.

Area college, high school and youth coaches are invited to share ideas and fellowship.

Members pay $30 for the year and get a South Bend Cubs Foundation Coaches Manual and hear keynote speakers.

Hosting the meetings is 1st Source Bank Performance Center director and South Bend Cubs Youth Baseball Club coach Mark Haley.

A long-time baseball coach/manager, including a decade (2005-14) as South Bend Silver Hawks skipper, Haley began his coaching career at the collegiate told those gathered Tuesday what recruiters look for in a player.

“It’s athleticism, bat speed, instincts, fit with the team and grades,” said Haley. “Batting average is irrelevant to me. Look at tools, heart, desire.”

Haley noted that anyone can pick out the top players, what he calls the “5-percentiles.”

The key is to be able to identify the potential of the other 95 percent.

He also let those in attendance know the basis of his coaching philosophy, something he picked up from former University of Nebraska football coach Bob Devaney (Haley played baseball at Nebraska).

“Give everything and expect nothing in return,” said Haley. “That’s the way I live.”

It’s all about making the athletes better.

To learn more about the Cubbies Coaches Club, call (574) 404-3636 or email performancecenter@southbendcubs.com.

The first Cubbies Coaches Club meeting of 2018-19 was held Tuesday, Nov. 6.