Jaksich helping pitchers reach their goals with PRP Baseball

BY STEVE KRAH 

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

A daily improvement mindset.

That’s what Luke Jaksich wants to see from the players who train with PRP Baseball at Mojo Up Sports Complex in Noblesville, Ind.

“Our goal is to make sure that each day they’re progressing whether it’s mechanical or mindset,” says Jaksich, a former collegiate pitcher who is now helping others. “It’s not just looking at the end goal, it’s looking to the daily goal. What are you focusing on that day to get better?

“The guys that come in consistently get the best results.”

Jaksich, who graduated from Andrean High School in Merrillville, Ind., in 2016 and Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., in 2021, was hired nearly three years ago as a performance coach and is now Assistant Director of Pitching. 

Munster (Ind.) High School graduate Anthony Gomez, who is a bullpen coach for the Buffalo Bisons, Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, is PRP’s Director of Pitching. Carmel (Ind.) High School alum Greg Vogt, who is rehab pitching coach for the Blue Jays organization, is PRP’s Founder/Director.

Jaksich, 26, and the staff work with 8-year-olds and big leaguers, including Cleveland Guardians left-hander Timmy Herrin and Miami Marlins right-hander Bryan Hoeing. There were upwards of 20 professional pitchers at PRP this winter. The place operates seven days a week November until early March with in-person and remote clients.

During the peak times, many weeks culminate with bullpens and pitchers going live against batters.

“Friday Compete Day is fun,” says Jaksich. “Those are always a good time.”

It’s slower now, but it will pick back up again at the end of May as college and high school seasons wind down.

“We’re attacking the little things with those older guys,” says Jaksich. “They might have one thing that needs to click from everything to get better.”

Jaksich notes that high schoolers and younger are still in the development stage.

“We do a couple of things at a time and make sure we’re really in-depth with what we’re working on,” says Jaksich. “We make sure they’re staying consistent with their work.

“Attention to detail is big. That is the biggest separator. Pro guys come in and get all their work done. High schoolers forget. We have to keep reminding them.”

Among those on the PRP staff working with pitchers besides Jaksich, Gomez and Vogt are Joey Romence, Nick Slone, Seth Story and Max McKee.

To ensure quality time with athletes, no more than about 25 come in during a block of time and they are helped by five or six coaches. Jacob Douglass leads the PRP hitting department.

“We have to balance it out to make sure we are very attentive on the floor when we’re coaching,” says Jaksich. “We try to find the factors that are going to benefit them. It’s not going to be the same thing for each guy. There’s no one way to do it. If there was, it would be a lot easier. 

“As coaches, we have to keep gaining knowledge.”

Communication is key.

“The more an athlete can communicate with us about certain things they’re doing it’s more beneficial for them,” says Jaksich. “That proves that they’re learning and trying to get the best out of everything instead of them looking for answers from us. We want to get answers from them.”

“We talk with each person each day. We create that relationship where they can trust us for their development.”

Jaksich was born on the south side of Chicago and lived there until the eighth grade then moved to northwest Indiana. 

He was with several travel ball teams including the Indiana Playmakers. He also played for the Northwest Indiana Oilmen of the Midwest Collegiate League (now Northern League).

Jaksich played for Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Dave Pishkur at Andrean. Pishkur led the 59ers to Class 3A state championships in 2014 and 2015.

His high school pitching coach was Joe Plesac.

“Joe’s an awesome guy,” says Jaksich. “I stay in-touch with him.”

A member of the program in 2014, left-hander Jaksich started on the mound for Andrean in the 2015 championship game and pitched into the fifth inning before moving to first base.

From Andrean, Jaksich went to Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind. As a freshman in 2017, he started in 11 games and won three. That turned out to be the NCAA Division II Pumas’ final season as the school shut down and long-time head coach Rick O’Dette headed to Florida to guide the program at Saint Leo University.

Jaksich transferred to Ball State and hurled for the Rich Maloney-coached Cardinals 2018-21. At BSU, he made 65 mound appearances (51 in relief) with nine victories and one save and also earned General Studies degree with a Psychology minor.

He then pitched in six games with the 2021 independent American Association’s Sioux City (Iowa) Explorers before joining the coaching staff at Alderson-Broaddus University in Philippi, W.Va., where 2011 Westview High School graduate and former Saint Joseph’s assistant Zac Mishler was Battlers head coach. ABU closed in 2023.

Jaksich reflects back on his career.

“The minute I stopped caring about the result is when I started getting better,” says Jaksich. “That’s the way to go about this game. You’re going to fail. I stopped caring about being perfect out there.

“I wish I had more training like this when I played,” says Jaksich. “The private sector training has really taken off.”

Luke Jaksich. (PRP Baseball Photo)

Luke Jaksich. (Ball State University Photo)

Crown Point alum Bosse earns CCAC Pitcher of the Week honor with St. Ambrose U.

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Jacob Bosse was honored as Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week on April 23.

The junior left-hander at NAIA member St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, threw an eight-inning complete game with a career high-tying 12 strikeouts and four walks in a 14-1 win against Judson University. He had a shutout going until the seventh inning.

In eight mound outings (all starts) for the 2024 Fighting Bees, Bosse is 2-1 with a 6.00 earned run average, 53 strikeouts and 36 walks in 36 innings. Opponents are hitting .218 against him.

In his first season at St. Ambrose in 2023, he pitched 11 times (six as a starter) and was 1-0 with a 3.82 ERA, 53 strikeouts and 38 walks in 30 2/3 innings.

SAU head coach Tony Huntley and pitching coach Hunter Keim could decide to send Bosse to the bump Sunday, April 28 against visiting Calumet College of St. Joseph (the school in Whiting, Ind., has players familiar to Bosse including Jorge Santos) or save him for next week’s CCAC Tournament in Joliet, Ill.

Pitching wasn’t always the thing for Bosse.

Growing up in Crown Point, Ind.,and playing Little League and Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth ball and travel ball with Top Tier, he was an outfielder.

At Crown Point High School, he only stepped on the mound once in awhile.

“I’d go in if we needed a guy,” says Bosse. “I had no real feel for how to be a pitcher.”

He went up the ladder for the Bulldogs, playing on the frosh team as a freshman, junior varsity squad as a sophomore and varsity as a junior. He could be found in left field or center field.

Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Steve Strayer leads the CPHS program.

“He’s probably one of the best coaches I’ll ever have,” says Bosse of Strayer. “He’s a great guy. He really gave me confidence. 

“He helped me become a better baseball player and a better person.”

While working out for a 2020 senior season that wound up canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bosse began to get serious about pitching.

After graduation, the left-hander stuck with it.

As fits his personality, he threw himself the task of getting better at the craft.

“I’m a very fierce competitor,” says Bosse, 22. “I care a lot about what and how I’m doing. If goes beyond the game for me. I’m planning my days out around what I’m going to do to get better. 

“My competitiveness and hunger to do better every day are my best qualities.”

Delivering from a high three-quarter arm slot, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound Bosse mixes a four-seam fastball, “circle” change-up, 12-to-6 curveball and a slider.

He has topped out at 92 mph and sits at 87 to 91 mph with his fastball. His change travels at 75 to 78, curve at 70 to 74 and slider at 76 to 79.

“I try to get more arm-side sink (with the change-up),” says Bosse. “I try to get a lot of fade to it to miss more barrels. It plays really well off my fastball.

“I do get a lot of natural run. When I pull it down, I get more back spin than side spin. I try to create a rise effect with it.”

Bosse attended a Prep Baseball Report showcase through Top Tier and was drawn to South Suburban College, a National Junior College Athletic Association member in South Holland, Ill. It was where he became a pitcher-only.

Toeing the slab for the Steve Ruzich-coached Bulldogs, Bosse pitched in 37 games (29 as a reliever) in 2021 and 2022 and went 5-3 with 5.72 ERA, 96 strikeouts and 70 walks in 74 innings.

Pitching for the NWI Rippers in a Babe Ruth district game in the summer of 2021, Bosse struck out a record 20 batters. He faced 24 batters and gave up one hit in 6 2/3 innings. Of 106 pitches, 69 were strikes.

“I do consider myself to be a pretty high-strikeout pitcher,” says Bosse. “I do take into account how many pitches I’m using. If I can strike out a guy as fast as I can, I try to do that and really challenge him.”

Through Twitter (now X), Bosse was recruited to St. Ambrose by assistant coach Joe Vaccaro.

“I came out here for a visit, loved it and decided it was the place for me,” says Bosse. “It is a really nice place.”

In the summer of 2022, Bosse played for the Crown Point-based Lake County CornDogs of the Northern League. In 2023, he was with the Northwoods League’s Rochester (Minn.) Honkers. This summer he’s due to play for the NWL’s Fond du Lac (Wis.) Dock Spiders.

A Sport Management major, Bosse expects to finish his undergraduate degree in the fall then begin masters classes. He says he plans to play 2025 might come back in 2026 as a graduate student. The pandemic plus his time in junior college has added to his eligibility clock.

Bosse’s favorite MLB team is the Los Angeles Dodgers. A recreational basketball player growing up, his favorite athlete is former Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose.

“I got to see him play a couple of times when I was a kid,” says Bosse. “That’s how I grew to love Chicago.”

Jacob is the oldest of Brad and Diana Bosse’s two children. Allyson Bosse is studying Business at Indiana University South Bend.

Jacob Bosse. (St. Ambrose University Photo)

Jacob Bosse. (St. Ambrose University Photo)

Jacob Bosse. (St. Ambrose University Photo)

Jacob Bosse. (Lake County CornDogs Photo)

Jacob Bosse. (Lake County CornDogs Photo)

Jacob Bosse. (South Suburban College Photo)

Jacob Bosse.

Jacob Bosse with sister Allyson, father Brad and mother Diana.

Richmond’s hitting rhythm contributing to Western Michigan lineup

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

C.J. Richmond doesn’t want to be too early nor does the left-handed hitter want to be too late.

It’s rhythm and timing that has led to success in the batter’s box for the lefty-swinging Western Michigan University junior.

In his first season with the Broncos, Richmond works with hitting coach Cory Mee.

“We talk a lot about rhythm and how it’s a dance between the hitter and pitcher,” says Richmond. “You can’t let the pitcher upset your timing. If you’re on-time, you have such a better chance to hit the ball hard.”

Richmond does his pregame research by studying Synergy Sports videos of opposing moundsmen to see what they have to offer. 

“Every pitcher at the D-I level should be in our little database,” says Richmond. 

Heading into a three-game Mid-American Conference series against Ball State Friday through Sunday, April 19-21 at Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field in Kalamazoo, Mich., Richmond has played in 34 games (all starts) and is hitting .362 (46-of-127) with eight home runs (including a dinger in three straight games March 16 vs. Toledo, March 19 at Notre Dame and March 23 at Eastern Michigan), no triples, 10 doubles, 40 runs batted in (including four in the Feb. 16 season opener against Michigan in Glendale, Ariz.), 30 runs scored and a 1.114 OPS (.484 on-base percentage plus .630 slugging average).

The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder has played all his games so far in 2024 at designated hitter, but he is also a corner infielder and outfielder.

He began the season as the No. 5 hitter in WMU head coach Billy Gernon’s lineup and then was moved to clean-up.

“My approach is to get a pitch at the top of the (strike) zone so I can do damage on it and hit the ball hard,” says Richmond. “If there’s runners on-base, it’s my job to drive them in.”

Richmond says the angle of his swing comes naturally through batting cage sessions.

He’s a hitter of bombs, but that’s not his focus.

“I like to think of myself as a good hitter that can leave the yard at times,” says Richmond. “It’s more than just home runs.”

The 20-year-old Sport Management major is eligible for the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft, which is scheduled for July 14-16. His birthday is in August.

“It’s a goal and dream of mine,” says Richmond of being drafted. “But I’m trying to stayed focused on the goal at hand and that’s trying to get that ring and win a (conference) championship.”

WMU is 20-14 overall, 11-4 in the MAC.

Gernon, a former Indiana University pitcher, is in his 14th season leading the Broncos program.

“Coach Gernon is a great human being,” says Richmond. “He knows how to inspire talent, motivate us and get us going every single day.”

Richmond spent the 2023 season at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

In 40 games for the Ryan Cougill-coached Reivers, he hit .289 (35-of-121) with nine homers, no triples, six doubles, 43 RBIs, 30 runs and a 1.001 OPS (.439/.562).

“Cougill was all about player comfort,” says Richmond. “He had us go out without a fear of failure.”

Beginning his college career at Western Illinois University, Richmond posted an average of .195 (18-of-95) with four homers, no triples, three doubles, 12 RBIs, 14 runs and a .634 OPS (.287/.347) in 36 games (25 starts) for the Andy Pascoe-coached Leathernecks.

“He gave me an opportunity when no one else in the country would,” says Richmond of Pascoe. “I appreciate him giving me a foot in the door.”

Other experiences have come with the Western Baseball League’s Kelowna (B.C.) Falcons in 2022 and Prospect League’s Champion City Kings (Springfield, Ohio) 2023. He has signed to play with the Northwoods League’s Bismarck (N.D.) Larks, but that could be effected by the draft.

Born and raised in Indianapolis, Richmond played at what is now Skiles Test Baseball & Softball and Fall Creek Valley Middle School and the Indy Titans travel organization leading up to his high school years when his summers were spent with either the Indiana Nitro or Indiana Bulls.

Richmond was a Lawrence North High School as a freshman then Park Tudor School for three years. He earned two letters and was a two-year starter. The 2020 season was taken away by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a senior for the Courtney Whitehead-coached Panthers, Richmond hit a robust .510 with 10 homers and was selected Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association first-team Class 2A all-state in the outfield and was an IHSBCA North/South All-Star Series participant as well as all-Pioneer Conference and all-Marion County.

Richmond credits Whitehead for helping him navigate the recruiting process.

“He was able to help me sift through all the information and what I wanted to do with my career and how I was going to move forward after high school,” says Richmond. 

Toronto is Richmond’s favorite MLB team and his preferred player in Blue Jays 6-foot-2, 245-pound corner infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

“They’ve got a lot of talent and a lot of legacy players,” says Richmond. “That’s pretty cool.”

Richmond is a legacy at WMU. His father played baseball for the Broncos.

C.J. is the son of Charles and Jamila Richmond. His dad, an elevator technician, is Charles Henry and he is Charles Joshua. His mother is a speech pathologist.

Sister Leah Richmond (Lawrence North Class of 2024) is signed to play volleyball at WMU beginning in the fall.

C.J. Richmond. (Western Illinois University Photo)

C.J. Richmond. Western Michigan University Photo)

C.J. Richmond. Western Michigan University Photo)

C.J. Richmond. Western Michigan University Photo)

Jones now leading tradition-rich South Central Satellites

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

South Central Junior/Senior High School of Union, Mills, Ind., won 47 games the past three seasons with sectional titles, one regional crown and a 17-4 mark in the Porter County Conference with a shared championship in 2023.

Among the Satellites’ seniors in 2024 are Bradley Ferrell (a University of Kentucky commit recovering from Tommy John surgery) and undecided standouts Brayden Grass and Gavin Gross.

South Central (enrollment around 300) is in the PCC with Boone Grove, Kouts, Morgan Township, Tri-Township, Washington Township and Westville.

The Satellites are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping in 2024 with Hebron, North Judson-San Pierre, South Bend Career Academy, Wheeler and Winamac. South Central has won 18 sectional crowns.

New head coach Brent Jones has inherited a talented team and joined a tradition-rich program.

What does Jones plan to emphasize?

“First and foremost the love of the game,” says Jones, who was hired to the post in early August. “I want a team that cares about baseball. 

“(There’s also) discipline, showing, up on-time, being there for the betterment of the baseball team and life lessons.

“I want an environment where the kids work hard but enjoy themselves. High school sports is some of the most memorable stuff you have.”

A call-out meeting last week drew 45. 

“If they all do show up in March we might have to make some cuts,” says Jones. “But it’s great thing having competition for a spot on the team and not just getting a place on the team because you sign up.”

Last week was the first one for off-season weight/conditioning workouts.

Beginning Dec. 4, Limited Contact Period baseball workouts are allowed twice a week for two hours.

South Central is fed by youth leagues in the southern LaPorte County communities of Hanna, Wanatah and Union Mills.

“Baseball is a very popular sport at South Central,” says Jones. “Growing up at least 90 percent of the kids have played baseball during their life.”

Jones’ 2024 assistants include Zach Janssen, Brian Glisic, Alex Sweitzer and Jimmy Carr.

South Central teacher Janssen is a newcomer to the staff. He prepped at Bay Port High School in Green Bay, Wis., and played baseball and hockey at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis.

Glisic, a North Judson-San Pierre High School alum, returns to coach the Satellites.

Wheeler High School graduate Sweitzer played at Allegany College of Maryland.

Carr is to split his time between the junior varsity and varsity.

An on-campus diamond is well-manicured. Jones says a planned edition for 2024 is a painted “SC” logo in center field.

Recent graduates who have gone on to college baseball include Kyle Schmack and Carson Husmann at Valparaiso U. (Husmann transferred from Bradley and rejoins his former South Central teammate).

Jones is in his first year as a Physical Education and Health teacher at the school. He was a football assistant this fall.

The past three years, Jones was a teacher at Merrillville Middle School and a high school football coach. He did not coach baseball at the school but directs the Valparaiso-based Crusaders Baseball Academy and coached the 14U team last summer.

As a Secondary Education major and outfielder/infielder, Jones was with Valparaiso University for three seasons — 2017 as a medical redshirt then 2018 and 2019.

It’s at Valpo that Brent met soccer player Robin Wenzel. The couple married in June 2023 on a beach in Mexico.

Jones began his college playing career at Iowa Central Community College (Fort Dodge, Iowa) where he was with the Tritons in 2015 and 2016.

Jones played three seasons at Ankeny (Iowa) High School then finished at the new Ankeny Centennial High School in 2014.

Brent Jones.

South Central Junior/Senior High School in Union Mills, Ind.

‘Quirky’ Lengfelder already making mark for Elkhart County Miracle

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Ethan Lengfelder is scheduled to make his sixth appearance and fourth start for the Elkhart County County Miracle today (June 21 at 7:10 p.m. CDT) against the Northwest Indiana Oilmen at Oil City Stadium in Whiting, Ind.

The last time the 22-year-old right-hander pitched he threw a nine-inning no-hitter — the first in the Northern League since 2014, fifth in league history and only the third one that was not combined.

Lengfelder held the Lake County CornDogs hitless in a 6-1 win for a first-year franchise at the NorthWood High School Field of Dreams Complex in Nappanee, Ind. — the Elkhart County Miracle’s home diamond. He faced 31 batters, striking out three, walking three and hitting one. The last out was a strike out of clean-up hitter Ray Hilbrich, who socked three home runs in Week 1, after falling behind 3-0 in the count.

For the second time in the first three weeks of the season, Lengfelder was selected Pitcher of the Week — this time unanimously.

Self-described as “too quirky,” Lengfelder showed up late the day of his no-no after his daytime construction job with Doug Walls (Walls by Walls in Niles, Mich.) and was scolded by Elkhart County manager Wilson Valera.

Then Lengfelder took off his Crocs and began chasing fly balls barefoot on the NorthWood turf.

“Closer to game time I zone in a little bit,” says Lengfelder. 

Once the game started — even though he had a no-hitter going — Lengfelter was on the steps of the dugout and yelling at everyone.

While others won’t talk to anyone on their start day, that’s not Lengfelder’s way.

“As Wilson says: I’m loco,” says Lengfelder. “I’m crazy.”

He also noticed how his Miracle teammates backed him up.

“My defense played behind me amazingly,” says Lengfelter, noting that shortstop Dawson Willis was especially good and catcher Javier Guevara called a fine game.

After almost surrendering an early home run, Lengfelder settled in. When he walked a couple batters in the fourth inning, he came back to the dugout, walked into a storage closet known as the “Rage Room,” got his frustration out and was fine again.

Lengfelder, who is 6-foot-1 1/2 and 204 pounds and pitched at Bethel University in Mishawaka, Ind., in the spring of 2023, began the season at the back of the Miracle’s bullpen. He used 20 pitches to record six outings in his first two outings of the summer and is now 2-1 with a 2.45 earned run average, 12 strikeouts and 11 walks in 22 innings.

Last summer, Lengfelder was with the Omaha, Neb.-based Corn Belt League’s Royal Blue Dogs. Eli MacDonald, an infielder going into his third year at Bethel, was a teammate. 

By November, they were reunited with the Pilots when Lengfelder who had moved from Iowa Western to Williston (N.D.) State Community College.

Head coach Seth Zartman and pitching coach Kiel Boynton welcomed Lengfelder to Bethel and began helping with his development.

“Both of them have been very big in the process of getting me where I am today,” says Lengfelder. “When I got to Bethel I was very raw. I had no pitching coach for two years. I had a lot of potential. I was very robotic and not fluid.

“I can’t thank them enough.”

He pitched in nine games (eight in relief) for Bethel in the spring, going 0-1 with eight strikeouts and six walks in 11 2/3 innings.

This summer, Lengfelder is living with Bethel volunteer assistant Rob Bjorkland.

By reaching out to recruiting coordinator Evan Sharpley, Lengfelder found his way to the Miracle, where he gets to work with pitching coach Pedro Valera.

“He doesn’t know very much English, but he knows the game very well,” says Lengfelder. 

So how do you do better after a no-hitter? Lengfelder says the goal is to throw a maximum of 12 pitches an inning.

Once a high-velocity hurler, the right-hander had to become a different kind of hurler after a shoulder injury.

“I dropped all the way down from 87 (mph) to 75,” says Lengfelder. “I recovered all the way back up to 84.

“Mentally, I changed how I pitch. I knew couldn’t blow it past people anymore.”

Instead, he pitches to contact as a command/ground ball pitcher — something that works well for big leaguer Kyle Hendricks.

“I make guys pound it into the ground or pop up,” says Lengfelder. “I’ve been told since I was 12 that I throw a very heavy ball.”

Throwing from a “2 o’clock” arm slot, Lengfelder mixes five pitches — a two-seamer, knuckle curve, splitter, ghost fork and Vulcan change-up.

He learned some of those grips on Twitter from the Pitching Ninja (Rob Friedman).

When not pitching, Lengfelder has also developed the habit of heading for the press box in the second inning to chat on-air with the Miracle play-by-play man — especially when it’s Preston Andrews (NorthWood Class of 2024). Team founder Craig Wallin is a veteran broadcaster.

“I love talking and I like bringing guys up,” says Lengfelder. “Our broadcast/booth team is amazing.”

When Lengfelder began college he wanted to be a sports writer.

“I figured out I hate writing,” says Lengfelder, who is now a Criminal Justice major with minors in Psychology and Forensic Science and has the goal of police chief or detective.

He has two years of remaining college eligibility and plans to use at least one to complete his undergraduate degree and may go a second year for a masters.

Born Omaha and raised in Missouri City, Iowa, Lengfelder played baseball and hockey — he was a goaltender and roots for the Boston Bruins — around the area. 

He pitched in a few varsity games as an eighth grader in 2015 and then logged four full varsity seasons — two at Logan (Iowa)-Magnolia High School, one for Treynor (Iowa) High School (while attending Heartland Christian which did have a team) and the last one at Missouri Valley High School.

High school baseball is mostly a summer sport in Iowa with the regular season generally beginning around May 15.

After high school, Lengfelder first went to Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs — a school that is now closed — before transferring to Williston State.

He suffered a slight labrum and rotator cuff tear and took year off baseball. 

“I wasn’t good mentally,” says Lengfelder. “I wasn’t good physically.”

Instead of surgery, he went back to workout coach William Roden.

“He’s been a very big part of my life,” says Lengfelder. “He taught me it’s OK to not be your best. He’s been a person in my life since I was 18.”

The youngest of a blended brood, Ethan has four siblings — sisters Heather, Carlye and Cara and brother Chase.

Chris Lengfelder — Ethan’s father — taught him to always keep working until a job is complete.

His no-hitter came just a few days before Father’s Day.

“Everything stems back to my father — my hard work,” says Ethan. “He’s always that cornerstone.

“It gets me a little emotional.”

Dad also gets the credit for helping Ethan choose his walk-up song — “Detroit Rock City” by KISS.

Ethan’s mother — Jolene Weinrich Lengfelder — teaches special education in Omaha.

“I gained a lot of my caring personality from her,” says Ethan. “I try to help as many people as I can. The best way to help people is to just be there for them.

“It’s super hard for people to understand that, which is weird because it takes nothing to care. It takes nothing to smile and be nice.”

Lengfelder makes sure to great the little kids at the field and has even been stopped for autographs at the gas station.

“It’s awesome. The whole community has been good to us.”

Ethan Lengfelder. (Elkhart County Miracle Photo)

Ethan Lengfelder. (Elkhart County Miracle Photo)

Ethan Lengfelder. (Elkhart County Miracle Photo)

Ethan Lengfelder (left), Wilson Valera, Craig Wallin and Pedro Valera. (Elkhart County Miracle Photo)

Ethan Lengfelder’s two-seamer grip.

Ethan Lengfelder’s knuckle curve grip.

Ethan Lengfelder’s splitter grip.

Ethan Lengfelder’s ghost fork grip.

Ethan Lengfelder’s Vulcan change grip.

Ethan Lengfelder. (Elkhart County Miracle Photo)

Righty Gaff pursuing baseball dreams with Minnesota Twins organization

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

Tanner Gaff grew up in Whitley County, Ind., as a middle infielder who moved to the corners as he got older.
The right-hander doubled as a pitcher.
A 2016 graduate of Whitko Junior/Senior High School in South Whitley, Gaff went to the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne and was a two-way player until his last season — the extra year granted because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I had a pretty good year,” says Gaff, who employed Driveline Baseball training methods and increased his velocity going into 2021.
As a pitcher-only in ’21, the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder made 14 mound appearances and went 8-2 with a 4.15 earned run average and 92 strikeouts in 92 1/3 innings. USF went 34-22, setting a school record for single-season victories.
Gaff, who earned a degree in Business Management with a Sports concentration in 2020, still wanted to see how far pitching could take him.
“I had heard nothing but good things about Tread (Athletics),” says Gaff of the business specializing in online performance coaching. He began training remotely with Tread in the summer of 2021.
When Connor Lawhead left the Saint Francis coaching staff and went back to his native Washington, the Cougars were in need of a pitching coach. Gaff filled that role and was part of a staff featuring head coach Dustin Butcher and assistant Kristian Gayday while still honing his own skills.
Then came the time to go to Charlotte, N.C., and train with Tread in-house, which he did from February to May of 2022.
“Butch was happy for me,” says Gaff of Butcher’s willingness to let him pursue his dreams. “He was all for me furthering my baseball career.”
With the help of Tread, Gaff posted videos of him pitching to social media and got the attention of the Minnesota Twins. On May 20, he signed with that organization and is now in Fort Myers gearing up for the Florida Complex League season which opens June 6. The next two steps up the minor league ladder are with the Low-A Florida State League’s Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and High-A Midwest League’s Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Kernels.
Throwing from a high three-quarter arm slot, Gaff possesses a four-seam fastball, slider/cutter, curve and splitter (split-finger fastball).
“My four-seamer has ‘plus’ carry and sits at 91 to 94,” says Gaff, 24. “I’m always looking to gain mph.
When it’s right, his slider is delivered about 80 mph.
“My splitter is one of my most promising pitches,” says Gaff. “I get good swing-and-miss with it.
“I threw it in middle school though I didn’t know it was called a splitter at the time. I’ve always had it in my back pocket. The movement patterns are always consistent. Sometimes it’s left. Sometimes right.”
At Tread, Gaff used TrackMan cameras to learned how to manipulate his splitter and other pitches.
Born in Columbia City to James and Debra Gaff, Tanner spent his youth on a 40-acre farm (20 acres of farmland and 20 acres of wetlands) about 10 minutes from Columbia City, Larwill and South Whitley.
He played in the South Whitley youth league until about sixth grade then travel ball with a homegrown team later the Ken Jones-coached Flippin’ Frogs and Cam Brannock-coached Summit City Sluggers.
As a middle schooler, Gaff was on a Pony League travel team that was coached by then-Whitko head coach Erik Hisner (now at Eastern of Greentown).
“That helped us with high school,” says Gaff, who had some teammates go on to win the Wildcats’ first sectional title in 2017. “We kept our core together.”
Gaff played two years at USF for head coach Greg Roberts and then assistant Butcher took over the program.
“(Roberts) was a really nice guy,” says Gaff. “He cared about his players. Butch is a great coach, but an even better person.
“He changed the culture. Saint Francis wasn’t always typically known as a good baseball school.”
Tanner has two older married sisters — Starr Kane and Isis Ivy.

Tanner Gaff, a graduate of Whitko Junior/Senior High School and the University of Saint Francis (Ind.), signs with the Minnesota Twins. (Minnesota Twins Photo)

Former University of Saint Francis pitcher has signed to play professional baseball with the Minnesota Twins. He trained remotely and on-site with Tread Athletics of Charlotte, N.C. (Tread Athletics Image)

Stull joins seasoned group with top-ranked Southeastern U.

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

At 23 and in his fifth season, Eston Stull is a college baseball veteran.
The right-handed pitcher finds himself surrounded by many other seasoned players as part of a Southeastern University team ranked No. 1 in NAIA.
“The best part of this team is humble confidence,” says Stull of the Lakeland, Fla.-based Fire. “You look in the dugout and they’re not nervous. Even if we’re down, they have the confidence that somebody is going to pick them up.
“It’s a team that almost coaches itself. Having that veteran presence has helped this team a lot.”
Stull, a 2017 graduate of Pendleton (Ind.) Heights High School, played four seasons at Indiana University-Kokomo (2018-21) while earning degrees in Finance and Management.
In 51 mound appearances (27 starts), Stull went 13-4 with a 4.57 earned run average. He amassed 187 strikeouts and 89 walks in 159 2/3 innings.
Matt Howard left the IUK program as head coach and Stull — who was granted an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic — began exploring his options.
“I reached out on Twitter,” says Stull. Those Tweets drew the attention of SEU assistant coach/recruiting director Mike Mendoza and Stull corresponded with him and head coach Adrian Dinkel while pitching in the summer of 2021 for the Northwoods League’s Kokomo Jackrabbits.
Stull decided to join a program that went 51-9 and competed in the 2021 NAIA World Series. Excluding the 2020 COVID season, Southeastern has posted four straight 50-win campaigns and is closing in on a fifth in 2022. Going into The Sun Conference tournament May 5-8 in West Palm Beach, Fla., the Fire is 47-3.
The NAIA Opening Round is slated for May 16-19. Taylor University in Upland, Ind., is one the 10 sites and the SEU could be assigned there which is about 40 miles northeast of Pendleton.
In 14 games (13 in relief), graduate student Stull is 0-0 with 0 saves and a 2.11 ERA. The righty has 32 strikeouts and seven walks in 21 1/3 innings.
Graduate assistant Connor Dailey, who was a reliever 2015-18 at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, N.C., is Southeastern’s pitching coach.
“He’s somewhat our age and easy to talk to,” says Stull of Dailey. “He trusts all of us and let’s us stick to our own routine.”
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Stull has made the adjustment from starter to relief pitcher.
“I think I fit better in the bullpen for this team,” says Stull, who mixes a four-seam fastball, curve, slider and change-up from a high three-quarter arm angle.
His four-seamer sits 92 to 93 mph and recently reach 97. His curve has a 12-to-6 action. He throws what he calls a “gyro” slider.
“It goes down like a reverse change-up,” says Stull. “I look at the Rapsodo (motion capture system) and try to keep the spin efficiency below 12 and the RPM’s up (he averages 2800 with the pitch).
Stull began throwing his change-up more last summer.
“I have a good shape for it,” says Stull. “It’s just finding the time to get comfortable throwing it in-game.”
Away from the diamond, Stull is working toward a Master of Business Administration and expects to take summer classes and finish as soon as possible. His coaches are looking to place him with a team.
“I want to see how far baseball will take me,” says Stull. “I don’t want to have any regrets.”
Born in Pendelton to Todd and Misty Stull, Eston grew up around the area and played what is now known as Pendleton Junior Baseball/Softball and then in travel ball, including time with the Indiana Nitro.
At Pendleton Heights, his head coach was Travis Keesling.
“I struggled my junior year and did not pitch much,” says Stull. “Coach Keesling sat me down and said you need to figure it out.”
Stull began training with Greg Vogt — first at VIP and then PRP Baseball (in Noblesville, Ind.).
“I had a great senior year,” says Stull.
He still stays in-touch with Vogt.
“I’ve reached out to him a couple of times with tips,” says Stull of the former Carmel (Ind.) High School and Anderson (Ind.) University hurler who has moved his family to Florida and added rehab pitching coach for the Toronto Blue Jays system to his PRP Baseball duties.
All three of Todd and Misty’s sons are in college. Eston’s younger brother Walker Stull pitches at Anderson U., and has trained with his at PRP Baseball. The youngest — Harrison Stull — is a student at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Their parents have moved to Jacksonville, Fla.

Eston Stull (Southeastern University Photo)

Eston Stull (Southeastern University Photo)

Coaching takes Gobert to Walters State Community College

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

Nick Gobert’s baseball coaching career has taken him from a powerhouse in the Midwest to an elite program in the South.
The graduate of Jasper (Ind.) High School and the University of Southern Indiana has gone from Indian Hills Community College in Centerville, Iowa, to Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tenn., which is located between Knoxville and Johnson City.
The 44-16 IHCC Warriors and 61-7 WSCC Senators both participated in the 2021 National Junior College Athletic Association Division I World Series in Grand Junction, Colo.
Married in June 2021 to the former Haley Brun, Nick followed her to Tennessee when she took a job at Colgate-Palmolive in Morristown. The Kansas State University graduate had worked at the company’s plant in Richmond, Ind., while having a long-distance relationship with Gobert. The couple was introduced by a mutual friend.
When relocating, Gobert looked for a new baseball home.
“I wanted to get to a competitive place,” says Gobert. “(Coaching) wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t (Haley) believing in me. She’s been a sports fan her whole life.
“It took two years to fully understand the time commitment.”
Gobert is a volunteer assistant on the staff led by David Shelton, who earned his 400th career victory in February.
“I do a little bit of everything,” says Gobert. “I’m in charge of base running and help with infield play and hitters.”
How does his last team differ from his current one?
“Indian Hills is a pitching and defensive-minded program though we did have guys who could hit a little bit,” says Gobert. “Walters State is more offensive-minded. We have the ability to drive the baseball with guys who can impact the game with doubles and home runs.
“It’s a place kids want to come to because of the great tradition.”
Since 1984, the Senators have made 10 NJCAA World Series appearances with one championship (2006), a runner-up finish (2018) plus finishing third outright (2003 and 2015) and tying for third (2019). Former WSCC head coach Ken Campbell went into the NJCAA Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020.
While Walters State has a home field with a turf surface and many other amenities and played a fall game at the home of the Tennessee Smokies (Double-A South), there still a junior college baseball mindset.
“We still have the JUCO grind-it-out kind of guys and atmosphere,” says Gobert. “We practice quite a bit. Our mentality is that nothing is every given to us. We have to earn everything we have.”
Gobert, who turns 28 in May, appreciates the amount of time allowed at the junior college level for one-on-one instruction and evaluation.
“It’s that amount of hands-on time you get with each player,” says Gobert. “You’re watching everything and working with them. You get to connect with your players better.
“You make adjustments as needed because of those relationships.”
When Gobert is not involved with baseball activities or his wife, he earns a little extra cash as a Walters State mail courier.
Walters State, which heads into the weekend at 20-2, carries a roster of around 50 players. Among those are redshirts and players who took an extra year of eligibility because of COVID-19.
“It’s an older bunch,” says Gobert. It’s big to have those guys around to help the younger (players).”
The Senators tend to use a wide variety of players in mid-week games with those competing for spots in weekend Tennessee Community College Athletic Association Region VII contests.
Gobert was an assistant to Matthew Torrez at Indian Hills. Torrez played for Tracy Archuleta at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Archuleta is now head coach at USI.
Nick is the son of Terry Gobert, an Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer with more than 800 victores, five state titles and four state runners-up to his credit. The two were featured together in the American Baseball Coaches Association Podcast hosted by Evansville, Ind., native Ryan Brownlee in October 2021.

Nick Gobert (Walters State Community College Photo)

Nick Gobert (Walters State Community College Photo)

Aerial view of the Walters State Community College baseball field in Morristown, Tenn. (Walters State CC Photo)

Right-hander Lynn driven to make most of his talents

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

Lance Lynn has long been known for his athletic tenacity.
It started while he grew up in Avon and Brownsburg in central Indiana and has continued at the University of Mississippi and during his Major League Baseball stops with the St. Louis Cardinals (2011-17), Minnesota Twins (2018), New York Yankees (2018), Texas Rangers (2019-20) and Chicago White Sox (2021 to the present).
The 6-foot-5, 275-pound right-hander has the drive that has made him go 115-77 in 288 games. His 2.69 earned run average for the White Sox in 2021 would have led the American League, but he was five innings short of the innings requirement.
Where does Lynn’s push come from?
“I have a brother (Keith) that’s 12 years older than me,” says Lynn, 34. “It was him, my dad (Mike) and myself growing up for the most part so I had to learn to be competitive and learn to take care of myself or I’d get left behind.”
Mike Lynn, a Brownsburg High School graduate, played slow pitch softball and Keith Lynn, an Avon High School alum, played many sports and young Lance was there.
“I was always playing with the older kids because I had to and I was bigger,” says Lance. “I had to learn to compete and I enjoyed winning so it just kind of kept going.”
A 2005 Brownsburg graduate, Lance Lynn helped the Pat O’Neil-coached Bulldogs to an IHSAA Class 4A state runner-up finish in 2004 (27-7) and state title in 2005 (35-0).
To this day, Lynn and Indiana Baseball Hall of Famer O’Neil are in regular contact.
“I have great respect for Coach O’Neil,” says Lynn. “He’s someone who’s stayed close in my life even after I left high school. He was there for a lot of us growing up, took care of us and made us grow up as human beings.
“We’re still pretty close.”
Since 12 or 13, Lynn has gone to Jay Lehr for pitching instruction and made the trek over from Marion, Ill., to with him at Pro X Athlete Development in Westfield, Ind., before attending Monday’s national championship football game in Indianapolis.
“He takes care of all my winter throwing programs, making sure I have everything I need,” says Lynn of Lehr, who saw big leaguers and Indiana residents Tucker Barnhart (Detroit Tigers) and Carlos Rondon (White Sox) at the facility before Lynn’s workout. “Then during the season if I get in a pinch or just to stay on top of things, he’s always there to send me what I can work to keep moving.”
Also present at Pro X was Sean Cochran, Lynn’s strength coach since after the 2018 season.
“I needed someone to bounce stuff off of and was going to be there for the rest of my career,” says Lynn. “Sean and Jay go way back and I actually met Sean as a little kid.
“We’ve had a pretty good run since we started working together.”
Cochran, who was once based in Indianapolis and now calls San Diego home, travels all over to work with athletes and counts World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson among his clients.
“I’ll pick Sean’s brain and can you ask Phil about this or that and Phil tells me to just worry about pitching,” says Lynn, who is a right-handed amateur golfer.
Lynn appreciates the relationship he’s built with White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz.
“You’re looking at a guy who’s worked his way up from being a high school pitching coach all the way through the minor leagues and every stop,” says Lynn. “He’s able to show you what you do well using all the technologies.
“He’s able to communicate and show you what you need to see.”
Lynn’s three primary pitches are a four-seam fastball, cutter and sinker.
“You make sure those are good and make sure your stuff can play off of them from there,” says Lynn, who also occasionally uses a curve or change-up (he threw just four change-ups during the 2021 season).
Lynn pitches from a low three-quarter overhand arm slot, which developed as he career progressed.
“When I was younger I was a little more upright and had a little more shoulder lean. Over time I’ve been able to keep my shoulders a little more flat. The arm slot kind of just fell into place.”
The slot has served him well.
“I’ve been able to use it to create a good angle of attacking hitters,” says Lynn. “It’s hard for them to make good contact.
“There’s a lot of deception and hitters don’t love it.”
Lynn made 28 starts for the White Sox in 2021 — one of those was Aug. 12 at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa.
“That was pretty cool,” says Lynn. “It was fun. When you look back it we put on a show. Kevin (Costner) was there. We had a good game. There was a walk-off home run (by Tim Anderson). I don’t think you could have scripted it any better than that.
“I threw the first pitch in a major league game in Iowa. It’s something I’ll always remember.”
Major League Baseball is now in the midst of a lockout. Spring training at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz., normally has pitchers reporting in early February.
Lynn has 333 MLB plate appearances with 24 hits (five doubles). As an amateur he was quite a slugger and folks still talk about a high school home run in South Bend.
“I hit it on the church out of the stadium,” says Lynn of a clout at what was then called Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium (now Four Winds Field). “I had power, but it was an aluminum bat.
“I don’t think I’d want to face me now.”

Lance Lynn throws at Pro X Athlete Development in Westfield, Ind. 1-10-22 (Steve Krah Video)

Lance Lynn throws at Pro X Athlete Development in Westfield, Ind. 1-10-22 (Steve Krah Video)

Lance Lynn (Getty Images)

Lance Lynn at Pro X Athlete Development in Westfield, Ind. (Steve Krah Photo)

Lance Lynn at Pro X Athlete Development in Westfield, Ind. (Steve Krah Photo)

Lance Lynn at Pro X Athlete Development in Westfield, Ind. (Steve Krah Photo)

Trainer Sean Cochran (left) and Lance Lynn at Pro X Athlete Development in Westfield, Ind. (Steve Krah Photo)

Lance Lynn (left), Dr. Jamey Gordon and Jay Lehr at Pro X Athlete Development in Westfield, Ind. (Steve Krah Photo)

Fun important part of baseball for Mikolajczyk, Munster Mustangs

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

As part of Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Bob Shinkan’s coaching staff at Munster High School, Mike Mikolajczyk saw the importance of keeping the sport fun for players.
“You’ve got to be loose,” says Mikolacjzyk, who enters his 24th year in the program and first as head coach in 2022. Only IHSBCA Hall of Famer Mike Niksic and Shinkan have held that title before Mikolajczyk, who was Mustangs freshmen coach for 20 seasons and varsity assistant for three.
He is a 1989 graduate of Bremen High School in Midlothian, Ill., where he played four years of baseball for Braves coach Tom Johnson and earned all-conference and all-area honors as a junior and senior and was a team captain. He spent a half year with the baseball team at South Suburban College in South Holland, Ill. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in Teaching from Purdue University Calumet and a master’s degree in Arts and Language Arts from Governors State University.
Mikolajczyk (Mick-O-Lie-Check) teaches sixth grade Reading and Language Arts at Wilbur Wright Middle School in Munster.
In 2021, the Mustangs were part of an IHSAA Class 4A sectional grouping with East Chicago Central, Hammond Morton, Highland, Lake Central and Merrillville (host). Munster won its 13th sectional title — the first since 2016.
“We have 11 guys coming back from last year’s team,” says Mikolajczyk. “We will be pretty senior strong.”
The Class of 2022 includes right-hander Brady Ginaven (Indiana State University commit), left-hander Jake Thometz (uncommitted) and right-hander Will Moell (Johns Hopkins University commit) at the top of the mound rotation.
“I’m pretty excited about our top three pitchers,” says Mikolajczyk. “I could put those guys against anybody in northwest Indiana and we’ll be competitive.”
Another key senior is outfielder/first baseman Tyler Lukowski. Juniors drawing D-I attention are outfielder Kozy Denham and outfielder/shortstop Kevin Hall.
Recent graduates moving on to college ball include 2020 graduates in right-hander Costa Sirounis (Indiana University), right-hander Will Melby (Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs) and infielder Ronnie Nowak (Marshalltown, Iowa, Community College). From 2021, there’s right-hander/third baseman and IHSBCA North/South All-Star Bryce Schaum (Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis.), second baseman/catcher Ben Greiner (DePauw University) and middle infielder/outfielder Derrick Wiening (Purdue Northwest).
Munster (enrollment around 1,600) is located in Lake County and a member of the Northwest Crossroads Conference (with Andrean, Highland, Hobart, Kankakee Valley and Lowell).
The Mustangs plan to field three teams — varsity, junior varsity and freshmen — in 2022 — and Mikolajczyk estimates there will be 45 to 50 in the program. The first time Munster had paid assistants was four years ago.
Mikolajczyk’s assistants include Matt Backs, volunteers Brian Boliek and Adam Musielak with the varsity, Mark Dye with the JV and an as-yet-to-be-named freshmen coach.
Backs, who coached one year at Thornton Fractional North High School in Calumet City, Ill., and 27 years as Munster JV coach, will handle infielders and outfielders and coach first base. The Illinois State University graduate is a Project Lead The Way teacher at Wilbur Wright.
Boilek, who enters his fifth year on the staff who has more than two decades experience of coaching travel and American Legion ball, is a bench coach and handles strength and conditioning. He works in banking and finance.
Musielak was head coach for six years at Whiting (Ind.) High School and took the Oilers to the IHSAA Class 2A Final Four in 2019. He has 10 years of coaching experience for baseball, basketball and football. The Indiana University alum teaches Physical Education at Munster.
Dye is a Munster graduate who played at Earlham College In Richmond, Ind., and served a freshmen coach at Portage (Ind.) High School for six years. He teaches Social Studies at Munster. Infielders and catchers will be part of Mikolajczyk’s responsbilities.
Munster had 10 IHSAA Limited Contact Period sessions in September and early October with nearly 60 participants (not involved in fall sports). There were open fields and gyms with activity on Mike Niksic Field (which has a turf infield and grass outfielder), diamonds at Community Park, located next to the school and the home to Munster Little League and Munster Babe Ruth or the turfed football field.
“In fall workouts, we get an idea of who’s really dedicated to you and who’s not,” says Mikolajczyk.
An off-season weight program is baseball-specific and is geared toward flexibility and mobility.
“What we’re trying to emphasize is bigger, faster, stronger,” says Mikolajczyk. “We’re not trying to bulk up. It’s about maintenance and an injury-prevention type of thing.”
For the first time in program history, a 500-pound club (total for bench press, clean and jerk and deadlift) has been established to promote bonding and buy-in. Just before break, all 13 who attempted to qualify for a club made it and got a T-shirt. Qualifying is planned again in January and February.
Mikolajczyk says strength and conditioning training has drawn 30 to 35 participants each time without freshmen.
Little League (T-ball to age 12) and Babe Ruth (13-15) feed players to Munster High School. Several players are in travel ball with Morris Baseball, which is run by alum Bobby Morris.
Hal Morris, Bobby’s brother, is a Munster graduate who made it to the big leagues primarily as a first baseman (1988-2000) and is also in the IHSBCA Hall of Fame. More recently, outfielder Craig Dedelow played at Indiana University (2014-17) and is now in the Chicago White Sox organization.
The Manous brothers — right-hander Connor (Class of 2016) and outfielder Garrett (Class of 2019 — were both on the IU roster in 2021.
An avid golfer, Mikolajczyk is a 7-handicap on the links. He also enjoys hunting. He lives in Frankfort, Ill., with significant other Maribel Soto Piccinini. She has a son named Troy (26).
Tanya Mikolajczyk, who was married to Mike, died of colon cancer in 2019.

Mike Mikolajczyk with 2021 sectional trophy earned by Munster (Ind.) High School.

Mike Mikolajczyk (left) and Maribel Soto Piccinini.