Jeff Cardenas | www.IndianaRBI.com

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Justin Kamm built a career in Information Technology.

At one point, Indiana University had Kamm running the internet for all its campuses across the state. That led to positions are software companies ExactTarget and Sales Force.

A former baseball coach at Park Tudor School in Indianapolis, Kamm opted to retire early from the IT industry.

“I decided to dedicate my time to teaching the game of baseball,” says Kamm, who took over the Indy Titans and became president of the travel organization which now fields 36 teams from 8U to 17U and founded Indiana Baseball Academy in Westfield, Ind. “I felt it led me to success in my life and I wanted to give that back to folks and the only way I knew how to do that was through coaching.”

Kamm is a 1992 graduate of North Central High School in Indianapolis, where Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Famer Tom Bradley was Panthers head coach his freshmen and sophomore years and Rick Shadiow his junior and senior seasons. Current Brownsburg (Ind.) High School head coach Dan Roman was a Shadiow assistant.

At Vincennes (Ind.) University, Kamm did not play baseball at the school he formed a relationship with the Trailblazers head coach Jerry Blemker, who went into the National Junior College Athletic Association Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.

“There are lots of lessons learned from all those coaches,” says Kamm, who also went to Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis and Indiana Wesleyan University and earned a Business Management degree. “I learned to care about players as individuals and teach life lessons.”

At the end of January 2024, Kamm added head baseball coach at Warren Central High School on Indy’s east side to his diamond duties.

Warren Central (enrollment around 3,500) is a member of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference (with Ben Davis, Indianapolis North Central, Lawrence Central, Lawrence North and Pike).

MIC games are home-and-home series on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The Warriors are part of an IHSAA Class 4A sectional grouping in 2024 with Arsenal Tech, Franklin Central, Perry Meridian, Roncalli and Southport. Warren Central has won nine sectional titles — the last in 1991.

Other teams on the schedule, which includes the May 11 Warrior Invitational as well as the first round of the Marion County Tournament, include Brebeuf Jesuit, Danville Community, Greenfield-Central, Greenwood Community, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, Indianapolis Kings, Indianapolis Scecina Memorial, Indianapolis Shortridge, New Palestine, Shelbyville, Speedway and Whiteland Community.

Eli Shaw (Class of 2023) is a right-handed pitcher at Indiana University. The team took a field trip March 28 to see him hurl at Butler University.

College baseball commits in the Class of 2024 include Justin Concepcion to the University of Northwestern Ohio and Jackson Hobbs and Lucas Hobbs both to Marian University’s Ancilla College.

Kamm’s Warren Central coaching staff features three returnees and three newcomers.

“I think it’s important to keep continuity,” says Kamm.

Jeff Cardenas, Todd Wellman and Josh Ott are back with the varsity. New to the program as coaches are varsity coach Jordan Hamsley and junior varsity coaches Zach Summeier and Aaron Betts.

Fort Wayne Bishop Luers High School graduate Cardenas played at the University of Northwestern Ohio and independent pro ball.

Floyd Central High School graduate Hamsley played at Indiana Wesleyan and was a strength and conditioning coach in the Atlanta Braves organization. He runs Hamsley Performance out of Indiana Baseball Academy.

Summeier is a 2017 Warren Central graduate.

Betts played for the Indy Titans, North Central and at Kentucky State University.

The Warriors’ on-campus home diamond is Foreman Field. Kamm says he hopes a corporate partnership with LIFT Academy — a pilot and flight mechanic training company — will help with some upgrades to the facility.

Kamm says he had other coaching opportunities, but chose Warren Central because it aligns with his personal mission of developing baseball players.

“The landscape of east side baseball has changed drastically in the last decade,” says Kamm. “Part of my goal going forward is to bring back baseball in Warren and on the east side of Indianapolis because it seems to be dying right now.

“Less kids are playing than before.”

Warren Little League has closed. Some players from Irvington Sports Baseball & Softball make their way to Warren Central.

Metropolitation School District of Warren Township’s eighth grade and seventh grade baseball teams run through Raymond Park Intermediate and Middle School.

Recent discussions have focused on creating a Sunday showcase program for 9U to 12U that is currently being called Warrior Baseball.

Justin and wife Tara Kamm, an avid Chicago Cubs fan and daughter of retired sportswriter Hank Lowenkron, have two children — daughter Megan Kamm is an accountant at Deloitte in Chicago and son Zach Kamm is a senior at Brebeuf Jesuit and a former baseball player.

Justin Kamm. (Warren Central High School Image)

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

Chris Ulrey enjoys a challenge and he and a staff of experienced assistant coaches are taking one head-on at Warren Central High School in Indianapolis.
Ulrey, a 2006 New Palestine High School graduate who was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2006 and has been running the Midwest Astros Baseball and Softball Academy in Greenfield, Ind., and instructing hitters from youth through pro for the last 11 years, was hired to head up the Warriors program at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year.
“I love a challenge,” says Ulrey. “You get to see how good your coaching staff is at developing guys.
“(Athletic Director Isang Jacob) allowed me to bring in guys I thought would be essential.”
Ulrey’s staff features pitching coach Morgan Coombs, infielders coach Jeff Cardenas and operations/outfielders coach T.J. Schooley at the varsity level with Zac Capps and Josh Ott with the junior varsity squad.
Coombs is a West Vigo High School graduate who pitched for Ball State University and in independent and Australian pro ball.
Fort Wayne native Cardenas played at Kankakee (Ill.) Community College (when Ulrey was hitting coach and recruiting coordinator there) and the University of Northwestern Ohio and in independent pro ball.
Schooley is a longtime Ulrey assistant and brings many years of knowledge and coaching to the Warren Central staff at the varsity level.
Ulrey plans to field two competitive teams — varsity and JV — in 2022.
Fall and winter practices plus weight workouts have allowed Ulrey to get to know the talent level of his players.
“Our expectations are high,” says Ulrey. “It comes down to how much these guys want to work, buy in and commit to changing the culture of Warren Central baseball.”
Warren Central had 21 players in the program in 2021 and it’s been more than a decade since the Warriors won 10 games.
There was a Black and Gold World Series in front of parents and fans that allowed players to have fun and compete.
“It was very good for us,” says Ulrey. “We got to see from a live pitching standpoint what we have going into (2022).”
To make it work, there must be buy-in and commitment from the athletes. Some workouts have been at 6 a.m.
Fall sessions averaged 30 to 40 players with many returning starters missing because of football and soccer commitments.
There were 35 to 50 at the beginning of off-season weights and conditioning.
Ulrey is also an assistant strength and conditioning coach to Keith Swift at Warren Central and teaches Athletic Weights, which gives him the chance to work with all of the school’s athletes including baseball players.
Warren Central (enrollment around 3,800) is part of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference (with Ben Davis, Carmel, Center Grove, Indianapolis North Central, Lawrence Central, Lawrence North and Pike).
In 2021, the Warriors were in IHSAA Class 4A sectional grouping with Franklin Central, New Palestine, Perry Meridian, Roncalli and Southport. Warren Central has won nine sectionals — the last in 1991.
Seven varsity players and a talented junior and senior class return from 2021.
Among the returnees are junior right-handed pitcher Eli Shaw, junior right-hander/infielder John “JayJay” Calmes and sophomore center fielder/right-hander Joshua James. All have attracted college interest.
“We are young with a lot of arms,” says Ulrey. “We have a good freshman class as well with some good pitching and big bats that may have opportunities to get some varsity time.”
Warriors Baseball Club has been established to help run camps for elementary and middle school players (nine elementary schools and four middle schools feed into Warren Central) throughout the year and support the high school program.
Gavin Deberry (Warren Central Class of 2021) moved on to play at Purdue Northwest. He was coached by Ulrey with the Midwest Astros and trained with him since age 12.
Ulrey and company are running the Warriors like a college program — from the way the players act to the way they handle themeslves.
“Academics are first and sports are second,” says Ulrey. “We are preparing ourselves for after sports.
“As coaches, we plan to do our part and develop and guide these young men in the right direction. These guys have worked hard up to this point and made the commitment and bought in to this team and program to show what they can do this spring.
“Our motto this year is ‘Prove Your Worth.’ It’s been a long time since Warren Central baseball has done anything and these boys are preparing themselves this off-season and working hard to prove to our school, the community and our opponents they can play and compete with anyone if they work for it.”