Kip Fougerousse was honored as the regional’s Most Outstanding Player.
The Wes Carroll-coached Purple Aces then went 1-2 against No. 1 national seed at the best-of-three Knoxville Super Regional June 7-9 and closed out the 2024 baseball season.
Matt Wollenzin came back for his second stint as a University of Evansville baseball assistant in the summer of 2022 and guided Purple Aces hitters in 2023.
Wollenzin, who was on the UE staff in 2016 and 2017 guiding catchers and helping with hitters, the approach in 2024 will remain much the same.
“We want our guys to understand what pitches they can hit well, what pitches they can do damage on and what pitches they struggle with,” says Wollenzin, 32. “We want to hit strikes hard. We’re firm believers that the better the strike (zone) discipline the more you’re going to get on-base and more you’re going to be able to drive the baseball and do damage.
“Mechanically, everyone has a different skill set and a different set of strengths and weaknesses. We talk a lot about timing. We want to be waiting on fastballs. If we can hit the heater, that’s when we’re at our best.”
Wollenzin has his players working on these things using a steady mix of feel-good and situational batting practice and more-difficult game-like conditions that put hitters in compete mode. There’s also front toss and tee work.
“That’s been a huge deal for us,” says Wollenzin. “We’ve been using the Driveline Baseball Smash Factor Balls with that. In-season, you can show them a 95 mph fastball. But the guys are going to blow up their hands if they use it all the time (using regular baseballs). It’s the same ball flight (with Smash Factor Balls) and they’re a little nastier from a stuff standpoint.”
Video is also a big part of the equation. Hitters can view all their at-bats from multiple angles.
“We preach to the guys to watch the guys in the big leagues, compare it to what you’re doing and just be students of the game,” says Wollenzin. “The more you watch what’s happening it’s going to make the adjustments that are necessary.”
The 2023 Evansville squad went 37-24 overall and 15-12 in the Missouri Valley Conference and hit .254 as a team with 81 home runs, 14 triples, 95 doubles, 337 runs batted in, 363 runs scored and a .796 OPS (.364 on-base percentage plus .432 slugging average). UE hitters walked 312 times and struck out 500 over 2,059 at-bats.
“I wouldn’t say we’re OK with striking out by any means,” says Wollenzin. “That can kill a lot to innings and take the pressure off the defense. We want to apply pressure at all times. At the same time, it is going to happen when you hit for a lot of power.
“This year we’ve keyed in on cutting that down a little bit. We’re trying to take away from the boom-or-bust mentality as an offense. We just want to swing at good pitches.”
In his graduate season in 2023, Eric Roberts (Hamilton, Ohio) hit .295 with 21 homers, 58 RBIs and a .622 slugging average while earning all-MVC and American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-Midwest Region first team honors.
Hug (a graduate of Pike High School in Indianapolis), Widder (Sheboygan, Wis.), Hord (Lexington, Ky.) and Schallenberger (St. Louis, Mo.) are grad students, Fougerousse (Linton-Stockton) and Scherry (Heritage Hills) seniors and Rumsey (Evansville North) a junior in 2024.
Wollenzin says Hug, Widder and Schallenberger were not in the peak of health in 2023.
“All of those guys who were not quite themselves last year can combine to make up for the loss of Eric Roberts in the lineup,” says Wollenzin.
The coach reports that fall workouts were productive.
“We tried to replicate the spring season as best as we could from a practice and game standpoint, which means Mondays off, practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and intrasquads on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”
Evansville saw three opponents in the fall — Wabash Valley College, University of Southern Indiana and the Toronto Mets.
Wollenzin said the regular hitters showed out against the first two foes and other players were able to get in the lineup in against the foreign opponent.
“I think we’re going to have some serious depth that we didn’t necessarily have last year,” says Wollenzin. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in 12 to 14 position players.”
Post-holiday break classes resumed at Evansville on Monday, Jan. 8 and the Aces saw their first live at-bats this past weekend.
“(Carroll) just brings a great environment,” says Wollenzin, who is in his second go-round with the Aces field boss. “Guys want to show up and work every single day. He’s continuously gotten better at his own craft, too.
“He lacks complacency as a coach. He tries to find ways to help guys whether on the analytic or culture side of things. He cares a lot about his players and there’s something to be said for that.”
Wollenzin grew up in the Denver suburb of Lakewood, Colo., and graduated from Green Mountain High School, where he was an all-stater, in 2010. His head coach at the end of his Rams days was Brad Madden.
“When it’s a fun competitive environment and you were around people who are just as much as you do you’re going to greater interest in the sport and all the nuances of it,” says Wollenzin. “Coach Madden created an environment that made me want to do this at the next level and make me want get into it as a career.
“Every stop along the way I’ve been around good people who cared about you and the game and helping you get where you wanted to be.”
As a lefty-swinging catcher, Wollenzin played at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., (2011-14), earning National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Freshman All-American mention, and served one season as a graduate assistant (2015) with Gary McClure as Governors head coach.
“Win at all costs,” says Wollenzin of McClure’s approach. “He was the ultimate competition. The guy loved to win. He would do anything to win. We brought home three (Ohio Valley Conference) championships. I have nothing but great things there with Coach McClure.”
Wollenzin earned a Healthcare Management undergraduate degree and master of Healthcare Administration from Austin Peay, the latter in 2016.
During his first time at Evansville, Wollenzin spent his summers in Mankato, Minn., with the Northwoods League’s Mankato MoonDogs and was later the team’s manager.
He also joined the coaching staff at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato (2018-22) — the last two years as associate head coach to Vikings head coach Ryan Kragh.
“He trusted me from Day 1 when he was the (manager) of the MoonDogs and with Bethany, too,” says Wollenzin of Kragh. “I could do my own thing.
“He gave me a lot of control. That’s where you learn a lot about yourself as a coach — what you do well and what you do not do well. If it wasn’t for him I don’t think I’d be where I am right now. I owe him a lot for that.”
Kragh valued relationships and so does Wollenzin.
“Players don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” says Wollenzin. “Although it’s cliche, it’s 100 percent true.
“It’s something I’ve tried to replicate in my coaching career.”
This past Thanksgiving, Wollenzin and Sarah Duwenhoegger got engaged with an eye on a wedding next winter. The couple met in Mankato in 2019.
“I came up with a lot of clutch moments,” says Fougerousse, who played his first two collegiate seasons at Indiana University.
The righty swinger socked a two-run home run in the eighth inning and a go-ahead grand slam in the ninth to a spark Evansville’s 7-6 comeback win April 22 at Murray State.
On May 20 at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Fougerousse belted a two-run blast in the ninth inning to propel the Purple Aces to a 2-1 victory.
Playing for a Wes Carroll-coached team that went 37-24 and lost to Indiana State University in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament final, Fougerousse played in 58 games (57 starts) and hit .288 (65-of-226) with 13 homers, eight doubles, 47 runs batted in, 37 runs scored and .872 OPS (.376 on-base percentage plus .496 slugging average).
Power is part of the equation for the 2023 all-MVC first-teamer.
“I can put the ball over the field almost anywhere on the field,” says the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Fougerousse.
His focus in the batter’s box is straightforward.
“Hit the fastball,” says Fougerousse. “If you’re on-time for the fastball you can be on-time for the off-speed.
“I like to work counts, but if that first pitch is in there I’m not afraid to take a hack at it.”
While he was at the top of the lineup at the beginning of the season, a few of Fougerousse’s homers came on the first pitch of the game. By the end of the campaign he hitting No. 3 or No. 4.
Wherever he plays on defense, Kip has keys and that starts with not getting too keyed up.
“Just breathe,” says Fougerousse. “A lot of people get nervous.
“Expect the ball to be hit to you. Be an athlete. Make the play. Don’t get in your head too much. You’ve done the work in practice.”
As Aces field boss, Carroll has seen to it that Fougerousse and his teammates have enjoyed their UE baseball experience.
“It’s fun all the time,” says Fougerousse of Carroll. “He cracks jokes. He makes it light. He makes it fun.
“There’s still work to be done. He can be intense at time and he can be silly at times. It’s the best of both worlds.”
The versatlie Fougerousse has played a lot of first base and second base but as he gets ready for his final season of eligibility in 2024 he says he could be at first base, second base, third base or even in the outfield on a given day.
In 50 games, he hit .314 (66-of-210) with eight homers, one triple, 15 doubles, 37 RBIs, 49 runs and a .913 OPS (.403/.510).
“It was fun up there,” says Fougerousse. “They have nice facilities. Danny was always there early to get in whatever kind of work we had to do. If the game started at 6:30, we’d be there at 2 o’clock doing extra hitting or taking ground balls. It was cool to be around him.
“The Northwoods was a grind. It was everyday playing games. It was important to have a manager like Danny who will put in the extra time and keep light and fun.”
Fougerousse took a class at the start of the summer then could focus on getting better as a player.
“I got a chance to work on some things and just invest myself into baseball,” says Fougerousse.
The first day of fall classes at Evansville was Aug. 23 with individuals practices starting Aug. 28. Team practice begins this week.
Fougerousse was born in Greene County General Hospital in Linton, Ind., and grew up in that town.
Kip played four or five years with the Sandlot Spartans, a travel team made up of area players and coached by Matt Fougerousse and other fathers.
From junior high through high school, Kip was with the traveling Indiana Prospects.
Playing for his father, Kip was a two-time all-stater in baseball and left the Miners program as the record record-holder for both batting average and walks. He missed his senior season — 2020 — because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He knows some baseball,” says Kip of Matt Fougerousse. “He got to teach me a lot from an early age on into high school.
“People think it’s tough playing for your dad because they might get on your a little more. But that’s part of it. Being a coach’s son you know what you need to do to get yourself prepared.”
The elder Fougerousse stepped away from the Linton-Stockton program after the 2021 season and continues to teach elementary and junior high Physical Education and high school Health at Shakamak.
In basketball, Kip Fougerousse scored 1,142 points and sank a school-record 168 3-pointers with a record nine in one game and helped Linton-Stockton to 91 victories in four seasons. The 2018-19 Miners went 27-4 and were Class 2A state runners-up.
The power forward has been in the NBA since 2003-04.
“He’s had the longevity and he’s never been in trouble with the spotlight being on him,” says Fougerousse. “He’s dominated the league for so long.
“I’ve enjoyed watching him since I was a kid.”
Did Fougerousse, whose uncle is Jeff Oliphant (member of the Indiana University’s 1987 NCAA basketball champions) and grandfather is Tom Oliphant (who coached Jeff at tiny L&M) consider pursuing college basketball?
“I committed to Indiana (for baseball) the summer after my freshman year,” says Fougerousse. “I didn’t know how good I was going to be at basketball.
“I love basketball. It was always fun. But I never really saw myself playing in college. I just did it to compete.”
Before heading to IU, Fougerousse was part of the first season of the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. He performed well enough for the Snapping Turtles to earn an invitation to the CSL All-Star Game at Victory Field in Indianapolis.
It was in that league that Fougerousse met future Evansville teammate Brendan Hord, a former Kentucky prepster who also played for Mankato in 2022 and 2023.
Fougerousse spent the summers of 2021 and 2022 with the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League’s Saugerties (N.Y.) Stallions, playing in 51 games and hitting .299 (53-of-177) with five homers, 12 doubles, 42 RBIs and 33 runs. The team won the league title in 2021.
In two baseball seasons at Indiana (2021 and 2022), Fougerousse got into 45 games (33 starts) and hit .190 (27-of-142) with three homers, one triple, three doubles, 22 RBIs, 27 runs and a .524 OPS (.235/.289).
He transferred to Evansville, where he was a Sociology major before changing his degree path to Marketing.
Kip’s mother — Jill Fougerousse — in a dental hygienist in Bloomington, Ind. Sister Libbi Fougerousse (Linton-Stockton Class of 2016) was a standout volleyball player coached my her mother in high school, graduated from Indiana State University and is now a teacher in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
College Baseball Foundation gives its Brooks Wallace Award for both defensive play and offensive production by an NCAA Division I shortstop. University of Evansville junior Simon Scherry is on the initial watch list for the 2023 award. Scherry talks about his mindset as a shortstop. “We get a lot of ground balls in practice,” says Scherry, a 6-foot-2, 190-pounder. “I’m making sure I can get to every ball and having the thought of making every play.” Purple Aces head coach Wes Carroll works with Scherry and the other infielders. Scherry and company also get to work with Jamey Carroll when the brother of Wes and a former UE player and 12-league big leaguer is in town. Quickness is one of Scherry’s best athletic qualities. It served him well on the basketball court where 2020 Evansville Courier & Press Southwestern Indiana Basketball Player of the Year scored 1,119 points for his career and averaged 17.1 points, 7.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 steals per game as a senior at Heritage Hills High School in Lincoln City, Ind., and it certainly helps on the diamond. The shortstop gets to balls that make his teammates marvel. “I just trust myself,” says Scherry. “Having a quick first step is best for me.” Scherry did consider pursuing college basketball. But he decided his long-term path is baseball. “The end goal is to play baseball past college,” says Scherry. “If I had played basketball I wouldn’t have been able to put in as much work in baseball. “At the end of the day, I decided to focus on that and try to get to the next level.” Scherry notes an improvement in his offensive approach this season. “I’ve worked a lot with Coach (Matt Wollenzin) this year on getting pitches I want to hit,” says Scherry. “My freshman and sophomore years I had the ability to hit pitches but they weren’t necessarily pitches I could drive early in counts. “I’ve worked with (Wollenzin) on not swinging at pitcher’s pitches or even balls. I worked on pitches I wanted to hit. “A lot of it for me is being on time for the fastball and trust myself on anything else. These guys throw hard. If you’re sitting on anything besides the fastball you have no chance.” Heading into a Missouri Valley Conference home series Friday through Sunday against Indiana State, Scherry is hitting .278 (44-of-158) with two home runs, two triples, seven doubles, 19 runs batted in, 30 runs scored and 28 walks. He is 8-of-8 in stolen base attempts. Scherry has been in the No. 3 hole in Carroll’s batting order. In his first two collegiate seasons, Scherry combined to hit .290 with eight homers, one triple, 32 doubles, 83 RBIs, 77 runs and 31 walks while going 12-of-14 in stolen bases. He was all the MVC all-freshman team and all-conference honorable mention in 2021 and second-team all-MVC in 2022. Scherry has started in all 151 UE games in which he has appeared. Last summer, Scherry spent a week with the Cape Cod League‘s Falmouth Commodores and then with the Northwoods League’s Mankato (Minn.) MoonDogs. He was with the Ohio Valley League’s Dubois County Bombers in 2021. Junior second baseman Kip Fougerousse transferred from Indiana to Evansville after the 2022 season and has started in 36 of 40 games in 2023 while transitioning from a corner infielder. “He was up for anything,” says Scherry of Fougerousse, a 6-foot-3, 225-pounder and 2020 Linton-Stockton High School graduate. “He absorbed all the information that we gave him. “(Moving to second) was a shock to him at first but he’s been great.” Born in Jasper, Ind., Scherry grew up in Santa Claus, Ind. He played in a youth league there and then travel ball with the J Cards, Ironmen and in his 18U post-high school summer the Evansville Razorbacks. At Heritage Hills, Scherry competed for two head coaches — Greg Gogel as a freshman and Andy Fischer as a sophomore and junior. As a 2020 graduate, Scherry had his senior season taken away by the COVID-19 pandemic. Scherry was a middle schooler when he began working with Gogel and that continued into high school. “That’s where I really learned how to use my feet and field a ground ball,” says Scherry. “You feet starts everything. Your hands follow your feet.” Fischer taught Scherry to “come to the yard with the same energy everyday.” “He brought a lot of energy and that translated to us players,” says Scherry. “I realized if I can bring that same energy I can make an impact.” Simon, a Business Management major, is the youngest of Dan and Jill Scherry’s three children. Brother Samuel and sister Sydney are both Heritage Hills graduate. Dan Scherry was a baseball standout at Southridge. Jill Scherry is a Jasper graduate.
Indiana college baseball teams have combined to score nearly 5,800 runs so far in 2023. Based on posted numbers, NAIA Taylor averages 9.5 runs per game. Other leaders in the division are Indiana Tech (8.6), Huntington (8.3), IU-Kokomo (8.2) and Indiana Wesleyan (8.1). Ball State (8.3), Indiana (7.8), Purdue (7.5), Evansville (7.4 are at the top of the NCAA Division I list. NCAA Division II Indianapolis scores 8.5 runs per contest. NCAA D-III leaders are Wabash (9.0), Anderson (8.7), Earlham (7.8), Franklin (7.7), Manchester (7.5) and Hanover (7.2.) Pacing junior colleges is Vincennes (7.7).
Through March 26 NCAA D-I Monday, March 20 Butler 3, Northwestern 2
Tuesday, March 21 Butler 9, Eastern Michigan 7 Indiana 15, Indiana State 5 Notre Dame 8, Valparaiso 4 Illinois-Chicago 6, Purdue 4 Bowling Green 8, Purdue Fort Wayne 6 Belmont 6, Southern Indiana 3
Wednesday, March 22 Ball State 19, Butler 2 Evansville 11, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 7
Friday, March 24 Ball State 2, Eastern Michigan 1 Notre Dame 4, Louisville 3 Purdue 5, Michigan State 4 Purdue Fort Wayne 6, Northern Kentucky 5
Saturday, March 25 Ball State at 16, Eastern Michigan 5 Cincinnati 15, Butler 5 Evansville 12, Missouri State 7 Evansville 7, Missouri State 3 Indiana 14, Ohio State 6 Indiana State 10, Valparaiso 1 Morehead State 3, Southern Indiana 2
Sunday, March 26 Ball State 7, Eastern Michigan 3 Butler 8, Cincinnati 5 Cincinnati 13, Butler 3 Evansville 7, Missouri State 4 Indiana 9, Ohio State 6 Indiana 7, Ohio State 5 Indiana State 7, Valparaiso 2 Indiana State 4, Valparaiso 2 Notre Dame 5, Louisville 4 Louisville 2, Notre Dame 1 Michigan State 5, Purdue 4 Michigan State 12, Purdue 6 Purdue Fort Wayne 9, Northern Kentucky 5 Northern Kentucky 10, Purdue Fort Wayne 1 Morehead State 11, Southern Indiana 4 Morehead State 5, Southern Indiana 1
NCAA D-II Tuesday, March 21 Findlay 10, Indianapolis 7
Friday, March 24 Saginaw Valley State 7, Purdue Northwest 1 Saginaw Valley State 3, Purdue Northwest 2
Saturday, March 25 Illinois-Springfield 11, Indianapolis 10 Illinois-Springfield 5, Indianapolis 3
Sunday, March 26 Indianapolis at Illinois-Springfield Indianapolis at Illinois-Springfield
NCAA D-III Monday, March 20 Franklin 18, Trine 8 Franklin 14, Trine 1 Heidelberg 11, Manchester 10 Heidelberg 11, Manchester 3 Wisconsin-Osh Kosh 16, Rose-Hulman 5
Tuesday, March 21 Anderson 16, Alma 14 Anderson 16, Alma 6 Earlham 15, Principia 2 Spalding 14, Hanover 13 Trine 13, Manchester 10
Wednesday, March 22 Calvin 6, Manchester 0
Saturday, March 25 Manchester 9, Earlham 6 Transylvania 11, Franklin 0 Mount St. Joseph 6, Hanover 5
Sunday, March 26 Bluffton 10, Anderson 9 Anderson 19, Bluffton 3 DePauw 11, Houston-Victoria 9 Earlham 7, Manchester 6 Earlham 5, Manchester 4 Franklin 6, Transylvania 4 Franklin 14, Transylvania 7 Hanover 3, Mount St. Joseph 0 Mount St. Joseph 19, Hanover 9 Rose-Hulman 10, Defiance 2 Rose-Hulman 5, Defiance 3 Trine 5, Wright State Lake Campus 2 Trine 3, Wright State Lake Campus 2 Wabash 8, Illinois Wesleyan 7 (10 inn.) Wabash 12, Illinois Wesleyan 9
NAIA Monday, March 20 Saint Francis 12, Bethel 4 Saint Francis 10, Bethel 4 Olivet Nazarene 18, Calumet of St. Joseph 4 Indiana Wesleyan 9, Goshen 3 Indiana Wesleyan 20, Goshen 2 Mount Vernon Nazarene 10, Grace 8 Mount Vernon Nazarene 4, Grace 3 Saint Xavier 8, IU South Bend 4 Saint Xavier 13, IU South Bend 3 Lourdes 9, Indiana Tech 8 Lourdes 15, Indiana Tech 5 Oakland City 2, Rio Grande 1
Tuesday, March 21 Indiana Southeast 20, IUPU-Columbus 2 Indiana Southeast 14, IUPU-Columbus 6 Indiana Tech 7, Siena Heights 3 Indiana Tech 9, Siena Heights 3 Spring Arbor 10, Marian 9 Spring Arbor 11, Marian 5
Wednesday, March 22 Taylor 10, Mount Vernon Nazarene 7 Taylor 14, Mount Vernon Nazarene 2
Friday, March 24 Bethel 6, Huntington 2 Huntington 12, Bethel 2 Calumet of St. Joseph 4, Saint Francis (Ill.) 0 Saint Francis (Ill.) 3, Calumet of St. Joseph 2 Spring Arbor 8, Goshen 0 Spring Arbor 10, Goshen 2 Grace 10, Marian 3 Grace 6, Marian 1 IU South Bend 11, Trinity International 1 Saint Francis 8, Indiana Wesleyan 4 Indiana Wesleyan 4, Saint Francis 1 Taylor 6, Mount Vernon Nazarene 3 Taylor 3, Mount Vernon Nazarene 2
Saturday, March 25 IU Southeast 5, Alice Lloyd 3 West Virginia Tech 13, Oakland City 5
Sunday, March 26 Saint Francis (Ill.) at Calumet of St. Joseph IU-Kokomo 12, Ohio Christian 2 Ohio Christian 9, IU-Kokomo 7 IU South Bend 12, Trinity International 4 IU South Bend 8, Trinity International 1 IU Southeast 7, Alice Lloyd 2 IU Southeast 18, Alice Lloyd 0 Indiana Tech 3, Lawrence Tech 2 Indiana Tech 15, Lawrence Tech 0 Oakland City 9, West Virginia Tech 3 Oakland City 10, West Virginia Tech 2
Junior College Monday, March 20 Ivy Tech Northeast 7, Muskegon 5 Muskegon 5, Ivy Tech Northeast 4 Vincennes 12, Danville Area 2 Vincennes 7, Danville Area 4
Through March 19 NCAA D-I Tuesday, March 14 Kentucky 12, Indiana 2 (7 inn.) Notre Dame 6, Saint Joseph’s 3 Southern Indiana 10, Saint Louis 2
Wednesday, March 15 Evansville 14, Bellarmine 2 Indiana 6, Morehead State 5 (10 inn.) Indiana State 7, Illinois 3 Notre Dame 10, Saint Joseph’s 9 Purdue 14, Northern Illinois 5 Southern Illinois 16, Southern Indiana 9
Thursday, March 16 Indiana 23, Morehead State 5
Friday, March 17 Ball State 14, Toledo 2 Evansville 5, Purdue 2 Indiana 5, Morehead State 4 Purdue Fort Wayne 12, Wright State 10 Wright State 6, Purdue Fort Wayne 2 Murray State 15, Southern Indiana 1
Saturday, March 18 Wake Forest 4, Notre Dame 1 Wake Forest 12, Notre Dame 3 Murray State 11, Southern Indiana 4
Sunday, March 19 Ball State 19, Toledo 16 (13 inn.) Ball State 7, Toledo 4 Northwestern 5, Butler 1 Evansville 6, Purdue 4 Michigan State 8, Indiana State 2 Michigan State 10, Indiana State 7 Notre Dame 3, Wake Forest 1 Wright State 13, Purdue Fort Wayne 4 Murray State 13, Southern 3
NCAA D-II Tuesday, March 14 Saint Leo 8, Purdue Northwest 3 Eckerd 4, Purdue Northwest 3
NAIA Monday, March 13 Oakland City 14, Baptist Bible 13
Tuesday, March 14 Thomas More 14, IUPU-Columbus 3 Indiana Tech 7, Mid-America Christian 5
Wednesday, March 15 Calumet of St. Joseph 1, Trinity Christian 0 Trinity Christian 5, Calumet of St. Joseph 4 Grace 4, Taylor 1 Taylor 6, Grace 0 Mount Vernon Nazarene 7, Huntington 6 Huntington 9, Mount Vernon Nazarene 2 Indiana Wesleyan 16, IUPU-Columbus 5 IU-South Bend 9, Judson 5 (7 inn.) Judson 10, IU-South Bend 5 Baptist Bible 13, Oakland City 11
Thursday, March 16 Saint Francis 5, Bethel 4 Saint Francis 10, Bethel 3 (7 inn.) Indiana Wesleyan 14, Goshen 4 (8 inn.) Taylor 27, Grace 5 Taylor 13, Grace 0 Huntington 14, Mount Vernon Nazarene 13 Huntington 11, Mount Vernon Nazarene 0 IU-Kokomo 17, Alice Lloyd 5 IU-Kokomo 11, Alice Lloyd 0 Ohio Christian 7, IU Southeast 6 IU Southeast 4, Ohio Christian 2 Marian 8, Spring Arbor 7 Spring Arbor 11, Marian 8
Friday, March 17 IU Southeast 25, Ohio Christian 1
Sunday, March 19 Olivet Nazarene 16, Calumet of St. Joseph 6 Olivet Nazarene 9, Calumet of St. Joseph 5 Miami-Hamilton 5, IUPU-Columbus 4 Miami-Hamilton 19, IUPU-Columbus 4 IU-South Bend 5, Saint Xavier 1 Oakland City 9, Rio Grande 5 Oakland City 7, Rio Grando 1
Junior College Wednesday, March 15 Ivy Tech Northeast 15, Glen Oaks 9
Thursday, March 16 Kellogg 8, Ivy Tech Northeast 7
NAIA member Oakland City University is off to a 15-1 start to the 2023 baseball season. The Andy Lasher-coached Mighty Oaks pushed their win streak to seven with four more this week. Heritage Hills High School graduate Sam Pinckert (.357) and Evansville Central alum Garrett Causey (.351) lead OCU in hitting. Right-handers Hunter Callahan (3-0), Vincennes Lincoln product Blake Mincey (2-0) and North Vermillion alum Luke Osborn (2-0) account for nearly half the pitching victories. Another NAIA squad — Grace (8-3) — enjoyed a 3-1 week. The Ryan Roth-coached Lancers are led offensively on the season by Sam Newkirk (.410), Grant Hartley (.345) and Bradyn McIntosh (.343). Three players have bashed three homers — Newkirk, Perry Meridian graduate John Joyce and Penn alum Jeff Pawlik. Washington Township graduate and left-hander Steven Hernandez (2-1) paces the pitching staff in wins. Westview alum and right-hander Hunter Schumacher has three saves. Jordan Wiersema (.472) and Cooper Tolson (.423) are hitting leaders for NAIA Bethel (7-5). Logansport graduate Tucker Platt (.410) has the top average and Carmel alum Luke Barnes has popped five homers for NAIA Indiana University-Kokomo (7-7). Homestead graduate Kaleb Kolpien is hitting .448 with three homers and Greenwood Community alum T.J. Bass (.328) has clubbed four homers for NAIA Taylor (7-7). Hamilton Southeastern graduate Jacob Daftari has a pair of two-homer games in a four-game sweep for NAIA Indiana Tech (6-1). Brice Stultz went deep for the Warriors in another contest. Mississinewa alum Tyler Jakob (.385) is the top hitter while right-handers Joey Butz (Heritage Christian) and Tyler Papenbrock (Leo) have two pitching victories each for NAIA Huntington (6-5). Bryce Davenport (.429) has started seven games and Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter alum right-hander Damien Wallace has two wins for NAIA Marian (2-2). Homestead graduate Jayden Lepper (.400) and David Miller (three homers) has played all 12 games and right-hander Blaine McRae (Fort Wayne South Side) has two wins for NAIA Saint Francis (5-7). Sean Moore (.400) has played in all 12 games and right-hander Maxwell Everaert (Hebron) has two wins for NAIA Calumet of St. Joseph (4-7). Trent Sillett (.417) has the best average, Jenner Rodammer has socked three homers and right-hander David Lopez has two victories for NAIA Goshen (4-7). Greensburg alum Logan Smith (.429) is the top hitter, Brenden Bell has three homers and right-hander Robbie Berger (John Glenn) two saves for NAIA Indiana University South Bend (4-7). Decatur Central graduate Brayden Hazelwood (.405) has played in all 11 games for Indiana University Southeast (3-8). Tri-West Hendricks alum Lucas Goodin (.422) has 11 starts and Mooresville graduate Nick Wiley three homers for NAIA Indiana Wesleyan (3-7-1). NCAA D-II University of Indianapolis (6-0) produced another three-game series sweep. Top hitters for the Al Ready-coached Greyhounds so far are Brandon DeWitt (.500), Drew Donaldson (.462), Union County alum Denton Shepler (.444), Lewis Cass graduate Easton Good (.435) and Lawrence North alum Caleb Vaughn (.429). Three of four hits for Brady Ware are home runs. Left-hander DeWitt (2-0) and right-hander Logan Peterson are UIndy victory leaders. NCAA D-III Rose-Hulman knocked off No. 3-ranked LaGrange (Ga.) 6-3 Sunday. The first four hitters in the lineup for the Adam Rosen-coached Fightin’ Engineers — Terre Haute South Vigo graduate Kade Kline, Colter Coulliard-Rodak, Dalton Busboom and Andy Krajecki — scored a run. Warsaw alum Liam Patton (.435) is off to a hot offensive start and right-hander Derek Haslett (Indianapolis Cathedral) is 2-0 for D-III Wabash (4-2). Trine (3-0) got four runs batted in each from Cory Erbskorn and Bedford North Lawrence graduate Dalton Nikirk during a season-opening series sweep for the Greg Perschke-coached Thunder. Among the state’s 10 NCAA D-I programs, Purdue and Southern Indiana are off to the best starts. Both the Boilermakers and Screaming Eagles are 5-3. Purdue just split four games with New Jersey Institute of Technology. Southern Indiana took two of three against Bellarmine. Couper Cornblum (.375), Jake Jarvis (.375) and Evan Albrecht (.346) are leading hitters for Purdue. Paul Toetz has a team-leading three homers. Right-hander Aaron Suval is 2-0 with one save and a 1.23 ERA. Ricardo Van Grieken has started all eight games for USI and is hitting .429. Tucker Ebest has slugged a team-best three homers. On the mound, righty and Jeffersonville alum Gavin Seebold is 1-0 with a 1.08 earned run average. Right-hander Luke Sinnard picked up the win Sunday as Indiana (3-4) won 4-2 at Texas. The 6-foot-8 Sinnard is 2-0. Among other D-I leaders in homers, South Central (Union Mills) graduate Kyle Schmack of Valparaiso (4-2) and Ryan Peltier of Ball State (4-4) have four, Joey Urban of Butler (2-5), Linton-Stockton alum Kip Fougerousse of Evansville (2-5) and Valpo’s Nolan Tucker, a Hanover Central graduate, have three. In junior college ball, Shakamak alum Ethan Burdette (.441) is the leading hitter for Vincennes (4-8).
Wednesday, Feb. 22 Miami (Fla.) 9, Indiana State 3
Friday, Feb. 24 Ball State 9, Merrimack 0 Campbell 9, Butler 4 Eastern Michigan 5, Evansville 2 Texas 4, Indiana 2 Notre Dame 6, UNC-Greensboro 5 Purdue 6, New Jersey Institute of Technology 5 New Jersey Institute of Technology 5, Purdue 1 Bethune-Cookman 13, Purdue Fort Wayne 8 Bellarmine 4, Southern Indiana 2 Valparaiso 10, Tennessee-Martin 2
Saturday, Feb. 25 Ball State 5, Rutgers 4 Bucknell 7, Ball State 2 Campbell 25, Butler 6 Evansville 9, Eastern Michigan 7 Texas 5, Indiana 2 Northeastern 9, Indiana State 5 Northeastern 15, Indiana State 10 UNC-Greensboro 12, Notre Dame 0 Purdue 7, New Jersey Institute of Technology 4 Bethune-Cookman 9, Purdue Fort Wayne 5 Bethune-Cookman 7, Purdue Fort Wayne 4 Southern Indiana 6, Bellarmine 3 Valparaiso 5, Tennessee-Martin 4 (10 inn.)
Sunday, Feb. 26 Ball State 6, Canisius 1 Campbell 10, Butler 9 Evansville 5, Eastern Michigan 3 Indiana 4, Texas 2 Northeastern 8, Indiana State 7 (11 inn.) Notre Dame 7, UNC-Greensboro 4 New Jersey Institute of Technology 7, Purdue 5 Bethune-Cookman 10, Purdue Fort Wayne 0 Southern Indiana 18, Bellarmine 5 Valparaiso 17, Tennessee-Martin 4
NCAA D-II Saturday, Feb. 25 Indianapolis 4, Grand Valley State 2 Indianapolis 10, Grand Valley State 8 Northwood 4, Purdue Northwest 3 Northwood 9, Purdue Northwest 8
Sunday, Feb. 26 Indianapolis 7, Grand Valley State 4 Purdue Northwest 6, Northwood 4 Northwood 13, Purdue Northwest 2
Sunday, Feb. 26 Trine 7, Anderson 4 DePauw 4, Wilmington 2 Franklin 3, Saint Mary’s (Minn.) 2 Franklin 1, Saint Mary’s (Minn.) 0 Maryville 4, Hanover 3 Maryville 16, Hanover 12 York (Pa.) 3, Manchester Rose-Hulman 6, LaGrange 3 Heidelberg 6, Wabash 2
NAIA Thursday, Feb. 23 Bethel 16, Toccoa Falls 14 Grace 9, Trinity Christian 7 Trinity Christian 15, Grace 7 Oakland City 13, IUPU-Columbus 2 Oakland City 11, IUPU-Columbus 1 Taylor 20, Olivet Nazarene 5 (7 inn.) Taylor 13, Olivet Nazarene 1
Friday, Feb. 24 Toccoa Falls 8, Bethel 7 Toccoa Falls 9, Bethel 7 Calumet of St. Joseph 7, Hannibal-LaGrange 0 Calumet of St. Joseph 9, Hannibal-LaGrange 0 IU Southeast 5, Huntington 1 IU Southeast 8, Huntington 7 Oakland City 11, IUPU-Columbus 4 Oakland City 5, IUPU-Columbus 3 Georgia Gwinnett 6, IU South Bend 3 Georgia Gwinnett 8, IU South Bend 4 Faulkner 8, Indiana Wesleyan 7 Faulkner 7, Indiana Wesleyan 1
Saturday, Feb. 25 Hannibal-LaGrange 6, Calumet of St. Joseph 5 Calumet of St. Joseph 7, Hannibal-LaGrange 6 Goshen 7, Brescia 0 Brescia 3, Goshen 2 Grace 6, Trinity Christian 3 Grace 11, Trinity Christian 5 Northwest Ohio 4, Huntington 1 Northwest Ohio 3, Huntington 2 IU-Kokomo 6, Saint Francis (Ind.) 2 Saint Francis (Ind.) 4, Madonna 2 Madonna 4, IU-Kokomo 2 Georgia Gwinnett 10, IU South Bend 5 Georgia Gwinnett 10, IU South Bend 2 Indiana Tech 12, Saint Ambrose 8 Indiana Tech 7, Saint Ambrose 3 Faulkner 10, Indiana Wesleyan 4 Concordia (Mich.) 9, Marian 6 Concordia (Mich.) 9, Marian 7 Taylor 6, Olivet Nazarene 5 Olivet Nazarene 4, Taylor 3
Sunday, Feb. 26 Goshen 6, Brescia 4 Goshen 7, Brescia 5 Madonna 10, IU-Kokomo 4 Saint Francis (Ind.) 14, Madonna 2 IU-Kokomo 7, Saint Francis (Ind.) 5 IUPU-Columbus at Cincinnati-Clermont Northwestern Ohio 8, IU Southeast 7 IU Southeast 7, Northwestern Ohio 2 Indiana Tech 7, Saint Ambrose 2 Indiana Tech 4, Saint Ambrose 2 Marian 12, Concordia (Mich.) 6
Junior College Tuesday, Feb. 21 Wabash Valley 8, Vincennes 2
Josh Pyne decided early in life that he wanted to play college baseball. And not just anywhere. Pyne desired to play at Indiana University, having been born in Bedford, Ind., and grown up near Bloomington in Linton, Ind. “We were a 25-minute drive away,” says Pyne, a 19-year-old freshman who has started all 31 games so far for the 2022 Hoosiers. “My dad a huge IU basketball fan and still is. I grew up an IU baseball fan.” Pyne verbally committed to IU his freshman year at Linton-Stockton High School when Chris Lemonis was Hoosiers head coach. Jared Pyne is a lineman superintendent for Greene County REMC. His wife, Brooke Pyne, works for a Navy contractor. Oldest son Jacob, 23, is a Daviess County REMC lineman. Daughter Adalyn, 17, is a Linton-Stockton junior involved in cheerleading and track and interested in animals. Middle child Josh followed Jacob into motocross as the family criss-crossed the country on that circuit. After Josh raced for a few years, along came baseball. He threw himself into the diamond sport, playing for the Smithville Scrappers at 9. Family friend Mike Vaughn coached that team and would be Pyne’s coach with the Indiana Nitro and Indiana Bulls through his 15U summer. “I appreciate everything he’s done for me,” says Pyne of Vaughn. Another summer with the Jeremy Honaker-coached Bulls was followed by a summer with Jay Hundley’s Canes Midwest team. In the fall of his junior year at Linton-Stockton, Pyne was with the Jeff Petty-coached Canes National squad. The next summer he played for Johnny Goodrich’s Orlando Scorpions. To help with the transition from high school to college, freshmen were brought on-campus last summer to take classes, get in the weight room and begin the bonding process. It’s a class that includes infielder Evan Goforth (Floyd Central), right-handed pitcher Luke Hayden (Edgewood) and outfielder Carter Mathison (Homestead). The latter has started in 29 games and appeared in 31 this spring. Business Management major Pyne already had a relationship with one Hoosier, having played baseball and basketball with Kip Fougerousse (who was a 1,000-point scorer on the hardwood) at Linton-Stockton. Josh and sophomore catcher/infielder Kip hang out a lot at IU. “I go over to his house almost everyday,” says Pyne. “We play cards or get some food. We have a background like nobody else on the team.” Pyne say it was a big adjustment going from high school to college, but that has been eased by the bonding, the leadership or older players and the coaching staff led by Jeff Mercer. The biggest difference in high school and college baseball to Pyne is the pace of play. “I see how much faster everything is,” says Pyne. “Balls are balls hit harder. Pitches are quicker. You have less reaction time.” To adapt to this, the Hoosiers practice and train at game speed. “You have to go full speed and push yourself to get used to that pace of play,” says Pyne. “Some drills uncomfortable because it speeds us up. But you have to be uncomfortable to be better.” Pyne, who was a shortstop in high school and travel ball, has gotten used to “27 outs” when Mercer or assistant Derek Simmons laces balls all over the field and Pyne can get live reads off the bat at 100 mph or more. Mercer has plenty of praise for Pyne. “Josh is just an A ++ kid. I’m super proud of him,” says Mercer. “He’s a southern Indiana kid at IU playing his tail off. He’s an awesome dude. He’s very talented. He can have a great at-bat. He’s a great defender and baserunner and an awesome teammate. “He’s everything a Hoosier should be.” Pyne was a four-year letterwinner and four-time captain at Linton-Stockton playing for Miners baseball head coach Matt Fougerousse, Kip’s father. As a senior, Pyne was an all-state selection and the team MVP. He was all-Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference three times and set a single-season school record with 50 hits. As a basketball player for coach Joey Hart, Pyne was part of three IHSAA Class 2A sectional championships and played in the 2019 2A state championship game as a sophomore. “I played basketball to keep in shape and for the fun of it,” says Pyne. Josh recalls that Matt Fougerousse’s was always there for late-night batting practice after basketball games or practices. “He helped me for those four years,” says Pyne. “He even stayed and coached me for my senior year when he really didn’t have to.” Matt stepped away from coaching at the end of the 2021 season, giving himself more of a chance to see Indiana play. Going into a Big Ten Conference series April 15-17 at Rutgers, righty swinger Pyne is hitting .301 (37-of-103) with four home runs, seven doubles (tied for second on the team), 31 runs batted in (second on the team) and 19 runs scored. He carries an OPS of .820 (.365 on-base plus .455 slugging). Pyne produced a career highs three hits, four RBIs and two runs scored April 10 at Purdue. He rapped two doubles April 2 against Northwestern. Indiana 13-18 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers are 3-5 in April. The team’s freshmen third baseman is confident IU will get rolling. “We just need to compete on the mound and at the plate,” says Pyne. “It will all fall into place. “We have the talent to do it.”
Accountability, positivity, a spirt of competition and excellence are qualities Jacob Harden is looking to instill as the new head baseball coach at Linton-Stockton High School in Indiana’s Greene County. “I’m big on holding (players) accountable,” says Harden, who was hired to lead the Miners program in July. “I’ll be the first one to get on their tail when they’re doing something wrong, but I’ll be the first one to build them back up. All the coaches I’ve been around cared and still held me to realistic standards. “Positives need to outweigh the negatives.” Harden, who is also a Project Lead The Way computer science teacher at Linton-Stockton Middle School, had players conditioning shortly after the school year began and led players in grades 7-12 during the IHSAA Limited Contact Period in the fall and since the first week of December. “I want to be the program coach,” says Harden, 25. “I don’t want players to meet me for the first time when they’re freshmen.” Besides the middle school program for seventh and eighth graders, the Linton Youth League (T-ball though Grade 6) feeds the high school Miners. Recent graduates moving on to college ball are 2021 graduates Josh Pyne and Kip Fougerousse (son of former Linton-Stockton head coach Matt Fougerousse) to Indiana University. Bracey Breneman (Class of 2022) recently signed with Vincennes (Ind.) University. Harden did his best in the fall to simulate what spring practices will be like with position group work followed by team activity. He set the tone from Day 1. “I set the standard for how I expect things to go,” says Harden. “I mean business. I want us to win state championships. That means working hard. “We’re doing something every minute of our practices and everybody is going to get better.” Harden has players trying to beat one another in cut-off and bunt drills. “Scoop Tennis” — which promotes quick hands and feet and proper glove work — is both fun and competitive. “When guys compete with everything they do that’s going to transfer over to the game,” says Harden. “You want to be be a competitor and find ways to win. “It’s a competitive atmosphere and we’re paying attention to the fine details.” Fall World Series teams vied for the “Folger’s Cup” — an old coffee can found in a dugout. There’s also social media salutes to the “Grinder of the Week” complete with honoree pictured with a coal miner cap. Linton-Stockton baseball embraces the hashtag #PreparingForReign. “Everybody want to be the best they can be, but who’s going to prepare?,” says Harden, who also has his team breaking huddles with a chant of “618.” What’s significant about that number? June 18, 2022 is the date of the IHSAA State Finals at Victory Field in Indianapolis and that’s where the Miners want to be — #Destination618. Harden wants “The Miner Way” to be personified by players who are gritty with good attitudes. “It embodies what this town is all about,” says Harden. “These people have to work for a living. That’s how this community is. “These guys are starting to believe they can do it.” Linton-Stockton’s new uniforms will feature “MH” on the right shoulder to honor baseball backer Mark Hollingsworth, who died at the beginning of the school year. While he’s not on his staff, Harden has got plenty of support from former Miners head coach Bart Berns. Linton-Stockton (enrollment around 390) is a member of the Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference (with Bloomfield, Clay City, Eastern Greene, North Central of Farmersburg, North Daviess, Shakamak and White River Valley). In 2021, the Miners were part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping with Eastern Greene, Mitchell, North Knox, Paoli and South Knox and beat North Knox 10-0 in the championship game. Linton-Stockton has won 10 sectional titles. Harden’s assistants are Mike Walters, Craig House and Brian Reel. Walters was a Harden teammate at Northview High School in Brazil, Ind. House is a longtime Linton-Stockton coach who is employed as a coal miner. Reel is the father of Indiana University Southeast head baseball coach Ben Reel. Harden graduated from Northview in 2015. Besides playing Knights head coaches Scott McDonald (2012 and 2013) and Craig Trout (2014 and 2015), he was in the Clay Youth League and was in travel ball as a middle schooler with the Indiana Redbirds and American Legion Baseball for Clinton Post 140 the summer before his senior year and Clay County Post 2 the summer after graduation. He played for Ben Reel at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany in the spring of 2016 and went back that fall. “I had a lot going on,” says Harden. “My grandpa passed away late that fall and one thing led to another. “I was led to step away and come back closer to home.” Harden, who is the son of Brazil’s Mark and Jaime Harden and older brother of sister Kennady Harden (now 19 and an Indiana State freshman) transferred to Vincennes U. “Coach (Chris) Barney took a chance on me,” says Harden, who went in as a walk-on in the fall of 2017 and left in the spring of 2018 as a scholarship player. He became a 4-2-4 player (four-year school, two-year school and four-year school) when he went to Indiana State University in Terre Haute, where Sycamores head coach Mitch Hannahs convinced him it was not worth the risk since Harden had open heart surgery at 16 in 2013 and he was a student manager the rest of the first semester for an ISU team that went on to win a Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship in 2019. Trout invited Harden to be an assistant at Northview and he helped at the varsity and junior varsity levels in 2019 and leading up to the COVID-19-canceled 2020 season. “I’d always known I wanted to coach,” says Harden. “That was the first time I got to put my imprint on something.” In 2021, Harden was an assistant to longtime Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology coach Jeff Jenkins in what turned out to be Jenkins’ final season at the Terre Haute school. Harden assisted manager A.J. Reed of the summer collegiate Prospect League’s Terre Haute (Ind.) Rex in the summer and was on a bus heading to Champion City (Springfield, Ohio) when he got the call from Linton-Stockton asking him to join the Miners. We got to grow real close together,” says Harden of Reed. “He was fighting very hard for me. I got great references and guys on the team pulling for me. It felt so good. “I’ve met a lot of people along the way. I can’t think of too many 25-year-olds has the network I do. I’ve got to learn some much. It’s been a chaotic journey. But you have to have some chaos to get that goal accomplished.” The holder of an associate degree in General Studies from Vincennes and degree in Sports Management from Indiana State, Harden is working toward certification through the Indiana Teachers of Tomorrow program. This semester, his PLTW class is creating apps. Next semester, it will be computer science for innovators and makers. “It gives kids a moment to shine,” says Harden of the STEM students. “It makes them feel good.”
Jacob Harden (Terre Haute Rex/Brian Williams Photo)
Jacob Harden instructs Linton-Stockton baseball players.
Linton-Stockton Miners with the “Folger’s Cup” at the Fall World Series.
Linton-Stockton Miners aiming at “Destination618 — the IHSAA State Finals on June 18, 2022.
Fougerousse, a 1991 Shakamak High School graduate, played three seasons for Herschel Allen and one for IHSBCA Hall of Famer Chip Sweet and gathered coaching wisdom from both men.
“They taught me a lot about how to run a program the right way,” says Fougerousse. “You keep things as simple as possible. You’re dealing with high school kids.
“We like laughing a little bit. We’re not not trying to be serious all the time. We tell them to go out there and have fun like you did in Little League.
“You try to make it as fun as you can for them and put the best schedule together you can.”
Linton, located in Greene County, has won nine sectional titles. Five of those have come with Fougerousse in charge — 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
The Miners, which went 22-9 in 2017 helped by all-state honorable mention selection Logan Hollingsworth (now a pitcher at Vincennes University), have not yet reigned at the regional level.
“Some point to winning 20 games. I’d like to win the (Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference), but I’m not concerned with rankings or records,” says Fougerousse. “We play the schedule that will help us in the state tournament. I look at the regular season like spring training.
“It’s paid big dividends at Linton.”
Fougerousse says the up side of rankings is the recognition it brings to his players and that it ups the level of the competition day in and day out, trying to beat his squad.
“But there are only two rankings that really matter,” says Fougerousse. “A north team and a south team will be clashing for the state championship.
“Everyone’s goal every year is to end at Victory Field (in Indianapolis) with a state championship.”
Linton-Stockton belongs to the SWIAC along with 2A’s Eastern Greene and 1A’s Bloomfield, Clay City, North Central of Farmersburg, North Daviess, Shakamak and White River Valley.
“I like to play as many teams as I can, maybe 20 different teams — quality teams with different pitchers,” says Fougerousse, who works with Miners athletic director Charles Karazsia.
In besting visiting North Central 12-0 in five innings Wednesday, April 11, Linton spread the offensive wealth among junior Tucker Hayes (home run, double, single, four runs batted in), senior Noah Woodward (two singles, two RBI), senior Dreyden Ward (double, single, RBI), junior Dane Witty (double, single), sophomore Kip Fougerousse (two singles, RBI) and freshman Josh Pyne (single). Pyne also pitched a no-hitter with nine strikeouts.
Fougerousse and Pyne have already verbally committed to play baseball at Indiana University.
SWIAC teams play one another once during the season. When possible, Fougerousse tries to schedule those games early.
This year, Linton is in a sectional grouping with Eastern Greene, Mitchell, North Knox, South Knox and Southridge.
Led by Fougerousse and assistants Travis Hayes, Darren Woodward and Jared Pyne, there are currently 21 players in the Miners program, playing varsity and junior varsity schedules.
There is also a junior high program that is not directly affiliated with the school system but does use Linton facilities. That serves as a feeder system to the high school as does Linton Boys Baseball League, American Legion programs in Greene and Sullivan counties and various travel baseball organizations, including the Indiana Bulls.
Fougerousse went to the University of Southern Indiana and began coaching at the Babe Ruth level in the summer. He changed his major at USI from accounting to education for the opportunity to become a high school coach.
After graduating college in 1996, Fougerouse went to work at Shakamak where he teaches elementary physical education as well as junior high and high school health. He served 10 years on Sweet’s Shakamak coaching staff then succeeded Sweet when he stepped away from leadership of the program.
He left Shakamak to coach son Kip’s travel team (Sandlot) and then was coaxed back to the high school dugout at Linton, beginning with the 2011 season.
“I wasn’t looking to get back into head coaching at the time,” says Fougerousse. “But the previous coach — Bart Berns — had the program going in the right direction.
“I wanted to see that continue.”
Berns won a sectional in his final season and drummed up the community support to build a training facility next to Roy Herndon Field that the Miners can use year-round.
The Fougerousse family — Matt, Jill, Libbi and Kip — live in Linton. Jill Fougerousse was in the first graduating class at White River Valley. Libbi Fougerousse is a sophomore at Indiana State University.
Outside the high school season, Kip Fougerousse is in his fourth year with the Indiana Prospects organization.
“I like travel baseball,” says Matt Fougerousse. “You get to see different competition and make lifelong friends.”
The inaugural class of the Linton Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004 included Roy Herndon, Paul L. “Tom” Oliphant, Dick Fields, Tom Wall and the 1967 sectional championship team.
Herndon played minor league baseball in the 1930’s and 1940’s and was the property of the St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers, Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Braves and Washington Senators. He later helped start Little League baseball in Linton in 1956 and was a big part of local Babe Ruth, high school and American Legion baseball.
Oliphant, great grandfather to Kip Fougerousse, coached Linton to three basketball sectional and the school’s first baseball sectional crown in 1967.
Fields helped revive the community’s Babe Ruth and American Legion programs.
Wall was instrumental in improvements to Roy Herndon Field.
The ’67 Miners went 13-3 and topped Worthington, Shakamak and Bloomfield on the way to sectional hardware.
Matt Fougerousse is in his eighth season as head baseball coach at Linton-Stockton High School in 2018. The Shakamak High School graduate led his alma mater to an IHSAA Class 1A state title in 2008.
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