Tag Archives: LaPorte

Here’s 2023 IHSAA tournament so far by the numbers

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

It’s down to the “Elite Eight” in each of the Indiana High School Athletic Association’s four baseball classes.
Under the new tournament format, there were one-game regionals and this Saturday, June 10, teams will vie in four-team semistates for the right to play at the State Finals at Victory Field in Indianapolis either Friday, June 16 or Saturday, June 17.
There were no first-time sectional champions this year. The program that had gone the longest without hoisting the trophy until doing it in 2023 was Winchester. The Golden Falcons’ other sectional crown came in 1986.
Tops in sectional championships among teams still alive in the postseason are Class 3A’s Evansville Memorial (32), 3A’s Andrean (31), 1A’s Shakamak (28), 4A’s Penn (24), 4A’s Lake Central (22), 4A’s Center Grove (21), 1A’s Lafayette Central Catholic (19), 3A’s Norwell (19), 4A’s New Palestine (18), 4A’s Homestead (17), 4A’s Brownsburg (16), 4A’s Castle (16), 4A’S Hamilton Southeastern (16), 1A’s Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian (16), 1A’s Barr-Reeve (14), 2A’s Mitchell (11), 3A’s Heritage (10) and 2A’s Westview (10).
3A’s Tri-West Hendricks, Class 2A’s Brownstown Central, Covenant Christian, Mitchell, Westview and Winchester and Class 1A’s Greenwood Christian Academy were first-time regional champions in 2023.
Among teams still playing, 3A’s Evansville Memorial (18), 3A’s Andrean (16), 1A’s Lafayette Central Catholic (16), 1A’s Shakamak (15), 4A’s Penn (12) and 1A’s Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian (10) has won the most regional crowns.
Vying for their programs’ first semistate crown will be 4A’s Castle, 3A’s Franfort and Tri-West Hendricks, 2A’s Brownstown Central, Covenant Christian, Mitchell, Westview, Winchester and 1A’s Greenwood Christian Academy, Marquette Catholic and Rising Sun.
1A’s Lafayette Central Catholic (10), 3A’s Andrean (9), 1A’s Shakamak (8) and 4A’s Penn (5) are leaders in semistate championships won among teams still in the hunt.
Ranking semistate teams by past state titles: Andrean (8 — 2005, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2022; all at 3A), Lafayette Central Catholic (8 — 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2022; all at 1A), Penn (5 — 1994, 1997, 2001, 2015, 2022; first two single-class; last three in 4A), Evansville Memorial (3 — 1978, 1989, 1993; all in single-class), Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian (3 — 2005, 2005, 2006; all in 1A), Norwell (3 — 2003, 2007, 2013; all in 3A), Heritage Christian (2 — 2009, 2010; both in 2A), Shakamak (2 — 2008, 2014; both in 1A), Brownsburg (1 — 2005; 4A), Hamilton Southeastern (1 — 2019; 4A), Lake Central (1 — 2012; 4A) and New Palestine (1 — 2004; 3A).

IHSAA SEMISTATES
(June 10, 2023)
North

Class 4A at LaPorte (Schreiber Field)

G1: Homestead (19-9) vs. Hamilton Southeastern (19-14), 10:30 a.m. CT

G2: Penn (19-8) vs. Lake Central (27-4), 1 p.m. CT

Championship: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 7 p.m. CT

Tournament Trail
Homestead: Huntington North Sectional — Columbia City 5-0, Huntington North 1-0, Fort Wayne South Side 10-0; Plymouth Regional – DeKalb 10-0.
Hamilton Southeastern: Carmel Sectional — Westfield 5-2, Noblesville 3-1; Lafayette Jeff Regional — Lafayette Harrison 4-0.
Penn: Northridge Sectional — Concord 11-0, Northridge 1-0, Goshen 10-0; LaPorte Regional – LaPorte 6-2.
Lake Central: Munster Sectional – East Chicago Central 20-0, Munster 11-0, Hobart 16-2; LaPorte Regional — Valparaiso 3-0.

Class 3A at Oak Hill

G1: Heritage (19-7) vs. Frankfort (19-12), 11 a.m. ET

G2: Andrean (26-6-1) vs. Norwell (23-7), 2 p.m. ET

Championship: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 8 p.m. ET

Tournament Trail
Heritage: Garrett Sectional — Angola 4-3, Leo 11-5, Concordia Lutheran 6-4; South Bend Clay Regional — East Noble 13-1.
Frankfort: Northwestern Sectional — Northwestern 3-1, Western 2-1; Lafayette Central Catholic Regional — Mishawaka Marian 11-7.
Andrean: Griffith Sectional — Rensselaer Central 12-2, Hanover Central 7-5, Boone Grove 9-3; Plymouth Regional — New Prairie 9-4.
Norwell: Oak Hill Sectional — Mississinewa 4-1, Peru 5-1, Bellmont 14-0; Oak Hill Regional — New Castle 12-2.

Class 2A at Kokomo (Municipal Stadium)

G1: Westview (19-8) vs. Illiana Christian (22-9), 11 a.m. ET

G2: Winchester (15-11) vs. Delphi (21-10), 2 p.m. ET

Championship: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 8 p.m. ET

Tournament Trail
Westview: Westview Sectional — Churubusco 11-1, Eastside 12-9, Central Noble 6-0; South Bend Clay Regional — Fort Wayne Bishop Luers 6-0.
Illiana Christian: Whiting Sectional — North Newton 16-0, Whiting 14-0, Hammond Bishop Noll 11-1; Griffith Regional — Hebron 18-0.
Winchester: Lapel Sectional — Frankton 3-0, Lapel 1-0; Logansport Regional — Eastern (Greentown) 3-2.
Delphi: Delphi Sectional — Clinton Prairie 11-1, Carroll (Flora) 2-0; Lafayette Jeff Regional — Bremen 10-2.

Class 1A at Lafayette Jefferson (Loeb Stadium)

G1: Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian (12-12) vs. Marquette Catholic (9-9), 11 a.m. ET

G2: Wes-Del (21-8) vs. Lafayette Central Catholic (22-11), 2 p.m. ET

Championship: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 8 p.m. ET

Tournament Trail
Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian: Fremont Sectional — Fort Wayne Canterbury 9-1, Lakewood Park Christian 8-4; Logansport Regional — Southwood 4-1.
Marquette Catholic: Tri-Township Sectional — Westville 11-5, Tri-Township 14-4, Triton 1-0; Griffith Regional — Morgan Township 4-3.
Wes-Del: Anderson Prep Sectional — Southern Wells 8-1, Cowan 4-3, Daleville 2-1; Oak Hill Regional – Blue River Valley 9-2.
Lafayette Central Catholic: Lafayette Central Catholic Sectional — Attica 13-0, Covington 7-2, Fountain Central 13-0; Lafayette Central Catholic Regional — Rossville 9-0.

South
Class 4A at Plainfield

G1: New Palestine (23-9) vs. Castle (24-6), 11 a.m. ET

G2: Center Grove (27-3) vs. Brownsburg (16-12), 2 p.m. ET

Championship: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 8 p.m. ET

Tournament Trail
New Palestine: Mt. Vernon (Fortville) Sectional — Muncie Central 9-0, Pendleton Heights 1-0, Mt. Vernon 2-0; Mooresville Regional — Cathedral 4-2.
Castle: Evansville Reitz Sectional — Evansville Harrison 5-1, Evansville North 6-2; Castle Regional — Jeffersonville 4-0.
Center Grove: Mooresville Sectional — Bloomington South 4-1, Greenwood Community 16-0; Jasper Regional — Columbus North 4-2.
Brownsburg: Brownsburg Sectional — Plainfield 2-1, Avon 13-9, Terre Haute North Vigo 12-2; Mooresville Regional — Franklin Central 4-1.

Class 3A at Southridge (League Stadium)

G1: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (18-10-1) vs. Tri-West Hendricks (23-6), 11 a.m. ET

G2: Silver Creek (23-7) vs. Evansville Memorial (20-8), 2 p.m. ET

Championship: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 8 p.m. ET

Tournament Trail
Bishop Chatard: Bishop Chatard Sectional — Guerin Catholic 4-2, Hamilton Heights 12-1; Morristown Regional — Beech Grove 7-2.
Tri-West Hendricks: Crawfordsville Sectional — Crawfordsville 1-0, Western Boone 11-1, Lebanon 1-0; Park Tudor Regional — West Vigo 11-2.
Silver Creek: Madison Sectional — Charlestown 3-0, Scottsburg 9-5; Floyd Central Regional — Connersville 1-0.
Evansville Memorial: Evansville Bosse Sectional — Evansville Bosse 7-1, Gibson Southern 10-3, Princeton 4-0; Jasper Regional — Southridge 1-0.

Class 2A at Mooresville (Pioneer Field) 

G1: Covenant Christian (14-15) vs. Brownstown Central (24-8), 11 a.m. ET

G2: Mitchell (26-6) vs. Heritage Christian (17-15), 2 p.m. ET

Championship: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 8 p.m. ET

Tournament Trail
Covenant Christian: Cascade Sectional — University 2-0, Cascade 5-1; Loogootee Regional — Cloverdale 13-1.
Brownstown Central: Austin Sectional — Brown County 11-0, Milan 1-0, Austin 4-2; Floyd Central Regional – Providence 7-3.
Mitchell: Mitchell Sectional — South Knox 3-2, Linton-Stockton 7-6, Sullivan 6-4; Mitchell Regional — Perry Central 7-1.
Heritage Christian: Park Tudor Sectional — Irvington Prep 10-0, Park Tudor 12-2; Park Tudor Regional — Hagerstown 3-2.

Class 1A at Jasper (Ruxer Field) 

G1: Shakamak (15-10) vs. Rising Sun (17-16-1), 11 a.m. ET

G2: Barr-Reeve (27-3) vs. Greenwood Christian Academy (15-12-1), 2 p.m. ET

Championship: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 8 p.m. ET

Tournament Trail
Shakamak: White River Valley Sectional — North Central (Farmersburg) 6-2, Clay City 12-5; Mitchell Regional — Bethesda Christian 4-3.
Rising Sun: Shawe Memorial Sectional — Shawe Memorial 13-3, Henryville 3-2, Trinity Lutheran 7-0; Loogootee Regional — Borden 6-5.
Barr-Reeve: North Daviess Sectional — North Daviess 9-0, Loogootee 7-1; Castle Regional — Evansville 10-0.
Greenwood Christian Academy: Morristown Sectional — Indianapolis Metropolitan 24-0, Indianapolis Lutheran 6-2; Morristown Regional — North Decatur 10-0.

All-Time Titles (with most recent if before 2023)
Class 4A
Sectionals

Homestead (17 — 2022)
Hamilton Southeastern (16 — 2019)
Penn (24 — 2022)
Lake Central (22 — 2022)
New Palestine (18 — 2022)
Castle (16 — 2019)
Center Grove (21 — 2021)
Brownsburg (16 — 2022)

Regionals
Homestead (4 — 2015)
Hamilton Southeastern (6 — 2019)
Penn (12 – 2022)
Lake Central (8 — 2014)
New Palestine (7 — 2014)
Castle (9 — 2018)
Center Grove (7 — 2016)
Brownsburg (6 — 2005)

Semistates
Homestead (1 — 2008)
Hamilton Southeastern (1 — 2019)
Penn (5 — 2022)
Lake Central (1 — 2012)
New Palestine (1 — 2004)
Castle (0)
Center Grove (1 — 1996)
Brownsburg (2 — 2005)

Class 3A
Sectionals

Heritage (10 — 2015)
Frankfort (14 — 2019)
Andrean (31 — 2022)
Norwell (19 — 2022)
Bishop Chatard (13 — 2021)
Tri-West (8 — 2018)
Silver Creek (12 — 2022)
Evansville Memorial (32 — 2022)

Regionals
Heritage (4 — 2015)
Frankfort (2 — 1968)
Andrean (16 — 2022)
Norwell (8 — 2021)
Bishop Chatard (8 — 1997)
Tri-West (1 — 2023)
Silver Creek (4 — 2022)
Evansville Memorial (18 — 2016)

Semistates
Heritage (1 — 2007)
Frankfort (0)
Andrean (9 — 2022)
Norwell (3 — 2013)
Bishop Chatard (1 — 1973)
Tri-West (0)
Silver Creek (1 — 2018)
Evansville Memorial (10 — 2005)

Class 2A
Sectionals

Westview (10 — 2014)
Illiana Christian (2 — 2022)
Winchester (2 – 1986)
Delphi (8 — 2022)
Covenant Christian (5 — 2018)
Brownstown (3 — 2016)
Mitchell (11 — 2006)
Heritage Christian (10 — 2022)

Regionals
Westview (1 — 2023)
Illiana Christian (2 — 2022)
Winchester (1 — 2023)
Delphi (3 — 2021)
Covenant Christian (1 — 2023)
Brownstown (1 — 2023)
Mitchell (1 — 2023)
Heritage Christian (4 — 2010)

Semistates
Westview (0)
Illiana Christian (1 — 2022)
Winchester (0)
Delphi (1 — 2010)
Covenant Christian (0)
Brownstown (0)
Mitchell (0)
Heritage Christian (2 — 2010)

Class 1A
Sectionals

Blackhawk Christian (16 — 2021)
Marquette (4 — 2007)
Wes-Del (6 — 2011)
Lafayette Central Catholic (19 — 2022)
Shakamak (28 — 2022)
Rising Sun (9 — 2022)
Barr-Reeve (14 — 2022)
Greenwood Christian (4 — 2016)

Regionals
Blackhawk (10 — 2016)
Marquette (2 — 2004)
Wes-Del (2 — 1990)
Lafayette Central Catholic (16 — 2022)
Shakamak (15 — 2022)
Rising Sun (2 — 2013)
Barr-Reeve (3 — 1998)
Greenwood Christian (1 — 2023)

Semistates
Blackhawk Christian (2 — 2006)
Marquette Catholic (0)
Wes-Del (1 — 1990)
Lafayette Central Catholic (10 — 2022)
Shakamak (8 — 2021)
Rising Sun (0)
Barr-Reeve (1 — 1998)
Greenwood Christian (0)

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’23 IHSBCA North/South All-Star Series June 23-25 in Lafayette

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

Lafayette is the host city for the 2023 Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North-South All-Star Series.
A banquet is slated for 7 p.m. Friday, June 23 at Loeb Stadium. All-stars will be recognized and the Indiana Baseball Player of the Year Award will be given.
All three games will be contested on the turf at Loeb Stadium. There is a noon doubleheader on Saturday, June 25 and single wood-bat game at noon Sunday, June 26.
Indiana all-stars are seniors nominated by IHSBCA members and selected by a committee.
Also, the Futures Game — which is actually a noon doubleheader featuring four teams of underclassmen — is slated for Wednesday, June 21 at Loeb.

IHSBCA NORTH/SOUTH ALL-STAR SERIES
2023 Rosters
North
Pitchers

Adam Lehmann (Penn)
Bryce Riggs (Noblesville)
Alec Hershberger (Fairfield)
Richard “R.J.” Anglin (LaPorte)
Christian Pownall (Western)
Will Worrel (Fort Wayne Carroll)
Evan Cooke (West Lafayette)
Garrett Benko (Andrean)
Sebastian Salazar (Sheridan)
Catchers
Chase Long (Delphi)
Collin Lindsey (Westfield)
Mo Lloyd (Southwood)
First Basemen
John Curl (Kokomo)
Mitchell Dean (Western)
Middle Infielders
Hunter Snyder (Lake Central)
Bradyn Douglas (Frankton)
Tarick McGlothin (Rochester)
Cole Temple (Yorktown)
Luke Burford (Crown Point)
Third Basemen
Josh Adamczewski (Lake Central)
Brycen Hannah (John Glenn)
Outfielders
Gavin Collins (Northridge)
Kevin Corcoran Jr. (Illiana Christian)
Zachary Stawski (South Bend St. Joseph)
Grady Kepplin (New Prairie)
Kaden Rose (Mishawaka)
Brody Zimmer (McCutcheon)
Head Coach
Dave Ginder (Fort Wayne Carroll)
Assistants
Darin Kauffman (Fairfield)
Michael Isaacs (Lakeland)
Kevin Fitzgerald (Noblesville)

South
Pitchers

Ty Bradle (Hamilton Southeastern)
Mick Uebelhor (Southridge)
Jacob Murphy (Center Grove)
Ben Orrill (Madison)
Cameron Tilly (Castle)
Clayton Weisheit (Forest Park)
Kyle Manship (Fishers)
Noah Wathen (Floyd Central)
Mason Tibbs (Brownsburg)
Jake Hooker (University)
Catchers
Drew Bradley (Jasper)
Jake Dill (Cardinal Ritter)
Chance Bentley (Connersville)
First Basemen
Rylee Singleton (Evansville North)
Charlie Baker (Indianapolis North Central)
Middle Infielders
Jace Burton (Silver Creek)
Kyuss Gargett (Cathedral)
Brady Yeryar (Shakamak)
Carter Murphy (West Vigo)
Drew Culbertson (Center Grove)
Third Basemen
Brett Sherrard (Bloomfield)
Charlie Schebler (Batesville)
Outfielders
Nate Simpson (Avon)
Max Clark (Franklin Community)
Andrew Wiggins (Heritage Christian)
Jaden Hart (Jeffersonville)
Owen Imel (Lapel)
Wes Stiller (New Palestine)
Head Coach
Casey LaDuke (Floyd Central)
Assistants
Culley DeGroote (West Vigo)
Ryan Feyerabend (Franklin Community)
Chris Hogan (Floyd Central)
Jamie Polk (Floyd Central)

Club baseball thriving at Indiana, Ball State, Notre Dame, Purdue

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

Varsity baseball on Indiana college campus gets the attention.
But those teams aren’t the only ones taking to the diamond representing their schools in 2022-23.
National Club Baseball Association — a division of Pittsburgh-based ColClubSports — features two squads at Indiana University (D-I and D-II) and one each at Ball State, Notre Dame and Purdue.
These four plus Illinois and Illinois State belong to the NCBA Great Lakes South. Squads played one or two series in the fall. Most games are in March and April.
The four-team NCBA D-I Great Lakes Regional is slated for May 12-14 at Ash Centre/World Baseball Academy in Fort Wayne, Ind. The eight-team NCBA D-I World Series is May 26-June 2 in Alton, Ill.
D-II regionals are May 5-7 at sites to be determined with the eight-team D-II World Series May 19-May 23 in Alton.
Indiana-based teams are made up of players with high school and/or high level travel ball experience.
The NCBA tracks rankings, statistics, standings and selects All-Americans.
Notre Dame is No. 9 and Illinois State and Illinois are vote-getters in the D-I Week 16 poll.
NCBA Great Lakes team previews can be found HERE.

Indiana
IU club officers are president Garrett Larson (Lucas, Texas), secretary Spencer Puett (Eden Prairie, Minn.), treasurer Jacob Kortenber (New Haven, Ind., graduate) and social media chair Casey Fanelli (Westfield, Ind., alum). Brenden Schrage (Elmhurst, Ill.) is a future vice president.
Games tend to be on Saturdays and Sundays.
Indiana’s D-I team went 2-4 in the fall — 1-2 against both Illinois and Illinois State. Beginning the Week of March 13, the spring season sees IU play Eastern Kentucky, Marquette, Ohio State and Tennessee for single games. Ball State visits for three games and the Hoosiers play three-game sets at Notre Dame and Purdue.
The D-II squad went 4-2 in the fall — 1-2 vs. Xavier and 3-0 vs. Eastern Kentucky.
Beginning the Week of Feb. 27, the spring season includes a three-game home series against Michigan State, three at Akron and three at home against Ohio State.
“The club experience is a great one not only for myself but a lot of other people because our club consists of mid- to high-level high school baseball players who could not make it at the next level or wanted to only play Division I college ball or go to a bigger school and get a better education,” says Larson, a junior Sports Media & Advertising co-major. “Club baseball is a way for us to keep playing the game we love.”
At Indiana in 2022-23, 85 to 100 players tried out for 26 vacancies on two teams. There’s about 20 players on each squad.
The club is responsible for securing playing fields and off-campus practice facilities, umpires and uniforms.
Club dues and fundraising helps pay expenses.
Bloomington North High School is Indiana’s home field.
“We’re very appreciative for that opportunity,” says Larson.
The club makes a donation to the school for the use of the Cougars’ diamond.
In past seasons, the club played some games at Bedford North Lawrence High School.
The club also supports the varsity Hoosiers when they play at Bart Kaufman Field aka The Bart.
“We go to those games all the time,” says Larson. “A lot of our best players tried to walk on and came to play for us.”
Club players tend to sit close to the home dugout and backstop and can be heard on TV and radio broadcasts.
Kortenber, a sophomore Sports Marketing & Management major, played for Dave Bischoff at New Haven High School and explains his reason for playing club baseball.
“I just really wanted to stay connected to the game and meet a bunch of new people,” says Kortenber, who considered being a manager for the varsity team. “Then I decided I could actually keep on playing.”
A club sports fair during “Welcome Week” is a big recruiting tool.
The club is open to anyone who wants to practice. Then there’s a travel roster.
Both D-I and D-II teams at Indiana practice together.
Schrage gives his “why.”
“It gets me out of the house,’ says Schrage, who now calls Indianapolis home and is a sophomore Informatics major with a Business cognate. “I like to collaborate with different people. I enjoy baseball players. That was my crowd in high school.
“I just want a competitive edge outside of doing lifting and homework. It’s nice to travel on the weekends and be part of a team.”
Indiana’s Twitter handle is @ClubBaseball_IU. The Instagram address is iuclubbaseball. The D-I roster can be found HERE and schedule HERE. The D-II roster can be found HERE and schedule HERE.

Ball State
BSU club officers include president Ross Culy (Winchester, Ind., Community High School graduate), vice president Clay Hamm (Blue Valley alum) and social media manager Ben Carr (Zionsville Community graduate).
Ball State lost three-game series to Notre Dame and Purdue in the fall. The spring slate begins the Week of March 20 and the Cardinals play a series at Indiana with home series against Illinois State and Illinois.
Culy, a third-year senior on pace to graduate in the spring with a double major in Analytics and Economics, talks about what he gets from club baseball.
“It definitely starts with a lot of friendships and relationships you make,” says Culy. “Relationships are really important in life.
“Being president has developed my leadership abilities and people skills.”
The club is hoping to play one home series on the varsity field (Ball Diamond) and will play the other at a local high school or perhaps Gainbridge Field at McCulloch Park in Muncie.
Fall home games are played at Ball Diamond.
Club dues are $350 for the year or $175 per semester and pay for jerseys, travel, umpires etc.
“We try to keep our costs as low as possible and keep guys in the club,” says Culy.
The club had to disband during the COVID-19 pandemic and came back in 2021-22.
“We’re accepting anybody who wants to play,” says Culy. “We have from former college players and high-level high school to kids who never played before.
“We don’t currently have enough to make cuts. This year we had huge growth. We have 30-ish guys which is a big improvement from last year.
Most recruiting was done at the club fair at the beginning of the school year.
“A lot of it is just getting our name out there and getting the players who have the talent and interest,” says Culy.
Three member of Ball State’s swimming and diving program — Michael Burns (South Bend, Ind., Riley High School graduate), Erkan Ozgen (Burr Ridge, Ill.) and Porter Brovont (Eastern of Greentown alum) — have indicated they will join the baseball club at the conclusion of their season.
Hamm, a sophomore Sport Administration major, split his high school days between New Castle and Blue River Valley before playing one season at the University of Northwestern Ohio and transferring to Ball State and joining the club.
“I just wanted to get back into baseball,” says Hamm. “It’s a lot of fun. Everybody wants to be there and wants to play.”
Carr, a freshman Sports Administration major and Marketing minor, tells why he’s involved.
“I love baseball,” says Carr. “I played it all my life. I played throughout high school and had some opportunities to play (intercollegiate ball). Ball State was the best first for me.
“I got involved (in club baseball) and it’s a blast.”
As an Indiana Expos travel ball player, Carr was coached by former Indiana club member Leo Tobasco.
Carr is a submarine pitcher. He was throwing from a three-quarter arm slot as a high school junior and looking to see how he could help on a staff of fireballers.
“One of my coaches suggested that I try to see if I could throw sidearm or lower,” says Carr. “I kept messing with it and kept messing with it. I became an effective groundball pitcher.”
As social media manager, Carr has been able to tap into skill he learned from his father who is a graphic designer and get his friend who is a photographer to provide compelling shots.
“I’ve edits for our schedule on Instagram that I’m pretty proud of,” says Carr.
Cooper Roach, a Delta High School graduate and freshman Data Analytics major, was smitten by baseball growing up in Muncie.
“There’s something different about it I love,” says Roach. “I don’t think I can ever get away from baseball because of it.”
Ball State’s club fair is how he found out about the opportunity to keep playing in college.
“I’d like to see the club aspect pushed a little more,” says Roach of club sports overall.
Ball State’s Instagram address is ballstatebaseballclub. The roster can be found HERE and schedule HERE.

Notre Dame
ND club officers are president Josh Dippold (Fort Wayne Bishop Luers graduate), interim vice president Sam Sikkink (Minnetonka, Minn., and serving for Lafayette, La.’s Jacob Tate who is studying abroad), secretary Chris Ayres (Malvern, Pa.) and treasurer Brady LaBahn (Apple Valley, Minn.).
Players pay $315 per semester to pay for travel, umpires, league, registration etc. Donation also come in from alumni and family during “ND Day.”
The Irish won the 8th annual Battle Creek Blast in the fall as the wild card, besting Illinois State B 11-1 and Michigan-Flint 21-1 and losing 5-4 to Michigan in pool play before topping Michigan 11-4 and Illinois 18-1 in the single-elimination bracket.
Besides taking that 12-team event at C.O. Brown Stadium, Notre Dame also swept a three-game conference series against Ball State.
The spring began this past weekend with a three-game sweep at Kentucky. Next is a series at Illinois then home series vs. Indiana, Illinois State and Purdue.
South Bend Clay High School has been a home field for Notre Dame. The club is hoping to play some games on-campus at Frank Eck Stadium — home to the varsity Irish.
Notre Dame lost to Michigan in 2022 regional championship.
“It was nice to see them this fall in Battle Creek,” says Dippold, who played his home games while at Bishop Luers at the Ash Centre.
He grew up playing travel ball around Fort Wayne, including with the Summit City Sluggers and Lance Hershberger-led Fort Wayne/Northeast Indiana Buzz.
Dippold, a senior Theology major with a Pre-Health supplemental major and Latino Studies minor, intends to go to medical school.
The club president says about 50 players try out in the fall. There are currently 29 on the roster (33 is the maximum).
“I love baseball and the leadership that comes with being around so many ballplayers and friends,” says Dippold. “It’s for the love of the game and you need to be heads-up to be a good ballplayer. It’s America’s Pastime to me.
“I see the freshmen and sophomores on our team and I want to give back to the game. When I’m older I know I will be a coach of some sort.
“I’m incredibly grateful that God has bestowed this opportunity for me to still be playing the game as a senior in college. This year I feel like we have something left in the tank and some unfinished business.
“I’ve always been a competitor. I look forward to being something more than an academic competitor and let it loose on the baseball field.”
Jake Fuehrmeyer, a graduate of Bishop Noll Institute in Hammond, Ind., and a senior Science Pre-Professional (Pre-Med) major, decided to attend Notre Dame rather than play varsity baseball and study at a smaller school in Illinois.
He expresses his appreciation for club ball.
“It’s been everything to be college experience-wise,” says Fuehrmeyer. “I never would have thought I’d still get to play ball once I got to Notre Dame.
“It’s allowed me the opportunity to continue to compete at a high level. My favorite thing to do is play baseball.
“All of the guys on the team are such great dudes. I look forward to going to practice. I look forward to competing in games. It’s given me a ton of new friends.”
While vans were to be used to travel to the Kentucky series, players typically car-pool to away games.
“It’s a sacrifice we’re willing to make,” says Fuehrmeyer. “We’ll go wherever the baseball is.”
In-season, Notre Dame tends to practice twice a week for 90 minutes.
Outside of practice, Fuehrmeyer seeks time to get in swings on his own or long toss with a friend.
There is an on-campus practice space. RBIs Unlimited in Mishawaka offers an off-campus training option.
While he’s got a full plate, Fuehrmeyer does carve out time to follow the varsity Irish.
“College baseball is some of the most-exciting baseball you can watch,” says Fuehrmeyer. “It’s evolving at a rapid pace. We’re seeing some outstanding talent come through Notre Dame.
“We’ve got some serious talent on the varsity team and it’s reflected in how good our club team is.
“I look at some guys and say, “Wow! Why aren’t you playing (NCAA) Division I baseball somewhere?”
Notre Dame’s Twitter handle is @NDclubbaseball. The Instagram address is ndclubbaseball. The roster can be found HERE and schedule HERE.

Purdue
PU club officers are president Daniel Stephen (Fort Wayne, Ind., Northrop High School graduate), vice president Ross Ostrager (Plainview, N.Y.), treasurer Jacob Knaust (O’Fallon, Ill.), fundraising officer Jeremy VanTryon (Plainfield, Ind., High School alum), community service officer Joe Patton (Kansas City, Kan.) and safety officer Kyle Goff (Fort Wayne, Ind., Carroll graduate). Dr. Howard Zelanik is advisor.
Purdue went 6-5 in the fall — 3-0 vs. Ball State, 2-1 vs. Eastern Kentucky, 0-3 vs. Illinois State and 1-1 vs. Miami (Ohio). Beginning the Week of March 13, an 11-game spring includes contests against Ohio, Tennessee, Ohio State, Iowa and Wyoming in Panama City Beach, Fla., before a three-game series at Illinois, three at home against Indiana and three at Notre Dame.
Purdue senior James Ham, a Lafayette (Ind.) Harrison High School alum, pitched a no-hitter Oct. 1, 2022 against Ball State with 15 strikeouts in seven innings.
The no-no was caught by junior Ostrager.
The club was present at the B-Involved Fair and had callouts last August. Tryouts were last September at the Purdue Intramural Fields.
Home games are played at Crawfordsville (Ind.) High School.
The team has a set of bats, helmets, and catchers gear. Hats, jerseys, black pants, gold stirrups and a gold belt are provided. Players must have their own glove, cleats, white baseball pants, gray baseball pants, black socks and black belt.
Semester dues can vary depending on expected club expenses. They are typically around $300 for returning members and $350 for new members.
The Twitter handle is @PUBaseballClub. The Instagram address is pubaseballclub. The roster can be found HERE and the schedule HERE.

Other Places
George Boardman is a pitcher on the Vanderbilt University club in Nashville, Tenn.
Boardman, of LaPorte, Ind., is a freshman Law History Society major.
After playing for coach Kurt Christiansen, he graduated from Culver (Ind.) Academies in 2021.
“I’m pretty serious about going to law school so playing for an actual college team was too much of a time commitment,” says Boardman. “I selected Vanderbilt for many other reasons, but (club baseball) was an added benefit.
“Most of the people on our team could have played (NCAA) D-III baseball.”
Like Boardman, they those Vandy for its academic rigor.
“Club baseball here at Vanderbilt is really, really balanced,” says Boardman. “We practice three days a week — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We usually play six or seven series (in the spring and fall) with three games each.
“Attendance at those series is completely optional. The flexibility is perfect. If you have a class or a ton of homework, just text your coach or (club) president and say, ‘I can’t make it.’
“You can pretty much make out of it what you want.”
The club plays many of its home games at nearby Belmont University though there is a contest scheduled April 9 against Georgia State at Hawkins Field — where the Vandy Boys varsity plays.

Indiana University’s club baseball team. (IU Club Baseball Photo)
Indiana University’s club baseball team. (IU Club Baseball Photo)
Indiana University’s club baseball team. (IU Club Baseball Photo)
Indiana University’s club baseball team. (IU Club Baseball Photo)
Indiana University’s club baseball team. (IU Club Baseball Photo)
Indiana University’s club baseball team. (IU Club Baseball Photo)
Indiana University’s club baseball team. (IU Club Baseball Photo)
Ross Culy. (Ball State Club Baseball Photo)
Clay Hamm. (Ball State Club Baseball Photo)
Ben Carr. (Ball State Club Baseball Photo)
Cooper Roach. (Ball State Club Baseball Photo)
Notre Dame seniors with 2022-23 Battle Creek Blast trophy. Notre Dame club baseball seniors in the fall of 2022 (from left): Peter Colevas, Brady LaBan, Sam Sikkink, Jake Fuehrmeyer and Josh Dippold. (ND Club Baseball Photo)
Notre Dame wins 2022-23 Battle Creek Blast trophyNotre Dame club baseball’s Battle Creek Blast champions in the fall of 2022 (from left): First row — Tony Ingram, Peter Colevas, Chris Ayres, Sam Sikkink and Josh Dippold. Second row — Tommy Hoefling, Tommy Toole, Hawkins Suter, Daniel Kim, Jake Fuehrmeyer, Andrew D’Arcy, Luke Brandau, Chris Hoofing, Brady LaBahn, Keaton Rodgers, Danny Durkin, Peter Royeca, Joe Bollard, Joey Vaughan, Justin Zach and Brady Soenen. (ND Club Baseball Photo)
Notre Dame club baseball’s Josh Dippold (7) in the bullpen in the fall of 2022. (ND Club Baseball Photo)
Notre Dame club baseball in the fall of 2022 (from left): First row — Peter Royeca, Tony Ingram, Sam Sikkink, Josh Dippold and Chris Ayres. Second row — Peter Mercurio, Jacob Tate, Keaton Rodgers, Brady LaBan, Grant Woodward, Dash Muller and Chris Hoefling. (ND Club Baseball Photo)
Purdue’s club baseball team organizes for 2022-23. (Purdue Club Baseball Image)
Purdue’s James Ham pitched a no-hitter against Ball State in the fall of 2022. (Purdue Club Baseball Photo)
Purdue’s Jacob Knaust earned NCBA Great Lakes South Player of the Week honors in the fall of 2022. (Purdue Club Baseball Photo)
George Boardman, of LaPorte, Ind., and a Culver, Ind., Academies, is a student and club baseball player at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
Vanderbilt University’s club baseball team after a 2022-23 win against Mississippi State. (Vanderbilt Club Baseball Photo)

Warren sharing stories for decade with Top Coach Podcast

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

“Every coach has a story.”
It’s a line that comes early on the Top Coach Podcast hosted by Jack Warren.
“If we’re able to listen to what people are saying, everybody’s got something to say,” says Warren, who published his first episode in 2013 (with then-Indiana University head coach Tracy Smith) and No. 421 Jan. 30, 2023 (with State University of New York-Oswego’s Scott Landers). “I love to hear people’s stories.”
Mostly baseball interviews though he has featured other sports (including a talk with Jeffersonville, Ind., High School coach Danny Struck), the podcast features conversations with coaches at all levels. The focus is not X’s and O’s, but the relatable stories they tell.
“The absolute best way to learn — bar none — is a good story,” says Warren. “If I can get someone to tell a memorable story I’ve done my job.
“Who’s got something to say to other coaches to instruct, encourage and edify them? Bottom line: If someone’s got a compelling story, I want to tell it and I want to hear it.”
Discussions are not about bunt defense or gripping the curve, but things like organization, management, communication as well as career and staff development.
Over the years, Warren began consulting and career coaching.
“I’ve picked the brains of 1,000-plus coaches,” says Warren, who advises youth coaches to beware of money issues.
“If you go into college coaching right now you better hope you don’t have a lot of debt so it’s not something you’ve got to worry about,” says Warren. “You’ll be working 60-70 hours a week with the baseball team.”
Warren coached at the high school and youth levels in Indiana, Illinois (including Normal’s Calvary Christian Academy) — and briefly — California and worked for three decades for State Farm Insurance. The job gave him the flexibility to coach.
A Tennessee native and 1976 graduate of Gary (Ind.) Wirt High School (he was a Troopers classmate and teammate of future big league slugger Ron Kittle and began coaching at Gary’s Miller Little League as a junior) Warren was one of the early podcasters.
In the mid-2000’s, he and friend Tom Jackson started a baseball podcast in central Illinois.
Warren landed back there while working for State Farm Insurance. He attended Illinois State University in Normal for two years, got married and later graduated from Middle Tennessee State University.
“Bloomington-Normal is a baseball hotbed,” says Warren. “Within three miles of each other you’ve got Heartland Community College which is one of the top junior college baseball programs in the country, Illinois State University which has done very well and Illinois Wesleyan which won the (NCAA) D-III national title.”
At the time, the head coaches were Nate Metzger at Heartland, Mark Kingston at ISU and Dennis Martel at Illinois Wesleyan.
In a 30-mile radius there were about 70 high school graduates playing on college diamonds.
“We decided to take advantage of that and we started a podcast dedicated to local baseball,” says Warren of the show which aired weekly from a local restaurant from March to September or October.
In 2013 while living in Towanda, Ill., Warren got the idea to try to take it national. He contacted Kingston and some other coaches in his inner circle. He learned about third-rail topics to avoid and began to send invitations to potential guests.
“I still thank Tracy Smith for being willing to step out there on faith and do the podcast with me,” says Warren.
His fourth episode in 2013 was with then-Purdue University head coach Doug Schreiber. He followed up with Schreiber in 2014 at Purdue and 2021 at Purdue Fort Wayne.
The first several minutes of the first interview was mostly about Ken Schreiber, who won over 1,000 games and seven state titles as head coach at LaPorte (Ind.) High School.
“Growing up in northwest Indiana there was LaPorte and everybody else who wanted to be LaPorte,” says Warren.
The podcast pioneer has filled guest map from coast-to-coast. Other podcast chats with ties to Indiana include Notre Dame’s Mik Aoki (2015), Saint Joseph’s College’s Rick O’Dette (2015), Indiana’s Chris Lemonis (2016), Noblesville High School’s Justin Keever (2017) and Butler University’s Blake Beemer (2022). He’s shined the Assistant Coach Spotlight on Munster (Ind.) High School graduate and Trinity Christian College’s Adam Enright (2017), IU-Kokomo’s Jason Leone (2018) and Culver (Ind.) Academies’ J.D. Uebler (2022).
At first, Warren went after the biggest names he could find and it was “easy pickings.” He was able to land folks like Florida State’s Mike Martin, Vanderbilt’s Tim Corbin, Louisville’s Dan McDonnell, Texas Christian University’s Jim Schlossnagle and even American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Ron Polk and former Kentucky head coach and SCORE International/Inside Pitch Magazine publisher Keith Madison.
“In other sports those kinds of guys are impossible to get,” says Warren. “(Baseball coaches) love to give back. Baseball coaches are some of the most giving people there are.
“One of the reasons I think both baseball and softball coaches are this way is because you have to do everything yourself. You don’t see high school golf coaches mowing the grass or track coaches lining the track. You don’t see football coaches (lining the field).
“Baseball coaches have to do it all.”
So while not all show guests are the most well-known, they all have a story to tell.
“Top Coach is not just about the biggest names in coaching,” says Warren. “It just means you add something to the sport.”
Warren retired from State Farm, worked briefly in North Carolina and landed with wife, Pam, in Fernandina Beach, Fla. That’s where Corn Belt Sports and its media arm — Top Coach — now calls home.
He records his podcasts and is able to make TC Tour stops around the Sunshine State.
Metzger, who now pitching coach at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, encouraged Warren to attend his first ABCA Convention.
He’s now at regular at the ABCA, where he spends three days in early January going from one person to the next absorbing their stories.

Jack Warren.

Traina building team chemistry with Merrillville Pirates

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

Joe Traina has three main points of emphasis as the new head baseball coach at alma mater Merrillville (Ind.) High School — commitment, playing together and team chemistry.
“We’re making sure we’re there everyday,” says Traina, who was born in Merrillville, graduated from MHS in 2013 and has been teaching and coaching in the school system since 2017-18. “We were not weightlifting and conditioning very much. We have a strength and conditioning coach at Merrillville now (Brady Willard) so they can lift even when I’m not around.”
There is a text group chat that keeps the team communicating and Traina emphasizes staying in constant touch with parents.
Team chemistry is built through activities that require athletes coordinating to accomplish a goal.
Paul Wirtz was Pirates head coach when Traina joined the staff. Wirtz instituted “Animal Kingdom” workouts where there were stations for throwing, baserunning, conditioning etc., and teamwork was necessary.
Traina has had his athletes doing the same.
“They have to work step by step together to accomplish the goal,” says Traina. “That’s going make us a much stronger team.”
Merrillville (enrollment around 2,100) is a member of the Duneland Athletic Conference (with Chesterton, Crown Point, Lake Central, LaPorte, Michigan City, Portage and Valparaiso).
The Pirates are part of an IHSAA Class 4A sectional grouping in 2023 with East Chicago Central, Gary West Side, Hammond Central, Hammond Morton, Hobart, Lake Central and Munster. Merrillville has won 13 sectional crowns — the last in 2001. The Pirates were state runner-up in 1996.
Traina, who has taught at Merrillville Intermediate, Clifford Pierce Middle School and now Biology for freshmen at Merrillville High, was a junior varsity assistant to Connor Buxton then a varsity assistant when Buxton became head coach at Merrillville.
When Buxton stepped away Traina became head coach over the summer.
“It’s been a career goal to be the head of a program,” says Traina, 28. “I want to turn things around.”
The Pirates went 8-15 overall and 3-9 in the DAC in 2022.
Traina’s coaching staff counts Jose Carbajol as varsity assistant, Terrance Grayson as JV head coach and Juan Maldonado as JV assistant.
Merrillville started middle school baseball workouts at Bill Metcalf Field in July and games were played in the fall with Traina as head coach. High school players helped out.
“They were like bench coaches,” says Traina.
The first game was at Hanover Central, where Wirtz was serving as middle school coach.
Traina says the plan is for middle school baseball to continue as a fall sport.
Noting that Merrillville Little League no longer exists, Traina wants to work his way down the youth baseball ladder while building a feeder system for his program.
“We want to make sure kids have the opportunity to be exposed to the sport and get better,” says Traina. “We want to put a stop to getting pushed further behind (in development).”
Traina expects to have a young squad in 2023 with freshmen on the varsity.
Among the older players with college baseball aspirations are seniors Colin Early and Robert Richardson, who played both play varsity as freshmen, and junior Josh Magallon.
Pirates moving on to the college diamond since Traina has been coaching include Class of 2018’s Max Govert (Indiana University South Bend), Class of 2019’s Maldonado (Indiana Tech), Brandon Lucero (Earlham College) and Sven Strom (Saint Xavier University) and Class of 2021’s Dylan Coty (junior college).
Traina’s summer maintenance job includes taking care of the baseball field, where recent projects have included fixing the bullpens, adding dirt to mounds, turf to plate areas and dugout racks.
Traina played at Merrillville for Mark Schellinger.
“He’s one of the my favorite teachers and coaches,” says Traina of Schellinger. “When I got this job he reached out to offer any help I need. That meant a lot coming from a guy who had my back for four years here.”
He played at Merrillville Little League then travel ball for the Dave Griffin-led Indiana Playmakers then an Indianapolis-based team called the Indiana Irish. His parents — Frank Sr., and Michele — saw that he was shuttled two hours to Indy every week so he could have a new baseball experience and meet new people.
“I can’t thank them enough,” says Joe, the youngest of three children.
Frank Traina Sr., is retired from Siemens as an electronic engineer. Michele Traina is a school nurse secretary.
Ashley (Traina) Kendera (Merrillville Class of 2006) played softball for the Pirates, graduated from Ball State and now works as a page designer for The Times of Northwest Indiana. Her husband, Jason Kendera, is a former Merrillville girls soccer coach.
Frank Traina Jr., (Merrillville Class of 2010) played soccer and was a baseball manager for the Pirates during the Schellinger era. He now works as a bank teller.
After high school, Joe Traina went to Ball State University where he was a Sport Administration major and Coaching minor.
“I always wanted to go down the athletic director route,” says Traina, who got transition to teaching credentials through Calumet College of Saint Joseph. “Once I was in the classroom I decided to stick with teaching.”
He is also the head eighth grade boys basketball coach at Clifford Pierce.

Joe Traina. (Merrillville High School Photo)

Kutch heading into third season leading Westville Blackhawks

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

Brody Kutch is heading into his third season as head baseball coach at Westville (Ind.) Middle/High School with a different focus.
“A point of emphasis moving forward is that we are trying to create great men and good ball players,” says Kutch as he looks to the 2023 season. “I think in past years my competitiveness has gotten the better of me. I chose talent over heart. I chose athleticism over character. I learned the hard way that athleticism and talent do not win ball games. 
“Moving forward we will be emphasizing the type of men our players are before the type of ball player they are.”
Westville (enrollment around 300) is a member of the Porter County Conference (with Boone Grove, Hebron, Kouts, Tri-Township, Morgan Township, South Central of Union Mills and Washington Township).
The Blackhawks are part of an IHSAA Class 1A sectional grouping in 2023 with Argos, Culver Community, Marquette Catholic, Oregon-Davis, South Bend Career Academy, Triton and Tri-Township. Westville (which went 6-12 overall and 1-6 in the PCC in 2022) has won yet won a sectional championship.
Kutch was a Blackhawks assistant from 2017-20 before taking over leadership of the program.
In the fall of 2020, he was pitching coach at Purdue Northwest.
Kutch teaches “Blackhawk Academy” at Westville — a credit retrieval class — and is also going into his third year as an assistant for the Indiana Playmakers travel organization.
A 2013 graduate of LaPorte (Ind.) High School, Kutch played four years of baseball for the Slicers.
He played four years at Purdue Northwest and earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2017 and a masters degree in Psychology from Illinois State University in 2020.
Several coaches have helped shaped him.
“Mike Rosenbaum (Rosie) was a Babe Ruth coach in LaPorte for many years,” says Kutch, 27. “I never had the pleasure to play for him but my brother did. I got to be the bat boy and for many years he helped many boys fall in love with the game of baseball while also teaching them the right way to play. Even as a bat boy, he had a positive influence on me as a coach.
“I was lucky enough to be coached by my brother (Michael Kutch) and father (Bruce Kutch) for a few years as well. They were a big positive influence on me.
“Coach Scott Upp and all of my high school coaches taught me valuable fundamentals, discipline, and the importance of how you hold yourself on and off the field.  
“Coach Shane Prance coached me for four years (three as a head coach and one as an assistant). He is one of the most knowledgeable pitching coaches I have ever worked with. I also credit him with showing me how to have fun while playing this game. That may not seem like much but it is something I am extremely thankful for.
“My final year as a player I played for Dave Griffin at PNW. He was one of the best game managers I have played for. He knew how to use his roster and put guys in the right spots to be successful.  
“I learned valuable lessons from each one of these coaches.”
The IHSAA Limited Contact Period was used at Westville to do major renovations on the baseball field, which is located on-campus.
“I do not know the actual dimensions but the field plays big,” says Kutch. “The grass is in incredible shape. That has nothing to do with me. I think we just got lucky with the surface in that instance. 
“Our grass has never been unplayable. The only reason we ever have a delay or a cancelation is due to our infield dirt. Our infield dirt is mostly clay which is an awful chemical makeup for a baseball field. In the spring the rain turns it to mud and in the summer the heat dries it into bedrock. We are in the process of substituting new infield material to try and change this.” 
The middle school team — which serves as a feeder for the high school — played on the field in the fall.
“I normally coach this team but this past year I trusted one of my assistant coaches (Bryce Barton) to direct the middle school program,” says Kutch. “He is doing a great job. He really wants what is best for the kids and truly understands our philosophy here at Westville.”
Besides Barton, Kutch’s high school staff includes Mike Mikulich and Jake Pisowicz.
Cody Brooks (Class of 2022) is now playing for Oakton Community College (Des Plaines, Ill.). He is the first to go on and play college baseball since Kutch has been at Westville. 
“I have many current players that are also pursuing this dream,” says Kutch.
Brody and Elly Kutch have a son named Cooper (1 1/2).

Brody Kutch.
Brody Kutch.
Jackson Shreves (left), Brody Kutch and Brayden Qualkenbush.

Hall of Famer Kas heading into second season as Lafayette Jeff assistant

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

Dennis Kas has spent many a spring and summer on a baseball diamond.
The Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer (Class of 2000) had no specific plans to do that in 2022.
It was while attending his grandsons’ basketball games in Lafayette in November 2021 that Kas ran into Clayton Richard, the former Indiana Mr. Baseball at McCutcheon High School who pitched against Kas’ Noblesville teams and went on to the big leagues and had been hired as head baseball coach at Lafayette Jeff.
That chance meeting led to an invitation for Kas to join Richard’s Jeff coaching staff.
Kas accepted and acted as bench coach and helped out in a variety of ways and is doing the same again in 2022-23.
“I worked offensively with the kids this fall,” says Kas, 70. “(Clayton) likes to lean on me a little bit during the course of games and ask my opinion about certain situations.”
Kas has developed a philosophy as a coach.
“In baseball, there’s so much in the game you can’t control,” says Kas. “You’d better be good at the things you can control.
“For me, that starts with your preparation. I cannot know what my opponents are doing with their time. I just have to be confident that we’re out-working them.
“It’s our discipline, our approach to things, our toughness, the character we show, our resiliency. They come to the forefront in baseball because those are things you can control in preparing your kids.”
It’s those principles that are being promoted by the Jeff staff.
“We want to do our part in developing quality young men,” says Kas. “We want to develop players. We expect to win games. In order to do that it takes a lot of time and commitment. We’re raising the demands.”
Kas says players often make defensive mistakes when they get caught by surprise because they are lacking in preparation.
“I never wanted to ask kid to do something in a game that I had not prepared him to do in practice,” says Kas. “That’s totally unfair.”
The coach is a proponent of hitters putting the ball in-play.
“Never underestimate the ability of your opponent to screw up,” says Kas. “In baseball, the best way to do that is the force the action. We had better be causing some havoc for the (opposing) defense.
“I’m a big believer in being resourceful offensively. You’ve got to be able to bunt the baseball. Use a little hit-and-run. It depends on our personnel. Let’s get hit by pitches if we have players who understand that concept and are willing to do it. Let’s find a way to get on-base.”
On defense, it comes down to executing every play. There is nothing “routine.”
“If we can control those kinds of things and be fundamentally sound defensively then I think we give ourselves the best chance to win,” says Kas. “It’s unfair to have to go to pitchers and say we’ve got to have you strike out 10 guys for us to have a chance.”
Kas notes that a successful formula for the 2022 World Series champion Houston Astros was the ability to rack up strikeouts by its pitching staff while limiting those as hitters.
“That was their secret to success,” says Kas. “They put the ball in-play — even at that level.”
The Astros fanned 160 of 498 batters faced and whiffed 118 times in 455 at-bats themselves during an 11-2 postseason run.
Prior to coaching at Jeff, Kas spent a couple of years assisting Andy Dudley at Frankfort.
Dudley was a teammate of Jade Kas — Dennis’ oldest son and an IHSBCA North/South All-Star Series participant in 1995 — at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
Dennis Kas spent 22 years as an Indiana high school head coach — five at Clinton Prairie and 17 at Noblesville — and amassed a 464-210 mark with five conference, seven sectional and one regional title.
He had 53 players receive baseball scholarships, five selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, 13 chosen IHSBCA Academic All-State, 12 pick as All-State and 12 named to the IHSBCA North/South All-Star Series.
Kas served two terms as IHSBCA president and assisted the organization in many other ways. Recently he was in charge of conducting the Junior Showcase during All-Star weekend.
He spent a couple of years as a volunteer coach at Butler University and six as a paid assistant to Mike Frame at Huntington (Ind.) University while commuting from Noblesville.
Kas has also coached for the Indiana Bulls organization with sons Jade and Austan.
A 1970 graduate of LaPorte (Ind.) High School and 1974 graduate of Anderson College (now Anderson University), Kas started teaching in 1974-75 and served in that capacity for 37 1/2 years in the Clinton Prairie (12), Noblesville (24) and Clinton Central (1 1/2) school systems.
Kas was coaxed out of retirement by a former teaching colleague Melissa Perry and Jeremy Rodibaugh, who played at Huntington University during the coach’s time with the Foresters and was now principal at Clinton Central Elementary School.
For the second semester of one school year and the whole next year, Kas taught Spanish before retiring from the classroom the second time.
He moved from Noblesville to Frankfort more than three years ago to be closer to family.
Catherine “Cathe” Kas died Dec. 9, 2021. She and Dennis had been married and remained great friends.
Dennis has three children — Jade, Austan and Cheyenne — and seven grandchildren (Brady, Sydnie, Charlie, Jacoby, Xyan, Jalen and Sloan).
Jade Kas (who is married to Crysta) lives in the McCutcheon school district and works for Eli Lily.
Former sports editor Austan Kas (Ashley) resides in Fort Wayne and is involved with fantasy sports websites. He played at Huntington U. when his dad coached there.
Cheyenne (Chris Taylor) lives in Frankort and directs the Clinton County Human Society.

Dennis Kas. (Lafayette Jefferson High School Baseball Photo)
The Bronchos baseball staff of 2022. (Lafayette Jefferson High School Baseball Photo)

Alum Frank moves up to head coach at Evansville Central

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

Robbie Frank was a sophomore starter on Evansville (Ind.) Central High School’s IHSAA state runner-up baseball team in 1987.
The 29-win Bears lost 4-1 to LaPorte in the championship game. The Slicers went to be named mythical national champions in that season.
Frank started at shortstop for Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Paul Griese as a junior and senior at Central and played one season as a utility player at Saint Louis University for Billikens head coach Bob Hughes.
The Central Bears were ranked No. 1 during the 1988 season. Central lost to Memorial in the sectional championship in both 1988 and 1989 — 3-0 and 8-2. The Tigers lost in the first round of the semistate in 1988 and won the state crown in 1989.
Energy and passion are two things Frank saw Griese bring to the diamond.
“It was a great experience to play under him,” says Frank. “We were a very talent team 1987-89. It was a good time to be at Central.”
In the summer of 1989, Frank played American Legion baseball for Evansville Funkhouser Post 8. Henry “Mac” LaRue was the manager and son Mark LaRue the head coach.
Later on, Frank coached Highland Little League teams in Evansville, including a state runner-up squad when his players were 12 and state champion unit when they were 13. Bryce Frank, Robbie’s son, was on those teams.
Robbie Frank has served as manager for Evansville Pate American Legion Post 265, guiding a junior squad to the state championship in 2021 and leading a senior team in 2022. He plans to do the same again in 2023, scheduling 30 to 35 games against the best competition he can find.
Frank also spent the past 10 years as an Evansville Central assistant. After head coach Mike Goedde retired at the end of a 12-year run in 2022, Frank was elevated to head coach.
“He’s an old school coach,” says Frank of Goedde. “He’s big on playing the game the right way. He gives a lot of responsibility to the kids — not only in baseball but in life.”
Goedde expected his players to represent themselves, their families and their schools in an appropriate way.
“You never know who’s watching or looking out,” says Frank.
When Frank was hired as Central head coach he had one-on-one meetings with returning sophomores, juniors and seniors to discuss expectations.
He plans to have IHSAA Limited Contact Period practices — twice a week for two hours — working around basketball which is also having LCP workouts.
Among the recent Central graduates to move on to college baseball are the Class of 2022’s Aiden Esarey (Goshen College), Gavin Kelley (Grace College), Ben Kennedy (Taylor University), Ethan Lyke (Murray State University), Ethan Rothschild (University of Southern Indiana) and Kaiden Turner (Grace College), 2021’s Henry Brown (Indiana State University), Garrett Causey (University of Southern Indiana) and Mason Simon (Oakland City University), 2019’s Cory Bosecker (Butler University) and Kody Putnam (Southeastern Illinois College and transferred to Jacksonville State University), 2018’s Sean Becker (Indiana University-Kokomo and transferred to Kentucky Wesleyan College) and Mason White (Indiana University Southeast) and 2017’s Evan Kahre (University of Southern Indiana).
Evansville Central (enrollment around 1,075) is a member of the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference (with Castle, Evansville Bosse, Evansville Harrison, Evansville Mater Dei, Evansville Memorial, Evansville North, Evansville Reitz, Jasper and Vincennes Lincoln).
The Bears were part of an IHSAA Class 4A sectional grouping in 2022 with Castle, Evansville Harrison, Evansville North, Evansville Reitz and Jasper.
“It’s a dogfight every year,” says Frank.
Central has won nine sectional titles — the last in 2017.
The process of hiring Frank’s assistant coaches is in progress.
The Bears play home games at Paul Griese Field. Goedde had Bermuda grass added to the infield a few years ago.
Each spring, Cub Baseball in Evansville has eighth graders (and some seventh graders) competing on behalf of the high schools they are feeding.
Robbie Frank, who is president of Frank Insurance Services Inc. (owned by father Gene Frank), has three children — Faith, Ellie and Bryce. Faith Frank (20) is a former Evansville Central basketball and track athlete now studying at Ivy Tech in Evansville. Ellie Frank (19) was a two-time first-team all-state lacrosse player for the Bears and is now a Murray (Ky.) State University freshman. Bryce Frank (17) is a junior baseball player at Evansville Central.

Robbie Frank.

Indiana products making mark in bigs, minors

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

Left-handed pitcher Zack Thompson, who was a star at Wapahani High School in Selma, Ind., and the University of Kentucky, made his Major League Baseball debut when he earned a four-inning save for the St. Louis Cardinals June 3 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Thompson, 24, has made 10 starts for the Triple-A Memphis (Tenn.) Redbirds in 2022 and is 2-2 with a 4.67 earned run average.
Zach McKinstry (Fort Wayne North Side/Central Michigan) has split his time between the minors and the big-league Los Angeles Dodgers and the lefty-swinging infielder is currently on the active roster with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. He made his big league debut in 2020.
McKinstry, 27, is hitting .335 with three home runs and 20 runs batted in over 164 MiLB at-bats and is 1-for-5 with LA — the hit being a June 3 two-run home run off New York Mets right-hander Chris Bassitt.
Right-hander Ryan Pepiot (Westfield/Butler) had made his MLB debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 11. He is back with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers.
Pepiot, 24, is 4-0 with a 1.77 ERA in nine appearances for OKC and 0-0 with a 3.18 ERA in three games (11 1/3 innings) in the big leagues.
Many other players are also on active rosters in the minors.
Right-hander Luke Albright (Fishers/Kent State) is with the High-A Hillsboro (Ore.) Hops (Arizona Diamondbacks).
Albright, 22, is 3-2 with a 3.64 ERA in 10 starts.
Third baseman Cole Barr (Yorktown/Indiana University) plays for the High-A Everett (Wash.) AquaSox (Seattle Mariners).
Barr, 24, is hitting .172 with three homers and 17 RBIs.
Right-hander Gabe Bierman (Jeffersonville/Indiana) toes the rubber for the Low-A Jupiter (Fla.) Hammerheads (Miami Marlins).
Bierman, 22, is 2-2 with a 4.28 ERA in nine appearances (eight starts).
Right-hander Garrett Burhenn (Lawrence North/Ohio State) takes the bump for the Low-A Lakeland (Fla.) Flying Tigers (Detroit Tigers).
Burhenn, 22, is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in nine starts.
Lefty-swinging outfielder Zach Britton (Batesville/Louisville) is with the High-A Vancouver (B.C.) Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays).
Britton, 23, is hitting .206 with four homers and 11 RBIs.
Right-hander Zack Brown (Seymour/Kentucky) is one step from the majors with the Triple-A Nashville (Tenn.) Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers).
Brown, 27, is 1-0 with two saves and a 3.54 ERA in 17 relief appearances.
Outfielder Drew Campbell (Jeffersonville/Louisville) swings from the left side for the High-A Rome Braves (Atlanta Braves).
Campbell, 24, is hitting .266 with one homer and 22 RBIs.
Left-hander Jacob Cantleberry (Center Grove/Missouri/San Jacinto) is with the High-A Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers) in Midland, Mich.
Cantleberry, 24, is 2-1 with one save and a 6.10 ERA in 13 games out of the bullpen.

Right-hander Adysin Coffey (Delta/Wabash Valley) is on the Development List as a reliever with the Kannapolis (N.C.) Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox).

Coffey, 23, is 2-2 with two saves a 7.30 ERA in 13 games.
Lefty-swinging outfielder Craig Dedelow (Munster/Indiana) takes his cuts for the Double-A Birmingham (Ala.) Barons (Chicago White Sox).
Dedelow, 27, is hitting .226 with 13 homers and 35 RBIs.
Lefty-swinging second baseman Clay Dungan (Yorktown/Indiana State) is with Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals).
Dungan, 26, is hitting .204 with three homers and 18 RBIs.
Outfielder Elijah Dunham (Evansville Reitz/Indiana) bats lefty for the Double-A Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees) in Bridgewater, N.J.
Dunham, 24, is hitting .346 with seven homers and 27 RBIs.
Right-hander Parker Dunshee (Zionsville/Wake Forest) is spinning pitches for the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators (Oakland Athletics).
Dunshee, 27, is 1-5 with a 7.24 ERA in 12 games (10 starts).

Righty-swinging outfielder Matt Gorski (Hamilton Southeastern/Indiana) is with Double-A Altoona (Pa.) Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates).

Gorski, 24, is hitting .290 with 19 homers and 46 RBIs.
Left-hander Timmy Herrin (Terre Haute South Vigo/Indiana) takes the mound for the Triple-A Columbus (Ohio) Clippers (Cleveland Guardians).
Herrin, 25, is 0-2 with one save and a 4.00 ERA in 17 relief appearances.
Right-hander Bryan Hoeing (Batesville/Louisville) challenges hitters for the Triple-A Jacksonville (Fla.) Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins).
Hoeing, 25, is 7-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 11 starts.
Lefty-swinging outfielder Jacob Hurtubise (Zionsville/Army) is with the Double-A Chattanooga (Tenn.) Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds).
Hurtubise, 24, is hitting .299 with no homers and five RBIs. He has spent some time on the IL.
Right-hander Drey Jameson (Greenfield-Central/Ball State) fires it for the Triple-A Reno (Nev.) Aces (Arizona Diamondbacks).
Jameson, 24, is 3-5 with a 5.80 ERA in 12 games (11 starts).
Catcher Hayden Jones (Carroll/Mississippi State/Illinois State) is also a lefty swinger and plays for the Low-A Daytona (Fla.) Tortugas (Cincinnati Reds).
Jones, 22, is hitting .210 with one homer and eight RBIs.
Righty-swinging catcher Scott Kapers (Mount Carmel, Ill./Valparaiso) is with the High-A Hickory (N.C.) Crawdads (Texas Rangers).
Kapers, 25, is hitting .257 with five homers and 16 RBIs.
Lefty-swinging first baseman Niko Kavadas (Penn/Notre Dame) competes for the Low-A Salem (Va.) Red Sox (Boston Red Sox).
Kavadas, 23, is hitting .253 with seven homers and 31 RBIs.
Right-hander Chayce McDermott (Pendleton Heights/Ball State) journeys around the circuit with the High-A Asheville (N.C.) Tourists (Houston Astros).
McDermott, 23, is 5-1 with a 4.35 ERA in 12 games (six starts).
First baseman Jacson McGowan (Brownsburg/Purdue) plies his trade with the Double-A Montgomery (Ala.) Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays).
McGowan, 24, is hitting .276 with one homer and two RBIs. He has been on the IL in 2022.
Right-hander Zach Messinger (Castle/Virginia) hurls for the Low-A Tampa (Fla.) Tarpons (New York Yankees).
Messinger, 22, is 0-4 with two saves and a 4.85 ERA in 18 games (15 in relief).
Right-hander Evan Miller (LaPorte/Purdue Fort Wayne) works mostly out of the bullpen for the Triple-A El Paso (Texas) Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres).
Miller, 27, is 1-2 with two saves and a 6.59 ERA in 21 games (19 in relief).
Lefty-swinging shortstop Colson Montgomery (Southridge) is with the Low-A Kannapolis (N.C.) Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox).
Montgomery, 20, is hitting .295 with four homers and 23 RBIs.
Righty-swinging infielder Nick Podkul (Andrean/Notre Dame) was with the Buffalo (N.Y.) Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays).
Podkul, 25, is hitting .178 with two homers and nine RBIs.
Left-hander Triston Polley (Brownsburg/Indiana State) has been a reliever for the High-A Hickory (N.C.) Crawdads (Texas Rangers).
Polley, 25, is 6-2 with one save and a 5.67 ERA in 16 games (all out of the bullpen).
Outfielder Grant Richardson (Fishers/Indiana) bats lefty for the Low-A Tampa (Fla.) Tarpons (New York Yankees).
Richardson, 22, is hitting .207 with two homers and 16 RBIs.
Left-hander Andrew Saalfrank (Heritage/Indiana) is a reliever for the High-A Hillsboro (Ore.) Hops (Arizona Diamondbacks).
Saalfrank, 24, is 2-0 with a 3.52 ERA in 17 bullpen games.
Andy Samuelson (LaPorte/Wabash Valley) pitched for the Rookie-level Braves (Atlanta Braves) until retiring June 11.
Samuelson, 23, pitched 1/3 of an inning in 2022.
Right-hander Caleb Sampen (Brownsburg/Wright State) pours it in for the Double-A Montgomery (Ala.) Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays).
Sampen, 25, is 1-12 with a 5.02 ERA in nine appearances (five starts). He has been on the IL in 2022.
Right-hander Reid Schaller (Lebanon/Vanderbilt) is part of the bullpen for the Double-A Harrisburg (Pa.) Senators (Washington Nationals).
Schaller, 25, is 2-0 with one save and a 2.89 ERA in 14 bullpen contests.
Lefty-swinging outfielder Nick Schnell (Roncalli) is back on the field after a long injury-list stint. He plays for the Low-A Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays).
Schnell, 22, was activated May 31 and is hitting .333 with no homers and six RBIs. The “Diamonds in the Rough” podcast features Schnell and Cole Wilcox.
Left-hander Garrett Schoenle (Fort Wayne Northrop/Cincinnati) mostly comes out of the bullpen for the High-A Winston-Salem (N.C.) Dash (Chicago White Sox).
Schoenle, 23, is 3-1 with one save and a 1.39 ERA in 14 games (13 in relief).
Left-hander Avery Short (Southport) has been starting for the High-A Hillsboro (Ore.) Hops (Arizona Diamondbacks).
Short, 21, is 0-4 with a 4.58 ERA in nine starts.
Left-hander Tommy Sommer (Carmel/Indiana) is a starter for the Low-A Kannapolis (N.C.) Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox).
Sommer, 23, is 2-4 with a 3.13 ERA in 11 starts.
Right-hander Skylar Szynski (Penn) was drafted in 2016 and has missed much time because of injury. He is Low-A Stockton (Calif.) Ports (Oakland Athletics).
Szynski, 24, is 1-1 with a 12.66 ERA in 15 bullpen games.
Right-hander Nolan Watson (Lawrence North) is mostly a reliever for the Double-A San Antonio Missions (San Diego Padres).
Watson, 25, is 1-2 with a 7.76 ERA in 14 appearances (12 in relief).
Among those on the 7-day injury list are right-hander Sam Bachman (Hamilton Southeastern/Miami of Ohio) with the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels) in Madison, Ala., righty-swinging third baseman Kody Hoese (Griffith/Tulane) with the Tulsa (Okla.) Drillers (Los Angeles Dodgers), right-hander Michael McAvene (Roncalli/Louisville) with the High-A South Bend Cubs (Chicago Cubs) and righty-swinging third baseman Riley Tirotta (Mishawaka Marian/Dayton) with the High-A Vancouver (B.C.) Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays).
Bachman, 22, is 0-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four starts.
Hoese, 24, is hitting .284 with three homers and 21 RBIs.
McAvene, 24, is 0-0 with a 40.50 ERA in one relief appearance.
Tirotta, 23, is hitting .209 with three homers and 20 RBIs.
Right-hander Tanner Andrews (Tippecanoe Valley/Purdue) with the Triple-A Sacramento (Calif.) River Cats (San Francisco Giants), right-hander Pauly Milto (Roncalli/Indiana) with the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Dash (Chicago White Sox) and righty-swinging third baseman Hunter Owen (Evansville Mater Dei/Indiana State) with the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates) are on the 60-day IL.
Andrews, 26, is 0-0 with an 11.12 ERA in four relief games.
Milto, 25, is 0-0 with a 3.07 ERA in nine games (eight in relief).
Owen, 28, is hitting .256 with no homers and five RBIs. He made his MLB debut in 2021.

Zack Thompson (MLB Photo)

’22 IHSBCA North/South All-Star Series June 24-26

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

Indiana Wesleyan University will be at center stage when the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series is held Friday through Sunday, June 24-26.
Practice is slated for Friday, June 24. The North works out from 1:30-3 p.m. and the South 3-4:30.
The All-Star banquet is slated for 7 p.m. Friday, June 24 at Roseburg Event Center with former big league pitcher and 2008 Indiana Wesleyan alum Brandon Beachy as keynote speaker.
A doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday, June 25. The three-game series concludes with a wood bat contest Sunday, June 26.
The North leads 68-66 in the all-time series.
Indiana all-stars are seniors nominated by IHSBCA members and selected by a committee.
In addition, the IHSBCA Futures Game (non-seniors) is to be staged at IWU Wednesday, June 22. A doubleheader featuring four teams is scheduled to begin at noon.

IHSBCA NORTH/SOUTH ALL-STAR SERIES
2022 Rosters
North
Pitchers
Ethan McCormick (Lafayette Harrison)
Drew VanOeveren (Hamilton Heights)
Zackary Todd (Wes-Del)
Camrin Worthington (LaPorte)
Gage Stanifer (Westfield)
Will Eldridge (Carroll of Flora)
Parker Dean (Western)
Cole Wise (Northwestern)
Brayden Risedorph (East Noble)
Catchers
Nick Turner (Seeger)
Sam Gladd (Columbia City)
Luke Willmann (Wapahani)
First Basemen
Nolan Johnson (Valparaiso)
Brady Ginaven (Munster)
Middle Infielders
Owen Willard (Eastside)
Luke Smock (Delphi)
Joey Spin (Caston)
Brennen Weigert (Homestead)
Third Basemen
Aidyn Coffey (Monroe Central)
Dalton Wasson (Heritage)
Outfielders
Connor Misch (Lake Central)
Luke Siren (Fort Wayne Northrop)
Evan Pearce (Oak Hill)
Zachary Hoskins (Penn)
Keaton Mahan (Westfield)
Jacob Pruitt (Yorktown)
Head Coach
A.J. Risedorph (NorthWood head coach)
Assistants
Jack Rupley (Manchester head coach)
Aaron Willard (Eastside head coach)
Ryan VanOeveren (Hamilton Heights head coach)
Eric Emery (Oak Hill assistant)
South
Pitchers
Andrew Dutkanych (Brebeuf Jesuit)
Drew Howard (Forest Park)
Grayson Knight (University)
Tate Warner (Fishers)
Jacob Vogel (Jennings County)
Aydan Decker-Petty (New Castle)
Brock Harper (Lapel)Andrew Lanning (Lawrenceburg)
Logan Drook (Centerville)
Ethan Lyke (Evansville Central)
Sam Reed (Brebeuf Jesuit)
Catchers
Keifer Wilson (Greencastle)
Charlie Rife (Shelbyville)
Oscar Pegg (Shakamak)
First Basemen
Riley Behrmann (Indianapolis North Central)
Nick Wiley (Mooresville)
Infielders
Jake Winzenread (Lawrence North)
Tyler Cerny (Center Grove)
Dominic Decker (Silver Creek)
Joe Huffman (Avon)
Tucker Biven (New Albany)
Cameron Decker (Evansville North)
Outfielders
Kannon Stull (Jeffersonsville)
Brody Chrisman (Zionsville)
Landon Carr (Northview)
Mason Grant (Brownsburg)
Charlie Hawk (Lawrence Central)
Flex
Connor Foley (Jasper)
Head Coach
Jeremy Jones (Evansville North head coach)
Assistants
Keith Hatfield (Center Grove head coach)
Rich Winzenread (Lawrence North head coach)
Joe Decker (Silver Creek head coach)