Segal brings decades of experience as new Gibson Southern head coach

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Structure. Expectations. Accountability.

Those are things Bobby Segal plans to make a priority as the new head baseball coach at Gibson Southern High School in Fort Branch, Ind.

“Coaching staff and players will be held to a high standard both on and off of the field,” says Segal, whose hiring came in October 2023. “We represent a great community that supports great educational opportunities and extracurricular activities. 

“The accumulation of great days with discipline and focus will determine how successful this program can become.”

Gibson Southern (enrollment around 775) is a member of the Pocket Athletic Conference (with Boonville, Forest Park, Heritage Hills, Mt. Vernon, North Posey, Pike Central, Princeton Community, Southridge, South Spencer, Tecumseh, Tell City and Washington).

The Titans are part of an IHSAA Class 3A sectional grouping in 2024 with Boonville, Evansville Bosse, Evansville Memorial. Mt. Vernon and Princeton Community. Gibson Southern has won nine sectional titles — the last in 2014.

“With the size of school and the amount of athletes that compete on other teams, we started baseball-related and weight training workouts in December,” says Segal, who is just the third head coach in program history after Jim Reid and Chris May. “The emphasis was to have a detailed plan of work that would help our players in their skill development by position, and to prepare for upcoming game situations.”

Segal is a 2002 graduate of North Central High School in Indianapolis where he played for Rick Shadiow and Indiana University where he played three seasons for Bob Morgan (2003) and one for Tracy Smith (2004-06). 

A catcher, Segal helped IU qualify for the 2003 Big Ten Conference tournament and was and letterwinner and academic all-Big Ten 2004-06.

After his playing career, Segal embarked on a career as a baseball coach and instructor. 

Most recently, Segal was hitting coach for the independent professional Frontier League’s Evansville (Ind.) Otters (2016-23). He was the FL Coach of the Year in 2017.

The owner of more than 800 wins as a manager and assistant coach, Segal won two league championships and one league runner-up as hitting coach with the independent pro Gary SouthShore RailCats.

Segal has been part of seven playoff series and had more than 30 players signed by Major League Baseball organizations.

Collegiately, Segal has served on staffs at Butler, Tarleton State (Texas), Wabash Valley College, Iowa Western and Union (Kentucky). He was a part of seven nationally-ranked squads and has made both a World Series appearance in both the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). 

In his nine seasons as a collegiate coach, more 70 players went on sign pro contracts.

Segal was the head coach for the summer collegiate North Adams (Mass.) SteepleCats in 2010 and Terre Haute (Ind.) Rex in 2015. With the SteepCats, he managed in the New England Collegiate Baseball League All-Star Game, The Rex won the Prospect League and Segal was named PL Manager of the Year.

In 2007, Segal was a baseball operations intern with the Cincinnati Reds, preparing advanced scouting reports and providing support to the Director of Scouting Administration.

Segal has also been an instructor at Britton’s Bullpen in Boonville, Ind.

“I was very fortunate to have played for and coached with many highly-motivated, positive individuals that had a true passion for the game,” says Segal. “The key is to pull certain nuggets from all of those you come in contact with, so that you can continue to grow and share in the industry.”

At Gibson Southern, Segal’s coaching staff will include May, Zach Pullum, Reed Farmer, Chris Wilkerson and Axel Freudenberg.

May, a former Indiana State University-Evansville (now University of Southern Indiana) infielder, was Titans head coach the past 16 seasons.

Pullum, an Indiana State University graduate, enters his seventh season at Gibson Southern. He is Director of Baseball Operations and bullpen coach for the Titans as well as an IT Computer Support Specialist for the school.

Farmer, an Oakland City University alum, is going into his fourth season of coaching high school baseball.

Wilkerson is also going into his seventh campaign at Gibson Southern.

Freudenberg, another OCU graduate, is heading into his third season.

Titan Baseball Field, located on-campus, has natural grass. Dimensions are 309 feet down the left field line, 370 to center and 305 to right.

Feeder system includes the Fort Branch, Haubstadt and Owensville youth baseball programs. Local travel teams in Gibson County include South Gibson Heat and Southern Smoke.  

Recent Gibson Southern graduates to move on to college baseball include the Class of 2022’s Justin Stimpson (Rend Lake), Oliver Hamilton (Oakland City), Kaden Hurless (Oakland City) and Colton Okes (Wabash Valley) and 2023’s Garrett Reid (Post Grad Sports in Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Adam Thompson (Asbury).

Segal says no one on the current roster is committed, but there are players who are interested in taking that path.

Bobby and wife Rachel Segal live in Fort Branch with children Asher, Jacob and Lillian. 

Bobby Segal, who has a Master of Education degree from Union College in Barbourville, Ky., is to being teaching at Gibson Southern in the fall of 2024.

Bobby Segal.

Gibson Southern High School.

Segal’s baseball path lands him with Otters, Brittton’s Bullpen in southern Indiana

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

The baseball journey of Bobby Segal has taken the Indianapolis native all over the Midwest and beyond and he has gained something at each stop.

The hitting coach for the Evansville Otters of the independent professional Frontier League and an instructor at Britton’s Bullpen in Boonville, Ind., credits father Elliott Segal and grandfather Al Segal for his “love of the game.”

“My dad and grandpa instilled it in me at a young age,” says Bobby, who started out at Westlane Trails Little League and played on an Indiana state Babe Ruth championship team at age 13 before playing travel baseball for the Chris Estep-coached Indiana Mustangs. “They were never overbearing about it. I got constructive criticism at a young age.”

Bobby’s grandfather had played at Indiana University and his father played at Broad Ripple High School, where he later coached, taught and served as assistant athletic director.

Elliott Segal, husband to Carol, is a long-time scoreboard operator for the Indiana Pacers and Bobby spent his childhood at Market Square Arena (since replaced by Bankers Life Fieldhouse).

Bobby played baseball at North Central High School in Indianapolis for coach Rick Shadiow and served his last three prep years (2000, 2001 and 2002) as batboy and then two years on the grounds crew for the Indianapolis Indians.

“I enjoyed the relationship of running the balls to the umpires and going to their locker room before the game,” says Segal of his batboy duties. “I did whatever I could to make their jobs easier. I enjoyed being around the game and getting to know some of the players. I got see those guys move up (to the big leagues).

“I can’t think of a better job for a high school kid.”

He also took pride in taking care of Victory Field.

“That’s a big league playing surface — no doubt about it,” says Segal. “That’s why a lot of people enjoy playing there.”

Segal was a walk-on catcher at Indiana University, playing three seasons for Bob Morgan and one for Tracy Smith.

Many lessons were learned at IU.

“I learned about punctuality, how to present yourself and being unified as a team,” says Segal. “The game speeds up at each level.”

He recalls vividly a defensive drill run by Morgan that employed two fungo bats and had three baseballs in motion at one time

“If you weren’t paying attention, you were bound to get a ball whizzing past your head,” says Segal. “His practices very regimented. (Morgan) is one of the most passionate guys I’ve been around. He loves the game so much. He wanted his players to be disciplined.

“I have a lot of respect for him. He gave me a chance to play college baseball.”

Right out of IU, where he received a bachelor’s degree in sports marketing/management, he joined the Cincinnati Reds organization in baseball operations, spending time at spring training as well as the minors and in Cincinnati.

Segal then became a graduate assistant coach at Union (Ky.) College, where he worked for Bulldogs head coach Bart Osborne.

In Osborne, he found a kindred spirit and mentor.

“Bart and I very similar,” says Segal. “He is a planner. Whether there was a practice or a game, I’ve never been around anybody who was more competitive than he was.

“I learned a lot of great things from him on the baseball side and the planning side.

“Bart has a great baseball mind.”

After two springs at Union, Segal served one season each as a volunteer assistant to Steve Farley at Butler University in Indianapolis, assistant to Marc Rardin at Iowa Western Community College and assistant to Bryan Conger at Tarleton State University in Texas.

The Reivers of Iowa Western won National Junior College Athletic Association Division I World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014 and qualifying during Segal’s season in Council Bluffs (2011).

Segal was also recruiting director at Tarleton State and left the Texans for a four-season stint as hitting and catching coach/recruiting director to Rob Fournier at Wabash Valley College in Illinois.

During the summers, Segal got more diamond know-how as hitting coach and interim manager for the North Adams (Mass.) SteepleCats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League in 2010, hitting coach for the Brian Dorsett-managed Terre Haute Rex of the summer collegiate Prospect League in 2012, third base/hitting coach for the Greg Tagert-managed Gary SouthShore RailCats of the independent professional American Association in 2013 then returned for two seasons as manager of the Terre Haute Rex.

Gary won the AA championship when Segal was on the staff.

“It was a veteran clubhouse,” says Segal. “I was around guys with Double-A and Triple-A time. We had chemistry and experience for the entire summer. It is one of the best experiences I ever had.”

The 2015 Rex won a frachise-record 43 games and the Prospect League title.

“A lot of guys that bought into what we were trying to do,” says Segal. “I was trying to give them a pro experience at the collegiate level.

“They got a taste of it and a lot of team chemistry. We completed the mission at the end of 2015.”

Hired by manager Andy McCauley, Segal spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons with Evansville and will be back with the Otters in 2018.

Meanwhile, Segal is teaching the game to younger players. He enjoys working with both amateurs and pros.

“I love to see the light bulbs turn on for the young kids,” says Segal. “I encourage them to do a more athletic movement and then we see the ball jump off their bat or go in their mitt and get a good exchange.”

Looking to give a well-rounded experience, he spends the first half of a lesson on things like base running and defense and the second half on hitting.

“We’re doing all facets of the game in one trip to Britton’s Bullpen,” says Segal.

At the pro level, it’s about batting cage work and developing daily routines.

“I love the uniqueness of the routines and the camaraderie I can build with the professional guys,” says Segal. “It’s all about competing when the lights come on (at game time).”

In his one-hour sessions with younger players, he helps them make small adjustments and keeps the mood light.

He avoids the major overhaul with his pro hitters.

“I see them a little over four months of the year,” says Segal. “Most of them have hitting coaches back home or wherever they’re at. I’m preaching routines and game-time approach

“I’m trying to give them as much information from a mental approach side of things.”

Matt Segal, Bobby’s older brother, is a former media relations worker for the Indianapolis Indians and sports information director at Morehead State University. He was with the National Football League’s Rams before they moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles and is now digital content manager for the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership.

Matt’s wife, Jenifer Langosch, covers the St. Louis Cardinals for MLB.com.

Bobby and Rachel (Harvey) Segal reside in Fort Branch with their two children — son Asher (2 1/2) and daughter Lillian (almost 6 months).

Bobby Segal, an Indianapolis native, is entering his third season as hitting coach of the Evansville Otters in 2018. He is also an instructor at Britton’s Bullpen in Boonville, Ind. (Evansville Otters Photo)