Indiana State win streak reaches 13

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

Indiana State University keeps stacking up victories.
After a 2-8 start to the 2023 college baseball season, the Sycamores are 25-12 overall and 13-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
ISU has won 13 straight — the last coming Sunday, April 13 against Southern Illinois. It’s the longest win streak during the Mitch Hannahs coaching era. Sunday’s career win No. 400 for Hannahs.
South Carolina is No. 1 in the latest NCAA Division I RPI (Rating Percentage Index) rankings.
Among state schools, Indiana State is No. 10, Indiana No. 11, Notre Dame No. 36, Evansville No. 75, Valparaiso No. 91, Ball State No. 99, Purdue No. 210, Butler No. 231, Purdue Fort Wayne No. 255 and Southern Indiana No. 281.

Besides Indiana State, the state’s top current win streaks belong to NCAA D-I Indiana (7), NCAA D-I Notre Dame (5), NAIA Indiana Tech (4), NCAA D-I Ball State (3), NCAA D-III Earlham (3), NAIA Indiana Wesleyan (3), NAIA Saint Francis (3) and NAIA Taylor (3).

Other milestone coaching wins were achieved this past week by Ball State’s Rich Maloney and Wabash’s Jake Martin.
Maloney earned his 600th as Cardinals skipper and Martin picked up No. 300 while leading the Little Giants.

Below are season records, weekly results and links to web pages, schedules and statistics for all 39 programs.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through April 23
NCAA D-I
Indiana 30-11 (9-3 Big Ten)
Ball State 26-13 (13-5 MAC)
Indiana State 25-12 (13-1 MVC)
Notre Dame 23-15 (11-10 ACC)
Evansville 23-16 (8-7 MVC)
Purdue 19-20 (8-7 Big Ten)
Valparaiso 16-16 (7-8 MVC)
Southern Indiana 13-26 (5-10 OVC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 10-31 (6-12 Horizon)
Butler 9-30 (2-7 Big East)

Schedule Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

Stat Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 24-16 (10-14 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 10-28 (5-17 GLIAC)

Schedule Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

Stat Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

NCAA D-III
Franklin 24-8 (12-2 HCAC)
Wabash 20-13 (5-5 NCAC)
Earlham 17-12 (7-7 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 17-14 (9-5 HCAC)
Manchester 17-14 (8-6 HCAC)
Anderson 17-14 (6-8 HCAC)
Trine 14-19 (5-10 MIAA)
Hanover 11-19 (5-9 HCAC)
DePauw 10-19 (3-7 NCAC)

Schedule Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

Stat Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

NAIA
Taylor 34-12 (27-5 CL)
Indiana Tech 29-12 (15-9 WHAC)
Huntington 29-14 (21-9 CL)
Indiana Wesleyan 29-16-1 (24-8 CL)
Oakland City 27-15 (10-11 RSC)
IU Southeast 27-17 (17-7 RSC)
IU-Kokomo 24-19 (14-10 RSC)
Saint Francis 24-20 (18-12 CL)
IU South Bend 20-22 (14-9 CCAC)
Grace 18-23 (10-20 CL)
Bethel 17-27 (10-22 CL)
Marian 16-26 (10-20 CL)
Calumet of St. Joseph 15-29 (7-16 CCAC)
Goshen 9-33 (5-25 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 3-39

Schedule Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Stat Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Junior College
Ivy Tech Northeast 24-15
Vincennes 19-25 (7-13 MWAC)
Marian’s Ancilla 8-30 (7-10 MCCAA)

Schedule Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Stat Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Through April 23
NCAA D-I
Tuesday, April 18
Purdue 3, Ball State 2
Northern Kentucky 8, Butler 3
Evansville 10, Western Kentucky 8
Indiana 7, Louisville 3
Indiana State 10, Vanderbilt 2
Notre Dame 7, Valparaiso 3

Wednesday, April 19
Purdue 16, Butler 9
Indiana 11, Cincinnati 9
Notre Dame 2, Western Michigan 1
Purdue Fort Wayne 3, Michigan State 2
Southern Indiana 15, Oakland City 6

Friday, April 21
Butler 6, Seton Hall 2
Indiana 9, Ohio 8
Notre Dame 10, Virginia 7
Purdue 10, Maryland 8
Wright State 6, Purdue Fort Wayne 4
Valparaiso 12, Illinois-Chicago 9

Saturday, April 22
Ball State 5, Northern Illinois 2
Ball State 16, Northern Illinois 12
Butler 12, Seton Hall 10
Evansville 7, Murray State 6
Indiana 17, Ohio 2
Indiana State 6, Southern Illinois 5
Maryland 6, Purdue 5
Wright State 17, Purdue Fort Wayne 6
Southern Indiana 26, Eastern Illinois 6
Eastern Illinois at Southern Indiana
Valparaiso 5, Illinois-Chicago 4

Sunday, April 23
Ball State 15, Northern Illinois 5
Seton Hall 9, Butler 2
Evansville 6, Murray State 3
Murray State 10, Evansville 3
Indiana 9, Ohio 2
Indiana State 10, Southern Illinois (7 inn.)
Notre Dame 10, Virginia 2
Notre Dame 5, Virginia 4
Maryland 10, Purdue 8
Wright State 11, Purdue Fort Wayne 5
Southern Indiana 15, Eastern Illinois 8
Illinois-Chicago 21, Valparaiso 7 (7 inn.)

NCAA D-II
Tuesday, April 18
Kentucky Wesleyan 14, Indianapolis 8
Lewis 13, Purdue Northwest 4

Wednesday, April 19
Indianapolis 6, Purdue Northwest 3

Friday, April 21
Indianapolis 15, Southwest Baptist 2
Grand Valley State 3, Purdue Northwest 2

Saturday, April 22
Indianapolis 12, Southwest Baptist 2
Southwest Baptist 4, Indianapolis 3
Purdue Northwest 5, Grand Valley State 4
Grand Valley State at Purdue Northwest

Sunday, April 23
Indianapolis 7, Southwest Baptist 4
Grand Valley State 15, Purdue Northwest 4

NCAA D-III
Tuesday, April 18
Saint Francis 17, Manchester 9
Adrian 10, Trine 3

Wednesday, April 19
Denison 13, DePauw 1 (7 inn.)
Denison 14, DePauw 10
Manchester 10, Bluffton 3
Greenville 12, Rose-Hulman 7
Wittenberg 12, Wabash 2 (7 inn.)
Wittenberg 11, Wabash 10

Thursday, April 20
Franklin 13, Denison 3

Friday, April 21
Calvin 12, Trine 11

Saturday, April 22
Anderson 8, Manchester 4
Anderson 10, Manchester 8 (11 inn.)
Wooster 9, DePauw 3
Wooster 11, DePauw 7
Earlham 4, Defiance 3
Earlham 8, Defiance 4
Franklin 17, Rose-Hulman 8
Franklin 4, Rose-Hulman 3
Transylvania 10, Hanover 3
Hanover 6, Transylvania 3
Calvin 8, Trine 4
Trine 13, Calvin 9
Kenyon 17, Wabash 3 (8 inn.)
Wabash 5, Kenyon 2

Sunday, April 23
Manchester 10, Anderson 7
Earlham 4, Defiance 3
Rose-Hulman 15, Franklin 7
Transylvania 8, Hanover 4

NAIA
Tuesday, April 18
Goshen 11, Grace 10
Grace 20, Goshen 3
Huntington 7, Thomas More 4
IUSB 16, IUPU-Columbus 1
IUSB 5, IUPU-Columbus 0
Campbellsville 9, IU Southeast 8
Mount Vernon Nazarene 4, Marian 0
Marian 7, Mount Vernon Nazarene 4
Saint Francis 17, Manchester 9

Wednesday, April 19
IU Southeast 9, Georgetown (Ky.) 5
Indiana Tech 7, Northwestern Ohio 4
Northwestern Ohio 10, Indiana Tech 0
Southern Indiana 15, Oakland City 6

Thursday, April 20
Spring Arbor 6, Bethel 1
Bethel 6, Spring Arbor 2
Grace 6, Saint Francis 5
Saint Francis 11, Grace 1
Huntington 11, Indiana Wesleyan 1 (8 inn.)
Indiana Wesleyan 8, Huntington 3
Concordia (Mich.) 12, Indiana Tech 1
Concordia (Mich.) 8, Indiana Tech 2
Marian 16, Taylor 6 (7 inn.)
Taylor 9, Marian 8

Friday, April 21
Spring Arbor 5, Bethel 4
Spring Arbor 11, Bethel 7
Roosevelt 12, Calumet of St. Joseph 0
Roosevelt 7, Calumet of St. Joseph 5
Mount Vernon Nazarene 12, Goshen 2
Mount Vernon Nazarene 7, Goshen 1
Indiana Wesleyan 10, Huntington 6 (11 inn.)
Indiana Wesleyan 17, Huntington 4
IU-Kokomo 5, Point Park 4
Point Park 10, IU-Kokomo 1
Olivet Nazarene 10, IU South Bend 3
IU South Bend 14, Olivet Nazarene 3

Saturday, April 22
Calumet of St. Joseph 9, Roosevelt 1
Mount Vernon Nazarene 3, Goshen 2
Mount Vernon Nazarene 6, Goshen 3
Saint Francis 8, Grace 3
Saint Francis 6, Grace 4
IU South Bend 15, Olivet Nazarene 5
IU Southeast 6, Midway 4
IU Southeast 15, Midway 5
Indiana Tech 23, Rochester 2
Indiana Tech 12, Rochester 2 (7 inn.)
Taylor 6, Marian 2
Taylor 6, Marian 1

Sunday, April 23
Point Park 6, IU-Kokomo 2
Wright State Lake 9, IUPU-Columbus 3
Wright State Lake 8, IUPU-Columbus 2
Midway 5, IU Southeast 4
Indiana Tech 5, Rochester 3
Indiana Tech 11, Rochester 4

Junior College
Monday, April 17
John Wood 11, Vincennes 1
John Wood 11, Vincennes 2

Tuesday, April 18
Ivy Tech Northeast 11, Glen Oaks 1
Marian’s Ancilla at Owens
Marian’s Ancilla at Owens
Vincennes 5, John Wood 2
John Wood 14, Vincennes 6

Thursday, April 20
Ivy Tech Northeast 17, Adrian JV 7
Marian’s Ancilla 4, Lake Michigan 3
Marian’s Ancilla 10, Lake Michigan 5

Saturday, April 22
Owens 10, Ivy Tech Northeast 4
Marian’s Ancilla 2, Lake Michigan 1
Lake Michigan 6, Marian’s Ancilla 3
Lincoln Land 9, Vincennes 5
Lincoln Land 9, Vincennes 1

Sunday, April 23
Vincennes 2, Lincoln Land 1
Vincennes 7, Lincoln Land 4

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Before joining Marines, Miller helping Indiana State on mound

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

Lane Miller’s final college baseball season is ending with him performing a different function than when he began.
Before the 2023 campaign at Indiana State University, Miller announced he would join the U.S. Marines after the season and apply for Officer Candidates School (OCS) in Quantico, Va. He has completed a Sport Management degree and Master of Business Administration (MBA) certification at ISU and is now working on a Sports Leadership minor.
“I talked to the coaches and my priority was going to be to get ready for that,” says Miller. “I was just going to be a leader on the team and help where I needed to help.”
He coached up his teammates, gathered statistics and contributed to scouting reports.”
Then came a need for him to pitch. He made starts March 28 against Purdue, April 2 against Illinois-Chicago, April 9 against Illinois State, April 16 against Belmont and — in an adjusted schedule — is slated to start again Monday, April 24 against Missouri Valley Conference foe Southern Illinois at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute.
6-foot-4, 211-pound right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.95 earned run average. He has 16 strikeouts and eight walks in 27 2/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .196 against him.
With a 10-2 victory at No. 4 Vanderbilt, No. 22 Indiana State ran its win streak to 11 (Illinois-Chicago two games, Indiana, Illinois State three games, Purdue, Belmont three games and Vandy).
It’s the second double-digit streak since Mitch Hannahs has been head coach. The Sycamores previously won 12 in a row in 2014.
Through April 19, Indiana State was No. 12 in the NCAA Division I RPI (Rating Percentage Index) rankings.
“Everybody is taking it game-by-game,” says Miler. “We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. Coach Hannahs says, ‘anywhere anytime.’ That’s how it is in college baseball right now. Any team can beat anybody at anytime.”
Miller says the Sycamores are out to prove that they deserve the recognition.
“We just pick each other up on good days and bad days and keep moving forward,” says Miller.
Consistency is what Miller sees when he looks at Hannahs.
“It’s knowing that we’re going to get the same thing every day when we show up at the field. I know he has a high expectation not only for himself, but for his coaches and the team as a whole.
“His loyalty to us is second to none.”
Miller, who made 15 mound appearances (18 innings) 2020-22, works closest with Sycamores pitching coach Justin Hancock.
“He’s very determined,” says Miller of Hancock. “He knows what he wants out of the pitching staff and each player. He holds them to a high standard.
“His standard never falters on a daily basis.”
Miller throws a two-seam fastball, change-up and slider and has been working in a pitch that is a mix of slider and curve. Depending on the count or situation, he also change arm slots — over-the-top or sidearm.
Throwing from the side, his two-seamer moves left to right and slider right to left.
“I’ve done a good job of not doing one or the other (arm slot) too much,” says Miller. “I’m a very quick pitcher. I tend to work fast. With the 20-second pitch clock rule the faster I work the less time the hitter gets to think.
“It’s really worked to my benefit.”
Born in Evansville, Ind., to a military family, Miller spent early years in South Carolina and Idaho, and settled in Boonville, Ind., in his seventh grade year. He played most of his travel ball in middle school and high school with the Ironmen.
Lane is the son of Todd Miller and Summer (Hart) Williams. His father was in the military for more than 20 years, serving in the U.S. Navy and with the Special Forces. His mother played basketball at the University of Evansville. Sister Daleigh Miller is an Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis senior. Brother Caiden Miller is a Marine.
A 2017 graduate of Boonville High School, Miller was an all-Pocket Athletic Conference performer in football, basketball and baseball. On the diamond, his head coach was Cory Julian.
“He held me to a higher standard than he did anybody else,” says Miller of Julian. “He counted on me to be the leader of the team.”
Miller played multiple positions for the Pioneers in all three sports — wide receiver, quarterback, cornerback, punter and kicker in football, forward and center in basketball and first base, third base, shortstop outfield and pitcher in baseball.
Miller played with the Terre Haute Rex at the end of the summer of 2022. He was with the Local Legends of the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., in 2021. He did not play summer ball in 2020 — the year of limited opportunities because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The righty was Pitcher of the Year with the Saugerties (N.Y.) Stallions of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League in 2019. He was with the Rex in 2018. He went to summer school at Indiana University in 2017.
Recruited by Chris Lemonis (who departed IU for Mississippi State), Miller left after the fall and transferred to ISU. He sat out the first year with the Sycamores and also underwent foot surgery as a freshman and had surgery on both hips in 2020.

Lane Miller. (Indiana State University)

Lane Miller. (Indiana State University)

Nowak pitching with conviction for Valpo U. Beacons

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

Whenever Bobby Nowak delivers the baseball it’s done with certainty.
“I want to throw with conviction,” says Nowak, a Valparaiso (Ind.) University senior right-hander. “I throw my fastball until they beat me with my fastball then I go to my off-speed.”
Nowak did this well enough to be the latest Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week. The news came Monday, April 17 on Nowak’s 23rd birthday.
Under the guidance of Beacons head coach/pitching coach Brian Schmack, Nowak moved to 4-0 with one save and a 2.10 earned run average to 2.10 by throwing a three-hit shutout in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday. April 15 at Bradley. He threw 56 of 95 pitches for strikes and struck out six and walked three in a seven-inning complete game.
Going into this week, his conference-leading ERA of 2.10 ranks 20th in the country. His rate of allowing 5.10 hits per nine innings was the best in the MVC and eighth best nationally.
For the 2023 season, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder has fanned 42 and walked 13 in 30 innings over 11 appearances (three starts). He led the MVC and was 36th nationally with 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings. He also led the league and was 35th nationally with a 1.00 WHIP (walks and hits per inning).
“I’ve always liked to strike guys out but when I do that I found myself in a lot of three-ball counts,” says Nowak. “Recently, I’ve just been throwing it with conviction and just competing.”
Throwing from an over-the-top arm slot, Nowak tosses a four-seam fastball, a “bullet” change-up and 12-to-6 curve.
He is scheduled to start Sunday, April 23 in the final game of a three-game MVC series against Illinois-Chicago at Valpo’s Emory G. Bauer Field. Until his last three outings, he had been used exclusively out of the Beacons bullpen.
Nowak was Valpo’s closer in 2022. He went 0-2 with eight saves and a 5.09 ERA. He whiffed 28 and walked seven in 17 2/3 innings. His strikeout rate was 14.26 per nine innings and he was named honorable mention all-conference while touching 96 mph.
Born in Dyer, Ind., Nowak grew up in nearby Cedar Lake. He played in youth leagues there then travel ball for Morris Baseball and what is now known as the 5 Star Great Lakes Chiefs.
Now is a 2018 graduate of Hanover Central High School in Cedar Lake.
He began his prep career as a shortstop with a few mound outings. Catcher Jesse Wilkening, who went on to play at the University of Nebraska and pro ball, was a senior when Nowak was a freshman.
As Nowak’s senior year with Hanover Central approached, there was a need for him to pitch more for then-Wildcats head coach Ryan Bridges. To save on his arm, he was moved from shortstop to first base when not pitching.
Nowak was supposed to be a two-way player when he went to Kankakee (Ill.) Community College. But when he arrived he told assistant Bryce Shafer he wanted to be a pitcher-only.
In 2019, Nowak started 11 games and went 6-3 with a 3.98 ERA, 66 strikeouts and 20 walks in 52 innings. He also wound up having Tommy John elbow surgery in May.
His next competitive season was 2021. He made 16 mound appearances (five starts) for KCC and went 4-4 with a 5.29 ERA, 55 K’s and 31 walks in 32 1/3 innings.
Nowak played for the Northwest Indiana Oilmen in the summer of 2018, took 2019 off and played parts of 2020, 2021 and 2022 with the Chicago Suburban Baseball League’s Beecher Muskies.
Bobby is the youngest of Dan and Michelle Nowak’s three children, coming after sister Danielle and brother Daniel. He is also close with a cousin, Jason.
Nowak is scheduled to graduate this spring with a Criminology degree.

Bobby Nowak. (Valparaiso University Photo)

Bobby Nowak. (Valparaiso University Photo)

Bobby Nowak. (Valparaiso University Photo)

Bobby Nowak. (Valparaiso University Photo)

Bobby Nowak. (Valparaiso University Photo)

Jordan, Tipton Blue Devils aiming at turnaround in 2023

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

Rob Jordan was to lead his first Tipton (Ind.) High School baseball season during the spring of 2020.
But the COVID-19 pandemic kept the Blue Devils from playing a game.
Jordan’s first on-field campaign as head coach was 2021. Most of the players from that team graduated, leaving very little varsity experience in 2022.
“Last season was pretty tough on us,” says Jordan of year where Tipton went 2-18 with 27 players in the program. “We had a whole new pitching staff.”
Jordan does expect most of his pitching to return in 2023, meaning they will have more experience. There is a big freshman class and the Blue Devils should have eight seniors (Zane Goodrich, Chase Higgins, Houston Nasser, Jack Nasser, Clark Rodibaugh, Joe Shelly, Eli Shook and Austin Smith).
“We’ve got good young kids,” says Jordan. “With our veteran leadership, we hope it’s a breakout year.”
Ten to 15 players — those not in a fall sport — have been going over fundamentals with Jordan at twice-a-week IHSAA Limited Contact Period fall practices.
Tipton (enrollment around 450) is a member of the Hoosier Athletic Conference (with IHSAA Class 2A Tipton, 3A Hamilton Heights, 2A Lewis Cass, 3A Northwestern and 3A Western in the East Division and 3A Benton Central, 1A Lafayette Central Catholic, 2A Rensselaer Central, 3A Twin Lakes and 3A West Lafayette in the West Division).
The Blue Devis were part of an 2A sectional grouping in 2022 with Blackford, Eastbrook, Eastern (Greentown), Madison-Grant and Taylor. Tipton has won seven sectional titles — the last in 2009.
Tipton plays its games on-campus. A new 30-by-30 college-style scoreboard was installed in the summer and new dugouts are nearing completion.
Feeding the high school program are travel baseball teams plus Tipton Youth Baseball League (Little Sluggers ages 3-5, Pee Wee 5-8, Cal Ripken 9-12 and Babe Ruth 13-15).
Right-handed pitcher Trayjan Phifer (Class of 2021) moved on to Cleary University in Howell, Mich.).
Jordan says pitcher/first baseman Vince Hoover (Class of 2024) has been getting looks for colleges.
Jordan’s coaching staff for 2023 includes varsity assistant Steve Cherry, junior varsity head coach Andy Hussong and JV assistant Brian Middleton and possibly two more.
A 1988 graduate of Tri-Central Middle/High School in Sharpsville, Ind., Jordan played for Trojans head coach Dave Driggs.
“We got a fair opportunity,” says Jordan of his prep days. “Politics wasn’t a factor for playing time.”
At the time, there was a big rival between Tri-Central and Tipton and the Trojans are still on the Blue Devils schedule.
At Missouri Valley College (Marshall, Mo.), first baseman/utility player Jordan played three seasons and learned about conditioning and hard-nosed play from Vikings head coach Ron Givens before an arm injury ended his career.
Jordan coached youth league baseball before taking the reins at Tipton.
Rob is foundation seed manager for Beck’s Hybrids. He and wife Laura had a daughter (Jessica) and son (Dylan). Dylan Jordan passed away in 2019 at 16. He was in the Tri-Central Class of 2022.

Rob Jordan.

Munster, Southern Indiana grad Enright takes head coaching post at Missouri Valley College

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Adam Enright is settling into his first college baseball head coaching job.

Enright, a 2007 Munster (Ind.) High School graduate, officially started at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., on June 15, but started on-campus full-time the first week of August after managing the Northwest Indiana Oilmen to a 2018 Midwest Collegiate League championship.

Growing up, Enright played at Edison Little League/Babe Ruth League in Hammond, Ind., followed by four summers of travel baseball with the Hammond Chiefs (now the Morris Chiefs).

After playing for Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Bob Shinkan at Munster, Enright took to the diamond at South Suburban College in South Holland, Ill. (2008-09) for National Junior College Athletic Association Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Steve Ruzich and the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville (2010-11) for two-time national champion Tracy Archuleta.

Enright was an NJCAA All-American at South Suburban, hitting .446 with five home runs, 17 doubles and 46 runs batted in. At USI, he started every game for the 2010 NCAA Division II national champions. He also started 55 contests in 2011, helping the Screaming Eagles to a fourth straight Great Lakes Valley Conference championship.

Enright holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Southern Indiana and a Master’s of Arts in coaching from Greenville (Ill.) University.

As an assistant baseball coach, Enright has made stops at Chicago State University (2012), the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (2013) and Trinity College in Palos Heights, Ill. (2014-18).

He also spent seven summers with the Northwest Indiana Oilmen (2012-18) — the last four as manager. The Whiting-based team also won the league title in 2016.

During his time as a coach, Enright has learned the importance of being organized.

“Things can get pretty hectic,” says Enright, 29. “The qualities that I bring to this job as a head coach are thoroughness and the ability to put ideas together.

“I have to make sure things are spelled out and clearly communicated.”

At NCAA Division I Chicago State, Enright worked with Cougars head coach and Hammond (Ind.) High School graduate Michael Caston.

“He was a relationships guy,” says Enright of Caston. “Things were tougher for us and wins were hard to come by. He kept the players in a positive state of mind. He kept everybody’s spirits high and kept things enjoyable.

“He played a lot of really quality schools (during non-conference play).”

Enright’s stint at D-I Arkansas-Little Rock gave him the opportunity to serve on the staff of Trojans head coach Scott Norwood.

“He was a structured, disciplined type of coach,” says Enright of Norwood. “He would make sure everybody was motivated to buy into the program’s philosophy.

“Assistant coaches were allowed a lot of freedom when it came to developing players.”

At NAIA Trinity, Enright worked on a Trolls staff headed by Justin Huisman (who is also a former Oilmen manager) and learned that administrative duties make up a large portion of a head coach’s job.

“I got to really concentrate on baseball a lot,” says Enright. “(Huisman) was very good at the administrative side. He was very organized, a very good planner and very good at keeping players in the know.”

It was in Palos Heights that Enright met the woman that he would marry. Adam and Kimmy Enright were wed in December 2017.

Enright’s top assistant at Missouri Valley — Matt Dwyer — is back for his seventh season in 2019. Dwyer is familiar with both the coaching and administrative sides.

“We tackle things together,” says Enright of Dwyer. “That frees us up to do more baseball.”

Enright and Dwyer are aided by graduate assistant Tyler White and student assistants Dean Morphew and Chris Rodriguez.

Fall practice just began at Missouri Valley.

“There’s a a lot of instruction and breaking the game down,” says Enright. “It’s a lot more teaching and talking than playing games.”

NAIA rules allow baseball activities for 24 weeks and the Vikings will work six days a week for six weeks in the fall until mid-October and then 18 leading into and including the spring season. The season opener is scheduled for Feb. 8 at Williams Baptist University in Walnut Ridge, Ark., with the home opener Feb. 22 against conference opponent Northwestern College.

MVC is part of the 13-member Heart of America Athletic Conference. Teams will play 31 conference games — three each against divisional opponents and two apiece against cross-divisional foes. Division series are usually played on weekends with one nine-inning single game and a doubleheader. Cross-divisional games tend to be weekday doubleheaders.

Enright learned of the opening at Missouri Valley through the American Baseball Coaches Association job board. He attended the annual ABCA Convention when it was in Indianapolis last January.

“It’s something near and dear to my heart,” says Enright. “I try to go as often as I can.

“It’s always worth going. You’re always able to pick up something new, see familiar faces and meet new ones.”

The 2019 ABCA Convention is slated for Jan. 3-6 in Dallas.

Adam Enright, a Munster (Ind.) High School and University of Southern Indiana graduate and former Northwest Oilmen manager, is the new head baseball coach at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo. (Missouri Valley College Photo)

 

Alum Douglas wants his Frankton Eagles to be embrace competition

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Brad Douglas played for a high school baseball coach who appreciated hard-nosed players and those willing to lead.

Kyle Campbell was guiding the Frankton baseball program when Douglas was a student-athlete and now 1994 graduate Douglas is entering his fifth season as Eagles head coach in 2018.

“He would always challenge his guys,” says Douglas of the late Campbell. “He was always interested in giving guys opportunities to lead. He was always somebody who was going to earn what you got.

“He recognized hard work.”

Douglas takes much the same approach with his players at Frankton Junior/Senior High School.

He wants competitors.

“You play the kids who are up for the challenge,” says Douglas. “If you can play, I don’t care if you’re a sophomore or a freshman.”

Frankton is a small town in Madison County and the school has around 480 students.

Douglas tells his players that they are making lifetime of memories during their school days.

“I’m a firm believer in the kids being good citizens and good students,” says Douglas. “I want them to be extremely involved with the community, have school spirit and support everyone. They should appreciate the four years and make the best of it.”

This high-knit community lost a baseball coach and teacher the day after Christmas 2017 when Chris Hatzell died unexpectedly at 44. The 1992 Frankton graduate was an eighth grade social studies teacher and tended the first base box for the Eagles.

“He was a great guy and a great dad,” says Douglas, who was a a high school teammate of Hatzell’s for two years. “You learn a lot about people after they’re gone. Students were very touched by the loss of Coach Hatzell.”

Douglas works as a union representative for Rolls Royce in Indianapolis and Hatzell was his “eyes and ears” at the school and did many things behind the scenes. On the diamond, he would throw batting practice or swing the fungo bat for hours.

“We reflected each other well,” says Douglas, who recalls Hatzell coaching a 12-year-old Frankton team to a Town & Country Baseball state championship.

To honor Hatzell, there will be a patch on Frankton jerseys this spring. There are also plans for a memorial marker near the dugout on the Eagles’ home field.

That field, located on the Frankton Elementary School grounds, has an infield that’s been re-graded and re-sodded with an irrigation system installed. The mound and home plate areas have been re-built. There is also new on-field storage in the home dugout, new concrete and safety hand rails in each dugout and concrete tee stations in the batting cage.

Frankton is part of two-high school district in Frankton-Lapel Community Schools.

“The kids still have a passion for the rivalry” says Douglas of the Lapel Bulldogs. “It keeps our kids motivated. You don’t want to go a whole year wearing a loss from your sister school.”

While Lapel is an athletic independent, Frankton belongs to the Central Indiana Conference (along with Alexandria-Monroe, Blackford, Eastbrook, Elwood, Madison-Grant, Mississinewa and Oak Hill).

Since Douglas took over the program, he has gotten the Eagles schedule back up to the 28-game regular-season limit and includes plenty of quality.

“When you have Shenandoah, Wapahani, Tipton and Yorktown in addition to our CIC schedule (each team meets the other once on Tuesdays and Thursdays), you’re in for some good baseball,” says Douglas.

The Eagles are in an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping with Lapel, Monroe Central, Muncie Burris, Shenandoah and Wapahani.

“We play in one of the toughest sectionals in the state,” says Douglas. “It’s competitive regardless of the names of the players. You’ve got coaches like Brian Dudley at Wapahani, Matt Campbell at Lapel, Bruce Stanley at Shenandoah and Keith Nunley at Monroe Central.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us. But it’s a good challenge that we embrace.”

The Eagles’ last two sectional titles came in 2003 and 2016. They were also regional champions in ’03.

Returnees for Frankton in 2018 include to college baseball-committed seniors in right-handed pitcher/shortstop Landon Weins (Morehead State University) and right-hander/infielder Evan Doan (Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo.) plus others from the Class of ’18 in right-hander/center fielder Travis McGuire, outfielder Will Harris, utility Brock Threet and Noah Van Slyke.

“We have nine seniors returning,” says Douglas. “That’s unheard of for a small school.”

There’s also junior right-hander/third baseman J.J. Hatzell and sophomore left-hander/outfielder Ethan Bates.

Frankton’s 2018 assistant coaches are Rick Dellinger, Tim Friend and Mark Caldwell.

Alumnus Matt Kunce is currently a player at Huntington University.

Prior to taking over the program at his alma mater, Douglas was coaching in youth and travel baseball. He continues to coach son Bradyn Douglas (a seventh grader) with Tony Cookerly and the 13U White Indiana Bulls.

“I’m a huge proponent of travel baseball,” says Douglas, who has had Frankton players also play for the Indiana Prospects, Indiana Mustangs, USAtheltic and others. “I use a lot of things that (executive director) Dan Held preaches throughout the Bulls organization.”

Frankton’s high school program is also fed by Red and White seventh and eighth grade club teams.

Brad and Tricia Douglas also have a daughter. Sydney Douglas is a Frankton junior.

Frankton baseball coach Brad Douglas (left) celebrates with Jake Richwine in 2017. The 2018 season will make the fifth as Eagles head baseball coach for 1994 Frankton graduate Douglas.