’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)

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New head coach Blocker seeks ‘efficient’ Southwood Knights

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

Cory Blocker moves up from varsity assistant to head baseball coach at Southwood Junior/Senior High School in Wabash, Ind., in 2022-23.
Borrowing a motto from another coach, Blocker wants the Knights to be “efficient.”
“In practice drills, we’re not standing around but getting plenty of swings and taking game-like reps,” says Blocker, who wants to see efficiency in the field, on the mound and in the batter’s box.
Southwood left 6.6 runners on base per game and committed 88 fielding errors in going 5-17-1 in 2022.
“We want to make the plays behind our pitchers,” says Blocker. “We want to have an (offensive) approach and understand our job each time we go to the plate. We’ll try to put ourselves in the best position to achieve that job.”
If the Knights have a runner on first base, the job will entail moving them at least to second base.
“We want to make (opposing) pitchers work and make every out count,” says Blocker, who wants to see his hitters make contact and increase their batting average on balls in play.
Pitching efficiency includes mechanics, throwing strikes and liming walks.
Among Southwood returnees for 2023 is senior catcher Mo Lloyd, who hit .452 with 12 home runs and 40 runs batted in for 2002 and hitting .480 with 13 homers and 51 RBIs for a 22-7 team in 2021.
Besides Blocker, the coaching staff features returnees Danny Lloyd and Christian Deeter and newcomers in pitching coach Kyle Zerfas and junior varsity coach Tanner Chamberlain.
There were about 25 players in the program — varsity and JV — in 2022.
Blocker is in his eighth year as a Southwood teacher. He instructs sixth grade math and is at the junior/high school building for the first time in 2022-23.
He has been a baseball and football assistant for seven years. This fall, he was the special teams coordinator and running backs coach. The 2022 Southwood football team went 7-3.
Because of when Blocker was named head coach and his football duties, there were no IHSAA Limited Contact Period activities in the fall.
The Knights play home games on-campus on a facility sometimes called “The Launching Pad” for its cozy dimensions. Blocker says its about 280 feet down the foul lines.
Wabash Little League serves Wabash County and feeds players to Southwood, Manchester, Northfield and Wabash high schools.
Southwood (enrollment around 250) is a member of the Three Rivers Conference (with Maconaquah, Manchester, Northfield, North Miami, Peru, Rochester, Tippecanoe Valley, Wabash and Whitko).
In recent seasons, TRC teams met each other once during the season. There is no conference tournament.
The Knights part of an IHSAA Class 1A sectional grouping in 2023 with Caston, North Miami, North White, Northfield and West Central. Southwood has won five sectional titles — the last in 2021.
A 2009 graduate of Huntington (Ind.) North High School, Blocker played four years of football, three of baseball and two of basketball. His head coaches were Rief Gilg (the Vikings went 8-3 in 2008, Blocker’s senior year on the gridiron), Russ Degitz and Eric Foister.
“A lot of our time in baseball was spent with the little details,” says Blocker of Degitz. “He was a big fundamental guy.
“They were all coaches that were hard on you but cared about you at the same time and made sure that was relayed in everything they did.”
Blocker spent two years at Purdue University and four at Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne, graduating in 2015.
Cory and Brittany Blocker have been married five years. The couple resides in Wabash and has three children — daughter Wrenley (3), son Wesley (1 1/2) and daughter Willow (almost eight months).

Cory Blocker. (Frederick’s Photography)

Cory and Brittany Blocker with children (from left): Wrenley, Wesley and Willow.

IHSBCA chooses all-staters for 2022

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

Members of the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association have voted for its 2022 all-state teams in each class.
Pitcher Owen Willard (Eastside), catcher Keifer Wilson (Greencastle), first baseman Brycen Hannah (John Glenn), shortstops Tucker Biven (New Albany) and Dominic Decker (Silver Creek) and outfielders Max Clark (Franklin Community), Evan Pearce (Oak Hill) and Andrew Wiggins (Heritage Christian) are repeat all-state performers.
Shortstops Ethan Bock (Fremont) and Gavin Lash (Wapahani) are repeaters at a different position.

2022 IHSBCA ALL-STATE TEAM
Class 4A
Pitchers: Ethan McCormick (West Lafayette Harrison), Drew Dickson (Zionsville), Gage Stanifer (Westfield).
C: Sam Gladd (Columbia City).
1B: Nick Wiley (Mooresville).
2B: Josh Adamczewski (Lake Central).
3B: Jake Winzenread (Lawrence North).
SS: Tucker Biven* (New Albany).
OF: Garrison Barile (Center Grove), Max Clark* (Franklin Community), Connor Misch (Lake Central).
Honorable Mention: Collin Lindsey (Westfield); Drew Bradley (Jasper); Andrew Clements (New Albany); John Curl (Kokomo); Kevin Hall (Munster); Luke Legault (New Palestine); Brayden Rouse (East Central); Connor Foley (Jasper); Gavin Smith (Logansport); Joe Huffman (Avon); Cameron Decker (Evansville North); Brody Chrisman (Zionsville); Jack Brown (Fishers); Garrett Jones (New Albany); Gavin Collins (Northridge); Carson Dunn (Fishers); Chris Hedinger (Jasper); Owen Quinn (Lawrence North); Kannon Stull (Jeffersonville); Ethan Lyke (Evansville Central); Joey Wilmoth (Fishers); Kevin Reed (Martinsville); Brayden Risedorph (East Noble); Caden Crowell (Valparaiso); Conor Pangburn (Lake Central); Ethan Ianni (Columbus East).

Class 3A
Pitchers: Mitchell Dean (Western), Andrew Dutkanych (Brebeuf Jesuit), Peyton Niksch (Andrean).
C: Keifer Wilson* (Greencastle).
1B: Brycen Hannah* (John Glenn).
2B: Jace Burton (Silver Creek).
3B: Collin Stephens (John Glenn).
SS: Dominic Decker* (Silver Creek).
OF: Evan Pearce* (Oak Hill), Parker Dean (Western), Grady Keppling (New Prairie).
Honorable Mention: Jax Kalemba (Andrean); Alex Watkins (Western); David Edwards (Scottsburg); Gabe Skelton (West Vigo); Brayton Bowen (Lebanon); Brookes Walters (North Montgomery); Grant Brooks (Wawasee); Carter Murphy (West Vigo); Silas Kaser (John Glenn); Ian Potts (Peru); Joe Chrapliwy (John Glenn); Landon Carr (Northview); Jayden Ohmer (Brebeuf Jesuit); Jayce Lee (South Bend Saint Joseph); Drew Lanning (Lawrenceburg); David Edwards (Scottsburg); Cole Wise (Northwestern); Dalton Wasson (Heritage); Colin Kapust (Silver Creek).

Class 2A
Pitchers: Alec Hershberger (Fairfield), Wyatt Blinn (Cascade), Owen Willard* (Eastside).
C: Chase Long (Delphi).
1B: Ben Seitzinger (Mitchell).
2B: Cayden Calloway (Eastern of Greentown).
3B: Dawson Glassco (Mitchell).
SS: Gavin Lash** (Wapahani).
OF: Gabe Eslinger (Linton-Stockton), Andrew Wiggins* (Heritage Christian), Kevin Corcoran (Illiana Christian), Wade Peters (Carroll of Flora).
Honorable Mention: Luke Willmann (Wapahani); Logan Gibbs (Cascade); Hunter Allen (Prairie Heights); Caleb Snyder (Monroe Central); Trey Pitcock (Boone Grove); Jamari Pamlin (Centerville); Noah Stephen (Seeger); Bracey Brenemen (Linton-Stockton); Aidyn Coffey (Monroe Central); Levi Mavrick (Eastern of Greentown); Caleb Edwards (Seeger); Bradyn Douglas (Frankton); Reid Keisling (Eastern of Greentown); Eli Harshbarger (Carroll of Flora); Caleb Edwards (Seeger); Ian VanBeel (Illiana Christian); Corbin Snyder (Eastern of Greentown); Grayson Knight (University); Will Eldridge (Carroll of Flora); Brock Buckley (Covenant Christian).

Class 1A
Pitchers: Peyton Merica (Rising Sun), Ben Mazur (Lafayette Central Catholic).
C: Nick Miller (Fremont).
1B: Chase Smith (Cowan).
2B: Brady Yeryar (Shakamak).
3B: Owen Winters (Kouts).
SS: Ethan Bock** (Fremont).
OF: Gavin Gentry (Borden), Korbin Lawson Tri-County), Seth Wagler Barr-Reeve).
Honorable Mention: Oscar Pegg (Shakamak); Mo Lloyd (Southwood); Nick Swartzentruber (Barr-Reeve); Derron Hazzard (Riverton Parke); Owen Munn (Lafayette Central Catholic); Gabe Kahl (Elkhart Christian Academy); AJ Agnew (Borden); Peyton Robins (Riverton Parke); Dylan Kindig (Argos); Brennen Martin (Dugger-Union); Elijah Quasebarth (North White); Colton Stull (Barr-Reeve); Hunter Collings (Riverton Parke); Dylan Toler (Borden); Joey Spin (Caston); Gabe Pentecost (Fremont); Bradley Ferrell (South Central (Union Mills); Carter Crews (Springs Valley).

* — repeat all-state performer.
** — repeat all-state performer at a different position.

Swinson now leading Southwood Knights on diamond

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

Steve Swinson likes the kind of athletes he’s working with as the new head baseball coach at Southwood Junior/Senior High School, part of the Metropolitan School District of Wabash (Ind.) County.
“It’s been really good transition,” says Swinson, who has been leading the Knights since January. “The players’ philosophies are pretty much on the same page as myself.
“These are competitive, hard-nosed kids. They want to succeed. They want to be better.
“It’s a winning attitude at Southwood. They don’t throw in the towel.”
During the IHSAA Limited Contact Period, Swinson has been working with players who are not involved in basketball. Twenty eight have signed up for Southwood baseball this spring.
“We lost lost five pretty good seniors and a lot of pitching (from the 2021 team),” says Swinson. “The big thing is being consistent. not walking a lot of guys and letting the defense play behind us.”
The coach is confident his Knights will do their best to do just that.
“They’re going to work at it,” says Swinson. “By the end of the year they’re going to figure some things out.”
An advocate of arm care, Swinson wants to make sure he’s maintaining the health of his throwers.
“I like the pitch count rule (1 to 35 pitches requires 0 days rest; 36 to 60 requires 1 day; 61 to 80 requires 2 days; 81 to 100 requires 3 days; and 101 to 120 requires 4 days),” says Swinson. “A lot of it’s on the athlete. He has to make sure to take care of his arm.”
Swinson, who is working with a coaching staff of Cory Blocker and Dan Lloyd at the varsity level and Christian Deeter with the junior varsity, sees college potential in senior left-handed pitcher Koby Thomas, junior catcher Mo Lloyd and junior right-handed pitcher/outfielder Cole Winer.
Southwood (enrollment around 230) is a member of the Three Rivers Conference (with Maconaquah, Manchester, Northfield, North Miami, Peru, Rochester, Tippecanoe Valley, Wabash and Whitko).
TRC play each other once and games on Tuesdays and Thursdays
In 2021, the Knights were part of an IHSAA Class 1A sectional grouping with Caston (host), North Miami, North White, Northfield, Pioneer and West Central. Southwood has won five sectional titles — the last in 2021. Carson Rich (Class of 2021) tossed a no-hitter in a 4-0 championship game win against Pioneer.
Fundraisers will be held to help maintain and upgrade Southwood’s home diamond located north of the football field on the northeast corner of the campus.
Swinson says the batting cage is top priority. Dugouts are likely to be re-painted with trimming and edging done to the infield.
Stepping down at Eastbrook High School near the end of the 2019 season, Swinson did not coach at high school baseball in 2020 and 2021 but did lead Indiana Nitro travel teams both summers.
He was head baseball coach at Eastern (Greentown) High School 2007-11 and has assisted at Western High School.
Swinson has served two stints as head wrestling coach at Northwestern High School and is currently head wrestling coach at Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind.
A 1987 Kokomo High School graduate, he retired after 27 1/2 years with the Howard County Highway Department, where he was a supervisor/foreman.
Swinson coached Southside baseball in Kokomo to the 1995 Bambino World Series in Abbeyville, La. His coaching stops also include Indiana Wesleyan University (football), Marion High School and Lewis Cass High School.
Steve and wife of 29 years — Stacey — live in Greentown and have two children. Son Saxon Swinson (28) is in the IT department at Marian University in Indianapolis. Daughter Shayden Swinson (18) is a Manchester University freshman.

Steve Swinson

IHSCBA names all-staters for 2021 season

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

Members of the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association voted for all-state teams and the organization has released that list.
All-staters are honored in all four classes. As a selection in the 2021 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, Southridge shortstop Colson Montgomery was automatically named all-state.

2021 IHSBCA ALL-STATE TEAM
Class 4A
Pitchers: Grant Stratton (Jasper), Nate Dohm (Zionsville).
C: Hunter Dobbins (Mount Vernon of Fortville).
1B: Kaleb Kolpien (Homestead).
2B: Joel Walton (Mount Vernon of Fortville).
3B: Connor Foley (Jasper).
SS: Tucker Biven (New Albany).
OF: Carter Mathison (Homestead), Max Clark (Franklin), Tommy O’Connor (Mooresville).
Honorable Mention: Evan Waggoner (Bedford North Lawrence); Austin Bode (Columbus North); Jaden Deel (Hobart); Andrew Wallace (Jasper); Jackson Micheels (Carmel); Breenen Weigert (Homestead); Jack Braun (Fishers); Tyler Walkup (Lawrence North); Quentin Markle (Westfield); Joe Huffman (Avon); Nick Mitchell (Carmel); Brad White (Andrean); Blake Herrmann (Castle); Camden Jordan (Cathedral); Sam Gladd (Columbia City); Eli Hopf (Jasper); Brody Chrisman (Zionsville); J.D. Rogers (Carmel); Keaton Mahan (Westfield); Gage Standifer (Westfield); Kyler McIntosh (Columbus North); Chris Gallagher (Cathedral); Carter Doorn (Lake Central); Grant Comstock (Valparaiso); Tate Warner (Fishers); Carter Gilbert (Northridge).

Class 3A
Pitchers: Garrett Harker (Lebanon), Luke Hayden (Edgewood).
C: Keifer Wilson (Greencastle).
1B: Brycen Hannah (John Glenn).
2B: Gavin Morris (Northview).
3B: Dalton Wasson (Heritage), Camden Gasser (Southridge).
SS: Dominic Decker (Silver Creek).
OF: Jared Comia (Hanover Central), Evan Pearce (Oak Hill), Kade Townsend (Peru), Sergio Lira Ayala (NorthWood).
Honorable Mention: Jacob Loftus (Peru); Xavier Nolan (Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger); Aidan Hardcastle (Oak Hill); Cameron Sater (Edgewood); Riley Western (Western); Brody Whitaker (Greencastle); Nick Sutherlin (Greencastle); Jack Moroknek (Brebeuf Jesuit); Landon Carr (Northview); Kameron Salazar (Wawasee); Damien Gudakunst (Leo); Connor Schmiedlin (Culver Academies); Jacob Pruitt (Yorktown); Zach Forner (Madison); Andrew Dutkanych (Brebeuf Jesuit); Mitchell Dean (Western); Holden Groher (Silver Creek); Bret Matthys (Hanover Central); Trey Reed (Washington); Coley Stevens (Leo); Peyton Olejnik (Hanover Central).

Class 2A
Pitchers: Owen Willard (Eastside), Brady Linkel (South Ripley).
C: Joel Kennedy (Monroe Central).
1B: Parker Allman (Lapel).
2B: Alex VanWinkle (Union County).
3B: Gavin Lash (Wapahani).
SS: Landen Southern (Clinton Prairie).
OF: C.J. Richmond (Park Tudor), Dane DuBois (Cascade), Andrew Wiggins (Heritage Christian).
Honorable Mention: Gavin Gleason (Delphi); Brayden Stowe (Perry Central); Aidan Roach (Cascade); Drew Murray (Boone Grove); Andrew Shepherd (Mitchell); Snyder Pennington (Eastern of Pekin); Eli Watson (Providence); Aidyn Coffey (Monroe Central); Darien Pugh (Cascade); Gavin Noble (Wapahani); Chase Long (Delphi); Caleb Henderson (Wapahani); Gabe Eslinger (Linton-Stockton); Adam Besser (South Adams); Dominic Anderson (Hagerstown); Josh Pyne (Linton-Stockton); Khal Stephen (Seeger); Bryce Deckman (Monroe Central); Wyatt Blinn (Cascade).

Class 1A
Pitchers: Garrett Stevens (Bethesda Christian), Luke Leverton (Seton Catholic).
C: Mo Lloyd (Southwood).
1B: Alex Farr (Southwood).
2B: Ethan Bock (Fremont).
3B: Ethan Wendling (Southwestern of Shelbyville).
SS: Brett Sherrard (Bloomfield).
OF: Nolan Harris (Clay City), Landon Cole (Rising Sun), Evan Price (Rossville).
Honorable Mention: Pierson Barnes (Riverton Parke); Nick Miller (Fremont); Nick Swartzentruber (Barr-Reeve); Riley Schebler (Oldenburg Academy); Kyle Swartzentruber (North Daviess); Jordan Jones (Southwestern of Shelbyville); Aaron Wagler (Barr-Reeve); Kameron Colclasure (Fremont); Joey Spin (Caston); Andrew Oesterling (Oldenburg Academy); Mason Yentes (Southwood); Jake Moynihan (Seton Catholic); Cayden Gothrup (Daleville); Samuel Gasper (Borden); Gavin Gentry (Borden).