UIndy to D-II World Series; Indiana State, Ball State win conference tourneys

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

The Greyhounds had another chance to dogpile and the Sycamores kept rolling along.
That was the past week for baseball teams at the University of Indianapolis and Indiana State University.
UIndy — a No. 7 seed when the postseason began — beat Quincy twice on its own field to win a super regional and the Al Ready-coached Greyhounds (39-19) earned a spot in the NCAA Division II World Series June 3-10 in Cary, N.C.
No. 1 seed Indiana State followed a Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title with a MVC tournament championship on its own field — besting Evansville in the “if necessary” game to clinch the eighth tourney title in program history.
The Mitch Hannahs-coached Sycamores (42-14 overall and 34-4 in its last 38 games) will now host an NCAA Division I regional. The selections will be announced later today (May 29).

Also, No. 3 seed Ball State won the Mid-American Conference tournament title at Kent State and await an NCAA regional assignment.
The Rich Maloney-coached Cardinals (36-21) were swept by the Golden Flashes May 18-20 in Muncie then topped Central Michigan once and Kent State twice in tournament play.

No. 2 seed Indiana went 1-2 in the Big Ten tournament. The Jeff Mercer-coached Hoosiers (41-18) and Ball State were both assigned to the Lexington Regional.

Seasons ended in conference tournaments for No. 4 seed Evansville (Missouri Valley), No. 8 seed Notre Dame (Atlantic Coast), No. 8 seed Southern Indiana (Ohio Valley) and No. 6 seed Purdue Fort Wayne (Horizon League).
At 37-24, Evansville produced its most wins since 2006.

The NCAA Division I RPI (Rating Percentage Index) rankings through May 28 has Wake Forest as the overall No. 1.
Among the state’s schools, Indiana State is No. 9, Indiana No. 30, Notre Dame No. 54, Evansville No. 72, Ball State No. 101, Valparaiso No. 149, Purdue No. 207, Butler No. 236, Southern Indiana No. 275 and Purdue Fort Wayne 276.
After conference tournaments comes the national tournament selection announcement on Monday, May 29 (Memorial Day).

Heading into Memorial Day games, Taylor was 2-0 and Indiana Wesleyan 1-1 in the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. The Kyle Gould-coached Trojans are 42-15. The Rich Benjamin-coached Wildcats are 40-19-1.

No. 5 seed Oakland City went 1-2 at the National Christian College Athletic Association World Series in Kansas City, Mo.
The Andy Lasher-coached Mighty Oaks beat No. 4 seed Toccoa Falls and lost to No. 1 seed and eventual champion Mid-America Christian and No. 9 seed Trinity Christian.
Oakland City (34-24) set a single-season school record for victories for the second straight year.

The state’s longest current win streaks belong to Indianapolis (5), Taylor (5) and Ball State (3).

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

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through May 28
NCAA D-I
Indiana State 42-15 (24-3 MVC)
Indiana 41-18 (16-8 Big Ten)
Ball State 36-21 (19-11 MAC)
Evansville 37-24 (15-12 MVC)
Notre Dame 30-24 (15-15 ACC)
Purdue 24-29 (11-13 Big Ten)
Valparaiso 20-27 (10-17 MVC)
Southern Indiana 17-38 (8-15 OVC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 13-43 (8-22 Horizon)
Butler 12-43 (5-16 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 39-19 (17-15 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 16-35 (9-21 GLIAC)

Schedule Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

Stat Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

NCAA D-III
Franklin 33-13 (18-4 HCAC)
Anderson 27-19 (12-10 HCAC)
Wabash 24-18 (8-8 NCAC)
Rose-Hulman 23-21 (13-9 HCAC)
Manchester 22-20 (12-10 HCAC)
Earlham 20-18 (10-12 HCAC)
Hanover 16-23 (10-12 HCAC)
Trine 15-24 (6-15 MIAA)
DePauw 12-26 (4-12 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 42-15 (30-6 CL)
Indiana Wesleyan 40-19-1 (26-10 CL)
Huntington 38-16 (27-9 CL)
Oakland City 34-24 (13-14 RSC)
Indiana Tech 33-17 (18-12 WHAC)
IU Southeast 33-20 (20-7 RSC)
Saint Francis 29-25 (21-15 CL)
IU-Kokomo 28-21 (17-10 RSC)
IU South Bend 24-25 (15-10 CCAC)
Grace 21-27 (13-23 CL)
Bethel 19-30 (12-24 CL)
Marian 17-31 (11-25 CL)
Calumet of St. Joseph 17-32-1 (9-17-1 CCAC)
Goshen 10-38 (6-30 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 5-41

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 29-19
Vincennes 25-33 (13-19 MWAC)
Marian’s Ancilla 9-37-1 (8-17 MCCAA)

Schedule Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Stat Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Through May 28
NCAA D-I
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
(At Terre Haute, Ind.)
Tuesday, May 23
Illinois-Chicago 10, Belmont 5
Murray State 11, Valparaiso 6

Wednesday, May 24
Evansville 7, Southern Illinois 3
Belmont 10, Valparaiso 9
Indiana State 8, Illinois-Chicago 5
Murray State 6, Missouri State 1

Thursday, May 25
Belmont 6, Southern Illinois 5
Missouri State 5, Illinois-Chicago 0
Indiana State 10, Belmont 0 (8 inn.)
Evansville 3, Murray State 2

Friday, May 26
Missouri State 4, Murray State 3
Indiana State 10, Evansville 1
Evansville 11, Missouri State 3

Saturday, May 27
Evansville 6, Indiana State 5
Championship
Indiana State 6, Evansville 0

Big Ten Conference Tournament
(At Omaha, Neb.)
Tuesday, May 23
Iowa 13, Michigan 3 (8 inn.)
Indiana 4, Illinois 3
Maryland 3, Michigan State 2

Wednesday, May 24
Nebraska 9, Rutgers 7
Michigan 6, Illinois 3

Thursday, May 25
Michigan State 6, Rutgers 4
Iowa 9, Indiana 4
Maryland 2, Nebraska 1 (10 inn.)

Friday, May 26
Michigan 13, Indiana 6
Nebraska 4, Michigan State 0

Saturday, May 27
Iowa 5, Michigan 0
Maryland 4, Nebraska 2

Sunday, May 28
Championship
Maryland 4, Iowa 0

Mid-America Conference Tournament
(At Kent, Ind.)
Wednesday, May 24
Kent State 6, Western Michigan 4
Ball State 7, Central Michigan 6

Thursday, May 25
Central Michigan 5, Western Michigan 2
Ball State 6, Kent State 1

Friday, May 26
Kent State 10, Central Michigan 2

Saturday, May 27
Championship
Ball State 12, Kent State 9

Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament
(At Durham, N.C.)
Tuesday, May 23
Boston College 11, Virginia Tech 7
North Carolina 11, Georgia Tech 5
North Carolina State 8, Duke 7

Wednesday, May 24
Pittsburgh 9, Notre Dame 5
Virginia 15, Georgia Tech 1 (7 inn.)
Clemson 14, Virginia Tech 5

Thursday, May 25
Wake Forest 10, Pittsburgh 2
North Carolina 10, Virginia 2
Miami 4, North Carolina State 2

Friday, May 26
Clemson 4, Boston College 1
Miami 7, Duke 6
Wake Forest 7, Notre Dame 5

Saturday, May 27
Miami 7, Wake Forest 2
Clemson 10, North Carolina 4

Sunday, May 28
Championship
Clemson 11, Miami 5

Ohio Valley Conference Tournament
(At Marion, Ill.)
Wednesday, May 24
Eastern Illinois 5, Southern Indiana 4
Tennessee Tech 4, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 0
Eastern Illinois 7, Southeast Missouri 6
Tennessee Tech 7, Tennessee-Martin 3

Thursday, May 25
Morehead State 2, Eastern Illinois 1
Arkansas-Little Rock 4, Tennessee Tech 1
Eastern Illinois 8, Tennessee Tech 2

Friday, May 26
Morehead State 3, Arkansas-Little Rock 2
Eastern Illinois 5, Arkansas-Little Rock 1

Saturday, May 27
Championship
Eastern Illinois 6, Morehead State 5

Horizon League Tournament
(At Dayton, Ohio)
Wednesday, May 24
Milwaukee 12, Youngstown State 3
Northern Kentucky 6, Purdue Fort Wayne 3

Thursday, May 25
Wright State 6, Milwaukee 3
Oakland 13, Northern Kentucky 8
Milwaukee 10, Northern Kentucky 8

Friday, May 26
Oakland 6, Wright State 5
Wright State 2, Milwaukee 1

Saturday, May 27
Championship
Wright State 14, Oakland 0

NCAA D-II
Midwest Super Regional
(At Quincy, Ill.)
Friday, May 26
Indianapolis 4, Quincy 3
Saturday, May 27
Championship
Indianapolis 5, Quincy 2

NAIA
NAIA World Series
(At Lewiston, Idaho)
Friday, May 26
Taylor 6, MidAmerica Nazarene 5
Westmont 7, Cumberlands 3
William Carey 6, Bellevue 4
Lewis-Clark State 12, Indiana Wesleyan 4

Saturday, May 27
MidAmerica Nazarene 4, Cumberlands 3
Indiana Wesleyan 5, Bellevue 3
Taylor 23, Georgia Gwinnett 7
Southeastern 5, Lewis-Clark State 2

Sunday, May 28
No games

Monday, May 29
Georgia Gwinnett vs. Indiana Wesleyan
Lewis-Clark State vs. MidAmerica Nazarene
Taylor vs. Westmont
William Carey vs. Southeastern

Tuesday, May 30
3 games

Wednesday, May 31
2 games

Thursday, June 1
Championship

Friday, June 2
If necessary game

National Christian College World Series
(At Kansas City)
Monday, May 22
Mid-America Christian 6, Southwestern Christian 3
Trinity Christian 7, Oakland City 6
College of the Ozarks 10, Fort Lauderdale 1
Southwestern Christian 9, College of the Ozarks 8
Trinity Christian 11, Mid-America Christian 10

Tuesday, May 23
Southwestern 14, Trinity Christian 4 (8 inn.)
Championship
Mid-America Christian 3, Southwestern Christian 2 (10 inn.)

Advertisement

Lasher-led Oakland City Mighty Oaks posted 65 wins over last two seasons

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

Oakland City (Ind.) University won more baseball games in 2023 than in 2022 and that team set the single-season school record.
The power blue-clad Mighty Oaks got off to an 8-0 start, mixed in another seven-game win streak and went 34-24 this spring after posting a mark of 31-23.
“We did a really good job of the mound all year,” says third-year OCU head coach Andy Lasher. “We threw a lot of strikes.”
The staff was bolstered by sophomore right-handers Gehrig Tenhumberg, Christian Burgrabe, Ben Simmons, Hunter Callahan, Owen Spears, Milan van der Breggen and freshman lefty Evan Price.
Tenhumberg (Evansville Reitz Class of 2019) made 16 mound appearances (14 starts) and went 7-3 with 4.54 earned run average, 68 strikeouts and 18 walks, 83 1/3 innings.
Burgrabe (Marion, Ill.) made 18 appearances (11 starts) and was 5-5 with one save, a 4.50 ERA, 36 strikeouts and nine walks in 64 innings.
Simmons (Evansville Harrison Class of 2021) was in 15 games (all starts) and went 4-8 with a 4.72, 56 strikeouts and 26 walks in 74 1/3 innings.
Callahan (Cisne, Ill.) made 16 appearances (10 in relief) and went 4-1 with a 3.58 ERA, 37 strikeouts and 18 walks in 37 2/3 innings.
Spears (North Posey Class of 2021) was in 20 contests (17 in relief) and went 4-0 with a 3.91 ERA, 47 strikeouts and 14 walks in 48 1/3 innings.
van der Breggen (Netherlands) made 13 appearances (all in relief) and went 3-0 with a 5.40, 10 strikeouts and three walks in 25 innings.
Price (Rossville Class of 2021) was in 17 games (all in relief) and went 3-0 with five saves, a 3.00 ERA, 24 K’s and seven free passes in 21 innings.
“We had an entirely new infield from last year,” says Lasher, who had senior Jared Kirkman at third base, sophomore Xander Willis at shortstop, junior Sam Pinckert at second base and senior Treven Madden at first base in 2023. “There was new faces. We were athletic. We were able to score runs without having to hit the ball over the wall every inning.”
The Mighty Oaks stole 100 bases in 117 attempts.
“We had some guys step up and play really well for us down the stretch,” says Lasher, whose club qualified for the River States Conference tournament and then turned attention to the National Christian College Athletic Association tourney.
Oakland City went 3-1 in winning the NCCAA Mideast Regional in Wilmore, Ky. The ’23 season came to a close Monday, May 22 at the NCCAA World Series in Kansas City, Mo.
Pinckert (Heritage Hills Class of 2018) hit .337 (70-of-208) with seven home runs, 38 runs batted in and 12 stolen bases.
Freshman right fielder Garrett Causey (Evansville Central Class of 2021) posted marks of .309-5-37 with 36 runs.
Junior left fielder Noah Baugher (Louisville, Ky.) went .302-1-33 with seven triples, 35 runs and 15 steals.
Senior outfielder Victor Alvarez (Venezuela) chipped in .302-1-13 with 21 runs and 15 steals.
Willis (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) produced a .289-7-45 line with 44 runs and 18 steals.
Junior center fielder and lead-off man Aron Busick (Paoli Class of 2020) went .285-2-19 with 39 runs and 10 steals.
Kirkman (Memphis, Tenn.) contributed .272-0-17 with 24 runs.
Freshman catcher Oliver Hamilton (Gibson Southern Class of 2022) hit .265-2-18.
Madden (Vincennes Lincoln Class of 2017) added .260-4-26 with 30 runs.
Junior designated hitter/first baseman Conner Oxley (Southridge Class of 2020) tossed .214-2-28 with 26 runs into the offensive mix.
There were a number of transfers on the 2023 Mighty Oaks.
“We had to get them from anywhere and everywhere,” says Lasher. “It’s hard to win right away when you’re only freshmen though we have some younger guys who do play.”
Alvarez came from Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Ill., and van der Breggen from Indian Hills Community College in Centerville, Iowa.
A private school with less than 1,000 students, OCU’s recruiting base is generally southern Indiana, southern Illinois and western Kentucky.
A 2009 graduate of Castle High School (Newburgh, Ind.) who played at Olney (Ill.) Central College and the University of Evansville, Lasher was an assistant at Olney Central, Eastern Illinois University and the University of Southern Indiana (Evansville) as well as manager of the summer wood-bat Dubois County Bombers at League Stadium in Huntingburg, Ind., before taking over at Oakland City.
Lasher, 32, took over the program in April 2020 as T-Ray Fletcher ended his 26-year run as head coach and became athletic director and the team went from NCAA D-II to NAIA.
The 2020 season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic and that contributed to Lasher inheriting a roster of 18 players.
True seniors Kirkman and Madden have used up their eligibility, but most of the teams is expected back in 2023-24.
With renovations to Oakland City’s baseball stadium (formerly Pinnick Field), the Mighty Oaks played and practiced most of this spring at League Stadium, working around the needs of the Gene Mattingly-coached Southridge Raiders.
Groundbreaking for Mathew and Lindsey Konkler Stadium took place in November 2022. When completed, the facility will have turf infield with dugouts, backstop, press box, lights, scoreboard and outfield fence.
“We should be able to practice on it in the fall,” says Lasher.
His 2023 coaching staff included second-year assistants Joey Drury, Jack Murphy and first-time coach Ben Wilcoxson.
Drury (Center Grove Class of 2016) played for Lasher at Olney Central and then Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Mich.).
Murphy is from the Chicago area and played at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and was an assistant at Lake Land College in Mattoon, Ill., before coming to Oakland City.
Lexington, Ky., native Wilcoxson played at Kentucky Wesleyan University in Owensboro, Ky., and for Lasher’s Bombers. He was with OCU from August to May before going to play in the United Shore Professional Baseball League in Utica, Mich.

Oakland City (Ind.) University’s 2023 National Christian College Athletic Association Mideast Regional baseball champions. (Oakland City U. Photo)

IWU, Taylor NAIA World Series-bound; UIndy, Oakland City, many D-I’s still playing

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

Two schools from the same conference and just over 10 miles apart in Grant County, Ind., will both represented at the 2023 NAIA World Series baseball tournament in Lewiston, Idaho.
Indiana Wesleyan University and Taylor University — the tournament and regular-season champions in the Crossroads League — went 3-0 in their respective Opening Round tourneys. The Rich Benjamin-coached Wildcats did it in Kingsport, Tenn., and the Kyle Gould-coached Trojans at home to punch their tickets.
Benjamin has announced that he will leave IWU to become athletic director at Mississinewa High School in Gas City, Ind., at the end of the season.
The final NAIA coaches’ poll came out May 10 and Taylor was No. 19. Indiana Wesleyan received votes.
It will be the first World Series appearance for IWU and the second for Taylor (the other trip came in 1969).
The 10-team event is Friday to Friday, May 26-June 2. The field also features MidAmerica Nazarene University (Olathe, Kan.) and Georgia Gwinnett University (Lawrenceville, Ga.).
MNU Pioneers head coach Ryan Thompson was a player and assistant at Bethel College (now Bethel University), a Crossroads League member in Mishawaka, Ind.
GGU Grizzlies head coach Jeremy Sheetinger was an assistant at Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind., early in his coaching career.

NCAA D-II Indianapolis beat No. 16-ranked Illinois-Springfield once and No. 25 Maryville twice in winning the D-II Midwest Regional in Springfield, Ill.
Next up for the Al Ready-coached Greyhounds is a best-of-three D-II Super Regional May 26-27 at Quincy (Ill.) University. The winner moves on to the NCAA D-II World Series June 3-10 in Cary, N.C.

Franklin College lost twice and was bumped from the NCAA D-III Birmingham (Ala.) Regional. The Lance Marshall-coached Grizzlies made it their after winning the program’s fourth Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament title.

Oakland City University is 1-1 in the National Christian College Athletic Association World Series which resumes today (May 22) in Kansas City. The Andy Lasher-coached Mighty Oaks are also a part of the NAIA.
An elimination game puts OCU against Trinity Christian. Trolls head coach Adam Enright is a graduate of Munster (Ind.) High School and the University of Southern Indiana.

Chris Barney-coached Vincennes University was eliminated in the National Junior College Athletic Conference Region 24 tournament.

NCAA D-I conference tournaments are this week.
Regular-season champion and No. 1 seed Indiana State (coached by Mitch Hannahs) hosts the eight-team Missouri Valley May 23-27 in Terre Haute. Evansville (Wes Carroll) is the No. 4 seed and Valparaiso (Brian Schmack) No. 8.
No. 2 seed Indiana (Jeff Mercer) will be part of the eight-team Big Ten May 23-28 at Omaha, Neb.
Ball State (Rich Maloney) is the No. 3 seed in the Mid-American May 24-27 in Kent, Ohio.
No. 8 seed Notre Dame (Shawn Stiffler) is in the 12-team Atlantic Coast May 23-28 at Durham, N.C.
Southern Indiana (Tracy Archuleta) is the No. 8 seed in the eight-team Ohio Valley May 24-27 at Marion, Ill.
No. 6 seed Purdue Fort Wayne (Doug Schreiber) is in the six-team Horizon League May 24-27 at Dayton, Ohio.
Purdue did not qualify in the Big Ten and Butler did not make it in the Big East.

The state’s longest current win streaks belong to Indiana Wesleyan (6), Indiana State (5), Indianapolis (3) and Taylor (3).

The NCAA Division I RPI (Rating Percentage Index) rankings through May 21 has Wake Forest as the overall No. 1.
Among the state’s schools, Indiana State is No. 10, Indiana No. 27, Notre Dame No. 47, Evansville No. 87, Ball State No. 116, Valparaiso No. 135, Purdue No. 209, Butler No. 235, Purdue Fort Wayne No. 275 and Southern Indiana No. 276.
After conference tournaments comes the national tournament selection announcement on Monday, May 29 (Memorial Day).

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

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through May 21
NCAA D-I
Indiana 40-16 (16-8 Big Ten)
Indiana State 38-14 (24-3 MVC)
Ball State 33-21 (19-11 MAC)
Evansville 33-22 (15-12 MVC)
Notre Dame 30-22 (15-15 ACC)
Purdue 24-29 (11-13 Big Ten)
Valparaiso 20-25 (10-17 MVC)
Southern Indiana 17-37 (8-15 OVC)
Butler 12-43 (5-16 Big East)
Purdue Fort Wayne 13-42 (8-22 Horizon)

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 37-19 (17-15 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 16-35 (9-21 GLIAC)

Schedule Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

Stat Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

NCAA D-III
Franklin 33-13 (18-4 HCAC)
Anderson 27-19 (12-10 HCAC)
Wabash 24-18 (8-8 NCAC)
Rose-Hulman 23-21 (13-9 HCAC)
Manchester 22-20 (12-10 HCAC)
Earlham 20-18 (10-12 HCAC)
Hanover 16-23 (10-12 HCAC)
Trine 15-24 (6-15 MIAA)
DePauw 12-26 (4-12 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
Huntington 38-16 (27-9 CL)
Taylor 40-15 (30-6 CL)
Indiana Wesleyan 39-18-1 (26-10 CL)
Oakland City 34-23 (13-14 RSC)
Indiana Tech 33-17 (18-12 WHAC)
IU Southeast 33-20 (20-7 RSC)
Saint Francis 29-25 (21-15 CL)
IU-Kokomo 28-21 (17-10 RSC)
IU South Bend 24-25 (15-10 CCAC)
Grace 21-27 (13-23 CL)
Bethel 19-30 (12-24 CL)
Marian 17-31 (11-25 CL)
Calumet of St. Joseph 17-32-1 (9-17-1 CCAC)
Goshen 10-38 (6-30 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 5-41

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 29-19
Vincennes 25-33 (13-19 MWAC)
Marian’s Ancilla 9-37-1 (8-17 MCCAA)

Schedule Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Stat Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Through May 21
NCAA D-I
Tuesday, May 16
Ball State 12, Southern Indiana 1 (7 inn.)
Indiana 6, Evansville 2
Northwestern 8, Notre Dame 7 (11 inn)
Purdue Fort Wayne 8, Toledo 7

Thursday, May 18
Kent State 29, Ball State 11
St. John’s 24, Butler 5
Evansville 9, Illinois-Chicago 8
Michigan State 8, Indiana 6
Indiana State 11, Missouri State 4
Notre Dame 5, Boston College 1
Nebraska 10, Purdue 5
Purdue Fort Wayne 4, Milwaukee 3
Valparaiso 7, Illinois State 6

Friday, May 19
Kent State 14, Ball State 3
St. John’s 7, Butler 5
Illinois-Chicago 7, Evansville 3
Michigan State 7, Indiana 6
Boston College 7, Notre Dame 2
Boston College 8, Notre Dame 4
Purdue 7, Nebraska 3
Milwaukee 7, Purdue Fort Wayne 1
Southern Indiana 8, Tennessee Tech 7
Tennessee Tech 11, Southern Indiana 7
Illinois State 20, Valparaiso 10 (8 inn.)

Saturday, May 20
Kent State 11, Ball State 5
St. John’s 14, Butler 4
Evansville 2, Illinois-Chicago 1
Indiana 6, Michigan State 5
Indiana State 9, Missouri State 5
Indiana State 14, Missouri State 4
Nebraska 6, Purdue 4
Purdue Fort Wayne 9, Milwaukee 3
Southern Indiana 8, Tennessee Tech 6
Illinois State 10, Valparaiso 3

NCAA D-II
Midwest Regional II Tournament
(At Springfield, Ill.)
Thursday, May 18
Indianapolis 11, Illinois-Springfield 10 (11 inn.)
Maryville 5, Ashland 2

Friday, May 19
Illinois-Springfield 10, Ashland 2
Indianapolis 14, Maryville 5

Saturday, May 20
Maryville 5, Illinois-Springfield 4
Championship
Indianapolis 11, Maryville 1

NCAA D-III
Friday, May 19
Birmingham (Ala.) Regional
Lewis & Clark 7, Birmingham-Southern 1
LaVerne 8, Franklin 7

Saturday, May 20
Birmingham-Southern 16, Franklin 2
LaVerne 19, Lewis & Clark 4
Birmingham-Southern 15, Lewis & Clark 8

Sunday, May 21
Birmingham-Southern 12, LaVerne 11
Championship
LaVerne 15, Birmingham-Southern 10

NAIA
Opening Round
Upland Bracket
Monday, May 15
Point Park 20, Fisher 3
Taylor 3, Cumberland 2
Point Park 8, Tennessee Wesleyan 4

Tuesday, May 16
Cumberland 17, Fisher 9
Taylor 12, Point Park 10
Tennessee Wesleyan 30, Cumberland 18

Wednesday, May 17
Point Park 6, Tennessee Wesleyan 5 (10 inn.)
Championship
Taylor 12, Point Park 0

Kingsport Bracket
Monday, May 15
Bryan 10, Missouri Baptist 1
Indiana Wesleyan 9, Webber International 4

Tuesday, May 16
Missouri Baptist 14, Webber International 7
Indiana Wesleyan 8, Bryan 3

Wednesday, May 17
Missouri Baptist 21, Bryan 4
Indiana Wesleyan vs. Missouri Baptist
Championship
Indiana Wesleyan 7, Missouri Baptist 6

National Christian College World Series
(At Kansas City)
Friday, May 19
Fort Lauderdale 9, Trinity Christian 6
Dallas Christian 5, Kansas Christian 4
Oakland City 5, Toccoa Falls 0
Mid-America Christian 6, Fort Lauderdale 2

Saturday, May 20
College of the Ozarks 2, Baptist Bible 0
Southwestern Christian 4, Dallas Christian 0
Trinity Christian 8, Toccoa Falls 2
Kansas Christian 6, Baptist Bible 2
Trinity Christian 5, Dallas Christian 3
Mid-America Christian 7, Oakland City 6
Fort Lauderdale 9, Kansas Christian 2
Southwestern Christian 7, College of the Ozarks 3

Monday, May 22
Mid-America Christian vs. Southwestern Christian
Oakland City vs. Trinity Christian
College of the Ozarks vs. Fort Lauderdale
Game 16
Game 17

Tuesday, May 23
Championship
Game 18
Game 19 (if necessary)

Junior College
NJCAA Region 24 Tournament
Wednesday, May 17
Lewis & Clark 7, John Wood 5
Illinois Central 12, Lincoln Land 10
Parkland 10, Vincennes 4
Lincoln Land 13, Vincennes 9

Thursday, May 18
Heartland 10, Lewis & Clark 2
Parkland 8, Illinois Central 5
Lincoln Land 7, Lewis & Clark 5
Illinois Central 7, John Wood 5

Friday, May 19
Heartland 14, Parkland 6
Lincoln Land 10, Illinois Central 7
Lincoln Land 21, Parkland 8

Saturday, May 20
Championship
Heartland 9, Lincoln Land 3

Indiana Wesleyan, UIndy, Franklin, Oakland City, Taylor, Vincennes keep seasons alive

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

Indiana Wesleyan, Franklin and Oakland City won college baseball tournament championships this past week (May 8-14).
IWU, which received votes in the final NAIA rankings, reigned in the Crossroads League event at Huntington. The Rich Benjamin-coached Wildcats are the No. 4 seed in the NAIA Opening Round Kingsport (Tenn.) Bracket.
Crossroads League regular-season champion Taylor is the No. 2 seed in the Upland Bracket hosted by the Kyle Gould-coached and No. 19-ranked Trojans.
Both Opening Round tournaments are slated for Monday to Thursday, Monday to Thursday, May 15-18.
The 10-team NAIA World Series is slated for Friday to Friday, May 26-June 2 at Lewiston, Idaho.
Franklin prevailed in the Heartland College Athletic Conference tournament for the fourth time. Next up for the Lance Marshall-coached Grizzlies is an NCAA D-III regional as the No. 3 seed May 19-21 at Birmingham, Ala.
After being eliminated in the River State Conference tournament the previous week, Oakland City won the National Christian College Athletic Association Mideast Regional at Wilmore, Ky., and the Andy Lasher-coached Mighty Oaks advanced to the NCCAA World Series. The 10-team event is Friday to Tuesday, May 19-23 in Kansas City, Mo.
Also in the NAIA, the curtain came down for Huntington and Saint Francis in the Crossroads League, Indiana Tech in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference and Indiana University South Bend in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
In NCAA D-II, two teams bowed out in conference tourneys — Indianapolis in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and Purdue Northwest in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament.
In the first season with Thad Frame in charge of the program, Huntington (38-16) surpassed its 2022 win total by 11.
Dustin Butcher’s USF Cougars (29-25) were two victories better than 2022.
Kip McWilliams-coached Indiana Tech (33-17) edged 2022 by one win.
Doug Buysse-coached IUSB (23-25) earned seven more victories than 2022.
Al Ready-coached UIndy (34-19) bested its 2022 win total by 13. The Greyhounds’ season continues with an at-large bid and No. 7 seed in the D-II Midwest Regional tournament May 18-20 in Springfield, Ill.
D-III Wabash lost in the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament and Anderson, Rose-Hulman and Manchester were bounced in the HCAC.
Jake Martin-coached Wabash (24-18) triumphed four more times than in 2022.
Matt Bair-coached Anderson (27-19) finished seven wins above 2022.
Rick Espeset-coached Manchester (22-20) won 12 more than in 2022.
In junior college ball, Vincennes qualified for the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 24 tournament. It is scheduled for Wednesday to Saturday, May 17-20 at Normal, Ill.
Ivy Tech Northeast lost in the NJCAA Region 12 district tournament in what is likely the final games for the Titans program after six seasons of existence (2018-23).

The state’s longest current win streaks belong to Indiana (7), Indiana Wesleyan (3) and Notre Dame (3).

At 15-6, Indiana is tied for first place in the Big Ten Conference with Maryland.
Indiana State (21-3) leads the Missouri Valley Conference by three games over second-place Missouri State.
Ball State (19-8) is two games behind Kent State for the top of the Mid-American Conference.

The NCAA Division I RPI (Rating Percentage Index) rankings through May 14 has Kentucky as the overall No. 1.
Among the state’s schools, Indiana State is No. 14, Indiana No. 29, Notre Dame No. 46, Evansville No. 89, Valparaiso No. 109, Ball State No. 119, Purdue No. 211, Butler No. 225, Southern Indiana No. 280 and Purdue Fort Wayne No. 283.
The D-I regular season concludes Sunday, May 21. After conference tournaments comes the national tournament selection announcement on Monday, May 29 (Memorial Day).

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

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through May 14
NCAA D-I
Indiana 38-14 (15-6 Big Ten)
Indiana State 35-14 (21-3 MVC)
Ball State 32-18 (19-8 MAC)
Evansville 31-20 (13-11 MVC)
Notre Dame 29-19 (14-13 ACC)
Purdue 23-27 (10-11 Big Ten)
Valparaiso 19-23 (9-15 MVC)
Southern Indiana 15-35 (6-14 OVC)
Butler 12-40 (5-13 Big East)
Purdue Fort Wayne 10-41 (6-21 Horizon)

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 34-19 (17-15 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 16-35 (9-21 GLIAC)

Schedule Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

Stat Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

NCAA D-III
Franklin 33-11 (18-4 HCAC)
Anderson 27-19 (12-10 HCAC)
Wabash 24-18 (8-8 NCAC)
Rose-Hulman 23-21 (13-9 HCAC)
Manchester 22-20 (12-10 HCAC)
Earlham 20-18 (10-12 HCAC)
Hanover 16-23 (10-12 HCAC)
Trine 15-24 (6-15 MIAA)
DePauw 12-26 (4-12 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
Huntington 38-16 (27-9 CL)
Taylor 37-15 (30-6 CL)
Indiana Wesleyan 36-18-1 (26-10 CL)
Indiana Tech 33-17 (18-12 WHAC)
IU Southeast 33-20 (20-7 RSC)
Oakland City 33-22 (13-14 RSC)
Saint Francis 29-25 (21-15 CL)
IU-Kokomo 28-21 (17-10 RSC)
IU South Bend 24-25 (15-10 CCAC)
Grace 21-27 (13-23 CL)
Bethel 19-30 (12-24 CL)
Marian 17-31 (11-25 CL)
Calumet of St. Joseph 17-32-1 (9-17-1 CCAC)
Goshen 10-38 (6-30 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 5-41

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 29-19
Vincennes 25-31 (10-18 MWAC)
Marian’s Ancilla 9-37-1 (8-17 MCCAA)

Schedule Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Stat Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Through May 14
NCAA D-I
Tuesday, May 9
Indiana State 11, Ball State 1
Northern Kentucky 7, Butler 6
Evansville 6, Bellarmine 5
Valparaiso 9, Western Michigan 6

Wednesday, May 10
Dayton 7, Butler 6
Indiana 8, Xavier 6
Illinois-Chicago 7, Purdue 3

Thursday, May 11
Oakland 11, Purdue Fort Wayne 5

Friday, May 12
Miami (Ohio) 14, Ball State 8
Connecticut 6, Butler 5 (13 inn.)
Evansville 9, Bradley 7
Indiana 26, Purdue 11
Notre Dame 5, Akron 2
Murray State 12, Indiana State 5
Oakland 11, Purdue Fort Wayne 5
Oral Roberts 12, Southern Indiana
Valparaiso 12, Belmont 3

Saturday, May 13
Ball State 5, Miami (Ohio) 1
Connecticut 7, Butler 6
Bradley 13, Evansville 6
Indiana 15, Purdue 3
Indiana State 5, Murray State 0
Notre Dame 5, Akron 4
Oakland 12, Purdue Fort Wayne 9
Oral Roberts 9, Southern Indiana 2
Belmont 13, Valparaiso 3 (7 inn.)

Sunday, May 14
Ball State 8, Miami (Ohio) 3
Butler 11, Connecticut 8
Evansville 7, Bradley 2
Indiana 10, Purdue 2
Indiana State 6, Murray State 2
Notre Dame 2, Akron 1
Oral Roberts 5, Southern Indiana 0
Belmont 5, Valparaiso 1

NCAA D-II
Great Lakes Valley
Conference Tournament
(At Marion, Ill.)
Thursday, May 11
Indianapolis 3, Lewis 1
Drury 6, Maryville 3
William Jewell 13, Illinois-Springfield 3
Quincy 9, Missouri S&T 8

Friday, May 12
Maryville 10, Illinois-Springfield 2
Lewis 4, Missouri S&T 3
Drury 12, William Jewell 4
Quincy 7, Indianapolis 5

Saturday, May 13
Maryville 11, William Jewell 9
Indianapolis 12, Lewis 4
Quincy 12, Maryville 8
Drury 11, Indianapolis 4

Sunday, May 14
Championship
Quincy 13, Drury 6

Great Lakes Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference Tournament
(At Lansing, Mich.)
Thursday, May 11
Purdue Northwest 9, Davenport 1
Wayne State 6, Wisconsin-Parkside 4
Grand Valley State 8, Saginaw Valley State 7 (12 inn.)

Friday, May 12
Davenport 10, Wisconsin-Parkside 5
Wayne State 3, Saginaw Valley State 1
Purdue Northwest 13, Grand Valley State 8

Saturday, May 13
Wayne State 10, Purdue Northwest 1
Grand Valley State 7, Davenport 5
Grand Valley State 9, Purdue Northwest 2

Sunday, May 14
Grand Valley State 9, Wayne State 8 (10 inn.)
Championship
Wayne State 4, Grand Valley State 2

NCAA D-III
Heartland Collegiate Athletic
Conference Tournament
(At Kokomo, Ind.)
Thursday, May 11
Manchester 11, Bluffton 3
Rose-Hulman 4, Anderson 3
Franklin 7, Manchester 6
Transylvania 9, Rose-Hulman 4

Friday, May 12
Anderson 8, Bluffton 5
Rose-Hulman 10, Manchester 4
Franklin 7, Transylvania 3
Anderson 6, Rose-Hulman 3

Saturday, May 13
Anderson 7, Transylvania 6 (10 inn.)
Anderson 6, Franklin 5

Sunday, May 14
Championship
Franklin 12, Anderson 2

North Coast Athletic
Conference Tournament
(At Chillicothe, Ohio)
Thursday, May 11
Dension 9, Wabash 5
Wittenberg 6, Wooster 3

Friday, May 12
Denison 10, Wittenberg 4
Wooster 7, Wabash 6
Wittenberg 15, Wooster 9

Sunday, May 14

Championship
Denison 7, Wittenberg 2

NAIA
Crossroads League Tournament
(At Huntington, Ind.)
Tuesday, May 9
Huntington 8, Saint Francis (Ind.) 5
Championship
Indiana Wesleyan 6, Huntington 5 (10 inn.)

Chicagoland Collegiate
Athletic Conference Tournament
(At Joliet, Ill.)
Monday, May 8
Saint Xavier 7, Roosevelt 4
Saint Xavier 4, IU South Bend 2

Tuesday, May 9
Championship
Saint Xavier 7, IU South Bend 1

National Christian College
Athletic Association Mideast Regional
(At Wilmore, Ky.)
Tuesday, May 9
Oakland City 14, Alice Lloyd 5
Asbury 7, Kentucky Christian 2

Wednesday, May 10
Kentucky Christian 4, Alice Lloyd 1
Oakland City 12, Asbury 4
Kentucky Christian 3, Asbury 1

Thursday, May 11
Kentucky Christian 7, Oakland City 2
Championship
Oakland City 8, Kentucky Christian 4

Junior College
NJCAA Region XII District Tournament
Thursday, May 11
Grand Rapids 12, Ivy Tech Northeast 2
Championship
Grand Rapids 3, Ivy Tech Northeast 1

Other Games
Thursday, May 11
Vincennes 12, Spoon River 2 (5 inn.)
Vincennes 11, Spoon River 1 (5 inn.)

Friday, May 12
Vincennes 10, Spoon River 0 (6 inn.)
Spoon River 5, Vincennes 3

Cabana brings growth mindset to Marian U.’s Ancilla College

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

Kirk Cabana’s life path has been anything but a straight one.
“My journey is not orthodox,” says Cabana.
At 35, Cabana is the new head baseball coach at Marian University’s Ancilla College, a National Junior College Athletic Association and Michigan Community College Athletic Association member in Donaldson, Ind.
“It’s such a welcoming community,” says Cabana. “It met me right where I’m at in my growth and development.”
The MCCAA has three divisions: Northern (Alpena, Cay, Delta, Grand Rapids, Mid Michigan and Muskegon), Western (Glen Oaks, Kalamazoo Valley, Kellogg, Lake Michigan, Lansing and and Marian’s Ancilla) and Eastern (Henry Ford, Jackson, Macomb, Mott, Schoolcraft and St. Clair County).
Including 8-40 in 2022, the MUAC Chargers have won 67 games since 2013.
It wasn’t too many years ago that West Covina (Calif.) High School graduate Cabana worked in pest control more than a decade after going to Citrus College in Glendora, Calif., where he played football but neglected his studies.
“I ruined opportunities I had because I wouldn’t go to class,” says Cabana, who years later decided he wanted a change and went back to the same school, played baseball at age 30 and earned an associate in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from Citrus in 2018.
That was followed by a General Studies bachelor’s degree from Southern New Hampshire University and a master’s degree in Positive Coaching and Athletic Leadership from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
He was a player then an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Carolina University in Winston-Salem, N.C. (the Bruins went to the National Christian College Athletic Association World Series in 2021 and 2022), from August 2019 until moving to Indiana for a chance to be a head coach and impact lives.
“I’ve fallen in love with this process,” says Cabana. “Making the sacrifices these last five years have been fun and rewarding.”
His coaching experience also includes head coach in the Puerto Rico Collegiate League, bench coach for the Coastal Plain League’s High Point-Thomasville (N.C.) Hi-Toms and All-American Amateur Baseball Association’s Winston-Salem-based Carolina Disco Turkeys.
In September 2021, Cabana founded Pursuit 4 Purpose to help athletes with their struggles of trying to become their best and has released 33 P4P podcast episodes to date related to personal development.
“It’s a character-developing, goal-setting organization intended to take the principles, values and life lessons we learn from sports and take them and apply them to other areas of our lives,” says Cabana. “I want to encourage and implore students to be more than athletes so when your sport fails you and it will you’ll have something more to stand on.”
Renowned physical and mental skills trainer Alan Jaeger has been a frequent guest. His first guest was Jeremy Sheetinger, former assistant at Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind., and College Division Liaison for the American Amateur Baseball Coaches Association who is now head coach at Georgia Gwinett College (the Grizzlies won the NAIA World Series in 2021).
Making himself a sponge, Cabana is soaking up the information while sharing it with others.
“I’m just doing my part to help athletes through the process,” says Cabana.
Kirk, wife Katie and sons Kooper (6) and Karson (infant) have settled near MUAC in Plymouth, Ind., while he goes about building his first Chargers team with about 25 players and the help of assistants Chuck Bowen, Josh Pitts and Matt Pitney. Bowen played and has coached at Ancilla. Pitts was on the Knox (Ind,) High School staff. The 2023 season is slated to open Feb. 11 against Southeastern Illinois College.
“We’re ready to attack the spring,” says Cabana.
That will be done while emphasizing team.
It’s the model of Mudita promoted by University of Alabama head softball coach Patrick Murphy.
“It’s vicarious joy through others’ success,” says Cabana. “What I’m trying to do for my guys is know that somebody else’s success does not mean less success for you.
“You have to be willing to move the team forward … There are so many roles on the team … You have to successful where you’re at.”
Cabana notes that during a 55-game season there will be chances for players to prove themselves.
“It’s a lot more than a baseball team,” says Cabana. “It’s a group of people learning to be their best.”

Kirk Cabana. (Marian University’s Ancilla College Photo)

The new logo of Marian’s University’s Ancilla College Chargers.