Hoover now steering Perry Central Commodores

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

Ryan Hoover is now in charge of the baseball program at Perry Central Junior-Senior High School in Leopold, Ind.
The 2023 season will be Hoover’s first as a varsity head coach.
The past two years Hoover coached Evansville North’s middle school team. He has been a travel ball coach the past four or five years, including with the Evansville-based and Jeremy Johnson-run Razorback Baseball Club and an assistant on Adam Hines’ staff at Henderson (Ky.) County High School.
Perry Central (enrollment around 400) is a member of the Patoka Lake Athletic Conference (with Crawford County, Mitchell, Orleans, Paoli, Springs Valley and West Washington).
The Commodores are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping in 2023 with Evansville Mater Dei, Forest Park, North Posey, South Spencer and Tell City. Perry Central has not yet won a sectional title.
During the fall IHSAA Limited Contact Period, Hoover had Perry Central players working two days a week for two hours. Most of the time was spent on defense with hitting at the end of the sessions.
This winter has been mostly two days a week of weight training and two days of hitting and arm care (with weighted baseballs).
Hoover pays attention to his pitchers and has paid attention to pitch counts even before experiencing the rule set in place by the IHSAA (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).
“I make sure they’re getting proper rest, proper stretching and getting loose the proper way before they go out and (throw) 100 percent and really hurt their arm,” says Hoover, who wants to make sure those who might go on to college baseball are ready for the rigors of throwing which that entails.
Recent Perry Central graduates who went on to college diamonds include the Class of 2021’s Brayden Stowe (Brescia University in Owensboro, Ky. before arm injury), Reece Davis (Southeastern Illinois College) and 2021’s Wes Scamahorn (Oakland City).
Class of 2023’s Garrett Scamahorn — brother of Wes — has committed to Oakland City. Class of 2024’s Travis Kellems — a lefty pitcher and outfielder — has been receiving collegiate interest.
A 2016 graduate of Morristown (Ind.) Junior-Senior High School, Hoover was a four-year varsity baseball starter for three head coaches — Tim Hancock in 2013, Royce Carlton in 2014 and Josh Bassett in 2015 and 2016.
“(Carlton) did a real good job of teaching me about being a family as a program,” says Hoover. “The more you treat you treat your teammates as family, the harder you’re going to play for each other.
“(Bassett) put a lot of responsibility on me. When he came in I was the only returning starter. He taught me how to be a leader.”
Hoover played all over the diamond for the Yellow Jackets, but mostly at third base.
In two seasons at Vincennes (Ind.) University, Hoover was also a utility player though most of his time was spent at second base.
Chris Barney is the Trailblazers head coach.
“He taught me how to come in and get your business done,” says Hoover of Barney. “You go in, work hard and understand who you are as a player.”
Hoover did not play past VU. He transferred and earned an Information Technology degree at Indiana University-Bloomington in 2019. He now has a daytime job as an IT professional, part of the time for Perry Central.
The Commodores play and practice on-campus. On Hoover’s wish list is the leveling of the playing surface.
Hoover’s assistant coaches include Jason Hubert (who helped Hoover with the Razorbacks last summer), Andrew Harpenau and Chad Hubert at the high school. Guiding the junior high team (a mix of seventh and eighth graders which play in the spring and use the varsity field) is Brayden Stowe (son of former Perry Central head coach Adam Stowe) and Zander Poole.
Besides the junior high team, which plays in the spring against mostly Pocket Athletic Conference schools plus Owensboro Catholic another feeder is Perry Central Youth Baseball for ages 7 to 12.
“I’m pretty involved making sure we get as much participation as possible,” says Hoover. “It’s exciting for the future.”
Hoover has committed to coach a Razorbacks 14U team this summer.
Ryan and Stephanie Hoover were married in October 2022. She is a University of Evansville graduate and a physical therapist in Princeton, Ind.

Ryan Hoover.

Ryan and Stephanie Hoover.

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Watson putting premium on running as new Providence head coach

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

Tre’ Watson played for one state championship baseball team at Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville, Ind., and was an assistant coach for another.
Now he’s the interim head coach for the Pioneers. His promotion was announced in late October 2022.
Watson, who turned 25 in September, helped guide players through the fall IHSAA Limited Contact Period and is doing so again this winter. There has been individual skills work, including hitting and defense.
“We’re pushing baserunning,” says Watson. “That’s going to be pretty big for us.
“We have a lot of speed and a lot of smart baserunners.”
The idea is to force the opposing defense into mistakes and capitalize on them.
“That was not our M.O. when I was playing,” says Watson, noting that Providence went 27-3 his final prep season with all three losses being by one run. “We had really good pitching and offensively were good at situational hitting.”
Watson was a key member of the 2016 IHSAA Class 2A state championship squad as a senior. He drew two walks and made two putouts while playing first base and third base in the state championship game and was presented with the L.V. Phillips Mental Attitude Award.
After an injury-plagued stint at Vincennes (Ind.) University, Watson (who has had four knee operations and one hip surgery) moved closer to home, enrolled at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany and joined Scott Hornung’s Providence baseball staff for the 2018 season.
Watson worked toward the Business Administration degree he earned in 2021.
Longtime assistant Scott Hutchins took over the Providence program after the 2019 season. The Pioneers won another 2A state crown in 2021.
Eli Watson — younger brother of Tre’ — was a senior in 2021 and also was named to the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series. Eli is now a redshirt freshman outfielder at Western Kentucky University.
Providence (enrollment around 350) went 18-11 in 2022 and is an athletic independent.
The Pioneers are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping in 2023 with Clarksville, Crawford County, Eastern (Pekin) and Paoli. Providence has won 20 sectional titles — the last two in 2021 and 2022.
Home games are contested on Pioneer Field with its turf infield and Bermuda grass outfield. The synthetic surface makes rainouts a rarity.
Among the eight seniors on the 2023 team are three college commits — middle infielder Grant Borden (Mercer University), right-handed pitcher/third baseman Cody Jackson (Anderson University) and right-hander Grant Seebold (Oakland City University). Sophomore outfielder Cole Huett, who swings and throws lefty, is verbally committed to the University of Virginia. Grant Borden is the brother of Houston Astros minor leaguer Tim Borden II.
Other impact players include seniors Nathan Julius (outfielder), Casey Kaelin (middle infielder) and Brantley Whitlock (first baseman/third baseman) and juniors Jack Beyl (outfielder/right-hander), Luke Kruer (outfielder/right-hander) and Brian Wall (second baseman).
Watson, who expects to have 25 or 26 players for varsity and junior varsity squads, counts Jay Lorenz, Jared Clemons, Brian Jackson, Scott Hornung and Reece Davis among his assistant coaches.
Lorenz squeezed home the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning in the 2016 state title game.
Hornung is Watson’s father-in-law. Tre’ married Jacquie Hornung (Providence Class of 2016 and a former volleyball player at Bellarmine University in Louisville) in 2021. The couple resides in New Albany.
Tre’ Watson was born in Louisville to Charles II (aka Chuck) and Denna Watson and was raised in Jeffersonville, Ind. He was part of successful all-star teams at Jeff/GRC Little League.
Outside of coaching, Watson is business manager of St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish in New Albany.

Brothers Eli Watson (left) and Tre’ Watson celebrate Providence’s IHSAA Class 2A baseball state championship in 2021.

Jacquie Hornung (left) and Tre’ Watson celebrate Providence’s IHSAA Class 2A baseball state championship in 2021. The two were married shortly after this game. Tre’ and Jacquie Watson reside in New Albany, Ind.

Rockport wins 11th Indiana American Legion Baseball championship

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

For the 11th time, Rockport Post 254 toted away the hardware.
Rockport beat Crawfordsville Post 72 by a 4-2 count in the Indiana American Legion Baseball Senior State Finals championship game.
The contest was staged Tuesday, July 27 at CFD Investment Stadium at Highland Park in Kokomo and closed out a five-day run for the eight-team double-elimination tournament.
Rockport (20-7) came out of the winners’ bracket, meaning that losers’ bracket survivor Crawfordsville (20-12) had to win twice to earn its first state crown and instead took home its first runner-up trophy.
Post 254 and Post 72 advanced to the championship game with wins in Monday’s semifinals.
With the state crown, Rockport moves on to the Great Lakes Regional Wednesday through Sunday, Aug. 4-8 at Dale Miller Field in Morgantown, W.Va.
Besides the Indiana champion, there will be state title-takers from Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
Eight regional winners advance to the American Legion Baseball World Series Thursday through Monday, Aug. 12-16 on Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C.
Post 254 prevailed Tuesday by staying away from the big Post 72 inning.
“That’s been one of the secrets of this bunch,” said Rockport manager Jim Haaf, who has been involved with all 11 state titles. “They overcome and they did it several times today.”
Crawfordsville plated one run in the top of the seventh inning.
Drew Bradley (2021 Danville Community High School) led off with a walk.
With two outs, Post 254 right-handed starter Jake Stuteville (South Spencer Class of 2021) reached the 105-pitch count limit (he finished with 107 while finishing a batter) was spelled by right-hander Reece Davis (Perry Central Class of 2021), who yielded a single to center from George Valencia (Fountain Central Class of 2020) that plated Bradley then coaxed a championship-clinching infield pop-up.
“I trusted my fastball,” said Stuteville, who struck out six, walked three and gave up five hits and two runs in his 5 1/3 innings. “It was moving.
“I just had confidence in myself.”
Rockport scored one run in the sixth for a 4-1 lead.
Right-hander Landen Southern (Clinton Prairie Class of 2021) reached the pitch limit (he tossed 109 while being allowed to finish a batter) and was relieved by Bradley with the bases loaded and two outs after a pair of Southern strikeouts.
Bradley walked Ashton Tindle (South Spencer Class of 2022) to force in Bren Miller (Tell City Class of 2021), who led off the inning with a single to left) and the frame ended with a strikeout.
Southern gave up four runs and seven hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in 5 2/3 innings.
There were runners at first and second base against Stuteville at the close of the Post 72 sixth.
“It’s rough,” said four-year Crawfordsville manager Kyle Proctor, who saw his team strand eight runners, including four in scoring position. “I think we could have won the championship, but they beat us the first time and put us in the losers’ bracket, making it a lot tougher.”
Jacob Braun (North Montgomery Class of 2021) rapped a one-out single to left and Matthew Harris (Tri-West Hendricks Class of 2021) drew a walk before an inning-ending forceout and third base off the bat of Zach Fichter (Crawfordsville Class of 2021).
The Rockport fifth ended with a defensive gem. Post 72 first baseman Cade Walker (Seeger Class of 2021) made a diving catch of a line drive by Jackson Raaf (South Spencer Class of 2022) and threw to shortstop Owen Gregg (North Montgomery Class of 2020) to double off Jalen Johnson (South Spencer Class of 2022), who had reached on an error and stolen second base. Southern was on the mound for Crawfordsville.
Stuteville worked his way in and out of a jam in a scoreless Crawfordsville fifth.
With one out. Fichter was hit by a pitch, Bradley reached on an error and Austin Motz (Crawfordsville Class of 2022) walked to lead the bases before Stuteville got a strikeout and fly-out to end the threat.
“Our pitcher got squared away,” said Haaf. “Then we made some plays and began to hit the ball a little bit.”
Rockport went down 1-2-3 against Southern in the fourth with swinging strikeout, pop-up and looking strikeout.
Post 72 sent four batters to the plate against Stuteville in a score-free fourth and left Braun at first base following a two-out single to left.
Rockport went scorless against Southern in the third.
Crawfordsville turned a double play for the first two outs — shortstop Gregg to sprawling first baseman Walker.
The inning ended when Crawfordsville left fielder Ficther took away a hit from Diond’re Jacob (Tell City Class of 2021). Fichter made a dive and catch heading toward the fence.
Crawfordsville went down in order against Stuteville in the third with a fly-out, groundout and strikeout.
Post 254 went up 3-1 with two runs in the second.
Wes Scamehorn (Perry Central Class of 2021) drew a lead-off walk and scored on a two-run home run by Houston Compton (South Spencer Class of 2022).
The blast to left came on a 3-2 delivery from Southern that concluded an at-bat where Compton fouled off three pitches.
Post 72 pulled even at 1-1 with a run against Stuteville in the second.
Braun lashed a lead-off double to left, moved to second on a single to left by Walker and scored on a fielder’s choice forceout by Harris.
The frame ended with Rockville catcher Raaf firing to second baseman Johnson to cut down Harris attempting to steal.
Rockport scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the first.
Raaf drew a one-out walk from Southern and later scored on a single to center by Davis.
Southern struck out the side in Crawfordsville first.
Crawfordsville’s roster was full of older players so Proctor expects a different look next summer.
“We scout in the spring and see which players can join us,” says Proctor. “We play for everything. (Players) don’t pay anything.”
Indiana crowned its first American Legion Baseball state champion in 1926.

INDIANA AMERICAN LEGION
SENIOR STATE FINALS
(At Kokomo)
Championship
ROCKPORT POST 254 4,
CRAWFORDSVILLE POST 72 2
Crawfordsville 010 000 1 — 2 6 2
Rockport 120 001 x — 4 7 1
Landen Southern (L), Drew Bradley (6); Jake Stuteville (W), Reece Davis (7, S).
Crawfordsville: Hits — Jacob Braun 3, Owen Gregg 1, George Valencia 1, Cade Walker 1. 2B — Braun. RBI — Valencia 1, Matthew Harris 1. Runs — Braun, Bradley. LOB — 8.
Rockport: Hits — Davis 3, Bren Miller 2, Jackson Raaf 1, Houston Compton 1. HR — Compton. 2B — Davis. RBI — Compton 2, Davis 1, Ashton Tindle 1. Runs — Raaf 1, Compton 1, Miller 1, Wes Scamahorn 1. SB — Davis, Jalen Johnson. LOB — 5. T — 2:08.
Records: Rockport 21-11, Crawfordsville 20-12.

Rockport Post 254 won the 2021 Indiana American Legion Baseball state title in the senior division. (Steve Krah Photo)

Former long-time assistant Hutchins now in charge of Providence Pioneers

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Scott Hutchins has spent 27 years in a Our Lady of Providence High School baseball uniform — four as a player for then-head coach Ben Hornung and the past 23 as an assistant coach to Scott Hornung (Ben’s cousin). In 25 seasons, Scott Hornung went 473-233 with 13 sectional title, six regional crowns, one semistate championship and one state title.

Now 1991 Providence graduate Hutchins is in charge of the Clarksville, Ind.-based Pioneers program and carries things he learned from the Hornungs and ideas he’s formed on his own.

Hutchins recalls how prepared Ben Hornung was for each day’s practice.

“He was very organized,” says Hutchins. “He made every single person feel like they were an important part of the team and that they were a big contributor.

“(Scott Hornung) had the ability to cultivate relationships with all the players. He had a lot of respect for all those guys. He listened to his assistants and would take your advice.

“I hope to take a little bit of all those things when I get started.”

Hutchins has already put Providence players through fall Limited Contact Period baseball workouts (two hours, twice-a-week for seven weeks).

“We had good weather and got all 14 practices in,” says Hutchins. “We really focused on individual player development. We did a little bit of team stuff.

“I like the Limited Contact rule because we are allowed to instruct.”

There was individual defensive work and time spent in the batting cage.

“We had a super productive fall,” says Hutchins. “In December, we’ll do conditioning and lifting. I doubt we’ll even pick up a baseball in December.

“In January, we’ll focus on getting our pitchers ready for the season.”

Ideally, Hutchins would like his players to be able to throw a little during conditioning times, but the rules do not currently allow that though the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association is working with the Indiana High School Athletic Association and Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association on proposals, including one that would extend the period of arm care.

Hutchins says he would like to stretch out his starters and have his bullpen pitchers throw a lesser number of pitches two or three days a week to get used to doing that during the season.

“Right now, it’s hard to get their arms ready,” says Hutchins.

His assistants include Providence alums Jacob Julius (2004), Tre Watson (2016) and Colin Rauck (2015) plus former Indiana University Southeast pitcher Elliott Fuller and Jennings County graduate and former IUS player Brian Jackson.

Associate head coach Julius played and coached at the University of Arkansas and played in the Baltimore Orioles organization. Watson was on the Pioneers’ state title team in 2016 and is now the hitting coach. Fuller works with pitcher and is the head junior varsity coach. Jackson works with catchers. Rauck is a JV assistant.

Providence (enrollment around 360) is an athletic independent with no conference affiliation.

Among 2019 opponents were Austin, Brownstown Central, Clarksville, Corydon Central, Eastern of Pekin, Gibson Southern, Jeffersonville, Lanesville, New Albany, North Harrison, Salem, Silver Creek, South Central of Elizabeth and Washington in Indiana plus Glenbrook South and Metamora in Illinois and Trinity in Kentucky.

The Pioneers are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping with Austin, Clarksville, Crawford County, Eastern of Pekin and Henryville. Providence has won 18 sectional titles — the last in 2017. The Pioneers were 2A state champions in 2016.

Several recent Providence graduates have gone on to college baseball, including Joe Wilkinson (Indiana University), Christian Graf (Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn.) and Adam Uhl (Franklin College), Timmy Borden (University of Louisville), Reece Davis (Bellarmine University in Louisville), Jake Lewis (Eastern Kentucky University) and Jay Lorenz (Hanover College).

No current Pioneers have made college baseball commitments.

Hutchins has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Indiana University Southeast. He teaches Chemistry and is Dean of Students at Providence.

Scott and Traci Hutchins have two baseball-playing sons — senior Bryce Hutchins and freshman Logan Hutchins. Both are second basemen.

The Hutchins family (from left): Bryce, Logan, Traci and Scott. After 23 seasons as an assistant, alum Scott Hutchins is now the head baseball coach at Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville, Ind.

 

IHSAA Tournament Success Factor has Hornung-led Providence Pioneers moving up to Class 3A in 2018

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Pushing the pace has put the Pioneers of Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville among Indiana’s baseball elite.

“We want to be a very aggressive team,” says Providence head coach Scott Hornung. “We’re always looking to take the extra base.

“We want to be aggressive from the first pitch on. As pitchers, we want them to be overly aggressive on their first pitch to get ahead in the count.”

Hornung has helped push the Pioneers to a 433-224 record since the 1981 Providence graduate became head coach at the private Catholic school in 1995, including 28-5 with a second straight semistate appearance in 2017. The 2016 squad won the program’s first state championship.

Providence has claimed 18 sectional baseball titles (13 of those with Hornung as head coach).

The Pioneers have claimed a 2A sectional trophy three of the past five seasons (2014 and 2017 at Providence, 2016 at Clarksville) and went on to claim regional crowns the past two seasons (2016 and 2017 at Providence) plus the program’s first semistate championship (2016 at Plainfield).

The 2017 season ended for the Pioneers (28-5) with a loss to eventual state champion Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter at the Plainfield Semistate.

Is there such a thing as too aggressive?

“The regular season as opportunity to learn,” says Hornung. “They need to learn difference between being aggressive and being stupid. We do have to let them make mistakes. That’s the only way they’re going to learn.”

In 2018, the Pioneers will learn what it means to compete in the postseason at Class 3A after years in 2A.

By earning 13 IHSAA Tournament Success Factor points in 2015-16 and 2016-17, Providence moves up to 3A for the next reclassification period ( 2017-18 and 2018-19).

By rule, schools that achieve six points (1 for a sectional championship, 2 for a regional championship, 3 for a semistate championship and 4 for a state championship) are required to move up.

Hornung is not a fan of the rule in its current form.

“The span of years is too little,” says Hornung. “It needs to be over a four- or five-year span. In two years at the 1A or 2A level, you could have a couple players be dominant (and rack up Tournament Success Factor points). They graduate and then you go back to just being competitive.”

Hornung says the Tournament Success Factor rule is “football-driven” and “Catholic-biased.”

“We’re penalizing everybody for that reason,” says Hornung. “(The IHSAA) need adjustments.”

Adjusting in 2017 to the new pitch count rules (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) was not a hardship with Providence and its mound corps depth.

But Hornung sees where other schools — especially smaller ones — felt the effects.

“The smaller the school, the harder it is for that team to pitch effectively,” says Hornung. “We’re not the kind of (coaching) staff that overuses pitchers in any way. A few people making bad decisions have forced the hand and they made the rule across the board.

“I wish they’d leave it up to the discretion of the staff to determine the health of a pitcher’s arm. We don’t (enforce pitch counts) in the college or the pros.”

Providence does not belong to a conference. The Pioneers play an independent schedule.

“Most of the time I like it,” says Hornung. “But it’s getting frustrating. Teams won’t schedule us.

“I like to be able to make my own schedule and have my pitching rotation based around certain games. We play three to five games with Kentucky schools every year. But can’t make extended contracts because they have a mandated schedule and we don’t always if dates will correspond.”

Providence plays its home games on-campus on a field with an artificial turf infield installed by The Motz Group of Cincinnati (at a cost of between $250,000 and $300,000, according to Hornung) and a grass outfield.

Hornung and one of his assistants can be be found riding the mower.

“It’s kind of therapeutic,” says Hornung. “(Maintaining) the infield, I don’t miss it at all. That was a nightmare and it got harder as I got older and I wanted to do it less.

“I wouldn’t go back (to a grass infield) unless we had all the manpower and tools to do it right. This is a high school program and we don’t have access to all that.

“Statistics have shown that there is more cost effectiveness (with turf) in the long haul. It’s all the maintenance etc. that is saved over a 10-year period.”

Hornung’s 2018 coaching staff includes Scott Hutchins, Jacob Julius, Matt Schaab and newcomer and pitching coach Elliott Fuller at the varsity level and Shawn Hoffman and Collin Rauck with the junior varsity.

Among the returnees for 2018 are seniors Timmy Borden (University of Louisville commit), Reece Davis (Bellarmine University commit) and Nathan Proctor and juniors Joe Wilkinson (Louisville commit), Adam Uhl and Kaden Williams.

Their head coach is very familiar with the recruiting process in baseball and in the volleyball world. All three of Scott and Elly Hornung’s daughters are volleyball players. Jacquie Hornung is a sophomore at Bellarmine. Marissa Hornung is a Providence senior who recently signed to play at Purdue University. Ali Hornung is Providence freshmen.

Hornung says he gets as involved with the recruiting of his baseball athletes as much as they want.

But things recruiting landscape has changed.

“The high school coach is not as relevant as they used to be as the travel ball coach is,” says Hornung. “Colleges send messages to the travel or high school coach. I’m fine with that.

“The player recruits themselves anymore. That’s just the way it is. They go out and play and it’s up to them and their contact with the schools.”

Scott Hornung, a 1981 graduate of Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville, has been Pioneers head baseball coach since 1995. Providence won an IHSAA Class 2A state championship in 2016.