Bickel leads IUPUC Crimson Pride into first baseball season

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

Athletic history is being made in Columbus, Ind.
Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus has been approved for NAIA status in 2022-23.
The Crimson Pride are up and running with three programs — baseball, softball and cross country — and more sports are planned.
The first official baseball practice was held Tuesday, Sept. 6 on the youth diamonds at CERA Sports Park & Campground in Columbus.
“The City of Columbus as a whole never had collegiate sports,” says Scott Bickel, IUPUC’s first head baseball coach. “We need Columbus and their business partners to support us for us to continue to grow.”
IUPUC is a sister school to Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and offers Indiana and Purdue degrees at in-state tuition rates.
An independent pilot program that will not be eligible for NAIA postseason play in the first year, the IUPUC Crimson Pride hopes to get into an athletic conference — preferably the River States Conference (which includes national power Indiana University Southeast plus Indiana University-Kokomo and Oakland City University).
The baseball roster currently numbers 44 and the goal is 55 in order to have full varsity and junior varsity schedules.
“We want to give them an opportunity to compete for a position,” says Bickel. “We’re going to need to play at a highly-respected level to compete for conference championships.
“The main thing we have to do now is install everything. Everything is new to everybody.”
Former pitcher/outfielder Bickel was Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North-South All-Star Series participant for Huntington North in 2006 and earned IHSBCA all-state honorable mention in both 2005 and 2006.
Among Bickel’s classmates and teammates were Chris Kramer, Andrew Drummond and Jarod Hammel. Kramer went on to play basketball at Purdue University and in the pro ranks. Drummond set offensive records at Huntington (Ind.) University. Hammel also played at HU and is in his second stint as Huntington North head baseball coach.
Bickel played two years each at Huntington North for Chad Daugherty and Russ Degitz (Chad’s younger brother Kyle Daugherty was an assistant) and Greg Roberts at the University of Saint Francis, an NAIA school in Fort Wayne.
Bickel is a first-time head coach with coaching experience as Roberts’ hitting coach for one season at Saint Francis (2016-17) and four campaigns at Ivy Tech Community College Northeast in Fort Wayne (2019-22) doing a number of things for head coaches Lance Hershberger and Connor Wilkins.
Others Ivy Tech coaches include Javier DeJesus (who gave pitching lessons to high schooler Bickel), Mark Flueckiger, Drew Buffenbarger, Benny Clark, Tony Gorgai, Jeff Griffith, Densil Brumfield and Seth Sorenson.
“I have Lance Hershberger to thank for taking a chance with me and offering me an opportunity to network with a great baseball town,” says Bickel. “I really grew my knowledge base from our relationships, and I wouldn’t be here without them.”
In some way or other, Bickel says he has also been impacted by Brent Alwine (Indiana Tech and Indiana Summer Collegiate League)
Matt Brumbaugh (Fort Wayne Northrop), Patrick Collins-Bride (Indiana Tech), Mark Delagarza (Summit City Sluggers), Steve Devine (Indiana Tech), Rich Dunno (Ground Force Sports), Jason Garrett (Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger), Zach Huttie (Indiana Tech/World Baseball Academy), Rick Davis (Strike Zone Training Center), Manny Lopez (The Diamond/Fort Wayne Diamondbacks), Kip McWilliams (Indiana Tech) and Mike Nutter (Fort Wayne TinCaps).
The 2017-18 Ivy Tech team — aka “The Dirty Dozen” for the 12 players left at season’s end — went 25-18 in that inaugural season. Bickel came along in 2018-19 and saw those players move on to four-year schools.
In 2017-18, Bickel was an assistant at Fort Wayne Snider High School. Marc Skelton and Bruce Meyer led the Panthers varsity and assistants included Tim McCrady and Josh Clinkenbeard (who is now Snider head coach).
The last two years, Bickel was a player-coach for the Richard Brown-owned Jackers, which qualified for the National Amateur Baseball Federation World Series in both seasons.
While living in Colorado. Bickel met future wife Allie (the couple celebrates six years of marriage Oct. 15), started a business and played baseball.
Bickel holds degrees in Secondary Education for Mathematics and Mild Intervention from Saint Francis (2011) and a Masters of Athletic Administration and Coaching from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. (2021).
The IUPUC staff also includes pitching coach Zach McClellan (who is also the school’s Director of Athletics and a former big league pitcher), Mac Kido and Tyler Dunbar and is likely to expand.
Kido, a 2016 graduate of Edgewood High School in Ellettsville, Ind., briefly attended Manchester University in North Manchester, Ind., and has coached at Edgewood and travel ball at the Tier Ten Sports Campus in Spencer, Ind. He will coach Crimson Pride hitters.
Dunbar, a 2019 graduate of North Daviess High School in Elnora, Ind., played briefly at Hanover (Ind.) College and transferred to IUPUC to finish his degree in Elementary Education. He has coached travel ball for Demand Command. He will serve infield coach/assistant baserunning coach for the Crimson Pride.
“I’ll be mentoring and shepherding Coach Kido and Coach Dunbar the best I can,” says Bickel. “That’s a big goal for me.
“I want to give them the autonomy they need to be successful.”
Bickel will work with catchers and outfielders.
An exhibition game with Ivy Tech Northeast is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 8 at Fort Wayne’s Shoaff Park.
IUPUC is to open its 2023 season and play its first-ever games Feb. 10-11 against Huntington University in Tuscaloosa, Ala. New Foresters head coach Thad Frame is a 2004 Huntington North graduate, which means he was a Vikings senior when Bickel was a sophomore.

Scott Bickel. (Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus Image)

(Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus Image)

(Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus Image)

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Left-hander Knust enjoys late-inning relief role

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

When it comes down to crunch time, that’s when Gavin Knust wants the baseball.
The left-handed pitcher likes to be called on in the latter innings to get out of a jam or nail down a victory.
He’s done it for the past two seasons at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany.
“I enjoy being the guy the team relies on,” says Knust, 20. “I want to help the team in any way possible to win a ball game.”
In 2022, he made 22 relief appearances (16 of them scoreless) and went 4-0 with two saves, a 3.60 earned run average, 35 strikeouts and nine walks in 30 innings.
The Grenadiers finished the season 40-15 overall and 20-4 in the River States Conference. The campaign ended in the NAIA Opening Round.
As a true freshman in 2021, Knust came out of the bullpen 20 times and went 2-0 with a 3.50 ERA, 40 strikeouts and 12 walks in 36 innings.
IUS (50-16, 26-1) earned its first trip to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, in 2021 and Knust appeared in three of four games.
Knust was 18 and pitching on one of college baseball’s biggest stages. And this after missing his senior season at Forest Park Junior/Senior High School in Ferdinand, Ind., because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 6 1/3 innings in Idaho, he yielded four hits and two runs while striking out nine and walking two.
Older guys like Daunte DeCello, Hunter Kloke, Marco Romero, Derek Wagner (a Tri-West Hendricks High School alum) and Clay Woeste (Lawrenceburg) pushed Knust to be his best.
“They were huge role models,” says Knust. “They took me under their wing and took care of me.”
All the while, the Grenadiers fed off the words of head coach Ben Reel.
“Coach Reel is a huge believer in ‘control the controllables’ — that’s all you can worry about. He tells us to play ‘our’ baseball. Don’t try to be anybody else.”
After a 5-10 start, that 2021 team went into the postseason at 40-13.
“We were the hottest team in the nation,” says Knust. “That’s all baseball is about — riding the hot streak.”
Brandon Mattingly was the pitching coach at IU Southeast in 2022.
“He’s a big believer in the mental aspect of baseball and breathing correctly,” says Knust of Mattingly. “He want you doing the same thing every pitch. Baseball is a game of repetition.
“It’s a game where you don’t want to make it more complicated that it really is.”
As a bullpen arm throwing between three-quarter and over-the-top, Knust relies mostly on a four-seam fastball, two-seamer and curveball. His four-seamer got up to 88 mph in the spring.
“(The two-seamer) runs away from the barrel,” says Knust. “The curveball is more like a slurve.”
After spending the summer of 2021 with the Ohio Valley League’s Madisonville (Ky.) Miners, Knust is now relieving for the 2022 Northwoods League’s Battle Creek (Mich.) Battle Jacks.
Through games of July 20, the southpaw had made 15 appearances (10 scoreless) and was 2-1 with a 2.60 ERA, 15 strikeouts and eight walks in 17 1/3 innings.
“It’s more about hitting my pitches, working on my spots and just becoming a better pitcher this summer,” says Knust of his in-game goals.
Caleb Lang, an assistant at Concordia University Nebraska is Battle Creek’s manager. IU Southeast faced Concordia in Lewiston in 2021.
Away from the diamond, there is also bonding and fun on a BC squad made up largely of NAIA players — including Concordia’s Joey Grabanski and Jacob Lycan and Indiana University-Kokomo’s Patrick Mills — with a few D-1’s sprinkled in.
“We’re almost getting to the point where we’re a big family now,” says Knust.
A few times, host families have allowed some of the Battle Jacks to use their boat to chill on the lake followed by cornhole and a cookout at their house.
Knust was born in Jasper, Ind., and grew up in nearby Saint Anthony.
He played T-ball at Pine Ridge Elementary in Birdseye. His only summer of travel ball came during high school with the Louisville-based Ironmen Prime.
At Forest Park, Knust played football for head coach Ross Fuhs and baseball for Jarred Howard.
“(Fuhs) was more of an understanding coach,” says Knust. “You could talk to him about anything in life. He’d always be there for you.
“(Howard) got the most out of every player and he tried to make you a better person.”
Knust, who has two years of playing eligibility left, is a Marketing major with a Professional Sales minor.
“An IU degree in marketing is one of the best you can get,” says Knust. “I enjoy talking and getting to know people.”
Gavin is the youngest of Steve and Melissa Knust’s three sons.
Ethan Knust (27) works for a concrete company. Eli Knust (25), who played baseball at Huntington (Ind.) University and against Gavin in 2021, works at Memorial Hospital in Jasper and assists Ethan with a concrete side business.
Steve Knust is a plumber. Melissa Knust is an oncology nurse at Memorial Hospital.

Gavin Knust (Indiana University Southeast Photo)

Gavin Knust (Indiana University Southeast Photo)

Gavin Knust (Indiana University Southeast Photo)

Gavin Knust (Indiana University Southeast Photo)

Driven Mills takes advice from many baseball mentors

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

What drives Patrick Mills as a baseball player?
“My passion for the game is definitely No. 1,” says Mills, a 22-year-old outfielder/first baseman for Indiana University-Kokomo. “Every day I get up out of bed the one thing I want to do is go play some baseball.
“That’s the reason I keep playing. I enjoy the game. Everything else will follow. I will do everything I can to get better and keep playing it. It comes down to passion and discipline.”
Mills, a 2018 graduate of Western High School in Russiaville, Ind., spent two years at Olney (Ill.) Central College and the past two years at IUK. He plans to use his extra year of COVID-19 eligibility with the Cougars in 2022-23 while completing his Computer Science degree.
A lefty thrower and batter, Mills hit .374 (65-of-174) in 2022 while helping IUK go 26-22 overall and 16-7 in the NAIA River States Conference. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder belted 15 home runs, four triples and 16 doubles while driving in 44 runs and scoring 51 — all team-leading totals. His on-base percentage was .453.
“I make sure I stay balanced in my body and my mind,” says Mills of his approach at the plate. “I learn what the pitcher is throwing and try to hit the ball hard.
“When you hit the ball hard good things happen.”
Mills has had many mentors besides father Eric.
“It’s not just one person in particular,” says Mills. “It’s a collective of everybody I’ve met in the game.
“It’s little bit of advice here and there. I’ve put it together like a puzzle.”
Jeremy Honaker coached Cougar outfielders and hitters in 2022.
Mills credits him with helping him with the mental side of the game and bringing out his full potential during games.
“There were little snippets for me to think about during (batting practice),” says Mills. “They were more mental notes than actual physical cues.”
A lot was achieved during the fall and winter.
“All that work built up,” says Mills. “By the time the season came around it was second nature.”
Mills has head coaches at IUK with different styles. Matt Howard was intense and Drew Brantley is more laid-back.
“(Howard) lent a level of excitement and discipline,” says Mills of the man who is now a Kokomo police officer. “He wanted us to compete to the best of our abilities every single day. He wanted to make his players as tough as possible and he definitely did.
“(Brantley) has created an environment where we’re not afraid to fail. If we can control what we need to control, the results will follow. Follow the process and try to get better everyday. That philosophy — in my opinion — worked very well. Next spring it will be even better.”
Mills was born in Kokomo and got his formal baseball start at what is now Russiaville Youth Baseball League.
He played travel ball with the Westfield-based Stonecutters then went with the Indiana Eagles for his 14U to 17U summers.
“(Eagles coach) Jamie Roudebush gave us a platform to work on our skills and get better everyday during those years,” says Mills.
At Western, Mills played two years each for Quentin Brown then Ryan Berryman.
“(Brown) was all about passion when playing the game. He once jokingly said to me, ‘you care about this game too much. If you keep your passion like that you’ll go wherever you want to go.”
Mills and the Western Panthers were 2016 IHSAA Class 3A state runners-up.
“Playing for (Berryman) was a different experience from Brown,” says Mills. “He brought the intensity level, but also the technicalities of baseball. He challenged me to become better fundamentally. It was the mechanics and more than just the mental side.”
Mike Shirley, who at the time was a Chicago White Sox area scout and is now that organization’s director of amateur scouting, ran a fall league for high schoolers in Pendleton, Ind., in which Mills participated.
“He gave us a lot of information and where we need to improve,” says Mills of Shirley. “He was challenging us mentally and physically. It was a great experience.”
Mills played for Don Andrews-managed Kokomo American Legion Post 6 the summers before and after his first year of college.
“He was always supported me since I played for him,” says Mills of Andrews. “He was very similar to how Drew Brantley goes about his business. He’s calm and collected.
“Back then I was very intense and wild and wanted to do everything with one swing. He taught me how to handle my emotions. It went over my head then but I eventually learned from his teachings.”
At Olney Central, Mills played for veteran coach Dennis Conley.
“He definitely pushed his players to the limit and got the most out of them,” said Mills of Conley, who has been in charge of the Blue Knights program for 42 years and has a record of 1,530-773. “Junior college tests your love of the game. Do you really love the game or kind of like it?”
Mills was with the Portland (Ind.) Rockets during the COVID summer of 2020. One of his teammates was former Yorktown High School, Lincoln Trail College, Wright State University and independent pro player Zach Tanner.
“He took me under his wing and taught me about the mental game,” says Mills of Tanner.
Last summer he played for the Prospect League’s West Virginia Miners and manager Tim Epling.
The summer of 2022 sees Mills with the Northwoods League’s Battle Creek (Mich.) Battle Jacks. The team is managed by Caleb Long.
In 28 games with Battle Creek, Mills is hitting .360 (41-of-114) with two homers, 27 RBIs and 21 runs.
Eric and Sundai Mills have three children — Jaymee (Mills) Birky (28), Hayley Mills (24) and Patrick.
Jaymee is married and living in Madison, Wis. (where Battle Creek recently played the Madison Mallards), and competition in swimming, softball and track at Western. She also was part of a state championship marching band. Hayley nows teaches elementary school in Raleigh, N.C. She was in volleyball, basketball, swimming and softball during her school days.

Patrick Mills (Indiana University-Kokomo Photo)

Patrick Mills (Battle Creek Battle Jacks Photo)

Patrick Mills (Indiana University-Kokomo Photo)

Patrick Mills (15) (Battle Creek Battle Jacks Photo)

Patrick Mills (Indiana University-Kokomo Photo)

Patrick Mills (Battle Creek Battle Jacks Photo)

Patrick Mills (Indiana University-Kokomo Photo)

Patrick Mills (Battle Creek Battle Jacks Photo)

Taylor, Indiana University Southeast, Earlham win conference tournaments

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

NAIA’s Taylor and Indiana University Southeast moved on in postseason play as did NCAA Division III’s Earlham during the week of May 9-15.
The Crossroads League crowned Taylor as tournament champion and IU Southeast prevailed in the River States Conference tournament.
The NAIA Opening Round was slated for May 16-19 at 10 sites. Taylor is a site host and the No. 3 seed in a field which features No. 1 Southeastern (Fla.), No. 2 Northwestern Ohio, No. 4 Columbia (Mo.) and No. 5 Bryan (Tenn.).
IU Southeast is the No. 2 seed in the Santa Barbara Bracket with No. 1 and host Westmont, No. 3 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) and No. 5 Antelope Valley (Calif.).
By edging Rose-Hulman 10-9 Saturday in Kokomo, Earlham reigned as Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament champions. The Quakers qualified for regional play and will be in a four-team field hosted by Lynchburg (Va.) and also including Birmingham (Ala.)-Southern and Salve Regina (R.I.). Action starts May 20.
In junior college play, Vincennes qualified for the Mid-West Athletic Conference tournament. The Trailblazers are to meet Danville Area on Wednesday, May 18 at The Corn Crib in Normal, Ill.
The 2022 season has concluded for 25 of the state’s 38 baseball-playing schools.
NCAA Division I is heading into the final week of the regular season.
Winners of weekend series were Indiana (2-1 vs. Minnesota), Notre Dame (2-1 vs. Pittsburgh), Purdue (2-1 at Northwestern) and Purdue Fort Wayne (2-0 vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee and also 1-1 at Wright State).
Ball State went 2-2 at Ohio while Evansville was 1-2 at Dallas Baptist, Valparaiso 1-2 vs. Bradley, Butler 0-3 vs. Xavier and Indiana State 0-3 at Southern Illinois.
In the latest D1Baseball.com RPI, Notre Dame is No. 14, Evansville No. 67, Ball State No. 90, Indiana No. 119, Purdue No. 120, Indiana State No. 121, Valparaiso No. 217, Butler No. 229 and Purdue Fort Wayne No. 251.
Final regular-season games this week include:
• Ball State is at Miami (Ohio) May 19-21.
• Notre Dame at Northwestern May 17 and Miami (Fla.) May 19-21.
• Purdue vs. Maryland May 19-21.
• Evansville vs. Murray State May 17 and vs. Valparaiso May 19-21.
• Indiana vs. Illinois State May 17 and at Iowa May 19-21.
• Indiana State vs. Dallas Baptist May 19-21.

• Butler at Purdue Fort Wayne May 17 and vs. Seton Hall May 19-21
• Purdue Fort Wayne vs. Butler May 17 and at Akron May 20-21.
• Valparaiso at Western Michigan May 17 and at Evansville May 19-21.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through May 15
NCAA D-I
Ball State 34-17 (28-7 MAC)
Notre Dame 31-11 (15-9 ACC)
Purdue 29-17 (9-10 Big Ten)
Evansville 29-20 (13-5 MVC)
Indiana 24-27 (10-11 Big Ten)
Indiana State 23-20 (8-10 MVC)
Butler 18-33-1 (2-15-1 Big East)
Purdue Fort Wayne 16-33 (13-15 Horizon)
Valparaiso 15-30 (4-14 MVC)

NCAA D-II
Southern Indiana 21-28 (10-14 GLVC)
Indianapolis 21-31 (11-13 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 18-21 (7-17 GLIAC)

NCAA D-III
Franklin 29-14 (13-5 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 28-13 (12-6 HCAC)
Earlham 26-11 (12-6 HCAC)
DePauw 22-17 (12-6 NCAC)
Wabash 20-19 (4-14 NCAC)
Anderson 20-21 (11-7 HCAC)
Hanover 16-22 (10-8 HCAC)
Trine 14-23 (9-12 MIAA)
Manchester 10-27 (6-12 HCAC)

NAIA
Taylor 40-16 (26-10 CL)
Indiana University Southeast 39-13 (20-4 RSC)
Indiana Tech 32-21 (13-7 WHAC)
Indiana Wesleyan 31-23 (23-13 CL)
Oakland City 31-23 (11-11 RSC)
Huntington 27-23 (21-15 CL)
Marian 27-27 (17-19 CL)
Saint Francis 27-28 (15-21 CL)
Indiana University-Kokomo 26-22 (16-7 RSC)
Bethel 25-29 (19-17 CL)
Grace 17-33 (10-26 CL)
Calumet of Saint Joseph 16-32 (11-18 CCAC)
Indiana University South Bend 16-32-1 (9-20-1 CCAC)
Goshen 11-39 (6-30 CL)

Junior College
Vincennes 25-30 (15-17 MWAC)
Ivy Tech Northeast 16-19
Marian’s Ancilla 8-40 (6-22 MCCAA)

Week of May 9-15
NCAA D-I
Monday, May 9
Kent State 5, Ball State 4

Tuesday, May 10
Purdue 11, Butler 6
Louisville 7, Indiana 2
Vanderbilt 8, Indiana State 7 (11 inn.)
Notre Dame 15, Michigan State 6
Dayton 8, Purdue Fort Wayne 5

Wednesday, May 11
Evansville 17, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 10

Friday, May 13
Ball State 11, Ohio 5
Creighton 3, Butler 1
Evansville 9, Dallas Baptist 2
Indiana 8, Minnesota 6
Southern Illinois 5, Indiana State 3
Notre Dame 8, Pittsburgh 3
Purdue 14, Northwestern 8
Purdue Fort Wayne 2, Wisconsin-Milwaukee 1
Purdue Fort Wayne 14, Wisconsin-Milwaukee 4
Bradley 7, Valparaiso 6

Saturday, May 14
Ohio 5, Ball State 3
Ball State 16, Ohio 6
Creighton 14, Butler 6
Dallas Baptist 4, Evansville 3
Southern Illinois 14, Indiana State 3
Notre Dame 8, Pittsburgh 1
Northwestern 11, Purdue 1
Purdue Fort Wayne 5, Wright State 4
Wright State 17, Purdue Fort Wayne 3
Valparaiso 8, Bradley 2

Sunday, May 15
Ohio 15, Ball State 10
Creighton 4, Butler 3
Dallas Baptist 11, Evansville 4
Indiana 12, Minnesota 0
Minnesota 9, Indiana 8
Southern Illinois 7, Indiana State 3
Pittsburgh 5, Notre Dame 2
Purdue 7, Northwestern 2
Bradley 2, Valparaiso 0

NCAA D-II
Thursday, May 12
Great Lakes Intercollegiate
Conference Tournament
Wayne State 10, Saginaw Valley State 4
Purdue Northwest 10, Davenport 8
Northwood 11, Grand Valley State 6

Great Lakes Valley
Conference Tournament
Quincy 12, Lindenwood 3
Maryville 3, Lewis 1
Illinois-Springfield 5, William Jewell 4
Indianapolis 11, Drury 1

Friday, May 13
Great Lakes Intercollegiate
Conference Tournament
Davenport 12, Saginaw Valley State 8
Purdue Northwest 11, Grand Valley State 3
Wayne State 7, Northwood 4

Great Lakes Valley
Conference Tournament
Lewis 12, William Jewell 6
Drury 12, Lindenwood 2
Quincy 4, Indianapolis 3
Illinois-Springfield 12, Maryville 2

Saturday, May 14
Great Lakes Intercollegiate
Conference Tournament
Purdue Northwest 7, Wayne State 5 (12 inn.)
Davenport 8, Northwood 5
Davenport 8, Wayne State 5

Great Lakes Valley
Conference Tournament
Lewis 5, Maryville 4
Drury 9, Indianapolis 7
Lewis 6, Quincy 4
Illinois-Springfield 14, Drury 2

Sunday, May 15
Great Lakes Intercollegiate
Conference Tournament
Purdue Northwest vs.
Davenport 6, Purdue Northwest 4
Championship
Davenport 2, Purdue Northwest 1

Great Lakes Valley
Conference Tournament
Quincy 9, Lewis 4
Championship
Illinois-Springfield 16, Quincy 3

NCAA D-III
Thursday, May 12
Heartland Collegiate Athletic
Conference Tournament
Anderson 6, Hanover 2
Earlham 5, Rose-Hulman 3
Franklin 7, Anderson 3

Friday, May 13
Heartland Collegiate Athletic
Conference Tournament
Rose-Hulman 14, Hanover 6
Earlham 9, Franklin 8
Rose-Hulman 8, Anderson 5

Saturday, May 14
Heartland Collegiate Athletic
Conference Tournament
Rose-Hulman 13, Franklin 8
Championship
Earlham 10, Rose-Hulman 9

NAIA
Monday, May 9
River States Conference Tournament
Championship
Indiana University Southeast 19, Point Park 4

Crossroads League Tournament
Marian 22, Spring Arbor 14
Mount Vernon Nazarene 10, Bethel 8
Taylor 8, Indiana Wesleyan 7
Huntington 15, Saint Francis 8
Mount Vernon Nazarene 5, Indiana Wesleyan 3
Marian 12, Saint Francis 8

Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic
Conference Tournament
Judson 15, St. Ambrose 2
Championship
Olivet Nazarene 3, Judson 1

Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic
Conference Tournament
Championship Series
Northwestern Ohio 22, Madonna 7

Tuesday, May 10
Crossroads League Tournament
Taylor 11, Huntington 8
Mount Vernon Nazarene 16, Marian 8
Huntington 6, Mount Vernon Nazarene 4

Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic
Conference Tournament
Championship Series
Madonna 12, Northwestern Ohio 4
Northwestern Ohio 25, Madonna 2

Wednesday, May 11
Crossroads League Tournament
Championship
Taylor 12, Huntington 9

Junior College
Monday, May 9
Parkland 15, Vincennes 4
Parkland 12, Vincennes 2

Tuesday, May 10
Wabash Valley 11, Vincennes 1

Friday, May 13
Vincennes 7, John Wood 2
Vincennes 5, John Wood 1

Saturday, May 14
Vincennes 6, John Wood 2
Vincennes 12, John Wood 0

Indiana Wesleyan, Rose-Hulman, UIndy among state’s hottest teams

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

Indiana Wesleyan and Rose-Hulman have the longest current win streaks among the 38 college baseball programs in Indiana.
The NAIA Wildcats have won six straight as have the NCAA Division III Fightin’ Engineers.
IWU (12-4) and NCAA Division II Indianapolis (11-5) have the most victories in April.
Among the other leaders in April triumphs are NCAA Division I’s Evansville (9-2) and Notre Dame (8-3), NAIA’s Taylor (9-5) and Indiana University Southeast (8-2) and NCAA D-III’s Franklin (7-1), Rose-Hulman (7-3) and Earlham (7-3).
At 20-8, Taylor is tied atop Crossroads League standings with Mt. Vernon Nazarene, two games ahead of Indiana Wesleyan.
At 15-3, NAIA Indiana University Southeast is tied with Point Park for first place in the River States Conference, 1/2 game ahead of Indiana University Kokomo.
At 10-6, UIndy is two games behind Illinois-Springfield in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Blue Division.
Franklin (7-1) paces the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, one game ahead of both Rose-Hulman and Earlham.
Indiana State (6-2 in April) is 5-1 in leading the Missouri Valley Conference by one game over Southern Illinois, Dallas Baptist and Evansville.
Ball State (6-6 in April) is 15-3 in the Mid-American Conference, two games behind leader Central Michigan.
Pitching victory and batting average leaders among D-I teams include Jackson Smeltz (6) and Evan Albrecht (.407) of Purdue, John Michael Bertrand (5) and Carter Putz (.357) of Notre Dame, Tyler Schweitzer (5), Ty Johnson (5) and Amir Wright (.349) of Ball State, Matt Jachec (7) and Sean Ross (.421) of Indiana State, Shane Gray (5) and Mark Shallenberger (.389) of Evansville, Jon Vore (3), Derek Drees (3) and Aaron Steinhart (.299) of Butler, Colin Fields (4), Jake Miller (4) and Nolan Tucker (.359) of Valparaiso, Bradley Brehmer (3) and Phillip Glasser (.343) of Indiana and Jacob Myer (2), Mitchell Spencer (2), J.D. Deany (2), Brian Skelton (2) and Cade Fitzpatrick (.350) of Purdue Fort Wayne.
In NCAA D-II, there’s Xavier Rivas (5) and Brandon DeWitt (.368) of Indianapols, Brice Stuteville (4) and Lucas McNew (.341) of Southern Indiana and Joe Sullivan (3) and Ray Hilbrich (.429) of Purdue Northwest.
NCAA D-III leaders are Jackson Young (5) and Logan Demkovich (.398) of Franklin, Aidan Talarek (5) and Cameron McCabe (.408) of Earlham, Ian Kline (5) and Kade Kline (.380) of Rose-Hulman, Tavic Simmons (4) and A.J. Reid (.394) of Wabash, Evan Doan (3), Landen Southern (3) and Tyler Smitherman (.413) of Anderson, Matthew Alter (3) and Charlie Burton (.355) of Hanover, Michael Vallone (6) and Allen Cameron (.398) of DePauw, Robert Kortas (2), Cam Nagel (2) and Adam Stefanelli (.375) of Trine and Carter Hooks (2) and Brett Wathen (2) and Zach White (.356) of Manchester.
In NAIA, there’s Luke Shively (9) and Kaleb Kolpein (.410) of Taylor, Hunter Kloke (7) and Trevor Campbell (.408) of IU Southeast, Brennan Morehead (4) and Denver Blinn (.421) of Indiana Wesleyan, Owen Callaghan (6) and Patrick Mills (.365) of IU Kokomo, Cory Wolter (6) and Alec Brunson (.354) of Saint Francis, Owen Spears (4) and Noah Baugher (.364) of Oakland City, Hayes Sturtsman (4), Jared Maxfield (4) and Ashtin Moxey (.311) of Indiana Tech, Damien Wallace (4) and Matteo Porcellato (.365) of Marian, Noah Arbuckle (3), Joey Butz (3), Isaac Horton (3), Tyler Papenbrock (3) and Ian McCutcheon (.394) of Huntington, Frank Plesac (5) and Eli MacDonald (.411) of Bethel, Evan Etchison (3), Kameron Koch (3) and Alex Rich (.345) of Grace, Zack Dobos (3) and Brenden Bell (.386) of IU South Bend, Bubba Davenport (2) and Michael Machnic (.325) of Calumet of Saint Joseph and Camm Nickell (2) and Jenner Rodammer (.350) of Goshen.
Junior college leaders are Connor VanLannen (3) and Peyton Lane (.440) of Vincennes, Adam Besser (2), Matt Peters (2) and Jaden Parnin (.476) of Ivy Tech Northeast and Rylan Huntley (2 and .413) and Bryce Woodruff (2) of Marian’s Ancilla.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through April 17
NCAA D-I
Purdue 22-9 (4-6 Big Ten)
Notre Dame 21-8 (8-7 ACC)
Ball State 21-13 (15-3 MAC)
Indiana State 19-9 (5-1 MVC)
Evansville 19-16 (4-2 MVC)
Butler 16-20 (2-4 Big East)
Valparaiso 13-18 (2-4 MVC)
Indiana 13-21 (2-7 Big Ten)
Purdue Fort Wayne 10-23 (7-8 Horizon)

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 18-18 (10-6 GLVC)
Southern Indiana 15-20 (4-8 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 13-12 (2-8 GLIAC)

NCAA D-III
Franklin 22-6 (7-1 HCAC)
Earlham 18-8 (7-3 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 16-7 (7-3 HCAC)
Wabash 14-11 (0-8 NCAC)
Anderson 13-12 (5-3 HCAC)
Hanover 12-14 (6-4 HCAC)
DePauw 10-14 (3-5 NCAC)
Trine 10-16 (5-6 MIAA)
Manchester 5-18 (2-6 HCAC)

NAIA
Taylor 30-14 (20-8 CL)
Indiana University Southeast 28-11 (15-3 RSC)
Indiana Wesleyan 25-18 (18-10 CL)
Indiana University-Kokomo 24-14 (14-3 RSC)
Saint Francis 24-19 (13-15 CL)
Oakland City 21-16 (6-10 RSC)
Indiana Tech 21-18 (9-7 WHAC)
Marian 20-20 (12-14 CL)
Huntington 19-17 (17-11 CL)
Bethel 19-25 (13-15 CL)
Grace 15-24 (9-17 CL)
Indiana University South Bend 11-24 (5-14 CCAC)
Calumet of Saint Joseph 9-26 (4-14 CCAC)
Goshen 9-31 (4-24 CL)

Junior College
Vincennes 15-21 (6-10 MWAC)
Ivy Tech Northeast 13-11
Marian’s Ancilla 6-28 (4-10 MCCAA)

Week of April 11-17
NCAA D-I
Tuesday, April 12
Evansville 11, Butler 1
Indiana 6, Indiana State 5
Notre Dame 14, Michigan 5
Eastern Illinois 7, Valparaiso 5

Thursday, April 14
Georgetown 14, Butler 8
Duke 15, Notre Dame 5
Penn State 12, Purdue 7
Purdue Fort Wayne 9, Northern Kentucky 5

Friday, April 15
Ball State 8, Akron 3
Butler 8, Georgetown 7
Evansville 6, Southern Illinois 4
Rutgers 5, Indiana 3
Duke 4, Notre Dame 3 (11 inn.)
Purdue 11, Penn State 5
Northern Kentucky 5, Purdue Fort Wayne 4
Illinois State 7, Valparaiso 0

Saturday, April 16
Ball State 5, Akron 1
Ball State 16, Akron 0
Georgetown 8, Butler 4
Evansville 9, Southern Illinois 2
Evansville 14, Southern Illinois 2
Rutgers 4, Indiana 2
Duke 6, Notre Dame 2
Penn State 7, Purdue 5
Purdue Fort Wayne 10, Northern Kentucky 5
Valparaiso 10, Illinois State 2

Sunday, April 17
Akron 4, Ball State 3
Rutgers 10, Indiana 9
Valparaiso 2, Illinois State 1

NCAA D-II
Tuesday, April 12
Indianapolis 15, Kentucky Wesleyan 1
Indianapolis 11, Kentucky Wesleyan 7
Grand Valley State 10, Purdue Northwest 7
Grand Valley State 9, Purdue Northwest 6
Oakland City 6, Southern Indiana 4

Thursday, April 14
Quincy 14, Indianapolis 4
Purdue Northwest 21, Northwood 19
Truman State vs. Southern Indiana

Friday, April 15
Indianapolis 3, Quincy 2
Indianapolis 3, Quincy 0
Purdue Northwest 2, Northwood 0
Northwood 18, Purdue Northwest 0
Truman State 6, Southern Indiana 5
Truman State 11, Southern Indiana 10

Saturday, April 16
Indianapolis 5, Quincy 3
Northwood 9, Purdue Northwest 7
Southern Indiana 16, Truman State 4

NCAA D-III
Monday, April 11
Trine 7, Kalamazoo 5

Tuesday, April 12
Earlham 12, Transylvania 7
Transylvania vs. Earlham
Hanover 12, Spalding 11
Wabash 6, Manchester 4
Manchester vs. Wabash
Rose-Hulman 3, Mount St. Joseph 2
Rose-Hulman 16, Mount St. Joseph 1

Wednesday, April 13
Trine 11, Adrian 5

Thursday, April 14
Wittenberg 10, Wabash 4

Friday, April 15
Bluffton 11, Earlham 6
Bluffton 9, Earlham 3
Alma 8, Trine 5

Saturday, April 16
Hanover 10, Anderson 4
Hanover 10, Anderson 8
Kenyon 12, DePauw 1
Kenyon 4, DePauw 3
Franklin 9, Manchester 8
Franklin 6, Manchester 4
Rose-Hulman 10, Transylvania 4
Rose-Hulman 12, Transylvania 8
Alma 9, Trine 6
Alma 10, Trine 6
Wooster 4, Wabash 3
Wooster 12, Wabash 7

NAIA
Monday, April 11
Bethel 13, Goshen 10
Bethel 12, Goshen 1
Calumet of St. Joseph 13, Trinity Christian 8
Indiana Tech 1, Rochester 0
Indiana Tech 12, Rochester 5
Spring Arbor 15, Taylor 7
Taylor 10, Spring Arbor 9

Tuesday, April 12
Goshen 17, Grace Christian 5
Goshen 3, Grace Christian 1
Marian 5, Huntington 2
Marian 19, Huntington 5
Oakland City 6, Southern Indiana 4
IU South Bend 18, Trinity Christian 8
IU Southeast 7, Georgetown (Ky.) 5
Madonna 7, Indiana Tech 6
Indiana Tech 16, Madonna 6
Indiana Wesleyan 10, Cleary 7
Indiana Wesleyan 8, Cleary 0
Mount Vernon Nazarene 10, Saint Francis 6
Saint Francis 9, Mount Vernon Nazarene 2

Thursday, April 14
Saint Xaver 17, IU South Bend 13

Friday, April 15
Bethel 2, Huntington 1
Huntington 9, Bethel 7
Olivet Nazarene 15, Calumet of St. Joseph 2
Indiana Wesleyan 14, Goshen 2
Indiana Wesleyan 13, Goshen 6
Saint Francis 5, Grace 3
Saint Francis 2, Grace 1
IU Kokomo 9, Brescia 1
IU Southeast 11, West Virginia Tech 0
Spring Arbor 8, Marian 5
Marian 16, Spring Arbor 3
Taylor 9, Mount Vernon Nazarene 5
Taylor 17, Mount Vernon Nazarene 9

Saturday, April 16
Bethel 3, Huntington 1
Huntington 9, Bethel 2
Olivet Nazarene 12, Calumet of St. Joseph 4
Olivet Nazarene 14, Calumet of St. Joseph 3
Indiana Wesleyan 12, Goshen 2
Indiana Wesleyan 15, Goshen 6
Grace 10, Saint Francis 8
Saint Francis 14, Grace 4
IU Kokomo 7, Brescia 3
IU Kokomo 13, Brescia 2
IU Southeast 11, West Virginia Tech 1
IU Southeast 9, West Virginia Tech 6
Lawrence Tech 2, Indiana Tech 1
Lawrence Tech 7, Indiana Tech 4
Marian 7, Spring Arbor 5
Marian 11, Spring Arbor 3
Mount Vernon Nazarene 6, Taylor 4
Mount Vernon Nazarene 14, Taylor 1

Junior College
Monday, April 11
Ivy Tech Northeast 6, Trine JV 5
Ivy Tech Northeast 8, Trine JV 5

Tuesday, April 12
Kellogg 6, Ivy Tech Northeast 3
Kaskaskia 13, Vincennes 6

Friday, April 15
Lake Michigan 7, Marian’s Ancilla 2
Lake Michigan 9, Marian’s Ancilla 1
Heartland 11, Vincennes 2
Heartland 13, Vincennes 4

Saturday, April 16
Lake Michigan 13, Marian’s Ancilla 3
Lake Michigan 7, Marian’s Ancilla 3
Heartland 16, Vincennes 5
Heartland 12, Vincennes 2

Earlham’s Bradley enjoys five-homer day; Taylor’s Bass belts 13th

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

Earlham junior Andrew Bradley belted five home runs in a doubleheader sweep of visiting Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Defiance April 6.
The clean-up hitter launched two dingers each in the first and third innings of a 40-7 Game 1 rout. In Game 2, he circled the bases in the third frame as the Quakers won 12-3. The games were contested at Randal R. Sadler Stadium.
For the week of week of April 4-10, NCAA Division III Earlham went 3-1 and is 16-6 overall and 5-1 in the HCAC.
Earlham is in three-way tie atop the conference standings with Franklin (20-6 overall) and Anderson (13-10).
NAIA Taylor went 3-1 on the week and moved to 27-11 overall and 17-5 in the Crossroads League, which ties the Trojans for first place with Mount Vernon Nazarene.
Taylor junior T.J. Bass (Greenwood Community) has raised his season totals to 13 home runs and 60 runs batted in.
With two wins Sunday against Point Park, first-place Indiana University Southeast moved to 24-10 overall and 12-2 in the River States Conference.
Heading into Game 3 of the Point Park series today (April 11), Grenadiers coach Ben Reel has 499 career victories.
Indiana Tech has won five straight. The Warriors are 18-15 overall and 6-4 in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference.
In NCAA Division I, Purdue (20-7 overall, 2-4 in the Big Ten) took two of three games from visiting Indiana (12-17, 2-3) at Alexander Field.
Game 1 Saturday saw the Boilers roll 17-0. Redshirt junior left-hander Jackson Smeltz (McCutcheon) gave up one hit in eight innings with 13 strikeouts.
In Sunday’s doubleheader, the Hoosiers prevailed 10-3 with freshman Brock Tibbitts cracking his seventh homer of 2022.
Purdue outlasted Indiana 16-15 in the nightcap. Redshirt sophomore Cam Thompson smacked a three-run homer and drove in four runs for the Boilers. Thompson paces the team with 10 circuit clouts.
Notre Dame pushed its win streak to eight games. The Irish (20-5 overall, 8-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) are 6-1 at Frank Eck Stadium, including 4-0 this past week.
D1Baseball.com has Notre Dame No. 3 nationally in RPI. Indiana State is No. 60, Ball State No. 103, Evansville No. 119, Purdue No. 133, Indiana No. 156, Butler No. 187, Valparaiso No. 206 and Purdue Fort Wayne No. 230.
Purdue Fort Wayne is on a season-best four-game win streak after besting Michigan once and Wisconsin-Milwaukee three times.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through April 10
NCAA D-I
Purdue 21-7 (3-4 Big Ten)
Notre Dame 20-5 (8-4 ACC)
Indiana State 19-8 (5-1 MVC)
Ball State 18-12 (12-2 MAC)
Evansville 15-16 (1-2 MVC)
Butler 15-17 (1-2 Big East)
Indiana 12-18 (2-4 Big Ten)
Valparaiso 11-16 (0-3 MVC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 8-22 (5-7 Horizon)

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 13-17 (7-5 GLVC)
Southern Indiana 13-17 (2-6 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 11-8 (0-4 GLIAC)

NCAA D-III
Franklin 20-6 (5-1 HCAC)
Earlham 16-6 (5-1 HCAC)
Anderson 13-10 (5-1 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 12-7 (3-3 HCAC)
Wabash 12-8 (0-5 NCAC)
DePauw 10-12 (3-3 NCAC)
Hanover 9-14 (4-4 HCAC)
Trine 8-13 (3-1 MIAA)
Manchester 5-14 (2-4 HCAC)

NAIA
Taylor 27-11 (17-5 CL)
Indiana University Southeast 24-10 (12-2 RSC)
Indiana University-Kokomo 20-14 (10-3 RSC)
Oakland City 20-16 (6-10 RSC)
Saint Francis 20-17 (9-12 CL)
Indiana Wesleyan 19-18 (14-10 CL)
Indiana Tech 18-15 (6-4 WHAC)
Huntington 17-13 (15-7 CL)
Marian 15-19 (7-13 CL)
Bethel 15-23 (9-13 CL)
Grace 14-21 (8-14 CL)
Indiana University South Bend 10-23 (4-13 CCAC)
Calumet of Saint Joseph 8-23 (3-11 CCAC)
Goshen 7-25 (4-18 CL)

Junior College
Vincennes 15-16 (6-6 MWAC)
Ivy Tech Northeast 11-10
Marian’s Ancilla 6-24 (4-6 MCCAA)

Week of April 4-10
NCAA D-I
Tuesday, April 5
Notre Dame 5, Butler 2
Evansville 8, Indiana 4
Purdue 17, Northern Illinois 14
Wisconsin-Milwaukee 3, Valparaiso 2
Wisconsin-Milwaukee 8, Valparaiso 3

Wednesday, April 6
Indiana State 10, Purdue 6 (10 inn.)
Purdue Fort Wayne 6, Michigan 3

Friday, April 8
Oregon 13, Ball State 7
Villanova 13, Butler 3
Southern Illinois 14, Evansville 4
Notre Dame 4, Clemson 1

Saturday, April 9
Ball State 3, Oregon 2
Oregon 10, Ball State 4
Villanova 6, Butler 4
Evansville 6, Southern Illinois 2
Purdue 17, Indiana 0
Indiana State 2, Valparaiso 0
Notre Dame 8, Clemson 1
Purdue Fort Wayne 5, Wisconsin-Milwaukee 4
Purdue Fort Wayne 7, Wisconsin-Milwaukee 0

Sunday, April 10
Oregon 7, Ball State 6
Butler 11, Villanova 3
Southern Illinois 14, Evansville 5
Indiana 10, Purdue 3
Purdue 16, Indiana 15
Indiana State 15, Valparaiso 8
Indiana State 11, Valparaiso 8
Notre Dame 9, Clemson 3
Purdue Fort Wayne 7, Wisconsin-Milwaukee 6

NCAA D-II
Tuesday, April 5
Purdue Northwest 5, Indianapolis 1
Indianapolis 3, Purdue Northwest 0

Friday, April 8
Indianapolis 12, Missouri A&T 4
Southern Indiana vs. Illinois-Springfield

Saturday, April 9
Indianapolis 14, Missouri A&T 8
Illinois-Springfield 9, Southern Indiana 2
Illinois-Springfield 19, Southern Indiana 2

Sunday, April 10
Missouri A&T 14, Indianapolis 5
Missouri A&T 15, Indianapolis 7
Illinois-Springfield 9, Southern Indiana 1
Illinois-Springfield 6, Southern Indiana 2

NCAA D-III
Tuesday, April 5
Bluffton 4, Manchester 3
Bluffton 11, Manchester 2
Adrian 9, Trine 5

Wednesday, April 6
Anderson 10, Franklin 5
Franklin 9, Anderson 2
Earlham 40, Defiance 7
Earlham 12, Defiance 3
Rose-Hulman 18, Hanover 15
Hanover 10, Rose-Hulman 3
Wittenberg 5, Wabash 2 (11 inn.)

Thursday, April 7
Denison 13, DePauw 2
Denison 12, DePauw 2

Sunday, April 10
Anderson 13, Mount St. Joseph 9
Anderson 11, Mount St. Joseph 0
DePauw 7, Oberlin 3
DePauw 16, Oberlin 10
Hanover 3, Earlham 1
Earlham 7, Hanover 3
Franklin 10, Defiance 2
Franklin 7, Defiance 4
Rose-Hulman 5, Manchester 2
Rose-Hulman 22, Manchester 9
Kalamazoo 5, Trine 2
Kalamazoo 18, Trine 5
Kenyon 5, Wabash 1
Kenyon 10, Wabash 4

NAIA
Monday, April 4
Bethel 10, Marian 6
Bethel 12, Marian 11
Calumet of Saint Joseph 7, Trinity International 3
Mount Vernon Nazarene 8, Goshen 4
Mount Vernon Nazarene 6, Goshen 2
Indiana Wesleyan 11, Grace 4
Grace 4, Indiana Wesleyan 2
Taylor 13, Saint Francis 7
Taylor 8, Saint Francis 3

Tuesday, April 5
IU Kokomo 6, Indiana Tech 5 (8 inn.)
Judson 4, IU South Bend 3
Judson 15, IU South Bend 10

Wednesday, April 6
Indiana Tech 15, Wright State-Lake 2

Thursday, April 7
Ivy Tech Northeast 12, Indiana Tech JV 3
Indiana Tech JV 6, Ivy Tech Northeast 5
Mount Vernon Nazarene 7, Saint Francis 6
Saint Francis 8, Mount Vernon Nazarene 3
Vincennes 12, Oakland City JV 5

Friday, April 8
Huntington 3, Indiana Wesleyan 2
Indiana Wesleyan 10, Huntington 8

Saturday, April 9
Marian 7, Grace 5
Grace 12, Marian 2
Huntington 17, Indiana Wesleyan 7
Huntington 2, Indiana Wesleyan 1
Trinity Christian 5, IU South Bend 4 (9 inn.)
Trinity Christian 10, IU South Bend 5
Taylor 5, Spring Arbor 3
Spring Arbor 4, Taylor 3

Sunday, April 10
Goshen 4, Bethel 2
Goshen 5, Bethel 2
St. Ambrose 14, Calumet of Saint Joseph 4
St. Ambrose 11, Calumet of Saint Joseph 3
West Virginia Tech 8, IU Kokomo 6
West Virginia Tech 2, IU Kokomo 0
IU Southeast 6, Point Park 5
IU Southeast 5, Point Park 3
Indiana Tech 4, Cleary 0
Indiana Tech 12, Cleary 5
Midway 3, Oakland City 2
Oakland City 14, Midway 0

Junior College
Tuesday, April 5
Ivy Tech Northeast 21, Glen Oaks 7

Thursday, April 7
Ivy Tech Northeast 12, Indiana Tech JV 3
Indiana Tech JV 6, Ivy Tech Northeast 5
Vincennes 12, Oakland City JV 5

Friday, April 8
Mid-Michigan 8, Marian’s Ancilla 0
Marian’s Ancilla 3, Mid-Michigan 2

Saturday, April 9
Marian’s Ancilla 4, Mid-Michigan 3 (8 inn.)
Mid-Michigan 8, Marian’s Ancilla 3
Frontier 7, Vincennes 5

Sunday, April 10
Vincennes 2, Frontier 1

Saint Francis, Taylor, IU Southeast, IU-Kokomo, Purdue in race to be first to 20 victories

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

Four NAIA teams — Saint Francis (19-8), Taylor (19-9), Indiana University Southeast (19-8) and Indiana University-Kokomo (18-8) — and one NCAA Division I squad — Purdue (18-1) — have the best chance to the be the first on the state’s collegiate baseball scene to earn 20 wins in 2022.
Through games played March 21-27, Taylor was riding a four-game win streak and Saint Francis had won two straight.
It was too cold for Taylor to visit Saint Francis in a Crossroads League showdown over the weekend. The Trojans and Cougars were to try again today (March 28).
Saint Francis was to play doubleheaders at Indiana Wesleyan on Friday and Saturday with Taylor at Goshen for twin bills Thursday and Saturday.
IU Southeast was on a two-game streak and IU-Kokomo a six-game skein.
IUS hosts Campbellsville in a single game Tuesday and plays three River States Conference games at Oakland City Friday and Saturday.
IUK visits Lawrence Tech for two Wednesday then plays three against visiting RSC leader Midway Friday and Saturday.
Purdue won its Big Ten opener Friday against Ohio State. Weather caused the other two games to be wiped out. On Sunday, the “Real Feel” temperature did not reach the mandated 28 degrees.
University of Illinois-Chicago visits the Boilermakers Tuesday and Purdue goes to Indiana State Wednesday. A three-game conference set at Illinois awaits Friday through Sunday.
In NCAA Division III, Wabash was off to a 12-2 start. The Little Giants are on a five-game win streak.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through March 27
NCAA D-I
Purdue 18-1 (1-0 Big Ten)
Notre Dame 12-5 (2-4 ACC)
Ball State 12-8 (7-1 MAC)
Indiana State 13-7 (0-0 MVC)
Butler 10-13 (0-0 Big East)
Indiana 10-13 (0-0 Big Ten)
Valparaiso 9-9 (0-0 MVC)
Evansville 9-14 (0-0 MVC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 3-19 (2-4 Horizon)

NCAA D-II
Southern Indiana 11-10 (0-0 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 10-7 (0-4 GLIAC)
Indianapolis 7-11 (2-2 GLVC)

NCAA D-III
Wabash 12-2 (0-0 NCAC)
Earlham 11-3 (0-0 HCAC)
Franklin 10-4 (0-0 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 8-4 (0-0 HCAC)
Anderson 7-9 (0-0 HCAC)
DePauw 6-8 (0-0 NCAC)
Trine 5-9 (0-0 MIAA)
Hanover 5-10 (0-0 HCAC)
Manchester 3-9 (0-0 HCAC)

NAIA
Saint Francis 19-8 (8-4 CL)
Taylor 19-9 (9-3 CL)
Indiana University Southeast 19-9 (8-1 RSC)
Indiana University-Kokomo 18-8 (8-0 RSC)
Oakland City 16-12 (4-6 RSC)
Marian 13-13 (5-7 CL)
Indiana Tech 12-11 (2-0 WHAC)
Huntington 11-11 (9-5 CL)
Indiana Wesleyan 11-13 (7-5 CL)
Grace 10-15 (4-8 CL)
Indiana University South Bend 9-16 (3-6 CCAC)
Bethel 9-19 (3-9 CL)
Calumet of Saint Joseph 7-18 (2-6 CCAC)
Goshen 4-18 (1-11 CL)

Junior College
Vincennes 12-12 (5-2 MWAC)
Ivy Tech Northeast 9-5 (0-0 NJCAA XII)
Marian’s Ancilla 3-19 (1-1 MCCAA)

Week of March 21-27
NCAA D-I
Monday, March 21
Ball State 9, Bowling Green 4

Tuesday, March 22
Tennessee 13, Butler 3
Evansville 9, Western Kentucky 8

Friday, March 25
Evansville 17, Indiana 14
Indiana State 12, Memphis 0
Virginia Tech 10, Notre Dame 5
Purdue 7, Ohio State 5
Purdue Fort Wayne 10, Oakland 2
Oakland 10, Purdue Fort Wayne 2
Valparaiso 8, St. Bonaventure 5
Valparaiso 10, St. Bonaventure 0

Saturday, March 26
Northwestern 13, Butler 3
Southern Illinois 16, Butler 4
Oakland 10, Purdue Fort Wayne 9

Sunday, March 27
Northwestern 11, Butler 10
Indiana 6, Evansville 5
Indiana 6, Evansville 5
Indiana State 3, Memphis 1

NCAA D-II
Wednesday, March 23
Maryville 14, Southern Indiana 9

Friday, March 25
Indianapolis 8, Lewis 1
Lewis 6, Indianapolis 5
Delta State 17, Southern Indiana 6
Saginaw Valley State 6, Purdue Northwest 5
Saginaw Valley State 17, Purdue Northwest 12

Saturday, March 26
Indianapolis 5, Lewis 3
Saginaw Valley State 13, Purdue Northwest 10
Delta State 5, Southern Indiana 2

Sunday, March 27
Lewis 8, Indianapolis 3
Southern Indiana 5, Delta State 2
Saginaw Valley State 11, Purdue Northwest 1

NCAA D-III
Monday, March 21
DePauw 10, Rose-Hulman 5
Chicago 13, Manchester 3
Chicago 12, Manchester 9

Wednesday, March 23
Wabash 14, Earlham 10

Thursday, March 24
Franklin 12, Trine 2
Franklin 11, Trine 5

Friday, March 25
Earlham 7, Adrian 4
Rose-Hulman 6, Carthage 2

Saturday, March 26
Maryville 11, DePauw 10
Maryville 11, DePauw 9
Hanover 10, Ohio Wesleyan 8
Rose-Hulman 13, Illinois Tech 1

Sunday, March 27
Maryville 11, DePauw 10
Franklin 15, Williams 5
Hanover 14, Ohio Wesleyan 2
Ohio Wesleyan 19, Hanover 5
Rose-Hulman 11, Illinois Tech 3
Wabash 7, Illinois Wesleyan 1
Wabash 12, Illinois Wesleyan 4

NAIA
Monday, March 21
Taylor 7, Bethel 5
Taylor 7, Bethel 6
Calumet of St. Joseph 6, IU South Bend 4
IU South Bend 4, Calumet of St. Joseph 0
Huntington 8, Grace 7
Huntington 14, Grace 5
Marian 12, Goshen 6
Marian 8, Goshen 5
Indiana Wesleyan 9, Mount Vernon Nazarene 3
Mount Vernon Nazarene 11, Indiana Wesleyan 8
Saint Francis 11, Spring Arbor 5
Saint Francis 6, Spring Arbor 3

Tuesday, March 22
IU Southeast 11, Georgetown (Ky.) 2
IU Southeast 4, Georgetown (Ky.) 1

Friday, March 25
St. Francis (Ill.) 8, Calumet of St. Joseph 1
St. Francis (Ill.) 13, Calumet of St. Joseph 3
Spring Arbor 10, Huntington 6
Huntington 4, Spring Arbor 3
IU Kokomo 5, Oakland City 4
IU Kokomo 15, Oakland City 0
Rio Grande 11, IU Southeast 7
IU Southeast 2, Rio Grande 1

Saturday, March 26
St. Ambrose 14, IU South Bend 8
IU Southeast 10, Rio Grande 8 (12 inn.)

Sunday, March 27
St. Ambrose 2, IU South Bend 1
St. Ambrose 9, IU South Bend 3

Junior College
Monday, March 21
Morton 7, Marian’s Ancilla 5
Morton 15, Marian’s Ancilla 1
Vincennes 10, Spoon River 7
Spoon River 12, Vincennes 11

Tuesday, March 22
Ivy Tech Northeast 5, Trine JV 2
Ivy Tech Northeast 2, Trine JV 1

Friday, March 25
Glen Oaks 16, Marian’s Ancilla 6
Marian’s Ancilla 15, Glen Oaks 12

Saturday, March 26
Lincoln Land 12, Vincennes 3
Vincennes 9, Lincoln Land 5

Sunday, March 27
Indiana Tech JV vs. Ivy Tech Northeast
Indiana Tech JV vs. Ivy Tech Northeast
Lincoln Land 13, Vincennes 2
Vincennes 4, Lincoln Land 2

Former pitcher Floyd seeing things from coaching side with IU-Kokomo

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

Nick Floyd played baseball at Ball State University for four years.
The 2015 graduate of Jimtown High School in Elkhart, Ind., pitched for the Cardinals from 2016-19 then experienced independent professional ball with the American Association’s Gary (Ind.) SouthShore RailCats, The Battle of the Bourbon Trail’s Florence (Ky.) Y’alls (part of a COVID-19 pop-up circuit) and Pioneer League’s Idaho Falls Chukars.
Now he’s seeing the college game from a coach’s perspective.
Floyd, 24, leads pitchers for Indiana University-Kokomo. The Cougars are in the River States Conference (NAIA). He earned his Finance degree at Ball State in 2019, but was offered the opportunity to play pro ball then to coach when Drew Brantley was building his IUK staff and says it suits his temperament.
“All the philosophies are still the same,” says Floyd, comparing his time as a college player and coach. “But now I better understand the little things that my college coaches tried to convey to us.”
Floyd says he now appreciates those team rules set in place by Ball State head coach Rich Maloney.
“Now I step back and look at the program as a whole and value the little things — like going about things the right way, being early to practice and everyone wearing the same thing on the road,” says Floyd. “Every player is supposed to get water only. Pop is not good for them. Everyone wearing the same color (at practice) is important for team unity. We want to be one cohesive unit instead of a bunch of individuals.
“Not everyone’s the same. A little bit of individuality is totally fine. But it also needs to be structured and adding value to the group as a whole.”
Maloney believes in building team culture.
“That’s something he stresses a ton,” says Floyd. “He showed through his actions how I wanted to be as a coach.”
As IUK pitching coach, Floyd reflects the two men who were his pitching coaches at BSU — Chris Fetter (now Detroit Tigers pitching coach) and Dustin Glant (now Indiana University pitching coach). Glant was head coach at Anderson (Ind.) University when Brantley was an assistant.
“The No. 1 thing is attack,” says Floyd, who made 34 mound appearances (14 starts) for the Cardinals. “We want to pitch with the mentality of being the aggressor. I’m going to beat you on this pitch. It starts from the mental side of things. You have to have confidence in your own ability.”
Floyd wants his pitchers to get ahead in ball-strike counts. He would rather they give up a bomb pounding the zone then walking the bases loaded and giving up a squib hit to score multiple runs.
“We always go down in attack mode,” says Floyd. “Coach Glant taught me that.”
Drey Jameson fanned a Ball State and Mid-American Conference-record 146 batters — 14.66 per nine innings — and was named MAC Pitcher of the Year before being selected in first round of the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“Drey definitely attacked,” says Floyd. “He knew he was better than you and he was going to go out and show it.
“That kind of mentality filtered through everyone (on the Ball State pitching staff).”
As IUK prepares for a non-conference doubleaheader against Shawnee State today (March 1) and a three-game RSC series against Ohio Christian, Floyd and graduate assistant Justin Reed (a former IUK player who is also Cougars catchers coach) are working with about 20 pitchers including a few two-way players.
“Right now we’ve built up about four starters,” says Floyd. “Other guys in longer relief could potentially starts.
“One mid-week starter could come out of the pen on the weekend.”
Jeremy Honaker (a Connersville High School graduate who has coached at Zionsville and Martinsville high schools, the University of Indianapolis and in the Indiana Bulls and Canes travel baseball organizations) and student assistant Nate James (a Castle High alum who played at Kankakee Community College before transferring to IUK) are the team’s other coaches.
The Cougars play home games at Kokomo Municipal Stadium — a downtown park it shares with the summer collegiate Kokomo Jackrabbits and Kokomo High School.
“Not many NAIA teams have access to a facility like that,” says Floyd. “We try to get outside any time it is remotely close to being good weather.
“Last week we were shoveling snow for two hours just to get outside.”
When getting outside is not possible, the team can use Cougar Gym, located downtown. The weight room is at the on-campus Student Activities and Events Center.
Floyd accepted the job last summer while he was pitching for Idaho Falls and learning from Chukars field staff of manager Billy Gardner Jr. (a pro manager since 1995), pitching coach Bob Milacki (who pitched in the big leagues) and hitting coach Billy Butler (who was also a major leaguer). A few days after the season, he was in Kokomo.
A former NCAA Division I player, Floyd compares that level to NAIA.
“There isn’t a huge difference,” says Floyd. “The top-end guys on each are pretty comparable.
“Most D-I lineups and pitching staffs are deeper talent-wise.”

Nick Floyd (Indiana University-Kokomo Photo)

Baseball part of mix for new McClellan-led Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus athletic department

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

The state has added another college baseball program.
Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus is launching an athletic department and baseball is a part of it.
Zach McClellan is the Crimson Pride’s first athletic director and baseball head coach.
The school has applied for membership in the NAIA and hopes to be participating in the River States Conference. IUPUC is awaiting decisions on both.
The 43-year-old McClellan says the NAIA is to visit the campus to look at academics and athletics Feb. 28-March 1.
McClellan, a Toledo, Ohio, native who pitched three seasons at Indiana University (1998-2000) and 10 years in professional baseball including a stint with the Colorado Rockies (2007), says that regardless of NAIA status in the coming year, Crimson Pride teams will participate in cross country, softball and baseball during the 2022-23 academic year.
The AD/coach says there are no immediate plans to build a baseball field on the small satellite campus, but IUPUC is in conversations with local high schools — Columbus East, Columbus North and Hauser among them — as well as CERALand Park (a host to many travel ball events) about a place to play home games.
Athletes have already been announcing their commitment to the NAIA-applicant school.
“I’m giving (recruits) very transparent answers about what could and couldn’t happen,” says McClellan. “For me, it’s more important for the players to commit to IUPUC and the process.”
As a first-time college administrator and head coach, McClellan has welcomed help from those with experience.
“One of the guys that I have a lot of respect for is Kyle Gould at Taylor University (in Upland, Ind.),” says McClellan. “He’s the AD at Taylor and he’s the baseball coach and great at both.”
To help build the team and culture, McClellan will be hiring assistant coaches.
“I want to win,” says McClellan, who had more than 150 players from around the world show interest when word got out about the formation of the start-up program. “To win I’ve got to build a great developmental plan for those kids.
“The plan specifically for baseball is to bring in 50 players by the fall to have a varsity and (junior varsity) team and IUPUC. I took the job to help people. I took it to give them an opportunity to go to a great institution and get a degree from Indiana or Purdue with very affordable tuition.”
Giving advice to players and their families looking at college baseball, McClellan implores them to do their research to find the right fit.
“I don’t think anybody truly wants to transfer four times in four years,” says McClellan. “The transfer portal stuff is a necessary evil. I’m glad it empowers players to become happy. But you really should be looking for that spot you can call home for four to five years. Get your degree, play at a high level and enjoy it.
“Pick the right opportunity for yourself and don’t short change any opportunity.”
McClellan moved to Columbus, Ind., in 2010 after taking a job with LHP Engineering Solutions. He has established two businesses including Demand Command (a travel sports organization with teams in Indiana, Ohio and Arizona) and CG Velocity (an entity created to develop baseball pitching expertise for players ages 7 to 25). He holds a B.S. degree from Indiana University and an Masters of Business Administration from University of Phoenix and is currently an adjunct faculty member in the Division of Business at IUPUC.
“I’m a big advocate for education and teaching,” says McClellan, who enjoyed guiding a Personal Brand class for MBA students.
Besides Business, Nursing and Mechanical Engineerina (Purdue) are among the major offered at the school.
“There’s a lot of knowledge at IUPUC,” says McClellan. “There’s a lot of knowledgable people with smaller classes. That’s value-added.
“Hopefully academics can shine the light on how good academics really is.”
“So far everyone has expressed interest in working with us,” says McClellan. “There are a lot of options here in Columbus.”
There are just over 900 undergraduate students at IUPUC. Many are commuters. Student-athletes looking for housing are being referred to The Annex of Columbus — apartments within walking distance of the campus.
McClellan sees being close rather than having a long commute as ideal.
“You have to understand that you are a student-athlete and not an athlete-student,” says McClellan. “You have to be committed to your books. That’s tough because — let’s face it — baseball at the collegiate level is like a second job. It’s hard to commute from more than 30 or 40 minutes away and do what we’re trying to do. You’re going to be working out early in the morning and late at night. You’re going to be studying and finding something to eat. And you have to get your sleep.
“We’re looking for elite-level players — on and off the field — that’s what college baseball is.”
McClellan notes that there is a reason sports is a pyramid and not a square.
“Sometimes it weeds you out when you’re not fully-committed to what you’re doing,” says McClellan. “That’s why The Annex of Columbus is a pivotal piece.”
Zach and wife Sarah live in Columbus with three daughters — Mia, Miley and Emery.

Zach McClellan (Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus Photo)

Hisner gets to see baseball from umpires’ view and more

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

Randy Hisner has viewed baseball from four angles — player, coach, umpire and reporter.
A 1976 graduate of Heritage Junior/High School in Monroeville, Ind., Hisner played for the Patriots and was a freshman when current Heritage head coach Dean Lehrman was a senior. They were later men’s league baseball teammates.
Hisner, 64, spent the first four years of his career as an English teacher at Monroe Central Junior/High School in Parker City, Ind., then taught at Bellmont High School and Bellmont Middle School 1984-2018.
He has been the Braves head boys cross country coach for 37 years and led the Bellmont baseball program for two seasons — winning 19 games in both 2009 and 2010. While at Monroe Central, he was a baseball assistant for three years and head coach for one.
Hisner started umpiring in the summer around 2008. After his prep coaching stint, he got his high school license. He has called games from youth league to college and 30-and-over leagues.
Many of his college games are in the NAIA-affiliated River States Conference, which has baseball-playing members in Indiana (Indiana University Kokomo, Indiana University Southeast and Oakland City University), Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Semi-retired, Hisner plans to coach middle school track in the spring — cutting back his umpiring schedule during that season — and will continue to take sports assignments for the Decatur Daily Democrat.
Randy and wife Cheryl, who is part-time Title I elementary teacher, have four sons who all graduated from Bellmont — Erik (Class of 2001), Ryan (2002), Shane (2007) and Gavin (2009). All umpired as a summer job in high school.
Erik Hisner is athletic director and head baseball coach at Eastern High School in Greentown, Ind. He coached at Whitko for a decade and was the North head coach Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series in 2017.
Ryan Hisner and Gavin Hisner are both teachers in Adams Central Community Schools in Monroe, Ind. — Ryan Title I at the middle school and Gavin English at the high school. Gavin also does some umpiring.
Shane Hisner used to teach English overseas and now does so online.
Harley Parnell Hisner, Randy’s father and a graduate of Hoagland (Ind.) High School, pitched in the Boston Red Sox system. In his only big league appearance, he started the final game of 1951 season against the New York Yankees. Two of the three strikeouts for Hisner came in that Sept. 30 contest came against rookie Mickey Mantle. He also yielded Joe DiMaggio’s last major league hit.
When Randy Hisner stepped away from coaching baseball, he saw umpiring as a way to stay connected to the game.
“As umpires, we get paid to know the rules,” says Hisner. “A lot of coaches think they do.
“I re-read the high school and college rule books every year. You really have to be on top of that.”
Umpires must also be ready when they see a situation that rarely comes up.
For instance, the time Randy was working a college game together a few years ago. As the base umpire, he was positioned in front of the shortstop with a runner at second base.
The next thing Hisner knew the runner, third baseman and batted ball all converged near the third base bag.
The runner was attempting to steal and made his slide into the third baseman at the same time the ball arrived. The ball dribbled away.
“In all the years I’d played and coached I’d never seen anything like that,” says Hisner. “I called interference on the runner. The runner did not give the fielder a chance to field the ball.
“If the fielder had fielded the ball and then the guy had hit him and knocked it loose that would’ve been different.”
In a travel tournament a few summers back, Randy and Gavin were working the game and the hitter sent a long drive to left-center field.
The center fielder made a great back-hand running catch, took four or five steps and ran into the fence and dropped the ball over the barrier.
“We called a home run,” says Hisner. “We had a long discussion with the defensive coach.
“The rule is that the momentum of the play has to stop and has release has to be voluntary and intentional.”
Hisner says there’s sure to be an argument when it comes down to hit-by-pitch and calling it differs between high school and college.
“In high school games, as an umpire you almost have to be a mind reader,” says Hisner. “The way the rule book reads the hitter can’t permit the ball to let the ball hit him. In high school, it’s a really tough call.
“They made a change to the college rule a couple of years ago. If the ball is in the batter’s box, he can freeze (and be struck by the pitch and take his base). He can’t move into it and try to get hit. You don’t have to read anybody’s mind.”
Since three-man is usually not employed during regular-season games he works, Hisner is accustomed to two-man mechanics.
“I’ve done well over 1,000 games of two-man so I just react,” says Hisner. “I went to a college three-man camp one time. But until you’re used to it, it’s really uncomfortable.”
Preferring to watch Erik’s teams, Randy does not apply for the IHSAA tournament series.
One two-man mechanic that many non-umpires may not consider is the plate arbiter covering second base.
With no runners on base and the base umpire positioned near first base and the right field line, a hitter hits the ball to right field. It might be over the fielder’s head, call for a diving catch and come down near the foul line.
If the batter/runner continues to second base, the base umpire won’t be in-position to make the call. That’s the plate umpire’s duty. With all his protective equipment and steel-toed shoes, he must get to second base before then batter/runner. His path takes him to the right side of the mound to avoid tripping on the rubber.
“That had never ever crossed my radar until I had started umpiring,” says Hisner of the plate ump going to second base. “As soon as its hit, I’m taking my mask off and heading out that way anyway.
“Ideally, you get within 30 feet to make the call. You also have to be ready if (the batter/runner) heads back to first base. That’s a play I hope I have in the first inning if I have the plate.
“I want the coaches and players to see that I’m working hard. This guy is not just collecting a check. He’s hustling like we are. He might not be getting every call right but it’s not for lack of effort.”

Randy Hisner.

The Hisners on a Disney vacation.