After years away, lefty Nemtuda gets back on mound in 2023

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

Tyler Nemtuda did not get to pitch in a competitive baseball game for three years.
He got the chance to get back in the game in 2023 and he made the most of it.
A left-hander and 2020 graduate of Portage (Ind.) High School, Nemtuda lost his senior season with the Indians to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While competing in a travel-ball PBR Future Games event at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., Nemtuda attracted the attention of coaches at Florence-Darlington Technical College — a junior college in Florence, S.C. He went for a visit and decided to become a Flo-Dar Stinger.
But a car accident about a year into school caused him to drop all his classes and miss out on the 2021 baseball season.
Just before the 2022 slate, Nemtuda dislocated his left knee cap. He had surgery and missed that campaign as well.
“I had a pretty rough two years,” says Nemtuda.
He began running and throwing last July. With his knee on the mend, he got to play for the first time since his junior year at Portage.
This spring, the southpaw played for head coach head coach Preston McDonald, pitching coach Jeremy McDonald (not relation to Preston) and assistant pitching coach Ryan Smith and made 18 mound appearances (16 in relief), going 3-1
with two saves, a 3.77 earned run average, 32 strikeouts and 15 walks in 28 2/3 innings.
“They told us to work hard, never give up and do your best every time you go out there,” says Nemtuda of his Flo-Dar coaches. “We learned a lot, made a lot of friends and had a good time.”
Throwing from an arm slot between three-quarter overhand and sidearm, the lefty uses a two-seam fastball, slider and change-up.
The two-seamer can move into or away a hitter on either side of the plate and sits at 87 to 89 mph and has topped out at 90.
“That’s like my best pitch right now,” says Nemtuda. “I have a lot of arm-side run and then it will sometimes cut into righties, too. I get a lot of ground balls.
He also gets plenty of swings and misses with the fastball when he puts it inside or up in the strike zone.
The slider moves to left to right, landing on the back foot of a right-handed hitter.
His change-up is a three-finger splitter with the ring and pointer fingers placed outside of his two-seam grip.
Nemtuda earned an associate degree in Arts at Florence-Darlington and is committed to join the Bearcats of NCAA Division II Lander University in Greenwood, S.C., in the fall while studying Business Administration.
Jason Burke is Lander’s head coach. Alex Moore is pitching coach. The Bearcats are Peach Belt Conference members.
Baseball and school keep him busy, but when he has time Nemtuda enjoys fishing. He tends to go for brown trout, steelhead and bass at home and bass in South Carolina.
Tyler was born in Chesterton, Ind., and and attended school there until moving to nearby Portage after his freshman year as his father went there for a basketball coaching job.
Father Bob Nemtuda is now a Physical Education teacher at Liberty Elementary School in Chesterton. Mother Tracy Nemtuda is nurse for Ambiomed. Older sister Taylor Nemtuda was involved in cross country, tennis and some basketball at Chesterton.
Tyler played baseball at what is now Liberty Rec Babe Ruth and State Park Little League — both in Chesterton — and then went into travel ball with the Chesterton-based Duneland Flyers, Illinois-based Elite Baseball and the Indiana Bulls.
He was on the Chesterton High School junior varsity as a freshman and the Portage varsity as a sophomore and junior. He played first base and right field when not pitching. His coaches were Bob Dixon and John Selman.
“They were just great coaches that would help you with anything,” says Nemtuda. “I lift a lot. They’d always open the gym and weight room for me, which was awesome.
“I still talk to them to this day.”
Former Portage head coach Doug Nelson has also given facilities access to Nemtuda.
This summer, Nemtuda is with the Northern League’s Northwest Indiana Oilmen. The Adam Enright-managed team is to open its season today (May 25) at Lake County (Crown Point, Ind.) with the home opener at Oil City Stadium in Whiting, Ind., June 7.

Tyler Nemtuda. (Florence-Darlington Tech Photo)

Tyler Nemtuda. (Florence-Darlington Tech Photo)

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Smith makes throwing strikes a priority for ’22 Edinburgh Lancers

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

Dennis Smith has been head baseball coach at Edinburgh (Ind.) High School since the 2019.
He already knows a point of emphasis for 2022.
“Pitching,” says Smith. “Last year we won one game. In 17 gams, we had 148 walks.
“Throwing strikes will be crucial this (coming) year.”
Three pitchers — seniors Ian Buchanan and Riley Palmer and sophomore Gabe Bennett — return. Senior Travis Jones and junior Max Blanford are also expected to get a turn on the mound.
The 2021-22 school year is the first where Edinburgh athletes are allowed to participate in two sports during the game season. Smith says Blanford will split his time between golf and baseball.
Smith, who teaches eighth grade math at Edinburgh, was a Lancers assistant on the staff of Cole Zook in 2013-14 and helped Jason Burke one season prior to taking over the program.
A 2003 Edinburgh graduate, middle infielder Smith played for head coach Todd Tatlock as a senior and was a teammate of current Southwestern of Shelbyville coach Chris Ingels (Edinburgh Class of 2002).
“I still pick his brain,” says Smith of Tatlock, an Edinburgh alum who was an All-American at Indiana State University. “I still call him or get with him when I can.”
An IHSAA Limited Contact Period goes from Aug. 30-Oct. 16. Smith says Edinburgh does not plan to start baseball activities until January.
“I can’t (practice in the fall),” says Smith, who works at a school with an enrollment around 235 and plenty of baseball players involved in fall sports. “We’ve got to share your kids as much as possible.”
Smith says he expects a few players to find the time to play in a Sunday fall baseball league in Columbus.
A feeder for the high school program is the Edinburgh Park and Recreation/Babe Ruth League.
Edinburgh is a member of the Mid-Hoosier Conference (with Hauser, Morristown, North Decatur, South Decatur, Southwestern of Shelbyville and Waldron).
In 2021, the Lancers were part of an IHSAA Class 1A sectional grouping with Greenwood Christian Academy, Indianapolis Lutheran, Morristown, Southwestern of Shelbyville and Waldron. Edinburgh has won four sectional titles — the last in 2017.
Lancer Field at Steve Hollenbeck Sports Complex is the home diamond for Edinburgh baseball.
Plans call for a new mound to be installed next week.
“We hope to put in four new loads of dirt in the infield,” says Smith.
Chris Hoffman and Coltan Henderson are assistant coaches. Smith says another may be added to the staff.
Dennis and wife Hannah have three children — daughters Reese (9) and Reagan (6) and son Ryan (who turns 2 in November).
When he’s not teaching or coaching, Dennis likes to compete in bass fishing tournaments.

Dennis Smith and the Edinburgh (Ind.) High School Lancers.

The Smith family (clockwise from upper left): Hannah, Ryan, Dennis, Reese and Reagan.