Evansville Christian School in Newburgh, Ind., opened the home portion of the 2024 high school baseball season Thursday, April 1 against defending IHSAA Class 1A state runner-up Barr-Reeve.
“We lost a yard barn, a batting cage, half of our fence all-around including our backstop. We also had some damage to our concession stand,” says Evansville Christian coach Joe Paulin in a partial list of the wreckage at Scott Township Park caused by high winds. “Our first base bleachers blew up over a 20-foot fence and skipped across our field and into the left field corner and smashed the fence out. We woke up to that damage and it was heart-breaking.”
At a house next to the field, a tree fell and covered it and the roof was blown off of its hollow-block garage.
“There were no fatalities and thankful no one was (at the field) at the time,” says Paulin.
Almost immediately the clean-up work began. The community has rallied to repair the off-campus facility the team has called home for seven years while Eagles baseball — varsity, junior varsity and Cub — has scrambled to find places to play and practice.
“We’ve had to do a lot of re-scheduling,” says Paulin.
The weekend before the storm, there were about 50 volunteers doing work on the field to get it ready for the season.
“We had it in the best shape it’s ever been,” says Paulin. “Less than a week later is when he damage occurred.”
Through much time, effort and donations, the field is coming back.
“We feel that God has a plan,” says Paulin. “We’re going to build it better than it was.”
More than a month after the today, Evansville Christian plans to play its second home game of the spring on its home field. There’s a night game slated Friday, May 10 against Vincennes Rivet.
Paulin started the EC program in 2017. Another memorable moment is his time there is when the team bus broke down. While waiting for help, he had the Eagles practicing in a gas station parking lot.
Says Paulin, “We needed the work.”
Heading into a May 3 road game against Perry Central, Evansville Christian is 4-6. The 2024 regular season is winding down with IHSAA sectional tournaments beginning the end of the week leading into Memorial Day (May 27).
“We want them to be fine young men and teach them the game of baseball and to always believe in themselves,” says Miller, who has helped at various high schools in southern Indiana, including Perry Central (who doing his student teaching while earning an education degree at the University of Southern Indiana), Cannelton and Tell City as well as with Rockport American Legion Post 254 and the Southern Indiana Spikes travel organization.
A 1988 graduate of Cannelton, where he played baseball for Gary Hanan, who instilled that push-forward mentality, Miller owns a industrial supplies/promotional materials business in Perry County. He and wife Michelle have three sons — Reese Miller (Class of 2014), Gant Miller (Class of 2016) and Bren Miller (Class of 2021) — who all played baseball at Tell City.
Long-time Post 254 manager Jim Haaff has amassed well over 1,000 Legion ball victories is an Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer with a street and field in Rockport named after him.
“I’ve been around that program since I was a young child,” says Miller, who had two of his sons play for Haaff. “He was a big influence — still is to this day.”
Hired to be Commodores head coach last fall, Miller has led PC players through fall and winter IHSAA Limited Contact Period activities and the first official day of practice — March 11 — is soon approaching.
The season opener is slated for March 29 at South Spencer with the home opener March 30 against Corydon Central.
It appears there will be about 22 players for varsity and junior varsity teams.
Among the returnees is Travis Kellems (Class of 2024) has signed to play at Southeast Illinois College.
Recent graduates going on to the college game include Reece Davis (Southeast Illinois) and Wes Scamahorn (Oakland City).
Eric Barnes has taken to coaching baseball on the other end of Warrick County in southwestern Indiana.
After six seasons (including COVID-19 campaign taken away in 2020) leading the Pioneers program at Boonville High School to the south, Barnes has gone to Lynnville-based Tecumseh Middle/High School to the north.
Barnes was hired to guide the Braves in the summer and began his second year teaching at Lynnville Elementary in the fall after serving as an educator at Castle Elementary. He is still in the Warrick County Community School Corporation, just closer to wife and Warrick Education Center/Warrick Pathways and Career Center homeschool advisor and Tecumseh volleyball assistant coach Katy Barnes and son Mason Landry Barnes (3).
As Eric says with the initials MLB, his son has grow up to play baseball.
For the second straight year, Tecumseh volleyball was the IHSAA Class 1A state runners-up. Braves spikers have been in the State Finals five times since 2002.
The school boasts state champions in boys basketball (1999), girls basketball (2021-22) and softball (2009, 2011, 2017, 2022 and 2023).
On the baseball side, Barnes takes over a very successful program. Tecumseh has won 17 sectional crowns — the last in 2022. The Braves were 1A state champions in 2003 and state runners-up in 2002, 2010 and 2022.
“The success of a community that is so small is impressive to see,” says Barnes. “They all have such a spirt for Tecumseh and Tecumseh sports.
“They support the school in a way that just blows my mine.”
“Hopefully, in the next couple of years, we have the chance to go for a state championship,” says Barnes. “(Being close to home and a shot at a state title) were on my mind when I made the decision (to accept the Tecumseh job).”
An IHSAA Limited Contact Period ran Aug. 28 to Oct. 14 and Barnes conducted at least a dozen workouts two times a week for up to two hours.
Considering Tecumseh’s small size and other sports, the numbers were good with up 14 at some of the sessions.
“We took advantage of those days,” says Barnes. “We had pretty good weather.”
The current “dead” period which includes weightlifting but no baseball activities ends with the beginning of the next Limited Contact Period on Dec. 4.
Barnes says he is expecting around 11 at those practices with others involved in basketball and wrestling.
“Those guys will get a lot of work in and once winter sports is done we’ll hop right in with some game stuff,” says Barnes, who introducing players to how he and his staff want things done. “It’s just projecting those expectations that Tecumseh has had for years now. Nothing’s changed really it’s just different people.”
Two of Barnes’ Tecumseh assistants — Tristan Cummings and Trent Creek — also played at OCU. Both have pitching backgrounds.
Cummings (Tecumseh Class of 2015) was also on the Braves coaching staff of Ted Thompson (who led the program to a 96-54 mark in six seasons and is now head coach at Henderson County in Kentucky). Creek is an alum of the former New Harmony High School and was a junior varsity and later varsity assistant for Barnes at Boonville.
Barnes is in the process of finding junior varsity coaches.
Tecumseh’s home field is Braves Ballpark, which played host to a sectional in 2023. The on-campus facility was new in 2019 and features lights and is all-Bermuda grass which makes it easier to maintain. There were cut-outs for the bases.
The field is next to the tennis courts but seems isolated with a field or woods on two sides.
“There’s a certain feel that you have,” says Barnes. “The fans are right on top of the action. They are there and engaged.
“It’s almost feels like a college baseball atmosphere in some ways. There’s just a buzz going on.
“It feel like everybody’s with us.”
Tecumseh has a Cub baseball program for seventh and eighth graders (and occasionally sixth graders). Workouts began a couple of Sundays ago and 14 players attended. The season begins around spring break.
Working with these players gives Barnes a chance to know them and have them understand his vision at Tecumseh.
“There’s talent there,” says Barnes. “That’s exciting to see.”
Recent Tecumseh alums moving on to college baseball include the Class of 2020’s Dustin DuPoint (Quincy, Ill., University) and 2023’s Conner Anglin (Southern Indiana), Dax Bailey (Oakland City), Drew DuPont (Lake Land College in Mattoon, Ill.) and Brody Julian (Danville, Ill., Community College).
D.J. DuPont (Tecumseh Class of 2024) is considering college options. There is also large and talented Class of 2025, some just getting to the varsity level.
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.
Rosters have been established for the 2022 Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Futures Game. The showcase for players with remaining high school eligibility is slated for Wednesday, June 22 on the turf at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion — site of the IHSBCA North/South Series June 24-26. Beginning at 9 a.m., Futures Game participants show their skills. Games are slated for noon (Navy vs. Gold) and 2 p.m. (Gray vs. Red).
Rock Creek Community Academy in Sellersburg, Ind., fielded its first baseball team in 2021. The Jay Hafele-coached Lions played at the junior varsity level and did not participate in the IHSAA tournament. RCCA ended the season with 13 players. More than half of the team had played little or no organized baseball. “A lot of people came out because they wanted to try it,” says Hafele, who expects the numbers and Baseball I.Q. to climb. “I think we’re going to have 20 this year,” says Hafele, a 1998 Evansville Harrison High School graduate who played three years of college baseball and is teaching Physical Education, Health and Life Skills to high school and middle school students at the K-12 institution (it became a charter school in 2010). “We’ll have more knowledgeable people than we’ve ever had that played Little League and (baseball’s) been a part of their life. “We don’t have a field (on-campus) yet, but that’s in the works.” Rock Creek played and practiced last spring at Silver Creek Township Park, which is less than a mile from the school. Two public high schools — Silver Creek and Charlestown — are 1.3 and 6.1 miles away, respectively. More participation means the possibility of more pitchers which will help with the IHSAA pitch count rule. “Our rule of thumb is let the hitter get himself out,” says Hafele. “Throw strikes. That’s all we need.” Other concepts that the coach sees as important are sportsmanship, leadership, fun and the ability to move on from mistakes. “We’re not letting the last play effect your next play,” says Hafele. “I can’t emphasize that enough. “Just get the next out.” Hafele hopes his team — which again play a JV slate in 2022 — will be able to scrimmage Charlestown in the preseason to more-prepared for games. B.J. Paro is one of his assistants and Hafele hopes to have more. The Lions’ 2021 schedule included Indiana’s Cannelton, Columbus Christian, Crawford County, Henryville, Jennings County, Lanesville, Perry Central, Providence, Scottsburg, Shawe Memorial, Springs Valley and West Washington and Kentucky’s Whitefield Academy. Rock Creek Community Academy (enrollment around 180) is an independent with no athletic conference affiliation. An IHSAA Limited Contact Period goes from Aug. 30-Oct. 16. With Rock Creek’s size (about 180 in the top four grades) and many players in football (seven of nine 2021 baseball starters played that sport and Hafele has been on the coaching staff) or soccer, the Lions have not worked out in the fall. RCCA’s football team practices on-campus, but rents space at Woehrle Athletic Complex, which is five miles from campus in Jeffersonville, Ind., for home games. An outfielder as a player, Hafele played for head coach Andy Rice at Harrison then for one season for Mike Goedde at the University of Southern Indiana before transferring to John A. Logan College, a National Junior College Athletic Association member in Carterville, Ill., and played one season for Jerry Halstead. From there, Hafele went to NCAA Division I McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La., but never suffered a shoulder injury and never played for the Cowboys. He played his final college season for Rick Parr at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, where he earned a bachelor’s degree. Jay and wife Jill, who also teaches at Rock Creek, have three children — son Cooper (12), daughter Skylar (7) and son Chase (2).
Rock Creek Community Academy’s 2021 baseball team coached by Jay Hafele (back right) and B.J. Paro (back left). (Lowe Sports Media Photo)
Rock Creek Community Academy’s Kendrick Payton and Chris Graham in 2021. (Lowe Sports Media Photo)
Rock Creek Community Academy’s Jonah Cannon in 2021. (Lowe Sports Media Photo)
Rock Creek Community Academy’s Johny Knuckles and Kendrick Payton in 2021. (Lowe Sports Media Photo)
Rock Creek Community Academy’s Jaleb Treat in 2021. (Lowe Sports Media Photo)
Rock Creek Community Academy’s Chris Graham and head baseball coach Jay Hafele in 2021. (Lowe Sports Media Photo)
Rock Creek Community Academy’s Brenden Short in 2021. (Lowe Sports Media Photo)
“They built that relationship with me,” says Hannon, who is heading into his sixth season as head baseball coach at Paoli (Ind.) High School in Orange County and is also the defensive coordinator for Rams football. “All three are examples of people who are building people and not just players.
“He found it just as important to mentor and mold young men and as make football players,” says Hannon. “I respect him and everything he did for me.”
Hannon, who graduated from Adams in 2001 and Hanover in 2005, is emphasizing fundamentals with his Paoli baseball players while building a sense of trust.
“If you can’t do the basic things it’s going to be difficult,” says Hannon. “When we build those relationships, I can ask things of them and they are willing to go the extra mile.
“When they are comfortable, they can have conversation with you that they can’t have when you keep kids at a distance.”
Hannon wants his young athletes to discover the reason for doing things in a certain way.
“Why are we doing this?,” says Hannon. “We have to understand the why.
“The fun part as a coach is seeing the kids take ownership once they understand what’s going on. It’s not just adults pulling the strings.”
Hannon is assisted in 2021 by Springs Valley Junior-Senior High School graduate Chris Meehan and Forest Park Junior-Senior High School alum Jaxon Cronin.
“As coaches, we don’t take things for granted,” says Hannon. “We don’t assume the kid knows something. I think the kids appreciate that.
“We want to make sure we’re all on the same page and in the same flow.”
Hannon wants his players to shoot him straight and he returns the favor.
“You have to be honest,” says Hannon. “Kids respect honesty.”
The same concepts — honesty and communication — are at work for Hannon as a fifth grade math teacher at Throop Elementary in Paoli.
“Feedback is huge,” says Hannon. “Kids can tell you things you had no idea was going on.
“It’s just important for me to listen to what that kid is saying.”
The Rams are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping with Eastern Greene, Linton-Stockton, Mitchell (the 2021 host), North Knox and South Knox‘. Paoli has won eight sectional crowns — the last in 1995.
With Hannon coaching football and many athletes involved in football, cross country and tennis in the fall, most off-season baseball team activities started after Christmas break.
Of 23 players in the program, one is a senior. With COVID-19 taking away the 2020 season, the last time three of those players appeared in a varsity game was as freshmen in 2019.
“We’ll have lots of competition and varying lineups to see what are best combination is,” says Hannon. “I’m excited. It’s been very fun group to worth with so far.”
Seven seniors graduated in 2020, including current Indiana Tech reserve squad player Aron Busick.
Aaron and wife Terri Hannon have four children — Michael (17), Tyler (13), Kalyn (11) and Beau (3). Michael Hannon is currently on the Paoli track team. Tyler Hannon plays junior high baseball. Kalyn is involved in elementary volleyball and then goes to youth softball. Beau Hannon is enjoying being a part of it all.
Aaron and Paoli graduate Terri met at Hanover, where she was on the softball team.
Aaron and wife Terri Hannon have four children — Michael (17), Tyler (13), Kalyn (11) and Beau (3). Michael Hannon is currently on the Paoli track team. Tyler Hannon plays junior high baseball. Kalyn is involved in elementary volleyball and then goes to youth softball. Beau Hannon is enjoying being a part of it all.
Aaron and 1999 Paoli graduate Terri met at Hanover, where she was on the softball team.
Bill Pierce, his baseball coach at Floyd Central, let him know about a teaching and coaching opening at Floyd Central and LaDuke came home. After a few years as an assistant, the 1984 FCHS graduate has led the Highlanders on the diamond since 1999.
LaDuke also spent about 15 years on the Floyd Central football staff — most of those with Ron Weigleb, a man he had been a wide receiver, kicker and punter for as a player (LaDuke played one season at Kentucky State University before transferring to BSU, where he decided on an education path as a junior and graduated in 1990).
“He’s my big influence as a coach,” says LaDuke of Weigleb. “Some of the things he instilled into the football program we try to do with the baseball program — things like discipline, responsibility and keeping kids accountable. There’s more to it than just playing the game.”
It’s the life lessons that last.
LaDuke appreciated how Weigleb created a family atmosphere. When his coaches went to a clinic, the wives came along and everyone got close.
Dora LaDuke, a 1986 Floyd Central graduate and former Highlander athlete, died after a long battle with Leukemia in 2012 at age 45. Casey and Dora’s daughter, Sydney, is now a senior Elementary Education major at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany.
Bedford North Lawrence, Jeffersonville, Jennings County and New Albany all have turf on their home diamonds.
Floyd Central plays at spacious Highlander Field.
“It’s one of the biggest fields at the high school level,” says LaDuke. “It’s one of the best natural surface fields in the area. We take pride in it.”
LaDuke, his assistants and players have put in many hours maintaining the field.
“It’s my place to get away,” says LaDuke.
The FCHS sports complex includes two fields each for baseball, softball and soccer next to a stadium used for football and track and field.
Tennis courts are less than a mile away at the middle school, which has club baseball with two eighth grade squads feeding the three at the high school — varsity and two junior varsity teams.
LaDuke says 72 players signed up for fall activities. About 60 participated in tryouts this spring, leaving about 45 players.
The coach says the numbers going into tryouts were higher since cuts were not made prior to the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown and loss of season and many of those players came out again in 2021.
Highlander Youth Recreation sponsors baseball teams from age 5 to 13.
Floyd Central is part of an IHSAA Class 4A sectional grouping with Bedford North Lawrence, Jeffersonville, Jennings County, New Albany (the 2021 host) and Seymour. The Highlanders have won 13 sectional crowns — the last in 2015.
The 2013 squad was ranked No. 1 in the state. The Highlanders lost to Jeffersonville in the Bedford North Lawrence championship game.
LaDuke’s main 2021 assistants are Floyd Central graduates Jamie Polk and Chris Hogan. With a hiatus as head coach at North Harrison High School in Ramsey, Ind., Polk has been with LaDuke since he took over the Highlanders. Hogan came on board about three of four years in.
Seniors Evan Goforth (Indiana University) and Casey Sorg (Bellarmine University in Louisville) have made college baseball commitments. Caleb Slaughter has drawn collegiate interest.
Tristan Polk is planning to attend Marian University in Indianapolis to play quarterback on the football team.
There are many recent Floyd Central graduates on college baseball rosters, including Philip Archer (Southern Illinois University), Alex Lozado (University of South Florida), Max Meyer (Indiana State University), Jon Cato (Bellarmine), Adam Spalding (Bellarmine), Joel Archer (Oakland City, Ind., University), Joe Harrington (Oakland City), Daly Skees (Hillsdale, Mich., College), Blake Barrett (Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Ill.) and Josh Gross (Glen Oaks Community College in Centerville, Mich.).
“I take pride in helping kids find schools,” says LaDuke.
He notes that college coaches — particularly at the NCAA I level — are reaching out to players at earlier and earlier ages while recruiting on the travel ball circuit.
Says LaDuke, “Coaches don’t like it, but that’s what their competitive is doing so they have to do it to keep up.”
He has general goals for the Lawrence County-based Bluejackets — on and off the field.
“My main focus is to turn boys into men that our school and community can be proud of,” says Chaney, who teaches Business, coaches junior varsity girls basketball and is the Students Against Drunk Driving director at MHS. “I want to teach them the fundamentals of baseball and what it takes to become a successful program.”
In 2019, there were 22 playing baseball for MHS. Feeding the Bluejackets at the high school level is a junior high program with about 16 players.
While there are no current players yet committed to play college baseball, Mitchell graduate Tanner Simpson is a left-handed pitcher at Marian University in Indianapolis.
Mitchell calls Gary Seitzinger Field home. The facility was a sectional host site a year ago.
“Our field is well taken care of, and our staff continually works on it,” says Chaney. “We are looking into a turf home plate area, an outside hitting facility and improving areas in front of dugouts.”
Seitzinger and Logan Gore are Chaney assistants.
Chaney is a 1985 Bedford (Ind.) North Lawrence High School graduate. He played for Mike Short while with the Stars and tries to apply lessons he learned with his players.
“Mike was a gentleman off and on the field,” says Chaney. “He was very organized and cared about us.”
After high school, Chaney played catcher at Oakland City (Ind.) University, where he received his B.A. degree in education. He holds a masters of education from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Chaney was a varsity baseball assistant at BNL for 13 seasons, serving primarily as the hitting coach. He has also been head baseball coach at Eastern Greene High School in Bloomfield, Ind.
Mitchell (enrollment around 475) is a member of the Patoka Lake Athletic Conference (with Crawford County, Orleans, Paoli, Perry Central, Springs Valley and West Washington) and plays home and away games against each league team.
Last season’s non-conference opponents for Mitchell have included Bloomfield, Brownstown Central, Corydon Central, Eastern Greene, Linton-Stockton, Loogootee, Salem, Scottsburg and Shoals.
The Bluejackets are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping with Eastern Greene, Linton-Stockton, North Knox, Paoli and South Knox. Mitchell has won 10 sectional crowns — the last in 2006.
Jerry and Sonya Chaney have been married for 13 years and have five children.
Jerry Chaney has been head baseball coach at Mitchell (Ind.) Senior High School for nine seasons.
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