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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schedule Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

Stat Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 34-19 (17-15 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 16-35 (9-21 GLIAC)

Schedule Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

Stat Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

NCAA D-III
Franklin 33-11 (18-4 HCAC)
Anderson 27-19 (12-10 HCAC)
Wabash 24-18 (8-8 NCAC)
Rose-Hulman 23-21 (13-9 HCAC)
Manchester 22-20 (12-10 HCAC)
Earlham 20-18 (10-12 HCAC)
Hanover 16-23 (10-12 HCAC)
Trine 15-24 (6-15 MIAA)
DePauw 12-26 (4-12 NCAC)

Schedule Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

Stat Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

NAIA
Huntington 38-16 (27-9 CL)
Taylor 37-15 (30-6 CL)
Indiana Wesleyan 36-18-1 (26-10 CL)
Indiana Tech 33-17 (18-12 WHAC)
IU Southeast 33-20 (20-7 RSC)
Oakland City 33-22 (13-14 RSC)
Saint Francis 29-25 (21-15 CL)
IU-Kokomo 28-21 (17-10 RSC)
IU South Bend 24-25 (15-10 CCAC)
Grace 21-27 (13-23 CL)
Bethel 19-30 (12-24 CL)
Marian 17-31 (11-25 CL)
Calumet of St. Joseph 17-32-1 (9-17-1 CCAC)
Goshen 10-38 (6-30 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 5-41

Schedule Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Stat Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

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

Schedule Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Stat Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

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

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

Thursday, May 11
Oakland 11, Purdue Fort Wayne 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, May 14
Championship
Quincy 13, Drury 6

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, May 14
Championship
Franklin 12, Anderson 2

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

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

Sunday, May 14

Championship
Denison 7, Wittenberg 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advertisement

Spotlight on teams with 20 W’s or more; Marshall, Mercer hit milestones

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

Two months into the 2023 college baseball, Indiana can boast 15 teams with 20 wins or more. That’s out of 39.
In fact, one club has surpassed 30 victories.
Those teams are the Kyle Gould-coached Taylor Trojans (31-11), Thad Frame’s Huntington Foresters (27-11), Andy Lasher’s Oakland City Mighty Oaks (27-14), Rich Benjamin’s Indiana Wesleyan Wildcats (26-15-1) Jeff Mercer’s Indiana Hoosiers (25-11), Kip McWilliams’ Indiana Tech Warriors (24-9), Ben Reel’s Indiana University Southeast Grenadiers (24-15), Rich Maloney’s Ball State Cardinals (23-12), Drew Brantley’s Indiana University-Kokomo Cougars (23-17), Mitch Hannahs’ Indiana State Sycamores (22-12), Connor Wilkins’ Ivy Tech Northeast Titans (22-14), Wes Carroll’s Evansville Purple Aces (20-15), Lance Marshall’s Franklin Grizziles (21-7), Al Ready’s Indianapolis Greyhounds (20-14) and Dustin Butcher’s Saint Francis Cougars (20-19).
On the cusp of the 20-win plateau is Jake Martin‘s Wabash Little Giants (19-10).

Milestone wins were achieved Saturday when Franklin gave Marshall career victory No. 600 (all with the Grizzlies) and Indiana presented Mercer with his 200th.

The RPI (Rating Percentage Index) leader in NCAA Division I baseball through April 16 is Kentucky.
Here’s how the state’s teams rank: Indiana State No. 19, Indiana No. 20, Notre Dame No. 51, Evansville No. 75, Valparaiso No. 90, Ball State No. 93, Purdue No. 230, Butler No. 245, Purdue Fort Wayne No. 262 and Southern Indiana No. 290.

Who are the hottest teams in the state?
Based on current win streaks it’s Indiana State (10),
Taylor (8), Indiana Tech (6), Indiana University Southeast (5), Indiana University-Kokomo (4), Valparaiso (4), Oakland City (4), Saint Francis (4), Franklin (3), Indiana (3) and Indiana University South Bend (3).

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

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through April 16
NCAA D-I
Indiana 25-11 (9-3 Big Ten)
Ball State 23-12 (12-5 MAC)
Indiana State 22-12 (11-1 MVC)
Evansville 20-15 (6-6 MVC)
Notre Dame 18-15 (8-10 ACC)
Purdue 16-18 (7-5 Big Ten)
Valparaiso 14-14 (5-7 MVC)
Southern Indiana 10-25 (3-9 OVC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 9-28 (6-9 Horizon)
Butler 7-27 (0-6 Big East)

Schedule Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

Stat Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 20-14 (7-13 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 8-24 (4-14 GLIAC)

Schedule Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

Stat Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

NCAA D-III
Franklin 21-7 (10-1 HCAC)
Wabash 19-10 (4-2 NCAC)
Rose-Hulman 16-11 (8-3 HCAC)
Manchester 15-12 (6-4 HCAC)
Anderson 15-13 (4-7 HCAC)
Earlham 14-12 (4-7 HCAC)
Trine 13-16 (4-7 MIAA)
DePauw 10-15 (3-3 NCAC)
Hanover 10-17 (4-7 HCAC)

Schedule Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

Stat Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

NAIA
Taylor 31-11 (24-4 CL)
Huntington 27-11 (20-6 CL)
Oakland City 27-14 (10-11 RSC)
Indiana Wesleyan 26-15-1 (21-7 CL)
Indiana Tech 24-9 (10-6 WHAC)
IU Southeast 24-15 (15-6 RSC)
IU-Kokomo 23-17 (13-8 RSC)
Saint Francis 20-19 (15-11 CL)
Grace 16-19 (8-16 CL)
IU South Bend 16-21 (12-8 CCAC)
Bethel 16-24 (9-19 CL)
Marian 14-22 (8-16 CL)
Calumet of St. Joseph 14-27 (6-14 CCAC)
Goshen 8-28 (4-20 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 3-35

Schedule Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Stat Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Junior College
Ivy Tech Northeast 22-14
Vincennes 16-20 (4-8 MWAC)
Marian’s Ancilla 5-27 (4-9 MCCAA)

Schedule Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Stat Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Through April 16
NCAA D-I
Tuesday, April 11
Indiana 16, Ball State 13
Michigan 13, Butler 2
Western Kentucky 6, Evansville 2
Indiana State 4, Purdue 1
Michigan State 7, Notre Dame 6
Valparaiso 9, Purdue Fort Wayne 3
Saint Louis 16, Southern Indiana 11

Wednesday, April 12
Dayton 8, Purdue Fort Wayne 3

Friday, April 14
Central Michigan 9, Ball State 1
Villanova 13, Butler 9
Evansville 10, Southern Illinois 2
Illinois 7, Indiana 5
Indiana State 2, Belmont 1
Notre Dame 10, Clemson 4
Penn State 15, Purdue 3
Purdue Fort Wayne 7, Milwaukee 4
Tennessee-Martin 14, Southern Indiana 3
Valparaiso 4, Bradley 3

Saturday, April 15
Central Michigan 13, Ball State 5
Central Michigan 9, Ball State 6
Villanova 10 Butler 2
Villanova 18, Butler 15
Southern Illinois 6, Evansville 3
Indiana 6, Illinois 4
Indiana 16, Illinois 3
Indiana State 10, Belmont 2
Clemson 5, Notre Dame 1
Purdue 9, Penn State 8
Purdue 4, Penn State 3
Milwaukee 7, Purdue Fort Wayne 6
Milwaukee 15, Purdue Fort Wayne 8
Tennessee-Martin 7, Southern Indiana 3
Valparaiso 12, Bradley 8
Valparaiso 10, Bradley 0 (7 inn.)

Sunday, April 16
Southern Illinois 3, Evansville 2
Indiana State 5, Belmont 3
Clemson 8, Notre Dame 4
Southern Indiana 7, Tennessee-Martin 5

NCAA D-II
Tuesday, April 11
Indianapolis 24, Ohio Dominican 23
Purdue Northwest 15, Wisconsin-Parkside 6
Wisconsin-Parkside 16, Purdue Northwest 11

Friday, April 14
William Jewell 17, Indianapolis 3
Indianapolis 8, William Jewell 3
Purdue Northwest 9, Davenport 2
Davenport 16, Purdue Northwest 3

Saturday, April 15
William Jewell 13, Indianapolis 6
Indianapolis 13, William Jewell 9
Davenport 11, Purdue Northwest 2
Davenport 15, Purdue Northwest 4

NCAA D-III
Monday, April 10
Wabash 12, Manchester 11
Olivet 11, Trine 4

Tuesday, April 11
Anderson 25, Wabash 8
Centre 6, Hanover 4
Webster 10, Rose-Hulman 2

Wednesday, April 12
Franklin 16, DePauw 12
DePauw 13, Franklin 10
Washington (Mo.) 11, Rose-Hulman 3
Adrian 5, Trine 1

Thursday, April 13
Wittenberg 17, Anderson 13

Friday, April 14
Anderson 12, Defiance 3
Alma 7, Trine 2

Saturday, April 15
Defiance 4, Anderson 2
Anderson 12, Defiance 2
DePauw 10, Ohio Wesleyan 5
Ohio Wesleyan 13, DePauw 3
Hanover 11, Earlham 5
Hanover 17, Earlham 6 (7 inn.)
Franklin 11, Mount St. Joseph 9 (10 inn.)
Franklin 8, Mount St. Joseph 3
Manchester 11, Bluffton 10
Manchester 7, Bluffton 2
Transylvania 11, Rose-Hulman 8
Rose-Hulman 10, Transylvania 6
Alma 10, Trine 0
Alma 8, Trine 4
Wabash 14, Hiram 4 (7 inn.)
Wabash 7, Hiram 6

Sunday, April 16
DePauw 10, Ohio Wesleyan 5
Ohio Wesleyan 13, DePauw 3 (7 inn.)
Franklin 14, Mount St. Joseph 7
Transylvania 10, Rose-Hulman 2

NAIA
Monday, April 10
Taylor 7, Bethel 2
Taylor 4, Bethel 0
Spring Arbor 14, Goshen 3
Goshen 15, Spring Arbor 5
Grace 17, Marian 6
Grace 4, Marian 3
Indiana Wesleyan 11, Saint Francis (Ind.) 7
Indiana Wesleyan 24, Saint Francis (Ind.) 1

Tuesday, April 11
Calumet of St. Joseph 5, Trinity International 2
Trinity International 11, Calumet of St. Joseph 6
Huntington 9, IUPU-Columbus 4
Indiana Tech 7, IU-Kokomo 4
Indiana Tech 10, IU-Kokomo 4
Saint Francis (Ill.) 4, IU South Bend 3
Saint Francis (Ill.) 10, IU South Bend 9
IU Southeast 5, Campbellsville 2
IU Southeast 4, Campbellsville 2
Oakland City 8, Lindsey Wilson 7

Wednesday, April 12
Wilmington 11, IUPU-Columbus 9
Northwest Ohio 7, Saint Francis (Ind.) 3

Thursday, April 13
Huntington 20, Grace 10
Grace 13, Huntington 6
IU-Kokomo 9, Alice Lloyd 4

Friday, April 14
Bethel 11, Marian 7
Bethel 6, Marian 5
IU South Bend 17, Calumet of St. Joseph 3
Saint Francis (Ind.) 18, Goshen 5
Saint Francis (Ind.) 11, Goshen 8 (9 inn.)
Huntington 22, Grace 5
Huntington 13, Grace 1
IU-Kokomo 10, Brescia 0
IU Southeast 11, West Virginia Tech 1 (7 inn.)
Taylor 10, Indiana Wesleyan 9
Taylor 7, Indiana Wesleyan 1
Oakland City 3, Alice Lloyd 0

Saturday, April 15
Bethel 7, Marian 3
Marian 8, Bethel 3
IU South Bend 6, Calumet of St. Joseph 5
IU South Bend 18, Calumet of St. Joseph 1
Saint Francis (Ind.) 27, Goshen 17
Saint Francis (Ind.) 7, Goshen 6
Huntington at Grace
Huntington at Grace
IU-Kokomo 9, Brescia 3
IU-Kokomo 9, Brescia 0
Grace Christian 8, IUPU-Columbus 4 (8 inn.)
IUPU-Columbus 18, Grace Christian 14
IU Southeast 7, West Virginia Tech 6
IU Southeast 7, West Virginia Tech 0
Indiana Tech 15, Michigan-Dearborn 4
Indiana Tech 15, Michigan-Dearborn 11
Taylor 12, Indiana Wesleyan 11
Taylor 9, Indiana Wesleyan 5
Oakland City 14, Alice Lloyd 0
Oakland City 9, Alice Lloyd 7

Junior College
Monday, April 10
Owens 9, Marian’s Ancilla 4

Tuesday, April 11
Kellogg 17, Ivy Tech Northeast 9

Wednesday, April 12
Ivy Tech Northeast 10, Clark State 4
Ivy Tech Northeast 11, Clark State 6

Thursday, April 13
Kellogg 14, Marian’s Ancilla 4
Kellogg 21, Marian’s Ancilla 5

Saturday, April 15
Ivy Tech Northeast 11, Terra State 4
Ivy Tech Northeast 3, Terra State 0
Kellogg 12, Marian’s Ancilla 1
Kellogg 12, Marian’s Ancilla 2

UIndy off to 11-0 start; Anderson’s Bair gets 100th win

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

The University of Indianapolis is off to an 11-0 start to the 2023 baseball season.
The Al Ready-coached Greyhounds are coming off a 5-0 week with two wins against Purdue Northwest and three against Davenport — all at Greyhound Park/Bill Bright Field.
The last time NCAA D-II UIndy started a season 11-0 was 1997.
PNW started its southern trip by splitting a Sunday doubleheader at Ave Maria.
In NCAA III, Anderson University coach Matt Bair collected his 100th career victory. It came in a Sunday win against St. Thomas (Maine) in Davenport, Fla.
Also in Florida, Wabash went 6-0 in Port Charlotte and Fort Myers for the week. The Jake Martin-coached Little Giants are 10-4.
Rose-Hulman played its first home game at Art Nehf Field in 2023 and won all four, moving the Adam Rosen-coached Fightin’ Engineers’ victory streak to six.
The Berea (Ky.) at Manchester series became a Saturday doubleheader at Grand Park in Westfield. The Rick Espeset-coached Spartans (8-3) earned a sweep and ran their win streak to three.
Greg Perschke-coached Trine (6-5) concluded an eight-game stint in Florida with two victories.
NAIA Taylor’s 5-1 week in the Crossroads League helped the Kyle Gould-coached Trojans move to 14-8 overall and 7-1 in the conference.
A 3-1 week allowed Thad Frame-coached Huntington Foresters to be 13-6 overall and 7-1 in the CL.
As part of the U.S. Highway 20 Cup, Bethel (12-8) took four CL games against Goshen. The first two games were played in Mishawaka and — because of inclement weather — the next two at Grand Park.
By topping No. 22 Oklahoma City Sunday, Kip McWilliams’ visiting Indiana Tech Warriors advanced to 10-3.
In NCAA D-I, Indiana and Indiana State both enjoyed 5-0 weeks.
The Hoosiers swept a four-game home series against Bellarmine and the Sycamores took three at Memphis.
Ball State’s 3-1 week included 2-1 against visiting Mid-American Conference foe Western Michigan.
Evansville won two of three at Middle Tennessee. A 2-1 loss at No. 7 Vanderbilt was epic. The Wednesday game went 17 innings and took 4 hours, 44 minutes.
Sunday’s Purdue at Mississippi game featured two pitchers from northwest Indiana high schools in starting roles.
Xavier Rivas (Portage) hurled the first six innings and got the win for Ole Miss. Kyle Iwinski (Griffith) went five frames and absorbed the loss for the Boilermakers.
When Valparaiso beat Southern Mississippi 6-1 in the opener of the three-game series Friday, it was the Beacons’ first win against a nationally-ranked opponent since 2018.
In junior college, Kirk Cabana earned his first victory as head coach at Marian’s Ancilla. The Chargers beat Minnesota State Community & Technical College in the second game of a doubleheader Friday in Orlando, Fla.
Vincennes (10-11) enjoyed a 5-1 week that featured a four-game sweep of Schoolcraft.
At 3-2 week makes Ivy Tech Northeast 6-8.

Below are season records, weekly results and links to web pages, schedules and statistics for all of Indiana’s 39 collegiate programs.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through March 12
NCAA D-I
Ball State 10-6 (2-1 MAC)
Indiana 10-6 (0-0 Big Ten)
Evansville 9-7 (0-0 MVC)
Purdue 8-7 (0-0 Big Ten)
Valparaiso 7-6 (0-0 MVC)
Indiana State 7-8 (0-0 MVC)
Notre Dame 6-6 (1-2 ACC)
Southern Indiana 6-9 (0-0 OVC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 3-14 (0-0 Horizon)
Butler 2-14 (0-0 Big East)

Schedule Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

Stat Links
Ball State
Butler
Evansville
Indiana
Indiana State
Notre Dame
Purdue
Purdue Fort Wayne
Southern Indiana
Valparaiso

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 11-0 (0-0 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 3-7 (0-0 GLIAC)

Schedule Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

Stat Links
Indianapolis
Purdue Northwest

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

Schedule Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

Stat Links
Anderson
DePauw
Earlham
Franklin
Hanover
Manchester
Rose-Hulman
Trine
Wabash

NAIA
Oakland City 16-7 (1-5 RSC)
Taylor 14-8 (7-1 CL)
Huntington 13-6 (7-1 CL)
Bethel 12-8 (5-3 CL)
IU-Kokomo 12-9 (4-2 RSC)
Indiana Tech 10-3 (0-0 WHAC)
Indiana Wesleyan 10-9-1 (6-2 CL)
Marian 10-10 (4-4 CL)
Grace 8-7 (0-4 CL)
Calumet of St. Joseph 8-13 (0-0 CCAC)
IU Southeast 6-12 (3-3 RSC)
Goshen 6-14 (2-6 CL)
Saint Francis 6-14 (1-7 CL)
IU South Bend 4-13 (0-0 CCAC)
IUPU-Columbus 1-20

Schedule Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Stat Links
Bethel
Calumet of St. Joseph
Goshen
Grace
Huntington
IU-Kokomo
IUPU-Columbus
IU South Bend
IU Southeast
Indiana Tech
Indiana Wesleyan
Marian
Oakland City
Saint Francis
Taylor

Junior College
Vincennes 10-11 (0-0 MWAC)
Ivy Tech Northeast 6-8
Marian’s Ancilla 1-14 (0-0 MCCAA)

Schedule Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Stat Links
Ivy Tech Northeast
Marian’s Ancilla
Vincennes

Through March 12
NCAA D-I
Monday, March 6
Louisiana State 11, Butler 0 (7 inn.)

Tuesday, March 7
Ball State 11, Florida A&M 9
Indiana State 8, Southeast Missouri 3
Austin Peay 10, Southern Indiana 6
Mississippi State 12, Valparaiso 2 (7 inn.)

Wednesday, March 8
Jackson State 11, Butler 7
Vanderbilt 2, Evansville 1 (17 inn.)
Indiana 15, Purdue Fort Wayne 1
Indiana State 7, Southeast Missouri 4

Thursday, March 9
Indiana 5, Bellarmine 3

Friday, March 10
Ball State 11, Western Michigan 3
Southeast Missouri 8, Butler 0
Middle Tennessee 2, Evansville 0
Indiana 9, Bellarmine 7
Indiana State 5, Memphis 1
Georgia Tech 7, Notre Dame 4
Mississippi 15, Purdue 7
Austin Peay 9, Purdue Fort Wayne 0
Austin Peay 6, Purdue Fort Wayne 5
Oakland 4, Southern Indiana 2
Valparaiso 6, Southern Mississippi 1

Saturday, March 11
Western Michigan 10, Ball State 1
Ball State 15, Western Michigan 3 (7 inn.)
Southeast Missouri 7, Butler 2
Evansville 5, Middle Tennessee 3
Indiana 13, Bellarmine 3
Indiana State 7, Memphis 3
Georgia Tech 15, Notre Dame 2
Notre Dame 17, Georgia Tech 4
Mississippi 7, Purdue 6 (10 inn.)
Purdue Fort Wayne 5, Austin Peay 3 (8 inn.)
Austin Peay 4, Purdue Fort Wayne 2
Oakland 7, Southern Indiana 5
Southern Mississippi 8, Valparaiso 3

Sunday, March 12
Southeast Missouri 2, Butler 1
Evansville 5, Middle Tennessee 3
Indiana 3, Bellarmine 2
Indiana State 5, Memphis 2
Mississippi 6, Purdue 1
Southern Indiana 12, Oakland 11 (11 inn.)
Southern Mississippi 11, Valparaiso 5

NCAA D-II
Tuesday, March 7
Indianapolis 7, Purdue Northwest 5
Indianapolis 6, Purdue Northwest 1

Friday, March 10
Indianapolis 10, Davenport 7

Saturday, March 11
Indianapolis 7, Davenport 4
Indianapolis 2, Davenport 1 (10 inn.)

Sunday, March 12
Ave Maria 16, Purdue Northwest
Purdue Northwest 10, Ave Maria 7

NCAA D-III
Monday, March 6
Trine 3, St. Vincent 1
Wabash 23, Swarthmore 4

Tuesday, March 7
Grove City 11, Trine 4
Wabash 10, Lebanon Valley 9

Wednesday, March 8
Wilmington 7, Franklin 4
Spalding 14, Hanover 2
Manchester 12, Olivet 2
Rose-Hulman 6, Greenville 4
Dominican (Ill.) 17, Trine 13
Wabash 7, Kean 1

Thursday, March 9
Waynesburg 7, Trine 6

Friday, March 10
Aurora 9, Anderson 2
Anderson 4, Aurora 3
Wilmington 15, Earlham 3
Hanover 14, Hope 4
Trine 7, Penn State-Altoona 0
Trine 7, Penn State-Altoona 4
Wabash 16, Saint John’s 6

Saturday, March 11
Fontbonne 9, Anderson 2
Wisconsin-Osh Kosh 3, DePauw 2
Transylvania 5, DePauw 3
Wilmington 12, Earlham 3
Earlham 8, Wilmington 2
Franklin 15, Albion 4
Albion 4, Franklin 1
Hope 5, Hanover 3
Manchester 13, Berea 5
Manchester 2, Berea 1
Rose-Hulman 4, Alma 0
Rose-Hulman 9, Alma 6
Wabash 17, Western Connecticut 6
Wabash 10, Western Connecticut 3

Sunday, March 12
Anderson 11, Thomas (Maine) 0
Transylvania 9, DePauw 1
Franklin 5, Albion 3
Hanover 14, Millikin 4
Millikin 8, Hanover 5
Rose-Hulman 10, Alma 0

NAIA
Monday, March 6
Calumet of St. Joseph 17, Siena Heights 9
IU-Kokomo 10, Oakland City 3
Indiana Wesleyan 14, Grace 6
Indiana Wesleyan 7, Grace 1
Marian 15, Spring Arbor 4 (8 inn.)
Marian 9, Spring Arbor 5
Taylor 13, Saint Francis 3
Taylor 8, Saint Francis 2

Tuesday, March 7
Calumet of St. Joseph 7, Siena Heights 6
IU-Kokomo 12, IUPU-Columbus 7

Wednesday, March 8
Southeastern 14, Calumet of St. Joseph 1

Thursday, March 9
Bethel 6, Goshen 3
Bethel 9, Goshen 2
St. Thomas 6, Calumet of St. Joseph 5
Calumet of St. Joseph 9, Siena Heights 7
Huntington 10, Saint Francis 8
Saint Francis 6, Huntington 5
Indiana Wesleyan 9, Marian 3
Indiana Wesleyan 5, Marian 4 (9 inn.)
Taylor 11, Spring Arbor 10
Taylor 6, Spring Arbor 5

Friday, March 10
Lawrence Tech 9, Calumet of St. Joseph 6
Concordia (Neb.) 23, Calumet of St. Joseph 3
IU Southeast 11, IU-Kokomo 9
Oakland City 17, Brescia 2 (7 inn.)

Saturday, March 11
Bethel 20, Goshen 3
Bethel 8, Goshen 6
Siena Heights 20, Calumet of St. Joseph 3
Huntington 8, Saint Francis 6
Huntington 18, Saint Francis 0
IU-Kokomo 10, IU Southeast 1
IU Southeast 4, IU-Kokomo 1
Concordia (Mich.) 9, IUPU-Columbus 1
Concordia (Mich.) 10, IUPU-Columbus 2
Oklahoma City 2, Indiana Tech 1
Oklahoma City 10, Indiana Tech 2
Marian 5, Indiana Wesleyan 0
Marian 7, Indiana Wesleyan 4
Brescia 9, Oakland City 2
Brescia 2, Oakland City 1
Taylor 5, Spring Arbor 2
Spring Arbor 5, Taylor 0

Sunday, March 12
Concordia (Mich.) 3, IUPU-Columbus 1
Concordia (Mich.) 3, IUPU-Columbus 1
Indiana Tech 7, Oklahoma City 1

Junior College
Monday, March 6
Ivy Tech Northeast 9, Anderson JV 7
Minnesota North-Vermillion 5, Marian’s Ancilla 3
Minnesota North-Vermillion 6, Marian’s Ancilla 5

Tuesday, March 7
Vincennes 17, Oakland City JV 7

Wednesday, March 8
Mid-Michigan 7, Marian’s Ancilla 2
Volunteer State 16, Vincennes 3

Friday, March 10
Ivy Tech Northeast 11, Southeastern Illinois 5
Ivy Tech Northeast 6, Southeastern Illinois 1
Minnesota State C&T 10, Marian’s Ancilla 9
Marian’s Ancilla 11, Minnesota State C&T 1
Vincennes 11, Schoolcraft 1 (5 inn.)

Saturday, March 11
Southeastern Illinois 16, Ivy Tech Northeast 6
Southeastern Illinois 5, Ivy Tech Northeast 1
Alexandria Tech 6, Marian’s Ancilla 0
Waubonsee 15, Marian’s Ancilla 1
Vincennes 5, Schoolcraft 4
Vincennes 15, Schoolcraft 5

Sunday, March 12
Vincennes 5, Schoolcraft 4

Indiana college baseball gets rolling for 2023

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

The 2023 season has begun most of Indiana’s 39 baseball-playing colleges and universities.
All 10 NCAA Division I schools opened up Friday, Feb. 17. Purdue and Southern Indiana enjoyed 3-1 weekends.
It was the first games for the Tracy Archuleta-coached Screaming Eagles since moving up from NCAA D-II.
Butler’s Blake Beemer picked up his first two wins as a collegiate head coach.
Shawn Stiffler earned his first triumph as head coach at Notre Dame.
At the D-II level, Indianapolis racked up 62 runs in a three-game sweep of Notre Dame College.
D-III Wabash — coached by Jake Martin — went 3-0 with wins against three different foes.
The only other Indiana school in the division to get started was DePauw (1-1). The other seven are slated to start this week.
NAIA boasts 15 Indiana schools and some have been going for weeks.
The hottest starters are Oakland City (11-1), Huntington (6-1), Bethel (6-3) and Grace (5-2).
Andy Lasher’s OCU Mighty Oaks are coming off a 3-1 weekend.
Huntington is in its first season with Thad Frame as Foresters head coach.
This is the hottest start for Bethel since the Seth Zartman-led Pilots began 15-2, including 11-1 in the fall.
Ryan Roth’s Grace Lancers are coming off a 3-1 weekend against Aquinas.
Indiana University Purdue University at Columbus launched its program and it’s first victory under Pride head coach Scott Bickel came Feb. 12 against Huntington. Jared Ross socked the first home run in program history.
In junior college ball, Chris Barney’s 3-4 Vincennes Trailblazers won their last two games.

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through Feb. 19
NCAA D-I
Purdue 3-1 (0-0 Big Ten)
Southern Indiana 3-1 (0-OVC)
Butler 2-2 (0-0 Big East)
Indiana State 1-1 (0-0 MVC)
Notre Dame 1-2 (0-0 ACC)
Indiana 1-2 (0-0 Big Ten)
Valparaiso 1-2 (0-0 MVC)
Ball State 1-3 (0-0 MAC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 1-3 (0-0 Horizon)
Evansville 0-3 (0-0 MVC)

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 3-0 (0-0 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 0-0 (0-0 GLIAC)

NCAA D-III
Wabash 3-0 (0-0 NCAC)
DePauw 1-1 (0-0 NCAC)
Anderson 0-0 (0-0 HCAC)
Earlham 0-0 (0-0 HCAC)
Franklin 0-0 (0-0 HCAC)
Hanover 0-0 (0-0 HCAC)
Manchester 0-0 (0-0 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 0-0 (0-0 HCAC)
Trine 0-0 (0-0 MIAA)

NAIA
Oakland City 11-1 (0-0 RSC)
Huntington 6-1 (0-0 CL)
Bethel 6-3 (0-0 CL)
Grace 5-2 (0-0 CL)
Marian 5-4 (0-0 CL)
IU-Kokomo 5-5 (0-0 RSC)
Taylor 4-6 (0-0 CL)
IU South Bend 4-7 (0-0 CCAC)
Indiana Wesleyan 3-4-1 (0-0 CL)
Saint Francis 3-5 (0-0 CL)
Indiana Tech 2-1 (0-0 WHAC)
Calumet of Saint Joseph 1-6 (0-0 CCAC)
Goshen 1-6 (0-0 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 1-6
IU Southeast 0-7 (0-0 RSC)

Junior College
Vincennes 3-4 (0-0 MWAC)
Ivy Tech Northeast 1-3
Marian’s Ancilla 0-8 (0-0 MCCAA)

Through Feb. 19
NCAA D-I
Friday, Feb. 17
Ball State 2, Charlotte 1
Lipscomb 5, Notre Dame 4
Troy 12, Evansville 7
Purdue 12, Holy Cross 1
Iowa 6, Indiana State 2
Auburn 8, Indiana 4
Farleigh Dickinson 9, Butler 8
Alabama State 13, Purdue Fort Wayne 0
Southern Indiana 11, Western Illinois 5
Kansas 5, Valparaiso 1

Saturday, Feb. 18
Charlotte 9, Ball State 4
Charlotte 9, Ball State 5
Notre Dame 8, Lipscomb 4
Troy 8, Evansville 7
Purdue 14, Holy Cross 4 (7 inn.)
Holy Cross 12, Purdue 3
Indiana State 6, Quinnipiac 1
Auburn 6, Indiana 1
Butler 3, Farleigh Dickinson 0
Butler 16, Farleigh Dickinson 7
Purdue Fort Wayne 4, Alabama State 3
Alabama State 18, Purdue Fort Wayne 4
Western Illinois 5, Southern Indiana 2
Southern Indiana 6, Western Illinois 0
Valparaiso 11, Kansas 3

Sunday, Feb. 19
Charlotte 19, Ball State 5
Lipscomb 4, Notre Dame 2
Troy 11, Evansville 10
Purdue 12, Holy Cross 2 (8 inn.)
Indiana 11, Auburn 2
Farleigh Dickinson 10, Butler 9
Alabama State 13, Purdue Fort Wayne 11
Southern Indiana 5, Western Illinois 4
Kansas 6, Valparaiso 4

NCAA D-II
Saturday, Feb. 18
Indianapolis 17, Notre Dame College 1
Indianapolis 32, Notre Dame College 7
Saturday, Feb. 19
Indianapolis 13, Notre Dame College 1 (7 inn.)

NCAA D-III
Friday, Feb. 17
Wabash 5, Augustana 1

Saturday, Feb. 18
Wabash 11, Wisconsin-Eau Claire 6

Sunday, Feb. 19
DePauw 11, Ripon 10
North Central 8, DePauw 2
Wabash 10, Rhodes 9

NAIA
Thursday, Jan. 26
Benedictine at Mesa 3, Taylor 2

Friday, Jan. 27
Taylor 17, Kansas Wesleyan 10

Saturday, Jan. 28
Embry-Riddle 8, Taylor 4

Friday, Feb. 3
Blue Mountain 11, Bethel 3
IU-Kokomo 14, Point 2
Georgia Gwinnett 5, Indiana Wesleyan 1
Indiana Wesleyan 6, Georgia Gwinnett 4

Saturday, Feb. 4
Blue Mountain 4, Bethel 3
Bethel 4, Blue Mountain 3
Tennessee Southern 14, Calumet of St. Joseph 3
Tennessee Southern 7, Calumet of St. Joseph 6
Union 9, Goshen 5
Union 14, Goshen 1
IU-Kokomo 14, Cumberland 7
IU-Kokomo 15, St. Andrews 2
IU South Bend 6, Thomas More 1
West Virginia Tech 1, IU South Bend 0
Georgia Gwinnett 5, Indiana Wesleyan 3

Sunday, Feb. 5
Calumet of St. Joseph 23, Tennessee Southern 14
Tennessee Southern 17, Calumet of St. Joseph 11
Union 6, Goshen 0
Union 7, Goshen 5
Lindsey Wilson 5, IU South Bend 3
Culver-Stockton 5, Marian 4
Faulkner 9, Marian 6
Oakland City 13, Johnson 5
Oakland City 6, Johnson 2

Monday, Feb. 6
Cumberlands 7, IU Southeast 6
Oakland City 4, Johnson 3
Thursday, Feb. 9
Indiana Wesleyan 12, Cumberland 12 (13 inn.)

Friday, Feb. 10
Bethel 7, Champion Christian 3
Bethel 10, Champion Christian 4
Oakland City 5, Calumet of St. Joseph 1
Grace 2, Trinity International 1
Grace 3, Trinity International 2
Huntington 11, IUPU-Columbus 0
Huntington 4, IUPU-Columbus 3
IU-Kokomo 7, Truett McConnell 0
Truett McConnell 13, IU-Kokomo 2
Tennessee Southern 3, IU South Bend 0
Tennessee Southern 7, IU South Bend 0
Indiana Wesleyan 11, Cumberland 7
Freed-Hardeman 10, Saint Francis 0
Freed-Hardeman 13, Saint Francis 4
Georgia Gwinnett 9, Taylor 4
Georgia Gwinnett 8, Taylor 1

Saturday, Feb. 11
Bethel 9, Champion Christian 1
Bethel 13, Champion Christian 0
Oakland City 10, Calumet of St. Joseph 0
Oakland City 9, Calumet of St. Joseph 3
Grace 3, Trinity International 2
Truett McConnell 20, IU-Kokomo 19
Tennessee Southern 5, IU South Bend 3
Tennessee Southern 10, IU South Bend 6
Columbia College 9, IU Southeast 4
Columbia College 4, IU Southeast 3
Indiana Wesleyan 11, Cumberland 7
Marian 5, Tougaloo 1
Marian 17, Tougaloo 4
Freed-Hardeman 2, Saint Francis 1
Freed-Hardeman 8, Saint Francis 7
Georgia Gwinnett 6, Taylor 4

Sunday, Feb. 12
IUPU-Columbus 5, Huntington 2
Huntington 14, IUPU-Columbus 5
Columbia College 11, IU Southeast 4
Marian 7, Tougaloo 2

Wednesday, Feb. 15
Taylor 30, IUPU-Columbus 1

Friday, Feb. 17
Ecclesia 6, Goshen 2
Middle Georgia State 11, IU-Kokomo 0
IU-Kokomo 11, Middle Georgia State 1
Webber International 6, IU Southeast 5
Taylor 6, Point Park 2 (10 inn.)

Saturday, Feb. 18
Bethel 7, Oakland City 4
Oakland City 6, Bethel 4
Ecclesia 4, Goshen 3
Goshen 16, Ecclesia 0
Grace 9, Aquinas 7
Aquinas 10, Grace 9 (10 inn.)
Huntington 3, Saint Xavier 0
Huntington 11, Saint Xavier 0
Indiana Tech 11, Midway 10 (10 inn.)
Middle Georgia State 3, IU-Kokomo 0
Middle Georgia State 7, IU-Kokomo 4
Marian 19, IUPU-Columbus 10
Marian 9, IUPU-Columbus 8
IU South Bend 6, Culver-Stockton 4
IU South Bend 9, Culver-Stockton 3
Lindsey Wilson 12, Indiana Wesleyan 11 (10 inn.)
Lindsey Wilson 13, Indiana Wesleyan 8
Tennessee Southern 10, Saint Francis 5
Saint Francis 7, Tennessee Southern 0 (8 inn.)
Taylor 15, IU Southeast 5 (8 inn.)
William Carey 12, Taylor 3

Sunday, Feb. 19
Aquinas 14, Grace 9
Grace 16, Aquinas 11
Huntington 10, Georgetown College 5
Midway 10, Indiana Tech 8
Indiana Tech 12, Midway 7
Culver-Stockton 11, IU South Bend 4
IU South Bend 9, Culver-Stockton 8
Rheinhardt 11, IU Southeast 2
Oakland City 7, Marian 4
Oakland City 4, Marian 2
Saint Francis 7, Tennessee Southern 5
Saint Francis 23, Tennessee Southern 8

Junior College
Tuesday, Feb. 7
Kellogg 9, Ivy Tech Northeast 2

Friday, Feb. 10
Vincennes 7, Cleveland State CC 4
Cleveland State CC 3, Vincennes 0

Saturday, Feb. 11
Southeastern Illinois 14, Marian’s Ancilla 1 (5 inn.)
Southeastern Illinois 7, Marian’s Ancilla 1 (7 inn.)
Cleveland State CC 9, Vincennes 5

Sunday, Feb. 12
Southeastern Illinois 9, Marian’s Ancilla 1 (7 inn.)
Southeastern Illinois 12, Marian’s Ancilla 7 (7 inn.)

Wednesday, Feb.15
Frontier 8, Vincennes 1

Saturday, Feb. 18
Frontier 11, Marian’s Ancilla 1 (5 inn.)
Olney Central 5, Ivy Tech Northeast 3
Olney Central 9, Ivy Tech Northeast 1
South Sububurn 15, Vincennes 12
Vincennes 7, Marian’s Ancilla 0

Sunday, Feb. 19
Olney Central 2, Ivy Tech Northeast 1
South Suburban 16, Marian’s Ancilla 9
Vincennes 13, Marian’s Ancilla 4

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)

Frame takes over Huntington U. program from Hall of Famer father

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

The record shows that Thad Frame has been a baseball coach since 2009.
But the way the new Huntington (Ind.) University head coach sees it, his experience goes back much farther.
“I grew up in it,” says the 36-year-old Thad, who follows father and 38-season veteran Mike Frame. “I feel like I’ve been coaching my whole life.”
The oldest of Mike and Diane’s three children (there’s also Heath and Cora), Thad was a young boy when he began spending countless hours at the diamond or office with his father the Huntington Foresters head coach.
Frame got his first real taste of coaching in Clemson, S.C. He played for the Southern Collegiate League’s Carolina Chaos and on the urging of former Huntington and Chaos player Andrew Drummond (who holds several school records including career batting average at .408 and is tied in career runs batted in with 155) took an opportunity to coach with the team a few summers later.
“I was trying to find a new identity. It had always been just baseball,” says Frame, who took a gap year after his playing eligibility to complete Sports Management degree and seek his path. “I caught the coaching bug. Ever since it’s been my life.
“It feels like I never worked a day in my life.”
Before landing back at Huntington, Frame also spent a year at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) where Dan Simonds was head coach with Ben Bachmann (now athletic director at new Prairie High School) and Jeremy Ison as assistants and Brad Gschwind as graduate assistant.
Thad Frame was Huntington U.’s starting shortstop for four seasons (2005-08) after doing the same at Huntington North High School (2001-04). His head coaches were Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Don Sherman as a freshman and Chad Daugherty his last three prep seasons.
“When you’ve grown up in the coach world you see the impact a coach can have on young men (spiritually and athletically),” says Frame. “You’re absorbing that information.
“I’ve been beyond blessed to have been around some of the best in Indiana.”
Mike Frame (Huntington Class of 1983) is the member of four athletic halls of fame (Huntington U. in 2003, IHSBCA in 2009, Nettles Creek Schools/Hagerstown in 2017 and Northeast Indiana Baseball Association in 2019).
While going 920-754, his Forester teams won 17 conference regular-season or conference tournament titles and made four NAIA national tournament appearances. There were 13 NAIA All-American honors with 85 all-conference athletes and seven professional players. He has also served the school as associated director of athletics.
Mike Frame lost his right leg to COVID-19 but came back to coach.
Thad Frame counts his father, Dennis Kas and Donnie Scott as the men who have molded him most as a coach.
“My father has an old-school feel for baseball,” says Thad. “You’re going to have fun but it’s going to be intense.”
IHSBCA Hall of Famer Kas coached Frame on the Indiana Bulls travel team and as am HU assistant and Scott was the manager with Thad as an assistant on the summer collegiate Northwoods League’s Battle Creek (Mich.) Bombers (2011) and Madison (Wis.) Mallards (2012).
With Brian Colopy (who is now owner of the Northern League’s Battle Creek Battle Jacks and Kalamazoo Growlers) as general manager, Frame spent two summers in Battle Creek. The 2010 team went 20-50 and finished in last place. The 2011 Scott-managed club went 43-26 and won the league championship while Frame was able to take a bigger role with recruiting.
“That was the most-important summer in my coaching experience,” says Frame. “We formed a team that was very athletic.”
In the summer of 2012, Frame followed former fielder coordinator for the Cincinnati Reds and manager for Midwest League’s Dayton (Ohio) Dragons Scott to Madison. He was there a short time before coming back to join his father’s staff full-time and hit the recruiting trail.
“The recruiting period in June and July is very heavy,” says Frame. “We are aggressive with our recruiting. There’s not a huge gap between NAIA and small NCAA. We go after guys on the fringe. We try to recruit some of the best guys in Indiana.
“Our style is known in (the Crossroads League). We recruit athletes. We play the game fearlessly. We try to play the game fast. We want four- and five-toolers who can bunt, run and hit the ball over the fence.”
Huntington led all NAIA program in stolen bases in 2022 with a single-season school record 134 (121 in 2021 had been the mark). The Foresters (27-23) also posted a .290 batting average, .397 on-base percentage, .491 slugging average, 65 home runs, 13 triples, 97 doubles, 175 extra-base hits, 777 total bases, 388 runs scored and 349 RBIs.
Single-season school marks were also set in home runs, triples, doubles, total bases, runs, RBIs and runs per game (7.76).
Huntington gets quite a few kick-backs from NCAA D-I. The current roster features middle infielder Langston Ginder (Ball State) and first baseman/pitcher Matt Wolff (Kentucky).
Will Coursen-Carr, Indiana Mr. Baseball in 2012 at Fort Wayne South Side High School, finished his college career at Huntington after playing at Indiana University. He is now head baseball coach at South Side.
Much of 2022’s squad is expected back in 2023.
“We’ll be able to swing it this year at an elite level,” says Frame.
There have been player-led workouts but the first official day of fall practice is slated for Tuesday, Sept. 6.
It has not yet been determined, but Frame says the team may go longer than usual now that there is infield turf at Forest Glen Park.
With Huntington University Board of Trustees member Tom Clounie (owner of Clounie Landscaping of Roanoke, Ind.) overseeing a $700,000 project, the field was also leveled and received a state-of-the-art irrigation system.
“The outfield plays very true,” says Frame, who notes there had been a steep grade one one side for the history of the field. The Foresters played on the new surface in 2022.
A major upgrade to The PLEX Fieldhouse is expected to be completed by November, according to the coach.
The 2023 season opens Feb. 10 vs. Indiana University-Purdue University in Tuscaloosa, Ala. In 2022, Huntington went to its branch campus in Peoria, Ariz., for two weeks, built relationships and played four games Jan. 20-22.
Thad Frame’s staff includes volunteer Mike Frame, pitching coach Brian Abbott (who is also the IHSBCA executive director) hitting coach Shea Beauchamp (who set school marks with 31 career home runs and is tied with Drummond with 62 single-season RBIs), fundraising coordinator Nate Perry and social media manager Andy Vaught.
Donovan Clark has accepted a position at PRP Baseball in Noblesville, Ind., but is expected to come up to help the Foresters with speed training.
Thad Frame is married to Dr. Krystle Frame.

Thad Frame. (Huntington University Image)

Mike Frame. (Huntington University Image)

Thad Frame (right). (Huntington University Photo)

Thad Frame. (Huntington University Photo)

Ivy Tech’s Hershberger extolls the virtues of vision training

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

“Ridiculous attention to detail.”

That’s how Lance Hershberger goes about his business as head baseball coach at Ivy Tech Community College Northeast in Fort Wayne, Ind.

That attention was on display as Hershberger talked about “Vision As It Pertains to Hitting in Baseball” during the Huntington North Hot Stove clinic session hosted Sunday, Dec. 1 by new Vikings head coach Mark Flueckiger.

Hershberger, with the assistance of Ivy Tech players Grant Hershberger (his son) and Connor Knoblauch, presented information and a number of drills designed to help hitters improve the way they use their eyes.

“Don’t underestimate the importance of vision in baseball,” says Hershberger, who has led the Titans to a 58-32 mark in the first two years of the Ivy Tech program. “If you think it’s not important, try playing the game with your eyes closed.

“It’s the most overlooked and under appreciated skill in the game.”

Hershberger broke his talk into four areas:

• Vision.

• Focus.

• Tee and drill work.

• Live hitting.

“A lot of this vision stuff is really focus,” says Hershberger. “I’m not an optometrist. I can’t give you a prescription for glasses.

“But I can give you some things that will focus on baseball.”

Hershberger said the first place to start is make sure that players can see well. They may need to see an eye doctor or simply commit to wearing their contacts or glasses to improve their vision and performance.

“Don’t take any of that for granted,” says Hershberger. “There is something to that.”

Hershberger talked about the dominant eye vs. back eye and used a water bottle at the edge of the stage as a visual.

He invited the audience to mimic the players and make a triangle with their fingers and put the bottle in the middle.

In closing one eye, the bottle will move outside or close to edge of the triangle.

Closing the other one will make the bottle stay inside the triangle.

The latter will be the dominant eye.

Hershberger says that if the dominant eye is the one closest to the pitcher, they should be fine. If the back eye is dominant then twisting the head to face the pitcher with both eyes is the way to go.

“Here’s one thing about (dominant eye),” says Hershberger. “You can’t change that. I can’t give you any drills. I can’t give you anything to work to change that.”

Rather than concentrating on something they can’t fix, Ivy Tech works on the back eye.

“We make sure our hitters see the pitcher, the ball, the window with their back eye,” says Hershberger. “We’ll do short toss or tee work with the front eye closed.”

For about $1.79, an eye patch can be purchased at the craft store and can be worn for these types of drills, including batting practice.

Hershberger brought out the Brock String, a device that is used in vision therapy that is a 4-foot piece of rope with colored tape every six inches.

“We’ll have our guys focus on that,” says Hershberger. “We usually tie it off on a fence or a post and put it at an angle to simulate the angle of the pitch.

“During this drill, all (the player) sees are the colors. He doesn’t see anything else. He goes up and he goes back down.

“We go for a minute and you should do it five or six times.”

Another vision drill is Thumbs Up.

Players stand apart at distances up to 60 feet with one thumb in the air and they alternate focus on the thumbs.

“We go for a minute. They don’t listen to anything. They don’t see anything (else). That’s all they see. His thumb. Their thumb.

“You do it five or six times a week and you do it all year long, you’ll get better. Your sight may not get better, but your focus will get better on what you’re doing.

“If they’re doing it right, they should have a headache when they’re done.”

In his decades around sports, Hershberger has found that athletes have not really changed.

“I hear it all the time: ‘I can’t coach kids the same way I did 30 years ago,’” says Hershberger. “I don’t believe that. I think the people that have changed are the guys in my shoes, the coaches.

“Kids will work up or down to your expectations.”

The difference now is that the coaches are better with communication.

“I explain why we do it,” says Hershberger. “I put it in a package (of drills) that makes sense to them. Here’s what we’re doing and here’s why we’re doing it.”

Hershberger talked about the importance of seeing the ball early and late.

“There’s 60 feet, 6 inches between the pitcher and the catcher,” says Hershberger. “Everybody sees the ball somewhere along that path. Usually somewhere in the middle.

“They don’t focus on the pitcher real well so they don’t see it out of his hand and know what’s coming. Then they try to guesstimate where it’s going and swing to that spot.

“Good hitters see the ball early and they see it late.”

Hoping it will help his team with vision, Hershberger has had underside of the bill on all Ivy Tech batting helmets painted white to reflect all waves of light.

“Theoretically, we may be able to see a little bit better,” says Hershberger. “I’m trying to do anything I can to get any advantage I can.

“It surely won’t hurt.”

The Titans use drills to track the baseball with their eyes.

Players are told to Google hit king Pete Rose.

“He’s the best I’ve ever seen at taking a pitch,” says Hershberger. “He would track everything into the (catcher’s) glove.

“We want our guys to track the ball.”

The player feeding the ball presents it in the “window” aka arm slot than rolls it and the batters follows it until it stops.

“You’ve got to walk before you run,” says Hershberger. “What we’re teaching there is that ridiculous attention to detail.

“You’re setting the tone for focusing on the ball.”

Ivy Tech has a bag of gimmicks — balls with colors, numbers etc., that are used in these vision drills that are packaged together with other movements in a logical way.

When balls are tossed, the batter can call out whether it is big or small, yellow or white, fastball, curveball or change-up, in, middle or out.

“He is hunting the ball in his hand,” says Hershberger. “None of this is earth-shattering but, hopefully, in the context of how you use it, it’s good.”

With the tee, Hershberger has hitters — swinging a conventional bat, paddle or piece of PVC pipe — load, stride and take it to contact then stop.

“We want them to see the bat hit the ball,” says Hershberger. “Out front on the top half. I’m not a launch angle guy.”

Then the hitter takes a half swing and contacts the ball.

“We’re working on focus,” says Hershberger. “We’re not working on mechanics of  the swing.”

Hershberger offered some other tips about tee work not related to focus.

“Always have a home plate when you’re working on the tee,” says Hershberger. “If you don’t have one, use your hat or your glove. You have to have a reference point.”

The tee is moved around depending what pitch is being worked on.

“Your swing doesn’t change,” says Hershberger. “Your point of contact and turn does.”

Tee placement will almost always vary by player.

“When they’re partners in these drills and the tee never moves from guy to guy, I’m suspect,” says Hershberger. “Oh, you’ve both got the same swing!?

“It’s more likely you’re both being lazy.

“If you don’t move it and set it up for your swing, you’re practicing somebody else’s swing and you’re getting nothing out of it. You have to set it up and be meticulous.

“Ridiculous attention to detail.”

Rapid Fire involves hitting ball after ball post-stride.

“Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!,” says Hershberger. “That’s the logical progression of what we’ve been doing.

“He’s seeing that bat hit that ball.”

Hershberger notes that the hitters’ head does not track the ball off his bat.

“You stay down in there,” says Hershberger, who has been known to take away a practice at-bat of a hitter who tracks the flight of the ball.

Vision and focus is used at Ivy Tech to work on pitch recognition.

The batter quickly calls out the type of pitch — fastball, curveball, change-up — out of the “window.”

In another drill, players who recognize fastball will go quick to the ball and pull it. If it’s a breaking, they will stay back.

There’s also a variation where they learn to sit on a fastball and adjust to a breaking pitch. This combines soft toss and the tee. The soft toss ball or the one on the tee can be hit depending on location — all the while maintaining focus.

HUNTINGTON NORTH HOT STOVE

At Huntington North H.S.

Sundays, 2:30-5 p.m.

(Free)

Remaining Speakers

Dec. 8 — Kip McWilliams (Outfield play); Dennis Kas (Infield Play/Fundamentals); Thad Frame & Donovan Clark (Baserunning)

Dec. 15 — Rich Dunno (King The Hill Trainer/Pitching Drills); Kip McWilliams (Team Drills/Championship Practice); Gary Rogers (TBD)

Dec. 22 — Dan Holcomb (TBD); Dennis Kas (Offensive Approach/Situational Hitting); Mark Flueckiger (Batting Practice with a Purpose)

Jan. 12 — Gary Gatchell (Hitting); Bret Shambaugh (Being Competitive on Game Day)

Jan. 19 — Tom Roy (Pitching/Mental … Calling a Game); Dr. Travis Frantz (Staying Healthy — Tips on Avoiding Injuries in Your Career)

Lance Hershberger is the head baseball coach at Ivy Tech Community College Northeast in Fort Wayne, Ind. (Ivy Tech Photo)

Lance Hershberger (left) is the head baseball coach at Ivy Tech Community College Northeast in Fort Wayne, Ind. One of his players is son Grant (right). (Ivy Tech Photo)

 

Reds’ VanMeter talks about hitting approach, intangibles

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Josh VanMeter has morphed as a hitter.

From his days growing up in Ossian, Ind., playing travel baseball for the Summit City Sluggers and then his progression from Norwell High School to minor leaguer to big leaguer with the Cincinnati Reds, VanMeter has experienced change.

The 24-year-old shared his knowledge Sunday, Dec. 1 as the lead-off speaker for the Huntington North Hot Stove clinics hosted by new Vikings head coach Mark Flueckiger, who coached VanMeter as a youngster.

“My view on hitting has changed so much throughout my career, my life, whatever,” says VanMeter, who made his Major League Baseball debut May 5, 2019 and hit .237 with eight home runs and 23 runs batted in over 95 games with the Reds. “I don’t hit the same now as I did when I was 12. I don’t hit the same now as I did when I was in high school or even two years ago when I was in the minor leagues.”

VanMeter gave advice to hitters around 12.

“Just want to build a solid foundation, work from the ground up and really focus on contact,” says VanMeter. “You want to get a good base, be short to the ball and get the barrel to the ball. Keep it really simple the younger you are.”

VanMeter says things begin to change in the early teens. That’s when hitters can begin to driving the ball and not just making contact.

“A lot of it is dependent on what your physicality is,” says VanMeter. “I was small (5-foot-7 and around 120 pounds at 15), but I had a really good foundation to build on.”

VanMeter, who turns 25 March 10, 2020, says that at the highest levels of the game, it is important to get the ball in the air to produce runs.

“For a lot of youth players and youth coaches that can get misinterpreted,” says VanMeter. “When I talk about getting the ball in the air it’s not about hitting a pop-up. You want to drive the ball in the air.

“You get to a certain age and balls on the ground are outs for the most part.”

At younger ages, players with speed are often encouraged to hit the ball on the ground to beat the throw to first or hope for an error by the defense.

“That’s a really bad skill set because it’s really hard to break habits the older you get,” says VanMeter. “If by the time you get to high school all you do is hit ground balls, you’re not going to have a lot of success.

“It’s really hard to break that pattern of what you’ve been doing the last three to four years.”

When giving lessons, VanMeter has even been known to make his hitters do push-ups when they hit grounders in the batting cage.

VanMeter says he does not pretend that he has hitting around figured out, but he does have core principles.

At an early age, he worked at his craft.

“I spent a lot of time trying to get better at hitting,” says VanMeter. “I spent a lot of time in the cage.”

VanMeter notes that when it comes to cage work, tees are for mechanics and flips or batting practice is for things like game situations, timing, and pitch recognition.

“If you struggle hitting off the tee, you need to make some mechanical changes,” says VanMeter. “The ball ain’t moving.

“You should be really good at hitting the ball off the tee.”

VanMeter, who was selected by the San Diego Padres in the fifth round of the 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft out of Norwell, changed his swing two off-seasons ago after having essentially the same approach for more than a decade.

“Coming up through high school and my first few years in the minor leagues, I was a big bat-to-ball guy,” says VanMeter. “I was steep in the (strike) zone. I was really only concentrating on getting the barrel to the ball because that’s what I was taught growing up.

“Obviously, it worked for me.”

VanMeter has learned to hit the ball out front and put it in the air pull-side.

“The best hitters pull the ball 70 percent of the time,” says VanMeter, who rejects the idea that hitters must go to the opposite field. “Youth hitters are behind the 8-ball when they get to college or into professional baseball. They don’t know how to pull the ball. It’s been drilled into the their head. They’ve got to hit the ball the other way.

“There are not many guys unless they are (New York Yankees slugger) Aaron Judge who can consistently hit home runs to the opposite field gap. You’ve got to learn to pull the ball first before you learn to hit the ball the other way.

“Pulling the ball is not hitting duck hooks down the third base line. It’s hitting a back spin ball into the left-center gap if I’m a right-handed hitter. For a left-handed hitter, it’s the right-center gap. That’s where the damage is going to be done.”

The pitch that’s down and away in the zone is hard to pull. That’s a pitcher’s pitch. Moving closer to the plate will bring that pitch closer to the hitter’s attack zone and the change to do damage.

“Damage is what makes you a good player,” says VanMeter. “It’s being able to produce runs.

“Baseball is all about producing runs and limiting runs. If you can do those two things, you’ll play for a long time.”

VanMeter advises youth players to get better at strike zone recognition and that starts in BP.

“You should only swing at strikes in the cage,” says VanMeter. “It’s not just swing the bat at every pitch.

“You need to take a breather. It’s not rapid fire.”

VanMeter recalls that he was 8 when a lesson taught to him by Sluggers founder Mark Delagarza.

“He said baseball is not a cardio sport,” says VanMeter. “You should not be getting your heart rate up when you’re swinging a bat.

“In my opinion, between every swing you should step out, take a deep breath and step back in just like a real game.”

Growing up, Josh spent countless hours taking cuts off his father, Greg VanMeter. And they weren’t all fastballs. There were also breaking balls and change-ups.

“We want to feel good, but at the end of the day, we have to challenge ourselves, too, to become better hitters,” says Van Meter. “You should treat BP more like a game.”

VanMeter says he can see MLB teams hiring independent pitchers to throw batting practice in simulated game situations.

To see pitches, recognize placement, spin and more, big league hitters often stand in during bullpen sessions.

“If we’re facing a guy with a really good breaking ball, I would go stand in on Trevor Bauer’s bullpen because all Trevor wants to throw is breaking balls,” says VanMeter. “You don’t even have to swing. You don’t even need a bat. All you’re doing is training your eyes.”

In recognizing the strike zone, the left-handed-hitting Van Meter splits home plate into thirds — outer, middle and inner.

“It’s about hunting an area in the zone that we want to attack,” says VanMeter. “It’s really hard to hit three pitches (fastball, breaking ball and change-up) in every zone.

“You can hit a fastball pretty much in any zone if you’re on fastball timing. But if (the pitcher) throws a breaking ball and I’m on a fastball , it’s going to be really hard to hit no matter what anybody says. Everybody says, ‘sit hard, you can adjust to soft.’ That’s not as easy as it sounds.

“Knowing the zones and knowing what you’re good at can be a really positive strength.”

VanMeter says that most high school pitchers command the zone away from the hitter.

“Knowing that, I’m going to sit out over the plate because it gives me the best chance to succeed,” says VanMeter. “The key to being a really good hitter is being able to sit out over the plate and take (the inside pitch) for a strike.”

Why?

Most will foul that pitch into their foot.

Having a plan when you go to the plate is another one of the biggest keys you can have,” says VanMeter. “You’ve got to be smart to be a hitter.

“It’s not dumb luck.”

The idea is to get into hitter’s counts (0-0, 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 3-1) and avoid pitcher’s counts (0-1, 0-2, 1-2).

VanMeter did that often last spring with Triple-A Louisville. At the time he was called up in May, he was hitting .336 with 13 home runs, 31 RBI, 17 walks and 23 strikeouts. On April 29 in Toledo, he slugged three homers and drove in eight runs.

Up with the Reds, VanMeter began to learn the importance of being ready to hit the first pitch.

“I’ve always been a patient hitter,” says VanMeter. “I’m not a guy who’s afraid to take a strike or get to two strikes

“(Big league pitchers) are way to good for you to take a first-pitch cookie right down the middle. be ready to hit that first pitch. It’s all a mindset.”

VanMeter, who had smacked his first major league homer off St. Louis right-hander Miles Mikolas July 20 in Cincinnati, remembers a pre-game conversation with Cincinnati hitting coach Turner Ward on Aug. 31 with the Reds facing the Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha in the second game of a doubleheader in St. Louis.

“Why do I feel scared to make an out on the first pitch of an at-bat?,” says VanMeter, recalling his question to Ward.

He was told that the question was not stupid since VanMeter is an elite bat-to-ball hitter who regularly puts the ball in play, is good with two strikes and walks a fair amount.

“Sometimes you just have to choose your spot,” says VanMeter. “(I decided) I’m going to look for a fastball up in the zone (against Wacha) and I’m just going to swing. Sure enough, I get a fastball up and I hit it out of the park on the first pitch of the game.

“What hitting comes down to is giving yourself the best chance to succeed.”

VanMeter has come to make an “A” swing and avoid a “panic” swing.

“We want to get our best swing off every time we swing the bat — every time,” says VanMeter. “We don’t want to compromise our swing just to make contact.”

Taking a panic swing just to make contact can often be worse than missing the ball altogether. A hitter can be in a 1-0 count, get out over his front foot on a breaking ball and hit a weak dribbler to the right side.

“Now you’re taking a right turn back to the dugout,” says VanMeter. “You’ve got to train yourself to take your best swing every time no matter what.”

Hitters must commit to a plan and trust their swing.

“With those silly mistakes we make, we don’t really trust ourselves to get our best swing off and have a productive at-bat,” says VanMeter.

It also takes confidence, but this can’t be given.

VanMeter had a parent ask if he could give his kid confidence.

“No, I can’t funnel your kid confidence,” says VanMeter of his response. “Confidence comes from preparation.

“If you prepare, you’re going to be confident.”

What about a timing mechanism?

“Timing is not about getting your (front) foot down,” says VanMeter. “Your foot’s going to get down before you ever swing the bat. I’m never going to swing with my lead foot off the ground.

“When do I pick my foot off the ground? That’s the biggest thing. When you pick your foot off the ground, you’re going to go regardless.

“I pick my foot off the ground when the pitcher separates his hands. That all comes into sync. I want to make my forward move when his arm is starting to come forward.”

VanMeter now stands straight up and just goes forward, but knows that younger hitters need a lode as a way to generate power.

“Your legs will always be the strongest part of your body, but especially at that age,” says VanMeter. “High school kids are not in the weight room enough.”

As a professional, VanMeter goes against conventional wisdom and uses the straight bar bench press in his training.

“The less reps, the more weight the better,” says VanMeter. “I do two max effort days a week (build up to a one-rep max) and two dynamic effort days a week (more of a speed program).

“The only way you’re going to get stronger is by doing max effort work. You’re not going to get crazy strong by doing three sets of 12. That’s just not how it works. You’ve got to lift heavy to get strong.

“When it comes to baseball, you’ve got to train speed and power because that’s the kind of sport it is.

“My cardio is playing basketball. You’ll never see me on a treadmill or running sprints. Baseball is not a cardio sport. It’s a power sport. It’s a short-interval sport.

“The biggest measurement when it comes to running in baseball is can you get from first from the home on a double in the gap?”

Baseball players are graded by five tools — speed, power, hitting for average, fielding and arm strength.

But there is also a sixth tool — intangibles. The Reds saw that in VanMeter, who was drafted as a shortstop but has played second base, third base, left field, right field and first base in their system.

“It’s being a winning player, knowing the game, being a good teammate, being a good leader,” says VanMeter. “When you get to the big leagues, those things matter. In the minor leagues, it’s all about (the five) tools.”

This past year, VanMeter got to meet one of his idols — 10-year big leaguer and 2006 World Series MVP with the Cardinals David Eckstein — and asked him how he did what he did at 5-8, 165.

“I just grinded day in an day out,” says VanMeter of Eckstein’s response. “I was a good teammate. I was a winner.

“That’s what people want — winning players.”

HUNTINGTON NORTH HOT STOVE

At Huntington North H.S.

Sundays, 2:30-5 p.m.

(Free)

Remaining Speakers

Dec. 8 — Kip McWilliams (Outfield play); Dennis Kas (Infield Play/Fundamentals); Thad Frame & Donovan Clark (Baserunning)

Dec. 15 — Rich Dunno (King The Hill Trainer/Pitching Drills); Kip McWilliams (Team Drills/Championship Practice); Gary Rogers (TBD)

Dec. 22 — Dan Holcomb (TBD); Dennis Kas (Offensive Approach/Situational Hitting); Mark Flueckiger (Batting Practice with a Purpose)

Jan. 12 — Gary Gatchell (Hitting); Bret Shambaugh (Being Competitive on Game Day)

Jan. 19 — Tom Roy (Pitching/Mental … Calling a Game); Dr. Travis Frantz (Staying Healthy — Tips on Avoiding Injuries in Your Career)

Josh VanMeter, a Norwell High School graduate, made his big league baseball debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2019. (Cincinnati Reds photo)

 

Gameday mentality fuels Frame-coached Huntington U. Foresters

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

The Huntington (Ind.) University baseball team can’t control the wintry weather and the fact that they have to do almost all of their practicing indoors so far in 2019.

But the Foresters won’t use that as an alibi.

Mike Frame, who is in his 35th season as HU head coach, won’t let that happen.

“We’re not going to use it as an excuse,” says Frame, who has had his players working out inside the Merillat Complex fieldhouse when it’s been too cold or wet to use Forest Glen Park. “It’s the hand that we’ve been dealt so we have to make the most of it.”

Years ago, Frame and close friend Tom Roy (who is now co-head coach at Grace College) came up with ACE. The acronym stands for Attitude, Concentration, Effort. It’s something the student-athletes can control everyday.

“For me, it goes beyond playing baseball,” says Frame, a member of the Huntington University Athletics, Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association and Northeast Indiana Baseball Association halls of fame. “We talk to these young men from the time we recruit them that attitude, concentration and effort is something take you with you when you leave. Someday you’re going to be an employee and the employer is going to want somebody with a great attitude, great concentration and great effort.

“Someday there’s going to be a young lady that would like to have a husband with those qualities and a little boy or little girl that would like to have a father with those qualities.

“Let’s control the things that we can control.”

The Foresters’ schedule called for first 20 road games to be played on the road.

Of that number, a dozen were contested and Huntington split them, including one win against NAIA No. 19-ranked University of the Cumberlands and two against No. 22 Taylor University. The home opener against Spring Arbor University was moved to the turf at Logansport High School, where a 6-5 win was achieved for 7-6 start to the campaign.

“We have to prepare to go out and play right away against really good competition,” says Frame. “We have to make sure what we do in (the fieldhouse) translates outside whether we’ve been on the field or not.”

Practices are conducted at a high tempo.

“We have to have a gameday mentality in all that we do,” says Frame. “That’s one of the reasons we practice with uniforms on, guys hit with helmets on.”

Because Frame believes baseball was not meant to be played indoors, player earn their positions in the fall. He does not play favorites.

“The best player is going to play.,” says Frame “What year you are in school doesn’t matter.”

What makes Crossroads League baseball so strong?

“There’s some stability at the top in terms of coaching,” says Frame, noting his own longevity and that of Mount Vernon Nazarene’s Keith Veale (30th season) and Taylor’s Kyle Gould (15th season). “Those coaches are working at it.”

Frame says the league is made up of similar schools in terms of resources, scholarship money and the like. Member schools tend to be faith-based with a strong focus on academics.

“We have to ask how they can handle things at a Christian school and academically before we ever look at (athletic) ability,” says Frame.

HU pitching coach Brian Abbott is in his second go-around at Huntington after a stint at league member Indiana Wesleyan.

“It’s a very competitive league,” says Abbott. “These teams compete at a very high level.”

The league has produced professional players and former IWU pitcher Brandon Beachy made it all the way to the big leagues.

Former Huntington player Dalton Combs spent the past two seasons as an outfielder in the San Francisco Giants organization.

“You can get to professional baseball from a small school,” says Abbott, who is also executive director of the IHSBCA. “It might be a little easier as a pitcher. A position player needs to be outside with the at-bats and the ground balls that are harder (to come by) in this weather.”

The winner of the Crossroads League regular season (No. 1 seed in the tournament) and the winner of the Crossroads League Tournament will receive automatic bids to the NAIA Opening Round. If the winner of the regular season (No. 1 seed in the tournament) and the winner of the Crossroads League Tournament are the same team, the second place team from the tournament will be awarded the second automatic bid.

Senior outfielder Donovan Clark (Fort Wayne South Side High School graduate), senior right-handed pitcher D.J. Moore (Homestead), senior first baseman/designated hitter Adam Roser (Northfield), junior right-hander Mason Shinabery (Bellmont), junior left-hander Alex McCutcheon (Huntington North) are part of the current Huntington mix.

All come together for a common cause but with a different perspective.

Clark, who played high school baseball for head coach Sheldon Van Pelt, was on the football team at Indiana University before a back injury ended his career in that sport. With friends Will Coursen-Carr and Tyler Zimske playing baseball at Huntington, he decided to switch his focus to the diamond.

What is the difference between NCAA Division I football and NAIA baseball?

“Baseball — in general — is more mental,” says Clark, who went from defensive back to center fielder. “In football, if you don’t have a tackle, interception or impact the game in some way, you’re not considered the best player on the field.”

The Forester Way has a familiar feel to Clark, who is scheduled to graduate this spring with a business marketing degree.

“It’s a small school,” says Clark. “But the program here goes about things in a big school way. We have a strength coach (Scott Craft).”

With all the indoor workouts, Clark has been getting some reps with the infielders to stay busy and learn something new.

“It’s difficult to come inside and go outside and play a game,” says Clark. “But we’ve done a good job of adapting to it. I’m proud of the team.”

Moore, who played at Homestead for Steve Sotir, has noticed the change between high school and college baseball.

“There’s a big difference,” says Moore. “For one, the game speeds up tremendously. Everybody becomes bigger and stronger. Everybody has better eyes at the plate. When you first come in, you’re facing guys who are three or four years older than you.

“The biggest thing is execution and knowing I can’t just throw the ball over the plate without a purpose like I did in high school. I have to actually hit my spots and have a plan.”

The Crossroads League provides a challenge from top to bottom.

“You never know what’s going to happen in this league,” says Moore. “You’ll have ranked team. You’ll have teams receiving votes. You’ll have teams not even close to receiving votes that will still find a way to win. Any team can come out to play and win. There’s not any dominant team in this whole league.”

Moore has learned how to balance academics and athletics.

“It’s a difficult process, but it’s bearable,” says Moore. “It’s about getting your studies done before practice and keeping in-touch with professors. They understand how busy we are in the spring.”

Moore, a sport management major, says Frame encourages his players to take a heavier course load in the fall, maybe 16 or 17 hours and 12 in the spring with as many morning classes as possible.

Tradition attracted more to Huntington.

“Coach knows what he’s doing,” says Moore. “He’s coached here more than half his life. He’s got a great attitude about things and makes us work hard.”

Roser appreciates the approach and the time spent before practices working  ACE attributes.

“We go over Bible verses and examples of how we can be better with our attitude, concentration and effort,” says Roser. “In baseball, the best team doesn’t always win.

“If you have the right attitude and concentration and you put forth the effort, you can beat a good team no matter what kind of talent they have.”

College baseball requires a great time commitment. But Roser, who played for Tony Uggen at Northfield, knew that when he was being recruited.

“It takes awhile for people to adapt to this kind of culture with how much time we put into baseball and studying,” says Roser. “It’s like a 24-hour job almost.

“Coach Frame does a pretty good job of explaining to us what we’re getting ourselves into.”

Roser is slated to graduate this spring with a sports management degree.

Shinabery also played another position while at Bellmont, but is a pitcher-only for the Foresters. While he came out of the bullpen last summer with the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Growlers, he’s been used as a starter for Huntington.

“I have a routine,” says Shinabery. “I know when I’m going to pitch. I just make sure I’m ready to go that day.”

Having support is helpful for the pitching staff.

“Coach Abbott and Coach Frame have faith that all our pitchers can do it,” says Shinabery. “In certain situations, they don’t care who comes in. We can all throw strikes and get the job done

“Just them believing in us helps out me and our staff a lot.”

McCutcheon played his high school baseball in the same town, but began his collegiate career at Vincennes University. After a season, he transferred to Huntington and enjoys the baseball atmosphere.

“Coach Frame sets up the mentality the program has,” says McCutcheon. “We’re a blue collar team. We work hard. Coach Frame encourages toughness in everything. He makes us do things the right way.

“That’s what separates us.”

Assistant coach Thad Frame (Mike’s son) keeps practices humming by constantly reminding players at a swift pace. NAIA game rules call for 20 seconds between pitches and two minutes of warm-up between innings.

“When we pitch, Coach has a timer,” says McCutcheon. “We make sure we are always uptempo.

“Thad wants us to get out on the field as fast as we can. If the hitter is just casually putting his gloves on and we can get him off-guard. That’s an advantage for us if he’s not fully prepared.”

McCutcheon says he knows that two things important to Mike Frame are hustling and being mentally-prepared.

Each day after stretching, players are led through visualization.

“Coach Frame has us lay down for a minute or so and clear out everything,” says McCutcheon. “You see yourself walk everything you’re thinking about out the door and get ready for practice.

“He wants our mindsets to be there everyday. That’s the most important thing for him.”

Mike Frame is head baseball coach at Huntington (Ind.) University. (Huntington U. Photo)

Brian Abbott is baseball pitching coach at Huntington (Ind.) University. (Huntington U. Photo)

Donovan Clark is a senior baseball player at Huntington (Ind.) University. (Huntington U. Photo)

D.J. Moore is a senior baseball player at Huntington (Ind.) University. (Huntington U. Photo)

Adam Roser is a senior baseball player at Huntington (Ind.) University. (Huntington U. Photo)

Mason Shinabery is a junior baseball player at Huntington (Ind.) University. (Huntington U. Photo)

Alex McCutcheon is a junior baseball player at Huntington (Ind.) University. (Huntington U. Photo)

Roth, Roy now leading Grace Lancers on, off the baseball diamond

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Grace College baseball wants workers.

“Having the discipline to do the work is what gets you to the ability,” says Ryan Roth, co-head coach of the Winona Lake, Ind.-based Lancers. “Work ethic is a form of discipline.

“I think it’s necessary. It’s a non-negotiable.”

Roth, who has as been on the Grace coaching staff for a year, and co-head coach Tom Roy, who was Lancers head coach 1980-83 and has served a few seasons as chaplain and a short stint as pitching coach, are leading  young men on and off the diamond.

“You’ve got to have guys at this level who want to work hard and get better,” says Roy, who is helping the NAIA-affiliated school prepare to compete in the Crossroads League. “You have to be able to grind. You have to be disciplined and do the fundamentals properly. That’s what we’re focusing on.”

Fall practice was spent on fundamentals and learning offensive philosophy and swing mechanics and continues as the team returned from winter break this week.

Roy and Roth’s relationship goes back to when Roth played at Huntington University.

“He’s a very good coach,” says Roy of Roth. “I’m no worried about that at all. Coach Roth is really good with pitching and these kids are really improving already.

“We’ve known each other for 13 years. We’re pretty excited about it. We’ll love on the kids. That’s our philosophy.”

The Lancers went 9-18 in the Crossroads in 2018, but swept a doubleheader at eventual conference tournament champion Marian and took a game against regular-season champion Indiana Wesleyan.

“Anybody can win on any given day,” says Roth. “If you give yourself a chance mentally and prepare to win, it doesn’t matter (what the standings say).

“You’ve got to respect your opponents. Make sure you handle your business on game day.”

With 10 teams in the Crossroads, Grace will play nine series. Eight of those will be on the weekend with a 9-inning single game on Friday and a doubleheader with 7- and 9-inning games Saturday. the other series will be held on Tuesdays with a 9-inning single game one week with 7- and 9-inning contests the next. This year, the Lancers host Indiana Wesleyan April 9 and 16 at Miller Field.

The season opener is scheduled for Feb. 27 at Western Michigan University. Grace opens the league season March 8 against Bethel in Vero Beach, Fla.

“We are men for Christ,” says Roth. “We have the utmost respect for all the coaches in the league.

“We are honored for the opportunity to be a part of it.”

The 2019 roster includes junior pitcher David Anderson, sophomore infielder Houston Haney and senior pitcher Logan Swartzentruber. Pitcher Anderson and infielder Haney were honorable mention all-Crossroads selections in 2018 while pitcher Swartzentruber was on the academic all-league list.

Other commitments mean Roy won’t be with the team full-time until March 1. The two men have divided up responsibilities.

Roth said is handling all administrative work and leading efforts in recruiting and establishing the program’s culture.

“Our primary focus is that we grow Godly men,” says Roy, the founder of Unlimited Potential, Inc. and author of six books, including Shepherd Coach: Unlocking the Destiny of You and Your Players. “We know we can coach. We’re very confident in our abilities.”

The coaching staff also features Justin Love, Ryan Moore and Devin Skelton.

Love played at Northridge High School and Ball State University and has almost 20 years of coaching experience. He handles outfield instruction and helps with base running. Love and Roth have both coached at nearby Warsaw High School.

Moore, who is from Kokomo, Ind., played at Indiana Wesleyan where he was an NAIA Gold Glove catcher. He works with Grace receivers.

Skelton is a graduate assistant from Forsyth, Ga., who played at Berry College in Mount Berry, Ga. He handles infielders and helps with recruiting.

With their connections, Roth and Roy have a large network from which to recruit.

“We want to recruit regionally and locally if we can, but we’re not opposed to going coast to coast,” says Roth. “First and foremost, we’re looking for character.”

The 2019 recruiting class has a number of players from northern Indiana and a few from Ohio.

Grace coaches are looking for players who are good teammates, hard workers and those who have a relationship with the Lord.

“We’d like to get a Christian athlete, but they need to be able to play, too,” says Roy. “We’re looking at measurables (like 60-yard dash time etc.) — all the things you do as a pro scout.”

Roth talks with high school and travel coaches and seeks players willing to do the extra things on the field and in the weight room.

“We know if he’s doing it there, he’ll do it here,” says Roth. “The big thing is work ethic. That kind of thing is innate. We look for that in guys.”

To allow more opportunities to grow as baseball players and as men, Grace has added a junior varsity program. Those games will be played in the fall.

Roth played for head coach Jack Rupley at Manchester High School in North Manchester, Ind., where he graduated in 2003.

He was part of the Squires’ IHSAA Class 2A state champions in 2002 and also played football.

Ryan followed in the footsteps of older brother Marc Roth and playing for head coach Mike Frame at Huntington U.

Coach Rupley made fundamental baseball a priority.

“He taught the basics of running bases, bunt defense and situational hitting,” says Roth. “We also believed in treating everybody fairly and letting everybody be the best version of themselves.

“You knew he was going to care about you and value you no matter what happened on the field.”

Playing for Mike Frame (who Roy recruited to Huntington in his time as a coach there) and with Mike’s son, Thad Frame (a current Foresters assistant), Roth received many lessons.

“I learned a lot about how to be a disciplined player,” says Roth. “I learned a lot about the game. My I.Q. increased a ton.”

He also found out how to accept challenges and develop resilience as an athlete.

“Playing for (Frame), you just have to push yourself to get better,” says Roth. “I have a ton of respect for him.”

Roth served in the U.S. Navy 2010-13.

Citing family and personal reasons, Cam Screeton stepped down as Grace head coach in December 2018.

Tom Roy (left) and Ryan Roth are co-head baseball coaches at Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind. (Steve Krah Photo)