IHSAA regionals will slice state tournament field from 64 to 16; preview of each site

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

Iliana Christian won its first Indiana High School Athletic Association sectional baseball title.
Jasper hoisted the sectional championship trophy for a state-leading 40th time.
Sixty-two other schools also reigned and moved on to regional play on Saturday, June 4.
The IHSAA Class 2A Carroll Flora Regional features four teams from the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Top 10 — No. 1 Carroll, No. 3 Wapahani, No. 4 Eastern (Greentown) and No. 9 Delphi.
The 2A Park Tudor Regional has No. 2 Cascade playing No. 7 Centerville in the first game followed by Parke Heritage and vote-getter Heritage Christian.
The 3A Griffith Regional includes No. 1 Andrean, No. 2 Western and No. 7 Glenn along with South Bend Saint Joseph.
The 3A Danville Regional includes No. 3 West Vigo and No. 4 Brebeuf Jesuit in the opener followed by Lebanon and Beech Grove.
The 4A Jasper Regional features No. 2 Mooresville, No. 8 Jasper and vote-getter New Albany plus Columbus East.
The 4A Lafayette Jeff Regional opens with vote-getter Homestead against No. 6 Fort Wayne Carroll followed by Harrison against Zionsville.
In 1A, the Loogootee Regional has No. 1 Borden meeting No. 2 Barr-Reeve in Game 2 after vote-getter Tecumseh plays New Washington.

The 1A he South Bend Washington Regional has three Top 10 teams — No. 4 South Central (Union Mills), No. 9 Caston and No. 10 Fremont — plus Morgan Township.
The 1A Lafayette Central Catholic Regional features vote-getters Cowan and Rossville in Game 1 and No. 3 Lafayette Central Catholic and No. 5 Union City in Game 2.
Three teams at the 1A Morristown Regional received votes in the final regular season poll — Indianapolis Lutheran, Rising Sun and Shakamak. Traders Point Christian is also in the field.
South Central of Union Mills (6), Indianapolis Cathedral (5), Silver Creek (5), South Bend Saint Joseph (5), Evansville Memorial (4), Shakamak (4) and Tecumseh (4) comes into regional play with the longest active sectional title streaks.
1A New Washington won its first sectional crown since 1998. It had been since 1999 that 2A’s Eastern (Greentown) and Winamac had won sectional titles.
By the time three-team regionals in four classes are complete, there will be 16 teams left in the field. Semistates are scheduled for Saturday, June 11 with the State Finals at Victory Field in Indianapolis Friday and Saturday, June 17-18.

2022 IHSAA REGIONALS
Saturday, June 4
(IHSBCA Ranking in Parentheses)
Class 4A
LaPorte Regional
Crown Point vs. Lake Central (Receiving Votes)
South Bend Adams vs. Penn
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): Penn 10 (2017), Crown Point 9 (2011), Lake Central 7 (2014), South Bend Adams 3 (1979).

Highland Sectional (1) Championship — Lake Central 15, Highland 12.
Sectional titles through 2022: Highland (13) — Previous 2000. Trojans head coach: John Bogner.

Valparsaiso Sectional (2) Championship — Crown Point 12, Hobart 2.
Sectional titles through 2022: Crown Point (22) — Previous 2019. Bulldogs head coach: Steve Strayer.

Plymouth Sectional (3) Championship — South Bend Adams 5, LaPorte 2.
Sectional titles through 2022: Adams (10) — Previous 2018. Eagles head coach: Mike Cass.

Penn Sectional (4) Championship — Penn 7, Northridge 5.
Sectional titles through 2022: Penn (23) — Previous 2018. Kingsmen head coach: Greg Dikos.

Lafayette Jeff Regional
Homestead (RV) vs. Carroll (6)
Harrison vs. Zionsville
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): Carroll 5 (2011), Harrison 5 (1998), Zionsville 4 (2017), Homestead 3 (2015).

DeKalb Sectional (5) Championship — Carroll 7, Snider 6.
Sectional titles through 2022: Carroll (15) — Previous 2019. Chargers head coach: Dave Ginder.

Huntington North Sectional (6) Championship — Homestead 10, Wayne 0.
Sectional titles through 2022: Homestead (16) — Previous 2021. Spartans head coach: Nick Byall.

Logansport Sectional (7) Championship — Harrison 5, McCutcheon 4.
Sectional titles through 2022: Harrison (13) — Previous 2021. Raiders head coach: Pat Lowrey.

Noblesville Sectional (8) Championship — Zionsville 6, Fishers 0.
Sectional titles through 2022: Zionsville (15) — Previous 2018. Eagles head coach: Jered Moore.

New Palestine Regional
Anderson vs. Indianapolis Cathedral
New Palestine vs. Brownsburg
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): Indianapolis Cathedral 14 (2018), New Palestine 6 (2014), Brownsburg 5 (2005), Anderson 3 (1995).

Mt. Vernon Sectional (9) Championship — Anderson 13, Mt. Vernon (Fortville) 7.
Sectional titles through 2022: Anderson (8) — Previous 2012. Indians head coach: Adrian Heim.

Pike Sectional (10) Championship — Indianapolis Cathedral 10, Lawrence North 8.
Sectional titles through 2022: Cathedral (25; five straight) — Previous 2021. Fighting Irish coach Ed Freje.

Roncalli Sectional (11) Championship — New Palestine 12, Franklin Central 2.
Sectional titles through 2022: New Palestine (17) — Previous 2015. Dragons head coach: Shawn Lyons.

Terre Haute South Vigo Sectional (12) Championship — Brownsburg 13, Avon 3.
Sectional titles through 2022: Brownsburg (15) — Previous 2013. Bulldogs head coach: Dan Roman.

Jasper Regional
New Albany (RV) vs. Jasper (8)
Columbus East vs. Mooresville (2)
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): Jasper 26 (2021), Columbus East 10 (2019), New Albany 6 (1995), Mooresville 4 (2004).

Center Grove Sectional (13) Championship — Mooresville 9, Martinsville 4.
Sectional titles through 2022: Mooresville (11) — Previous 2004. Pioneers head coach: Eric McGaha.

Bloomington South Sectional (14) Championship — Bloomington South vs. Columbus East
Sectional titles through 2022: Columbus East (20) — Previous 2019. Olympians head coach Jon Gratz.

Jennings County Sectional (15) Championship — New Albany 4, Bedford North Lawrence 0.
Sectional titles through 2022: New Albany (23) — Previous 2016. Bulldogs head coach: Chris McIntyre.

Evansville Reitz Sectional (16) Championship — Jasper 5, Castle 4.
Sectional titles through 2022: Jasper (40) — Previous 2021. Wildcats head coach: Terry Gobert.

Class 3A
Griffith Regional
Western (2) vs. Glenn (7)
Andrean (1) vs. South Bend Saint Joseph
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): Andrean 14 (2019), Western 7 (2016), Saint Joseph 5 (2017), Glenn 3 (2006).

Griffith Sectional (17) Championship — Andrean 18, Calumet New Tech 0.
Sectional titles through 2022: Andrean (30) — Previous 2019. 59ers head coach: Dave Pishkur.

Kankakee Valley Sectional (18) Championship — Glenn 9, Hanover Central 1.
Sectional titles through 2022: Glenn (10) — Previous 2017. Falcons head coach: John Nadolny.

South Bend Clay Sectional (19) Championship — South Saint Joseph 18, New Prairie 5.
Sectional titles through 2022: Saint Joseph (17; five straight) — Previous 2017. Indians head coach: John Smolinski.

Northwestern Sectional (20) Championship — Western 6, Northwestern 1.
Sectional titles through 2022: Western (21) — Previous 2019. Panthers coach: Ryan Berryman.

Oak Hill Regional
Wawasee vs. New Castle (RV)
Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger vs. Norwell
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): Norwell 7 (2021), Dwenger 2 (2014), New Castle 2 (1996), Wawasee 0.

Jimtown Sectional (21) Championship — Wawasee 9, NorthWood 5.
Sectional titles through 2022: Wawasee (8) — Previous 2021. Warriors head coach: Joe Salazar.

Angola Sectional (22) Championship — Bishop Dwenger 19, Leo 8.
Sectional titles through 2022: Dwenger (12) — Previous 2016. Saints head coach: Jason Garrett.

Bellmont Sectional (23) Championship — Norwell 12, Heritage 2.
Sectional titles through 2022: Norwell (18) — Previous 2021. Knights head coach: Dave Goodmiller.

Yorktown Sectional (24) Championship — New Castle 3, Guerin Catholic 2.
Sectional titles through 2022: New Castle (14) — Previous 2014. Trojans head coach: Josh Cooper.

Danville Regional
West Vigo (3) vs. Brebeuf Jesuit (4)
Lebanon vs. Beech Grove
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): West Vigo 7 (2015), Brebeuf 4 (2021), Beech Grove 3 (1990), Lebanon 0.

Crawfordsville Sectional (25) Championship — Lebanon 10, Northview 1.
Sectional titles through 2022: Lebanon (12) — Previous 2014. Tigers head coach Rick Cosgray.

Danville Sectional (26) Championship — Brebeuf Jesuit 12, Tri-West Hendricks 2.
Sectional titles through 2022: Brebeuf (16) — Previous 2014. Braves head coach: Jeff Scott.

Bishop Chatard Sectional (27) Championship — Beech Grove 4, Bishop Chatard 3.
Sectional titles through 2022: Beech Grove (7) — Previous 2014. Hornets head coach: Jacob Wickliff.

Edgewood Sectional (28) Championship — West Vigo 4, Edgewood 3.
Sectional titles through 2022: West Vigo (15) — Previous 2018. Vikings head coach: Culley DeGroote.

Southridge Regional
Evansville Memorial vs. Vincennes Lincoln
Silver Creek (5) vs. Connersville
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): Evansville Memorial 17 (2016), Connersville 6 (2006), Vincennes Lincoln 4 (2002), Silver Creek 2 (2019).

Rushville Sectional (29) Championship — Connersville 7, Franklin County 6.
Sectional titles through 2022: Connersville (19) — Previous 2010. Spartans head coach Michael Thompson.

Madison Sectional (30) Championship — Silver Creek vs. Corydon Central
Sectional titles through 2022: Silver Creek (11; five straight) — Previous 2021. Dragons head coach: Joe Decker.

Princeton Sectional (31) Championship — Vincennes Lincoln 7, Southridge 4.
Sectional titles through 2022: Vincennes Lincoln (18) — Previous 2019. Alices head coach: Tim Hutchison.

Evansville Bosse Sectional (32) Championship — Evansville Memorial 9, Boonville 0.
Sectional titles through 2022: Evansville Memorial (31; four straight) — Previous 2021. Tigers head coach: Rip Collins.

Class 2A
Whiting Regional
Eastside (RV) vs. Fairfield (RV)
Winamac vs. Illiana Christian
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): Eastside 1 (2021), Fairfield 1 (2010), Illiana Christian 0, Winamac 0.

Whiting Sectional (33) Championship — Illiana Christian 16, Wheeler 4.
Sectional titles through 2022: — Illiana Christian (1) — Previous None. Vikings head coach Jeff VanderWoude.

Boone Grove Sectional (34) Championship — Winamac 8, Boone Grove 7.
Sectional titles through 2022: Winamac (4) — Previous 1999. Warriors head coach: Marcus Kay.

Westview Sectional (35) Championship — Fairfield 6, Westview 3.
Sectional titles through 2022: Fairfield (7) — Previous 2010. Falcons head coach: Darin Kauffman.

Eastside Sectional (36) Championship — Eastside 5, Woodlan 3.
Sectional titles through 2022: Eastside (7) — Previous 2021. Blazers head coach: Aaron Willard.

Carroll (Flora) Regional
Wapahani (3) vs. Eastern (Greentown) (4)
Delphi (9) vs. Carroll (Flora) (1)
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): Wapahani 7 (2017), Delphi 2 (2021), Eastern (Greentown) 1 (1999), Carroll (Flora) 0.

Wabash Sectional (37) Championship — Carroll (Flora) 9, Whitko 0.
Sectional titles through 2022: Carroll (7) — Previous 2015. Cougar head coach: Camden Parkhurst.

Delphi Sectional (38) Championship — Delphi 9, Seeger 7.
Sectional titles through 2022: Delphi (7) — Previous 2021. Oracles head coach: Ryan Long.

Eastern (Greentown) Sectional (39) Championship — Eastern (Greentown) 13, Eastbrook 4
Sectional titles through 2022: Eastern (Greentown) (3) — Previous 1999. Comets head coach: Erik Hisner.

Frankton Sectional (40) Championship — Wapahani 15, Frankton 10.
Sectional titles through 2022: Wapahani (18) — Previous 2021. Raiders head coach: Brian Dudley.

Park Tudor Regional
Cascade (2) vs. Centerville (7)
Parke Heritage vs. Heritage Christian (RV)
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): Heritage Christian 3 (2010), Cascade 0, Centerville 0, Parke Heritage 0.

Centerville Sectional (41) Championship — Centerville 14, Hagerstown 8.
Centerville (9) — Previous 2021. Bulldogs head coach: Tracey Crull.

Indianapolis Scecina Sectional (42) Championship — Heritage Christian 12, Indianapolis Scecina 1.
Sectional titles through 2022: Heritage Christian (9) — Previous 2017. Eagles head coach: Dan Ambrose.

Park Tudor Sectional (43) Championship — Cascade 6, Covenant Christian 5
Sectional titles through 2022: Cascade (7) — Previous 2005. Cadets head coach: Ty Foster.

Parke Heritage Sectional (44) Championship — Parke Heritage 9, Southmont 8.
Sectional titles through 2022: Parke Heritage (2) — Previous 2021. Wolves head coach: Charlie Martin.

Evansville Mater Dei Regional
Linton-Stockton vs. North Decatur
Forest Park (8) vs. Providence
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): Providence 7 (2021), Forest Park 1 (1976), Linton-Stockton 0, North Decatur 0.

South Ripley Sectional (45) Championship — North Decatur 5, Southwestern (Hanover) 1.
Sectional titles through 2022: North Decatur (2) — Previous 2011. Chargers head coach: Christian McKinney.

Providence Sectional (46) Championship — Providence 9, Austin 8.
Providence (20) — Previous 2021. Pioneers head coach: Scott Hutchins.

Mitchell Sectional (47) Championship — Linton-Stockton 8, Mitchell 7
Sectional titles through 2022: Linton-Stockton (11) — Previous 2021. Miners head coach: Jacob Harden.

Evansville Mater Dei Sectional (48) Championship — Forest Park 10, Tell City 0.
Forest Park (5) — Previous 2002. Rangers head coach: Jarred Howard.

Class 1A
South Bend Washington Regional
South Central (Union Mills) (4) vs. Caston (9)
Fremont (10) vs. Morgan Township
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): South Central 4 (2011), Fremont 2 (1999), Caston 0, Morgan Township 0.

Westville Sectional (49) Championship — Morgan Township 16, Marquette Catholic 4.
Sectional titles through 2022: Morgan Township (5) — Previous 2018. Cherokees head coach: John Smith.

South Central (Union Mills) Sectional (50) Championship — South Central (Union Mills) 10, Oregon-Davis 0.
Sectional titles through 2022: South Central (18; six straight) — Previous 2021. Satellites head coach: Zach Coulter.

Fremont Sectional (51) Championship — Fremont 23, Bethany Christian 2.
Sectional titles through 2022: Fremont (8) — Previous 2018. Eagles head coach: Justin Bock.

Caston Sectional (52) Championship — Caston 3, North Miami 1.
Sectional titles through 2022: Caston (2) — Previous 2012. Comets head coach: Blake Mollenkopf.

Lafayette Central Catholic Regional
Cowan (RV) vs. Rossville (RV)
Union City (5) vs. Lafayette Central Catholic (3)
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): Lafayette Central Catholic 14 (2018), Cowan 4 (2021), Rossville 3 (2019), Union City 0.

Lafayette Central Catholic Sectional (53) Championship — Lafayette Central Catholic 10, Covington 0.
Sectional titles through 2022: Lafayette Central Catholic (18) — Previous 2018. Knights head coach: Tim Bordenet.

Tri-County Sectional (54) Championship — Rossville 12, Clinton Central 2.
Sectional titles through 2022: Rossville (7) — Previous 2019. Hornets head coach: Brad Scott.

Anderson Preparatory Sectional (55) Championship — Cowan 5, Wes-Del 3.
Sectional titles through 2022: Cowan (8) — Previous 2021. Blackhawks head coach: Aaron Wells.

Seton Catholic Sectional (56) Championship — Union City 9, Blue River Valley 4.
Sectional titles through 2022: Union City (4) — Previous 2021. Indians head coach: Jason Dowler.

Morristown Regional
Rising Sun (RV) vs. Shakamak (RV)
Traders Point Christian vs. Indianapolis Lutheran (RV)
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): Shakamak 13 (2021), Indianapolis Lutheran 1 (2017), Rising Sun 1 (2013), Traders Point Christian 0.

Shakamak Sectional (57) Championship — Shakamak 14, White River Valley 3.
Sectional titles through 2022: Shakamak (27; four straight) — Previous 2021. Lakers head coach: Jeremy Yeryar.

Indiana Deaf Sectional (58) Championship — Traders Point Christian 9, Bethesda Christian 2.
Sectional titles through 2022: Traders Point Christian (2) — Previous 2021. Knights head coach: Jaylen Cushenberry.

Morristown Sectional (59) Championship — Indianapolis Lutheran 12, Edinburgh 2.
Sectional titles through 2022: Indianapolis Lutheran (14) — Previous 2019. Saints head coach: Adam Gouker.

Jac-Cen-Del Sectional (60) Championship — Rising Sun 2, Jac-Cen-Del 0.
Sectional titles through 2022: Rising Sun (8) — Previous 2019. Shiners head coach: Kevin Wirsch.

Loogootee Regional
New Washington vs. Tecumseh (RV)
Barr-Reeve (2) vs. Borden (1)
Championship
Regional titles (most recent): Tecumseh 10 (2019), Barr-Reeve 2 (1998), Borden 1 (2021), New Washington 0.

Lanesville Sectional (61) Championship — Borden 12, Lanesville 0.
Sectional titles through 2022: Borden (6) — Previous 2021. Braves head coach: Eric Stotts.

Shawe Memorial Sectional (62) Championship — New Washington 8, West Washington 7.
Sectional titles through 2022: New Washington (2) — Previous 1998. Mustangs head coach: Jeremy Bower.

Loogootee Sectional (63) Championship — Barr-Reeve 9, North Daviess 3.
Sectional titles through 2022: Barr-Reeve (13) — Previous 2019. Vikings head coach: Trevor McConnell.

Cannelton Sectional (64) Championship — Tecumseh 11, Springs Valley 0.
Sectional titles through 2022: Tecumseh (17; four straight) — Previous 2021. Braves head coach: Ted Thompson.

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Butler volunteer Montgomery places premium on relationship building

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Bailey Montgomery was well on his way to an engineering degree when he decided that the call to stay in baseball was just too strong.

Montgomery, a 2015 Vincennes (Ind.) Lincoln High School graduate, was heading into his last season as a player at Western Illinois University in the spring of 2019 when he decided to change his major to General Studies with a Mathematics minor, which allowed him to graduate and pursue a coaching path.

“It’s what I was passionate about,” says Montgomery. “I couldn’t leave the field.”

At 24, Montgomery has been a volunteer coach at Butler University in Indianapolis since August 2020 after serving as hitting coach for the summer collegiate Lafayette (Ind.) Aviators in 2019 and hitting/outfield coach and recruiting director at Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Ill., in 2019-20.

Montgomery places an emphasis on developing relationships with players.

It’s really something I’ve been trying to hang my hat on,” says Montgomery. “I know how important it is at my age that I build trust with the guys. I want the guys to know I truly care about their development and their individual plan.

“Understanding that individual person is so huge.”

The Butler staff is headed by veteran Dave Schrage with full-time assistants Matt Kennedy (hitting coach and recruiting coordinator) and Ben Norton (pitching coach).

Montgomery enjoys listening to Schrage’s stories and soaking up his diamond wisdom.

“It’s something different everyday,” says Montgomery. “Coach Schrage and Coach Kennedy have given me so much freedom. They’ve allowed me to grow as a young coach.”

Montgomery has some keys as a hitting coaching.

“It’s about making everything repeatable and letting them know what we expect from each guy to make our offense as complete as we can make it,” says Montgomery. “We keep it simple and get them to be confident in what they need to do.”

Kennedy and Montgomery have Butler hitters keeping journals that allow the coaches to follow the process and learning methods for each player.

“There’s not one way to skin a cat,” says Montgomery. “It’s understanding where they’re at.

“Being able to manage people is ultimately going to define how successful they are.”

Butler wrapped up two months of fall practice — which included individualized work and intrasquad scrimmages — in October. 

“We had a tremendous fall,” says Montgomery. “We maximized the time with our guys.”

All students left campus after Thanksgiving and are not expected back until late January.

To keep the Bulldogs on track, there have been Zoom calls.

The 2021 season is due to begin Feb. 19. The Big East Conference will go to four-game weekend series. As of now, Butler will be allowed to keep the non-conference games now on the its schedule.

During the Christmas break, Montgomery has stayed in Indianapolis and conducted lessons for players middle school age and younger (the NCAA is not currently allowing camps or lessons with high schoolers).

“I’m getting as many hours in the (batting cage) as I can,” says Montgomery.

Born in Evansville, Ind., Montgomery grew up in Vincennes. He played on Cal Ripken League teams coached by father Ross Montgomery until age 12. When Bailey played travel ball for the Indiana Redbirds at 13U and 14U, Jay Wolfe was the head coach and Ross Montgomery helped.

Montgomery’s 15U, 16U and 17U summers were spent with the Indiana Nitro, coached by Eric Dill and Kris Dill. 

At 18U, Montgomery got a taste of college baseball atmosphere with the Jeremy Johnson-coached Evansville Razorbacks.

At Lincoln, Montgomery for a coaching staff led by Brandon Pfoff with Tim Hutchison, Chris Clements and Andy Pinkstaff as assistants.

“We were competitive on a daily basis,” says Montgomery of the Vincennes Lincoln Alices. “It got me ready for the competitive environment at Wabash Valley.

“Coach Hutchison (who is now head coach at Vincennes Lincoln) was and is a great mentor for me as well. We have daily conversations. We’re always throwing ideas off each other. He has a growth mindset.”

Montgomery hit .352 (31-of-88) at WVC for Warriors head coach Rob Fournier in 2016 and 2017 (a season that finished with a third-place finish at the National Junior College World Series) before coming back to coach.

“Coach Fournier is one of the best recruiting guys I’ve ever seen,” says Montgomery. “He’s helped me with the evaluation piece, conversations with recruits and things to look for.

“I’ve learned the value of relationships (with contacts and recruits). I’m thankful for those conversations.”

Through his experiences, Montgomery counts himself as a big advocate for junior college baseball.

“It’s continuing to grow,” says Montgomery. “It’s an awesome environment if you’re a guy looking to grow and develop.”

Montgomery, a righty-swinging first baseman, played played two seasons at Western Illinois (2018 and 2019), appearing in 88 games (77 starts) and hitting .296 with two home runs, 43 runs batted in and a .991 fielding percentage with 317 putouts and just three errors.

Ryan Brownlee (now assistant executive director for the American Baseball Coaches Association) was the Leathernecks head coach.

“Coach Brownlee is just passionate about what he does,” says Montgomery. “Handling relationships is what he does really well. He gets his players to buy in.”

While he was still playing, Montgomery was able to serve something of a behind-the-scenes look at being a coach from Brownlee with access to scouting reports and some recruiting communciation.

During his collegiate playing career, Montgomery spent summers with the Hannibal (Mo.) Cavemen (2016), Irish Hills (Mich.) Leprechauns (2017) and Quincy (Ill.) Gems (2018). He was going to return to the Lafayette (Ind.) Aviators as manager in 2020, but the season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ross and Robin Montgomery have three children — Brittany, Bailey and Jade. Jade Montgomery is a softball pitcher/first baseman at Eastern Illinois University.

Bailey Montgomery is a volunteer assistant baseball coach at Butler University in Indianapolis. (Butler University Photo)

Bailey Montgomery, a 2015 Vincennes (Ind.) Lincoln High School, is a volunteer assistant baseball coach at Butler University in Indianapolis. He also played and coached at Wabash Valley College and played and graduated from Western Illinois University. He was a hitting coach for the 2019 summer collegiate Lafayette (Ind.) Aviators. (Butler University Photo)

Kahre applying experiences as Vincennes Lincoln assistant, Rangers associate scout

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Shawn Kahre’s baseball odyssey has come full circle.

The 2011 Vincennes (Ind.) Lincoln High School graduate served as an assistant coach for the Alices in 2020. The 27-year-old is also an associate scout for the Texas Rangers.

Born in Japan in 1992, Shawn is the son of Steven and Kimiko Kahre and the older brother of Ken Kahre (23). The family moved to Terre Haute when he was a toddler, went back to Japan then moved to Vincennes when Shawn was 7.

Kahre ((pronounced CAR-ee) was a three-year starter in the outfielder for head coach Brandon Pfoff and assistant Tim Hutchison (who is now head coach) during his Lincoln playing days. He was the team MVP in 2010 and hit .423 as a senior. He pitched a little on the junior varsity as a sophomore.

“(Pfoff) was a good coach,” says Kahre of the man he led Vincennes to an IHSAA Class 3A state title in 2002. “He always pushed his players to be the best. He was always enthusiastic and made me a better player overall.”

After high school, Kahre played and coached for several teams.

As a righty-swinging 6-foot-4 outfielder, Kahre took the diamond in 2012 and 2013 for Vincennes University.

“(Trailblazers head coach Chris Barney) gave me the chance to play college baseball,” says Kahre. “He’s very positive and let me do my own thing.”

Ryan Anderson was VU’s assistant at the time as was also helpful to Kahre, who hit .270 as a Blazers freshman and .283 as a sophomore.

The summer of 2013 saw Kahre suit up for the Owensboro (Ky.) Oilers of the Ohio Valley League. The manager of the collegiate squad was Aaron Biddle (then head coach at Brescia University).

Near the end of the season, with the Oilers short on pitchers and Owensboro down by several runs, Biddle put Kahre into a game on the mound.

Now a college pitcher, he threw from different angles including submarine style and experimented with pitches.

“It’s something I developed,” says Kahre. “It started as a joke and turned into reality.”

When he arrived at Kentucky Wesleyan College — also in Owensboro — that fall to play for head coach Todd Lillpop and pitching coach Paxton Gardner, Kahre was a two-way player. He was used in the outfield and as a relief pitcher.

In the summer of 2014, Kahre was a pitcher for the Prospect League’s Terre Haute Rex, which was managed by Bobby Segal with Matt Antos as pitching coach.

“It got better with more repetition,” says Kahre. “I got to face a lot of great (NCAA) D-I hitters.”

Kahre was strictly a reliever in his senior year at Kentucky Wesleyan in 2015. He had six mound appearances in 2014 with a 4.70 earned run average and one strikeout in 7 2/3 innings. In 2015, he was 1-0 with 3.09 ERA with four K’s in 11 2/3 innings over seven games.

The Carolina Virginia Collegiate League was able to have a couple graduated seniors on each roster and Kahre (who earned a fitness and sports management degree at KWC) along with KWC teammate Matt Pobereyko pitched for the Catawba Valley Stars in the summer of 2015.

The spring of 2016 saw Kahre back in Charlotte, N.C., playing for College of Faith and coach Thomas Eaton. This postgraduate academy helped him stay in game shape for the summer.

Marvin Speaks, Catawba Valley’s manager and general manager of the independent Pecos League’s White Sands Pupfish, and was impressed enough with Kahre to invite him to play for club managed by his son, Mickey Speaks, in Alamogordo, N.M.

The Pecos League had pitchers released from affiliated minor league baseball that threw in the low to mid 90s. Playing by National League rules, pitchers got to hit and Kahre batted .417 (5-of-12) while pitching 20 innings and going 0-1.

Looking for his next baseball opportunity, Kahre went to the California Winter League in January and February of 2017. He did not get signed by a team and decided to retire as a player.

In the summer of 2017, Kahre became an assistant coach at Vincennes U., and served the Trailblazers as pitching coach during the 2018 season.

His philosophy?

“Throw as much as possible,” says Kahre. “Every guy is different.”

Kahre favored long toss when he was a pitcher for how it helped him build arm strength.

In the fall of 2017, Kahre was hired as an associate scout with the New York Mets. In that role, he would file reports with an area scout if he ran across a player who he thought had pro potential.

Needing a pitching coach, the Wisconsin Woodchucks of the Northwoods League brought Kahre aboard for the 2018 summer collegiate season.

“I had an amazing experience there,” says Kahre. “I learned a lot.”

He got to see some of the best players in the country and worked on a staff with Andrew Fabian as manager and Reggie Lawson and Marcus Davis as assistant.

Fabian (now a Cincinnati Reds area scout) also worked with the pitchers. Lawson (who played in the Seattle Mariners system and is now a Tampa Bay Rays area scout) and Davis (who played at Florida State University and in the Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres organizations) share hitting coach duties.

Kahre kept track of pitches and bullpen sessions and monitored the programs that hurlers had been assigned by their respective schools.

Travis Akre was manager of the Northwoods League’s Lakeshore Chinooks (Mequon, Wis.) in 2018. Also head coach at Ellsworth Community College (Iowa Falls, Iowa), Akre hired Kahre to be the Panthers pitching coach for the 2019 season.

When Akre left Ellsworth, Kahre came back to Vincennes, got a full-time job at Toyota in Princeton, Ind., and became an assistant to Hutchison at Lincoln.

“(Hutchison) also saw potential in me,” says Kahre. “He is another guy who gave me confidence. He’s a hard worker. He’s always studying the game.

“I’m looking forward to next season.”

The 2020 season was wiped out by the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.

While there are no live games to see, Kahre has used the quarantine time to get better as a scout.

“I’m working on making my reports better,” says Kahre, who sends his findings to area scout Mike Medici. “I’m getting more organized and changing my format. I’m learning better terminology when describing players.”

Kahre is viewing video and finding out about different types of players.

Shawn Kahre delivers a pitch for the Terre Haute (Ind.) Rex during Prospect League play in the summer of 2014. Kahre is a graduate of Vincennes Lincoln High School, Vincennes University and Kentucky Wesleyan University and now an assistant baseball coach at Lincoln and an associate scout for the Texas Rangers. (Terre Haute Rex Photo)

Shawn Kahre was a baseball player and an assistant coach at Vincennes (Ind.) University. He is a 2011 graduate of Vincennes Lincoln High School, where he is now an baseball assistant coach. He is also an associate coach for the Texas Rangers. (Vincennes University Photo)