By STEVE KRAH
Stressing a culture of accountability, discipline and hard work, new Indiana University Southeast head baseball coach Brett Neffendorf is looking to build on Grenadiers tradition.
Neffendorf became the eighth man in charge of the program on July 5, taking over from Ben Reel who led IUS to 548 wins and numerous championships in 15 seasons.
“That’s one of the things that drew me here,” says Neffendorf of the culture already in-place at the New Albany-based NAIA school.
Fall classes start Aug. 21 and players report a few days before that.
“I’m excited to get going,” says Neffendorf.
An alumni golf outing is planned for Friday, Oct. 6.
“When you have tradition and sustained success that you’ve had at IUS it’s built on the people that have been there,” says Neffendorf. “We want to get alumni involved and connected.
“We want our current guys to understand that and see that.”
Through the efforts Neffendorf and recruiting coordinator Joe Nattermann, the Grenadiers have most players back — close to 25 — from 2023 added to a class of recruits.
“We would take a front-line arm,” says Neffendorf of the incoming class. “Other than that we feel comfortable with where we’re at.”
One thing that puzzles Neffendorf about recruiting i the number of players with a “Division I or Bust” mentality.
“Small-college baseball has Division I players on just about every roster,” says Neffendorf. “Social media and the Transfer Portal has created some of that.”
Not including newcomers, the current 2023-24 online roster of 27 features 13 seniors and eight juniors, including Brayden Hazelwood.
Mason White is also back on the offensive side.
The ’23 team went 33-20 overall and 20-7 in the River States Conference. The team posted a .308 batting average and a .898 OPS (.403 on-base percentage plus .495 slugging average) with 56 home runs.
IUS went 18-1 in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season then 50-16 in 2021 and 41-15 in 2022.
Besides Natterman, the coaching staff currently features volunteers Glendon Rusch (former big league pitcher) and Gregg Oppel and a full-time assistant is to be hired.
Cade Rusch is a sophomore right-handed pitcher for the Grenadiers.
Neffendorf comes to IUS after serving as an assistant coach at Union College in Barboursville, Ky. He has also served as a head coach at Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., and assistant at Campbellsville (Ky.) University, Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn., and Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, Ore., and George Fox University in Newberg, Ore.
He has been an associate scout for the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves. Before Campbellsville, he directed the Winter Prospect Camp at Oregon State, working closely with associate head coach Pat Bailey.
Coaching is a family thing with the Neffendorfs.
Grandfather Harvey Neffendorf was a high school football and baseball coach in Oregon.
Father Mark Neffendorf was a long-time basketball coach and school administrator in that state. He played quarterback at Portland State and then football and baseball at Willamette University in Salem, Ore.
Older brother Brad Neffendorf is head baseball coach at Louisiana State University Shreveport. He formerly was recruiting coordinator and pitching coach at Campbellsville for Tigers head coach Beauford Sanders.
Brett Neffendorf, a Beaverton, Ore., native, earned a Sociology degree at Oregon State University and a Master of Management and Leadership degree at Campbellsville.
Since 2019, Brett has been married to the former Jana Kortas, an All-American volleyball player and assistant coach at Campbellsville. She went to Christian Academy in Louisville.
Her father — the late Ken Kortas — played football at the University of Louisville and was a defensive tackle in the National Football League for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears.