Lasher-led Oakland City Mighty Oaks posted 65 wins over last two seasons

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

Oakland City (Ind.) University won more baseball games in 2023 than in 2022 and that team set the single-season school record.
The power blue-clad Mighty Oaks got off to an 8-0 start, mixed in another seven-game win streak and went 34-24 this spring after posting a mark of 31-23.
“We did a really good job of the mound all year,” says third-year OCU head coach Andy Lasher. “We threw a lot of strikes.”
The staff was bolstered by sophomore right-handers Gehrig Tenhumberg, Christian Burgrabe, Ben Simmons, Hunter Callahan, Owen Spears, Milan van der Breggen and freshman lefty Evan Price.
Tenhumberg (Evansville Reitz Class of 2019) made 16 mound appearances (14 starts) and went 7-3 with 4.54 earned run average, 68 strikeouts and 18 walks, 83 1/3 innings.
Burgrabe (Marion, Ill.) made 18 appearances (11 starts) and was 5-5 with one save, a 4.50 ERA, 36 strikeouts and nine walks in 64 innings.
Simmons (Evansville Harrison Class of 2021) was in 15 games (all starts) and went 4-8 with a 4.72, 56 strikeouts and 26 walks in 74 1/3 innings.
Callahan (Cisne, Ill.) made 16 appearances (10 in relief) and went 4-1 with a 3.58 ERA, 37 strikeouts and 18 walks in 37 2/3 innings.
Spears (North Posey Class of 2021) was in 20 contests (17 in relief) and went 4-0 with a 3.91 ERA, 47 strikeouts and 14 walks in 48 1/3 innings.
van der Breggen (Netherlands) made 13 appearances (all in relief) and went 3-0 with a 5.40, 10 strikeouts and three walks in 25 innings.
Price (Rossville Class of 2021) was in 17 games (all in relief) and went 3-0 with five saves, a 3.00 ERA, 24 K’s and seven free passes in 21 innings.
“We had an entirely new infield from last year,” says Lasher, who had senior Jared Kirkman at third base, sophomore Xander Willis at shortstop, junior Sam Pinckert at second base and senior Treven Madden at first base in 2023. “There was new faces. We were athletic. We were able to score runs without having to hit the ball over the wall every inning.”
The Mighty Oaks stole 100 bases in 117 attempts.
“We had some guys step up and play really well for us down the stretch,” says Lasher, whose club qualified for the River States Conference tournament and then turned attention to the National Christian College Athletic Association tourney.
Oakland City went 3-1 in winning the NCCAA Mideast Regional in Wilmore, Ky. The ’23 season came to a close Monday, May 22 at the NCCAA World Series in Kansas City, Mo.
Pinckert (Heritage Hills Class of 2018) hit .337 (70-of-208) with seven home runs, 38 runs batted in and 12 stolen bases.
Freshman right fielder Garrett Causey (Evansville Central Class of 2021) posted marks of .309-5-37 with 36 runs.
Junior left fielder Noah Baugher (Louisville, Ky.) went .302-1-33 with seven triples, 35 runs and 15 steals.
Senior outfielder Victor Alvarez (Venezuela) chipped in .302-1-13 with 21 runs and 15 steals.
Willis (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) produced a .289-7-45 line with 44 runs and 18 steals.
Junior center fielder and lead-off man Aron Busick (Paoli Class of 2020) went .285-2-19 with 39 runs and 10 steals.
Kirkman (Memphis, Tenn.) contributed .272-0-17 with 24 runs.
Freshman catcher Oliver Hamilton (Gibson Southern Class of 2022) hit .265-2-18.
Madden (Vincennes Lincoln Class of 2017) added .260-4-26 with 30 runs.
Junior designated hitter/first baseman Conner Oxley (Southridge Class of 2020) tossed .214-2-28 with 26 runs into the offensive mix.
There were a number of transfers on the 2023 Mighty Oaks.
“We had to get them from anywhere and everywhere,” says Lasher. “It’s hard to win right away when you’re only freshmen though we have some younger guys who do play.”
Alvarez came from Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Ill., and van der Breggen from Indian Hills Community College in Centerville, Iowa.
A private school with less than 1,000 students, OCU’s recruiting base is generally southern Indiana, southern Illinois and western Kentucky.
A 2009 graduate of Castle High School (Newburgh, Ind.) who played at Olney (Ill.) Central College and the University of Evansville, Lasher was an assistant at Olney Central, Eastern Illinois University and the University of Southern Indiana (Evansville) as well as manager of the summer wood-bat Dubois County Bombers at League Stadium in Huntingburg, Ind., before taking over at Oakland City.
Lasher, 32, took over the program in April 2020 as T-Ray Fletcher ended his 26-year run as head coach and became athletic director and the team went from NCAA D-II to NAIA.
The 2020 season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic and that contributed to Lasher inheriting a roster of 18 players.
True seniors Kirkman and Madden have used up their eligibility, but most of the teams is expected back in 2023-24.
With renovations to Oakland City’s baseball stadium (formerly Pinnick Field), the Mighty Oaks played and practiced most of this spring at League Stadium, working around the needs of the Gene Mattingly-coached Southridge Raiders.
Groundbreaking for Mathew and Lindsey Konkler Stadium took place in November 2022. When completed, the facility will have turf infield with dugouts, backstop, press box, lights, scoreboard and outfield fence.
“We should be able to practice on it in the fall,” says Lasher.
His 2023 coaching staff included second-year assistants Joey Drury, Jack Murphy and first-time coach Ben Wilcoxson.
Drury (Center Grove Class of 2016) played for Lasher at Olney Central and then Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Mich.).
Murphy is from the Chicago area and played at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and was an assistant at Lake Land College in Mattoon, Ill., before coming to Oakland City.
Lexington, Ky., native Wilcoxson played at Kentucky Wesleyan University in Owensboro, Ky., and for Lasher’s Bombers. He was with OCU from August to May before going to play in the United Shore Professional Baseball League in Utica, Mich.

Oakland City (Ind.) University’s 2023 National Christian College Athletic Association Mideast Regional baseball champions. (Oakland City U. Photo)

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Kahre’s baseball journey takes him to Southern Indiana

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

Evan Kahre is coming to the close of a college baseball journey that has led to hundreds of relationships.
A senior outfielder at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Kahre has graduated with a Finance degree and is exploring his future options.
“I don’t have anything set in stone yet,” says Kahre, who turned 24 in April. “But I have a lot of things I want to try to do. I know I have a lot of different opportunities. The great thing about playing baseball and going to three different (colleges) and playing summer ball I know I have 300-500 guys that could call me at anytime to offer me a job or an opportunity to work anywhere or do anything.”
Kahre (pronounced Car-EE) was born in Evansville, grew up on the north side of town and graduated from Evansville Central High School in 2017. He has spent two years each at Olney (Ill.) Central College, the University of Evansville and USI.
He played in 65 games and hit .356 (67-of-188) with three home runs, three triples, 13 doubles, 31 runs batted in, 56 runs scored and 18 stolen bases for the OCC Blue Knights in 2018.
Kahre committed to Evansville in the fall of his sophomore year at Olney then had hand surgery after winter break. He got into just two games in 2019 and took a medical redshirt.
He appeared in 12 games at Evansville in 2020 — the season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic and got that year of eligibility back.
Kahre played in 19 games for the Purple Aces in 2021 and went 0-of-7 at the plate and opted to move on.
“I was very fortunate,” says Kahre. “Growing up in Evansville I knew a lot of guys around USI’s baseball team. Coach (Tracy) Archuleta was one of the first people to call me after I entered the Transfer Portal.
“I just love him as a person and as a coach as well. He’s very personable and easy to talk to.”
Archuleta, who has led the Screaming Eagles program since the 2007 season, has shown the ability to get the most out of players.
“When it comes down to it, if you mess up in a game he’s going to hold you accountable, which is good,” says Kahre. “He expects more out of every individual than they think they’re capable of and that’s how he’s created great teams and great players in the past.”
Southern Indiana went from NCAA Division II in 2022 to NCAA D-I in 2023.
“I already knew what we were getting into,” says Kahre, having been with a D-I program at Evansville. “I really wish a lot of other guys could have seen that.
“Baseball is so mental. It’s about the mindset and what you think of it. If we think we’re going to lose we probably don’t have a good chance to win. If we think we’re just as good as any team we have a really good chance to win.”
Many of the players on the 2022 USI roster made the transition in 2023.
“The guys we’re playing now aren’t any different than the ones we played in Division II,” says Kahre. “They put their shoes on the same way in the morning as we do.”
Kahre sees no skill gap between D-I and D-II position players. There might be a little with hitters and there tends to be more velocity coming from DI weekend starting pitchers.
USI is in the nine-team Ohio Valley Conference. The top eight makes the OVC tournament. The Screaming Eagles (15-36, 6-14) are currently in eighth ahead of Lindenwood.
A regular season-closing series at Tennessee Tech is May 18-20.
“We really need to get some wins this weekend,” says Kahre.
As an outfielder, Kahre works with assistant Seth LaRue as well as Archuleta.
Kahre, who is 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds and throws and hits right-handed, goes into the Tennessee Tech series hitting .304 (49-of-161) with two home runs, three triples, seven doubles, 21 runs batted in, 36 runs scored, 22 walks and 12 stolen bases. He has started in all 40 games in which he has played.
In 2022, he played in 43 contests (all starts) and hit .290 (40-of-138) with no homers, five triples, six doubles, 22 RBIs, 34 runs, 29 walks and eight stolen bases.
“I’ve always been able to run a little bit,” says Kahre. “The goal is to get into scoring position.”
Kahre is aware of pitchers throwing off-speed pitches. He studies his pick-off move and reads balls in the dirt.
During the season, Kahre was moved to the lead-off spot in the Southern Indiana batting order.
“I see it as a leadership role,” says Kahre. “I’m trying put together a good at-bat and get on-base to start us in a positive direction.”
The past two years, Kahre played in the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind.
“I had a great host family,” says Kahre, who stayed both years with Trevor and Abbey Hash.
He did not play summer ball in 2020 and was with the Dubois County Bombers in Huntingburg, Ind., in 2018 and 2019. Andy Lasher (who is now head coach at Oakland City University) was the manager the first year and Travis LaMar the second.
Kahre’s formal baseball start was in Cal Ripken. He played travel ball for Boonville/Indiana Gold and in his 17U summer the Indiana Outlaws (now known as the Canes Midwest) and the 18U Evansville Leathernecks (based out of the training facility then now as Extra Innings and now Complete Game).
Mike Goedde, a former USI head coach and two-time UE pitching coach, was Kahre’s head coach at Evansville Central.
“Playing in high school is where I learned a good amount more about how the game should be played,” says Kahre. “(Goedde) taught us how to do the little things right.”
Brett and Stacey Kahre have three sons — Evan, Dax and Ashton. Brett Kahre played football at Evansville Central and now works in engineering for Brake Supply in Evansville. Stacey Kahre played softball at Evansville Reitz and UE and owns Midwest Skin Institute, a dermatology business in Evansville.
Dax Kahre (Evansville Central Class of 2021) played baseball in high school and is now a USI student. Ashton Kahre played baseball and soccer and picked up lacrosse in high school. He is an Evansville Central senior.

Evan Kahre. (University of Southern Indiana Photo)

Evan Kahre. (University of Southern Indiana Photo)

Oakland City ‘mighty’ strong out of the gate

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

NAIA member Oakland City University is off to a 15-1 start to the 2023 baseball season.
The Andy Lasher-coached Mighty Oaks pushed their win streak to seven with four more this week.
Heritage Hills High School graduate Sam Pinckert (.357) and Evansville Central alum Garrett Causey (.351) lead OCU in hitting.
Right-handers Hunter Callahan (3-0), Vincennes Lincoln product Blake Mincey (2-0) and North Vermillion alum Luke Osborn (2-0) account for nearly half the pitching victories.
Another NAIA squad — Grace (8-3) — enjoyed a 3-1 week.
The Ryan Roth-coached Lancers are led offensively on the season by Sam Newkirk (.410), Grant Hartley (.345) and Bradyn McIntosh (.343). Three players have bashed three homers — Newkirk, Perry Meridian graduate John Joyce and Penn alum Jeff Pawlik.
Washington Township graduate and left-hander Steven Hernandez (2-1) paces the pitching staff in wins. Westview alum and right-hander Hunter Schumacher has three saves.
Jordan Wiersema (.472) and Cooper Tolson (.423) are hitting leaders for NAIA Bethel (7-5).
Logansport graduate Tucker Platt (.410) has the top average and Carmel alum Luke Barnes has popped five homers for NAIA Indiana University-Kokomo (7-7).
Homestead graduate Kaleb Kolpien is hitting .448 with three homers and Greenwood Community alum T.J. Bass (.328) has clubbed four homers for NAIA Taylor (7-7).
Hamilton Southeastern graduate Jacob Daftari has a pair of two-homer games in a four-game sweep for NAIA Indiana Tech (6-1). Brice Stultz went deep for the Warriors in another contest.
Mississinewa alum Tyler Jakob (.385) is the top hitter while right-handers Joey Butz (Heritage Christian) and Tyler Papenbrock (Leo) have two pitching victories each for NAIA Huntington (6-5).
Bryce Davenport (.429) has started seven games and Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter alum right-hander Damien Wallace has two wins for NAIA Marian (2-2).
Homestead graduate Jayden Lepper (.400) and David Miller (three homers) has played all 12 games and right-hander Blaine McRae (Fort Wayne South Side) has two wins for NAIA Saint Francis (5-7).
Sean Moore (.400) has played in all 12 games and right-hander Maxwell Everaert (Hebron) has two wins for NAIA Calumet of St. Joseph (4-7).
Trent Sillett (.417) has the best average, Jenner Rodammer has socked three homers and right-hander David Lopez has two victories for NAIA Goshen (4-7).
Greensburg alum Logan Smith (.429) is the top hitter, Brenden Bell has three homers and right-hander Robbie Berger (John Glenn) two saves for NAIA Indiana University South Bend (4-7).
Decatur Central graduate Brayden Hazelwood (.405) has played in all 11 games for Indiana University Southeast (3-8).
Tri-West Hendricks alum Lucas Goodin (.422) has 11 starts and Mooresville graduate Nick Wiley three homers for NAIA Indiana Wesleyan (3-7-1).
NCAA D-II University of Indianapolis (6-0) produced another three-game series sweep.
Top hitters for the Al Ready-coached Greyhounds so far are Brandon DeWitt (.500), Drew Donaldson (.462), Union County alum Denton Shepler (.444), Lewis Cass graduate Easton Good (.435) and Lawrence North alum Caleb Vaughn (.429). Three of four hits for Brady Ware are home runs.
Left-hander DeWitt (2-0) and right-hander Logan Peterson are UIndy victory leaders.
NCAA D-III Rose-Hulman knocked off No. 3-ranked LaGrange (Ga.) 6-3 Sunday.
The first four hitters in the lineup for the Adam Rosen-coached Fightin’ Engineers — Terre Haute South Vigo graduate Kade Kline, Colter Coulliard-Rodak, Dalton Busboom and Andy Krajecki — scored a run.
Warsaw alum Liam Patton (.435) is off to a hot offensive start and right-hander Derek Haslett (Indianapolis Cathedral) is 2-0 for D-III Wabash (4-2).
Trine (3-0) got four runs batted in each from Cory Erbskorn and Bedford North Lawrence graduate Dalton Nikirk during a season-opening series sweep for the Greg Perschke-coached Thunder.
Among the state’s 10 NCAA D-I programs, Purdue and Southern Indiana are off to the best starts.
Both the Boilermakers and Screaming Eagles are 5-3. Purdue just split four games with New Jersey Institute of Technology. Southern Indiana took two of three against Bellarmine.
Couper Cornblum (.375), Jake Jarvis (.375) and Evan Albrecht (.346) are leading hitters for Purdue. Paul Toetz has a team-leading three homers. Right-hander Aaron Suval is 2-0 with one save and a 1.23 ERA.
Ricardo Van Grieken has started all eight games for USI and is hitting .429. Tucker Ebest has slugged a team-best three homers. On the mound, righty and Jeffersonville alum Gavin Seebold is 1-0 with a 1.08 earned run average.
Right-hander Luke Sinnard picked up the win Sunday as Indiana (3-4) won 4-2 at Texas. The 6-foot-8 Sinnard is 2-0.
Among other D-I leaders in homers, South Central (Union Mills) graduate Kyle Schmack of Valparaiso (4-2) and Ryan Peltier of Ball State (4-4) have four, Joey Urban of Butler (2-5), Linton-Stockton alum Kip Fougerousse of Evansville (2-5) and Valpo’s Nolan Tucker, a Hanover Central graduate, have three.
In junior college ball, Shakamak alum Ethan Burdette (.441) is the leading hitter for Vincennes (4-8).

INDIANA COLLEGE BASEBALL
Records Through Feb. 26
NCAA D-I
Purdue 5-3 (0-0 Big Ten)
Southern Indiana 5-3 (0-0 OVC)
Valparaiso 4-2 (0-0 MVC)
Ball State 4-4 (0-0 MAC)
Notre Dame 3-3 (0-0 ACC)
Indiana 3-4 (0-0 Big Ten)
Butler 2-5 (0-0 Big East)
Evansville 2-5 (0-0 MVC)
Indiana State 2-5 (0-0 MVC)
Purdue Fort Wayne 1-7 (0-0 Horizon)

NCAA D-II
Indianapolis 6-0 (0-0 GLVC)
Purdue Northwest 1-3 (0-0 GLIAC)

NCAA D-III
Wabash 4-2 (0-0 NCAC)
Earlham 3-0 (0-0 HCAC)
Trine 3-0 (0-0 MIAA)
Franklin 2-0 (0-0 HCAC)
DePauw 2-3 (0-0 NCAC)
Manchester 1-1 (0-0 HCAC)
Rose-Hulman 1-2 (0-0 HCAC)
Anderson 0-3 (0-0 HCAC)
Hanover 0-3 (0-0 HCAC)

NAIA
Oakland City 15-1 (0-0 RSC)
Grace 8-3 (0-0 CL)
Bethel 7-5 (0-0 CL)
IU-Kokomo 7-7 (0-0 RSC)
Taylor 7-7 (0-0 CL)
Indiana Tech 6-1 (0-0 WHAC)
Huntington 6-5 (0-0 CL)
Marian 6-6 (0-0 CL)
Saint Francis 5-7 (0-0 CL)
Calumet of Saint Joseph 4-7 (0-0 CCAC)
Goshen 4-7 (0-0 CL)
IU South Bend 4-11 (0-0 CCAC)
IU Southeast 3-8 (0-0 RSC)
Indiana Wesleyan 3-7-1 (0-0 CL)
IUPU-Columbus 1-11

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

Through Feb. 26
NCAA D-I
Tuesday, Feb. 21
Kentucky 6, Evansville 3
Indiana 13, Miami (Ohio) 5
Indiana State 8, Florida Gulf Coast 7
Lipscomb 6, Southern Indiana 4

Wednesday, Feb. 22
Miami (Fla.) 9, Indiana State 3

Friday, Feb. 24
Ball State 9, Merrimack 0
Campbell 9, Butler 4
Eastern Michigan 5, Evansville 2
Texas 4, Indiana 2
Notre Dame 6, UNC-Greensboro 5
Purdue 6, New Jersey Institute of Technology 5
New Jersey Institute of Technology 5, Purdue 1
Bethune-Cookman 13, Purdue Fort Wayne 8
Bellarmine 4, Southern Indiana 2
Valparaiso 10, Tennessee-Martin 2

Saturday, Feb. 25
Ball State 5, Rutgers 4
Bucknell 7, Ball State 2
Campbell 25, Butler 6
Evansville 9, Eastern Michigan 7
Texas 5, Indiana 2
Northeastern 9, Indiana State 5
Northeastern 15, Indiana State 10
UNC-Greensboro 12, Notre Dame 0
Purdue 7, New Jersey Institute of Technology 4
Bethune-Cookman 9, Purdue Fort Wayne 5
Bethune-Cookman 7, Purdue Fort Wayne 4
Southern Indiana 6, Bellarmine 3
Valparaiso 5, Tennessee-Martin 4 (10 inn.)

Sunday, Feb. 26
Ball State 6, Canisius 1
Campbell 10, Butler 9
Evansville 5, Eastern Michigan 3
Indiana 4, Texas 2
Northeastern 8, Indiana State 7 (11 inn.)
Notre Dame 7, UNC-Greensboro 4
New Jersey Institute of Technology 7, Purdue 5
Bethune-Cookman 10, Purdue Fort Wayne 0
Southern Indiana 18, Bellarmine 5
Valparaiso 17, Tennessee-Martin 4

NCAA D-II
Saturday, Feb. 25
Indianapolis 4, Grand Valley State 2
Indianapolis 10, Grand Valley State 8
Northwood 4, Purdue Northwest 3
Northwood 9, Purdue Northwest 8

Sunday, Feb. 26
Indianapolis 7, Grand Valley State 4
Purdue Northwest 6, Northwood 4
Northwood 13, Purdue Northwest 2

NCAA D-III
Friday, Feb. 24
Webster 16, DePauw 5
Earlham 12, Olivet 10
Maryville 16, Hanover 5

Saturday, Feb. 25
Trine 8, Anderson 5
Trine 8, Anderson 2
Spalding 4, DePauw 3
Earlham 11, Olivet 9
Earlham 9, Olivet 3
Manchester 12, York (Pa.) 5
LaGrange 20, Rose-Hulman 3
LaGrange 14, Rose-Hulman 2
Wabash 14, Albion 2
Hope 12, Wabash 5

Sunday, Feb. 26
Trine 7, Anderson 4
DePauw 4, Wilmington 2
Franklin 3, Saint Mary’s (Minn.) 2
Franklin 1, Saint Mary’s (Minn.) 0
Maryville 4, Hanover 3
Maryville 16, Hanover 12
York (Pa.) 3, Manchester
Rose-Hulman 6, LaGrange 3
Heidelberg 6, Wabash 2

NAIA
Thursday, Feb. 23
Bethel 16, Toccoa Falls 14
Grace 9, Trinity Christian 7
Trinity Christian 15, Grace 7
Oakland City 13, IUPU-Columbus 2
Oakland City 11, IUPU-Columbus 1
Taylor 20, Olivet Nazarene 5 (7 inn.)
Taylor 13, Olivet Nazarene 1

Friday, Feb. 24
Toccoa Falls 8, Bethel 7
Toccoa Falls 9, Bethel 7
Calumet of St. Joseph 7, Hannibal-LaGrange 0
Calumet of St. Joseph 9, Hannibal-LaGrange 0
IU Southeast 5, Huntington 1
IU Southeast 8, Huntington 7
Oakland City 11, IUPU-Columbus 4
Oakland City 5, IUPU-Columbus 3
Georgia Gwinnett 6, IU South Bend 3
Georgia Gwinnett 8, IU South Bend 4
Faulkner 8, Indiana Wesleyan 7
Faulkner 7, Indiana Wesleyan 1

Saturday, Feb. 25
Hannibal-LaGrange 6, Calumet of St. Joseph 5
Calumet of St. Joseph 7, Hannibal-LaGrange 6
Goshen 7, Brescia 0
Brescia 3, Goshen 2
Grace 6, Trinity Christian 3
Grace 11, Trinity Christian 5
Northwest Ohio 4, Huntington 1
Northwest Ohio 3, Huntington 2
IU-Kokomo 6, Saint Francis (Ind.) 2
Saint Francis (Ind.) 4, Madonna 2
Madonna 4, IU-Kokomo 2
Georgia Gwinnett 10, IU South Bend 5
Georgia Gwinnett 10, IU South Bend 2
Indiana Tech 12, Saint Ambrose 8
Indiana Tech 7, Saint Ambrose 3
Faulkner 10, Indiana Wesleyan 4
Concordia (Mich.) 9, Marian 6
Concordia (Mich.) 9, Marian 7
Taylor 6, Olivet Nazarene 5
Olivet Nazarene 4, Taylor 3

Sunday, Feb. 26
Goshen 6, Brescia 4
Goshen 7, Brescia 5
Madonna 10, IU-Kokomo 4
Saint Francis (Ind.) 14, Madonna 2
IU-Kokomo 7, Saint Francis (Ind.) 5
IUPU-Columbus at Cincinnati-Clermont
Northwestern Ohio 8, IU Southeast 7
IU Southeast 7, Northwestern Ohio 2
Indiana Tech 7, Saint Ambrose 2
Indiana Tech 4, Saint Ambrose 2
Marian 12, Concordia (Mich.) 6

Junior College
Tuesday, Feb. 21
Wabash Valley 8, Vincennes 2

Friday, Feb. 24
Olney Central 9, Vincennes 5

Saturday, Feb. 25
Morton 12, Vincennes 9
Joliet 12, Vincennes 9

Sunday, Feb. 26
Vincennes 12, Morton 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

Gries cherishes memories of coaching at Evansville Central, Tri-State Hot Stove League

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

Paul Gries has been a very active member of the Evansville, Ind., athletic community.
The Pocket City native taught for 34 years in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation — 10 at Plaza Park (K-8) and the rest at Central High School. His main subjects were Physical Education and Health.
Whatever the season, Gries was organizing and coaching youngsters in flag football, softball, baseball, soccer, basketball and more.
In 1978, he accepted an invitation to join John Wessel’s Central boys basketball coaching staff.
In 1980, he was asked to be a Bears baseball assistant.
“We hardly had a program at all,” says Gries, who took over as head coach in 1981 and began working in earnest on Central’s field.
“If you want to call it a field,” says Gries. “It was nothing. But I had dreams of what I wanted the baseball field to look like.”
With the help of players, coaches and parents, a diamond which was named in honor of Gries in 2016 (Paul Gries Field was dedicated in 2017 a few days after Gries underwent heart surgery) was steadily-crafted.
Gries, 79, was head baseball coach at Central for 21 seasons (1981-2001) before retiring at 58 and going into the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002.
His teams went 408-196 and earned the first seven sectional titles in program history (1981, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1996, 1997 and 1998) plus the first two regional championships (1981 and 1987) and only semistate crown (1987). Central lost 4-1 to the LaPorte’s mythical national champions in the ’87 state championship game at Bush Stadium in Indianapolis.
Gries coached in the IHSBCA North/South All-Star Series in 1987 and was named National Coach of the Year in 2000.
“I had some good players (including 1985 graduate and future big league pitcher Andy Benes) and tied to get the most out of every player,” says Gries. “I was spending 14-hour days at Central High School. I was putting every ounce into it.
“It just wore me out.”
It was in 1987 that Gries was approached by longtime professional baseball man and Evansville resident “Singing” Ed Nottle, who had a daughter who was taught by Gries.
Nottle wanted to help Gries and other coaches raise money for their programs.
“We had car washes, candy sales and whatever you can image, but we were making making peanuts until Ed came along,” says Gries, who gathered all the high school and college coaches in town at the EVSC office and what came from planning sessions was the Friends of Bosse Field “Night of Memories.”
What began as a group of former baseball professionals who wanted to ensure that the history of Bosse Field would not be forgotten while fundraising turned into the Tri-State Hot Stove League. Gries served with that organization for 31 years, including stints as vice president and president, and is still involved.
One of the first “Night of Memories” guests was National Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra. Gries flew to New Jersey to bring Yogi to town.
Over the years, Evansville native and Indiana Baseball Hall of Famer Don Mattingly aka “Donnie Baseball” was at the first special night and has only missed it on a few occasions.
Gries coached Taylor Mattingly (Don’s oldest son) at Central. When Don was playing for the New York Yankees, he would get in the batting cage take swings after winter workouts by the Bears.
“He’d say, ‘Paul, give me some situations.’ I’d, ‘man on third, tie game, one out in the eighth or ninth inning’ and Mattingly just hit those fly balls,” says Griese. “It was unbelievable how Mattingly prepared himself.”
The next Tri-State Hot Stove League “Night of Memories” is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023 at Meeks Family Fieldhouse in the Carson Center at the University of Evansville. A paid autograph session is slated from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Central Time followed by a chat and live/silent auction at 6.
Featured guests include Don Mattingly, Jamey Carroll, Jerad Eickhoff, Aaron Barrett, Colson Montgomery, Elijah Dunham, Cameron Decker, Wayne Hagin, Denny McLain, Darrell Evans and Graig Nettles.
“He’s unbelievable,” says Gries of emcee Hagin, who has been a play-by-play man for the Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. “People love listening to the stories.”
Among past guests: Mattingly, Carroll, Eickhoff, Barrett, Hagin, Gabby Allison, Rick Ankiel, Clint Barmes, Andy Benes, Yogi Berra, Raymond Berry, Lou Brock, Don Buse, Steve Carlton, Jack Clark, Roger Clemens, Danny Cox, Andre Dawson, Jim Edmonds, George Foster, Kyle Freeland, Steve Garvey, Bob Gibson, Goose Gossage, Mark Grace, Bob Griese, Kevin Hardy, Keith Hernandez, Whitey Herzog, Paul Hornung, Al Hrabosky, Andruw Jones, Tommy John, Jim Kiick, Harmon Killebrew, Lily King, Ray Lankford, Tony LaRussa, Johnny Latner, Larry Little, Gaylord Perry, Bobby Plump, Ozzie Smith, Bob Feller, Brooks Robinson, Scott Rolen, Enos Slaughter, Frank Robinson, Andy Van Slyke, Lee Smith and Brad Wilkerson.
“They come from all over when they know Don Mattingly is here,” says Gries. “They can get close to him. People in New York can’t do that.”
College/Pro Football Hall of Famer Griese (Rex Mundi High School Class of 1963 and Purdue University Class of 1967) has been to many “Night of Memories.”
“We do this for the kids,” says Gries, who notes that the a non-profit group has raised close to $2 million for youth athletics and youth-focused organizations in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky in three decades.
Gries says the event at its peak netted up to $90,000 in one day.
Some of the money has been given to Habitat for Humanity. Gries says Mattingly, Bob Griese, Brian Griese (Bob’s son who now coaches with the San Francisco 49ers), Calbert Cheaney (a 1989 Evansville Harrison High School graduate who played at Indiana University, the National Basketball Association and now coaches with the Indiana Pacers) and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan (who played at Evansville College and the NBA and was a longtime NBA coach) all
gave large sums to sponsor homes.
A 1961 graduate of Evansville Mater Dei High School, Gries’ prep baseball coach was Len Will (an Indiana Football Hall of Famer).
“He was the gentlest man that I know,” says Gries. “That was the example he shared with us (athletes).”
On the basketball court, Gries eclipsed the 40-point mark three times including a single-game record of 44. That was long before the 3-point arc was put in place. Mater Dei was led on the hardwood by Ed Schultheis in Gries’ freshman and sophomore years and Tom Gore in his junior and senior seasons.
Gries went to Indiana State College (now Indiana State University) for basketball and baseball during an era when freshmen were not allowed to play on the varsity.
The injury bug kept biting him on the hardwood. He suffered torn cartilage working out early in his freshman year then experienced ankle and groin ailments as a sophomore and decided not to stick with the Duane Klueh-coached Sycamores.
On the diamond, Gries earned three letters (1963-65, helping the Sycamores go a combined 37-24-2) playing for Paul Wolf (who wound up as a member of both the IHSBCA Hall of Fame and ISU Athletics Hall of Fame).
One of his fond memories is playing catch with future IHSBCA Hall of Famer Tommy John and having John feed the pitching machine for him during preseason workouts before the 1961 Terre Haute Gerstmeyer High School valedictorian reported to spring training.
Gries paced Indiana State in batting average, hits and runs as a junior in 1964 (.357, 25 and 20 ) and senior in 1965 (.413, 26 and 13). He hit .439 in conference games and was Indiana Collegiate Conference co-MVP with Ball State’s Merv Rettenmund (who went on to play 13 in the majors with the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres and California Angels and coached for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres twice, Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers).
“The great thing about Paul Wolf is that he was old school,” says Gries.
Wolf was a minor league middle infielder 1926-33, including time with the Indianapolis Indians in 1930-31. He was able to pass on wisdom to Gries, who was a switch-hitting shortstop at Indiana State and moved to second base in his second of two pro seasons in the Washington Senators organization (1965-66).
“Pee Wee” (he was 5-foot-9 and 157pounds) spent much of the 1965 Appalachian League season on the disabled list with a sprained ankle after a collision at home plate.
It was during the Vietnam War era and Gries left baseball to joined the U.S. Army Reserves and got married for the first time.
“I got to see the difference between high school and college and college and pro,” says Gries. “What a big step it is.”
Divorced in 1989, Gries was single for 14 years and has been married to Mary, a fellow Catholic who moved to Evansville from Auburn, Ind., for 19 years.
Gries has five children, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
“They are the joy of my life,” says Gries. “I’m going to spend as much time with my kids as I can.”

Paul Gries.

Paul Gries at the Tri-State Hot Stove League “Night of Memories.”

Saskatchewan native Komonosky leading catchers as Indiana State assistant

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

Ben Komonosky was a catcher at the NCAA Division I level and now he coaches them.
Plenty of times, he has been asked to “be a wall” behind the plate.
Komonosky, who played at the University of Evansville and is in his first year as a volunteer assistant at Indiana State University (also a member of the Missouri Valley Conference), says that’s the wrong mental picture.
The idea is to stop the flying object and keep it in front of you.
“Be a pillow,” says Komonosky. “Walls are bouncy and we don’t like that.
“It’s like being a goalie in hockey. You don’t want pucks bouncing off you.”
Ben is the son of Ward and Cindy Komonosky. Ward Komonosky played goaltender for the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Regina Blue Pats, Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders and Atlantic Coast Hockey League’s New York Slapshots.
Ward Komonosky won 30 games and Prince Albert took the Memorial Cup in 1985. New York was coached by Dave Schultz, who helped the “Broad Street Bullies” Philadelphia Flyers win the Stanley Cup in 1974 and 1975.
Besides leading drills for ISU catchers (receiving, blocking and throwing form various angles) for Sycamores head coach Mitch Hannahs, Ben Komonosky also coordinates camps. There was an instructional/showcase event in October and another is scheduled for January.
Komonosky, who turned 25 in September, says he has settled in to living in Terre Haute, Ind.
“There are a lot of friendly people,” says Komonosky, who is from Regina, Sask., where he played baseball, football, basketball and volleyball at Vauxhall High School in Alberta. He was with the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball as a senior in 2015.
He spent the fall semester at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas.
“It was not the right fit and I went back home (to Canada) for a bit,” says Komonosky. “That spring I took time off. I was falling out of love with baseball.
“But then I felt I was missing something in my life and started training again.”
The backstop landed at North Iowa Area Community College, where he played for Trojans head coach Travis Hergert in 2017 and 2018.
“It was a great two years there,” says Komonosky. “I needed time to grow into the player I needed to be. I was able to get stronger and better in every part of the game.”
Though North Iowa — based in Mason City — was not as hard-nosed a some junior college programs, Komonosky understands what it means to be a “JUCO Bandit.”
“The majority of (junior colleges) are blue collar with a bunch of grinders,” says Komonosky, who notes the emphasis on development. “Half of their job is sending guys on to the next level.”
Komonosky played in 111 games for NIACC in 2017 and 2018 and hit .282 with 11 home runs and 76 runs batted in.
Jake Mahon, then an Evansville assistant coach, saw Komonosky at a North Iowa scrimmage and invited him to visit to UE campus. He went on to play in 88 games (81 starts) for the Wes Carroll-coached Purple Aces from 2019 to 2021 and graduated with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a minor in Sports Management.
“I knew I wanted to stay around the game when my playing days were done,” says Komonosky, who spent the summer after graduating scouting for Perfect Game in Florida.
In 2021-22, Komonosky was on the Jimmy Brenneman-led coaching staff at Frontier Community College in Fairfield, Ill. The Bobcats are a National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association Division I program.
“I loved it there,” says Komonosky. “It was really good baseball. Junior college is a really good route for a lot of guys. There’s extra development.”
Komonosky specialized working with Frontier catchers while also assisting the hitters, recruiting, and strength and conditioning.
In the summer of 2022, Komonosky served as manager of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League’s Michigan Monarchs. The team, based in Adrian, Mich., won the North Division and advanced to the playoffs and Komonosky was selected as GLSCL Manager of the Year.
Komonosky played for the Western Canadian Baseball League’s Swift Current 57s in 2018 and the WCBL’s Regina Red Sox in 2019. He did not play in the COVID-19 summer of 2020.
He was recently named as Regina Red Sox manager for the summer of 2023. Komonosky has been an assistant coach at 2SK Performance and with the Inside Pitch Baseball Academy — both in Regina.
Ben’s family athletic roots in Indiana precede him. Grandfather Glenn Young, who went to Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Ill., played football at Purdue University and was a defensive back for the National Football League’s Green Bay Packers (1956).

Ben Komonosky. (Indiana State University Photo)

Southern Indiana making transition to NCAA Division I

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

The University of Southern Indiana in Evansville has decided to raise its profile and athletics plays a major part.
The Screaming Eagles have moved from NCAA Division II to Division I and begin competing at that level in 2022-23.
“We’re not a secret anymore,” says Tracy Archuleta, USI’s head baseball coach since the 2007 season. “Once we make that jump to Division I we want everyone to know about it. We want everyone to know how good our nursing program is and how great the Romain business school is and our engineering program along with the great tradition of successful athletics.
“We’re trying to make a big impact across the nation and not just in the tri-state (Indiana-Illinois-Kentucky) area.”
It means that the Pocket City now has two D-I schools — Southern Indiana and the University of Evansville.
Archuleta has spent his whole college baseball career in D-II as a player and a coach. He led Southern Indiana to DII national championships in 2010 and 2014.
But he knows that D-I is at the top of the scale.
“The excitement comes from being able to hold our teams against the best in the country,” says Archuleta.
Part of the transition means hiring the staff to help student-athletes while gradually increasing the number of scholarships.
“We want to hire guys who are familiar with Division I baseball and have had success with it,” says Archuleta.
His current staff includes Nick Gobert, Seth LaRue, volunteer Brice Stuteville and director of player development Deron Spink.
Gobert and Stuteville played at USI. LaRue is a 2011 graduate of Evansville Mater Dei High School who coached at Texas A&M Corpus Christi 2020-22. Spink is a former head coach at Bellarmine University in Louisville.
Southern Indiana is beginning a four-year probationary period. The Screaming Eagles will not be eligible for NCAA tournament play until 2026-27.
NCAA D-I allows for 11.7 baseball scholarships while D-II is capped at 9. USI typically had six to seven.
“Recruiting has a big impact in all sports,” says Archuleta. “You have to be able to sell the university and give the student-athlete an understanding of why USI is a great fit for them.
“The difference now in recruiting is that you see everyone out there working instead of a select few. When you call a kid they have six schools already on them.”
In looking at Southern Indiana’s current roster, Archuleta has a mix of junior college transfers and players right out of high school along with returnees.
Archuleta says the roster will have to be trimmed from 50 to 40 by the spring season.
“The biggest thing for our guys is that they have to be willing to meet the challenge,” says Archuleta. “Some guys will have to step it up a little bit.”
USI plays host to Kent State in a charity exhibition at 2 p.m. Central Time Saturday, Oct. 22.
“I’m excited about what’s ahead for us there,” says Archuleta. “We’ll see where we’re at.”
Formerly a part of the D-II Great Lakes Valley Conference, Southern Indiana now belongs to the Ohio Valley Conference (with Eastern Illinois University, Lindenwood University, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Morehead State University, Southeast Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University and University of Tennessee at Martin).
“There’s tradition there,” says Archuleta of the OVC. “In baseball, the conference is up-and-coming.
“With us, there’s the proximity of all the schools. It’s going to be neat for USI to build up rivals. Fans will be able to travel to road games.”
All but Tennessee Tech (205), Morehead State (260) and Arkansas-Little Rock (409) are inside 200 miles from USI.
SEMO competed in the Louisville Regional in 2022.
D-II is allowed to play 50 games. In 2022, USI played 49 with 28 of those at home.
D-I allows 56 games. Archuleta says he expects the 2023 Screaming Eagles schedule to be released in mid-November.
“Two of our first four weekends are at home (against Oakland and Bellarmine),” says Archuleta. “We have some midweek games at home.
“I think we only have two non-Division I opponents on our schedule.”
USI Baseball Field became the permanent home of the Screaming Eagles in 1974.
The on-campus facility is tree-lined and has lights and seating for about 1,200 with a concession stand, picnic area, press box and restrooms.
There’s also a four-camera replay system — something many D-I school do not possess.
Dimensions are 355 feet down the lines, 375 in the power alleys and 380 to dead center field.
“Our facilities are unbelievable,” says Archuleta. “We have great people who work on it.”
Archuleta can see upgrades coming in the next five-plus years.
“We have a little bit of work to do, but we’re not far away,” says Archuleta.

(University of Southern Indiana Image)

Rookie teacher/coach Hunt tabbed to lead Whiting baseball

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

Jacob Hunt was born and raised in Whiting, Ind.
The 24-year-old is now a first-year baseball coach and teacher at Whiting Junior/Senior High School.
“I wasn’t to give back to the community and keep the baseball tradition going,” says Hunt.
He was approved as head coach of the Oilers program the second week of the 2022-23 school year.
Hunt, a 2016 graduate of George Rogers Clark Junior/Senior High School in Whiting who teaches Physical Education and Health at WJSHS, has met a few players. Most are on the Oiler football team. He expects to see the rest in the winter.
Multi-sport athletes are the norm at Whiting (enrollment around 450), which is a member of the Greater South Shore Conference (with Calumet New Tech, Griffith, Hammond Bishop Noll, Hanover Central, Illiana Christian, Lake Station Edison, River Forest and Wheeler).
The Oilers were part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping in 2022 with Bowman Leadership Academy, Hammond Bishop Noll, Illiana Christian, Lake Station Edison and Wheeler. Whiting has won four sectional titles — the last in 2019.
Hunt wants to instill a “winning culture” for Whiting baseball.
“I want to get as many kids into college as a I can and make sure everyone is a hard worker,” says Hunt. “We want no laziness and for them to get good grades.”
Hunt says he plans to put an emphasis on conditioning with plenty of running, agility work and weightlifting.
Good friend Amir Wright, who played at Ball State University in the spring and with the Frederick (Md.) Keys of the MLB Draft League this summer, has offered to help Hunt with strength and conditioning training.
Playing in a big ballpark like Oil City Stadium, Hunt wants players to be able to turn balls into the gap into triples and for outfielders to track down those balls hit by the opposition.
Speed and cunning on the base paths can also help fuel the offense.
“If we can lead the state of Indiana in steals we’ll do it,” says Hunt. “As hitters, we want to stay inside the ball. The body is all connected together.”
And another thing.
“We want to have fun,” says Hunt. “Enjoy yourself while you’re out here.”
Hunt has asked best friend Zach Bucsko and father Jamie Hunt to be his assistant coaches. Bucsko is a 2016 Clark graduate who pitched at Glen Oaks Community College (Centerville, Mich.).
Jacob’s mother is Christine Mickles. He has two older brothers — 37-year-old twins Buddy and Jesse Hunt.
Lakeshore Cal Ripken Babe Ruth Baseball/Softball League in Hammond is where Hunt played his first ball.
He played four years at Clark, first seeing some time on varsity as a sophomore. Jason Ochall was the Pioneers head coach.
Ochall’s message: “Be yourself.”
“I remember how he cared for all of us,” says Hunt. “He trusted all of us older guys.”
Hunt also played travel baseball for the Northwest Indiana Pirates in 2016 and Chicago-based Satchel Paige in 2017.
He was on the Brian Nowakowski-coached baseball team at Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting through 2021. In the summer of 2019, he played for the Midwest Collegiate League’s Crestwood Panthers.
To explore his options, Hunt did a teaching internship through the University of Evansville in 2021-22.
“I wanted to get out of the area and get out of my comfort zone,” says Hunt. “I was willing to go anywhere to coach and teach in the state of Indiana.”
He wound up back home at Whiting.

Jacob Hunt (Calumet College of St. Joseph Photo)

Hug looks to do damage or do a job in each plate appearance

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

Chase Hug has a plan when he goes to the plate.
“My general offensive approach is try to find a ball where I can do some damage early in the count,” says Hug, who played his first season at the University of Evansville in 2022 after a year off for Tommy John (Ulnar Collateral Ligament) surgery and rehabilitation. “Late in the count, get the job done — advance or score a runner.”
Hug, a lefty-swinging first baseman/outfielder, was with the Jaxon Shirley managed-Turf Monsters in the 2022 College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., before joining the Northwoods League’s Wausau (Wis.) Woodchucks.
In his first 14 Northwoods League games, Hug is hitting a robust .373 (19-of-51) with six home runs (including three circuit clouts Tuesday, July 26 at Madison), 17 walks (vs. seven strikeouts), 20 runs batted in, 18 runs scored and a 1.353 OPS (.529 on-base percentage plus .824 slugging average).
“I try to make sure everything feels right with my swing — day in and day out,” says Hug, a 6-foot, 190-pounder.
A 2018 graduate of Pike High School in Indianapolis, Hug hit .484 with 12 homers and 46 RBIs as a senior for the Todd Webster-coached Red Devils.
“He was a good guy,” says Hug of Webster.
At Dennis Conley-coached Olney (Ill.) Central College, Hug played in 37 games and hit .358 with 17 extra-base hits (five homers), 35 RBIs and 30 runs for the 2019 Blue Knights. He also made five mound starts and went 2-1 with a 2.63 earned run average and 28 strikeouts in 24 innings.
In the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, Hug hit .516 in 31 at-bats with nine extra-base hits (two homers), 20 RBIs and 10 runs as Olney Central went 14-1.
After transferring to Evansville in the fall of 2020, Purple Aces coaches advised him to get checked out when his mound velocity began to dip. Hug learned in December 2020 that he needed Tommy John and had the procedure done Jan. 12, 2021.
Hug missed the spring and summer seasons in 2021. His NCAA Division I debut came Feb. 19, 2022 at North Carolina State. He went on to play in 47 games (40 starts) and hit .238 (36-of-151) with 11 homers, 39 RBIs, 32 runs and a .906 OPS (.396/.510).
“Everybody is truly a brother with one another,” says Hug of the culture fostered by Purple Aces head coach Wes Carroll.
This past spring, Evansville went 32-24 and scored 7.2 runs per game.
“It was pretty fun to watch and be a part of,” says Hug.
Having experienced both junior college and D-I baseball, Hug has witnessed differences.
“JUCO is a harder grind,” says Hug, 22. “At Evansville, we ride charter busses and have our own bed in hotel rooms. Per diem is $15 and we have trainers travel with us.”
Junior college travel was done in vans. Hotels weren’t all that comfortable, per diem was much lower and no trainers made these treks. Then hitters had to face pitchers throwing near triple digits. Olney Central is in National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Region 24 with teams like John A. Logan, Lincoln Trail and Wabash Valley.
Hug, who has two years of eligibility remaining, is an Exercise Science major at UE.
“The last few years I’ve gotten really big into (weightlifting) to help me get better as an athlete,” says Hug. “In this major I’ve been able to learn a lot.”
While job-shadowing college athletic trainers and personal trainers, he’s been able to see what it means to train for bodybuilding vs. the regular athlete.
Older brother Logan Hug is a personal trainer in Atlanta. The 2011 Pike graduate played four years of collegiate baseball in Indiana — two at Ancilla College and two at Manchester University.
Chase, Logan and older sister Stephanie Hug (who manages a shoe store in Evansville) are the children of Jeff and Anne Hug. Jeff Hug manages a printing firm. Anne Hug is a nurse.
Born in Indianapolis, Chase Hug grew up in Pike Township. He played at Westlane-Delaware Trail Little League and then was in travel ball with the Indiana Mustangs from 10U to 17U.
The summer of 2018, he played for the Lebanon (Ind.) Merchants collegiate team.

Chase Hug (University of Evansville Photo)

Chase Hug (University of Evansville Photo)

Chase Hug (University of Evansville Photo)

Chase Hug (University of Evansville Image)

Chase Hug (Wausau Woodchucks Photo)

VanderWoude has second-year IHSAA member Illiana Christian in semistate

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

Illiana Christian was plenty successful on the baseball diamond when the high school was in Lansing, Ill.
As recently as 2004 — with Dave Beezhold as head coach — the Vikings qualified for the Illinois state tournament and went 27-8.
In 2018, Illiana Christian relocated from Lansing, where it was founded in 1945, to an incorporated area of Dyer, Ind. In 2020-21, it became a full Indiana High School Athletic Association member.
The 2022 Vikings won the program’s first IHSAA sectional and regional titles and are one win away from the State Finals.
In earning a date opposite No. 3-ranked Wapahani (24-4) in the 2A Kokomo Semistate at noon Central Time Saturday, June 11, Illiana Christian won the Whiting Sectional (Bowman Academy 19-0, Hammond Bishop Noll 3-1 and Wheeler 16-4) and Whiting Regional (Winamac 11-1 and Eastside 7-0).
Alum and former Beezhold assistant Jeff VanderWoude’s first year leading the Vikings was 2019-20 — the season taken away by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Illiana Christian went 19-6 and lost 2-1 to Wheeler in the 2A Whiting Sectional championship game.
VanderWoude sees the closeness of the players and a willingness to put others before themselves has been a formula for success.
“We’ve been getting them to buy in and loving each other,” says VanderWoude. “We don’t have a ‘me’ person.
“We are controlling the controllable.
“They play as one really well. In the game against Eastside, we were competing one pitch at a time.”
Emphasizing the mental side, VanderWoude has seen his players adjust when there is a temporary lack of focus.
Illiana Christian (enrollment around 480) joined the Greater South Shore Conference (with baseball members Calumet New Tech, Griffith, Bishop Noll, Hanover Central, Lake Station Edison, River Forest, Wheeler and Whiting) in 2021.
With the addition of the Vikings, the conference is broken into divisions with teams playing two games with their division and one against squads in the other division. Illiana Christian is paired with Griffith, Hammond Bishop Noll and Hanover Central. The 2022 Vikings went 8-3 in the GSSC, finishing behind Hanover Central (10-1) and tying Griffith (8-3).
Through 24 games, Illiana Christian was led offensively by junior pitcher Kevin Corcoran (.468 average, four home runs, 34 runs batted in, 11 stolen bases), senior center fielder Ivan VanBeek (.421, 18 RBI, 22 SB), senior second baseman Levi Hescott (.368), senior left fielder Tyler Barker (.339, 27 RBI), the coach’s son — sophomore shortstop Isaac VanderWoude (.333, 15 RBI, 19 SB) and junior first baseman Cody DeJong (.329, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 11 SB).
The bulk of the pitching has been handled by left-hander Corcoran (3-1, 2.29 earned run average, 64 strikeouts and 13 walks 39 2/3 innings), right-hander VanBeek (2-2, 1.58, 44 K’s, four walks, 31 IP) and senior lefty Austin Maslanka (3-0, 2.10, 34 K’s, 10 walks, 20 IP).
Assistant coaches are Shane Zegarac, Dale Meyer, Kevin Corcoran, Caleb Jonkman, Greg Gierling and Bo Hofstra.
“We are where we are because of those guys,” says VanderWoude. “They are salt of the earth people.”
Zegarac pitched for Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind., Eastern Kentucky University and in the Texas Rangers system plus independent ball.
Corcoran is a graduate of Lake Central High School in St. John, Ind. Illiana Christian alum Meyer played at Southern Illinois University. Hofstra pitched for Illiana Christian and Purdue University. Jonkman, who has been National Wiffle@Ball Player of the Year more than once, and Gierling are also IC grads.

Others with Illiana Christian connections are grad Fletcher Bandstra at Calvin College (Grand Rapids), Carter Doorn (from IC to Lake Central to Purdue University) and former Vikings player D.J. Gladney (Chicago White Sox organization).
The Vikings have on-campus diamond which is tended to by coaches and Dave Vermuelen (the father of former player Chris Vermuelen).
“It’s a nice field,” says VanderWoude. “In Illinois, we used limestone. We have a fairway mower and put designs in the field. It gets constant water and treatment.
“We’re taking pride in what we have.”
After graduating from Illiana Christian in 1997, outfielder Jeff VanderWoude played for Cobras head coach Rod Lovett at Parkland College in Champaign, Ill., and then for Tigers head coach Beauford Sanders at Campellsville (Ky.) University.
VanderWoude was on the Parkland coaching staff of Dave Seifert, who went on to be an assistant then head coach at the University of Evansville. As a Philadelphia Phillies regional cross-checker, he had VanderWoude working for him for about a decade.
VanderWoude, runs Perm-A-Seal — an asphalt maintenance business in Lynwood, Ill. — with father Keith. Jeff and wife Jori have four children. Besides Isaac (16), there’s Lydia (15), Mya (13) and Hayvn (9). Lydia VanderWoude played varsity softball as an Illiana Christian freshman in 2022. Mya VanderWoude is heading into the eighth grade and Havyn VanderWoude fourth grade.

The 2022 Illiana Christian Vikings earned sectional and regional titles at Whiting and are bound for the IHSAA Class 2A Kokomo Semistate.

Cody DeJong.

The wife and children of Illiana Christian High School head baseball coach Jeff VandWoude are (from left): First row — Havyn VanderWoude. Second row — Mya VanderWoude, Jori VanderWoude and Lydia VanderWoude. Third row — Isaac VanderWoude.