Joe Burke is playing professional baseball in Michigan.
The 6-foot-4, 240 pound first baseman/outfielder developed his power game on both sides of the Ohio River.
Born and raised in Jeffersonville, Ind., and looking up to older cousin Chris Burke (who prepped in Louisville, shined at the University of Tennessee, played pro ball 2001-2010 including stints with the Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres and is now a broadcast analyst).
“It’s pretty cool having him as a cousin,” says Burke, who is 18 years younger than Chris. “I got to hit with him over winter breaks.
“I learned a few things hitting-wise from him. It was always cool to pick his brain.”
“I loved playing for him,” says Burke, who spent four years on varsity. “He’s an amazing coach and an even better human being.
“Be Uncommon — That was one of things he preached the most.”
Two of Derek’s sons — Drew Ellis (Class of 2014 and now in the Philadelphia Phillies organization) and Ian Ellis (Class of 2016) were on the Jeff Red Devils with Joe and older brother Josh Burke.
The youngest of of Kevin and Diane Burke’s four sons, Joe also played high school tennis and joined the Jeffersonville basketball team as a senior.
Sam Burke was a tennis and baseball in high school and played baseball at Bellarmine University and Indiana University Southeast.
Shane Burke played those two sports at Jeffersonville and tennis at IU Southeast.
Josh Burke played tennis, baseball and some basketball as a prepster then baseball at Danville (Ill.) Area Community College.
Kevin Burke is a Business Development Officer at First Harrison Bank in Jeffersonville. Diane Burke is a nurse at Clark Memorial Hospital in Jeffersonville.
After high school, Joe Burke went on to put up big numbers in Owensboro, Ky., at NCAA Division II Kentucky Wesleyan College (2017-21). Todd Lillpop has guided the Panthers program for 23 seasons.
“He’s one of the best coaches in the state of Kentucky,” says Burke. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s always there for you when you need advice.”
Lillpop makes it a point to stay connect to his players after they depart KWC.
“He’s just a part of the family,” says Burke. “I owe that guy a lot because he took a chance on me.
“I’ll never forget that.”
Andrew Kirkland was a teammate and then Kentucky Wesleyan’s hitting coach in Burke’s final two seasons at the school.
“I learned quite a bit from him just playing with him,” says Burke of the former third baseman.
In 193 games at KWC, Burke hit .329 (218-of-662) with 52 homers (a school and Great Midwest Athletic Conference record), three triples, 44 doubles, 192 RBIs (a school and GMAC record), 159 runs and 1.082 OPS (.441 on-base percentage plus .541 slugging average).
Especially potent in 2018, Burke hit .370, 23 homers, one triple, 11 doubles, 65 RBIs, 55 runs in 53 games played that season.
“It’s been pretty amazing,” says Burke, who turned 25 in April. “I get a chance to play every other day. I’m trying to make the most of my opportunity here.
“I have a great host family that allowed me to come back this year.”
Through games of June 28, USPBL infield all-star Burke was hitting .304 (14-of-46) with one home runs and was among the league leaders in runs batted in with 10.
“I’m always hunting fastball every at-bat no matter what,” says Burke of his plan of attack in the batter’s box. “I love middle-in. If it’s early in the count I spit on anything middle/away.
My offensive approach has always been same all through college and pro ball: Hit my pitch, don’t try to chase (a ball out of the strike zone), square it up and hit it hard somewhere. All I’m trying to do is make hard, solid contact.”
Home run hitter is not a label Burke places on himself.
“I think of myself as power guy,” says Burke. “I try to hit the ball as hard as I can. If it goes it goes.
“I just try to hit hard line drives.”
At first base, Burke just wants to keep the ball in front of him and uses his chest to do that if necessary.
The hardest job besides catching is when you have to scoop a ball out of the dirt and make your other defenders look good,” says Burke.
While the hops are truer on turf, Burke says he prefers playing on grass and dirt. That is what he gets in Utica.
The USPBL is slated to end its regular season Sept. 2 with the championship series Sept. 7-9.
Joe Burke. (United Shore Professional Baseball League Photo)
Joe Burke. (United Shore Professional Baseball League Photo)
Joe Burke. (Kentucky Wesleyan College Photo)
Joe Burke. (Kentucky Wesleyan College Photo)
Joe Burke. (United Shore Professional Baseball League Photo)
Joe Burke. (United Shore Professional Baseball League Photo)
Joe Burke. (United Shore Professional Baseball League Photo)
Cut from the varsity his junior year in Lake Central High School in St. John, Ind., he put in the work to succeed on the baseball field.
Hilbrich (pronounced Hill-Brick) played parts of five seasons at Purdue Northwest in Hammond, Ind., where he was decorated while starting 170 games for the Pride (2019-23).
Swinging from the left side of the plate, Hilbrich hit .381 (61-of-160) with seven home runs, one triple, 14 doubles, 29 runs batted in and 35 runs scored in 45 games (all starts).
In five seasons (2020 was shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic and an extra year of eligibility was granted), he hit .358 (221-of-617) with 12 homers, seven triples, 39 doubles, 91 RBIs, 126 runs, 90 walks (five intentional), 17 hit by pitches and a .449 OBP in 171 games — all PNW career school records.
Hilbrich, who turned 23 in January, has the top three single-season batting averages (381 in 2023, .373 in 2022 and .362 in 2019), top three hit totals (61 in 2023, 59 in 2019 and 57 in 2022) and top two on-base averages at .482 (2023) and .479 (2022).
He also holds single-season marks for doubles (14 in 2023), slugging percentage (.613 in 2023), total bases (98 in 2023) and at-bats (163 in 2019) and is tied in homers (7 in 2023) and sacrifice flies (4 in 2019).
In the single-game records, he is first in at-bats (6 in 2023) and tied for first in homers (2 in 2023), hit by pitch (2 in 2023) and doubles (3 in 2023).
Hilbrich, a 6-foot, 190-pounder, has overcome to make himself a productive hitter.
“One of the major things I sort of struggled with in high school and the early years in college was the fear of getting out,” says Hilbrich. “I mastered mental capacity in the box to keep it simple — see-the-ball, hit-the-ball.
“I try to be on-time with the fastball. In pro ball the guys throw a little harder and they have way better off-speed (pitches).”
His defensive keys include getting a good read off the bat — something that’s easier when it’s coming off wood because of the sound — and staying in-position.
Dave Griffin is head coach at Purdue Northwest. Hilbrich first met him when he was very young and older brother Richard (who is now a lawyer in Cleveland) was taking lessons from Griffin.
Hilbrich uses terms like “old school” and “players’ coach” to describe the longtime coach/instructor.
“He leaves it up to you to know how to get better,” says Hilbrich. “It’s up to you to put in the work and the effort.
“I can’t thank him enough. I was walk-on at PNW. He gave me a shot my freshman year.”
When another player was off to a slow start, Hillbrich was inserted into the lineup a few games into the season and never left after that. The righty thrower has played in all three outfield spots, but mostly right field.
Born in Crown Point, Ind., Hilbrich grew up in Schererville, Ind., and attended St. John the Evangelist School in St. John, Ind., pre-K through Grade 8.
At Lake Central, Jeff Sandor (who was a disciplinarian) and Mike Swartzentruber (who was a combination disciplinarian and players’ coach who focused on the mental aspects of the game) were head coaching during Hilbrich’s time in the program.
“They had different coaching styles,” says Hilbrich. “Both of them are great coaches.
“I had to prove myself a little bit,” says Hilbrich, who played mostly right or left field for the Indians. “I have a lot to be thankful for. (Being cut from varsity) sort of lit a fire under me and made me work harder. The results pay off in the end.”
The McCormick brothers are graduates of Speedway (Ind.) High School.
Hilbrich, who went 5-for-8 in a March 12 doubleheader at Ave Maria, has considered pursuing a masters degree then a doctorate and become a Theology professor.
Throughout college, Hilbrich played in summer leagues. He was with the Isaac Valdez-managed Crestwood Panthers of the Midwest Collegiate League (rebranded to the Northern League in 2022) in 2019 and 2020 and finished with the Northwoods League’s Fond du Lac Dock (Wis.) Dock Spiders as a late-inning defensive replacement during the pennant push. Fon du Lac won its NWL pod championship.
He started the summer of 2021 with the NWL’s Kokomo (Ind.) Jackrabbits and finished it with the NWL’s Battle Creek (Mich.) Bombers.
In 2022, he was clubhouse manager for the High Class-A Midwest League’s Beloit (Wis.) Sky Carp and played some with the NWL’s Battle Creek Battle Jacks.
Hilbrich began this summer with the Northern League’s Lake County CornDogs (managed by Justin Huisman). He belted two home runs and drove in five in his season debut for the Crown Point-based team on May 27 and was NL League Player of the Week for game played through June 4. He was hitting .333 with four homers, 15 RBIs and 15 runs through 12 contests.
The USPBL — based in the Detroit suburb of Utica, Mich. — has four teams (besides Birmingham-Bloomfield, there’s the Eastside Hoppers, Utica Unicorns and Westside Woolly Mammoths) sharing one stadium and training facilities.
Some midweek games are played with no fans.
Ray, Richard and sister Christine (who lives in Jacksonville, Fla.) are the offspring of pilot Richard Hilbrich and doctor’s office worker Barbara Hilbrich.
Ray Hilbrich. (United Shore Professional Baseball League Photo)
Lucas Goodin wrote his name multiple times in the Indiana Wesleyan University baseball record books before heading into pro ball. Goodin, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound lefty-swinging corner infielder, finished a five-season run with the Marion, Ind.-based Wildcats in 2023 as IWU’s career leader in hits (300), home runs (47), runs batted in (190), runs scored (226) and walks (160). A starter in 241 of the 245 games he played, Goodin hit .343 with three triples, 48 doubles and 62 stolen bases. Goodin explains his offensive approach. “I hit the inside of the baseball as hard as I can,” says Goodin. “I have an adjustability in my swing.” First base is Goodin’s favorite defensive position. He enjoys setting the middle infielders and making sure everyone knows what to do when they get the ball. “A lot of plays come through the first baseman,” says Goodin. “I want to be a vocal leader for those guys.” In 2023, Goodin was an NAIA All-American and Crossroads League Player of the Year. He played for team that went 41-20-1, including 2-2 in the school’s first NAIA World Series appearance in Lewiston, Idaho. “It really was unbelievable,” says Goodin. “You’re playing in front of a lot of people. “It was an awesome experience for me and the program. It’s a big stepping stone going forward. Everything can build upon that.” Rich Benjamin concluded his tenure as Indiana Wesleyan head coach at the end of the season. He is leaving to become athletic director at Mississinewa High School in Gas City, Ind. “He told us after we won conference tournament,” says Goodin. “He knows his stuff baseball-wise and helps you compete on that side, but he also helped me as a man. “I spent five years with him. There were a lot of times we spent in the (batting) cage and times we sat down and just talked about life. “I thank him for that.” In 62 games (61 starts) in 2023, Goodin hit .373 (85-of-228) with 19 homers, one triple, 14 doubles, 68 RBIs, 72 runs and 38 steals. He batted mostly lead-off or the 2-hole. Goodin was on the all-Crossroads League first team in 2022 and garnered honorable mention and was a CL Gold Glover in 2021. He gained an extra year of eligibility when the 2020 season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Goodin, 23, was a graduate student in 2023 and earned an Elementary Education degree. After the IWU season, Goodin joined the United Shore Professional Baseball League’s Utica (Mich.) Unicorns. He picked up his first pro hit and RBI in his June 7 debut. One of his teammates is former DeKalb High School, Purdue Fort Wayne and University of Saint Francis (Ind.) player Alec Brunson. It’s the first summer since high school that Goodin has played baseball. He worked during those times throughout college. Born in Indianapolis, Goodin played in the summers for the Avon Attack and Indiana Hurricanes. He is a 2018 graduate of Tri-West Hendricks High School in Lizton, Ind., where he played basketball was on the Bruins varsity baseball squad coached by Ryan Oppy for four years. “I loved playing for him,” says Goodin of Oppy. “He was super-supportive of every guy on the team. “He was a players’ coach.” Lucas and Jillian (Grubbs) Goodin were married July 24, 2022 a few months after Jillian received her Nursing degree. The couple met in fifth grade at Pittsboro (Ind.) Elementary and went to school together through college. The former IWU cheerleader is now a pediatric nurse. Chris Goodin, who is an IU Health Physicians administrator, and wife Layna Goodin, who is a pre-school teacher at Bethesda Christian School in Brownsburg, Ind., have three children — sons Lucas and Sam and daughter Sydney. Sam Goodin (Tri-West Hendricks Class of 2022) is heading into his sophomore year at Marian University in Indianapolis where he plays soccer. Sydney Goodin (Bethesda Christian Class of 2024) plays volleyball and basketball.
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)
Three years after throwing his last collegiate pitch, Indianapolis native Kenny Ogg has a joined a Major League Baseball affiliate. Ogg, a right-hander who graduated from Lawrence Central High School in 2015 and Ohio University in 2020, is with the Arizona Complex League Diamondbacks Black after beginning the 2022 season with the independent Frontier League’s Joliet (Ill.) Slammers. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder who turns 25 on July 4 has made five relief appearances since being signed by D-backs indy ball scout Chris Carminucci. Ogg threw at a February showcase in Arizona — where he now trains and works for facility owner and Oakland Athletics throwing performance coach Casey Upperman — and was told if he put up good numbers at the beginning of the season they would likely sign him. “That’s essentially what happened,” says Ogg, who went 2-1 with a 2.84 earned run average in three starts with Joliet. He pitched for Ohio from 2016-19. In 64 games (14 starts), he was 8-11 with a 4.96 ERA. He struck out 101 and walked 67 in 161 1/3 innings. He spent a few weeks in the summer of the 2019 with the independent United Shore Professional Baseball League’s Birmingham Bloomfield (Mich.) Beavers. Ogg was a graduate assistant at OU while completing his Specialized Studies degree with an emphasis on Health and Service Administration and Communications in 2020. In September of 2020, Ogg moved to the Phoenix area and trained in the off-season. He was still training and teaching lessons when he caught on with the independent Pioneer League’s Boise (Idaho) Hawks at the end of the 2021 season. In 13 games out of the bullpen, he was 1-0 with two saves and a 5.30 ERA. Ogg has a large repertoire of pitches — sinker, cutter, change-up, slider and cutter. “I’ve never thrown a four-seamer, always a two-seamer,” says Ogg. “My sinker and cutter are close to the same speed. “My change-up is similar to my sinker. It has run and some depth to it, too. My slider is a work in progress. I’m trying to decide whether to go more traditional or gyro.” While he describe his arm angle as high three-quarter, that is not his focus. “It’s less about where my arm is and more about where my shoulder plane is,” says Ogg. “The more tilt I have with my shoulder plane the higher my arm slot.” Born in Indianapolis, Kenny grew up in Lawrence Township and was coached up until high school by father Orien Ogg (now a substitute teacher and Irvington Prep Academy assistant). Andy Arnett coached alongside Orien with the Oaklandon Bombers. Kenny played at Oaklandon Youth Organization, the OYO Bombers and then for USAthletic (coached by Mark Westlake), the Giants Fall Scout Team (Kevin Christman) and the Indiana Dirtbags (Jim Reboulet). While at Lawrence Central, Dan Roman was the LC head coach his freshman year with Matt Buczkowski in charge his final three seasons. “He’s a great mentor,” says Ogg of Buczkowski (who is now head coach at Carmel High School). “Whenever I have any baseball news he’s one of my first calls. He taught a lot about baseball in high school and he continues to do that when I go home. “(Former Lawrence Central and current Carmel assistant) Fred Moses was a big part of developing my mechanics in high school and college.” Kenny’s mother is interior designer Kimberly Curry. His sister is Katie Ogg (27).
Kenny Ogg (United Shore Professional Baseball League Photo)
Kenny Ogg (Boise Hawks Photo)
Kenny Ogg pitching at two different parts of his life.
Collin Ledbetter was born and raised in Arizona, but the Midwest has also been pretty good to him as he has pursued higher levels of education and baseball. In the summer of 2021, the right-handed pitcher experienced his first opportunity to play for pay in the United Shores Professional Baseball League. The 25-year-old arrived this week back in his adopted hometown of Indianapolis where he will plot his future. Ledbetter is a 2015 graduate of Northwest Christian School in Phoenix. He arrived at the same time as head baseball coach and former Colorado Rockies minor leaguer Rod Bair and was with the varsity for four years. “We’re still great friends until this day,” says Ledbetter of Bair. “He had a great impact on me as a player and on my growth as a man as well.” Starting out his college baseball journey in the Valley of the Sun, Ledbetter joined the Dave Grant-coached Glendale (Ariz.) Community College team and pitched for the Gauchos in the 2016 and 2017 seasons. “(Glendale) has a great reputation — not only in Arizona — but around the country,” says Ledbetter. “I remember being intimidated going into the program. Coach Grant was a real encourager. “He always gave guys a chance to prove themselves and was always there for help when you needed it.” Ledbetter was recruited out of high school by Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich. David Mitroff was the Golden Eagles head coach at the time. In Ledbetter’s second year at Glendale, Mitroff moved to Phoenix and became a reference for the pitcher’s next move. Mitroff connected Ledbetter with coaching friend Rich Benjamin at Indiana Wesleyan University. After visiting the IWU campus in Marion, the player decided that it was the best fit for him and came to the Midwest. “(Indiana Wesleyan) was an up-and-coming NAIA program looking to add pitching depth,” says Ledbetter. “It was the right place for me. It is Christian and a private school. My faith is very important to me. “Coach Benjamin focused on creating an atmosphere where Jesus was first before baseball. Obviously, he wanted to win. He wanted us to use our talent to the best of our ability to God’s glory.” Kris Holtzleiter was the Indiana Wesleyan pitching coach during Ledbetter’s time with the Wildcats. “He’s one of the best encouragers I know,” says Ledbetter of Holtzleiter. “There’s nobody that doesn’t like him. He focuses on the positives, never the negatives. “As someone who is hard on myself and expects a lot out of myself, I appreciated that.” Ledbetter herniated a disc in his back that required surgery and redshirted in 2018 – his junior year — after playing in just six games. At about the same time, Collin’s parents Paul and Deb and younger siblings Lauren and Carson moved from Arizona to Indianapolis to be closer to extended family. Collin pitched for IWU — getting into eight games (five in relief) with a 0-2 record, 8.47 earned run average, 17 strikeouts and 10 walks in 17 innings – and received a bachelors degree in Sports Management in 2019. Wishing to pursue a Masters in Sport Management on an accelerated timeline with cost in mind, Ledbetter opted to transfer to Campbellsville (Ky.) University and used his redshirt senior season with the NAIA Tigers in 2020. “(Head coach Beauford Sanders and pitching coach Brett Neffendorf) loved to win more than anyone I’ve ever played for,” says Ledbetter, who pitched in three games and 2 2/3 innings with a 0.00 ERA during the truncated 2020 campaign. “That’s a great thing. That was important to me.” Ledbetter said the coaches were no-nonsense and helped players focus on short-term and long-term goals. After his time at Campbellsville was there more baseball for Ledbetter? He sure hoped so. “The goal was always to play professional baseball and keep playing as long as I can,” says Ledbetter. But there was plenty of uncertainty. Minor League Baseball canceled its 2020 season and many independent leagues followed suit. Ledbetter kept himself in shape and began training with Jay Lehr at Pro X Athlete Development in Westfield, Ind. “Jay really took me under his wing,” says Ledbetter, who had the chance to play catch with former big league pitcher Drew Storen and central Indiana minor leaguers like Parker Dunshee and Nolan Watson. “I saw a lot of development as a pitcher. “I started showing signs of improvement and that I had the stuff to play at the next level.” Ledbetter reached out to teams and leagues, including the four-team, Utica, Mich.-based USPBL (Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers, Eastside Diamond Hoppers, Utica Unicorns and Westside Woolly Mammoths). It was only a matter of hours when director of operations Jason Orenduff replied to his email and he soon found himself headed to Jimmy John’s Field in Utica, about 25 miles north of Detroit. Assigned to the Woolly Mammoths, the 6-foot-2, 205-pounder Ledbetter was a relief pitcher for a team co-managed by John Dombrowski and Taylor Grzelakowski. “They definitely had our best interests in mind at all times,” says Ledbetter. “It was a fun atmosphere at the field every day.” USPBL games were played Thursday through Sunday. There was no practice on Mondays and it was an optional weight room day. There were practices on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. “We were split into position groups,” says Ledbetter. “Pitchers went through an extensive stretching routine. As a reliever I had to be ready at all times. Tuesday was usually my bullpen days with 20-25 pitches and weights. Wednesdays I’d play catch and work on off-speed grips from 60 feet.” Ledbetter said gameday routines were based on the individual needs of each player. Some recovered faster than others. “We would hold each other accountable,” says Ledbetter, who made 21 mound appearances (20 in relief) with a 2-4 mark, three saves, 2.78 ERA, 23 K’s and 22 walks in 27 2/3 innings. While Ledbetter has received an invitation to return to the USPBL in 2022, the league does have a two-year cap. “Their goal is to push guys out of their as quickly as they can,” says Ledbetter. “They want everybody to be signed my an affiliated team. “They saw a lot of growth in me as a player. They want the best for everyone. They’ve encouraged me to look at my other options.” Taking a break to re-set physically and mentally, Ledbetter does not plan to begin throwing again for three or four weeks. Meanwhile he will pursue a part-time job and may give private lessons. He will also take the time to enjoy family. Paul Ledbetter is in the insurance business. Deb Ledbetter is a former flight attendant. Lauren Ledbetter (21) is a radiology technician. Carson Ledbetter (19) is attending trade school to become an electrician. Collin is not related to twins Ryan and David Ledbetter, but he has formed a relationship with the former pitchers at Heritage Christian High School, Cedarville (Ohio) University and the Texas Rangers organization. Ryan Ledbetter works for a company that has done business with Paul Ledbetter’s firm. Over time, Collin got to know both Ryan and David. “We hit it off,” says Collin. “We’ve kept in-touch ever since.”
Collin Ledbetter (USPBL Photo)
Collin Ledbetter (United Shores Professional Baseball League Photo)
Collin Ledbetter (United Shores Professional Baseball League Photo)
“If you just show up on your high-intensity or game days, you’re not going to get much better,” says Vogt. “Guys are around other guys with high energy and motivation who do not skip drills, warm-ups and recovery.”
During the week, there are also high school players (many of whom are in travel ball tournaments Thursday through Sunday) working out, too. There is weight training, Core Velocity Belt work to emphasis the lower half and the use of PlyoCare Balls.
Each player follows an individualized workout plan based on their Driveline Baseball profile.
“Everyone does a pre-assessment,” says Vogt. “We measure strength, power and velocity and create a plan off that.”
Because of COVID-19 many of the players have not been able to get on an outside diamond in a sanctioned game for months.
Many were not able to do much in the way of throwing or lifting weights for two months.
College players saw their seasons halted in mid-March. High school players heading into college lost their campaigns altogether.
Dominick Berardi, a right-handed pitcher at Daytona (Fla.) State College was sent to work with PRP Baseball for the summer.
“They’re coming and they’re asking for housing,” says Vogt of his ever-growing client list from outside Indiana.
Vogt notes that three 2020 high school graduates from northwest Indiana — IU commit Tyler Nelson (Andrean), Illinois State commits Gene Kolarik (Crown Point) and Jonathan Sabotnik (Crown Point) — travel together to play in the Grand Park league and train at PRP Baseball.
Minor League Baseball has not began its 2020 season nor has the Utica, Mich.- based USPBL .It’s uncertain when or if MiLB will get going. The USPBL has announced it will start with smaller rosters June 24 and expand when fans are allowed at games.
“It’s just a really fun time to come out here and really put all the work that me and all these guys put in throughout the week to a test,” says Polley. “It’s really cool to be able to see the guys come out here and thrive whenever they’ve made adjustments.
“It’s a time to relax and get after each other.”
Donning a T-shirt defining culture as “A wave that inspires a community to achieve greatness” (by Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson), Polley relates to the atmosphere at PRP Baseball and Finch Creek.
“They bust your butt during the week and whenever it’s time to play, it’s time to play,” says Polley. “We don’t worry about the mechanics or the drills we’re working on throughout the week. Let’s see what you got and you make adjustments week to week.”
Polley’s focus was on having a good feel for all his pitches and moving the way they’re supposed to based on Rapsodo-aided design.
Though the timetable is unknown, Polley says being prepared to return to live baseball is the key.
“I view this as an opportunity to improve my craft,” says Polley. “I come off and throw and lift everyday to make myself better.
“Whenever it is time to show up, I’m going to be better than whenever I left.”
Polley came down with the coronavirus in March after coming back from spring training in Arizona and was unable to throw the baseball for two weeks.
For that period, he and his girlfriend stayed away from everyone else and meals were brought to the bedroom door by Polley’s parents.
With facilities shut down, he was able to train in a barn and at local parks.
“To just be a kid again was really cool,” says Polley. “As a kid, you’d go to the park with your friends and practice. You’d compete and try to get better.
“That’s all it has been this entire quarantine. You come back into a facility like (Finch Creek) ready to go.”
Vogt has noticed an attention to detail Polley.
“If the minor league season happens, he’s going to be ready to go,” says Vogt.
“This gives me a chance to compete and feel out my stuff,” says Milto. “I get a chance to improve and see what’s working and what’s not working.
“This time is kind of weird, not knowing when or if we’re going to go back. So I’m just here, seeing the competition and staying ready.”
Milto just began coming to PRP Baseball this past week after hearing about it through friends.
“I really love all that they offer,” says Milto.
While maintaining strength, Milto also makes sure he stays flexible.
“For longevity standards and being able to move well consistently for as long as possible, I think it’s important so I work on by flexibility,” says Milto. “Especially with my upper body. My lower body is naturally flexible.
“I’m working on by thoracic rotations and all that kind of stuff. It’s helped me feel good everyday.”
Milto just began adding a cutter to his pitch assortment.
“Using the cameras and the Rapsodo here is really helping me accelerate the development.
“I’m feeling it out (with the cutter). I’ve already thrown a slider. I’m trying to differentiate those two and make sure they look the same out of my hand but different coming to (the batter).”
Milto says he’s made a switch in his take on how electronic devices can help.
“At first, I didn’t buy much into the technology,” says Milto. “It was all just too much to look at. As of late, I’ve started to pay more attention to it. I’ve realized the benefits of it.
“My mentality has been to just go out there, trust my stuff and compete instead of I need to get my sinker to sink this much with this axis. But I’ve started to understand how important that stuff. You make everyone look the same until it isn’t.
“It’s immediate feedback when you’re training. You release it. You know how you felt. And you know exactly what it did.”
Gray, 25, is a right-hander who played at Columbus (Ind.) East High School, Western Michigan University, Gulf Coast Community College and Florida Gulf Coast University before being signed as a minor league free agent by the Colorado Rockies in 2019. He was released in February 2020 and reports to the Milkmen this weekend.
“I see that they get results here,” says Gray. “It’s always great to push yourself and compete with others that are good at sports.”
Gray, who has been working out with PRP Baseball since prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, counts down his pitching strengths.
“I compete. That’s a big one,” says Gray. “I throw strikes. I’m determined to get better and be the best version of myself.”
When the quarantine began, Gray had no access to a weight room.
“I did a lot of body weight stuff and keep my body there,” says Gray. “I was lifting random stuff. I was squatting with my fiancee on my back. I was finding a way to get it done.
“I knew at some point COVID was going to go away and baseball was going to be back and I needed to be ready.”
Strobel, 25, is a left-hander who played at Avon (Ind.) High School and for the final team at Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind. (2017) before pitching for the independent Frontier League’s Joliet (Ill.) Slammers that summer. He underwent Tommy John reconstructive surgery and missed the 2018 season. He appeared in 2019 with the AA’s Gary (Ind.) SouthShore RailCats. When not pitching, he’s helped coach pitchers at Avon and for the Indiana Bulls 17U White travel team.
Strobel coached at Grand Park early Friday and then scooted over to Finch Creek for PRP “Compete Day.”
“I try to mimic what we do here,” says Strobel of his pitching coach approach. “It’s mainly work hard and be safe.
“Summer ball is now acting like the high school season. It’s been about getting everyone up to speed. Some guys were not throwing over the spring. They just totally shut down. You have other guys who’ve been throwing.”
Strobel has been training with Vogt for about four years.
“I like the routine of everything,” says Strobel. “Everything’s mapped out. You know what you’re doing weeks in advance. That’s how my mind works.”
And then comes the end of the week and the chance to compete.
“Everything’s about Friday live,” says Strobel. “Everyone has a routine getting getting for Friday.”
Strobel has been told he’s on the “first call” when the USPBL expands rosters.
He was “on-ramping” in February when the pandemic came along and he switched to training at the barn before coming back to Finch Creek.
“I really didn’t have to shut down,” says Strobel. “It’s just been a long road from February and still throwing.
“I help out in any way that I can,” says Sullivan, who reached out to Vogt in the spring of 2019, interned last summer and then came on board full-time. “We mesh well together because we believe in a lot of the same sort of fundamentals when it comes to pitching and developing a pitcher.
“It helps to have an extra set of eyes and that’s where I come into play. I dealt with a lot of mechanical issues myself and my cousin help me out. That sparked me to want to do the same for other players.”
Sullivan is pursuing his Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).
“Once I have that, it opens up a lot more doors and opportunities for me in the baseball world,” says Sullivan. “Baseball has had a funny route to where it is today. When I grew up a lot of times you threw hard because you were blessed and had the talent.
“Now, it’s been proven that you can make improvements — whether it be in the weight room, overall health or mechanical adjustments in your throwing patterns — and can train velocity.
“A lot of people are trying to find a balance of developing the mechanical side of things while strengthening things in the weight room. They kind of go hand-in-hand. You can’t have one without the other.”
Sullivan says that if the body can’t support the force that’s being generated through it, it’s going to lead to a faster breakdown.
“That’s where the weight room comes into play,” says Sullivan. “Being able to transfer force is kind of the name of the game right now.”
Triston Polley, a former Brownsburg (Ind.) High School and Indiana State University player now in the Texas Rangers organization, warms up for PRP (Passion Resilience Process) Baseball “Compete Day” Friday, June 19 at Finch Creek Fieldhouse in Noblesville, Ind. (Steve Krah Photo)One of the mottos of the PRP (Passion Resilience Process) Baseball is “Rent’s Due Every Day.” It promotes a culture of hard work and competition. (PRP Baseball Image)
“I’m super-excited about going there,” says Troyer, a righty-swinging third baseman/shortstop. “I know I can get signed to an affiliated club.”
Since getting his business management degree in May 2019, Troyer has been splitting his time between work and honing his game. Joined by former Jimtown High School and Ball State University pitcher Nick Floyd, training is done in a friend’s barn. Troyer also works out with the Northridge team.
Troyer has been traveling regularly to the St. Louis suburb of O’Fallon, Mo., to work with hitting coach Kevin Graham, whose son, Kevin, was the 2018 Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year and now plays at the University of Mississippi.
“He’s the best hitting coach I’ve ever had,” says Troyer of the elder Graham.
Troyer met Graham through Ben Bailey, Troyer’s former Indiana Chargers travel baseball coach who now lives in Missouri.
Bailey, Joel Mishler and George Hofsommer founded the Chargers. Troyer played for the organization from 13 to 18, missing his 17U summer for Tommy John surgery.
“I considered (Bailey and Mishler) both my mentors,” says Troyer. “They’ve been there, done that
they have their connections.
“They know what they’re talking about.”
Troyer attended various tryout camps that went nowhere then in January and February, he went to Palm Springs to play in the California Winter League, a showcase for unsigned players. He impressed former big leaguer Von Joshua and the Birmingham Bloomfield manager invited him to join his club. Joshua was a coach for the 1993 South Bend (Ind.) White Sox.
USPBL spring training is scheduled for April 25-May 7 in Utica. The Beavers’ first game is slated for May 9.
Troyer appeared and started in all 53 games for Evansville as a senior in 2019, batting .249 with two home runs, 11 doubles, 25 runs batted in and 27 runs scored. He also stole 21 bases in 25 attempts. He usually hit first or second in the order to take advantage of his speed.
“I was getting on base and creating opportunities for everybody else to drive in runs,” says Troyer.
As a junior in 2018, Troyer played in 42 games (40 as a starter) and hit .220 with two homers, four doubles, 16 walks and 13 stolen bases in 14 attempts.
“He’s very knowledgeable with an extensive background,” says Troyer of Carroll. “He made it to Triple-A.
“He brought a lot of energy, which I like.”
To get Evansville ready for the Missouri Valley Conference, Evansville played teams like Vanderbilt, Indiana, Boston College, Creighton, Florida Gulf Coast and Iowa.
Troyer chose Evansville after two years at Rend Lake College in Ina, Ill.
“It was my best scholarship,” says Troyer, who had a friend sell him on the academics at UE. “I enjoyed my two years (at Rend Lake).”
Troyer played for the Warriors in 2016 and 2017. Tony Etnier was his head coach his freshmen year and Rend Lake player and strength coach Tyler O’Daniel took over the program his sophomore season.
Etnier offered Troyer a full ride on his first day and O’Daniel was high energy.
“The thing I loved about going to Rend Lake, the competition out of high school was no joke,” says Troyer. “I immediately got better. It turns you from a boy into a man real quick.
“(The Great Rivers Athletic Conference with John A. Logan, Kaskaskia, Lake Land, Lincoln Trail, Olney Central, Rend Lake, Shawnee, Southeastern Illinois, Southwestern Illinois, Wabash Valley) is one of the better junior college conferences in the country.”
As a sophomore at Rend Lake, Troyer was hit by a pitch 22 times and ranked second among National Junior College Athletic Association Division I players in that category.
In two seasons at Rend Lake, he hit .285 with two homers, 59 stolen bases and was hit by 41 pitches.
“He’s intense, but in a good way,” says Troyer of Brabender. “He brought out the best in me.
“He was able to mold me to be ready for college.”
Troyer earned four letters for the Raiders and hit .429 with seven homers and 35 stolen bases as a senior while earning team MVP and best bat awards. He was a two-time all-Northern Lakes Conference honoree and was named all-state and to the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series (The North swept the three-game series in Terre Haute in 2015).
Sam is the third of Steve and Shanna Troyer’s four children. Sean Troyer was not an athlete. Scot Troyer played baseball and football in high school. Sara Troyer is currently a diver at the University of Nebraska. In the recent Big Ten meet, she placed fifth in the 3-meter and 10th in the 1-meter.
Sam Troyer, a graduate of Northridge High School in Middlebury, Ind. (2015) and the University of Evansville (2019), is to play in the independent United Shore Professional Baseball League. He is a righty-swinging third baseman and shortstop. (University of Evansville Photo)
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