Whenever Bobby Nowak delivers the baseball it’s done with certainty. “I want to throw with conviction,” says Nowak, a Valparaiso (Ind.) University senior right-hander. “I throw my fastball until they beat me with my fastball then I go to my off-speed.” Nowak did this well enough to be the latest Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week. The news came Monday, April 17 on Nowak’s 23rd birthday. Under the guidance of Beacons head coach/pitching coach Brian Schmack, Nowak moved to 4-0 with one save and a 2.10 earned run average to 2.10 by throwing a three-hit shutout in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday. April 15 at Bradley. He threw 56 of 95 pitches for strikes and struck out six and walked three in a seven-inning complete game. Going into this week, his conference-leading ERA of 2.10 ranks 20th in the country. His rate of allowing 5.10 hits per nine innings was the best in the MVC and eighth best nationally. For the 2023 season, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder has fanned 42 and walked 13 in 30 innings over 11 appearances (three starts). He led the MVC and was 36th nationally with 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings. He also led the league and was 35th nationally with a 1.00 WHIP (walks and hits per inning). “I’ve always liked to strike guys out but when I do that I found myself in a lot of three-ball counts,” says Nowak. “Recently, I’ve just been throwing it with conviction and just competing.” Throwing from an over-the-top arm slot, Nowak tosses a four-seam fastball, a “bullet” change-up and 12-to-6 curve. He is scheduled to start Sunday, April 23 in the final game of a three-game MVC series against Illinois-Chicago at Valpo’s Emory G. Bauer Field. Until his last three outings, he had been used exclusively out of the Beacons bullpen. Nowak was Valpo’s closer in 2022. He went 0-2 with eight saves and a 5.09 ERA. He whiffed 28 and walked seven in 17 2/3 innings. His strikeout rate was 14.26 per nine innings and he was named honorable mention all-conference while touching 96 mph. Born in Dyer, Ind., Nowak grew up in nearby Cedar Lake. He played in youth leagues there then travel ball for Morris Baseball and what is now known as the 5 Star Great Lakes Chiefs. Now is a 2018 graduate of Hanover Central High School in Cedar Lake. He began his prep career as a shortstop with a few mound outings. Catcher Jesse Wilkening, who went on to play at the University of Nebraska and pro ball, was a senior when Nowak was a freshman. As Nowak’s senior year with Hanover Central approached, there was a need for him to pitch more for then-Wildcats head coach Ryan Bridges. To save on his arm, he was moved from shortstop to first base when not pitching. Nowak was supposed to be a two-way player when he went to Kankakee (Ill.) Community College. But when he arrived he told assistant Bryce Shafer he wanted to be a pitcher-only. In 2019, Nowak started 11 games and went 6-3 with a 3.98 ERA, 66 strikeouts and 20 walks in 52 innings. He also wound up having Tommy John elbow surgery in May. His next competitive season was 2021. He made 16 mound appearances (five starts) for KCC and went 4-4 with a 5.29 ERA, 55 K’s and 31 walks in 32 1/3 innings. Nowak played for the Northwest Indiana Oilmen in the summer of 2018, took 2019 off and played parts of 2020, 2021 and 2022 with the Chicago Suburban Baseball League’s Beecher Muskies. Bobby is the youngest of Dan and Michelle Nowak’s three children, coming after sister Danielle and brother Daniel. He is also close with a cousin, Jason. Nowak is scheduled to graduate this spring with a Criminology degree.
Through March 19 NCAA D-I Tuesday, March 14 Kentucky 12, Indiana 2 (7 inn.) Notre Dame 6, Saint Joseph’s 3 Southern Indiana 10, Saint Louis 2
Wednesday, March 15 Evansville 14, Bellarmine 2 Indiana 6, Morehead State 5 (10 inn.) Indiana State 7, Illinois 3 Notre Dame 10, Saint Joseph’s 9 Purdue 14, Northern Illinois 5 Southern Illinois 16, Southern Indiana 9
Thursday, March 16 Indiana 23, Morehead State 5
Friday, March 17 Ball State 14, Toledo 2 Evansville 5, Purdue 2 Indiana 5, Morehead State 4 Purdue Fort Wayne 12, Wright State 10 Wright State 6, Purdue Fort Wayne 2 Murray State 15, Southern Indiana 1
Saturday, March 18 Wake Forest 4, Notre Dame 1 Wake Forest 12, Notre Dame 3 Murray State 11, Southern Indiana 4
Sunday, March 19 Ball State 19, Toledo 16 (13 inn.) Ball State 7, Toledo 4 Northwestern 5, Butler 1 Evansville 6, Purdue 4 Michigan State 8, Indiana State 2 Michigan State 10, Indiana State 7 Notre Dame 3, Wake Forest 1 Wright State 13, Purdue Fort Wayne 4 Murray State 13, Southern 3
NCAA D-II Tuesday, March 14 Saint Leo 8, Purdue Northwest 3 Eckerd 4, Purdue Northwest 3
NAIA Monday, March 13 Oakland City 14, Baptist Bible 13
Tuesday, March 14 Thomas More 14, IUPU-Columbus 3 Indiana Tech 7, Mid-America Christian 5
Wednesday, March 15 Calumet of St. Joseph 1, Trinity Christian 0 Trinity Christian 5, Calumet of St. Joseph 4 Grace 4, Taylor 1 Taylor 6, Grace 0 Mount Vernon Nazarene 7, Huntington 6 Huntington 9, Mount Vernon Nazarene 2 Indiana Wesleyan 16, IUPU-Columbus 5 IU-South Bend 9, Judson 5 (7 inn.) Judson 10, IU-South Bend 5 Baptist Bible 13, Oakland City 11
Thursday, March 16 Saint Francis 5, Bethel 4 Saint Francis 10, Bethel 3 (7 inn.) Indiana Wesleyan 14, Goshen 4 (8 inn.) Taylor 27, Grace 5 Taylor 13, Grace 0 Huntington 14, Mount Vernon Nazarene 13 Huntington 11, Mount Vernon Nazarene 0 IU-Kokomo 17, Alice Lloyd 5 IU-Kokomo 11, Alice Lloyd 0 Ohio Christian 7, IU Southeast 6 IU Southeast 4, Ohio Christian 2 Marian 8, Spring Arbor 7 Spring Arbor 11, Marian 8
Friday, March 17 IU Southeast 25, Ohio Christian 1
Sunday, March 19 Olivet Nazarene 16, Calumet of St. Joseph 6 Olivet Nazarene 9, Calumet of St. Joseph 5 Miami-Hamilton 5, IUPU-Columbus 4 Miami-Hamilton 19, IUPU-Columbus 4 IU-South Bend 5, Saint Xavier 1 Oakland City 9, Rio Grande 5 Oakland City 7, Rio Grando 1
Junior College Wednesday, March 15 Ivy Tech Northeast 15, Glen Oaks 9
Thursday, March 16 Kellogg 8, Ivy Tech Northeast 7
The University of Indianapolis is off to an 11-0 start to the 2023 baseball season. The Al Ready-coached Greyhounds are coming off a 5-0 week with two wins against Purdue Northwest and three against Davenport — all at Greyhound Park/Bill Bright Field. The last time NCAA D-II UIndy started a season 11-0 was 1997. PNW started its southern trip by splitting a Sunday doubleheader at Ave Maria. In NCAA III, Anderson University coach Matt Bair collected his 100th career victory. It came in a Sunday win against St. Thomas (Maine) in Davenport, Fla. Also in Florida, Wabash went 6-0 in Port Charlotte and Fort Myers for the week. The Jake Martin-coached Little Giants are 10-4. Rose-Hulman played its first home game at Art Nehf Field in 2023 and won all four, moving the Adam Rosen-coached Fightin’ Engineers’ victory streak to six. The Berea (Ky.) at Manchester series became a Saturday doubleheader at Grand Park in Westfield. The Rick Espeset-coached Spartans (8-3) earned a sweep and ran their win streak to three. Greg Perschke-coached Trine (6-5) concluded an eight-game stint in Florida with two victories. NAIA Taylor’s 5-1 week in the Crossroads League helped the Kyle Gould-coached Trojans move to 14-8 overall and 7-1 in the conference. A 3-1 week allowed Thad Frame-coached Huntington Foresters to be 13-6 overall and 7-1 in the CL. As part of the U.S. Highway 20 Cup, Bethel (12-8) took four CL games against Goshen. The first two games were played in Mishawaka and — because of inclement weather — the next two at Grand Park. By topping No. 22 Oklahoma City Sunday, Kip McWilliams’ visiting Indiana Tech Warriors advanced to 10-3. In NCAA D-I, Indiana and Indiana State both enjoyed 5-0 weeks. The Hoosiers swept a four-game home series against Bellarmine and the Sycamores took three at Memphis. Ball State’s 3-1 week included 2-1 against visiting Mid-American Conference foe Western Michigan. Evansville won two of three at Middle Tennessee. A 2-1 loss at No. 7 Vanderbilt was epic. The Wednesday game went 17 innings and took 4 hours, 44 minutes. Sunday’s Purdue at Mississippi game featured two pitchers from northwest Indiana high schools in starting roles. Xavier Rivas (Portage) hurled the first six innings and got the win for Ole Miss. Kyle Iwinski (Griffith) went five frames and absorbed the loss for the Boilermakers. When Valparaiso beat Southern Mississippi 6-1 in the opener of the three-game series Friday, it was the Beacons’ first win against a nationally-ranked opponent since 2018. In junior college, Kirk Cabana earned his first victory as head coach at Marian’s Ancilla. The Chargers beat Minnesota State Community & Technical College in the second game of a doubleheader Friday in Orlando, Fla. Vincennes (10-11) enjoyed a 5-1 week that featured a four-game sweep of Schoolcraft. At 3-2 week makes Ivy Tech Northeast 6-8.
Below are season records, weekly results and links to web pages, schedules and statistics for all of Indiana’s 39 collegiate programs.
Through March 12 NCAA D-I Monday, March 6 Louisiana State 11, Butler 0 (7 inn.)
Tuesday, March 7 Ball State 11, Florida A&M 9 Indiana State 8, Southeast Missouri 3 Austin Peay 10, Southern Indiana 6 Mississippi State 12, Valparaiso 2 (7 inn.)
Wednesday, March 8 Jackson State 11, Butler 7 Vanderbilt 2, Evansville 1 (17 inn.) Indiana 15, Purdue Fort Wayne 1 Indiana State 7, Southeast Missouri 4
Thursday, March 9 Indiana 5, Bellarmine 3
Friday, March 10 Ball State 11, Western Michigan 3 Southeast Missouri 8, Butler 0 Middle Tennessee 2, Evansville 0 Indiana 9, Bellarmine 7 Indiana State 5, Memphis 1 Georgia Tech 7, Notre Dame 4 Mississippi 15, Purdue 7 Austin Peay 9, Purdue Fort Wayne 0 Austin Peay 6, Purdue Fort Wayne 5 Oakland 4, Southern Indiana 2 Valparaiso 6, Southern Mississippi 1
Saturday, March 11 Western Michigan 10, Ball State 1 Ball State 15, Western Michigan 3 (7 inn.) Southeast Missouri 7, Butler 2 Evansville 5, Middle Tennessee 3 Indiana 13, Bellarmine 3 Indiana State 7, Memphis 3 Georgia Tech 15, Notre Dame 2 Notre Dame 17, Georgia Tech 4 Mississippi 7, Purdue 6 (10 inn.) Purdue Fort Wayne 5, Austin Peay 3 (8 inn.) Austin Peay 4, Purdue Fort Wayne 2 Oakland 7, Southern Indiana 5 Southern Mississippi 8, Valparaiso 3
NCAA D-II Tuesday, March 7 Indianapolis 7, Purdue Northwest 5 Indianapolis 6, Purdue Northwest 1
Friday, March 10 Indianapolis 10, Davenport 7
Saturday, March 11 Indianapolis 7, Davenport 4 Indianapolis 2, Davenport 1 (10 inn.)
Sunday, March 12 Ave Maria 16, Purdue Northwest Purdue Northwest 10, Ave Maria 7
NCAA D-III Monday, March 6 Trine 3, St. Vincent 1 Wabash 23, Swarthmore 4
Tuesday, March 7 Grove City 11, Trine 4 Wabash 10, Lebanon Valley 9
Wednesday, March 8 Wilmington 7, Franklin 4 Spalding 14, Hanover 2 Manchester 12, Olivet 2 Rose-Hulman 6, Greenville 4 Dominican (Ill.) 17, Trine 13 Wabash 7, Kean 1
Thursday, March 9 Waynesburg 7, Trine 6
Friday, March 10 Aurora 9, Anderson 2 Anderson 4, Aurora 3 Wilmington 15, Earlham 3 Hanover 14, Hope 4 Trine 7, Penn State-Altoona 0 Trine 7, Penn State-Altoona 4 Wabash 16, Saint John’s 6
Saturday, March 11 Fontbonne 9, Anderson 2 Wisconsin-Osh Kosh 3, DePauw 2 Transylvania 5, DePauw 3 Wilmington 12, Earlham 3 Earlham 8, Wilmington 2 Franklin 15, Albion 4 Albion 4, Franklin 1 Hope 5, Hanover 3 Manchester 13, Berea 5 Manchester 2, Berea 1 Rose-Hulman 4, Alma 0 Rose-Hulman 9, Alma 6 Wabash 17, Western Connecticut 6 Wabash 10, Western Connecticut 3
Sunday, March 12 Anderson 11, Thomas (Maine) 0 Transylvania 9, DePauw 1 Franklin 5, Albion 3 Hanover 14, Millikin 4 Millikin 8, Hanover 5 Rose-Hulman 10, Alma 0
NAIA Monday, March 6 Calumet of St. Joseph 17, Siena Heights 9 IU-Kokomo 10, Oakland City 3 Indiana Wesleyan 14, Grace 6 Indiana Wesleyan 7, Grace 1 Marian 15, Spring Arbor 4 (8 inn.) Marian 9, Spring Arbor 5 Taylor 13, Saint Francis 3 Taylor 8, Saint Francis 2
Tuesday, March 7 Calumet of St. Joseph 7, Siena Heights 6 IU-Kokomo 12, IUPU-Columbus 7
Wednesday, March 8 Southeastern 14, Calumet of St. Joseph 1
Thursday, March 9 Bethel 6, Goshen 3 Bethel 9, Goshen 2 St. Thomas 6, Calumet of St. Joseph 5 Calumet of St. Joseph 9, Siena Heights 7 Huntington 10, Saint Francis 8 Saint Francis 6, Huntington 5 Indiana Wesleyan 9, Marian 3 Indiana Wesleyan 5, Marian 4 (9 inn.) Taylor 11, Spring Arbor 10 Taylor 6, Spring Arbor 5
Friday, March 10 Lawrence Tech 9, Calumet of St. Joseph 6 Concordia (Neb.) 23, Calumet of St. Joseph 3 IU Southeast 11, IU-Kokomo 9 Oakland City 17, Brescia 2 (7 inn.)
Saturday, March 11 Bethel 20, Goshen 3 Bethel 8, Goshen 6 Siena Heights 20, Calumet of St. Joseph 3 Huntington 8, Saint Francis 6 Huntington 18, Saint Francis 0 IU-Kokomo 10, IU Southeast 1 IU Southeast 4, IU-Kokomo 1 Concordia (Mich.) 9, IUPU-Columbus 1 Concordia (Mich.) 10, IUPU-Columbus 2 Oklahoma City 2, Indiana Tech 1 Oklahoma City 10, Indiana Tech 2 Marian 5, Indiana Wesleyan 0 Marian 7, Indiana Wesleyan 4 Brescia 9, Oakland City 2 Brescia 2, Oakland City 1 Taylor 5, Spring Arbor 2 Spring Arbor 5, Taylor 0
Sunday, March 12 Concordia (Mich.) 3, IUPU-Columbus 1 Concordia (Mich.) 3, IUPU-Columbus 1 Indiana Tech 7, Oklahoma City 1
Junior College Monday, March 6 Ivy Tech Northeast 9, Anderson JV 7 Minnesota North-Vermillion 5, Marian’s Ancilla 3 Minnesota North-Vermillion 6, Marian’s Ancilla 5
Tuesday, March 7 Vincennes 17, Oakland City JV 7
Wednesday, March 8 Mid-Michigan 7, Marian’s Ancilla 2 Volunteer State 16, Vincennes 3
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).
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
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
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.
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.)
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
Adam Piotrowicz is preparing for his first season as a college baseball head coach. He is running the show at NCAA Division II Saginaw Valley State University in University Center, Mich., after assistant stints at NCAA D-III Heidelberg University (2008-10), NCAA D-I Valparaiso (Ind.) University (2010-13) and NCAA D-I Western Michigan University (2013-22). “I feel very prepared for this because of all the people I’ve worked for and with,” says Piotrowicz, 37. “(Western Michigan head coach) Billy Gernon gave me all kinds of freedom and increased my role every year. “Brian Scmack at Valpo is another big mentor for me I’ve always been able to lean on.” Piotrowicz served as the associate head coach, recruiting coordinator, hitting coach and catching coach at WMU before making the transition to skipper of the SVSU Cardinals. “The one big difference is that my phone is always ringing,” says Piotrowicz. “It was always ringing before but I always knew it was recruits. Now it’s anything and everything. “It’s compliance or a fundraising thing or an alum that wants to meet up for dinner or the bus company. I was prepared for it. It comes with the territory. I knew that was what the job was going to be.” As Saginaw Valley prepares to open the 2023 season Friday, Feb. 17 against Cedarville University in Xenia, Ohio, the roster is full of upperclassmen. “Thankfully we have a real good group of older guys coming back,” says Piotrowicz. “It helps from a recruiting standpoint that I’ve been recruiting the state for the past nine years. “I’ve got good assistants in-place and that’s key, having the right people around you.” The coaching staff features pitching coach/co-recruiting coordinator Justin McMurtrey, co-recruiting coordinator/baserunning/outfield coach Brandon Evans and hitting/infielder coach Demeris Barlow. McMurtrey pitched at Eastern Michigan University. Evans was an pitcher/outfielder at Rochester University. Barlow was a corner infielder at Indiana Tech and Indiana University South Bend (playing for Doug Buysse, a teammate of Piotrowicz at John Glenn High School in Walkerton, Ind.) and is on the coaching staff of the 2023 Lafayette Aviators of the summer collegiate wood bat Prospect League. Piotriowicz took his assistants to the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention in Nashville in January. “I like to listen to the speakers,” says Piotrowicz. “We have a young coaching staff and it’s good for them to go down and network. They see what the profession is like.” Saginaw Valley belongs to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. As an NCAA D-II school, the game limit is 50 — six less than D-I. “My thing is I want this place to be ran like a Division I school,” says Piotrowicz. “The first guy I worked for — Matt Palm — said make it ‘big time wherever you’re at.’ We were a small, little Heidelberg University (in Tiffin, Ohio). We treated each day like we were competing for a spot in Omaha (and the D-I College World Series). “We have a few less hours to work with (players) out-of-season but it’s nothing major,” says Piotrowicz, who sees the recruiting, player development and in-season and out-of-season periods as very similar. In addition to getting the Cardinals prepared, SVSU has hosted prospect and youth camps. “We try to make those affordable so we can get more kids out and excited about baseball,” says Piotrowicz. “This area for baseball is really, really good. I feel like it gets under-recruited sometimes. Some of the best guys I coached at Western were from out of this area.” University Center is about 110 miles northwest of Detroit and about 100 miles northeast of Lansing. Left-hander Keegan Akin, who went to high school in Midland, Mich., made 45 appearances for the 2022 Baltimore Orioles. There’s also Connor Smith, Alex Goodwin, Chad Mayle and Grant Miller. “A lot of those guys didn’t have a lot going on out of high school,” says Piotrowicz. “You’ve got smaller schools but with that you get some multi-sport (athletes). Once they get to focus on baseball year-round the development really takes off.” Piotrowicz says the transfer portal has many D-I programs looking there for players at the expense of those at the prep level. “More and more high school guys are not getting the looks they would have four or five years ago. There are more grad transfers because of COVID. It all kind of goes together. “That opens up a really good market for us at the Division II level.” says Piotrowicz. Not many players come to the Cardinals via the portal. “It has to be the right fit,” says Piotrowicz. “I’d rather get guys through high school or our (junior college) connections.” Saginaw Valley plays at the SVSU Baseball Complex and — when the weather does not allow for outdoor work — trains in the SVSU Fieldhouse. “Everything we have is better than some of the (D-I Mid-American Conference) schools,” says Piotrowicz. “We have a beautiful indoor turf football field with a track and windows all around that makes it pop as a first impression. “There’s an auxiliary gym with an additional 2 1/2 batting cages. We’ve got a Division I weight room.” The Cardinals also have access to outdoor turf football and soccer fields. Piotrowicz graduated from John Glenn in 2004 and Manchester University (North Manchester, Ind.) in 2008. Adam and wife Heather have two sons — Hunter (7) and Elliot (4) — and a third one due in the middle of April. “It’s a very nature/outdoors type of area and my kids love that,” says Piotrowicz. “(First grader Hunter) is into baseball, basketball and hockey — all that stuff. He’s made the transition very well.”
Adam Piotrowicz. (Saginaw Valley State University Image)
IHSBCA HALL OF FAME 2022 BALLOT Coaches Brian Jennings (Retired) A 1987 graduate of Whiting High School and 1991 graduate of Indiana State University, Jennings began his coaching career at Whiting in 1996 and moved to Griffith High School in 1999 (retiring in 2022). His teams won 14 sectional and four conference and made a trip to the state championship game in 2001, losing to Indianapolis Cathedral. During his 27 years as a varsity coach, he won 448 games. He is a four-time conference coach of the year and one-time district coach of the year. Forty players went on to play college baseball and four in pro ball, including 2019 first-rounder Kody Hoese (Los Angeles Dodgers), and seven were selected as North/South All-Stars. He was served on numerous IHSBCA committees, coached in the 2012 North/South All-Star Series in Jasper and organized the 2016 games in Whiting. He has announced the IHSAA State Finals for several years on the IHSAA Champions Network via radio and television. He is currently an assistant principal at Griffith and resides in Whiting with wife Luann. Brian has two stepchildren — Ashley and Steve.
Lea Selvey (Retired) A graduate of Redkey High School, University of Evansville (bachelor’s) and Ball State University (master’s), Selvey spent his entire career at Jay County — five years as an assistant and 34 as head coach (retiring in 2022) — and won 530 games with seven sectionals and three regionals. His teams have won five Olympic Conference titles and he was named OC Coach of the Year three time. He also has an Allen County Athletic Conference crown to his credit. Selvey was a District Coach of the Year in 2019. He has served the IHSBCA as president, a regional representative and been on numerous committees and been an All-Star assistant twice. He’s also been a Regional Coach of the Year. Selvey has coached 14 All-Stars and had numerous players go on to college baseball with two being selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and two others playing independent pro ball and overseas pro baseball. He coached the 1992 NABF Topps Player of the Year. Selvey started the junior high program at Jay County and has been active with the Summit City Sluggers travel organization for nine years. He has also been involved with cross country, boys basketball and girls basketball over the years. Lea and wife Denise have three children (Josh, Kristen and Kyle (wife Leah) and currently teaches Science at Jay County High School.
Dean Lehrman (Active) A graduate of Heritage High School and Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne, Lehrman was a four-year baseball letterman in high school and pitched four years in college. He has been a head baseball coach of 44 years — nine at Woodlan and 35 at Heritage (current). His teams have won 665 with 12 Allen County Athletic Conference titles along with eight sectionals, three regionals and one semistate. There’s been three Final Four appearances and a state runner-up finish (2007). He’s an eight-time ACAC Coach of the Year. He’s also been a District Coach of the Year and twice been on the All-Star coaching staff. He also coached football for 39 years, including six as head coach (40-26). Dean and wife Janice have three children (Camryn, Derek and Ryne) and four grandchildren. Dean retired from teaching math at Heritage High School in 2020.
Gary Rogers (Active) A graduate of Merrillville High School and Huntington College, Rogers has been a head coach of 34 years — 32 at Fort Wayne Bishop Luers and two at Leo (current) with 513 wins. His Luers teams won four sectionals, one regional, one semistate and one state championship (2008). He was the State Coach of the Year in 2008 and has twice been a District Coach of the Year. He has been on numerous IHSBCA committees and is very active in the Fort Wayne baseball community. He was a volunteer assistant at Indiana Tech for many seasons, worked the Wildcat League for 33 years and is on the board of the Northeast Indiana Baseball Association (he is an NEIBA Hall of Famer).
Kelby Weybright (Retired) A graduate of North White High School, he played three years at Blackburn College and earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. Following one season as a North White assistant, Weybright spent six seasons as an assistant and 11 as head coach at Norwell High School. There he compiled a record of 243-93 before retiring in 2012 to coach his sons in travel baseball. His Norwell teams won two conference, seven sectional, four regional and two semistate titles. The Knights were Class 3A state champions in 2003 and 2007 and state runners-up in 2006. The 2006 and 2007 teams were a combined 64-2, including 35-0 in 2007 (the third unbeaten team during the IHSAA tournament era). That team finished No. 10 in the nation according to Collegiate Baseball/Easton Sports. Weybright was IHSBCA 3A coach of the year in 2003 and 2007 and Northeast Eight Conference coach of the year in 2006 and 2007. Twenty-two players went on to college baseball with six North/South All-Star Series selection (he was head coach in 2007 and series co-chair in Fort Wayne in 2011). Four players were taken in the Major League Baseball draft with two making the big leagues. Weybright has been on the IHSBCA executive council and served as the group’s president (2012-13). He remains active as a 3A poll voter. He is currently athletic director at Norwell and continues to work with the baseball team occasionally during the season and the summer developmental period. He resides in Bluffton with wife Lisa, a teacher at Norwell Middle School. The couple has three children (Garrett, 23, Jacob, 20, and Maria, 19).
Tim Terry (Active) A graduate of Clinton High School and Indiana State University (bachelor’s and masters), Terry has been a baseball coach for 43 years — 41 as head coach — with 620 wins and eight sectionals. His teams have won 20 or more games 10 times and he has been a conference Coach of the Year on nine occasions. He has twice been a District Coach of the Year, served as an IHSBCA All-Star coach twice and coaches several All-Staters and All-Stars. He’s been on many IHSBCA committees. Terry played football, basketball and baseball at Clinton and baseball and Indiana State before an injury sidelined him. He was a South Vermillion High School assistant in 1979 and 1981 and Turkey Run High School head coach in 1980. He became SVHS head coach in 1982. He has also coached many Little League, Pony League, Babe Ruth and travel ball teams. He’s been a varsity football coach for three years and girls basketball coach of 34. In three sports, he has 922 victories. Terry was an Industrial Arts and Physical Education teacher and has been South Vermillion athletic director for the past six years. Tim and wife Kim (an SVHS Science teacher) have four boys (T.J., Carlton, Cooper and Easton).
Kyle Kraemer (Active) A 1986 graduate of Terre Haute South Vigo High School, Kraemer was an IHSBCA first-team all-state selection as a senior and played in the North/South All-Star Series. He played four years at Purdue University under IHSBCA Hall of Famer Dave Alexander. As a senior, he was team captain and led the Boilermakers with 10 home runs. Kraemer will begin his 29th season as South Vigo in 2023. His record is 535-255-2. Coach K was also an assistant at Harrison (West Lafayette) in 1992 and South Vigo in 1993 and 1994. His first season leading the Braves was 1995. Seventy-five players have gone on to the next level, including eight professionals. There have been 64 all-conference selections (42 Metropolitation Interscholastic Conference and 22 Conference Indiana). Eight players have been on the IHSBCA Academic All-State Team, 12 in the North/South All-Star Series and five IHSBCA first-team all-state. He has coached teams to eight conference titles (six MIC and two CI) with 10 sectional and for regional crowns and two Final Four appearances. He was named MIC Coach of the Year six times and CI Coach of the Year twice. Kraemer is an active IHSBCA member. He has been District M representative for more than 20 years and acted as hosted of the 2006 North/South Series. He was an assistant for the 2008 series. He has been on the South All-Star selection committee on numerous occasions. He has served as a 4A poll panelist the past seven years. Kraemer teaches in the CTE department at South Vigo. Wife Valerie is a fourth grade teacher in Vigo County. The couple shares three children together — Koby Kramer (with wife Seyma), Ali Gonzalez (with husband Rigo) and Jacob Givens. There are also four grandchildren (Kali and Khali Kraemer and Liam and Leia Givens).
Dave Ginder (Active) A graduate of Carroll High School and Anderson University, Ginder is 426-147 in 20 seasons as Carroll head coach with seven Northeast Hoosier Conference, 11 sectional, four regional, two semistate and two state crowns (2010 and 2011). He was the State Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2011, NHC Coach of the Year in 2003, 2011 and 2013 and a District Coach of the Year in 2007, 2010 and 2001. Ginder is an active IHSBCA member, having served as an All-Star coach in 2011 and many years as a member of the 4A poll panel. He has also been involved in many local baseball camps and clinics and is member of the American Baseball Coaches Association and Northeast Indiana Baseball Association. Dave and wife Kristen reside in Fort Wayne and have three children (Langston, 23, Drezdan, 21, and Jantzyn, 18). Dave teaches mat at Carroll High School and Kristen is a Registered Nurse at Parkview.
Players/Contributors Wallace Johnson (Retired) A graduate of Gary Roosevelt High School (1975) and Indiana State University (1979), Wallace played for legendary coach Bob Warn at ISU and was co-captain on the Sycamores’ first Missouri Valley Conference championship team and first NCAA Tournament team. Johnson led the nation in hitting (.502) that season and hit .422 for his college career. He was inducted into the ISU Hall of Fame in 1985. Drafted in 1979 by the Montreal Expos, Johnson was a Florida State League MVP and helped Denver (1981) and Indianapolis (1986) and Triple-A championships. He made his MLB debut with the Expos in 1981 and became the team’s all-time leader in pinch hits (86). For his big league career, Johnson hit .255 with five home runs and 59 runs batted in over 428 games. After his playing career, he was third base coach for the Chicago White Sox for five seasons.
Drew Storen (Retired) A 2007 graduate of Brownsburg High School, he played for IHSBCA Hall of Famer Pat O’Neil and was a key member of the 2005 undefeated state championship team which the Indianapolis Star deemed “the greatest high school team in Indiana history.” He was the No. 2 pitcher behind Lance Lynn as the Bulldogs were also state runners-up in 2004. Storen was 26-2 in his high school career with a 1.61 earned run average and 270 strikeouts in 178 1/3 innings. He was all-state, academic all-state, a South all-star and a 34th round pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. He played at Stanford University and was a two-time all-PAC-10 selection, going 12-4 with a 3.64 ERA and 15 saves, throwing mostly in a relief role. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he was chosen 10th overall for the Washington Nationals in 2009. Storen enjoyed a nine-year career with the Nationals, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds. He went 29-18 with 99 saves. In 440 1/3 innings (all in relief), he struck out 417 and posted a 3.45 ERA. He pitched in two postseason series. He was 1-1 with a save against the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012 and 0-1 vs. the San Francisco Giants in 2014. Drew and wife Brittani live in Indianapolis with two boys (Jace, 5, and Pierce, 2).
Dave Taylor (Active) A standout player at Southmont High School and Wabash College (where he was team captain), Taylor coached Little League, Babe Ruth, high school, AAU and American Legion ball. During an AAU coaching stint in Florida he realized the level of travel baseball and how Indiana was underrepresented in this arena. He formed the Indiana Bulls with the vision of providing Indiana high school players with the opportunity to pursue their college and MLB dreams. In 1992, the Bulls sponsored two games and Taylor coached the 18U squad with future big leaguers Scott Rolen and Todd Dunwoody. He coached the Bulls four more seasons, served as president for 10 and officer for 20 and has been director since 1992. More than 170 Bulls players have been drafted (12 in the first round) and over 300 have received NCAA Division I scholarships. The organization has 22 national titles and a professional staff that works 12 months a year. There are currently 25 teams ages 8U to 17U. Several are coached by former professionals who played for the Bulls. Taylor resides in Brownsburg and is a leading insurance defense trail attorney, He has served 20 years as a certified Major League Baseball Players Association agent and represented more than 100 pro players. He continues to represent former players in various legal matters.
Bryan Bullington (Retired) A graduate of Madison Consolidated High School, Bullington was a two-sport athlete (basketball and baseball). As a pitcher, he was 6-3 with 74 strikeouts as a sophomore in 1997, 10-1 with 1.69 earned run average and 65 strikeouts as a junior in 1998 and 15-0 with 1.49 ERA and 127 strikeouts as a senior in 1999. He threw a one-hitter in helping Madison win a state championship in 1999 and was named Indiana Mr. Baseball by Hoosier Diamond. He was MVP of the IHSBCA North/South All-Star Series and selected in the 37th round of the MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals. Bullington opted to attend Ball State University. In three seasons he was 29-11. He was Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2001 and 2002. When he left BSU, he held school records for single-season wins (11), career wins (29), single-season strikeouts (139) and career strikeout (357) and still holds MAC single-season and career strikeout marks. He was named to the BSU Hall of Fame in 2014. Bullington, a 2001 U.S. National Team pitcher in 2001, was the No. 1 overall draft selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2002. He’s just one of two Indiana players taken with the top pick. He logged 12 pro seasons (missing 2006 because of a torn labrum) with a 61-38 record, 3.68 ERA and 602 strikeouts in seven minor league campaigns. In five seasons with the Hiroshima Carp in Japan, he was 46-48 with a 3.25 ERA and 550 strikeouts. He pitched in 49 MLB games with the Pirates, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays and Royals. Bullington lives south of Chicago with his wife and three children and is a scout for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Jeff Samardzija (Retired) A 2003 graduate of Valparaiso High School, Samardzija is considered one of the best athletes in Indiana state history. He was runner-up for Indiana Mr. Football and a three-time all-stater and all-star in that sport. In baseball, he was runner-up for Mr. Baseball as a senior and was a three-year varsity letterman, an all-state honoree and center fielder. He hit .375 with five home runs and 37 runs batted in as a junior. As a senior, he hit .481 with eight homers and 50 RBIs. Samardzija chose to play football at Notre Dame and was invited to pitch for the Irish. He was a two-time All-American wide receiver and two-time All-American pitcher. He was a two-time runner-up for the Biletnikoff Award as the the college football season’s outstanding FBS receiver. Despite his football skills and the likelihood of being drafted as a first-round pick by the NFL, he opted to play baseball after pitching for the Irish for three seasons. Samardzija was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 draft by the Chicago Cubs and made his MLB debut in July 2008. He alspo played for the Oakland Athletics (2014), Chicago White Sox (2015) and San Francisco Giants (2016-20). He was an American League all-star in 2014. His career record was 80-106 with a 4.15 ERA and 1,449 strikeouts. He pitched 13 full seasons at the MLB level. Jeff and brother Sam represent a rate achievement in VHS history as all-state performers in both football and baseball.
A.J. Reed (Retired) A 2011 graduate of Terre Haute South Vigo High School, where he played for Kyle Kraemer, Reed was a three-time all-Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference honoree, first-team All-State (2010 and 2011) and Indiana High School Player of the Year (2011). He was also an IHSBCA South All-Star and the series MVP. He is listed in the IHSBCA record for walks in a season (first) and home runs in a season (sixth). Reed played three seasons at the University of Kentucky (2012-14). After his junior year, he earned the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, Golden Spikes Award (for the nation’s top amateur player), Dick Howser Trophy and Player of the Year honors from ABCA and Baseball America as well as the John Olerud Trophy and several first-team All-America mentions and Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger National Player of the Year. In 2012, he was on several first-team Freshman All-America lists. The Houston Astros selected Reed in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft and he was an All-Star in Minor League Baseball in 2015, 2017 and 2018. He was a two-time recipient of the Joe Bauman Award for leading MiLB in homers and was Rookie of the Year and MVP at Lancaster of the California League in 2015. Reed retired from baseball in May 2020 and resides in Riley with Shelby and their two dogs. He plans to return to college to finish his bachelor’s degree.
Carson Husmann was known to put baseballs in orbit while playing for the Satellites of South Central Junior/Senior High School in Union Mills, Ind. The right-handed hitter belted 31 home runs during his prep career, including 14 as a senior in 2019. Husmann was back at it in 2022 at NCAA Division I Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. In 49 games (all starts), the corner outfielder hit .277 (52-of-188) with 13 homers, nine doubles, 45 runs batted in, 38 runs scored and .908 OPS (.365 on-base percentage plus .543 slugging average). Batting in the No. 4 hole in the Braves lineup, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Husmann went to the dish with an idea. “Hunt the fastball in the (strike) zone and don’t miss it,” says Husmann. “I can do damage with other pitches as well, but I really don’t want to miss the fastball in any count.” While playing for the Josh Foreman-managed Moon Shots in the 2022 College Summer League at Grand Park, Husmann batted .352 with two homers, eight doubles and 15 RBIs. He also socked a homer in the CSL All-Star Game and made the All-CSL team as an outfielder. His offensive aim was to improve his small-ball two-strike approach. “I was working on keeping the ball in the zone,” says Husmann. “Cutting down on the strikeouts is the biggest goal I had this summer.” He fanned 67 times and walked 20 in the spring. Husmann did not enjoy much success at the plate his first two seasons at Bradley (2020 and 2021). In 28 games, he hit .189 (14-of-74) with three homers, two doubles, 14 RBIs and 14 runs. “Freshman year was a blur with COVID,” says Husmann. “The following year I had an injury that no one really knew about that messed with me mentally. “Baseball is a mental game for sure.” Batting in the 5-hole and doing well, Husmann fouled a ball off his left ankle. “It went down hill from there,” says Husmann. “It was something I was always thinking about.” There was a persistent cramping feeling. With air travel restrictions, Bradley had to hit the road. “We went on 14-hour bus trips back-to-back-to-back and I formed a blood clot,” says Husmann. “I was taking baby aspirin.” Husmann signed to play with the Duluth (Minn.) Huskies for the 2022 Northwoods League summer season. But injury caused him to stay closer to home and he was with the Grand Park league champion Bag Bandits (managed by Caleb Fenimore). That’s where Husmann began to get back on track. “I got my head right and just went from there,” says Husmann. At Bradley, he played for head coach Elvis Dominguez and works with hitting coach Kyle Trewyn. “When I think of Coach D I think of how he’s created a family environment,” says Husmann of Dominguez. “(Trewyn) gets you in a good place to hit. As you get older you can do those things on your own. He always stuck with me. He’s helped me become a better hitter overall.” Born in Valparaiso, Ind., Husmann grew up in Hanna, Ind. He played his earliest organized baseball in Hanna then was in travel ball with the Chesterton Vipers, Michigan Blue Jays and Chicago-based Midwest Rangers and subbed with other squads. “It was with the Blue Jays that I first got individual coaching and started to develop,” says Husmann. As a four-year varsity player at South Central, he hit over .400 each season and drove in 112 runs in 100 games. He was a Class 1A first-team all-stater. He was a classmate and teammate of Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Stars MVP Kyle Schmack (now at Valparaiso University). Ryan Kruszka, who pitched at Butler University was the Satellites head baseball coach. Former Valparaiso U. hurler Jared Miller was pitching coach. “They had that college experience and were able to make us a better team because of it,” says Husmann. “Our conditioning was college style. It helped me know what to expect (in college).” The first summer after high school was Husmann’s last with the Midwest Rangers. In 2020, he was going to play in the Northwoods League with the Lacrosse (Wis.) Loggers. When that team played a modified season because the pandemic, Husmann was able to get in his reps with the Long Boarders of the San Diego League. He learned about the SDL from Bradley teammate and San Diego native Connor O’Brien. Husmann, 21, will head back to college with two years of remaining eligibility. He is 10 hours shy of earning his Business Management and Leadership degree. He expects to be a graduate student in the spring while he works toward a Master of Business Administration. “If the (Major League Baseball First-Year Player) Draft isn’t an option, I’ll use that fifth year for sure,” says Husmann, a regular on the Bradley Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. “I thought of getting a minor or a second major. But an MBA is a way to separate you from others.” Carson is the second of Lance and Kim Husmann’s three sons. Cooper (24) played basketball and baseball at South Central and graduated in 2016. Cade (20) was in the South Central Class of 2020. Former longtime union painter Lance Husmann works at Hard Rock Casino in Gary, Ind. Kim Husmann has worked as a teacher’s assistant.
Carson Husmann (Bradley University Photo)
Carson Husmann (Josh Schwam/Bradley University Photo)
Carson Husmann (Josh Schwam/Bradley University Photo)
Carson Husmann (Josh Schwam/Bradley University Photo)
Carson Husmann (Josh Schwam/Bradley University Photo)
Carson Husmann (Josh Schwam/Bradley University Photo)
Carson Husmann (College Summer League at Grand Park Photo)
Carson Husmann (College Summer League at Grand Park Photo)
Kaleb Hannahs has a purpose when he puts on his glove and trots out to his position in the infield. Support the man on the mound. “I’m trying to get my pitcher to trust me,” says Hannahs, who has completed two baseball seasons at Valparaiso (Ind.) University. “It makes them so much more comfortable attacking hitters when they know you’ll take care of balls put in-play. They’ll throw more strikes for you. “I let my hands do the work.” A shortstop throughout his days at West Vigo High School in West Terre Haute, Ind., Hannahs played shortstop, second base and third base this summer for the Coastal Plains League’s Peninsula Pilots (Hampton, Va.) and spent all but one game at third base for the Brian Schmack-coached VU Beacons in the spring. Hannahs was named to the all-Missouri Valley Conference defensive team in 2022. With the bat, the righty swinger hit .275 (55-of-200) with four home runs, 15 doubles, 25 runs batted in, 36 runs scored and seven stolen bases over 48 games (all starts). His OPS was .751 (.341 on-base percentage plus .410 slugging). He enjoyed 16 multi-hit games — including four with three RBIs in Game 1 of a doubleheader against Indiana State — where father Mitch Hannahs is the head coach. Kaleb tied for the team lead with seven multiple-RBI games. “My dad’s always been my mentor when it comes to baseball,” says Kaleb. “He’s just always guided me along the right path. I’ve grown to completely trust what says and the knowledge he has. “It’s extremely helpful for me to have that connection.” Kaleb sees in his dad — who played at Indiana State and in pro baseball before launching into a coaching career — a combination of Old School and New School. “He’s figured out stuff that will always work,” says Kaleb. “He does a good job of teaching those things.” The younger Hannahs was born in Terre Haute and started school in Robinson, Ill., when his father was head coach at Lincoln Trail College. Kaleb, who is now 20, was 12 and in the sixth grade when he moved to Terre Haute. From Grades 7 to 11, his summers were spent with the Indiana Reds travel ball organization. Hannahs played for Culley DeGroote at West Vigo in 2020 — the year the COVID-19 pandemic took away the season, which would have been his fourth on varsity. “The whole DeGroote family take care of the West Vigo baseball program,” says Hannahs. “They do it well. You learn how to play the game. “With Culley, everything was always in-line. He kept our heads pointed in the same direction.” Hannahs also earned four high school letters each in football and basketball and was all-Western Indiana Conference in both sports. In 2020, Hannahs was part of the first season for the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., helping the Turf Monsters to the championship. Alex Thurston, who would be his roommate at Valparaiso U., was also on the team. Hannahs enjoyed a super 2021 spring that included being honored as the MVC Freshman of the Year, all-MVC second team and Valpo’s 2020-21 co-Male Newcomer of the Year. In 51 games, Hannahs hit .296 (55-of-186) with three homers, six doubles, 22 RBIs, 22 runs and four stolen bases. His OPS was .776 (.389/.387). He was in 41 games with the 2021 Prospect League’s Terre Haute Rex and hit .293 (46-of-157) with two homers. Hannahs explains his offensive approach. “What I try to do is keep my mind as empty as possible,” says Hannahs. “It’s a one-on-one battle against the pitcher. “My dad presented that to me. It’s best for me to keep it competitive.” Hannahs was usually in the No. 2 spot in the batting order with Kyle Schmack (.292, 7 HR, 27 RBI) hitting behind him. “I know I’ll get a lot more pitches to hit,” says Hannahs. “They’re not going to pitch around me to get another good hitter.” Schmack and Hannahs were teammates at Peninsula before both returned to Indiana for the rest of the summer. Hannahs hit .306 (26-of-85) with two homers over 24 games. “It was a great league with great competition,” says Hannahs of the CPL. “You can tell the area is invested in that league. “It was packed every night.” A Civil Engineering major his first year at Valpo U., Hannahs, who turns 21 in February, has changed to Integrated Business and Engineering. Kaleb is the youngest of Mitch and Robinson (Ill.) High School English/Social Studies teacher Amy Hannahs’ three children. Former second baseman Derek Hannahs (30) played at Ohio State and Indiana State (even before his father coached there). He now lives in Indianapolis and sells insurance. Kylee Hannahs (25) resides in Greenwood, Ind., and is a social worker.
Left-handed pitcher Zack Thompson, who was a star at Wapahani High School in Selma, Ind., and the University of Kentucky, made his Major League Baseball debut when he earned a four-inning save for the St. Louis Cardinals June 3 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Thompson, 24, has made 10 starts for the Triple-A Memphis (Tenn.) Redbirds in 2022 and is 2-2 with a 4.67 earned run average. Zach McKinstry (Fort Wayne North Side/Central Michigan) has split his time between the minors and the big-league Los Angeles Dodgers and the lefty-swinging infielder is currently on the active roster with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. He made his big league debut in 2020. McKinstry, 27, is hitting .335 with three home runs and 20 runs batted in over 164 MiLB at-bats and is 1-for-5 with LA — the hit being a June 3 two-run home run off New York Mets right-hander Chris Bassitt. Right-hander Ryan Pepiot (Westfield/Butler) had made his MLB debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 11. He is back with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. Pepiot, 24, is 4-0 with a 1.77 ERA in nine appearances for OKC and 0-0 with a 3.18 ERA in three games (11 1/3 innings) in the big leagues. Many other players are also on active rosters in the minors. Right-hander Luke Albright (Fishers/Kent State) is with the High-A Hillsboro (Ore.) Hops (Arizona Diamondbacks). Albright, 22, is 3-2 with a 3.64 ERA in 10 starts. Third baseman Cole Barr (Yorktown/Indiana University) plays for the High-A Everett (Wash.) AquaSox (Seattle Mariners). Barr, 24, is hitting .172 with three homers and 17 RBIs. Right-hander Gabe Bierman (Jeffersonville/Indiana) toes the rubber for the Low-A Jupiter (Fla.) Hammerheads (Miami Marlins). Bierman, 22, is 2-2 with a 4.28 ERA in nine appearances (eight starts). Right-hander Garrett Burhenn (Lawrence North/Ohio State) takes the bump for the Low-A Lakeland (Fla.) Flying Tigers (Detroit Tigers). Burhenn, 22, is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in nine starts. Lefty-swinging outfielder Zach Britton (Batesville/Louisville) is with the High-A Vancouver (B.C.) Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays). Britton, 23, is hitting .206 with four homers and 11 RBIs. Right-hander Zack Brown (Seymour/Kentucky) is one step from the majors with the Triple-A Nashville (Tenn.) Sounds (Milwaukee Brewers). Brown, 27, is 1-0 with two saves and a 3.54 ERA in 17 relief appearances. Outfielder Drew Campbell (Jeffersonville/Louisville) swings from the left side for the High-A Rome Braves (Atlanta Braves). Campbell, 24, is hitting .266 with one homer and 22 RBIs. Left-hander Jacob Cantleberry (Center Grove/Missouri/San Jacinto) is with the High-A Great Lakes Loons (Los Angeles Dodgers) in Midland, Mich. Cantleberry, 24, is 2-1 with one save and a 6.10 ERA in 13 games out of the bullpen.
Right-hander Adysin Coffey (Delta/Wabash Valley) is on the Development List as a reliever with the Kannapolis (N.C.) Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox).
Coffey, 23, is 2-2 with two saves a 7.30 ERA in 13 games. Lefty-swinging outfielder Craig Dedelow (Munster/Indiana) takes his cuts for the Double-A Birmingham (Ala.) Barons (Chicago White Sox). Dedelow, 27, is hitting .226 with 13 homers and 35 RBIs. Lefty-swinging second baseman Clay Dungan (Yorktown/Indiana State) is with Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals). Dungan, 26, is hitting .204 with three homers and 18 RBIs. Outfielder Elijah Dunham (Evansville Reitz/Indiana) bats lefty for the Double-A Somerset Patriots (New York Yankees) in Bridgewater, N.J. Dunham, 24, is hitting .346 with seven homers and 27 RBIs. Right-hander Parker Dunshee (Zionsville/Wake Forest) is spinning pitches for the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators (Oakland Athletics). Dunshee, 27, is 1-5 with a 7.24 ERA in 12 games (10 starts).
Righty-swinging outfielder Matt Gorski (Hamilton Southeastern/Indiana) is with Double-A Altoona (Pa.) Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates).
Gorski, 24, is hitting .290 with 19 homers and 46 RBIs. Left-hander Timmy Herrin (Terre Haute South Vigo/Indiana) takes the mound for the Triple-A Columbus (Ohio) Clippers (Cleveland Guardians). Herrin, 25, is 0-2 with one save and a 4.00 ERA in 17 relief appearances. Right-hander Bryan Hoeing (Batesville/Louisville) challenges hitters for the Triple-A Jacksonville (Fla.) Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins). Hoeing, 25, is 7-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 11 starts. Lefty-swinging outfielder Jacob Hurtubise (Zionsville/Army) is with the Double-A Chattanooga (Tenn.) Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds). Hurtubise, 24, is hitting .299 with no homers and five RBIs. He has spent some time on the IL. Right-hander Drey Jameson (Greenfield-Central/Ball State) fires it for the Triple-A Reno (Nev.) Aces (Arizona Diamondbacks). Jameson, 24, is 3-5 with a 5.80 ERA in 12 games (11 starts). Catcher Hayden Jones (Carroll/Mississippi State/Illinois State) is also a lefty swinger and plays for the Low-A Daytona (Fla.) Tortugas (Cincinnati Reds). Jones, 22, is hitting .210 with one homer and eight RBIs. Righty-swinging catcher Scott Kapers (Mount Carmel, Ill./Valparaiso) is with the High-A Hickory (N.C.) Crawdads (Texas Rangers). Kapers, 25, is hitting .257 with five homers and 16 RBIs. Lefty-swinging first baseman Niko Kavadas (Penn/Notre Dame) competes for the Low-A Salem (Va.) Red Sox (Boston Red Sox). Kavadas, 23, is hitting .253 with seven homers and 31 RBIs. Right-hander Chayce McDermott (Pendleton Heights/Ball State) journeys around the circuit with the High-A Asheville (N.C.) Tourists (Houston Astros). McDermott, 23, is 5-1 with a 4.35 ERA in 12 games (six starts). First baseman Jacson McGowan (Brownsburg/Purdue) plies his trade with the Double-A Montgomery (Ala.) Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays). McGowan, 24, is hitting .276 with one homer and two RBIs. He has been on the IL in 2022. Right-hander Zach Messinger (Castle/Virginia) hurls for the Low-A Tampa (Fla.) Tarpons (New York Yankees). Messinger, 22, is 0-4 with two saves and a 4.85 ERA in 18 games (15 in relief). Right-hander Evan Miller (LaPorte/Purdue Fort Wayne) works mostly out of the bullpen for the Triple-A El Paso (Texas) Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres). Miller, 27, is 1-2 with two saves and a 6.59 ERA in 21 games (19 in relief). Lefty-swinging shortstop Colson Montgomery (Southridge) is with the Low-A Kannapolis (N.C.) Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox). Montgomery, 20, is hitting .295 with four homers and 23 RBIs. Righty-swinging infielder Nick Podkul (Andrean/Notre Dame) was with the Buffalo (N.Y.) Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays). Podkul, 25, is hitting .178 with two homers and nine RBIs. Left-hander Triston Polley (Brownsburg/Indiana State) has been a reliever for the High-A Hickory (N.C.) Crawdads (Texas Rangers). Polley, 25, is 6-2 with one save and a 5.67 ERA in 16 games (all out of the bullpen). Outfielder Grant Richardson (Fishers/Indiana) bats lefty for the Low-A Tampa (Fla.) Tarpons (New York Yankees). Richardson, 22, is hitting .207 with two homers and 16 RBIs. Left-hander Andrew Saalfrank (Heritage/Indiana) is a reliever for the High-A Hillsboro (Ore.) Hops (Arizona Diamondbacks). Saalfrank, 24, is 2-0 with a 3.52 ERA in 17 bullpen games. Andy Samuelson (LaPorte/Wabash Valley) pitched for the Rookie-level Braves (Atlanta Braves) until retiring June 11. Samuelson, 23, pitched 1/3 of an inning in 2022. Right-hander Caleb Sampen (Brownsburg/Wright State) pours it in for the Double-A Montgomery (Ala.) Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays). Sampen, 25, is 1-12 with a 5.02 ERA in nine appearances (five starts). He has been on the IL in 2022. Right-hander Reid Schaller (Lebanon/Vanderbilt) is part of the bullpen for the Double-A Harrisburg (Pa.) Senators (Washington Nationals). Schaller, 25, is 2-0 with one save and a 2.89 ERA in 14 bullpen contests. Lefty-swinging outfielder Nick Schnell (Roncalli) is back on the field after a long injury-list stint. He plays for the Low-A Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs (Tampa Bay Rays). Schnell, 22, was activated May 31 and is hitting .333 with no homers and six RBIs. The “Diamonds in the Rough” podcast features Schnell and Cole Wilcox. Left-hander Garrett Schoenle (Fort Wayne Northrop/Cincinnati) mostly comes out of the bullpen for the High-A Winston-Salem (N.C.) Dash (Chicago White Sox). Schoenle, 23, is 3-1 with one save and a 1.39 ERA in 14 games (13 in relief). Left-hander Avery Short (Southport) has been starting for the High-A Hillsboro (Ore.) Hops (Arizona Diamondbacks). Short, 21, is 0-4 with a 4.58 ERA in nine starts. Left-hander Tommy Sommer (Carmel/Indiana) is a starter for the Low-A Kannapolis (N.C.) Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox). Sommer, 23, is 2-4 with a 3.13 ERA in 11 starts. Right-hander Skylar Szynski (Penn) was drafted in 2016 and has missed much time because of injury. He is Low-A Stockton (Calif.) Ports (Oakland Athletics). Szynski, 24, is 1-1 with a 12.66 ERA in 15 bullpen games. Right-hander Nolan Watson (Lawrence North) is mostly a reliever for the Double-A San Antonio Missions (San Diego Padres). Watson, 25, is 1-2 with a 7.76 ERA in 14 appearances (12 in relief). Among those on the 7-day injury list are right-hander Sam Bachman (Hamilton Southeastern/Miami of Ohio) with the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels) in Madison, Ala., righty-swinging third baseman Kody Hoese (Griffith/Tulane) with the Tulsa (Okla.) Drillers (Los Angeles Dodgers), right-hander Michael McAvene (Roncalli/Louisville) with the High-A South Bend Cubs (Chicago Cubs) and righty-swinging third baseman Riley Tirotta (Mishawaka Marian/Dayton) with the High-A Vancouver (B.C.) Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays). Bachman, 22, is 0-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four starts. Hoese, 24, is hitting .284 with three homers and 21 RBIs. McAvene, 24, is 0-0 with a 40.50 ERA in one relief appearance. Tirotta, 23, is hitting .209 with three homers and 20 RBIs. Right-hander Tanner Andrews (Tippecanoe Valley/Purdue) with the Triple-A Sacramento (Calif.) River Cats (San Francisco Giants), right-hander Pauly Milto (Roncalli/Indiana) with the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Dash (Chicago White Sox) and righty-swinging third baseman Hunter Owen (Evansville Mater Dei/Indiana State) with the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates) are on the 60-day IL. Andrews, 26, is 0-0 with an 11.12 ERA in four relief games. Milto, 25, is 0-0 with a 3.07 ERA in nine games (eight in relief). Owen, 28, is hitting .256 with no homers and five RBIs. He made his MLB debut in 2021.
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