Jarrett Grube, Jarrod Parker and Kip McWilliams are to be inducted into the Northeast Indiana Baseball Association Hall of Fame as part of its 2023 class. Grubb played at DeKalb High School, Vincennes University, the University of Memphis and in the majors with 2014 Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander was in affiliated pro ball from 2004-17. Parker played at Norwell High School and in the big leagues with Arizona Diamondbacks (2011) and Oakland Athletics (2012-13). The right-hander was a pro from 2008-15. McWilliams is in his 15th season as head coach at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne. He has more than 500 wins, numerous conference titles and an NAIA World Series appearance on his resume. The NEIBA Hall of Fame banquet is 5 p.m. Sunday, June 11 at Classic Cafe Catering and Event Center, 4832 Hillegas Road, Fort Wayne. In addition to the Hall of Famers, Fort Wayne Canterbury High School coach Pat “Bubba” McMahon will receive the Colin Lister Award and WFFT-TV 55 sports director Justin Prince the Bob Parker Award. Reservations may be made at the following link https://forms.gle/vfTWCs2VVcPZqK9a6. Tickets can also be purchased through the reservation link via PayPal or attendees can pay via cash/check at the door.
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
Valparaiso has played all its 2023 college baseball games in 2023 in either Texas, Tennessee or Arkansas. And yet the NCAA Division I Beacons are 6-3 — the program’s best start since 1985. Valpo U. won five straight before a Sunday loss at Arkansas-Little Rock. This week, Brian Schmack’s team plays Tuesday at Mississippi State and Friday through Sunday at Southern Mississippi. D-I Evansville is on a seven-game win streak after losing the first five games of the year. The Wes Carroll-coached Purple Aces are coming off a 5-0 week. D-I Purdue (8-4) — coached by Greg Goff — took three of four games from Akron, outscoring the Zips 55-15. D-I Ball State (5-4) — coached by Rich Maloney — went 3-1 for the week with two wins against Purdue Fort Wayne and one against Cornell with the loss coming to 13-0 Wake Forest. The state’s two NCAA D-II programs are scheduled to meet Tuesday, March 7 when Purdue Northwest (2-4) plays a doubleheader at Indianapolis (6-0). The first game is slated for 1 p.m. The best weeks among D-III programs were enjoyed by Rick Espeset-coached Manchester 4-2, Matt Bair-coached Anderson 3-0, Grant Bellak-coached Hanover 2-0 and Adam Rosen-coached Rose-Hulman 2-1. NAIA Indiana Tech (9-1) extended its win streak to eight with a 3-0 week in which the Kip McWilliams-coached Warriors outscored opponents 47-21. Indiana has eight teams in the NAIA Crossroads League. That circuit played its first games of the season. Huntington, Indiana Wesleyan (3-0 for the week) and Taylor (2-0 for the week) are all off a 2-0 CL starts. Drew Brantley’s NAIA Indiana University-Kokomo also enjoyed a 2-0 week. In junior college, South Spencer High School graduate Kobe Bartlett hit a two-run double as Chris Barney-coached Vincennes University capped a six-run seventh-inning rally to beat Lincoln Trail 7-6 Sunday. Below are season records, weekly results and links to web pages, schedules and statistics for all of Indiana’s 39 collegiate programs.
Through March 5 NCAA D-I Tuesday, Feb. 28 Indiana 13, Butler 2
Wednesday, March 1 Evansville 14, Southeast Missouri 8
Friday, March 3 Ball State 5, Cornell 2 Wake Forest 11, Purdue Fort Wayne 0 Central Connecticut State 6, Butler 5 Louisiana State 12, Butler 2 East Carolina 17, Indiana 4 Notre Dame 7, Alabama-Birmingham 2 Akron 2, Purdue 1 Washington State 7, Southern Indiana 5
Saturday, March 4 Ball State 11, Purdue Fort Wayne 0 Wake Forest 7, Ball State 4 Central Connecticut State 3, Butler 1 Evansville 9, Bowling Green 3 (7 inn.) Evansville 11, Bowling Green 0 (7 inn.) Indiana 4, Georgetown 3 Kentucky 4, Indiana State 2 Kentucky 5, Indiana State 4 Notre Dame 7, Alabama-Birmingham 3 Purdue 17, Akron 9 Purdue 13, Akron 0 (7 inn.) Purdue Fort Wayne 6, Cornell 3 Washington State 12, Southern Indiana 5 Valparaiso 7, Arkansas-Little Rock 6 Valparaiso 9, Arkansas-Little Rock 3
Sunday, March 5 Ball State 13, Purdue Fort Wayne 9 Evansville 8, Bowling Green 4 (7 inn.). Evansville 13, Bowling Green 3 (7 inn.). Long Beach State 10, Indiana 4 Kentucky 7, Indiana State 6 Alabama-Birmingham 5, Notre Dame 2 Purdue 23, Akron 4 Washington State 6, Southern Indiana 0 Arkansas-Little Rock 18, Valparaiso 8 (7 inn.).
NCAA D-III Monday, Feb. 27 Franklin 9, Moravian 5 Manchester 4, Eastern 2 Manchester 8, Neumann 5
Tuesday, Feb. 28 Calvin 15, Franklin 6 Manchester 12, Cabrini 4 Emory 7, Rose-Hulman 2
Saturday, March 4 Anderson 13, St. Norbert 10 Anderson 8, St. Norbert 7 Manchester 12, DePauw 5 DePauw 11, Manchester 8 Earlham 9, Illinois Tech 8 Illinois Tech 14, Earlham 1 Hope 14, Franklin 12 Franklin 5, Hope 4 Hanover 11, North Park 2 Rose-Hulman 8, Bridgewater 6 Rose-Hulman 13, Ferrum 12
Sunday, March 5 Anderson 4, St. Norbert 3 DePauw 18, Manchester 8 Illinois Tech 7, Earlham 4 Earlham 5, Illinois Tech 3 Hanover 5, North Park 2 John Carroll 8, Trine 1 John Carroll 8, Trine 3 Misericordia 8, Wabash 3 Misericordia 5, Wabash 2
NAIA Monday, Feb. 27 Cumberland 23, IU South Bend 17
Tuesday, Feb. 28 Mount Vernon Nazarene 3, Bethel 2 Bethel 9, Mount Vernon Nazarene 2 Thomas More 11, Goshen 7 Bethel (Tenn.) 10, Oakland City 6
Wednesday, March 1 Mount Vernon Nazarene 12, Bethel 8 Mount Vernon Nazarene 10, Bethel 6 Indiana Wesleyan 10, IU South Bend 8 Lindsey Wilson 11, IU Southeast 1 (7 inn.)
Thursday, March 2 Goshen 7, Marian 2 Marian 7, Goshen 6 Indiana Wesleyan 16, Grace 0 Indiana Wesleyan 3, Grace 2 Huntington 10, Spring Arbor 5 Huntington 8, Spring Arbor 3 Taylor 10, Saint Francis 9 Taylor 24, Saint Francis 4
Saturday, March 4 Toccoa Falls 11, Calumet at St. Joseph 4 Calumet 10, St. Joseph at Toccoa Falls 5 Cleary 12, IUPU-Columbus 6 Cleary 3, IUPU-Columbus 0 Rio Grande 7, IU Southeast 5 Indiana Tech 13, Bryan 6
Sunday, March 5 Marian 6, Goshen 4 Goshen 3, Marian 2 IU-Kokomo 3, Oakland City 1 IU-Kokomo 9, Oakland City 2 Cleary 9, IUPU-Columbus 0 Cleary 8, IUPU-Columbus 4 IU Southeast 11, Rio Grande 5 Rio Grande 6, IU Southeast 1 Indiana Tech 20, Fisher 3 (10 inn.). Indiana Tech 14, Fisher 12 (8 inn.).
Junior College Wednesday, March 1 Edison State 6, Ivy Tech Northeast 5 Ivy Tech Northeast 21, Edison State 6 (5 inn.)
Saturday, March 4 Kellogg 5, Vincennes 2
Sunday, March 5 Vincennes 7 , Lincoln Trail 6 Wabash Valley 16, Vincennes 5
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
Ryan Hoover is now in charge of the baseball program at Perry Central Junior-Senior High School in Leopold, Ind. The 2023 season will be Hoover’s first as a varsity head coach. The past two years Hoover coached Evansville North’s middle school team. He has been a travel ball coach the past four or five years, including with the Evansville-based and Jeremy Johnson-run Razorback Baseball Club and an assistant on Adam Hines’ staff at Henderson (Ky.) County High School. Perry Central (enrollment around 400) is a member of the Patoka Lake Athletic Conference (with Crawford County, Mitchell, Orleans, Paoli, Springs Valley and West Washington). The Commodores are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping in 2023 with Evansville Mater Dei, Forest Park, North Posey, South Spencer and Tell City. Perry Central has not yet won a sectional title. During the fall IHSAA Limited Contact Period, Hoover had Perry Central players working two days a week for two hours. Most of the time was spent on defense with hitting at the end of the sessions. This winter has been mostly two days a week of weight training and two days of hitting and arm care (with weighted baseballs). Hoover pays attention to his pitchers and has paid attention to pitch counts even before experiencing the rule set in place by the IHSAA (1 to 35 pitches requires 0 days rest; 36 to 60 requires 1 day; 61 to 80 requires 2 days; 81 to 100 requires 3 days; and 101 to 120 requires 4 days). “I make sure they’re getting proper rest, proper stretching and getting loose the proper way before they go out and (throw) 100 percent and really hurt their arm,” says Hoover, who wants to make sure those who might go on to college baseball are ready for the rigors of throwing which that entails. Recent Perry Central graduates who went on to college diamonds include the Class of 2021’s Brayden Stowe (Brescia University in Owensboro, Ky. before arm injury), Reece Davis (Southeastern Illinois College) and 2021’s Wes Scamahorn (Oakland City). Class of 2023’s Garrett Scamahorn — brother of Wes — has committed to Oakland City. Class of 2024’s Travis Kellems — a lefty pitcher and outfielder — has been receiving collegiate interest. A 2016 graduate of Morristown (Ind.) Junior-Senior High School, Hoover was a four-year varsity baseball starter for three head coaches — Tim Hancock in 2013, Royce Carlton in 2014 and Josh Bassett in 2015 and 2016. “(Carlton) did a real good job of teaching me about being a family as a program,” says Hoover. “The more you treat you treat your teammates as family, the harder you’re going to play for each other. “(Bassett) put a lot of responsibility on me. When he came in I was the only returning starter. He taught me how to be a leader.” Hoover played all over the diamond for the Yellow Jackets, but mostly at third base. In two seasons at Vincennes (Ind.) University, Hoover was also a utility player though most of his time was spent at second base. Chris Barney is the Trailblazers head coach. “He taught me how to come in and get your business done,” says Hoover of Barney. “You go in, work hard and understand who you are as a player.” Hoover did not play past VU. He transferred and earned an Information Technology degree at Indiana University-Bloomington in 2019. He now has a daytime job as an IT professional, part of the time for Perry Central. The Commodores play and practice on-campus. On Hoover’s wish list is the leveling of the playing surface. Hoover’s assistant coaches include Jason Hubert (who helped Hoover with the Razorbacks last summer), Andrew Harpenau and Chad Hubert at the high school. Guiding the junior high team (a mix of seventh and eighth graders which play in the spring and use the varsity field) is Brayden Stowe (son of former Perry Central head coach Adam Stowe) and Zander Poole. Besides the junior high team, which plays in the spring against mostly Pocket Athletic Conference schools plus Owensboro Catholic another feeder is Perry Central Youth Baseball for ages 7 to 12. “I’m pretty involved making sure we get as much participation as possible,” says Hoover. “It’s exciting for the future.” Hoover has committed to coach a Razorbacks 14U team this summer. Ryan and Stephanie Hoover were married in October 2022. She is a University of Evansville graduate and a physical therapist in Princeton, Ind.
Illinois junior college baseball has long been a destination for Indiana players. Many have used the two-year institutions to springboard into a four-year school or the professional ranks. Our neighbors to the west sport 41 National Junior College Athletic Association programs in Division I, II and III (Regions 4 or 24). There is a difference between divisions. NJCAA Divisions I and II can offer up to 24 athletic scholarships. Division III schools do not. Most (but not all) junior colleges have other scholarship and financial aid options. Illinois’ NJCAA D-I teams include Frontier Community College (Fairfield), John A. Logan College (Carterville), Kakaskia College (Centralia), Kishwaukee College (Malta), Lake Land College (Mattoon), Lincoln Trail College (Robinson), Olive-Harvey College (Chicago), Olney Central College (Olney), Rend Lake College (Ina), Shawnee CC (Ullin), South Suburban College (South Holland), Southeastern Illinois College (Harrisburg), Southwestern Illinois College (Swansea), Triton College (River Grove) and Wabash Valley College (Mount Carmel). Wabash Valley went 59-9 and qualified for the 2022 NJCAA D-I World Series in Grand Junction, Colo. “We’ve been very fortunate,” says Wabash Valley coach Aaron Biddle, who is in his eighth season with the Warriors and first as head coach in 2023. “We’ve had some very good Indiana kids over the years. We’re just right across the border form Princeton, Ind. Getting into Evansville and going up to Indianapolis are great recruiting sources for us. “Our conference is real competitive.” John A. Logan, Kakaskia, Lake Land, Lincoln Trail, Olney Central, Rend Lake, Shawnee, Southeastern Illinois, Southwestern Illinois and Wabash Valley is in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference. WVC plays mostly D-I schools with a few D-II’s sprinkled in. “The more D-I opponents you have on your schedule the better it is for your (RPI) rankings,” says Biddle. What does “JUCO Bandit” means to Biddle, who started his college playing career at former NJCAA D-III St. Catharine in Kentucky and finished at NCAA D-II Kentucky Wesleyan. “Maybe he’s not be getting the offers he wants at (NCAA) D-I or a big school and he’s going to bet on himself and he’s going to go the JUCO route, grind for two years and get better everyday and definitely get that offer he’s not getting right now,” says Biddle. “We get to spend a lot of time with our guys. We get to be with them almost every single day. There’s not a lot of restrictions on how much practice time we have. “The big things is that in the fall, we get to play 14 dates. We get to play every weekend. Guys are getting all those extra innings and they’re getting to compete. That’s a big thing for us. “In baseball you’ve got to play to get better.” Biddle says the funnest aspect of his job is seeing players land at their dream school. South Suburban posted a 42-19 record in 2022. Kevin Bowers has been head coach at Lincoln Trail since the 2010 season. That was the sophomore season of Justin Hancock (who went on to pitch in the big leagues and is now an Indiana State University assistant). Bowers was on the LTC staff since 2001 and was an assistant to then-Statesmen head coach Mitch Hannahs (who is now head coach at Indiana State). Bowers coached at ISU for the 2000 season. Lincoln Trail is about 10 miles from the Indiana line and 40 miles from ISU. “The talent level is just off the chart,” says Bowers. “I’m certainly not knocking the state of Illinois. We’ve had a great deal of success with kids out of Indiana.” Bowers has a take on “JUCO Bandit.” “We develop an ‘ask no quarter, take no quarter’ mentality,” says Bowers. “We don’t want for a lot. We don’t need a lot. But we try to get a lot done. “’Bandit has that negative connotation to it. When you go to junior college your mindset is that you’re foregoing the 100,000-seat football stadium. There’s not a lot of nightlife. Campus activities are geared around the athletics. You develop a worker’s mentality. “There’s not a lot of thrills, but the talent at this level is crazy good.” Bowers said there was a time when junior college baseball was battling the perception that their players had got booted from another school or could not make grades. “Our guys are getting it done in the classroom and they’re getting it done on the field,” says Bowers, whose program earned a 2021-22 American Baseball Coaches Association Team Excellence Award for posting a grade-point average of 3.0 or above. “It’s a situation where academically you’re not going to lose ground.” Illinois’ NJCAA D-II squads are Black Hawk-Moline College (Moline), Carl Sandburg College (Galesburg), Danville Area CC (Danville), Elgin CC (Elgin), Heartland CC (Normal), Highland College (Freeport), Illinois Central College (East Peoria), Illinois Valley CC (Oglesby), John Wood CC (Quincy), Kankakee CC (Kankakee), College of Lake County (Grayslake), Lewis & Clark CC (Godfrey), Lincoln Land CC (Springfield), McHenry County College (Crystal Lake), Moraine Valley CC (Palos Heights), Morton College (Cicero), Parkland College (Champaign), Prairie State College (Chicago Heights), Sauk Valley CC (Dixon) and Spoon River College (Canton). Heartland (49-10) played in the 2022 NJCAA D-II World Series in Enid, Okla. The Mid-West Athletic Conference features Heartland, Danville Area, Illinois Central, John Wood, Lewis & Clark, Lincoln Land, Parkland and Spoon River plus Vincennes (Ind.) University. Also in 2022, Kankakee went 43-17, McHenry 40-18, Black Hawk-Moline 35-20, Lake County 32-20 and Morton 32-20. Illinois’ NJCAA D-III features College of DuPage (Glen Ellyn), Harper College (Palatine), Joliet Junior College (Joliet), Oakton CC (Skokie), Rock Valley College (Rockport) and Waubonsee CC (Sugar Grove). The Arrowhead Conference is made up of Black Hawk-Moline, Carl Sandburg, Highland, Illinois Valley, Kishwaukee and Sauk Valley. Oakton (34-28-1) competed in the 2022 NJCAA D-III World Series in Greenville, Tenn. Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference includes Lake County, Elgin, McHenry County, Moraine Valley, Morton, Oakton, Prairie State and Waubonsee. Since 1993, Triton is a two-time D-I World Series runner-up (1993 and 1994). D-II World Series titles were earned by Kishwaukee (1999), Lincoln Land (2000), Parkland (2002 and 2009) and Kankakee (2017). Parkland was also a runner-up in 2018. Joliet earned D-III World Series championships in 1994, 2008 and 2012 and placed second in 1995 and 2015. Oakton reigned in D-III in 2018 and Waubonsee was runner-up in 1996.
Tre’ Watson played for one state championship baseball team at Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville, Ind., and was an assistant coach for another. Now he’s the interim head coach for the Pioneers. His promotion was announced in late October 2022. Watson, who turned 25 in September, helped guide players through the fall IHSAA Limited Contact Period and is doing so again this winter. There has been individual skills work, including hitting and defense. “We’re pushing baserunning,” says Watson. “That’s going to be pretty big for us. “We have a lot of speed and a lot of smart baserunners.” The idea is to force the opposing defense into mistakes and capitalize on them. “That was not our M.O. when I was playing,” says Watson, noting that Providence went 27-3 his final prep season with all three losses being by one run. “We had really good pitching and offensively were good at situational hitting.” Watson was a key member of the 2016 IHSAA Class 2A state championship squad as a senior. He drew two walks and made two putouts while playing first base and third base in the state championship game and was presented with the L.V. Phillips Mental Attitude Award. After an injury-plagued stint at Vincennes (Ind.) University, Watson (who has had four knee operations and one hip surgery) moved closer to home, enrolled at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany and joined Scott Hornung’s Providence baseball staff for the 2018 season. Watson worked toward the Business Administration degree he earned in 2021. Longtime assistant Scott Hutchins took over the Providence program after the 2019 season. The Pioneers won another 2A state crown in 2021. Eli Watson — younger brother of Tre’ — was a senior in 2021 and also was named to the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series. Eli is now a redshirt freshman outfielder at Western Kentucky University. Providence (enrollment around 350) went 18-11 in 2022 and is an athletic independent. The Pioneers are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping in 2023 with Clarksville, Crawford County, Eastern (Pekin) and Paoli. Providence has won 20 sectional titles — the last two in 2021 and 2022. Home games are contested on Pioneer Field with its turf infield and Bermuda grass outfield. The synthetic surface makes rainouts a rarity. Among the eight seniors on the 2023 team are three college commits — middle infielder Grant Borden (Mercer University), right-handed pitcher/third baseman Cody Jackson (Anderson University) and right-hander Grant Seebold (Oakland City University). Sophomore outfielder Cole Huett, who swings and throws lefty, is verbally committed to the University of Virginia. Grant Borden is the brother of Houston Astros minor leaguer Tim Borden II. Other impact players include seniors Nathan Julius (outfielder), Casey Kaelin (middle infielder) and Brantley Whitlock (first baseman/third baseman) and juniors Jack Beyl (outfielder/right-hander), Luke Kruer (outfielder/right-hander) and Brian Wall (second baseman). Watson, who expects to have 25 or 26 players for varsity and junior varsity squads, counts Jay Lorenz, Jared Clemons, Brian Jackson, Scott Hornung and Reece Davis among his assistant coaches. Lorenz squeezed home the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning in the 2016 state title game. Hornung is Watson’s father-in-law. Tre’ married Jacquie Hornung (Providence Class of 2016 and a former volleyball player at Bellarmine University in Louisville) in 2021. The couple resides in New Albany. Tre’ Watson was born in Louisville to Charles II (aka Chuck) and Denna Watson and was raised in Jeffersonville, Ind. He was part of successful all-star teams at Jeff/GRC Little League. Outside of coaching, Watson is business manager of St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish in New Albany.
Brothers Eli Watson (left) and Tre’ Watson celebrate Providence’s IHSAA Class 2A baseball state championship in 2021.
Jacquie Hornung (left) and Tre’ Watson celebrate Providence’s IHSAA Class 2A baseball state championship in 2021. The two were married shortly after this game. Tre’ and Jacquie Watson reside in New Albany, Ind.
In its storied baseball history, Shakamak Junior/Senior High School in Jasonville, Ind., has appeared in an IHSAA state championship game eight times. Dylan Collins was on three of those teams — 2012, 2014 and 2015. The Lakers reigned over Class 1A in 2014. Collins played catcher his first two varsity seasons, second baseman as a junior and shortstop as a senior. He was in the 2-hole in 2012 and at the top of his team’s batting order in the 2014 and 2015. His head coach for the first three seasons was Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Chip Sweet. Todd Gambill took over the program after Sweet’s retirement. “Coach Sweet was an all-around good guy,” says Collins. “We looked up to him as a father figure. He was very well-respected and we wanted to win for him. “We had only one year with Coach Gambill. He was energetic. He knew what he was getting and we produced for him.” Collins played two seasons at Vincennes (Ind.) University for Chris Barney and one at Purdue Northwest for Dave Griffin. “(Barney) wanted me from the first time he saw me,” says Collins. “He told you how it was and lived up to the promise. “(Griffin) was an honest guy and fun to play for.” Collins came back home to work at Jasonville Utilities and joined the Shakamak baseball coaching staff. After three seasons as junior varsity coach, Collins was named last week as head coach. As a product of a program that has has won 27 sectional titles (the last two in 2021 and 2022) with state championships in 2008 and 2014 and runner-up finishes in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2015 and 2021, Collins knows that expectations are high in the Shakamak community. “That’s what drives me to do what I do,” says Collins. “That’s the fun part of it.” Every time Collins comes to Shakamak on-campus diamond he recalls the Laker legacy. “It’s all the history there,” says Collins. “I remember 2004 and one of the first state runs. My brother (Class of 2006’s Derek Collins) was on the team. I was young and running around. “There are so many memories.” Collins’s 2023 coaching staff features Class of 2015’s Jake Walters and pitching coach Braxton Yeryar and Jason Pegg (Bloomfield alum) with previous head coach Jeremy Yeryar (Shakamak of Class of 1993) also helping out. Braxton Yeryar was Collins’ teammate at Shakamak and a teammate and roommate at Vincennes U. As the man in charge, Collins wants his Lakers to “refuse to lose” and play with confidence. Among returnees from a 2022 team that went 16-14 is Indiana Wesleyan University commit and senior Brady Yeryar (.559 with seven home runs and 34 runs batted in as a junior). Ethan Burdette (Class of 2021) is now at VU. Shakamak (enrollment around 200) is a member of the Southwestern Indiana Athletic Conference (with Bloomfield, Clay City, Eastern Greene, Linton-Stockton, North Central of Farmsburg, North Daviess and White River Valley). SWIAC teams meet each other one time. The Lakers are part of an IHSAA Class 1A sectional grouping in 2023 with Bloomfield, Clay City, Dugger Union, North Central (Farmersburg) and White River Valley. Shakamak is to open the 2023 season March 31 at Jasper. There was weight training and conditioning for the Lakers during the fall IHSAA Limited Contact Period. Collins says hitting and other activities will take after the Christmas break. Shakamak has a junior high baseball team of seventh and eighth graders which play on the high school diamond in the spring. Another feeder is the Shakamak Youth League (T-ball through majors). Collins and girlfriend Bailey Scott have a 4-month son named Kooper Collins. Dylan’s parents are Jeff and Denise Collins. Jeff Collins (Shakamak Class of 1983) played for head coach Herschel Allen and once held batting records for the Lakers. Brooke Griffith (Class of 2007) is the sister to Dylan and Derek.
Jonathan Miller (left), Dylan Collins and Jeff Gambill.
Dylan Collins, Bailey Scott and their son Kooper Collins.
Dylan Collins (front) is surrounded by brother Derek Collins (left), mother Denise Collins, father Jeff Collins and sister Brooke Griffith.
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