Former Yorktown catcher Tanner uses his experiences as instructor, coach

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Zeth Tanner was 6 when he got his first baseball lesson.

He received the foundation that led him to play in high school, college and, briefly, independent professional ball.

Tanner, 26, is now an instructor at Pro X Athlete Development in Westfield, Ind., and 5 Tool Academy in his hometown of Yorktown, Ind., as well as a coach with the Indiana Nitro travel organization.

Over the years, Tanner has soaked up diamond knowledge from Kevin Long (current Washington National hitting coach), Mike Stafford (former Ball State and Ohio State assistant), Mike Shirley (Chicago White Sox amateur scouting director), Michael Earley (Arizona State hitting coach), Mike Farrell (Kansas City Royals scout), Kyle Rayl (former Muncie, Ind., area instructor) and more.

“I believe in doing things the right way,” says Tanner, who primarily a catcher and designated hitter in the collegiate and pro ranks. “I don’t like kids talking back to the umpire. Treat people with respect.

“If the umpire makes a bad call, learn from it and move on.”

Playing for former head coach Mike Larrabee at Yorktown (Ind.) High School, Tanner learned the value of hustle. 

The coach gave his biggest praise to the power-hitting Tanner the day he hit a routine pop fly that resulted in him standing on second base when the second baseman mishandled the ball because he took off running at impact.

“You’ve got to work hard,” says Tanner, who was head coach of the 16U Nitro Cardinal and assisted by Hamilton Southeastern High School graduate and NCAA Division I Murray State University pitcher Carter Poiry in the spring and summer and is now an assistant to organization founder Tim Burns with the 16U Nitro Gold. “I’m not a fan of people who just show up to play and don’t do anything in-between the weekends.”

Last weekend was the first of the fall season for the Nitro, which will play most events at Grand Park in Westfield, and close out with a Canes Midwest tournament.

Tanner, who was born in Muncie and raised on a 40-acre horse farm in Yorktown, played for the Nitro when he was 18 after several travel ball experiences, including with USAthletic, Pony Express, Brewers Scout Team and Team Indiana (for the Under Armour Futures Game). 

Tanner has witnessed a change in travel ball since he played at that level.

“There are more team readily available,” says Tanner. “It used to be if you played travel ball you were good. Now it’s more or less watered down.

“You’ll see a really good player with kids I don’t feel are at his level.”

While the Indiana Bulls one of the few elite organization with multiple teams per age group, that is more common these days.

Older brother Zach Tanner played for the Bulls and went on to play at National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Lincoln Trail College (Robinson, Ill.), NCAA Division I Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio) and in the American Association with the Gary (Ind.) SouthShore RailCats and the Grays of the Frontier League before coaching at NJCAA Division III Owens Community College (Perrysburg, Ohio) and NAIA Indiana Wesleyan University.

Zeth Tanner began his college baseball career at NCAA Division III Anderson (Ind.) University, redshirting his sophomore season (2015). David Pressley was then the Ravens head coach.

In 2016, Tanner helped Sinclair Community College (Dayton, Ohio) to its first NJCAA Division II World Series berth. The Steve Dintaman-coached Tartan Pride placed third. It’s the furthest Sinclair has gone in the JUCO World Series to date.

Tanner stays in-touch with Dintaman.

“He’s a very good coach and very into the mental game,” says Tanner of Dintaman. “He taught me a lot and has a lot to do with the path that I’m on.”

From Sinclair, Tanner went to NCAA Division II Urbana (Ohio) University and played two seasons (2017 and 2018) for Blue Knights head coach Jake Oester (son of former Cincinnati Reds middle infielder Ron Oester).

“He knows a lot of baseball,” says Tanner of the younger Oester. “He’s a very passionate guy.”

Urbana closed its doors at the end of the 2020 spring semester.

Tanner graduated Magna Cum Laude in Management from Urbana and then signed a professional contract with the Santa Fe (N.M.) Fuego of the independent Pecos League. 

“I really liked it,” says Tanner. “It was 100 degrees almost everyday. But it was a dry heat.

“The ball the flies out of the park like nothing.”

Tanner launched several homers in practice and one in the lone official game that he played.

He was dealt to the White Sands Pupfish (Alamogordo, N.M.). When he was sent to a third Pecos League team — Monterey (Calif.) Amberjacks — he decided it was time to come back to Indiana.

He finished the summer of 2018 playing with his brother on the Portland (Ind.) Rockets and played with that amateur long-established team again in 2019.

Tanner ended up as a Pro X Athlete Development instructor for baseball and softball offering catching, hitting and fielding private training sessions through a Nitro referral and interview with Jay Lehr. 

Former Muncie Northside High School and University of South Carolina player Mark Taylor is owner of 5 Tool Academy, where Zach Tanner (31) is also an instructor.

Zeth Tanner, a Yorktown (Ind.) High School graduate, swings the bat for Urbana (Ohio) University, where he played baseball and earned a Management degree.

Zeth Tanner swings during 2016 National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Wold Series home run derby. Tanner and Sinclair Community College (Dayton, Ohio) placed third in the tournament.

Zeth Tanner (right) gives catching instruction. Tanner teaches baseball lessons at Pro X Athlete Development in Westfield, Ind., and at 5 Tool Academy in Yorktown, Ind.

Zeth Tanner (foreground) teaches a catching lesson. Former Yorktown (Ind.) High School catcher Tanner teaches baseball lessons at Pro X Athlete Development in Westfield, Ind., and 5 Tool Academy in Yorktown.

Zeth Tanner is a coach in the Indiana Nitro travel baseball organization. He has been working with 16U teams.

Zeth Tanner, a graduate of Yorktown (Ind.) High School and Urbana (Ohio) University, is a baseball instructor and coach. He gives lessons at Pro X Athlete Development in Westfield, Ind., and 5 Tool Academy in Yorktown and coaches with the Indiana Nitro travel organization. He played high school, college and pro baseball.

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Indiana’s Barr showing off skills in Grand Park league

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Attendees at Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis July 16 and 23 got a chance to see Cole Barr’s baseball attributes on display.

Playing in the College Summer League at Grand Park All-Star Game, Indiana University’s Barr smacked a three-run triple to help the Red beat the Blue 4-2.

A week later, the Yorktown (Ind.) High School graduate lashed a two-run double to aid in the A-Team’s 6-4 triumph against the Snapping Turtles.

How does the righty-swinging third baseman assess his strengths?

“Physically, I can do it all on the field — play defense, run and hit for power,” says Barr. “The average is coming along.

“I have athleticism. I was a middle infielder until last year. I have pretty good range (at third base).”

Barr, a 5-foot-11, 191-pounder, has listened to Hoosiers head coach Jeff Mercer and former assistant Casey Dykes (now a minor league hitting coach in the New York Yankees organization) regarding hitting and done his best to apply it.

“I kist want the ball to spin true,” says Barr. “I don’t want to flare or hook the ball. I look to put myself in a good position to be able to do that. 

“If I can spin the ball, I can adjust and do other things.”

Mercer has been on the job since the summer of 2018 and Barr has benefitted.

“He has a lot of information to offer,” says Barr of his head coach. “We are like-minded. We are not afraid to work hard.

“We’re pretty competitive.”

In three seasons at Indiana, Barr played in 97 games (84 starts) and hit .258 (76-of-295) with 19 home runs, 64 runs batted in, 62 runs scored and a .389 on-base percentage.

Barr broke out in 2019, hitting .255 (55-of-216) with 17 homers, 51 RBIs, 46 runs, .388 OBP and was selected in the 37th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Seattle Mariners.

He decided not to sign and came back to the Hoosiers.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic halted the 2020 season, Barr started all 15 games at third base and was the regular No. 3 batter in the IU lineup. He hit .246 (14-of-57) with two homers, nine RBIs, 12 runs and a .366 OBP in 15 games.

The last game for a 9-6 team was March 11 against Cincinnati in Bloomington.

Barr stayed in shape and kept his baseball skills sharp while also keeping up with his studies during the quarantine. The Finance major and 2020 Academic All-Big Ten Conference honoree is now around 20 credits shy of his degree.

He is looking forward to in-person classes, which is scheduled to begin Aug. 24.

“Online classes — I’m not a huge fan of it,” says Barr. “It’s hard to learn business stuff and work through problems online.

“It’s hard to pay attention. I’d prefer to be in class in-person.”

Barr played for the Northwoods League’s Lakeshore Chinooks in Mequon, Wis., in the summer of 2019. The team was led by Travis Akre.

“He was a player’s kind of manager,” says Barr of Akre. “He let you do your own thing and kept you on the right track.”

Barr intended to head back to the Chinooks in 2020 when that team canceled its schedule. He was without a summer spot until May and then the Grand Park league was formed through a partnership between Bullpen Tournaments and Pro X Athlete Development.

“I like playing with a lot of my friends,” says Barr, who has now counted shortstop Cooper Trinkle as a teammate in travel ball, at Indiana and in summer collegiate ball.

Kevin Christman is the A-Team head coach.

“I love being around Kev,” says Barr. “It doesn’t matter where he is, he is trying to win.

“I’ve been able to pick his brain a little bit. He’s been around the game for a long time.”

Barr was born in Muncie, Ind., and grew up in nearby Yorktown. 

He played rec league baseball and started travel ball at age 9. He was coached by Shane Summers and Justin Wittenberg with the Indiana Longhorns and Magic City Orioles.

From 12U to 17U, Barr wore the uniform of the Indiana Prospects with Shane Cox and J.P. Hessier as his head coaches. His 18U summer was spent the Mke Hitt-coached Indiana Blue Jays.

“He was a good dude,” says Barr of Hitt. “He let us have fun.”

Playing the first three years for Mike Larrabee and the last for P.J. Fauquher, Barr was a four-year varsity player at Yorktown High. 

“He’s a pretty smart guy about the game,” says Barr of Larrabee. “He steered me in the direction I needed to go. The same thing with P.J.”

Barr was chosen for the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series in 2017. 

He was honorable mention all-state in 2015 and 2017 and all-Hoosier Heritage Conference 2015-17. Perfect Game rated him as the No. 2 shortstop and No. 14 overall player in Indiana. For his prep career, he hit .333 with nine homers, 45 RBIs and 51 stolen bases.

Barr was a middle infielder and also pitched as a freshman, sophomore and senior.

“I was probably a better pitcher in high school than a hitter,” says Barr. “I had no real thoughts of pitching in college. Most pitchers aren’t 5-10 now.”

Cole was also a safety and wide receiver for the Yorktown Tigers as a freshmen, junior and senior.

Joe and Cherie Barr have four sons — Cole (22), Alex (20), Reid (17) and Drew (15).

Joe Barr is a plant manager at Magna Powertrain. Cherie Barr is a nurse at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. Alex Barr is heading into his junior year as a Wabash College wrestler. Reid Barr will be a Yorktown High School senior and wrestler Drew Barr a YHS sophomore in the fall. 

Indiana University’s Cole Barr smacks a three-run triple at Victory Field in Indianapolis July 16. (Talking Hoosier Baseball Video)

Indiana University’s Cole Barr raps a two-run double at Victory Field in Indianapolis July 23. (Talking Hoosier Baseball Video)

Cole Barr has played three baseball seasons at Indiana University. He is a 2017 Yorktown (Ind.) High School graduate. (Indiana University Photo)

Cole Barr has played three baseball seasons at Indiana University. He is a 2017 Yorktown (Ind.) High School graduate. (Indiana University Photo)

Third baseman Cole Barr has played three baseball seasons at Indiana University. He is a 2017 Yorktown (Ind.) High School graduate. (Indiana University Photo)

Cole Barr has played three baseball seasons at Indiana University. He is a 2017 Yorktown (Ind.) High School graduate. He broke out in 2019, hitting .255 (55-of-216) with 17 homers, 51 RBIs, 46 runs, .388 OBP and was selected in the 37th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Seattle Mariners, but did not sign.. (Indiana University Photo)

Cole Barr, a Yorktown (Ind.) High School graduate with three baseball seasons logged at Indiana University, is playing with the A-Team in the 2020 College Summer League at Grand Park. (Indiana University Photo)

Hoosier Townball Association gearing up for seventh season

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Tying communities together and enjoying camaraderie and competition.

That’s what the Hoosier Townball Association — a 30-and-over baseball league for men and women — brings to west central Indiana.

“There’s interest and it’s growing,” says Matt Nelson, who runs the organization with the help of Edwin Walker and is a second baseman/manager with the Pittsboro Sluggers. “Baseball is rooted in values, playing hard and having work ethics.

“It’s a very positive experience. It’s something that unites and unifies people. It’s the same people we’ll cross paths with in our occupations and personal lives. 

“We’re playing kids’ game as old men. You don’t get this with other sports.”

With many players having families and being youth coaches, HTA contests are slated at 1 and 4:15 p.m. with 3-hour limits in the Sunday wood bat league.

“We wanted to play ‘real’ baseball,” says Nelson. “There’s nothing like swinging a piece of lumber.

“At some point you don’t want to play church league softball. You want to play hard ball.”

Safety is also taken into a account. Balls tend to come off wood bats at a slower clip than metal bats.

“Plus it just sounds better,” says Nelson. “Everybody tries to find the most obscure bat company they can find. But it seems we all wind up with a $19.99 Louisville Slugger we can pick up at Dick’s (Sporting Goods).”

There is free substitution on defense and everyone in the lineup bats.

“This is an at-cost league,” says Nelson. “We try to play at the nicest fields we can for the least amount of money.”

HTA venues include Franklin Park and Hummel Park in Plainfield, Memorial Park in Lebanon, Cascade High School in Clayton, Virgil Benge Community Sports Complex (ask The Benge) in Jamestown and Kokomo Municipal Stadium for Saturday barnstormer series games, if those are allowed this summer.

July 12 is scheduled as Opening Day for the league’s seventh season.

The Coatesville Bluz won the league title in 2019.

Before that, Plainfield Fireball strung together four straight championships (2015-18).

The Mooresville Reds took the first HTA crown in 2014. The champion of the end-of-season tournament — usually played in early October — earns a traveling baseball bat trophy. The league is not affiliated with any other organization.

“It’s a compact season,” says Nelson. “We play for three months and talk about those three months for the next nine months.”

A 12-team circuit in 2020, the league also features the Avon Athletics, Brownsburg Bats, Clermont Bombers, Danville Tomahawks, Greencastle Toxic, Lebanon Chiefs, Martinsville Mayhem, Monrovia Longhorns and Thorntown Rangers.

There was a time all around the country that townball meant that all players came from the same place. 

When the HTA began there was not enough interest to pull 15 or 16 from some of these small towns. But many squads have a core group from that locale who have brought in their friends and relatives to join in the fun.

The Pittsboro Sluggers and Coatesville Bluz take their names from town teams that played back in the 1910’s.

During that era, many players rode the railroad to and from the ball field on Sunday afternoons.

“Baseball history is important to a lot of us,” says Nelson, who has a collection of old baseball gloves. 

A unique aspect of this 30-and-over league is that the players’ parents — some well into their retirement years — come to the games, cheer and snap photos.

“They remember seeing their kids play in high school,” says Nelson, a former center fielder for head coach Chris Goodwin at Yorktown (Ind.) High School. 

While nothing is yet on the books, Nelson has been in contact with the Jasper (Ind.) Reds about playing a game against players from the HTA. 

The Reds trace their origins back to 1893.

“I told (team historian) Bob Alles, you have to keep your steak alive,” says Nelson. “You have to play at least one game.”

The “original” Pittsboro (Ind.) Sluggers circa 1913. (Hoosier Townball Association Photo)

Matt Nelson (Pittsboro Sluggers) takes his cuts during a Hoosier Townball game. Nelson is team manager and runs the league along with Edwin Walker. The 30-and-over wood bat Sunday baseball league in west central Indiana started in 2014. (Hoosier Townball Association Photo)

Jake Tharp (Pittsboro Sluggers) pitches to Wes Hayden (Lebanon Chiefs) in Hoosier Townball Association action. The 30-and-over wood bat Sunday baseball league in west central Indiana started in 2014. (Hoosier Townball Association Photo)

Michael Williams (Avon Athletics) makes a catch in Hoosier Townball Association play. The 30-and-over wood bat Sunday baseball league in west central Indiana started in 2014. (Hoosier Townball Association Photo)

The scene at a Hoosier Townball Association game played at Virgil Benge Community Center (aka The Benge) in Jamestown, Ind. The 30-and-over wood bat Sunday baseball league in west central Indiana started in 2014. (Hoosier Townball Association Photo)

Gabe Cuevas (Clermont Bombers) winds up in Hoosier Townball Association play. The 30-and-over wood bat Sunday baseball league in west central Indiana started in 2014. (Hoosier Townball Association Photo)

Brian Carrington (Greencastle Toxic) pitches in a Hoosier Townball Association contest. The 30-and-over wood bat Sunday baseball league in west central Indiana started in 2014. (Hoosier Townball Association Photo)

The Hoosier Townball Assodciation – a 30-and-over wood bat Sunday baseball league – started in 2014. (Hoosier Townball Association Image)

Fauquher running the baseball show at alma mater Yorktown

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

P.J. Fauquher remembers fondly playing baseball at Yorktown High School.

His grandparents lived right across the center field fence and did not have to travel far to check out the action on Tiger Field.

P.J. graduated from Yorktown in 1989 and brother Gabe in 1994. Both played baseball for the green and white.

Decades later, P.J. is back at that same field as Tigers head coach. He was preceded by Mike Larrabee.

After head coaching stops at two other Delaware Country school (IHSAA 1A Wes-Del from 1998-2001 and 4A/3A Muncie Southside from 2004-11) and plenty of travel baseball experience, the 2017 season was his first leading the program at his alma mater.

Fauquher coached Wes-Del to a sectional championship in his first season leading the Warriors.

When he arrived at Southside, the once-strong Rebels (future big league pitcher Richie Lewis went to Southside in the 1980’s) had fallen on hard times and went 1-28 the season in 2003.

“We took a lot of work to try to re-build that program,” says Fauquher of a school which closed its doors at the end of the 2013-14 school year. “But the feeder system dried up. Players did not have much experience before high school. We did not have great numbers.”

Thanks to his involvement with the Yorktown Junior Athletic Association League (ages 8-13) travel team, Yorktown Middle School program and future and current YHS players on his Indiana Prospects travel team, this is far from the case at Yorktown High.

“I coached almost every kid in our program when I got there,” says Fauquher, who followed Mike Larrabee as Top Tiger and credits his job as senior consultant at Ontario Systems for his coaching flexibility and availability. “I didn’t know any of the players going into Wes-Del and Muncie South. We were stockpiled good talent at the high school level.

“We have two goals: win championships and develop young players as well,” says Fauquher. “It’s about being a great teammate.”

His 2017 Yorktown squad sported 10 seniors and 10 juniors and a large freshmen class while the Tigers won the school’s second baseball sectional crown in three seasons. Some of the players are sons of people that were in school at the same time as Fauquher.

The 2018 Tigers feature two of P.J.’s sons — senior catcher Quin Fauquher and sophomore shortstop Evan Fauquher.

Quin has committed to play at Trine University. Classmates Luke Hill (Kaskaskia College in Illinois) and Sullivan Swingley (Bethel College) are also collegiate diamond commits.

Several other Yorktown graduates went on to college baseball, including Clay Dungan (Indiana State University), Cole Barr (Indiana University), Jordan Coleman (Manchester University), Brady Horine (Indiana Wesleyan University), Brody Mariotti (Concordia University in Illinois). Though they are not now playing there, Jake Preston went to Purdue University and Jake Clawson to Ball State University.

P.J.’s parents — Terry and Connie — are Yorktown graduates. So is sister Cherish and wife Lori (Class of 1990). P.J. and Lori also have an 11-year-old daughter — Addie.

Fauquher played for Chris Goodwin at Yorktown and learned the importance of working hard and not getting too high or too low.

“He got us to play through the ups and downs of the game and was always supportive,” says Fauquher, who saw his old coach at a Tigers game in 2017.

P.J. played at Manchester College (now Manchester University). Jeff Hood was the Spartans head coach his freshmen season and Rob Hammond the last three.

Greg Miller and Nick Hollowell are expected back as Yorktown baseball assistants in 2018.

The Tigers play in the Hoosier Heritage Conference (along with Delta, Greenfield-Central, Mt. Vernon of Fortville, New Castle, New Palestine, Pendleton Heights and Shelbyville).

The HHC plays Friday night varsity doubleheaders with JV doubleheaders on Saturday.

As for beloved Tiger Field, where the county tournament and sectional has been held for a long time, there are plans to re-build the mound and upgrade the batting cage area in right field. In recent seasons, netting and a block wall replaced the chain-link backstop.

“It’s been a nice field for so long,” says Fauquher. “We’ve had to take care of it.”

Fauqhers after Yorktown High School’s 2017 sectional baseball championship (from left): Quin, P.J. and Evan.