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(10/09/13 1:50am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU baseball team has a motto referring to its goals for the upcoming season. “Our slogan is ‘Unfinished Business,’ as we’re looking to get back to Omaha for the College World Series,” said infielder Casey Rodrigue, a transfer student from Louisiana State University-Eunice. “We’re ready for a really good season.”The team is in the midst of playing eight total “Fall Ball” games, including three intercollegiate games, all at Bart Kaufman Field.The team already played against St. Joseph’s College and Xavier University on Sunday and Monday, respectively.Against St. Joe’s, IU won 9-3 behind a sixth-inning home run by junior catcher Kyle Schwarber and a seventh-inning three-run double by Rodrigue.The Hoosiers won again Monday night against Xaxier 6-2, with home runs from Schwarber, junior outfielder Will Nolden and junior first baseman Sam Travis. Junior pitcher Kyle Hart threw five strikeouts through the first three innings helping the Hoosiers to a good start.The Hoosiers will also play a Cream and Crimson game at 8 p.m Oct. 18.Under the leadership of IU Coach Tracy Smith, the team had an overall record of 49-16, including a 17-7 record against Big Ten opponents in 2013.Smith garnered 2013 National Coach of the Year honors.The Hoosiers finished last season ranked No. 12 overall in the NCAA Baseball Division I rankings.Although it was the first time the Hoosiers made the College World Series, the team members said they feel they could have gone further in the tournament.“We got there last year, and no one was really that much better than us,” Hart said. “We were playing with every team that we played against and probably should have won every game that we played in. I think it’s a really realistic goal to try to get back there.” Despite three Hoosiers being drafted, only fifth round selection Aaron Slegers has departed to the professional ranks as part of the Minnesota Twins organization.The team also lost shortstop Michael Basil and outfielder Justin Cureton to graduation. Other than that, all starters from last year’s team returned.Team members said they are already putting in the time to get ready for the season. “The defense is getting better, and the hitting is unbelievable still,” Hart said. “The pitching is also coming along well. We’re getting there.”With the recent success, baseball has been growing in popularity at the University. “When we were playing last summer, people would come up to us and pat us on the back saying that they were proud of us,” junior outfielder Chris Sujka said. “A lot of people have told me that they’re looking forward to coming to games this year.”The Hoosiers have high hopes for the season, which begins in February.“The goal is to win it,” Sujka said. “We got a lot of guys back, so we’re hungry to win the whole thing, not just get there.”Follow reporter Greg Gottfried on Twitter @gott31.
(08/28/13 5:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig suspended Alex Rodriguez for a total of 211 games Aug. 5. That is the longest non-lifetime ban ever handed down by the MLB. Rodriguez came off the disabled list the day his suspension was announced and played in the game against the Chicago White Sox later that day. Rodriguez is still playing despite his suspension and hit his 650th home run Monday. A-Rod shouldn’t be able to appeal his suspension and continue to play.A-Rod was accused of using performance-enhancing drugs in the Biogenesis investigation. In the past, Rodriguez has admitted to using PEDs. Thirteen other players from the Biogenesis scandal are currently serving their suspensions. Some of their teams even made acquisitions just in case one of their players were suspended. Why is A-Rod appealing his suspension, unlike the other 13 players who were nailed in the case? This is a move so he can collect his 2013 salary, as mentioned in CNN, and it appears he’ll be receiving all of it. When Rodriguez’s suspension was announced, CNN noted it could cost him $31 million. Even though Rodriguez hasn’t started serving his suspension yet, Selig said he was proud of the executive Biogenesis investigation team. Selig told USA Today he believed he made the right decision in suspending A-Rod.There’s a question mark around A-Rod’s salary for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. If he is suspended during that time, he won’t be able to collect his outrageous salary.A repeat offender such as A-Rod should be banned from baseball. Why let such a man play if he is going to keep trying to receive unfair advantages? MLB and other leagues need to announce suspensions when they are certain someone actually used a performance-enhancing drug or has done something wrong. The guilty players who were suspended should start serving their suspensions immediately without an appeal process.The appeal process is very lengthy. A resolution to A-Rod’s appeal is expected to be reached in November or December, well after the season is over and after he’s collected his salary for the 2013 season. If he would’ve started serving his suspension when it was announced, he would’ve been able to play at the beginning of 2015. He would’ve missed the end of the 2013 season and the entirety of the 2014 year.During an interview in Chicago, a couple hours before the game against the White Sox, Rodriguez didn’t deny using PEDs. He’s playing baseball, but can’t answer a simple question honestly.Instead, he said he would rather talk about whether he used them at a different time while avoiding eye contact with reporters. He didn’t answer the questions directly.With Rodriguez not serving his suspension, the MLB looks bad.— jayljohn@indiana.eduFollow columnist Jaylen Johnson on Twitter @nelyaJohnsonIDS.
(07/11/13 12:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The 2013 outfield lineup was rock-solid defensively throughout the year with the starters — Will Nolden, Justin Cureton and Casey Smith — combining for just eight errors and a 0.973 fielding percentage. The graduated Cureton was the best of the bunch defensively with a 0.984 fielding percentage and a knack for making highlight-reel plays in crucial moments, such as his catch against Austin Peay in the Bloomington Regional. What remains to be seen is who will take over in center and how junior catcher Kyle Schwarber will factor in to the outfield, if at all. But compared to the pitching staff and infield, the outfield has the least amount of turnover and will likely mostly resemble last year’s defensive set up. Departure (graduation) Justin Cureton, CF2013 stats: .216/.335/.286, 11 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 59 runs, 22-30 stolen basesFielding: 0.984 fielding percentage, 3 errors, 1 outfield asst.Analysis: Cureton’s reliable defense and leadership as the captain of the outfield will be missed. Depending on who takes over in center in 2014, there could be more pressure on the corner outfielders to make plays in the gaps. Excluding his freshman year in which he played in just 22 games, Cureton set career lows in hitting, on-base percentage and slugging. His offensive struggles led to him being demoted from his traditional leadoff spot to ninth in the order. Whoever takes over for Cureton will likely be an offensive upgrade, though it must be noted that when Cureton did get on base, he wreaked havoc on opposing pitchers. His 59 runs scored and 22 stolen bases ranked second and fifth in the Big Ten, respectively. He also laid down 11 sacrifice bunts, tied for first in the conference. So while Cureton’s offensive numbers don’t jump off the page, he was by far IU’s best base runner and brought an element of speed to the bottom of the order. Plus, he got on base at a good clip, considering his on base percentage (0.335) was more than 100 points higher than his average (0.216). IncumbentsCasey Smith, senior2013 stats: .309/.372/.446, 9 2B, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 25 R, 2-4 stolen basesFielding: 0.976 fielding percentage, 2 errors, 1 outfield asst.Will Nolden, senior2013 stats: .303/.404/.366, 5 2B, 2 3B, 12 RBI, 31 R, 5-9 stolen basesFielding: 0.961 fielding percentage, 3 errors, 6 outfield assts.Up for grabs: CF, fourth OF spotAnalysis: After Schwarber returned to full-time catching duties following a knee injury, Nolden became a mainstay in the corner outfield positions and leadoff spot. Both Nolden and Smith set a number of career-highs offensively. Nolden is a favorite to start in right because of his strong arm. His six outfield assists led the team. Smith is not considered a bad defender by any means, but was often removed late in games in which IU had a lead for a defensive replacement. That defensive replacement? Tim O’Conner, who is the most likely player to man center next season. Tim O’Conner, junior2013 stats (43 games, 1 start, 20 ABs): 0.150/0.227/0.250, 1 3B, 6 RBI, 3 runs, 3-5 stolen basesFielding (24 chances): 1.000 fielding percentage, 0 errors, 2 outfield assts.Chris Sujka, junior2013 stats (46 games, 20 starts): 0.286/0.378/0.338, 4 2B, 8 RBI, 18 runs, 9-12 stolen basesFielding: 1.000 fielding percentage, 0 errors, 3 outfield assts.Analysis: During the season, Cureton expressed confidence that O’Conner would replace him in center and handle the transition from the corner outfield positions smoothly. O’Conner played sparingly in 2013 and almost entirely as a defensive replacement. As his fielding numbers suggest, he handled his limited opportunities flawlessly.O’Conner came to IU on a football scholarship after a successful career as a wide receiver at Elder High School in Cincinnati, so he has the speed and athleticism to handle center field. Cureton raved about how O’Conner had both at his disposal, making him the most natural fit. Nolden may also get a look in center because of his speed. If Nolden were to win the job, it could open the door for Sujka or Schwarber to take over a corner outfielder spot, if not O’Conner. Sujka will likely maintain the role he had in 2013 as the fourth outfielder and a platoon option with Nolden. A left-handed hitter, Nolden generally played against right-handed starters while Sujka, a right-handed hitter, got the nod against left-handed starters. Either way, Sujka is a solid option offensively and defensively off the bench and might be starting if not for a surplus of outfielders. The Big If: will Schwarber play the outfield? With a bevy of talented catchers behind Schwarber, there has been talk of moving the offensively gifted junior to the outfield. He has been playing with the USA Collegiate National Team, and IU Coach Tracy Smith said part of the stipulation with Schwarber being selected was that he would play some outfield. Schwarber also played some outfield last summer in Cape Cod League play. Team USA hasn’t shown a willingness to test Schwarber in the outfield. He has been the designated hitter in the first four games of a five-game series against Japan that concludes today. Smith also said someone would have to “knock Kyle Schwarber off the mountain” at the starting catcher position. Schwarber does not have the athleticism or speed to play center, so he would have to play a corner spot. With the fact Schwarber has hardly played outfield in college and isn’t doing so with Team USA, it seems unlikely he will start in the outfield and will instead remain the starting catcher. In other words, expect the outfield to look relatively the same with the only change coming in center field as O’Conner replaces the departed Cureton.
(07/08/13 12:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU baseball team confirmed reports Monday morning that Miami Head Coach Dan Simonds will be the new IU associate head coach under IU Coach Tracy Smith.Simonds will be the hitting and catching coach. Ben Greenspan will take over as the recruiting coordinator.Multiple media outlets reported the move Saturday.The hire reunites Smith and Simonds, who have previously coached together.Simonds was an assistant at Miami under Smith from 2000-2004. When Smith left Miami for IU in 2006, Simonds was named head coach of the RedHawks.In 2005, he was the head coach at Xavier.While an assistant under Smith at Miami, Simonds was the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator.The associate head coaching job opened up after Ty Neal left IU to become Cincinnati’s new head coach. Neal had been with Smith since 2005.In eight seasons as Miami’s coach, Simonds compiled a record of 232-222.Smith and Simonds combined to help the RedHawks win 40 games in 2000, winning the MAC conference tournament crown.Simonds, a Boston native, graduated from Davidson College in 1987 and was an eighth-round draft choice of the Baltimore Orioles.He spent time coaching in the minor leagues as well, managing the Class A Ft. Wayne Wizards in 1999.He began his coaching career in 1992 as an assistant coach and bullpen catcher for the Chicago Cubs.
(07/08/13 12:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Former IU catcher Josh Phegley made his major league debut with the Chicago White Sox Friday, going 1-for-3 with two RBI in an 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.Phegley was called up to the majors Friday, earning the start at catcher and batting eighth in the order for that evening’s game.“He’s here to play,” Sox manager Robin Ventura said in a story on ESPNChicago.com. “He’s earned the right to come up. You get him in there as quick as you can, get their feet wet tonight, and he’s used to catching (Dylan) Axelrod, so it’s a natural fit.”He recorded his first hit in his second major league at-bat, singling through the right side and also getting an RBI. His other RBI came when he hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to plate a run. He struck out in his other two at-bats.Sunday, in his second start, Phegley hit his first major league home run, taking the Rays’ David Price yard.At Triple-A in Charlotte this season, Phegley was batting .316 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI, his best season to date.Phegley last played at IU in 2009. He played three seasons for the Hoosiers, garnering multiple awards.Before his junior season, he was named a Preseason All-American and was named Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year by Rivals.com.That year, he hit 17 home runs and had 66 RBI, which, at the time, ranked sixth and eighth, respectively, in school history. He was named First Team All-Big Ten at the end of the season.After his sophomore season in 2008, he was named a second team All-American as he led the nation with a .438 batting average and led the Big Ten with 80 RBI.— Robby Howard
(07/01/13 7:19pm)
Accustomed to wreaking havoc on opposing pitchers for the Hoosiers, Indiana's bash brothers will now get to team up for their country.
(07/01/13 5:40pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Now that IU baseball’s storybook season is in the books, it’s time to look ahead to next year. Yes, opening day is still approximately seven months away, but it’s never too early to evaluate the 2014 Hoosiers.This is the first part of a three-part series that will project next year’s starting lineup, beginning with the infield. Note: The class standing of each player is listed for the 2014 season.DEPARTURES (graduation)Michael Basil, SS2013 stats: .313/.402/.428, 15 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 49 RBI, 44 R, 7-13 SBFielding: .947 FLD%, 211 A, 19 errorsTrace Knoblauch, INFCareer: 34-for-172 (.198)Analysis: Whoever takes over for Basil will have big shoes to fill. He was an integral part of IU’s CWS run and will be tough to replace from a leadership standpoint, as IU Coach Tracy Smith repeatedly referred to Basil as serving the role of an assistant coach. On the field, his defensive ability was a huge plus. While he committed 19 errors, his .947 fielding percentage was a career-high. He also led the Big Ten with 211 assists and showed good range to both sides. Basil also finished second in the conference in fielding double plays with 52 (behind only sophomore first baseman Sam Travis), helping the Hoosiers to a conference-best 71 twin killings. Offensively, he set career-highs in batting average, hits, runs, doubles, RBI, slugging, on base percentage and stolen bases. Departures (MLB draft)Dustin DeMuth, senior, 3B.377/.433/.545, 24 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 41 RBI, 46 RFielding: .904 FLD%, 137 asst, 19 errorsAnalysis: For the sake of this projection, let’s assume DeMuth signs a contract with the Minnesota Twins, who drafted him in the eighth round of the 2013 MLB Fist-Year Player Draft. His breakout year offensively helped IU’s offense lead the conference in every major offensive category except triples. DeMuth’s bat will be difficult to replace, but his successor might be an upgrade on defense. He has a very strong arm but sometimes made the routine play look difficult. His 19 errors were tied with Basil for the most in the Big Ten.Infield incumbentsFirst base: Sam Travis, junior2013: .316/.419/.545, 22 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 57 RBI, 53 RFielding: .987 FLD%, 41 asst, 8 errorsCatcher: Kyle Schwarber, junior2013: .366/.456/.647, 10 2B, 1 3B, 18 HR, 54 RBI, 65 RFielding: .989 FLD%, .190 CS%, 8 PBInfield up for grabs: 2B, SS, 3BWith the possibility that the entire left side of the infield from 2013 will be gone, sophomore Nick Ramos, junior Chad Clark, sophomore Brian Wilhite and incoming freshman Austin Cangelosi will all battle for a starting spot. 3B: Chad Clark, junior2013 (64 games, 59 starts): .232/.323/.288, 8 2B, 1 HR, 32 RBI, 19 RFielding: .966 FLD%, 129 asst, 12 errorsAnalysis: Clark started at catcher while Schwarber nursed a knee injury, but the bulk of his starts came at second base. He has said to have the strongest arm of the bunch, but the most limited range, which makes him a natural fit at third. SS: Nick Ramos, sophomore 2013 (43 games, 27 starts): .228/.265/.446, 5 2B, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 13 RFielding: .957 FLD%, 74 asst, 6 errorsAnalysis: The switch-hitting Ramos was a shortstop at Plant High School in Tampa, Fla., where he was named Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. He is also considered the best hitter of the group, so he is likely to start somewhere in the infield. 2B: Brian Wilhite, sophomore 2013 (31 games, 3 starts): 7-for-24 (.292), 3 RFielding: .921 FLD%, 24 asst, 3 errorsAnalysis: Wilhite played sparingly as a freshman, mostly late in games when IU had a comfortable lead and mostly at second base. With Ramos a natural shortstop and Clark having the strongest arm, this leaves second open for Wilhite. Final thoughts: Though Schwarber is penciled in at catcher, there is a chance he could move to the outfield. He will likely be asked to play outfield at the next level where he is a sure-fire first round draft pick in 2014, barring injury or an unforeseen lackluster offensive season. His caught stealing percentage of .190 was more than 200 points lower than during his freshman year. On top of that, sophomore John Robertson and incoming freshman Demetrius Webb, who was ranked as the second-best catcher in the state of Indiana by Prep Baseball Report and won a Gold Glove in 2012, are considered strong defensively behind the plate. Brent Gibbs, another incoming freshman, was rated the best catcher in Prep Baseball’s eight-state coverage area. He hit .445 heading in to his senior year at Alton High School in Godfrey, Ill., so Smith might want his bat in the lineup on a regular basis. Look for a preview of the outfield in Monday’s paper and a look at the pitching staff the following Monday.
(06/30/13 11:39pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The second part of a three-part series previewing next year’s IU baseball lineup examines the pitching staff. Now that Aaron Slegers, the 2013 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, has signed with the Minnesota Twins, the starting rotation looks to be lefty-heavy. Below is a look at what next year’s starting rotation and bullpen might look like. Note: classes of each player are listed for the 2014 season.Rotation: incumbents1. LH senior Joey DeNato2013 stats: 10-2, 2.52 ERA, 19 App, 18 GS, 2 CG, 103.2 IP, 97 H, 87 K, 43 BB, .254 Opp B/Avg2. LH junior Kyle Hart2013 stats: 8-2, 3.01 ERA, 15 App, 15 GS, 83.2 IP, 83 H, 50 K, 27 BB, .262 Opp B/Avg3. LH sophomore Will Coursen-Carr2013 stats: 5-0, 1.93 ERA, 17 App, 11 GS, 1 CG, 65.1 IP, 54 H, 37 K, 27 BB, .233 Opp B/AvgRotation: challengersRH sophomore Christian Morris2013 stats: 1-1, 4.68 ERA, 13 App, 2 GS, 25 IP, 35 H, 12 K, 7 BB, .343 Opp B/AvgRH junior Luke Harrison 2013 stats: 4-2, 2.82 ERA, 22 App, 0 GS, 38.1 IP, 36 H, 32 K, 9 BB, .248 Opp B/avgLH freshman Austin Foote2013 high school stats unavailableLH freshman Reece Phillips2013 high school stats unavailableAnalysis: It would seem as if the only pitchers guaranteed to make the rotation are DeNato and Hart because of their starting experience. IU Coach Tracy Smith is faced with an unusual problem: does he insert Coursen-Carr into the weekend rotation and throw three quality lefties each series, or does he put a righty in there and send Coursen-Carr to the bullpen or back to the mid-week starting spot?Coursen-Carr was the mid-week starter during the regular season and eventually became a key member of the pitching staff in the postseason. He tossed a complete game to clinch the Big Ten Tournament title, started and got the win when IU clinched the Bloomington Regional and got the win out of the bullpen in the Hoosiers’ super regional-clinching victory against Florida State. Coursen-Carr gives Smith a lot of flexibility since he excelled both as a starter and in long relief. What will likely go a long way toward determining if Coursen-Carr makes the weekend rotation will be if he improves his control.The freshman walked 27 batters in 65.1 innings and had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.37. If Smith does decide he wants a righty in the weekend rotation so that opposing teams can’t stack their lineups with right-handed hitters and to give opposing hitters a different look, Harrison is the most likely candidate to enter the rotation.Harrison was a valuable bullpen arm because of his ability to bail out ineffective starters and pitch in long relief if need be, as his 22 appearances covered 38.1 innings. The seldom-used Morris is also a candidate, having made two starts in 2013. In this scenario whichever righty doesn’t make the weekend rotation would likely be the mid-week starter or the primary long reliever. Smith said he likes having lefties start because they help control the running game, but was concerned about throwing three southpaws in weekend series. Bullpen: the back threeCloser: RH senior Ryan Halstead2013 stats: 4-5, 2.89 ERA, 28 App, 11 saves, 43.2 IP, 30 H, 48 K, 12 BB, .189 Opp B/AvgSet up man: RH sophomore Scott Effross2013 stats: 6-1, 2.44 ERA, 28 App, 5 saves, 62.2 IP, 53 H, 34 K, 13 BB, .230 Opp B/AvgLefty specialist: LH senior Brian Korte2013 stats: 1-0, 1.65 ERA, 17 App, 1 save, 16.1 IP, 14 H, 7 K, 8 BB, .246 Opp B/AvgAnalysis: Halstead, a 26th-round draft pick of the Twins, is rumored to be returning to Bloomington for his senior season. He has until midnight July 13 to decide, and if he does in fact return, IU’s bullpen will get a huge boost by being able to retain its single season and career saves leader. In that scenario, Halstead would stay the closer, with Effross a more-than-capable replacement if he falters. Otherwise, the formula for closing out games remains the same: Effross is the bridge in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings for Halstead, and Korte is there to shut down the oppositions’ best left-handed hitters in key situations. The bullpen would look relatively the same with pitchers shifting around depending on how the rotation is ultimately structured and what role Foote and Phillips, the incoming freshmen, end up filling.
(06/26/13 8:43pm)
Former IU catcher Josh Phegley has been selected to play in the Major League Baseball All-Star Futures Game, the athletic department has announced in a press release.
(06/23/13 11:07pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Despite exiting the College World Series after three games, the IU baseball team has a lot to be proud of from the 2013 season. The team reached nearly all 10 of the goals it listed on a board at the start of the season, having to update “Omaha” to “Winning Omaha.” IU President Michael McRobbie released a statement after the team’s season ended.“Congratulations to Coach Tracy Smith and the rest of the IU baseball team on a thrilling season and a great tournament run that captured the imaginations of our fans everywhere. "Although it ended a few games earlier than Hoosier Nation had hoped, our first trip to the College World Series capped an outstanding year for IU Athletics that can be matched by very few universities in the country.“Our players and coaches represented the university with the determination and class we have come to expect from all our athletic programs. We are all extremely proud of the team’s accomplishments this season and are already looking forward to great success in the future.”Looking back on the season, here is a list of accomplishments and firsts from the team’s season.First appearance in the College World SeriesFirst win in the College World SeriesFirst national Coach of the Year award First appearance in the NCAA super regionalsFirst time hosting a regionalFirst time winning a regionalThree players drafted in MLB first-year player draftFirst outright Big Ten title in 81 yearsFirst Big Ten Tournament Championship since 2009Third NCAA tournament appearanceFirst time winning Big Ten regular season and tournament titlesMultiple All-AmericansSecond time in program history having the Big Ten pitcher of the yearNine All-Big Ten performersThird Hoosier to win District V Player of the Year award
(06/20/13 7:22am)
IU players Kyle Schwarber and Aaron Slegers talk about IU's season ending 1-0 loss to Oregon State in the College World Series. Slegers pitched his first career complete game in the loss. It was the first time IU was shut out all season.
(06/20/13 5:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>OMAHA, Neb. -- Sophomore catcher Kyle Schwarber said Aaron Slegers threw his best game of the season Wednesday night.He still took the loss.Slegers pitched a complete game for IU Wednesday at TD Ameritrade Park in IU’s third game of the College World Series, allowing just one run, but it was one run too many.The Hoosiers fell 1-0 to Oregon State, eliminating the Hoosiers from their first College World Series and ending their season.“It’s tough to say that my best game of the season,” Slegers said. “I know it is on paper, but anytime you walk away with a loss it sure doesn’t feel like it, especially in a situation like thisIt stings pretty bad.”IU Coach Tracy Smith said he thought Slegers “pitched his rear end off.”Slegers finished with a final line of nine innings pitched, allowing one run on seven hits. He struck out five and walked two, throwing 116 pitches.It was Slegers’ first complete game of the season, and his first in an IU uniform.Schwarber said he knew that Slegers would have a good game on Tuesday, because he knew he would be ready to go.When Schwarber saw him throwing his warmup pitches in the bullpen, he saw a special look in Slegers’ eyes.He knew then that it would be a special night for the sophomore.“When I was down in the bullpen, he had the eye of a tiger,” Schwarber said. “He had that eye where he was going to throw every pitch and he was going to get those guys out.”Slegers entered the game and threw a first pitch strike. That was his game plan for the rest of the evening.He wanted to attack the strike zone and get in front of hitters. That allowed him to go to his breaking ball, which he said was a key pitch for him.“He was just pounding the bottom of the strike zone,” Schwarber said. “He was just letting those guys get themselves out. He was getting groundballs, he was getting fly balls.“He was working well with his slider and his change up was on today. It was a big pitch for him. He threw it in a big 2-2 count in the last inning and got the guy to swing and miss. He was just very good at locating all of his pitches inside and out. He just worked low and he did a great job.”Slegers said he entered the night not intending to pitch a complete game. He just took it pitch by pitch.As the game progressed, he thought his off-speed stuff got even better.“The off speed got a little better,” he said. I gained a little feel. I was putting myself in controlling counts throwing strike one which was the main factor in that.”Schwarber said it was difficult to see Slegers take the loss in what could possibly be his last start in an IU uniform, as the 6-foot-10 pitcher was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the fifth round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft this year.“This was probably the best outing he’s had by far this whole year,” Schwarber said. “I just feel awful that we couldn’t do anything for him and we gave him the loss. It’s just an awful feeling and it will haunt me for a while. He did a great job.”
(06/20/13 3:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>OMAHA, Neb. — From the get go, it appeared the Hoosiers never really had a chance.When it needed offense — one of its strengths — the IU baseball team could not muster up an attack at the worst possible time.Oregon State eliminated the Hoosiers from the College World Series behind a dominant effort by Beavers’ starter Matt Boyd, who fired a complete-game shutout in OSU’s 1-0 win Wednesday at TD Ameritrade Park.IU (49-16) had one last bit of life with two outs in the ninth when sophomore first baseman Sam Travis blooped a single to right-center before freshman second baseman Nick Ramos grounded out to 3rd, ending the Hoosiers’ season.“All I hope is that whether it’s two hours from now, two days from now, two months from now, that they can sit back and say they were part of the greatest baseball team in Indiana history,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said.The pitching was certainly strong — IU entered the CWS with the nation’s eighth-best ERA — and performed well in Omaha, as the Hoosiers allowed just six runs in three games.But the team’s hallmark all season was its strong offense, and in Omaha it never really showed up. IU struck out 38 times over the three games, scoring all of six runs.“It was definitely frustrating,” Travis said. “The bats have been there all year and we come down there and they just weren’t there. Tip my hat to our pitchers, they did their job. We just couldn’t capitalize and get runs.”They Hoosiers managed just four hits off Boyd (11-4), who struck out 11. IU did not get its first hit until a one-single by senior shortstop Michael Basil in the fifth. He became the only IU runner to make to second base when senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth laid down a bunt single the very next pitch.Junior left fielder Casey Smith flew out and sophomore second baseman Chad Clark popped out to 3rd to end the threat.IU finished 1-2 in its first trip to the College World Series, its lone win a 2-0 victory against Louisville in the team’s opening game on Saturday. Both losses were by one run.Nonetheless, this IU team will stand the test of time as the first to reach Omaha.“I mean it surpassed my wildest dreams,” Basil said. “When I committed to Indiana, I never though that this was really a possibility when I was coming here. It’s really unbelievable. I mean it stings right now, but more than anything I remember the group of guys.”The Beavers (52-12) got the game’s only run on Jake Rodriguez’ sacrifice fly to right in the fourth inning that scored Kavin Keyes, who led off the inning with a single to center.IU’s hitting woes wasted sophomore starter Aaron Slegers’ first complete game. It was nothing short of a historic season for IU, which set a record for single-season wins and swept the Big Ten titles, ending decade-old conference championship droughts. It swept the Bloomington regional and swept college baseball powerhouse Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla.Finally, it won its first game in the CWS on its first try.“It’s not over-achievement, because we’ve been solid all year we’ve had the confidence, the talent and the mature approach to play good baseball all year and we knew this team was something special,” senior center fielder Justin Cureton said. “To put a team like Indiana on the map is huge, especially for our school because we achieved a lot of firsts this year. It was just a great season.”Now that the Hoosiers are on the map, a new standard has been set for a once-dormant program.Travis said anything short of a repeat trip to Omaha in 2014 will not cut it.“It’s awesome to be a part of this team and it’s awesome to look who we got coming back next year,” Travis said. “We’re definitely losing some key guys, but hopefully we got enough coming back and we got some guys coming in that can help us get back here next year.”
(06/20/13 2:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It has often been said that the summer months are the most monotonous, dull stretch in sports.Such is typically the case with IU students, many of who leave campus for the summer with nothing but dancing visions of Hoosier basketball permeating their collective subconscious. It is, perhaps, the only member school of the Big Ten Conference that values one sport so much more than all others. And that should make students here on this campus feel quite guilty considering the astronomical ascent IU baseball has made in the past two weeks. If you weren’t aware, the Hoosiers became the first Big Ten Conference team to earn a berth to the College World Series since 1984, and did so after a season in which IU Coach Tracy Smith and his team accrued a slew of honors. They won the regular season conference championship, conference tournament championship and earned the right to host a regional at Bart Kaufman Field. The Hoosiers’ Big Ten Conference Tournament championship was the first won by the team since 2009. Following a sweep through the regional, the Hoosiers travelled to Tallahassee, Fla., for the super regional and defeated the favored Florida State Seminoles at Dick Howser Stadium. By way of those two victories, the Hoosiers earned their first-ever trip to the College World Series.If you’ve been tuned into ESPN to watch the Hoosiers in their first two College World Series Games, you’ve seen the rather pleasant showing of crimson and cream in the stands. How many of those fans in attendance are students is an undeterminable question, though the fan turnout has been nothing short of spectacular to see. It isn’t often that IU athletics are represented on a national stage, as the basketball Hoosiers are the only team consistently playing in front of a national television audience. And for the players themselves, playing in the College World Series is the reward of a lifetime. For some, it will be the last hurrah wearing the cream and crimson uniforms. They should feel proud for the tremendous way they have represented IU.This team might go down in the history books as the best baseball team the school will ever see.
(06/20/13 2:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>OMAHA, Neb. — Omaha simply wasn’t going to stand by idly and watch its child move away.As the city’s contract with the College World Series was set to expire several years ago, so was the viability of Rosenblatt Stadium as the host facility. To help keep Omaha’s biggest event right where it belonged, the city constructed TD Ameritrade Park, which opened in 2011 and has received rave reviews from players and coaches, locals and fans. “This thing since 1950, they’ve been here for the College World Series, this is kind of Omaha’s child,” said Dave Keilitz, executive director of the American Baseball Coaches Association. “If you need an idea of the importance of this to Omaha, when you talk to college baseball players and coaches, they don’t say College World Series. They say they’re striving to get to Omaha, and everybody in baseball knows what that means ... That’s how big it is to the city of Omaha.”Rosenblatt hosted the CWS for 50 years and captured the hearts of fans for its vibrant colors and personality. More than that, it was the camaraderie fans built with each other that made the old venue so special. Kent Peterson has attended the CWS every year since 1986 and lived in Omaha for four years during the 1980s. “The part about Rosenblatt was we sat by the same people for 25 years and they weren’t able transpose that to this new stadium,” he said. “We got split up. So you miss that and the same people tailgating, same people every year in the same seats and it got to be, it was a little sad to see that end.”Peterson said Rosenblatt was difficult to get out of after games, and praised the new stadium’s concourse structure. He also noted that tailgating is easier because there are paved islands lined with trees throughout the main parking lot.Rosenblatt, on the other hand, had islands that only accommodated four cars and were few and far between, Peterson said. The fan experience might be different for better or worse, but TD Ameritrade Park has brought college baseball’s premiere event into the modern era of ballparks. “When you look at the amenities of the locker rooms and the dugouts and the clubhouses and the hitting cages and the stadium itself, there’s no comparison (to Rosenblatt),” Keilitz said. “The tradition here will build just like you did in Rosenblatt. Traditions take time, but this is a great, great facility.” The city of Omaha helped pay for the $131 million ballpark through a private-public partnership. That might seem unwise to some, considering its primary event lasts all of 10 days. “The reason (being) that this tournament means so much to Omaha that they’re willing to build this basically for the College World Series,” Keilitz said. “And it’s worked great for the College World Series and I think it’s worked for the city of Omaha.”The stadium is also used by Creighton’s baseball team and the United Football League’s Omaha Nighthawks and has hosted numerous concerts.City officials might also believe that the stadium will pay for itself given how much the CWS boosts the local economy. When Peterson lived in Omaha, he worked in the hotel business and saw the event’s economic impact firsthand. “We as ‘hoteliers’ used to bid on what teams we’d try to get at the hotel,” he said. “Back in the mid-80s, the strength of baseball was Stanford and LSU so you know you had a contingent staying for a long period of time. “If you got one of the underdogs they’d check in and they were eliminated in a couple days and it wasn’t great for business, the hotel would go empty.” Like Peterson, Shirley Urbach bonded with her fellow CWS fans over time. The 85-year-old is attending her 38th CWS. “The friendship of the people — we met so many people in all those games that we went to from all over the county, and we come here and they’re all scattered all around,” Urbach said. “I’m just used to going to Rosenblatt and I think it was a great stadium. “It was colorful, we had so many friends there. It was sad for me.” But even a Rosenblatt-lifer like Urbach could not deny the attraction of 3-year-old TD Ameritrade Park. “It really is a beautiful stadium,” she said. “But you know, I’m old and I’ve got my traditions — I really miss Rosenblatt. There for a while, I couldn’t even drive by Rosenblatt.”With Rosenblatt gone, TD Ameritrade Park figures to one day become a legend in its own right. In 2008, the city extended its contract with the CWS through 2035. Regardless of venue, it is important to remember that the CWS is about the players competing in it, Keilitz said. “I think there probably were a lot of people (that) were skeptical coming in but I remember being here for the first game and being here every year for many of the games and when people walked in and looked around, and said ‘Wow,’” he said. “The biggest thing is when the players, when the teams come in and they see this. This is special, this is really special.”
(06/19/13 1:54pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>OMAHA, Neb. --- After giving up a late comeback to Mississippi State on Monday, the Hoosiers are faced with their first real win-or-go-home game of the season. IU was in danger of losing the Big Ten Tournament to Nebraska, but had all but assured a spot in the NCAA Tournament by that point. As the Hoosiers prepare to take on Oregon State at 8:08 p.m. ET Wednesday in an elimination game, below are news and notes from Tuesday’s practice. Slegers tasked with keeping Hoosiers’ season aliveSophomore right-hander Aaron Slegers will start for the Hoosiers Wednesday, IU Coach Tracy Smith said. Slegers will have to shake off some postseason cobwebs, as the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year has struggled to go deep in games as of late.Slegers lasted just 8.1 innings total over his last two starts. He allowed three earned runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings against Florida State on June 9, a game the Hoosiers won 11-6 to clinch the Tallahassee Super Regional and advance to Omaha. “He needs to relax and pitch with something to prove,” Smith said. “I think that’s when he’s at his best is when he’s not in cruise control, he’s out there and he’s not worrying…but he should want something. “…I mean it’s one of those where if he doesn’t have something to prove in this one, there’s something wrong. But we feel really good about it, I’m looking for good things out of him.”Slegers has seemed to struggle with his command since shutting down Minnesota May 23 when he tossed seven innings of one-run ball. “If he pounds the bottom of the strike zone like he has all year, he’ll have success,” sophomore catcher Kyle Schwarber said. “He’s going through a little slump just like a hitter would, and I feel like tomorrow is gonna be a great example of a pitcher snapping out of that slump.”Slegers said he was too often falling behind in the count against the Seminoles and remains confident he can bounce back in IU’s biggest game of the year. “Really good, feeling really confident about going out there, competing in the elimination game, keeping our season alive,” he said. “It’s exciting.” Off-day competition helps with relaxationDue to rain, IU was relegated to the indoor batting cages at Creighton’s Kitty Gaughan Pavilion for batting practice. To both stage a friendly competition and help relax his players, Smith put together a game between the starters and non-starters in which the loser had to pick up all of the balls from batting practice. “Yea, I mean there’s a duel purpose there, but most importantly we always say in our program you try to create competition,” Smith said. “So kinda stagnant hitting in the cages today, a little boring, a little stale so we’re finishing up with a little competition.”IU’s batting-practice pitchers propped up the top section of their protective netting, a small pocket the hitters were tasked with hitting. One point was awarded for hitting it off the bounce and two for doing so on the fly. Each squad took swings against a lefty and a righty, and then switched. Justin Cureton got things going for the starters when he laced one off the pocket to give his side two points, and gave himself and emphatic chest pump. Schwarber provided the “walk-off” with a bouncer of his own to give the starters a 4-3 win and force the non-starters to clean up the cages. “Yea, we don’t like picking up balls,” he said. “We lost the last one and had to go pick up some sunflower seeds on the field, so it wasn’t too fun.”Schwarber recognized how the game also helped he and his teammates relax ahead of Wednesday’s pivotal matchup. “It’s just good fun and it’ll just get us to loosen up a bit,” he said. “I feel like we came out loose yesterday, we were doing what we needed to do…we had some mistakes, we just weren’t executing on our hitting yesterday, so I feel like that kind of stuff gets (our) mind off the game and more focused on just having fun.”Smith looks for more production from Schwarber, DeMuthOn the whole, IU’s offense has struggled in the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers have scored just six runs in two games, have struck out 27 times and have left 20 men on base. Smith said IU needs to have better at bats from the entire lineup, but looked to Schwarber and junior third basemen Dustin DeMuth to lead the way. “What I liked is they were generally upset that they lost,” Smith said. “I mean I think everyone knows now that we’re not just happy to be here, these guys expect to win.”Schwarber, who is hitting .378 with a Big Ten-best 18 home runs and 54 RBI, has uncharacteristically had a hard time making contact. He is 3-for-10 and has scored two runs in the College World Series but has struck out six times, all coming in his last eight at-bats. He said he was happy with his batting practice sessions Tuesday, though. “It was good,” Schwarber said. “Staying on the ball a lot more and not pulling off. It’s just a little slump and I feel like I’m gonna pull out of it tomorrow.”DeMuth, the No. 6 hitter, is hitless in seven CWS at-bats and has struck out three times.
(06/19/13 3:19am)
OMAHA, Neb. --- For the first time since May 26, IU players sported a look suited for a job interview at Tuesday's practice.
(06/18/13 8:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>OMAHA, Neb. -- Sometime in the early hours of the morning, the switch flipped for the IU baseball team.At some point after the team went to bed, the Hoosiers put Monday's 5-4 loss to Mississippi State in the College World Series behind them.Maybe it was when the team shaved when it got back to the hotel, something the players have to do when they lose.But by the time they showed up to the Creighton University practice field for batting practice Tuesday afternoon, Tracy Smith was cracking jokes, Chad Clark couldn't wipe a smile off of his face and the starters enjoyed making the bench players pick up all the balls in the batting cage after a friendly end of practice competition.“You can’t take the highs too seriously, you can’t take the lows too seriously," Smith said. "We try not to. We try to continue to be who we are. I think our program, our guys, have fun.”That philosophy has resulted in just two losing streaks of two or more games for the Hoosiers this year. The first came during a four-game losing streak April 12-17. The second was a month ago, when IU lost back-to-back games at Kentucky and Ohio State May 14 and 16.Otherwise, the team has answered every loss with a win this season."Confidence has been our main tool throughout the season," Clark said. "We don’t really let losses get to us because we’re going to do whatever we can to win. As long as we play our baseball, I think we have a good chance.” When the team arrived for practice, a 10-and-under Little League team from Bedford stood waiting for them, hoping to see their heroes.The kids donned IU caps, and stood in the top level of the indoor batting practice facility, watching the Hoosiers hit.At one point, Smith said the kids surprised him with a chant of "Hoo-Hoo-Hoo, Hoosiers!""I love it," Smith said. "That was nice of those kids to come out and support us."Clark said the kids beat the team to the field.The players had a chance to run around with them after practice, reminding them of the time that they were kids who just loved baseball. Chasing down the younger kids in the infield, the IU players couldn't help but smile and laugh the entire time. The players who had hung their heads in silence in defeat 12 hours ago had moved past it. They were enjoying playing the game they've loved since they were kids.“When we were younger, baseball was pretty much all we did," Clark said. "It’s how we made most of our friends. We’ve got a lot of friends playing D-I college baseball.”Schwarber said he remembers when he would go to college games and ask for players' autographs. Tuesday, the kids from Bedford were asking him for autographs."It’s a special thing when kids come out in the field and they can join college players and kind of give them something to look up to," he said. "It’s real cool and good for them.”Schwarber and Clark said the team thought about the loss a little bit last night, but it wasn't a thought at all during practice Tuesday.The team knows what it has to do."This is win or go home," Schwarber said. "We’re not going to press. We’re not going to worry about losing. We’re not going to be afraid of the result. We’re just going to go out there and play Indiana baseball and give them our best shot. "If we play the best baseball we possibly can and come out with a loss, it’s going to be upsetting, but we just got to know that when we leave that field, that’s the only thing we could’ve done.”
(06/18/13 1:56pm)
The IU offense struggled all night, striking out 14 times and leaving 10 men on base. The Hoosiers ended six innings with a strikeout, and also closed six frames with someone left on base.
(06/18/13 5:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>OMAHA, Neb. -- Five or so feet higher, and they might still be playing. Sam Travis’ drive to left-center was easily the hardest-hit ball of the game, and yet even a ball hit that well and that deep didn’t leave the yard. With one out in the bottom of the ninth and IU trailing by two runs, Travis creamed a ball off Mississippi State’s Chad Girodo that hit at least halfway up the eight-foot wall in left-center. The hit resulted in a double, but Travis would be left on base as the tying run in IU’s 5-4 loss to Mississippi State Monday at TD Ameritrade Park. “I hit it pretty hard,” he said. “I hit it too much on a line for it to go out, I knew that right away, so I was just running as fast as I could. I was gonna try to get three, but there was someone in front of me.”That “someone” was sophomore outfielder Chris Sujka, who led off the inning with a soft single to right. Sujka looked destined to score as the ball found a jet stream in the alley before Bulldogs’ center fielder C.T. Bradford got to it quickly and hit the relay man with just as much urgency. Unfortunately for Sujka and the Hoosiers, the ball caromed right to Bradford.“I definitely for sure didn’t think Sam’s was gone,” Sujka said, “so I was taking off as soon as I saw it I saw it hit four feet up the wall, and unfortunately it bounced right to the center fielder. “I was rounding third hard and Skip said hold up, and I was kind of surprised when he did that. I didn’t think that ball would bounce like that back to him.”Sophomore designated hitter Scott Donley was on deck and had a field-level view of Travis’ shot as well. He said he didn’t think the ball was a home run off the bat, either. “I just saw him hit it and put a real good piece on it, and I thought it was going to be a double but then it kept carrying,” Donley said. “It was more of a line drive. He smoked that ball.”Donley drove in Sujka with a groundout to second before senior shortstop Michael Basil ended the game on a weak grounder back to the mound. It was the home run that wasn’t, the almost shot, the close-but-no-cigar drive. The Hoosiers (49-15) might feel the same way about their offensive production against the Bulldogs. IU left 10 men on base, including seven in scoring position while striking out 14 times. Had Travis’ rope cleared the fence, it might have relaxed IU’s hitters, who also struggled against Louisville on Saturday, when they left 10 men on base and struck out 13 times. Had Travis’ laser cleared the fence, IU might not be playing the rest of its games in Omaha on the brink of elimination.Instead, a blast to left by LSU’s Mason Katz stands as the only home run through six College World Series games at spacious, pitcher-friendly TD Ameritrade Park. Field dimensions aside, Travis recognizes that IU’s bats will have to come around for IU to keep its season alive. “We haven’t really connected on any balls that should have been going out of the park,” he said. “So we just got to swing at better pitches is what we gotta start doing, and eliminate the strike outs.”