Captain of nation's No. 2 team to join Hoosier baseball family

There is a boy in Texas who often chooses batting practice over eating lunch, who starts fielding balls two periods sooner than most of his teammates and who has skin that must be made of leather stitched up with red seams. During tee-ball and Texas playoffs, Bellaire High School (Bellaire, Texas) graduate Trace Knoblauch lives for baseball.

From a grandfather and uncle who both played in the majors to a cousin who currently plays on his high school team, Knoblauch is a part of a baseball family. In just a few months, he will become a part of another baseball family; Knoblauch signed his National Letter of Intent to join the IU family this fall as a freshman.

“I’m nervous and anxious because I don’t really know what to expect in college,” Knoblauch said. “You can see it on the TV or get out and watch games, but you don’t really know what to expect until you’re there and participating. But I’m excited.”

The excitement runs throughout the family. As a Fort Wayne native, Knoblauch’s mother Luann Knoblauch said she, her husband and her entire Indiana family are excited for Trace Knoblauch’s move to the Midwest. Trace Knoblauch and his father have already visited IU’s campus and fallen in love with the beauty of Bloomington.

“When they went up to visit and they came home, my husband said, ‘There’s no way he’s not going to go there,’” Luann Knoblauch said. “They both just loved it.”

As a child, Trace Knoblauch was always around baseball, either at his games or his uncle’s games. His mother said it seems like every breathing moment in their family is baseball.

“Trace was pushed a lot by his dad when he was little,” Luann Knoblauch said. “His dad would tell him to get off the couch and go hit with him. When he got older he realized he could play. Now he’s pulling his dad off the couch and saying, ‘Let’s go play.’”

With Luann Knoblauch’s family spread throughout Indiana, her son’s Houston roots will surely grow in the Hoosier state. Still, the roots lie deep in the Lone Star State.
Ray Knoblauch, Trace Knoblauch’s grandfather, was a legendary baseball coach for Bellaire for 25 years. He compiled a resume of four state championships, three runner-up finishes and a 598-225 record. Trace Knoblauch’s uncle Chuck Knoblauch also played at Bellaire before eventually winning four World Series.

“(Trace Knoblauch is) at an advantage because he’s around the game so much,” IU coach Tracy Smith said. “Kids who don’t come from the same background are not always as relaxed or comfortable. Blood lines definitely help.”

Knoblauch blood is stacked with baseball genes. Named Preseason All-Greater Houston this year, Trace Knoblauch was also named a Preseason High School All-American by Baseball American. He also received an honorable mention on the Perfect Game’s Preseason All-America list.

“It’s hard to get a high profile recruit to come out of the South and come into the Midwest,” Bellaire High School baseball coach Rocky Manuel said. “You have to come by so many schools. To get a player of (Trace) Knoblauch’s stature and athletics means they’re starting to make some breakthroughs in their recruits.”

Playing about 48 regular season games and 50 games during the summer, along with 25 in the fall, baseball in the South is more active than baseball in the North.

“I’m not saying he’s any better athletically,” Manuel said. “He’s just more polished because he plays so much more.”

As captain of the team, Trace Knoblauch and his Bellaire Cardinal teammates are ranked second in the nation by Baseball America. The Cardinals recently were named district champions.

A switch-hitter, Trace Knoblauch earned All-District and All-State accolades for his performance last season.  

“He has tremendous knowledge and understanding of baseball, inside and outside,” Manuel said.

Smith knows the Knoblauch name will help the Hoosiers.

“The Knoblauch family ... I didn’t understand the extent of baseball in their family until we started the recruitment process,” Smith said. “I know he did well in high school, but can’t wait to see his changes over the next three or four years in our program.”

Given advice all his life from his major-league uncle, Trace Knoblauch said his best advice from his uncle was to relax and have fun.

“Everyone gets caught up in everything and they turn it from a game to something it’s not supposed to be and they get all uptight and everything,” Trace Knoblauch said. “When you have fun, you play better.”

With a positive outlook on the game, Trace Knoblauch is keeping his uncle’s advice in mind for his move to the Midwest. He said he is looking forward to being a part of a baseball team on the rise.

“Baseball has just always been fun to me,” he said. “It’s a game. I love to play it. The only reason why I play it (is) because I have fun. I guess that’s what keeps me motivated.”