134 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(10/02/08 3:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The term “increasingly Hoosier” creates different thoughts for different students.However, to the admissions department, “increasingly Hoosier” refers to the record number of in-state students in this year’s freshman class – some 4,679 in total.The increase of native Hoosiers coming to IU is part of a push by the University to get the best of Indiana’s students.“We have done well with out-of-state students electing to enroll,” said Roger Thompson, vice provost for enrollment management.Freshmen Ella Hartley and Jamie Becker said they are happy IU is going after Indiana’s best students as long as that effort doesn’t distract IU from seeking diversity.“I understand why they would want to keep it more in-state: There is kind of that state pride,” said Hartley, a Maryland native. “But at the same time, you need a certain amount of diversity.”Unlike Hartley, Becker is an in-state student and said with scholarships and in-state tuition, the decision to come to IU was an easy one.“I think if they want the crème de la crème, I think that’s good,” Becker said. “Because then you are getting the brightest in Indiana to come to the state school, and they are most likely to give back to Indiana. But if you get an ambitious New Yorker who comes to the Kelley School, then they are just going to go back to Wall Street and not give back as much.”The University has always enrolled more in-state students than the state has funded it for, but recently IU has had new marketing strategies with “very personalized and customized information” meant to attract in-state students, Thompson said.“It would be less than accurate to say we haven’t focused our efforts on in-state students,” Thompson said.The Adam W. Herbert Presidential scholarship program is one way IU is attracting the brightest young Hoosiers to its campuses in this year’s freshman class and encouraging them to stay in Indiana after graduation. The program named 70 students as recipients of the scholarship, the highest total since the program began.Thompson said the University’s admission and enrollment teams have been proactive in seeking in-state students.“We are always looking to get the best and brightest students from the state of Indiana,” he said. “I have always said we need to recruit in our own backyard effectively, and then move out from there. We are Indiana’s flagship institution.”
(10/02/08 2:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The score was not the only painful thing about IU’s loss to Michigan State. The list of Hoosiers wounded almost out distanced the number of mistakes. The Hoosiers (2-2) have little time to rest, as they head to Minneapolis – their first road trip of the year – this weekend to take on a rising Minnesota (4-1) team led by Eric Decker, one of the top pass-catchers in the nation.“They have an outstanding quarterback, a very good wideout in Decker, and the defense is very sound,” IU coach Bill Lynch said to the media Tuesday. “They have some new guys over there that are very athletic.”Decker, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound Cold Spring, Minn., native, is currently No. 14 and No. 6 in the nation in receiving yards per game and total receiving yards, respectively.“Decker is very, very good” Lynch said. “And they use him in a lot of different places. They move him around so you have to find him in the formation.”Finding Decker will be a steep task for the Hoosiers’ dinged-up secondary.“Safety-wise, I don’t know where we will be by the end of the week,” Lynch said. “Austin (Thomas) and Nick (Polk) are a lot further along than they were at this point last week. And they worked out (Monday) like the rest of the guys, so they weren’t just off to the side.”Lynch praised how Joe Kleinsmith and Brandon Mosley filled in for Thomas and Polk last weekend.“I thought they played a solid game Saturday ... that’s a tough game for safeties too,” he said. “They had to be involved in the run and the play-action pass.”In practice Tuesday, backup safety Jerimy Finch was not fully dressed out and was sporting a boot on his right leg.“Jerimy is a little further behind than the other guys right now,” Lynch said. “But by Thursday afternoon, it could all change.”Other recovering players Tuesday included a good portion of the team’s wide receivers.Andrew Means appeared to be back in shape after leaving Saturday’s game with a swollen knee (bursitis).“I think he’ll be all right,” Lynch said. “When he gets hit on the knee, it swells up real fast ... If it blows up, it gets tight and you can’t bend it. And if you can’t bend it, you can’t play.”Means was in full pads and taking reps with the rest of the first-team offense on Tuesday. Lynch said the Hoosiers would be protecting the receiver’s knee from hits during the week.Others recovering in the receiving corps were Tandon Doss and Terrance Turner. Like Finch, Doss was in shells Tuesday – just helmet and shoulder pads – after sustaining a knee injury. On Tuesday, Lynch said he was not expecting Doss to play this weekend.Turner, who had a 97-yard touchdown reception called back on a penalty against the Spartans, was in full pads and taking reps Tuesday, but came up lame after a reception with what appeared to be a tweaked hamstring.Good news for the Hoosiers is quarterback – and wide receiver, after Saturday’s game – Kellen Lewis is healthy and ready to go in Minneapolis.“You know how ankles are; some guys bounce back real quick,” Lynch said. “And it didn’t swell up bad, and he was in Sunday and he said it was real good. And he was running on it (Monday). So we are lucky there.”
(09/29/08 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Marcus Thigpen was the Hoosiers’ revolver in their shootout against Michigan State on Saturday.Unfortunately for IU, the Spartans brought two guns to the duel and outshot the Hoosiers 42-29.With three scores, including a 79-yard reception and a 78-yard run, Thigpen arguably outshined State’s Javon Ringer.Thigpen ended the day with 207 total yards and three touchdowns, while Ringer carried the ball 44 times for 198 yards and a touchdown.But while Thigpen countered one facet of State’s attack, IU had no answer for its other big gain, quarterback Brian Hoyer.The Michigan State signal-caller calmly threw for 261 yards and two scores. And while quarterbacks Kellen Lewis and Ben Chappell split time and threw for more yards together than Hoyer, turnovers and penalties severely handicapped their efforts.“They are a very good offensive football team,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “It’s very well designed, and you have to spend so much time with the run game that you are going to get exposed on the outside some.”Chappell made IU’s first two mistakes of the game. With Lewis on the sidelines after coming up limp on a play, Chappell threw an interception on IU’s side of the field. Compounding the gaffe, Chappell earned himself a personal foul after laying out the Spartan defender, Ross Weaver, after he was out of bounds.The penalty and a Ringer run set up a one-yard sneak by Hoyer and forced the Hoosiers to try to catch the Spartans for the remainder of the game.With 1:39 left in the third quarter and the Hoosiers down by five, the game’s final blow was dealt. But it wasn’t a Ringer run or Hoyer pass that did in IU.Standing in his own end zone, Chappell connected with sophomore wideout Terrance Turner for a 97-yard touchdown strike that gave the Hoosiers the lead. The play made both the Michigan State and Hoosier crowds stand up and cheer, one happy because of the touchdown, the other because there was a flag thrown 108 yards behind Turner’s touchdown celebration.The call was holding, and the penalty occurred in the end zone, resulting in a safety and an expanded lead IU would never breach.After a couple more Spartan field goals and numerous carries by Ringer, IU had lost its conference opener. Despite the blunders, Lynch said he was pleased with his team’s effort.“I was proud of the way they fought and played,” Lynch said. “The mistakes that we made, we can get those corrected.”
(09/29/08 3:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Dynamism.Something the IU football team was able to achieve amidst its 42-29 loss at the hands of the Michigan State Spartans.Dynamism was reached when the call came to send in backup quarterback Ben Chappell and move starting quarterback Kellen Lewis to wideout.“It’s a blast,” Chappell said of the team’s new package. “We had been practicing it all at camp, and I had just been waiting for it. It’s fun, and hopefully we’ll continue to use it.”With Lewis’ ability to run, throw and catch, the Spartan defense was at a loss as to what to do.“I loved it, because it confused the defense,” Lewis said. “A lot of times when you see a quarterback line up at wide receiver, you think something is up, but we are just running our offense.”IU employed the strategy toward the end of the first quarter, and instantly, the chains started moving on a drive that would be punctuated with a touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Ray Fisher.“Just getting the ball into No. 15’s hands is special, so that’s what we try and do,” Chappell said of having Lewis as a target.On the drive, Lewis would make two receptions for 17 yards, complete two passes – including the touchdown strike to Fisher – and run the ball twice for 13 yards.Getting Chappell into the game early was also advantageous, as Lewis would miss most of the second quarter and parts of the third quarter with an ankle injury suffered on a run.Chappell came in with game experience already, and the offense hardly skipped a beat.Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio said in his post-game press conference he knew IU would do something different with its offense than what he had seen on tape.“We felt like they would do something to get the ball in Lewis’ hands,” he said. “Somehow, some way, they were going to get the ball in his hands. “I thought their quarterback, Ben Chappell, came in there and did an outstanding job when Lewis went out for a while and didn’t know if he’d be able to return. He did an outstanding job and really moved their football team.”
(09/22/08 4:00am)
Update: According to a Ball State press release, Dante Love's injury was so severe in nature that his football career is expected to be over.However, the release states after a rehabilitation period, Love should be able to live a normal and healthy life.
(09/21/08 12:23am)
UPDATE (1:50 p.m.): Ball State wide receiver Dante Love underwent an approximately five hour long surgery in Indianapolis Saturday night into Sunday morning, according to a press release."Dante Love suffered a cervical spinal chord injury fracture which required surgery to stabalize the fracture," said Ball State team physician and orthopedic surgeon Jay Matchett in the statement. "He is currently moving all four extremities."
(09/10/08 4:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The first and second teams, including quarterbacks Kellen Lewis and Ben Chappell, respectively, continued taking equal snaps in the Hoosiers’ practice on Tuesday. The only thing different from past weeks’ practices was that the players were in shells – shoulder pads, helmets and shorts.IU coach Bill Lynch said he didn’t want to ramp up the hitting in practice until later in the week before giving his team time off this weekend. The Hoosiers do not play again until Sept. 20 against Ball State. Means, Fisher take very few repsWide receivers Andrew Means and Ray Fisher both sat out the majority of Tuesday’s practice.Both are dinged up, but nothing severe enough to threaten their status for Ball State.“Means and Fisher are not (seriously injured),” Lynch said after Tuesday’s practice. “We just decided we were going to give them a chance to rest up a little bit.”No decision on Willis, others redshirtingOne of their most touted recruits in recent memory, freshman running back Darius Willis, has yet to take a snap in-game. Lynch said no final decision has been made on whether the Indianapolis native will redshirt.“With Darius, what we basically have told him, we have to keep him going, but there is a possibility we would redshirt him,” Lynch said.Lynch said he would not send Willis out on to the field during a game, disqualifying him from a possible redshirt, unless Willis would get solid playing time. Four different Hoosier running backs scored during last week’s 45-3 win over Murray State, though Willis saw no playing time.“What you wouldn’t want to do with a guy like (Willis) is play him just a little bit,” Lynch said. “That wouldn’t be fair to him. But, the thing about Darius is he is such a great kid and such a great team guy that he’ll do whatever is best for him and whatever is best for the team.” Lynch added that he would not make his final decision on any redshirts until the beginning of Big Ten play.Doss, Belcher make great grabsTwo players Lynch certainly won’t redshirt are freshman wideouts Tandon Doss and Demarlo Belcher.Both Doss and Belcher made great grabs in seven-on-sevens toward the end of practice.“What I did was I brought them in at the end of camp, and I talked to each freshman,” Lynch said. “I told them this is what it looks like. And at that point we had a real good idea that Doss and Belcher were going to play.”Doss, in tandem with Chappell, successfully play-faked the Hoosier corner lined up opposite Doss in practice Tuesday, yielding a long gain down the sideline.Belcher’s grab came across the middle, and as the 6-foot-5 wide receiver came down with the ball, he was met with forceful shoulder checks from defenders.The hits jarred the ball loose from Belcher’s grasp before he reached out and made a one-handed squeeze and continued running on to the end zone.
(09/08/08 4:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU has been dominant to start its season. No one following the Hoosiers could possibly argue against that statement.To open their season, the Cream and Crimson rolled over Western Kentucky and Murray State. IU has put together 926 yards of offense, scoring 76 points in its eight quarters of play in 2008 thus far – its two visitors’ combined for 431 yards and 16 points.But the Hilltoppers and Racers are part of the reason the Hoosiers’ overall schedule this season was ranked as one of the easiest in the Football Bowl Subdivision, according to various publications.Much of the debate is based on the Hoosiers having eight games in the confines of Memorial Stadium and a noticeably light non-conference schedule without an opponent from a power conference. Once the Hoosiers reach conference play, the difficulty obviously rises. But for the second year in a row, IU won’t face perennial powerhouses Michigan or Ohio State.IU coach Bill Lynch wasn’t in the mood to answer questions about his schedule after his team pounded Murray State 45-3 on Saturday night. The Racers are members of the Football Championship Subdivision.“We’re 2-0,” he said. “I mean, I don’t know – I’m not going to apologize for our schedule.”Quarterback Kellen Lewis admitted Murray State and Western Kentucky might not have been the most difficult opponents, but added the games were still valuable.“At least, even if they’re not Big Ten caliber or Big Ten size, (the games are worthwhile) just making sure we got our guys going to where they are supposed to go,” he said. “Making sure the receiver is making the right read, I’m making the right read and we are making the right checks. So if you want to say those are tune-up games for Big Ten teams, it’s always good to look back on film to make sure your guys are going to the right place.”Saturday’s game was all too easy for Lewis, who appeared to be working on his passing game as if it were practice and not forcing any rushes. The junior had one run for a loss of two yards and was 15-for-21 for 170 yards before being taken out midway through the third quarter.Despite Lewis’ efficiency – and the fact that nine different receivers caught a pass against the Racers – it was the running game which was featured against the lesser Murray State. Five different running backs teamed together for 44 carries, with four backs scoring.Leading the attack was senior Marcus Thigpen who was pulled after carrying the ball seven times for 100 yards and two scores.Thigpen downplayed the ease with which the Hoosiers have won their last two games, saying the games might not have been as easy in years past.“We have proven that we can win,” he said. “In the last few years, we would lose to a team like Murray State.”
(09/05/08 4:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last week, the IU football team made a mockery out of its season opener against Western Kentucky, a team just recently inducted into college football’s top tier. On Saturday, the Hoosiers host a team that didn’t quite make the cut. But IU can’t let a team’s resume change its focus; just two years ago the Hoosiers surrendered 28 second-half points at Memorial Stadium in a loss to Southern Illinois, another team not in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of Division 1 football.The loss is still ingrained in the mind of IU coach Bill Lynch, who was coaching his first game as interim head coach in the absence of former IU coach Terry Heoppner, who missed for medical reasons. BLOG: For more, see Under the Rock.“We have addressed (avoiding the let-down),” Lynch said. ”One of the things we are doing around here is trying to build a consistent football program. A consistent football programs practices well everyday and understands that you only get 12 opportunities to play, and you don’t let any opportunities to get away.”In the mind of cornerback and co-captain Christopher Phillips is how well the Racers’ back-up quarterback Nico Yantko played last week. Yantko was forced into Murray State’s game against Lambuth University in the second quarter last week after Racers’ starting quarterback Jeff Ehrhardt got injured.Yantko proceeded to torch the NAIA Lambuth Eagles for five scoring drives.“He is really explosive and makes a lot of plays,” Phillips said. “To come in off the bench and make plays, he has to be a real focused guy. He seems more athletic than other guys as well, so he may be a bit of a challenge.”Phillips knows he can’t lose focus just because the Racers are not among the toughest opponents the Hoosiers will face, and freshman tight end Max Dedmond knows it, too, even though he was still in high school when the Hoosiers lost to Southern Illinois.“We have talked about our past with Division 1-AA schools where we have had troubles,” Dedmond said.Lynch stressed that for any football program to be good, they must take every game seriously, regardless of the opposing team’s supposed talent level.“College football has kind of grown into that it’s a little bit of a playoff every weekend,” he said. “I say that in a sense that teams who are competing for the National Championship are competing for that championship everyday.”The Hoosiers look to continue their push to fulfill postseason aspirations at 7 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
(08/30/08 10:42pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Thanks to the legs of junior quarterback Kellen Lewis, the IU football team sprinted ahead of visiting Western Kentucky and never looked back.Before game’s end, Lewis would own a new school record and the Cream and Crimson would roll to a 31-13 victory in their season opener.Pinned back on their own 10-yard line, the Hoosiers’ second possession of the afternoon didn’t look promising. But three plays later, including a 75-yard touchdown scamper by Lewis, IU took a 7-0 lead. The run, a career long for the Jacksonville, Fla., native, was a designed read where he has the decision to either hand the ball off or keep it himself.“Most of the time we have an audible call to Kellen where he can run the ball himself,” junior offensive tackle Rodger Saffold said. “That’s the best part about being in the 2-minute because all of the audibles are based on the defense so we can really take advantage.”IU went into the half with a 17-0 lead after an Austin Starr field goal and a touchdown pass from Lewis to receiver Ray Fisher. Fisher caught the ball in the flat and then leaped over two Hilltopper defenders, barely breaking the plane of the goal line with the ball in his outstretched arms. The score was No. 43 of Lewis’ career, surpassing former Hoosier, and current Washington Redskin, Antwaan Randle El for most all-time touchdowns in school history.“I actually didn’t know I was that close (to the record),” Lewis said. Much of the second half was controlled by WKU as the Hilltoppers attempted a come back.“Western (Kentucky) did a really good job controlling the tempo, particularly in the third quarter,” IU coach Bill Lynch said. “The field position changed and that was partly our fault, partly theirs.”But after impressive defensive holds, another long touch down run from Lewis and a throwing score, IU would cruise to the 31-13 win.Lewis said the team’s goal is to score at least 40 points in every game this season, so he feels the offense still has more work to do before next week, though admittedly, Lewis said he enjoyed the new no-huddle scheme.“I think it worked out excellent,” Lewis said. "We’re in great shape, especially the offensive line. It got to a point in the game right there in the first half, that the (defensive) lineman weren’t even getting their hands down for a pass rush.”IU returns to action 7 p.m. next Saturday as they host Murray State at Memorial Stadium.For more information on Saturday’s game, check out the Under the Rock blog and pick up a copy of this Tuesday’s IDS.
(08/29/08 4:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>No matter how imperfect or seemingly impervious a football team can be, there will always be questions heading into the team’s season opener whose answers will dictate success.For the IU football team, much has been made of the turnover in the secondary, the lack of size at wide receiver and whether or not the offensive line will be able to handle the new no-huddle scheme.After losing to the NFL, cornerbacks Tracy Porter and Leslie Majors, and the top receiver in Indiana football history in James Hardy, coach Bill Lynch hopes additions like sophomore transfer Jerimy Finch in the secondary, freshmen wide receiver Damarlo Belcher and tight end Max Dedmond can help sure-up any holes left from last season.Lynch might have answers for critics of his offensive line as well, and they most likely involve sophomore center Alex Perry.Perry played in only four games last season as a redshirt freshman, but has been getting all of the starter’s reps this preseason.“It’s been three years and a lot of hard work, and (an opportunity to start) is coming up so I’m really excited about it,” Perry said.The hard work has not gone unnoticed by Lynch.“He came in off of an ACL surgery that he had, so that always slows you down a little bit that first year,” Lynch said of the 6-foot-7, 300-pounder. “But he has worked extremely hard. He is a great weight room guy, very smart and has developed some confidence.”Intelligence will be key on the offensive line with the team’s transition to the no-huddle.As it implies, the offense will rarely group into the traditional pre-snap circle. Instead, Perry and the rest of the line will immediately get in their stances for the next play as junior quarterback Kellen Lewis calls out the new play and makes any audibles.The no-huddle tends to wear out a defense, not allowing it to make many substitutions in a drive. But at the same time, it requires every member of the offensive line to work well with one another and quickly, something Lynch feels Perry excels with.“He mixes very well with the rest of those guys and I think that’s the thing I like,” Lynch said. “The line has really developed a great chemistry because for the most part they came in to school together.”The linemen Lynch referred to are Perry, who redshirted his freshman year along with Cody Faulkner and Mike Stark. Those three came to IU at the same time as juniors Pete Saxon and Rodger Saffold.“When you take Saffold, Saxon, Perry, Faulkner and Stark, they’re a close knit group and have developed that chemistry – or whatever that word is – that with an offensive line, that’s really important to have,” Lynch said. “I like the way they practice, I like the way they communicate. When they make a mistake, they talk about it. They understand they’ve all got to work together and the communication is so important.”Perry, the line and the rest of the Hoosier football team kick off their season against Western Kentucky at noon Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
(07/14/08 1:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Never in the past has a summer been so busy for an IU baseball team.Hoosiers earned All-American honors while recruits and past players have been drafted. It is easy to forget the most important aspect of the “off season” – summer league baseball.The squad features many dispersed members honing their crafts, so the team who finished third in the Big Ten Tournament can improve on their 31-30 season record.Some of the most noteworthy Hoosiers are Matt Carr, the team’s Cape Cod League members and Jerrud Sabourin.Hot summer pitcherCarr could prove to be the linchpin in the Hoosiers’ staff come spring, as he aims to secure the third spot, and final weekend start, in the rotation.And judging by the righty’s performance so far this summer with Anderson (Ind.) Servants of the wood bat Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, Carr wants the spot bad.In four appearances the Indianapolis native is 3-0 with a 1.11 ERA, two complete games, a shutout and 16 total strikeouts.After his two complete games, Carr was named the league’s pitcher of the week for the week of June 24.It is easy to see why Carr’s name was mentioned by head coach Tracy Smith earlier this summer amongst Eric Arnett, Kyle Leiendecker and recruit Drew Leininger as possible pitchers to fill out the staff’s weekend rotation.At the CapeIU has three members in the Cape Cod League, the strongest of the summer wood-bat leagues.Two Hoosiers are members of the Wareham (Mass.) Gatemen.Staff ace Matt Bashore has struggled so far this summer after picking up First Team All-Big Ten honors and recording the second-most innings pitched at 82.2 last season.The lefty currently has a 3.00 ERA, but has one loss in only six innings pitched. In those six innings the Tipp City, Ohio native has 9 strikeouts, but also two walks, two wild pitches and plunked one batter.Gatemen and Hoosier teammate of Bashore’s Kipp Schutz has also had a slow summer. Since, however, Schutz has flashed some real power at the plate with 3 home runs in 68 at bats. With the lumber, he has a .235 batting average, with three doubles, six RBIs and four walks.Also in the Cape, but with the Cotuit (Mass.) Kettleers is Hoosier infielder Evan Crawford.Similar story to Bashore and Scutz, Crawford struggled early.Since the bumpy start, Crawford has raised his batting average 135 points, hitting .237 in 59 at-bats. He is also tied for the team lead in stolen bases with five.Crawford leads his summer club in errors with seven, much like he did with the Hoosiers last season with 20, but has played 11 of his 18 games in the outfield.A MaverickJerrud Sabourin transferred to IU from Arizona after arriving to campus in Tucson, Ariz., and being cut. Sabourin proved the Wildcats mistaken in letting him go by throwing together a Freshman All-American season.But with that in the first basemen’s rear view, Sabourin is now focused on turning out another great season by honing his craft in his hometown of San Diego.Sabourin is playing for the San Diego Mavericks, a member of the Western Baseball Association, a wood-bat semi-pro league like Carr’s Servants.In 97 at-bats the left-handed hitter boasts a .412 batting average, leading the team.He is also atop the team in doubles with 19, RBIs with 26 and walks with 12 – each number more than doubling the team’s second ranked hitter in its respective category.Sabourin’s slugging percentage is nearly .150 points higher than any other Maverick, and he has struck out only three times.
(06/09/08 12:20am)
Diamond and gridiron star Andrew Means finds himself in limbo as he negotiates a contract with the Cincinnati Reds.\nMeans, teammate Tyler Tufts and potential Hoosiers Blake Monar and Alex Dickerson were all selected in last week’s MLB First Year Player Draft.\nMeans was the first of the four taken. The Reds selected him in the 11th round with pick No. 329. \n“I’m not final with anything yet,” Means said of his future with IU. \nHe went on to say that he might suit up for the Hoosier football team in the fall, but “there is an option of me not playing football anymore and just doing strictly baseball. I’m just waiting out the process right now, waiting to see what (the Reds) come up with,” he said.\nThe center fielder was predicted to be taken earlier, but concerns that he is also a legitimate threat to be drafted by an NFL team lowered his stock.\n“(The Reds) called NFL scouting directors and heard things they didn’t want to hear,” Means said. “They heard that I do have the potential to be an NFL draft pick. So they waited outside of the top 10 rounds, so that there was less risk involved in the pick.”\nMeans led the Big Ten with 72 runs, eight triples and was third with 33 stolen bases. He finished the year with a .357 batting average.\nBoth Means and Tufts have one more year of eligibility at IU. Tufts was taken late in the draft. The right-handed pitcher was selected in the 32nd round by the Texas Rangers.\nFor the Hoosiers this season, Tufts tied for the team lead at 13 starts. In those starts he posted a 6-5 record on the season with a 5.65 ERA.\nBut toward the end of the year, Tufts showed his team, and the Rangers, he is reliable in the clutch. In his final five starts, he went 4-0 with a 3.99 ERA.\n“Tyler’s got a good arm,” IU coach Tracy Smith said. “I think it’s a great honor to be drafted, and no one can take that away from him. He and his family have to sit down and decide what is best for him and what he wants to do. \n“Whether you are drafted in the first round or the 30-something round, it certainly is a privilege. Someone is offering you to play a game and get paid for it.”\nStud high school pitcher and IU signee Blake Monar was selected by the New York Yankees in the 25th round. \nMonar could not be reached post-selection, but said in an interview before the draft that he would not sign with a team unless offered a good deal of money.\n“It’s more the money, rather than the round,” he said. “Third round money is what I’m looking for.”\nMonar is from Rockport, Ind. and led the South Spencer High School team. In the regular season this year, the lefty posted a staggeringly low 0.49 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 43 innings. \nMonar also hit .644 at the plate and is a candidate for Indiana Mr. Baseball honors.\nDickerson was a big hitter and MVP for his Poway High School squad in Poway, Calif, which earned itself a No. 1 ranking in the state. Dickerson led his Titans with a .455 batting average, eight home runs, 12 doubles and 44 RBIs.\nDickerson was selected in the 48th round by the Washington Nationals.\nAll four draftees would be missed in Bloomington come next baseball season, but Smith said he wasn’t concerned or ready to speculate on what could happen with the players in the future. Rather, he said he was proud players tied with his program were drafted, and it means that IU baseball is heading in the right direction.
(06/01/08 11:18pm)
JOLIET, Ill. – Standing in the early morning sun, a tall 25-year-old man stops in the middle of his downswing, his adidas polo rippling and snapping in the wind.\n“I’ve been releasing too early,” he says. “My short game is great. I just need to work on my ball-striking.”\nHe pulls his iron back again and this time finishes a smooth, full swing, squinting at his ball as it launches into the air and gently falls on the driving range’s practice green, 100 yards out. \nThe golfer is 2006 IU alumnus Brad Marek, and he is preparing for a challenging round of golf at the Michelob Ultra Joliet Amateur Championship in Joliet, Ill.\nBut the challenge of host site Wedgewood Golf Course has nothing on the difficulties of the course Marek has recently started on.\nIn the next few months, Marek will be traveling throughout the Midwest in preparation for the PGA Qualifying School.\nThe Q-School is a series of strenuous tournaments featuring hundreds of amateurs and seasoned professionals alike, all seeking the few spots available for the Nationwide Tour, or the even fewer spots on the PGA Tour. \nThe Nationwide Tour is to the PGA Tour as Triple-A baseball is to the Major Leagues. The golfers are professionals, but are still one step shy of the top tour. \nMarek knows of the hardships and traveling to come – in the last two years, none of the players who had to go through the pre-qualifying stage were able to secure their PGA Tour cards.\n“You are only young once,” he said, walking to the first tee. “If I would look back on it, I would regret not going for it.”\nMarek’s ultimate goal is to earn his PGA Tour card, but said he would be more than happy making the Nationwide Tour.\nIn his senior year on the IU golf team, Marek had two top-20 finishes, including tying for 18th at the Big Ten Championships. He finished his career playing 70 rounds, averaging just-under 76 strokes per round.\nHe said his time at IU was focused more on the classroom than his golf, graduating in four years from the Kelley School of Business with a marketing degree.\n“If you looked at the players out on tour, 99 percent of them played golf in college, so obviously that was a good stepping stone to get me to where I am,” he said. \nMarek said his marketing degree has helped him since graduation, even though he has been doing “odd jobs,” because trying to turn pro involves high costs in traveling and entrance fees, so an amateur has to find sponsors. \nHe said sponsors are similar to stock holders, only the stock is the golfer. If the golfer does well, they get rewarded.\nSince graduation, Marek has turned his attention to golf, and to his dream of being a professional which has gripped him since high school.\nIn the last three years he has won the Illinois Amateur, the Northshore Amateur, the Illinois State Junior Amateur, as well as “a few other things, and played well in some national events as well,” he said.\n“Obviously I have to get better to get to the level that I want to, but it’s always been a dream of mine. It should be a fun opportunity, and IU is certainly part of who I am.”\nMarek finished the first round of the day’s tournament five shots off the lead after battling tough, windy conditions.\nMarek wasn’t worried. He won last year’s tournament coming from three groups behind.
(05/12/08 12:42am)
After losing two of three contests to Northwestern in Evanston, Ill. this weekend, the IU baseball team’s dreams of climbing back into the Big Ten Tournament picture are quickly becoming nightmares.\nIU (22-28, 10-17) finds itself scrambling toward the bottom of the Big Ten. With only five conference games left on their schedule, the Hoosiers will need to sweep Michigan State next weekend and hope for more Northwestern (20-24, 13-14) losses. \n“I think if we lose the next one we are out of it,” said freshman Jerrud Sabourin. “We are trying to keep it positive and trying to win this next game while we still have a chance.”\nThe Hoosiers threatened a game one comeback Friday, but never mounted a rally as the Wildcats edged the Cream and Crimson, 8-5.\nDown 8-4 with two outs in the eighth inning, the Hoosiers managed to put two men on base. Sophomore infielder Tyler Rogers stepped in and blasted a shot to right field, but the rope was cut off by the NU outfielder, ending the rally. \nWith one down in the ninth, IU loaded the bases for sophomore slugger Josh Phegley, who drew a walk to bring the match to its final tally. The Hoosiers stranded the remaining runners after a fly out to left and grounder to third ended the frame. \n“We are going to score runs, because we are never out of it offensively,” said IU coach Tracy Smith. “Game one and three was our inability to get it done on the mound.”\nThe lone high note of the weekend came in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader as sophomore lefty Matt Bashore continued his dominating pitching. \nBashore (6-3) threw a complete game 3-hitter, allowing only one unearned run while striking out five. The Hoosiers took the contest thanks to Bashore’s efforts as the team managed to plate two runs.\n“I didn’t really have my best stuff, but I was trying to keep it in the zone and the defense behind me really helped me,” Bashore said. “We have to take on every game from here on out to try and make (the Big Ten Tournament).”\nThe Hoosiers lost game three of the four-game series in the nightcap of the doubleheader Saturday. It was a complete night and day change from the first game that day as IU fell 10-8. \nThe Hoosiers came from behind to knot the contest at seven, but Wildcat Chris Lashmet blasted a three-run home run giving NU an insurmountable lead. \n“We came back and tied it late, but had a walk and error at a critical time in the game, and you just can’t have that when you are trying to climb back into this thing,” Smith said.\nThe fourth and final game against Northwestern was scheduled for Sunday, but was rained out. The Big Ten forces teams to wrap-up their series in four days and because IU arrived in Evanston on Thursday, there will be no opportunity for a make-up game.\nAs for the remainder of the Hoosiers’ climb back into the conference tournament, it will be against Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich., starting Friday. The Hoosiers’ next contest will be against Butler at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Bloomington.
(05/02/08 3:18am)
A recently snapped nine-game losing streak left the IU baseball team’s season hanging by a thread.\nBut after tripling conference-leading Michigan’s (31-10, 17-3) Big Ten loss total last weekend, the Hoosiers feel they have proven to the rest of the conference they are capable of coming from last place to make the Big Ten Tournament.\n“Like I said going into (last) weekend, there is no team we would have rather been playing than Michigan, based on where we were at that point,“ IU coach Tracy Smith said. “When we do what we are supposed to do we are able to illustrate to these guys that we can beat anybody. That was truly one of the better teams I have squared off as a head coach.”\nEvery conference series for the remainder of season will be pivotal for the Hoosiers, who currently find themselves in the cobwebs of the Big Ten’s cellar. IU is not alone in searching for the stairs leading out, however, as they are tied with Iowa and Minnesota.\nThat cluster of teams at the bottom of the conference could prove advantageous for the Hoosiers as they aim for a top-6 conference finish and a spot in the Big Ten tournament. But first, the Cream and Crimson must worry about visiting-rival Purdue.\n“There is a lot of extra incentive (facing Purdue),” sophomore third baseman Evan Crawford said, “When you talk to people, they don’t ask you how you did in the Big Ten, they ask you, ‘Did you beat Purdue?“\nPurdue is sprawled out on the couch watching TV as they rest comfortably in second place at 16-4 in conference play and 25-17 overall.\nThe consistent play of sophomore catcher Josh Phegley, whose batting average is 20 points above the nearest Big Ten batter, has been a bright spot for the Hoosiers. Phegley’s brother John played for the Boilermakers. The last time Josh Phegley faced a team he had a close tie to was against his hometown Indiana State. Phegley lit the Sycamores on fire as he went 4-for-4 with a three-run home run and a total of four RBIs. \n“I was really looking forward to playing against (brother John), but he quit just before I got here,“ Phegley said. “But, I have been up there and stayed up there and know a lot of guys on the team. I’m probably closer to Purdue than any other team, so it would be nice to brag to those guys later.”\nLeading the way for the Hoosier pitching staff is one of Phegley’s battery mates, sophomore southpaw Matt Bashore. Bashore earned his second Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors this week after holding the explosive Wolverine offense to only one run in a complete game effort.\n“It feels good to get rewarded after a good outing,” Bashore said. “Obviously it is a goal of mine every week, and I don’t sell myself short on anything. I feel it’s something I can do every week.”\nSmith hopes his Hoosiers’ improved play continues through this weekend and through the rest of the season, but was wary to look too far forward.\n“I’d like to win four (games this weekend),” Smith said. “But game one on Saturday is all we are worried about.”\nGame one’s first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
(04/28/08 4:33am)
After two hours of laughs and anecdotes, former IU basketball coach Bob Knight concluded his speech at the Little Nashville Opry Saturday by thanking the event’s coordinators.\nHe said he was grateful to them for bringing him back to Indiana and allowing him to reminisce about his years in Assembly Hall.\n“Thank you to you for allowing me to once again return to some great memories, some great thoughts about players and games in what for many, many years was a tremendous situation,” Knight said.\nKnight delivered his speech in front of four banners: three for his national championships and one marking his 880th win, an NCAA men’s basketball record. But to set the mood for his talk, Knight took a shot at the stage’s set.\n“This is the sorriest setup I have ever seen,” he said, to which the crowd burst into laughter.\nKnight kept the capacity crowd – interspersed with red Texas Tech and crimson IU gear – attentive as he weaved stories ranging from his early coaching career, his experiences at ESPN as an analyst, advice to and from other coaches, all the way through his record-setting win.\nOverall, however, it was his concluding words which really touched on his tenure at IU.\n“The difficulties in losing a game, or in not having a kid play as well as he should or a problem that a kid might create, or whatever, all of those things really kind of pale in significance to the great kids, the great teams that we had,” Knight said. “I really feel privileged to have coached those kids here.”\nHe went on to say he was very appreciative of the opportunity he had to coach at IU with the program’s fan support.\nKnight, the coach of three national championships in 29 years with IU, was dismissed on Sept. 11, 2000, after then-IU President Myles Brand said Knight violated a zero-tolerance behavior policy.\nThe firing was bitter and met with resentment by students and other fans alike. But Knight finished his speech by saying, “When I look back at things – things happen, sometimes they’re right, sometimes they’re wrong, it doesn’t really make a lot of difference. I think the difference is what went on prior to that. And I can easily say that the good far outweighed the bad.”
(04/25/08 4:20am)
A 7-2 victory over Indiana State on Wednesday snapped a nine-game losing streak for the IU baseball team (16-22). But keeping the proverbial monkey off the Hoosiers’ backs will be difficult as No. 23 Michigan comes to Sembower Field for a four-game set beginning Friday.\nThe Wolverines are currently the front-runner in the Big Ten with a 15-1 conference record. The Hoosiers find themselves opposite Michigan in the standings with a 4-12 Big Ten record.\n“I think Michigan is probably more talented man-for-man than us,” said IU coach Tracy Smith. “I mean, shoot, they were a top-whatever team last year and they are having a great year this year. So I just try to have my kids focusing on playing as well as they can. They can still play a good game and not get the win. We just don’t want to come away from the game second-guessing ourselves.”\nDespite the lofty task, Smith is looking forward to battling the Maize and Blue.\n“There is no other team I would rather be playing than Michigan given where we are at the crossroads of guys challenging,” he said. \nThe Hoosiers do have the edge over Michigan in offense, ranking second in batting while UM is fourth. Sophomore catcher Josh Phegley leads the Hoosier offense seemingly every game and is the conference’s highest-ranked hitter.\nIn Wednesday’s contest, the Terre Haute native went 4-for-4 with four RBIs against his hometown team, an effort highlighted by a towering three-run blast in the fifth inning. \nPhegley leads all Big Ten batters in average at .447 and on base percentage at .512. He ranks second in hits and RBIs at 63 and 46 respectively.\nThe catcher said he has no concerns about his offense. \n“It’s going to be a tough series,” he said. “Our offense will be there, and if our defense is solid we will be a tough team to beat.”\nIU’s defense has proven to be the team’s Achilles heel so far this season. Currently ranking last in the conference in fielding percentage and committing the most errors, a lot of blame has gone toward the Hoosiers’ infielders, who each have combined for eight errors or more.\nThe Hoosiers did post an errorless nine innings Wednesday.\n“We have been tinkering with that lineup defensively all year,” Smith said. “It’s one game, so I’m not going to get too excited, but it does play out better. Our problem hadn’t been scoring runs, and the pitching has been good enough. We have just struggled picking up the baseball.”\nThe first pitch of the series is set for 3 p.m. Friday, and the Hoosiers are ready.\n“I fully expect to win some games this weekend, but if we don’t, I want to make sure we played as hard as we could every single game,” Smith said.
(04/24/08 3:56am)
Sophomore catcher Josh Phegley’s four RBIs propelled the IU baseball team (16-22) to a 7-2 victory against the Terre Haute native’s hometown Indiana State Sycamores (12-24) on Wednesday at Sembower Field.\nBut Phegley and Hoosiers did not need the extra incentive of a hometown team or in-state rival – a nine-game losing streak was enough.\n“It was a big win, obviously for me playing the hometown team and some guys I grew up playing with,” said Phegley, who entered Wednesday’s game with a .431 batting average – top in the Big Ten. “But just for our team to come out, play solid and win, it’s good.”\nThe Hoosiers struck first, plating two runs in the first \ntwo innings. \nIndiana State knotted the contest in the top of the fifth as Sycamore third baseman Brian Ramirez drove in two runs with a two-out double.\nBut the Hoosiers quickly responded, crossing the game’s final five runs in the following half-inning, highlighted by a three-run blast from Phegley over the Michigan flag in deep left-center field.\nThis was the first time in nine games the Hoosiers pieced together their hitting, defense \nand pitching.\nTaking care of the pitching effort fell to sophomore Eric Arnett who, on Sunday, pitched two scoreless innings before leaving with a sore arm in a loss to Penn State.\nArnett said his arm felt fine, and his final line backed up his statement. Arnett worked over Sycamore batters for six innings, allowing only four hits and two runs, while striking \nout four.\nHe said he was happy with himself pitching deep into a midweek game, giving other arms a chance to rest while giving the Hoosiers an opportunity to win.\n“It was good to get (Arnett) on track a little bit,” IU coach Tracy Smith said. “We got him attacking the zone, and he got some confidence in his fastball, which was something he needed to do.”\nThe Cream and Crimson were errorless on defense, which, for a team with the most errors in the Big Ten and with the worst fielding percentage, is music to a coach’s ear.\n“It’s only one game, so I don’t want to get too excited,” Smith said. “But our problem hasn’t been scoring runs, and the pitching hasn’t been great, but good enough. We just haven’t been picking up the baseball. If we continue to make routine plays, we’ll do fine.”\nShedding the losing streak with an all-around effort could not have come at a better time for the Hoosiers. At 3 p.m. Friday, IU will welcome the Big Ten-leading No. 23 Michigan Wolverines to Bloomington for a four-game series. \n“Our focus this weekend is, ‘Indiana, play as well as Indiana can play,’” Smith said. “If we can do that and Michigan slips up, or whatever, we’re going to beat them.”
(04/21/08 4:54am)
Looking forward to next season, IU women’s soccer coach Mick Lyon said he cannot help but be excited. \nThe sentiment is understandable, as Lyon has molded his program around young talent – talent that just finished its spring season with a 5-1 victory over Wright State on Saturday.\nIU finished its six-game spring exhibition season with a 3-1-2 record. IU’s only defeat came at the feet of Notre Dame, which competed in the 2007 Women’s College Cup.\n“The spring season is a good step into next season,” sophomore forward Liz Holby said. “We have been working on team-building and have become very close, which is important for next year. We have a bunch of new girls coming into next year, and as long as we are together now, it’ll be easier bringing them in next season.”\nThe Hoosiers started the spring with an undefeated weekend, beating Indiana State 4-0 and drawing with Dayton 2-2. \nThe Hoosiers then beat Kentucky 1-0 before dropping to Notre Dame 2-0.\n“(The spring season) is very important,” Lyon said. “As with the fall season, you have a mixture of games. The last games have been incredibly tough with Notre Dame and the professional club team FC Indiana.”\nThe stiffest competition came against FC Indiana, which ranks fifth in the world club rankings.\nThe two teams played close the entire match, drawing at a goal apiece. Lyon said his team played its best soccer of the spring against the international club team.\n“As team, we were never really pulled apart (against FC Indiana),” Lyon said. “And as the game went on we grew in confidence, and that was great to see.”\nSophomore forward Kristin Arnold, who had an assist in the contest, said it was a good experience for her team because of the level of competition the Hoosiers faced.\n“Notre Dame, we didn’t come out with the result, but we gained a lot of experience with that game,” she said. “And we played really well against FC Indiana who is a great team with older players who have beaten a lot of college teams. So, I think not only have we built up a lot of skills, but confidence as well, and I think taking that into the fall will help us out a lot.”\nSaturday, IU finished its spring with a trouncing of Wright State.\nArnold picked up two more goals, bringing her total to four for the spring, which was the most of any player this season. The sophomore led the team in the fall as well. Holby also added a goal, and rising young talent freshman forward Aleah DeGeneres, who redshirted in the fall, notched the remaining two.\nWith only one senior next year, Lyon’s roster is very young but loaded with talent as the majority of the team’s top performers this spring were freshmen and sophomores in the fall.\nAltogether, the freshman and sophomore classes accounted for every goal this spring and 27 of 36 in the fall.\nIn the fall, the Hoosiers made it to the third round of the NCAA Tournament, defeating rival Purdue on penalty kicks in the second round. It was the furthest any IU women’s soccer team had ever gone in the tournament.