Coach Tracy Smith has signed 9 new Hoosiers including Blair Betts (Cary, N.C./Athens Drive), Matt Dearden (Newberry, Fla./Gainesville), Dustin DeMuth (LaPorte, Ind./LaPorte), Joey DeNato (San Diego, Calif./Torrey Pines), Ty Downing (Bowling Green, Ky./Greenwood), Eric Kartman (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead), Brian Korte (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder), Chad Martin (Lexington, Ky./Vincennes University) and Reed Reznicek (Vista, Calif./Rancho Buena Vista).
Spanning 6 different states, this 2010 class includes 4 left handed pitchers, 3 right handed pitchers, 1 infielder, and 1 catcher.
Check out the IU press release for more information on the class including some great quotes by Coach Smith on each player here.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Kyle Leiendecker: On the mound or in the field?
Coming to IU as an Indiana All State selection, solid two-way player, and draftee of the Cleveland Indians, Kyle Leiendecker was a huge pickup for Tracy Smith and the Hoosiers. In his freshman year, he started out strong picking up a win against always dangerous LSU. He went on that year to finish 3-0 in a season ended short by injury. After a short freshman year, he left Hoosier fans wanting more. Many, including myself, thought he would step into a weekend starter spot last year. After having difficulty finding the plate in his limited appearances, Leiendecker had a disappointing sophomore season.
After going to California this summer and finishing with a .356 BA and .485 OB%, he had many of the Hoosier faithful behind him again. In the fan picks, he was voted to RF by a considerable margin. Despite his success at the plate, Indiana fans remain intrigued by his potential on the mound. With our lack of returning experience, Leiendecker remains a wildcard. There is no denying that he has one of the strongest arms on the team, but many question if he can live up to his potential. Over his first two years, his stats are as follows:
FR: 7.76 ERA, 3-0, 12 APP, 5 GS, 26.2 IP, 34 H, 23 R, 23 ER, 18 BB, 19 K, .330 B/AVG
SO: 18.00 ERA, 0-0, 5 APP, 1 GS, 4.0 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 9 BB, 3 K, .474 B/AVG
As fans, I think we all are holding out hope that Leiendecker can return to form to pick up some valuable innings for this Hoosier team that lost 3 pitchers to the MLB draft. The team is clearly in dire need of arms to eat up quality innings this spring, but will Coach Smith provide Leiendecker with an opportunity to step in and help fill that pitching void, and will Leiendecker take advantage of the opportunities he does get? What is your take? Do you feel he still has something left to offer on the mound, or should he concentrate on contributing in the outfield and at the plate?
My personal inclination is for Coach Smith to give him a shot, and I think he certaintly will. He possesses the tools and has some experience, and I think there is still some potential there. The Hoosiers rotation would certainly be bolstered by the addition of another quality arm, so to me, giving Leiendecker another opportunity on the mound early in the season makes perfect sense to me. The worst case scenario would be that he struggles as he has in the past and returns to competing for playing time in the outfield. On the flip side, he could take advantage of the opportunity and finally live up to the expectations set for him early in his career.
I know this has been a hot topic of debate among some readers of late, but I am still interested to hear everyone's thoughts on the matter. Go Hoosiers!
After going to California this summer and finishing with a .356 BA and .485 OB%, he had many of the Hoosier faithful behind him again. In the fan picks, he was voted to RF by a considerable margin. Despite his success at the plate, Indiana fans remain intrigued by his potential on the mound. With our lack of returning experience, Leiendecker remains a wildcard. There is no denying that he has one of the strongest arms on the team, but many question if he can live up to his potential. Over his first two years, his stats are as follows:
FR: 7.76 ERA, 3-0, 12 APP, 5 GS, 26.2 IP, 34 H, 23 R, 23 ER, 18 BB, 19 K, .330 B/AVG
SO: 18.00 ERA, 0-0, 5 APP, 1 GS, 4.0 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 9 BB, 3 K, .474 B/AVG
As fans, I think we all are holding out hope that Leiendecker can return to form to pick up some valuable innings for this Hoosier team that lost 3 pitchers to the MLB draft. The team is clearly in dire need of arms to eat up quality innings this spring, but will Coach Smith provide Leiendecker with an opportunity to step in and help fill that pitching void, and will Leiendecker take advantage of the opportunities he does get? What is your take? Do you feel he still has something left to offer on the mound, or should he concentrate on contributing in the outfield and at the plate?
My personal inclination is for Coach Smith to give him a shot, and I think he certaintly will. He possesses the tools and has some experience, and I think there is still some potential there. The Hoosiers rotation would certainly be bolstered by the addition of another quality arm, so to me, giving Leiendecker another opportunity on the mound early in the season makes perfect sense to me. The worst case scenario would be that he struggles as he has in the past and returns to competing for playing time in the outfield. On the flip side, he could take advantage of the opportunity and finally live up to the expectations set for him early in his career.
I know this has been a hot topic of debate among some readers of late, but I am still interested to hear everyone's thoughts on the matter. Go Hoosiers!
Monday, November 2, 2009
2009-2010 Schedule
As you may have already seen, the Indiana Hoosiers have announced their 2009-2010 schedule. The season begins with the Hoosiers making a trip to California to play San Diego in a 3-game series followed by one game against Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn and his San Diego State Aztecs. Additional notable non-conference games include last year's regional foes Vanderbilt on 3/7/10 in the Music City Classic in Nashville, Tennessee and a home-and-away series against Louisville on 3/9/10 (away) and 3/30/10 (home).
In conference play, the Hoosiers will play home series against Michigan, Iowa, Purdue, and Illinois. Ohio State, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Michigan State will all be on the road. That leaves Penn State as the only Big Ten baseball opponent the Hoosiers will not face (Wisconsin does not have a baseball team).
The full schedule can be found here.
In conference play, the Hoosiers will play home series against Michigan, Iowa, Purdue, and Illinois. Ohio State, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Michigan State will all be on the road. That leaves Penn State as the only Big Ten baseball opponent the Hoosiers will not face (Wisconsin does not have a baseball team).
The full schedule can be found here.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Wyatt Hoff No Longer on IU Roster
Although this may be old news to some of you, Wyatt Hoff is no longer listed on IU's roster. Hoff logged the 6th most innings of any returner (behind Monar, Squires, Carr, Leininger, and Igel) last year sporting a 13.73 ERA and a .424 BA against.
While those numbers are not very good and it appears as not much of a loss, this does leave IU with only 12 pitchers on the roster (7 of which are Freshman). In alphabetical order, the IU pitchers include: Matt Carr, Tyler Feine, Greg Heban, Alex Herz, Jonny Hoffman, Matt Igel, Drew Leininger, Mike McKinley, Blake Monar, Derek Roof, Chris Squires, and Walker Stadler.
With only 5 returners (including Carr who is recovering from Tommy John surgery) and 7 new faces, how do you all see the pitching situation playing out? Will Monar be a good #1 starter? Can Squires move from a closing role to fill a weekend starter spot? Will Igel be the Igel will saw in the Big Ten Tournament last year and command a weekend starter spot as well? Will any of the freshman log a lot of innings? Assuming Squires is a starter, who will fill the closer spot? Do you want to see Leiendecker on the mound? Feel free to post your thoughts or any additional questions in the comments section with regard to the pitching situation.
Also, if anyone took any pictures of the new IU players who are not pictured on this blog at last weekend's fall games, I would love it you would send them to me at iubaseballfan@live.com, and I will put them up as soon as possible.
While those numbers are not very good and it appears as not much of a loss, this does leave IU with only 12 pitchers on the roster (7 of which are Freshman). In alphabetical order, the IU pitchers include: Matt Carr, Tyler Feine, Greg Heban, Alex Herz, Jonny Hoffman, Matt Igel, Drew Leininger, Mike McKinley, Blake Monar, Derek Roof, Chris Squires, and Walker Stadler.
With only 5 returners (including Carr who is recovering from Tommy John surgery) and 7 new faces, how do you all see the pitching situation playing out? Will Monar be a good #1 starter? Can Squires move from a closing role to fill a weekend starter spot? Will Igel be the Igel will saw in the Big Ten Tournament last year and command a weekend starter spot as well? Will any of the freshman log a lot of innings? Assuming Squires is a starter, who will fill the closer spot? Do you want to see Leiendecker on the mound? Feel free to post your thoughts or any additional questions in the comments section with regard to the pitching situation.
Also, if anyone took any pictures of the new IU players who are not pictured on this blog at last weekend's fall games, I would love it you would send them to me at iubaseballfan@live.com, and I will put them up as soon as possible.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Hoosiers Fall to Norse 10-6 in Fall Game
With several players seeing playing time, the Indiana Hoosier baseball team lost to Northern Kentucky 10-6. The Norse were a formidable foe for the Hoosiers as they had been the Great Lakes Valley Conference Champions (Division II) the last two years. Keep in mind that the game doesn't count for the Hoosiers season record, and it was clear that the IU coaching staff was more concerned with getting multiple players game experience than winning and understandably so. As many people speculated after draft day, the Hoosiers are going to be light on pitching and that was evident by allowing 9 runs combined in the 8th and 9th innings. The hitting was also average while the defense committed 3 errors. It is still only the fall, so I'm sure the pitching, hitting, and fielding will only get better moving forward.
Starting Lineup:
CF - Brian Lambert
1B - Jerrud Sabourin
LF - Alex Dickerson
C - Josh Lyon
DH - Michael Earley
2B - Tyler Rogers
RF - Kyle Leiendecker
SS - Michael Basil
3B - Micah Johnson
P - Blake Monar
Please feel free to leave your comments or any takeaways you saw from the game in the section below.
Starting Lineup:
CF - Brian Lambert
1B - Jerrud Sabourin
LF - Alex Dickerson
C - Josh Lyon
DH - Michael Earley
2B - Tyler Rogers
RF - Kyle Leiendecker
SS - Michael Basil
3B - Micah Johnson
P - Blake Monar
Please feel free to leave your comments or any takeaways you saw from the game in the section below.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Fall Intercollegiate Games - Oct 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th
Due to the unavailability of pitchers in the fall, IU will play four fall intercollegiate games during the following two weekends. This appears as a smart and creative move by the IU coaching staff as it will allow the Hoosier batters to face additional pitching while allowing some the veteran pitchers to rest during the fall.
October 10th, 2pm
Northern Kentucky
Division II (2008 and 2009 Conference Champions)
Last season: 41-22, .321 Team BA; 3.84 Team ERA
October 11th, 12pm
Lincoln Trail
Junior College DI
October 17th, 1pm
Olney Central
Junior College DI
October 18th, 2:30pm
Parkland
Junior College DII (2009 NJCAA Division II National Champions)
Read the full release here.
October 10th, 2pmNorthern Kentucky
Division II (2008 and 2009 Conference Champions)
Last season: 41-22, .321 Team BA; 3.84 Team ERA
October 11th, 12pm
Lincoln Trail
Junior College DI
October 17th, 1pm
Olney Central
Junior College DI
October 18th, 2:30pm
Parkland
Junior College DII (2009 NJCAA Division II National Champions)
Read the full release here.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Yahoo! Sports/Rivals.com - Big Ten teams ready to take next step
Kendall Rogers, college baseball editor for Yahoo! Sports and Rivals.com, previews the Big Ten's fall workouts and had the following to write about IU:
Indiana
Biggest loss. P Eric Arnett
What to watch. The Hoosiers took a huge step forward last season by tallying a 30-win season and reaching an NCAA regional by winning the Big Ten tournament. But coach Tracy Smith and his program don’t want to be a one-year wonder. They want to become a consistent player for the conference crown. That may be difficult to do in the spring. The Hoosiers have some huge holes to fill on the mound without ace pitcher Eric Arnett, Matt Bashore and Joey O’Gara. They also have some holes to fill at the plate with the departures of All-American catcher Josh Phegley, Evan Crawford and Kipp Schutz. The silver lining could be that the Hoosiers welcome back hitters such as Brian Lambert, Alex Dickerson, Jerrud Sabourin and Tyler Rogers. IU has some important arms to replace this fall.
If you would like to read the entire article including previews of the other Big Ten baseball teams, click here.
Indiana
Biggest loss. P Eric Arnett
What to watch. The Hoosiers took a huge step forward last season by tallying a 30-win season and reaching an NCAA regional by winning the Big Ten tournament. But coach Tracy Smith and his program don’t want to be a one-year wonder. They want to become a consistent player for the conference crown. That may be difficult to do in the spring. The Hoosiers have some huge holes to fill on the mound without ace pitcher Eric Arnett, Matt Bashore and Joey O’Gara. They also have some holes to fill at the plate with the departures of All-American catcher Josh Phegley, Evan Crawford and Kipp Schutz. The silver lining could be that the Hoosiers welcome back hitters such as Brian Lambert, Alex Dickerson, Jerrud Sabourin and Tyler Rogers. IU has some important arms to replace this fall.
If you would like to read the entire article including previews of the other Big Ten baseball teams, click here.
Villanova vs. Indiana Game To Be Streamed Online
If you can not make it to Tampa/Clearwater Florida area for the Big Ten/Big East Challenge, Indiana baseball fans are in luck for at least one game. Collegebaseball360.com recently announce an agreement with API Sports to stream live college baseball action from the 2010 Big Ten/Big East Baseball Challenge. While IU will play 3 games throughout the challenge, only the Villanova contest (Saturday, February 27th at 10am ET) is slated to be streamed online. You can read the full release and tentative schedule here.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
2009 Fall Roster Posted
The 2009 fall roster for the Indiana University baseball team has been posted:
Infielders (10): Michael Basil, Jeff Caldwell, Michael Earley, Micah Johnson, Jerry Kleman, Trace Knoblauch (pictured on right), Brian Ritz, Tyler Rogers, Jerrud Sabourin, Ethan Wilson
Outfielders (9): Justin Cureton, Alex Dickerson, Daniel Iturrey, Micah Johnson (pictured on right), T.C. Knipp, Brian Lambert, Kyle Leiendecker, Sterling Mack, Matt Serfling
Catchers (4): Josh Collier, Josh Lyon, Dylan Swift, Wes Wilson
Pitchers (12): Matt Carr, Tyler Feine, Greg Heban, Alex Herz, Jonny Hoffman (pictured on right), Matt Igel, Drew Leininger, Mike McKinley, Blake Monar, Derek Roof, Chris Squires, Walker Stadler
To see the entire 2009 fall roster, click here.
Infielders (10): Michael Basil, Jeff Caldwell, Michael Earley, Micah Johnson, Jerry Kleman, Trace Knoblauch (pictured on right), Brian Ritz, Tyler Rogers, Jerrud Sabourin, Ethan Wilson
Outfielders (9): Justin Cureton, Alex Dickerson, Daniel Iturrey, Micah Johnson (pictured on right), T.C. Knipp, Brian Lambert, Kyle Leiendecker, Sterling Mack, Matt Serfling
Catchers (4): Josh Collier, Josh Lyon, Dylan Swift, Wes Wilson
Pitchers (12): Matt Carr, Tyler Feine, Greg Heban, Alex Herz, Jonny Hoffman (pictured on right), Matt Igel, Drew Leininger, Mike McKinley, Blake Monar, Derek Roof, Chris Squires, Walker Stadler
To see the entire 2009 fall roster, click here.
Big Ten/Big East Challenge Schedule Announced
February 26, 1 p.m. - vs. West Virginia (37-18)February 27, 10 a.m. - vs. Villanova (22-28)
February 28, 10 a.m. - vs. Connecticut (36-24)
The entire press release can be read here.
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