Baseball Media Guide 2010
Download date 29/09/2021 20:56:29
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2010 Indiana State Baseball l GoSycamores.com
2010 Quick Facts
Name of School ... Indiana State University Location ... Terre Haute, Ind.
Founded ... 1865
Enrollment ... 10,457 Nickname ... Sycamores School Colors ... Royal Blue & White Home Facility ... Bob Warn Field Capacity ... 1,000 Surface ... Field Turf (Infield), Grass (Outfield) Dimensions ... 340 (LF), 402 (CF), 340 (RF) Affiliation ... NCAA Division I Conference ... Missouri Valley President ... Dr. Daniel J. Bradley Athletics Director ... Ron Prettyman Athletics Department Phone ... (812) 237-4040 Press Box Phone ... TBA Athletic Dept. Website ... GoSycamores.com Team Information 2009 Overall Record ... 33-21 Home / Away ... 17-3 / 10-16 Conference Record / Finish ... 15-7 / 2nd Position Starters Returning / Lost ... 5 / 4 Letterwinners Returning / Lost ... 12 / 18 Pitchers Returning / Lost ... 4 / 7 Coaching Staff Head Coach ... Rick Heller Alma Mater, Year ... Upper Iowa ‘86 Record at ISU ... 0-0 (1st Season) Career Record ... 561-472-4 (23rd Season) Assistant Coach ... Tyler Herbst Assistant Coach ... Brian Smiley Volunteer Assistant Coach ... Max Hutson Graduate Manager ...Casey DeGroote Program History First Year Of Baseball ... 1896
All-Time Record ... 1,705-1,403 (.549) No. Years in CWS / Last ... 1/1986 No. Years in NCAA Regional / Last ... 5/1995 Last Postseason Opp. ... Texas, 1995 (L, 2-3) Media Relations Graduate Asst. / Baseball Contact .. Danny Pfrank Office Phone ... (812) 237-4145 Cell Phone ... (812) 208-8329 E-mail Address ... [email protected] Media Relations Fax ... (812) 237-4157 Table of Contents 2010 Quick Facts... 1
Bob Warn Field Construction ... 2-3 2010 Season Preview... 4-5 2010 Roster ... 6
2010 Schedule... 7
Coaching Staff Head Coach Rick Heller ... 8-9 2010 Assistant Coaches ... 10
2010 Indiana State Sycamores Player Profiles ... 12-20 Opponents Non-Conference Opponents... 22-23 Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Picks ... 24
Missouri Valley Conference Opponents ... 25-28 The Missouri Valley Conference ... 28
2009 Season In Review 2009 Statistics ... 29
2008 Results... 30
Sycamore Record Book Career Records ... 31
Single-Season Records ... 32
Individual Records ... 33
Team Records ... 34
All-Time Coaching Records ... 34
Year-by-Year Leaders ... 35-36 All-Americans ... 37
All-Time Honors ... 38
Sycamores in the Pros ... 39-40 All-Time Letterwinners ... 41-43 All-Time Results ... 44-50 NCAA / MVC Tournament Results ... 51
2010 Quick Facts / Table of Contents
The 2010 Indiana State University baseball yearbook is a publi- cation of the Indiana State University Athletics Media Relations office, Danny Pfrank, graduate assistant. Written and edited by Pfrank. Page design by Pfrank and Megan McKenna, Creative Specialist / Director of New Media at Indiana State. Assistance provided by Mike Williams and McKenna.
Inside photography by Kara Berchem and Tony Campbell of the Indiana State University Photographic Services Department, McKenna, and the Missouri Valley Conference.
All photographs are copyrighted and rights are reserved without
the expressed written consent of the ISU Department of Athlet-
ics.
This Is Sycamore Baseball l GoSycamores.com Bob Warn Field Construction
November
December
2010 Indiana State Baseball l GoSycamores.com Bob Warn Field Construction
January
February
This Is Sycamore Baseball l GoSycamores.com
There will be plenty of new faces and facilities around the 2010 Indiana State University baseball team, but one thing that first- year head coach Rick Heller will like to keep intact was the success on the field during the 2009 season.
Heller, who was hired on August 14, 2009, as the 28th head coach in 114-year history of the program, will take over a program that won 33 games last season and reached as high as 26th in the national rankings. Former head coach Lindsay Meggs resigned on July 14, 2009, to accept the head coaching position at the University of Washington.
“It’s been a lot of fun this first semester and so far this spring,” said head coach Heller. “I’ve inherited a great group of guys, both returnees and recruits. Having an entirely new staff can be a challenge, but we have all worked well together. Things have gone extremely well.”
Heller had spent the previous 10 seasons as the head coach at Northern Iowa. With the Panthers, Heller earned a Missouri Valley Conference championship in 2001 and the school’s only trip to the NCAA Tournament.
A new face in charge of the program will not be the only fresh aspect of the ISU base- ball program, as the team will play at the new Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium for the 2010 season. Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium will feature numerous new aspects, including a new Field Turf infield, locker rooms, concession area, seating and press box for all to enjoy.
“It’s going to be exciting to play at the new field. We can’t wait,” said head coach Hel- ler. “To be the coach of the team that opens the new stadium up is pretty special.”
Assisting head coach Heller on the field this season will be assistant coaches Tyler Herbst, Brian Smiley and Max Hutson. Herbst, in his second season with ISU, will serve as the Sycamores’ pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. Both Smiley and Hutson will enter their first seasons with
Indiana State, with Smiley primarily working with the team’s outfielders and coaching first base during the games, and Hutson assist- ing the pitching staff.
The Sycamores return five of nine position starters from last season’s 33-21 team that finished second in the regular season standings in the Missouri Valley Confer- ence. Three of the four position starters lost were selected in this past summer’s Major League Baseball draft, with outfielder Nick Ciolli (10th round – Chicago White Sox), outfielder Brady Shoemaker (19th round – Chicago White Sox) and catcher Bronco Lafrenz (22nd round – Philadelphia Phillies) all leaving ISU to begin their professional careers. Brian Jett (11 home runs, 43 RBI) is the fourth starter lost from last season.
ISU’s offensive attack in 2010 will be led by Preseason All-MVC selection Ryan Strausborger and third baseman Luke Fieser. Strausborger started all 54 games in 2009, while hitting .340 with six home runs, 26 RBI and 21 stolen bases. Fieser fin- ished second on the Sycamores with a .351 batting average with two home runs and 31 RBI. Fieser also led ISU with 15 hit-by-pitches.
“We’ve got a mainstay at third base in Luke Fieser.” said head coach Heller. “I feel he’s the best all-around third baseman in the league. A guy that hit .351 last year and
is a tremendous leader – one of the better leaders I’ve ever coached.
“Strausborger is extremely fast, maybe the fastest player in the conference, and hit .340 last season. He’s going to be the guy that makes us go. He will be our leadoff hitter and, in my opinion, one of the top two or three all-around players in the confer- ence.”
Expect several different faces to join Strausborger in the outfield this season, as head coach Heller has several options as to who will fill the other slots. Senior Tyler Graham will likely see time in both the outfield and behind the plate this season after hitting .288 with 14 doubles and 32 RBI last season. Sophomore Kyle Burnam returns after hitting .288 with a team-leading 10 sacrifice hits as a true freshman. A pair of left-handed true freshman, in Robby Ort and Steve Ball, will both see action in the outfield this season after compiling impressive careers at the high school level. One of two transfers from Northern Iowa is outfielder Levi Ferguson, who hit .256 and stole 13 bases last season with the Panthers for head coach Heller.
“We’ve got the potential to put one of the stronger outfields in the league in our lineup if we play Strausborger in center,” said head coach Heller. “If Levi’s in the lineup and in the outfield with Strausborger, those two guys are as fast as it gets in this league.
With our big outfield, it bodes well for our pitching staff because I doubt you’ll see many fly balls touching the grass out there.”
Ben Ferrell
Ryan Strausborger
2010 Season Preview
Luke Fieser
2010 Indiana State Baseball l GoSycamores.com
Three players will look to earn playing time behind the plate this season for the Sycamores, in senior Tyler Graham, true freshman Jeremy Lucas and junior college transfer Adam Richart. Graham, who will also likely see time in the outfield, and Lucas, who was selected in the 35th round of last season’s MLB Draft, will likely split most of the action behind the plate, with Richart serving as their primary backup. True freshman Shane Crain is also a catcher, but will likely redshirt this season.
“Tyler is one of our better hitters in the lineup,” said head coach Heller. “I look for him to have a breakout year and a great senior season. Jeremy has had a really good fall and winter, and has a strong throwing arm. Both Tyler and Jeremy will get a lot of innings in behind the plate.”
First base is another position on the diamond that is full of competition for play- ing time. Junior college transfer Phil Liniger, senior Ben Caple, and true fresh- men Jake Hartley and Robby Ort all could see time at the first base bag. Liniger set career records at Columbia Basin Community College for career hits and RBI, along with a single season record for doubles. Caple hit .147 last season for the Sycamores in 22 games with one home run and seven RBI.
“We’ve got four real solid options at first base this season. Phil is a pure hitter with great gap-to-gap power that won’t strike out much because he has a good eye,” said head coach Heller. “Ben’s going to compete for playing time and has really improved in the last couple months. Jake’s another option at first, and if I had to give a most-improved award from the fall until now, Jake would probably get that. Robby came to ISU primarily as an outfielder, but he’s been very good around the bag and very strong defensively.”
Head coach Heller will have several players to choose from at the second base position as well for the 2010 season. Senior Ryan Strausborger, a 2008 MVC First Team All-Conference selection at second base, will likely see time at the position, along with true freshman Jordan Pearson and senior transfer Grant Grgurich. Grgurich, who hit .275 last season with two home runs, 17 RBI and 10 stolen bases, is the second player to transfer to Indiana State after Northern Iowa dropped their program.
Freshman infielder Jacob Weinzapfel can also play second base, but will likely redshirt for the 2010 season.
“We’ve got three solid options at second base,” said head coach Heller. “All three of those guys could play short or third if anything would happen, so we’re in good shape there. Now, it’s just a matter of finding out how the lineup is going to go once we start playing.”
Senior Ben Ferrell heads into the 2010 season as the primary option at shortstop for the Sycamores. Ferrell hit .214 last sea- son along with 11 RBI. The Aurora, Colo., native led Indiana State with 129 assists from the field while only committing three errors.
“Ben can really defend,” said head coach Heller. “In my opinion, the left side of our infield will be as strong as most of the bet- ter fielding teams in the country. It will bode well for our pitchers if we can throw ground balls.”
The Indiana State pitching staff returns their top two starters from last season in junior right-hander Jacob Petricka (7-3, 4.67 ERA) and senior left-hander Joe Rodriguez (7-3, 5.29 ERA), but overall the Sycamores will be without seven of their eleven
pitchers from the 2009 season. Junior Eric Valdez (35th round – Seattle Mari- ners) and Petricka (34th round – New York Yankees) were both selected in the MLB Draft, with Valdez choosing to sign with Seattle and Petricka returning for his junior season. One other former Sycamore pitcher joined a major league club this offseason when senior Michael Manus (2-2, 4.70 ERA) signed with the Detroit Tigers.
“Our top two pitchers are #1 caliber guys,” said head coach Heller. “It gives us the nice combination of a hard-throwing right-hander and a mid-80s left-hander with one of the best changeups in the conference.”
A pair of newcomers will have the opportunity to claim the third starter role for ISU this season, with the battle being between junior college transfers Blake Drake and Jason Van Skike. Junior college transfer Brett Merkley will start the season as the closer for the Sycamores, but Van Skike could also see time for ISU at the end of games. Senior Kevin Mann and sophomore transfer Brandon Flora give Indiana State a pair of lefties out of the bullpen. From the right side, true freshman Tyler Browning, sophomore Brandon Dorsett and junior college transfer JT Stenftenagel will both see time in relief of ISU’s starters.
“Like most teams, how we manage our bullpen will determine our level of suc- cess,” said head coach Heller.
“This team has a chance to be really good. We can’t afford a lot of injuries to our pitching staff, but looking at it now, I’m very optimistic. I know we lost a lot from last season and many people on the outside don’t think we can be that good, but this team believes that we can and so do I. This team has all the intangibles that you look for to have a great season on the field.”
Jacob Petricka
Joe Rodriguez
2010 Season Preview
This Is Sycamore Baseball l GoSycamores.com
No. Name Pos. B/T Ht. Wt. Yr.-Exp. Hometown (Previous School) 1 Grant Grgurich INF R/R 5-10 185 Sr.-TR Knoxville, Tenn. (Northern Iowa) 2 Jordan Pearson INF R/R 6-1 165 Fr.-HS West Terre Haute, Ind. (West Vigo HS) 3 Kyle Burnam OF L/L 5-7 170 So.-1L Marshall, Ill. (Marshall HS)
4 Shane Crain UT R/R 6-2 190 Fr.-HS Lexington, Ky. (Lexington Christian Academy HS) 5 Koby Kraemer INF R/R 5-10 175 So.-1L Terre Haute, Ind. (South Vigo HS) 6 Levi Ferguson OF R/R 6-1 215 Jr.-TR Searsboro, Iowa (Northern Iowa) 7 JT Stenftenagel RHP R/R 5-10 175 Jr.-TR Jasper, Ind. (Wabash Valley CC) 8 Ben Caple OF/INF R/R 6-1 200 Sr.-2L San Diego, Calif. (Palomar CC) 9 Tyler Graham C/OF L/R 6-0 185 Sr.-1L Strafford, Ontario (Kaskaskia CC) 10 Jacob Weinzapfel INF B/R 6-0 165 Fr.-HS Evansville, Ind. (Mater Dei HS)
11 Luke Fieser 3B R/R 6-1 205 Sr.-1L Woodinville, Wash. (Columbia Basin CC) 12 Blake Drake RHP R/R 6-7 195 Jr.-TR Louisville, Ky. (Wabash Valley CC) 13 Ryan Strausborger INF/OF R/R 6-0 175 Sr.-3L Osceola, Ind. (Elkhart Memorial HS) 15 Ben Ferrell INF R/R 5-9 165 Sr.-1L Aurora, Colo. (Hutchinson CC)
16 Tyler Browning RHP R/R 5-11 175 Fr.-HS Mount Carmel, Ill. (Mount Carmel HS) 17 Jacob Petricka RHP R/R 6-4 180 Jr.-1L Fariboult, Minn. (Iowa Western CC) 18 Joe Rodriguez LHP L/L 6-0 210 Sr.-1L Middletown, N.Y. (Clarendon CC) 19 Robby Ort OF L/R 6-1 185 Fr.-HS Newburgh, Ind. (Castle HS)
20 Bryan Chestnut OF R/R 6-5 180 RSo.-1L West Terre Haute, Ind. (West Vigo HS) 23 Adam Richart C R/R 5-10 195 Jr.-TR Robinson, Ill. (Lincoln Trail CC)
25 Jason Van Skike RHP R/R 6-4 200 Jr.-TR Gig Harbor, Wash. (Treasure Valley CC) 26 Scott Harlan RHP R/R 6-0 200 Sr.-1L Yuba City, Calif. (Cosumnes River CC) 28 Brett Merkely RHP R/R 5-11 165 Jr.-RS Huntingburg, Ind. (Eastern Kentucky) 30 Phil Liniger P/1B R/R 6-1 230 Jr.-TR Kennewick, Wash. (Columbia Basin CC) 32 Jeremy Lucas C/1B R/R 6-2 195 Fr.-HS West Terre Haute, Ind. (West Vigo HS) 33 Brandon Dorsett RHP R/R 6-3 200 So.-1L Terre Haute, Ind. (North Vigo HS) 34 Kevin Mann LHP L/L 6-0 180 Sr.-1L Jackson Center, Ohio (Wabash Valley CC) 35 Steve Ball OF L/L 6-1 195 Fr.-HS Noblesville, Ind. (Rockville HS)
36 Jake Hartley 1B L/L 6-0 215 Fr.-HS Indianapolis, Ind. (Franklin Central HS) 37 Matt King LHP L/L 6-3 185 Fr.-HS Rockville, Ind. (Rockville HS)
38 Brandon Flora LHP L/L 6-2 195 So.-TR Evansville, Ind. (Southeastern Illinois CC) 39 Wade Bush RHP R/R 6-2 195 Fr.-HS Terre Haute, Ind. (North Vigo HS)
Coaching Staff
21 Rick Heller – Head Coach (Upper Iowa, ‘86)
24 Tyler Herbst – Assistant Coach / Recruiting Coordinator (Lincoln Memorial, ’00) 31 Brian Smiley – Assistant Coach (Arkansas - Little Rock, ’07)
27 Max Hutson – Assistant Coach (Wichita State ’09) 40 Matthew Son – Manager
2010 Roster
2010 Indiana State Baseball l GoSycamores.com 2010 Schedule
Friday February 19 vs. Texas Southern Shreveport, La. 4:00 p.m.
Saturday February 20 vs. Texas Southern (DH) Shreveport, La. 1:00 p.m.
Friday February 26 at Texas - San Antonio San Antonio, Texas 7:00 p.m.
Saturday February 27 at Texas - San Antonio (DH) San Antonio, Texas 3:00 p.m.
Sunday February 28 at Texas - San Antonio San Antonio, Texas 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday March 2 Indiana Bob Warn Field 3:00 p.m.
Friday March 5 Tennessee Martin Bob Warn Field 3:00 p.m.
Saturday March 6 Tennessee Martin Bob Warn Field 2:00 p.m.
Sunday March 7 Tennessee Martin Bob Warn Field 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday March 9 Eastern Illinois Bob Warn Field 3:00 p.m.
Dayton Classic
Friday March 12 at Dayton Dayton, Ohio 3:00 p.m.
Saturday March 13 vs. Wright State Dayton, Ohio 12:00 p.m.
Sunday March 14 vs. Oakland Dayton, Ohio 10:00 a.m.
Tuesday March 16 Saint Louis St. Louis, Mo. 3:00 p.m.
Friday March 19 Western Michigan Bob Warn Field 3:00 p.m.
Saturday March 20 Western Michigan (DH) Bob Warn Field 2:00 p.m.
Sunday March 21 Western Michigan Bob Warn Field 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday March 23 Austin Peay Bob Warn Field 3:00 p.m.
Friday March 26 Illinois State * Bob Warn Field 3:00 p.m.
Saturday March 27 Illinois State * Bob Warn Field 2:00 p.m.
Sunday March 28 Illinois State * Bob Warn Field 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday March 30 Chicago State Bob Warn Field 3:00 p.m.
Friday April 2 at Creighton * Omaha, Neb. 7:00 p.m.
Saturday April 3 at Creighton * Omaha, Neb. 7:00 p.m.
Sunday April 4 at Creighton * Omaha, Neb. 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday April 6 at Butler Indianapolis, Ind. 3:00 p.m.
Friday April 9 at The Citadel Charleston, S.C. 4:00 p.m.
Saturday April 10 at The Citadel Charleston, S.C. 2:00 p.m.
Sunday April 11 at The Citadel Charleston, S.C. 12:00 p.m.
Wednesday April 14 at Chicago State Chicago, Ill. 4:00 p.m.
Friday April 16 Wichita State * Bob Warn Field 6:30 p.m.
Saturday April 17 Wichita State * Bob Warn Field 2:00 p.m.
Sunday April 18 Wichita State * Bob Warn Field 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday April 20 at Ball State Muncie, Ind. 3:00 p.m.
Friday April 23 at Southern Illinois * Carbondale, Ill. 4:00 p.m.
Saturday April 24 at Southern Illinois * Carbondale, Ill. 3:00 p.m.
Sunday April 25 at Southern Illinois * Carbondale, Ill. 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday April 27 SIU Edwardsville Bob Warn Field 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday April 28 at Indiana Bloomington, Ind. 3:05 p.m.
Friday April 30 Missouri State * Bob Warn Field 6:30 p.m.
Saturday May 1 Missouri State * Bob Warn Field 2:00 p.m.
Sunday May 2 Missouri State * Bob Warn Field 1:00 p.m.
Friday May 7 at Evansville * Evansville, Ind. 7:00 p.m.
Saturday May 8 at Evansville * Evansville, Ind. 3:00 p.m.
Sunday May 9 at Evansville * Evansville, Ind. 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday May 11 SIU Edwardsville Edwardsville, Ill. 7:00 p.m.
Friday May 14 at Eastern Illinois Charleston, Ill. 3:00 p.m.
Saturday May 15 vs. SIU Edwardsville Charleston, Ill. 12:00 p.m.
Thursday May 20 at Bradley * Peoria, Ill. 7:00 p.m.
Friday May 21 at Bradley * Peoria, Ill. 3:00 p.m.
Saturday May 22 at Bradley * Peoria, Ill. 2:00 p.m.
Wed-Sat May 26-30 MVC Tournament Wichita, Kan. TBA
Homes Games In Bold All Times Eastern and Subject To Change * Missouri Valley Conference Game
This Is Sycamore Baseball l GoSycamores.com
dropped their baseball program following the 2009 season.
During his tenure at UNI, Heller compiled a 270-278-1 record, including one Missouri Valley Conference championship and NCAA Regional Berth. While building the Panthers into an an- nual contender, Heller coached three MVC Most Valuable Players and one MVC Pitcher of the Year. Overall, Heller has 22 seasons of head coaching experience with an overall record of 561-472-4.
Before taking over the Northern Iowa program prior to the 2000 season, Heller spent 12 years as a head coach at Upper Iowa University, a Division III institution. While at Upper Iowa, Heller recorded a 291-194-3 overall record and was named the Iowa Conference Coach of the Year four times.
While at UNI, Heller’s teams broke a total of 57 team or individual records, including setting team records for hits, runs batted in, doubles and extra base hits during the 2001 season.
Heller led the Panthers to four MVC tournaments, winning the Championship in 2001 with all- American Ryan Brunner claiming the league
MVP award and all-American Nic Ungs taking home Pitcher of the Year honors. Under Hel- ler’s coaching, 20 Northern Iowa players have gone on to play professional baseball, includ- ing current minor leaguers Brandon Douglas, Guido Fonseca, Nic Ungs, and Adam Boeve.
The Panthers recorded back-to-back 30-plus win seasons in 2001 and 2002 for the first time in school history and set the school single- season record at 35 wins in 2001.
UNI’s NCAA Regional appearance in 2001 was the school’s first since becoming Division I in 1981. Heller also coached two Academic All-Americans in Travis Welsch and Ryan Brunner.
Heller arrived at Upper Iowa in the fall of 1987 and quickly turned things around, earning his
30 Rick Heller
Head Coach - 1st Season ISU Record: 0-0 Career Record: 561-472-4
(22 Seasons)
Head Coach Rick Heller
Director of Athletics Ron Prettyman an-
nounced on August 14, 2009, that former
University of Northern Iowa head coach Rick
Heller will be named the 28th head baseball
coach in Indiana State University history. Hel-
ler comes to Indiana State after spending the
previous 10 seasons with the Panthers, who
2010 Indiana State Baseball l GoSycamores.com
The Heller Report
Year-By-Year Record
Year School Record Pct.
1988 Upper Iowa 7-30 .189
1989 Upper Iowa 10-23 .303
1990 Upper Iowa 19-17 .527
1991 Upper Iowa 22-13 .629
1992 Upper Iowa 23-16 .590
1993 Upper Iowa 21-15-1 .581 1994 Upper Iowa 21-18-1 .538
1995 Upper Iowa 31-13 .705
1996 Upper Iowa 39-12 .765
1997 Upper Iowa 30-14 .682
1998 Upper Iowa 38-8 .826
1999 Upper Iowa 30-15-1 .663 12 years Upper Iowa 291-194-3 .601 2000 Northern Iowa 23-33 .411 2001 Northern Iowa 35-28 .556 2002 Northern Iowa 30-25-1 .545 2003 Northern Iowa 27-28 .491 2004 Northern Iowa 25-31 .446 2005 Northern Iowa 26-28 .481 2006 Northern Iowa 28-27 .509 2007 Northern Iowa 23-28 .450 2008 Northern Iowa 30-24 .556 2009 Northern Iowa 23-26 .469 10 years UNI 270-278-1 .494
Career 22 years 561-472-4 .543 first Iowa Conference Coach of the Year honor
in 1989. One year later, he led Upper Iowa to its first winning season in 17 years. In 1993, Heller won his first conference championship, and the first for any UIU program in 20 years, while advancing to the NCAA Division III Re- gionals.
Heller’s team won the Iowa Conference and advanced to the NCAA Regionals again in 1995. His team finished 19th in the national rankings and he won his third Coach of the Year honor. He repeated Coach of the Year honors again in 1996 when the Peacocks won the Iowa Conference and Central Regional to advance to the NCAA Division III College World Series. His team finished the year ranked sixth nationally and he was named NCAA Division III Central Region Coach of the Year. That 39-12 team also set a school record for wins.
In 1997, his team was ranked seventh na- tionally in the pre-season poll and won the Iowa Conference Tournament. In 1998, his team reached as high as 10th nationally while finishing with a 38-8 record to set a school record for winning percentage. His final UIU team finished 30-15-1 and finished third in the Iowa Conference while setting five school records.
As a player at Upper Iowa from 1982-86, he was a four-year starter at shortstop and he also lettered in football and basketball. He is a member of the Upper Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame.
Heller has three daughters - Tara (27), Alyssa (19) and Vivienne (Born on Sept. 20, 2009).
He and his wife, Rachelle, live in the Terre Haute area.
Head Coach Rick Heller
This Is Sycamore Baseball l GoSycamores.com
helped four players earn pitcher of the week honors, developed two all-conference selections, and had three players drafted and signed to professional contracts: catcher Robert Taylor (25th round, Florida Marlins), catcher Brett Lawler (42nd round, Florida Marlins), and pitcher Steve Gilgenbach (47th round, Kansas City Royals). Off the field, the program received the top academic team award for the 06-07 academic year. Herbst also spent one season at Wabash Valley Junior College in 2006. While there, he served as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator and helped the Warriors to a 37-17 record and a second place finish in the Great River Athletic Conference.
Herbst is no stranger to the Missouri Valley Conference. He joined an Evansville program that had won only 22 games in the 2002 season, and then helped guide the Aces in building their victory total each season, including 24-31 in 2003, 28-32 in ‘04 and 35-23 in ‘05. The 35 victories were the third-most at UE since the school entered the Missouri Valley Conference, and ranked seventh best in the school’s 27-year Division I history. UE not only turned heads in the MVC, but also nationally, as they were ranked in the nation’s top 30 in three of the four major college baseball polls during the course of the season and were ranked as high as 27th nationally during the 2005 season. During his time on the UE bench, Herbst played a role in producing two Freshman All-Americans, a First-Team Summer All-American, 10 All-MVC players, one MVC batting champion, one MVC Newcomer of the Year, and three draft picks: pitcher Michael Greenhouse (28th round, Chicago Cubs), first baseman Erik Lis (9th round, Minnesota Twins), and outfielder Cody Strait (12th round, Cincinnati Reds).
In the summer of 2003, Herbst joined Athletes in Action and helped lead them to a runner- up finish in the Alaska Baseball League and a berth in the National Baseball Congress World Series finishing seventh out of 48 teams. Five players were drafted or signed professional contracts from that team including pitcher Lance Broadway (1st Round, Chicago White Sox), and current Toronto Blue Jay reliever Jeremy Accardo.
Herbst also spent time on the bench at Northern Illinois as an assistant coach in 2001. During his year at NIU, the Huskies posted their first winning season in 20 years. Herbst also enjoyed great success as both a player and coach at Lincoln Memorial from 1998-2000, helping lead the Railsplitters to national prominence at the Division II level.
Herbst, a native of Beaver Dam, Wis., graduated from Lincoln Memorial in 2000 with a degree in Physical Education. He also holds an associate of arts degree from North Iowa Area Community Col- lege.
30 Tyler Herbst
Assistant Coach Second Season Lincoln Memorial ‘00
Brian Smiley
Assistant Coach First Season
Arkansas - Little Rock ‘07
2010 Assistant Coaches
Tyler Herbst begins his second season with the Sycamore baseball program. Herbst was hired in June of 2008 as the program’s recruiting coordinator and pitching coach.
Herbst spent two seasons before joining the ISU staff as an assistant coach at Arkansas-Little Rock. In two seasons spent at UALR, Herbst helped the program sign 16 new position players for the 07-08 season, and double its win total in the Sun Belt Conference. He also
Max Hutson
Assistant Coach
First Season
Wichita State ‘09
Text
2010 Indiana State Baseball l GoSycamores.com
This Is Sycamore Baseball l GoSycamores.com 2010 Player Profiles
Steve Ball
OF • Fr.-HS 6-1 • 195 • L/L
Noblesville, Ind. (Rockville HS)
35 High School - A two-time all-state selection out of Rockville High School under head coach Bob Kyle ... recorded a .495 average with 48 RBI during his senior season ... won the team’s hitting award after both his junior and senior season ...
lettered for four seasons in baseball and three in football.
Personal - Born on May 5, 1990, to Carolynn and Michael Ball ... undecided on an academic major.
Tyler Browning
RHP • Fr.-HS 5-11 • 175 • R/R Mount Carmel, Ill. (Mount Carmel HS)
16 High School - A three-sport athlete out of Mount Carmel (Ill.) High School under head coach Aaron Piening ... lettered for four years in baseball, basketball and football ... three-time all- conference selection ... named to the academic all-state team after his senior season ... earned MVP honors each of his final three seasons of baseball.
Personal - Born on September 6, 1990 to Beth and Roger Browning ... majoring in Athletic Training.
Kyle Burnam
OF • So.-1L 5-7 • 170 • R/R Marshall, Ill. (Marshall HS)
3 2009 - Saw action in 47 games last season, earning the start 36 times ... hit .288 with 42 hits, 35 runs scored and seven doubles ... tallied one home run and 23 RBI ... totaled a team- high 10 sacrifice hits along with one sacrifice fly.
High School - Four-year letterwinner in baseball and three- year letterwinner in football at Marshall High School ... first team all-conference selection in three seasons ... named an all-state honorable mention selection in his junior season ...
Wade Bush
RHP • Fr.-HS 6-2 • 195 • R/R Terre Haute, Ind. (North Vigo HS)
39 Personal - Born on November 26, 1990 to Becky and Joe Bush in Terre Haute, Ind. ... Majoring in Business Administra- tion with an emphasis in Pre-Law.
also named the Wabash Valley Player of the Year during his junior season ... holds school records for career bat- ting average (.524), home runs (16), hits (141), runs batted in (92), doubles (39), triples (6) and runs scored (110) ... also ranks third in school history in career stolen bases (38).
Personal - Born on Nov. 10, 1989, to Cathy and Mark Burnam ... undecided on an academic major.
Year AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG % BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD %
2009 ..288 47-36 146 35 42 7 0 1 23 52 .356 27 3 25 3 .407 1 10 2-6 55 5 1 .984
2010 Indiana State Baseball l GoSycamores.com 2010 Player Profiles
Ben Caple
INF/OF • Sr.-2L 6-2 • 200 • R/R San Diego, Calif. (Palomar CC)
8 2009 - Started four games for ISU last season, while playing 22 games ... hit .147 with one home run and seven RBI.
2008 - Played in 21 games, starting in seven ... hit .184 with a double and four RBI in 38 at bats ... recorded 50 put outs in the field and was credited with five assists ... did not commit an error in 50 chances in the field ... had a season-high two hits, including a double, and recorded a RBI at Evansville (4/19).
Palomar CC - Played one year at Palomar Junior College in San Marcos, Calif. (medical redshirt one year).
High School - Three-year letterwinner in baseball at Rancho Bernardo High School... was named a First Team Palomar League selection and a season team C.I.F. pick.
Personal - Born on November 2, 1986, to Jo and Brian Caple ... has a brother, Tom, who played baseball at the University of San Diego ... majoring in criminology.
Year AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG % BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD %
2008 .184 21-7 38 2 7 1 0 0 4 8 .211 3 1 6 2 .262 0 2 0-0 50 5 0 1.000
2009 .147 22-4 34 4 5 1 0 1 7 9 .265 4 0 5 1 .237 0 0 0-1 29 2 0 1.000
Totals .167 43-11 72 6 12 2 0 1 11 17 .236 7 1 11 3 .250 0 2 0-1 79 7 0 1.000
Bryan Chestnut
OF • R-So.-1L 6-5 • 180 • R/R
West Terre Haute, Ind. (West Vigo HS)
20 2009 - Redshirted
2008 - Played in four games for the Sycamores ... had one RBI in three at bats.
High School - Three-year letterwinner in baseball at West Vigo High School ... also lettered in basketball (3), football (1) and soccer (1) ... was a three-time All-Vigo County selection from sophomore to senior season ... was an honorable men- tion all-state and all-conference selection as a sophomore ... posted a .400 batting average with two home runs and 30 RBI as a senior.
Personal - Born on February 20, 1989, to Carol and Don Chestnut ... has two sisters, Jessica Bates and Allison Chestnut ... majoring in exercise science.
Year AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG % BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD %
2008 .000 4-0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 0 0 1 1 .000 0 0 0-0 0 0 1 .000
Shane Crain
RHP/INF • Fr.-HS 6-2 • 190 • R/R
Lexington, Ky. (Lexington Christian Academy HS)
4 High School - Lettered for four years at Lexington Christian Academy under head coach Keith Galloway ... two-time all-city selection ... named to the all-tournament team for the All-A State Championship ... honored as an Under Armour Pre- season All-American.
Personal - Born on October 21, 1990, to Carolyn and Calvin
Crain ... undecided on an academic major ... hobbies include
watching movies and weightlifting.
This Is Sycamore Baseball l GoSycamores.com 2010 Player Profiles
Brandon Dorsett
RHP • So.-1L 6-3 • 200 • R/R
Terre Haute, Ind. (North Vigo HS)
33 2009 - Appeared in seven games last season, recording a 13.50 ERA over eight innings ... struck out four batters in 2009.
High School - Three-year letter winner in baseball at North Vigo High School ... also a two-year letterwinner football and a one-year letterwinner in basketball ...all-state honorable men- tion selection twice in football as a wide receiver ... named the team’s Most Improved Player as a senior ... hit .330 with three home runs and 25 RBI while also posting a 2-5 record and a 3.50 ERA on the mound in his senior season.
Personal - Born on November 1, 1989, to Gina and Brian Dorsett ... has a twin sister Brittany and a sister Abigail ... his father, Brian, played baseball at Indiana State and is a member of the Indiana State University Hall of Fame ... he played 13 years in professional baseball ... undecided on an academic major.
Year ERA W-L APP GS CG SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR BAA WP HBP BK SFA SHA
2009 13.50 0-0 7 0 0 0 8.0 17 13 12 5 4 5 1 1 .447 0 2 0 1 0
Blake Drake
RHP • Jr.-TR 6-7 • 195 • R/R
Louisville, Ky. (Wabash Valley CC)
12 Wabash Valley CC - Played two seasons at WVCC under head coach Rob Fournier ... totaled a 7-4 record over two years ... tossed 39 innings last season, striking out 30 batters, and 22 innings as a freshman, fanning a total of 26 players.
High School - Lettered for three seasons in baseball at East- ern High School ... earned second team all-state selection ...
named a 7th Region All-Star.
Personal - Born on November 12, 1988, to Kim and Rick Drake ... majoring in Criminology ... plans on pursuing a career in coaching after graduation.
Levi Ferguson
OF • Jr.-TR 6-1 • 215 • R/R
Searsboro, Iowa (Northern Iowa)
6 2009 at UNI - Played in 41 contests last season, earning the start in 32 ... hit .256 with one home run and 21 RBI ... finished tied for second on the team with two triples ... stole 13 bases, while only being caught twice.
2008 at UNI - Played in 38 games, starting 28 ... finished with a .243 average and a .303 on-base percentage ... had seven multi-hit games, including three three-hit games ... was 3-of-4 with three runs scored and a double at Centenary (2/23) ...
finished 3-of-6 with a run scored at UALR (2/28) ... finished 3-of-4 with a double and a run scored against UW- Platteville (3/26) ... hit 2-of-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored against Miami (Ohio) (3/16).
2007 at UNI - Redshirted.
High School - Was a first-team all-state selection all four years ... helped lead North Mahaska to a 24-4 record and South Iowa Cedar League Conference Championship in 2006 ... set five state records as a running back on the 2006 state champion team.
Personal - Born on May 17, 1987 to Jayne and Grant Ferguson ... has one brother, Dawson, 13.
Year AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG % BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD %
2008 .243 38-28 111 26 27 5 0 0 11 32 .288 8 2 37 0 .303 1 4 8-10 48 0 1 .980
2009 .256 41-32 129 19 33 7 2 1 21 47 .364 12 6 26 0 .347 0 7 13-15 65 3 2 .971
Totals .250 79-60 240 45 60 12 2 1 32 79 .329 20 8 63 0 .327 1 11 21-25 113 3 3 .974
2010 Indiana State Baseball l GoSycamores.com 2010 Player Profiles
Ben Ferrell
INF • Sr.-1L 5-9 • 165 • R/R Aurora, Colo. (Hutchinson CC)
15 2009 - Saw action in 45 games last season, earning the start- ing nod 37 times ... totaled a .214 batting average with 25 hits and 11 RBI ... stole three bases in five attempts ... led the team in assists with 129.
Hutchinson CC - Played two years under head coach Kyle Crookes ... named an All-Jayhawk League selection as a sophomore ... holds the school record for most sacrifice bunts in a career with 27.
High School - Four-year letterwinner in baseball and three-year letterwinner in wrestling at Rangeview High School ... named second team all-state as a senior ... names a First Team All-Continental League selection at shortstop in his junior and senior seasons ... named team MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in his final two seasons ... hit .483 with eight doubles, three triples and two home runs as a senior.
Personal - Born on June 2, 1988, to Ronda and Scott Ferrell ... has one sister, Lindsey ... awarded the U.S. Ma- rine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award as a senior in high school ... majoring in Exercise Science.
Year AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG % BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD %
2009 .214 45-37 117 14 25 5 0 0 11 30 .256 15 9 26 2 .348 0 8 3-5 68 129 3 .985
Luke Fieser
3B • Sr.-1L 6-1 • 205 • R/R
Woodinville, Wash. (Columbia Basin CC)
11 2009 - Played and started in 53 games last season ... hit .351 with 67 hits, two home runs and 31 RBI ... placed second on the team with 104 assists from the field ... led the team with 15 HBP.
Columbia Basin CC - Played two years for head coach Scott Rogers ... named a first-team all-conference selection at third base in 2008 ... named a member of the NWACC All-Tourna- ment Team ... hit .362 with two home runs and 41 RBI in his sophomore season ... is the school’s all-time doubles leader (20) ... ranks third on the single season RBI list (41) and fourth on the single season hits list (72).
High School - Three-year letterwinner in baseball at Woodinville High School ... named an all-league selection at third base in his junior and senior seasons ... named an all-area selection as a senior ... ranks fifth all-time in school history with a career batting average of .426.
Personal - Born on January 18, 1988, to Mary and Daryl Fieser ... has two brothers, Matt and Marc ... both of his brothers serve in the U.S. Army ... his grandfather, Bob, played baseball at Seattle University ... majoring in Com- munication.
Year AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG % BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD %
2009 .351 53-53 191 48 67 9 1 2 31 84 .440 22 15 18 0 .444 6 3 2-2 35 104 8 .946
Brandon Flora
LHP • So.-TR 6-2 • 195 • L/L
Evansville, Ind. (SE Illinois CC)
38 Southeastern Illinois CC - Played one season under head coach Ryan Gray.
High School - An all-around athlete out of Evansville Central High School, lettering in baseball, basketball and football ...
earned selections to both all-conference and academic all- conference teams.
Personal - Born on May 23, 1990, to Dorene and Dennis Flora
... undecided on an academic major.
This Is Sycamore Baseball l GoSycamores.com 2010 Player Profiles
Tyler Graham
C/OF • Sr.-1L 6-0 • 185 • L/R
Stratford, Ontario (Kaskaskia CC)
9 2009 - Saw action in 45 games, earning the start 39 times ...
hit .288 with one home run and 32 RBI ... placed third on the team with 14 doubles ... stole four bases in seven attempts.
Kaskaskia CC - Played two years for head coach Mitch Koester ...named an Academic All-American in 2008 ... played in 24 games as a sophomore before suffering a season-ending injury ... hit .429 with 30 hits, seven doubles, a triple and 11 RBI in his final season.
High School - Four-year letterwinner in baseball at St. Michaels High School ... also played basketball, volleyball and hockey ... named hockey MVP twice and was team captain his senior season.
Personal - Born on May 23, 1987, to Kim and Paul Graham ... has one sister, Melissa ... majoring in Business Administration.
Year AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG % BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD %
2009 .288 45-39 146 32 42 14 1 1 32 61 .418 17 4 23 5 .377 0 4 4-7 52 3 2 .965
Grant Grgurich
INF • Sr.-TR 5-10 • 185 • R/R Knoxville, Tenn. (Northern Iowa)
1 2009 at UNI - Played in all 49 games last season for the Pan- thers, starting 45 of them ... hit .275 with two home runs and 17 RBI ... led the team in runs scored with 36 ... stole 10 bases last season, while only being caught twice.
Marshalltown CC - Played two years at Marshalltown CC ...
earned all-region honors ... hit .390 as a sophomore and .321 as a sophomore ... tallied 44 stolen bases in his career ... hit six home runs, three triples and 17 doubles as a sophomore.
High School - Lettered four years at Knoxville High ... earned all-conference and all-district honors as a sopho- more, junior and senior ... earned all-state honors as a senior ... played in the Iowa High School all-star game ...
helped KHS win three district championships and one sub-state championship ... hit .472 with eight home runs as a senior ... hit .452 as a junior and .430 as a sophomore ... tallied 89 stolen bases in his career ... also earned all- district honors in football and all-conference honors in basketball ... qualified for the state track meet in the 4x100.
Personal - Born March 15, 1988, to Donna and Steve Grgurich ... has one sister, Holly ... majoring in General Studies.
Year AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG % BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD %
2009 .275 49-45 160 36 44 3 2 2 17 57 .356 20 11 27 3 .393 0 5 10-12 56 69 11 .919
Scott Harlan
RHP • Sr.-1L 6-0 • 200 • R/R
Yuba City, Calif. (Cosumnes River CC)
26 2009 - Appeared in 21 games, tossing 26.2 innings ... tallied a 2-1 record and a 4.72 ERA ... struck out 15 batters.
Cosumnes River CC - Played two years for head coach Tony Bloomfield ... two-year scholar-athlete award winner at Cosum- nes ... posted a 4-7 record with a 4.80 ERA in his sophomore season.
High School - Two-year letterwinner in baseball at Yuba City High School ... All-Sacramento Area First Team selection ... all-area Co-MVP slection ... named an Optimist Club All Star ... named a Lions Club All Star as a senior in 2006 ... named his team’s MVP and Pitcher of the Year as a senior in 2006 ... posted a 10-0 record with a 1.43 ERA in 73 innings pitched as senior ... his 73 innings pitched are a school single-season record and his 10-0 record is the second-best single-season mark in school history.
Personal - Born on Sept. 26, 1988 in Marshall, Mo. ... son of Bob and Robyn Harlan ... majoring in political sci- ence ... plans to attend graduate school and law school after graduation.
Year ERA W-L APP GS CG SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR BAA WP HBP BK SFA SHA
2009 4.72 2-1 21 0 0 0 26.2 41 14 14 7 15 8 2 4 .366 1 1 0 1 2
2010 Indiana State Baseball l GoSycamores.com 2010 Player Profiles
Jake Hartley
1B • Fr.-HS 6-0 • 215 • L/L
Indianapolis, Ind. (Franklin Central HS)
36 High School - Played four seasons at Franklin Central High School under head coach Chase Huotari ... named to the all-state team as a senior ... also earned District Player of the Year and Conference Player of the Year after his senior year ...
carried a .618 batting average to go along with 11 home runs and 42 RBI in his final season.
Personal - Born on September 10, 1990, to Ruth Gehrich and Don Hartley ... majoring in Pre-Med.
Matt King
LHP • Fr.-HS 6-3 • 185 • L/L Rockville, Ind. (Rockville HS)
37 Personal - Born on June 22, 1990 to Nancy and Herb King in Danville, Ill. ... Open preference major ... Father, Herb, played football for Bluffton from 1980-82 ... Member of the National Honor Society and 4-H.
Koby Kraemer
INF • So.-1L 5-10 • 175 • R/R Terre Haute, Ind. (South Vigo HS)
5 2009 - Saw action in 35 games last season, starting in 12 ...
hit .197 with two home runs and 10 RBI ... totaled 13 hits and nine runs scored.
High School - Four-year letterwinner in baseball at South Vigo High School ... also a three-year letterwinner in football and won a letter in basketball ... named a 2008 Indiana All-Star selection ... 2007 and 2008 All-MIC selection ... named team captain and MVP as a senior ... posted a career .365 batting average ... holds school records in at-bats (405), runs scored (135), stolen bases (65) ... ranks second in school history in hits (148) and third all-time in doubles (29), walks (61) and being hit by a pitch (14).
Personal - Born on October 14, 1989, to Michele Barrett and Kyle Kraemer ... has two brothers, Ethan and Nick, and a sister Alexandra ... his father, Kyle, played baseball at Purdue from 1986-90 ... also plays football at Indiana State for head coach Trent Miles ... undecided on an academic major.
Year AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG % BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD %
2009 .197 35-12 66 9 13 1 0 2 10 20 .303 9 1 7 1 .303 0 2 0-2 29 39 4 .944
Phil Liniger
P/1B • Jr.-TR 6-1 • 230 • R/R
Kennewick, Wash. (Columbia Basin CC)
30 Columbia Basin CC - Played for two seasons under head coaches Scott Rogers and Steve Farrington ... named to the first team all-region after both seasons ... made first team All-NWAACC following his sophomore season ... set multiple school records while at CBCC, including career marks for hits and RBI and the single season record for doubles.
High School - Lettered for three seasons at Kamiakin High School under head coaches Rex Easley and Phil Jones ...
earned first team all-state and all-conference honors after his senior season ... named the team’s MVP after tally- ing a .545 batting average during his senior year.
Personal - Born on September 23, 1987, to Lauina and John Liniger ... majoring in Criminology.
This Is Sycamore Baseball l GoSycamores.com 2010 Player Profiles
Jeremy Lucas
C • Fr.-HS 6-2 • 195 • R/R
West Terre Haute, Ind. (West Vigo HS)
32 High School - A three-sport athlete while at West Vigo High School … lettered for four seasons in baseball under head coach Steve DeGroote … also lettered in basketball and ten- nis … selected in the 35th round by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft … carried a .490 batting average along with 46 RBI during his senior season.
Personal - Born on January 10, 1991, to Carol and Mike Lucas … majoring in Education.
Kevin Mann
LHP • Sr.-1L 6-0 • 180 • L/L
Jackson Center, Ohio (Wabash Valley CC)
34 2009 - Appeared in 18 games for ISU last season, including two starts ... tossed a total of 25.0 innings .. tallied a 6.84 ERA and an 0-2 record.
At Wabash Valley CC - Played two seasons for head coach Rob Fournier ... helped his team to 42-17 overall record and the 2008 GRAC Conference championship.
High School - Four-year letterwinner in baseball at Jackson Center High School ... also a four-year letterwinner in cross country and two-year letterwinner in basketball ...
named the county and district player of the year as a junior (2005) and a senior (2006) ... holds the state record with 510 career strikeouts ... holds school records with 173 strikeouts as a junior and 188 strikeouts as a senior.
Personal - Born on October 28, 1987 in Sidney, Ohio ... son of John and Lori Mann ... has two brothers, Mike and Matt, and a sister Jennifer ... majoring in criminology.
Year ERA W-L APP GS CG SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR BAA WP HBP BK SFA SHA
2009 6.84 0-2 18 2 0 0 25.0 30 22 19 18 11 5 1 2 .297 4 1 1 0 4
Brett Merkley
RHP • Jr.-TR 5-11 • 165 • R/R Ferdinand, Ind. (Forest Park HS)
28 High School - Two-year letterwinner in baseball at Forest Park High School ... named a North-South All-Star in 2006 and was an Indiana Mr. Baseball nominee ... named the team’s MVP and earned the Pitcher Award as a junior and senior ...
also picked up the Hitting Award in his senior season.
Personal - Born on August 15, 1987 in Jasper, Ind. ... son of Richard and Jeanne Merkley ... has a sister, Dana ... majoring in mechanical engineering.
Robby Ort
OF • Fr.-HS 6-1 • 185 • L/R Newburgh, Ind. (Castle HS)
19 High School - Lettered for three seasons at Castle High School under head coach Curt Welch … named to the all- conference and all-district teams over his final two seasons … finished his career at CHS with a career .426 batting average and 115 hits.
Personal - Born on October 19, 1990 … undecided on an
academic major … has five sisters (Andrea, Taylor, Johnnie,
Emily and Amy).
2010 Indiana State Baseball l GoSycamores.com 2010 Player Profiles
Jordan Pearson
INF • Fr.-HS 6-1 • 165 • R/R
West Terre Haute, Ind. (West Vigo HS)
2 High School - Played baseball for four seasons while at West Vigo High School … lettered in baseball under head coach Steve DeGroote … two-time first team all-state selection … named the WTWO/THSB Wabash Valley Player of the Year for spring sports after his senior season … set a WVHS record for runs scored (52) and pitching wins (14) in a single season.
Personal - Born on August 17, 1990, to Tammy and Kenny Pearson … undecided on an academic major.
Jacob Petricka
RHP • Jr.-1L 6-4 • 180 • R/R
Faribault, Minn. (Iowa Western CC)
17 2009 - Tied with Joe Rodriguez for the team-lead with seven wins ... finished the season with a 7-3 record over 13 starts and a 4.76 ERA ... struck out 49 batters over a total of 73.2 innings on the mound ... selected in the 34th round of the MLB Draft by the New York Yankees, but chose to return for his junior season.
At Iowa Western CC - Played two seasons for head coach Marc Rardin ... redshirted during his freshman season and played as sophomore ... posted a posted a 5-1 record in six starts and struck out 25 hitters in just 30 innings.
High School - Three-year letterwinner in baseball at Faribault High School ... also a two-year letterwinner in hockey ... all-state honorable mention selection as a senior in 2006 ... named team captain as a senior.
Personal - Born on June 5, 1988 in Northfield, Minn. ... son of Steve and Lisa Petricka ... has a sister, Samantha ... majoring in business management.
Year ERA W-L APP GS CG SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR BAA WP HBP BK SFA SHA
2009 4.76 7-3 13 13 0 0 73.2 87 48 39 34 49 17 0 4 .299 9 5 0 3 4
Adam Richart
C • Jr.-TR 5-10 • 195 • R/R Robinson, Ill. (Lincoln Trail CC)
23 Lincoln Trail CC - Played two seasons at Lincoln Trail Com- munity College under head coach and former Indiana State standout Mitch Hannahs … named to the all-academic team
… tallied a .280 batting average over two seasons.
High School - Lettered in baseball and football while at Rob- inson High School … played for head coach Scott Albright for three seasons … named to the all-conference team after his junior and senior seasons.
Personal - Born on August 12, 1988, to Kathy and Donald Richart … majoring in Mechanical Engineering Tech- nology.
Joe Rodriguez
LHP • Sr.-1L 6-0 • 210 • L/L
Middletown, N.Y. (Clarendon CC)
18 2009 - Tied with Jacob Petricka for the team-lead with seven wins ... totaled a 7-3 record over 13 starts on the mound ...
finished 2009 with a 5.29 ERA and one complete game ... sec- ond on the team with 63 strikeouts over 81.2 innings.
At Clarendon CC - Played two seasons for head coach Mike Silva ... named a Western Conference All-Star after helping the team to an overall record of 31-6 in 2008 ... posted a 6-2 record in nine appearances in 2008 ... posted 36 innings of work and struck out 29 hitters.
Personal - Born on Oct. 1, 1988 in New York, N.Y. ... son of Joe and Yvette Rodriguez ... has two sisters, Jackie and Joelle ... majoring in exercise science.
Year ERA W-L APP GS CG SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR BAA WP HBP BK SFA SHA
2009 5.29 7-3 13 13 1 0 81.2 98 49 48 28 63 14 2 2 .297 4 3 5 1 6
This Is Sycamore Baseball l GoSycamores.com 2010 Player Profiles
JT Stenftenagel
RHP • Jr.-TR 5-10 • 175 • R/R Jasper, Ind. (Wabash Valley CC)
7 Wabash Valley CC - Totaled a 9-2 record over two seasons at Wabash Valley Community College under head coach Rob Fournier … pitched a total of 79 innings over two years, while striking out 61 batters.
High School - Played baseball for three seasons at Jasper High School under head coach Terry Gobert … named first team all-state following his junior season and earned honor- able mention status after his senior season.
Personal - Born on July 10, 1988, to Theresa and Brian Stenftenagel … majoring in Recreation and Sport Man- agement … hobbies include hunting and camping.
Ryan Strausborger
INF/OF • Sr.-3L 6-0 • 175 • R/R
Osceola, Ind. (Elkhart Memorial HS)
13 2009 - Earned First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference and honorable mention academic all-coference last season ... hit .340 with 81 hits, six home runs and 26 RBI ... led the team with four triples and 21 stolen bases in 24 attempts.
2008 - Named a First Team All-MVC selection at second base ... played in 49 games for the Sycamores and started in 46 ... ranked second on the team with a .322 batting average ...
collected 43 hits, eight doubles, four triples and two home runs and 20 RBI ... tallied five hits, including a home run and four RBI against SIU Edwardsville.
2007 - Played in 50 games and started in 48 games ... recorded a .287 batting average with 39 runs scored and 56 hits including six doubles ... also added 25 RBI.
High School - Played at Elkhart Memorial High School ... lettered in baseball four years ... was named a first- team all-state selection at shortstop.
Personal - Born on March 4, 1988, in Elkhart, Ind. ... son of Michael and Patricia Strausborger ... has a brother, Gavin, and two sisters, Paula and Lauren ... majoring in construction management.
Year AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB SLG % BB HBP SO GDP OB% SF SH SB-ATT PO A E FLD %
2007 .287 50-48 195 39 56 6 0 0 25 62 .318 11 6 26 6 .344 0 5 7-10 87 146 11 .955
2008 .322 49-46 183 43 59 8 4 2 20 81 .443 13 10 30 0 .396 1 11 8-9 122 108 3 .987
2009 .340 54-54 238 57 81 5 4 6 26 112 .471 18 6 29 4 .401 0 4 21-24 123 63 3 .984
Total .318 153-148 616 139 196 19 8 8 71 255 .414 42 22 85 10 .382 1 20 36-43 332 317 17 .974
