Indiana University Athletics
From the Gridiron to the Diamond
8/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 17, 2005
When Terry Hoeppner was introduced as Indiana's 26th head football coach on Dec. 17, 2004, he noted that the Hoosiers are going to be champions on the football field, in the classroom and in life.
A few months later, he made a slight modification to that directive.
"For the last few years, we got some of the guys on the team and put together a summer slow-pitch softball team," senior guard Adam Hines said. "Of course, we cleared it with the coaches at the time. When Coach Hoeppner came in, we asked if we could keep the team together. He said that we could continue to play, on one condition.
"We had better win."
Hines, tight end Nick Sexton, safety Will Meyers, cornerback Troy Grosfield, quarterback Graeme McFarland, fullback Josiah Sears, linebackers Kyle Killion, Casey Nowinski and Ryan Marando, offensive linemen Justin Frye and Scott Anderson and defensive tackle Russ Richardson - otherwise known as The Shockers - did just that. The team won the Bloomington Parks and Recreation League Men's 4D title.
The Shockers just completed its third season, as Hines saw an advertisement for league signups in 2003 and decided to put a group together. The graduation of former IU offensive lineman Chris Jahnke (now a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings) and tight end Aaron Halterman (Houston Texans) forced Hines to make some significant player personnel decisions this spring.
"We needed more team speed this year," Hines said, referring to the presence of Grosfield, Meyers and McFarland in the outfield.
In baseball, 300 is a common standard for batting average, but that number takes on a whole new context with the Shockers.
"Last year, I was one of the only infielders under 300 (pounds)," 6-0, 265-pound first baseman Richardson said.
A quick look at the Shocker defense has Richardson at first, Marando at second base, a Nowinski/Killion platoon at third and Sears at shortstop. McFarland, Grosfield and Meyers roam the Shocker outfield, with Frye and Anderson sharing catching duties and Hines on the mound.
The Shockers plan to carry this competitive success from the softball field to the gridiron, but the rewards from softball go well beyond the final box score.
"We just have fun being out in the community," Richardson said. "It's a great way to build team camaraderie and take a break from summer workouts."
