Indiana University Athletics
2015 Baseball Media Day Coverage
1/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Lemonis | Donley | Halstead | Harrison | Hartong | Morris | Nolden | Rodrigue |
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The back-to-back Big Ten regular season and tournament champion Indiana baseball team held its annual preseason media day Monday at Bart Kaufman Field. First-year head coach Chris Lemonis addressed the media, while IUHoosiers.com caught up with a handful of veteran players that have been part of IU's ascension to one of the premiere programs in college baseball.
The Hoosiers open the 2015 season with a weekend series at Stanford beginning Feb. 13 in Palo Alto, Calif.
Head Coach Chris Lemonis
Quotable:
"The feel around Bloomington and the feel around the program is real exciting right now. You can tell there's been a lot of success here. I've actually had a chance to speak across the state this weekend and everybody is asking me about Hoosier baseball which is exciting. We've been able to have a really good shot at getting out here and practicing. If it's over 40 degrees we're on the field. We've been out for about two weeks getting in some work....It's a very mature group. It's a very talented group that's ready to prove to a lot of people that we can play this game the right way and play it better than anybody else."
RS Senior OF Scott Donley
Quotable:
"I think it's really good getting out there (in the outfield). Sometimes when you DH, you can lose a little bit of focus. I think getting in the outfield every day playing out there is going to do wonders for me. I think it's going to be real good. I just have to keep working on getting better in the outfield, working on the little things and I'm excited."
"I feel like the smae thing. I'm going to go out and keep putting swings on the ball. Obviously, a little bit more of the focus could be on me and some of the other guys so we're going to have a bigger role coming in. I'm excited to see what happens."
RS Senior P Ryan Halstead
Quotable:
"Always around this time of year we're really excited to get going, especially when you play Stanford. It's going to be a great test of our abilities as a team because they're a great team from a great conference. It's going to be good to see where we are as a team, chemistry-wise and our ability level to see how we can handle a team like that."
"I'm excited more than anything going through all of that and having to sit through last year. It was a good test to see where I was and a test of my humility as a person. I'm obviously ready and really excited going through that process so I can't wait to get back on the mound and get going."
Senior P Luke Harrison
Quotable:
"I think it's a great advantage (to practice outside). We've been working hard day in and day out. Just being able to get outside is just a great advantage to us."
"I'd give it an A. We're all here trying to do our best. I come here at random times during the day when we don't have practice and there will be two or three guys hitting in the cages. I think everyone is trying their best trying to win that spot
on the team. I think there is great competition and we have all definitely worked our hardest in the weight room. I think we have great chemistry. We work hard as a team and there are times that we get to relax and get that chemistry going. I'm looking forward to the season."
Senior C Brad Hartong
Quotable:
"I feel confident. I'm ready to be the every day catcher. Last year, we had Kyle Schwarber. That guy was great. It was fun working with him, picking his mind and hearing what he had to say about catching. I learned a lot from him. I was an every day catcher in junior college and high school. It's more comfortable and more natural for me. I caught all the pitchers in the fall and last year. I'm confident with all of these pitchers. I know what they're going to do. I know what I need to do to help them out. I'm excited moving forward."
"All of these pitchers are mature. They're experienced. They've played in Omaha. They've played for Big Ten championships.
Even some of the freshmen are mature. They hang out with all of the older guys. They realize what they need to do to be a good pitcher here to be able to have an impact on the team. I think the maturity of our pitching staff is really going to help us."
Junior P Christian Morris
Quotable:
"I've definitely been getting after it in the weight room, continuing to build off of things that I learned last year. I'm looking forward to a really good year this year."
"I have the utmost confidence in anybody. This (pitching) staff is as talented as any staff I've been on and I said the same thing last year. There are guys in there that if I'm starting a game, I could hand it off to any one of them and not worry about anything happening. Not even lose a step."
RS Senior OF Will Nolden
Quotable:
"It's unbelievable. We've been getting prepared. We've been outside a lot more recently and I think that has brought the excitement level up even more and it will hopefully put as at a little bit less of a disadvantage when we head out there (to Stanford). The excitement level is huge."
"It goes without saying those
guys did so much for the program. I think outside of the program, a lot of the guys talk about how we're not going to be as good or it's going to be a little bit more tough for us to win. Within the program, it's going to be a little bit different team. Maybe we're not hitting with as much power as we were, but we bring back an unbelievable staff and we have a ton of experienced hitters in this lineup. Maybe some other people are putting pressure on us, but we're not putting any on ourselves."
Senior IF Casey Rodrigue
Quotable:
"It's definitely good to have that chemistry, maybe a little bit more than last year not coming in as a junior college transfer. I'll be more of a leader on the infield and maybe be a little bit more vocal. I'm excited."
"It's always good to have a routine. Once you get in the swing of things, it's really good to keep going after that. Once you keep going and keep building, I'm very happy with the schedule that's going right now."
