Indiana University Athletics
Fineman Making Catching Role His Own
4/15/2016 2:04:00 PM | Baseball
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Ryan Fineman only needs to look over his shoulders when he's sitting in the dugout for a reminder of what kind of potential catchers have at Indiana.
Larger-than-life images of Kyle Schwarber and Josh Phegley decorate the Hoosiers' dugout at Bart Kaufman Field that Fineman, a freshman, now calls his own. Their not-so-subtle reminders that the program is starting to develop a reputation for pumping out big league talent at catcher.
Fineman is just 25 starts into his own Indiana career, but his team-best 12 game hitting streak, 17 game on-base streak and .313 hitting streak—the second best mark on the team—he appears comfortable answering the call at the position he's made his own.
"You see a Josh Phegley, you see a Kyle Schwarber, and you've gotta hold a little legacy there," Fineman said. "I'm just trying to be the best I can be and try to hold that."
Easier said than done, especially when he's under the constant scrutiny of head coach Chris Lemonis and a veteran pitching staff that still treats Fineman as the little brother in the clubhouse. But Fineman has taken any preconceived expectations that come with being an IU catcher and ran with them, mostly by downplaying the need to be the next Kyle Schwarber from day one.
"That's the hardest place in college baseball to be as a freshman," Lemonis said. "He gets chewed out more than any other guy on the team, even though he's playing pretty well…We've been giving him a hard time, but he's a tough-minded kid and he can handle it, which is the biggest part."
He's had to be tough minded with a staff of mostly junior and senior pitchers quick to playfully mess with their freshman catcher. Junior pitcher Thomas Belcher said there was a disconnect early on between the staff and Fineman as far as receiving pitches goes, but they've since gotten on the same page where both sides of the battery are comfortable leaning on each other.
But it's when Fineman's alone at the plate with a bat in his hands that he's made the biggest difference for Indiana this year. He's got 31 hits, five doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI over 99 at bats in the heart of the Hoosiers' lineup.
"His hitting, he's just been a solid middle guy in the order," Belcher said. "He just makes contact. He doesn't play outside of what he is. He puts the ball in play, gets doubles and he just sprays the field. That's all you can really ask for."
Fineman's plate presence has developed more quickly than Lemonis anticipated since he arrived on campus last fall, which has been a welcome sign. Fineman is also quick to point out even when asked about hitting that he's a much better fielding catcher than he was, thanks in part to advice from his staff that holds him to high expectations.
Fineman said his hitting and catching have fed into one another as he continues to build confidence as he goes. With still more than a month left in his first college season, he's hoping to only be laying down the foundation of what could be the next of a line of storied catching careers in Bloomington.
"You've got to get better every single day," Fineman said. "That's what I'm trying to do."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Ryan Fineman only needs to look over his shoulders when he's sitting in the dugout for a reminder of what kind of potential catchers have at Indiana.
Larger-than-life images of Kyle Schwarber and Josh Phegley decorate the Hoosiers' dugout at Bart Kaufman Field that Fineman, a freshman, now calls his own. Their not-so-subtle reminders that the program is starting to develop a reputation for pumping out big league talent at catcher.
Fineman is just 25 starts into his own Indiana career, but his team-best 12 game hitting streak, 17 game on-base streak and .313 hitting streak—the second best mark on the team—he appears comfortable answering the call at the position he's made his own.
"You see a Josh Phegley, you see a Kyle Schwarber, and you've gotta hold a little legacy there," Fineman said. "I'm just trying to be the best I can be and try to hold that."
Easier said than done, especially when he's under the constant scrutiny of head coach Chris Lemonis and a veteran pitching staff that still treats Fineman as the little brother in the clubhouse. But Fineman has taken any preconceived expectations that come with being an IU catcher and ran with them, mostly by downplaying the need to be the next Kyle Schwarber from day one.
"That's the hardest place in college baseball to be as a freshman," Lemonis said. "He gets chewed out more than any other guy on the team, even though he's playing pretty well…We've been giving him a hard time, but he's a tough-minded kid and he can handle it, which is the biggest part."
He's had to be tough minded with a staff of mostly junior and senior pitchers quick to playfully mess with their freshman catcher. Junior pitcher Thomas Belcher said there was a disconnect early on between the staff and Fineman as far as receiving pitches goes, but they've since gotten on the same page where both sides of the battery are comfortable leaning on each other.
But it's when Fineman's alone at the plate with a bat in his hands that he's made the biggest difference for Indiana this year. He's got 31 hits, five doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI over 99 at bats in the heart of the Hoosiers' lineup.
"His hitting, he's just been a solid middle guy in the order," Belcher said. "He just makes contact. He doesn't play outside of what he is. He puts the ball in play, gets doubles and he just sprays the field. That's all you can really ask for."
Fineman's plate presence has developed more quickly than Lemonis anticipated since he arrived on campus last fall, which has been a welcome sign. Fineman is also quick to point out even when asked about hitting that he's a much better fielding catcher than he was, thanks in part to advice from his staff that holds him to high expectations.
Fineman said his hitting and catching have fed into one another as he continues to build confidence as he goes. With still more than a month left in his first college season, he's hoping to only be laying down the foundation of what could be the next of a line of storied catching careers in Bloomington.
"You've got to get better every single day," Fineman said. "That's what I'm trying to do."
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