Indiana University Athletics
Preseason Central: Baseball
1/19/2023 2:21:00 PM | Baseball
With the college baseball season just around the corner, the Indiana baseball program and its student-athletes have begun to earn preseason accolades and rankings from the national media outlets. Below is a look at a breakdown of those honor, awards, and rankings.
1/23/23 - Head Coach Jeff Mercer w/ MLB Network Hot Stove
2/7/23 - Head Coach Jeff Mercer
2/7/23 - Matthew Ellis & Carter Mathison
Ty Bothwell, LHP
The redshirt-senior enters the year with an opportunity to move into the starting rotation, a spot he has seen success in his previous two campaigns. A career 3.85 ERA over 33 appearances (six starts), Bothwell has logged 115 strikeouts over 84 1/3 innings of work during his Indiana career, after redshirting the 2019 season.
D1Baseball Top 200 starting pitchers (No. 168)
Matthew Ellis, C
A third-team All-Big Ten pick in 2022, Ellis started all 59 games and reached base safely in 52 of those contests. His 65 RBIs led the team and finished tied for No. 10 on the IU single season charts, while his 18 RBIs were No. 2 on the squad and No. 7 in the Hoosiers' history books.
D1Baseball Top 50 catchers (No. 18)
Phillip Glasser, IF
After 47 starts at shortstop in 2022, Glasser enters as the most experienced Hoosier on the field with 165 career games played between IU and Youngstown State. A career .306 hitter, Glasser is off a career-best .346 average and 65 hits in 2022 with 27 walks to just 30 strikeouts in the mostly from the leadoff spot.
D1Baseball Top 50 Seniors (No. 16)
D1Baseball Top 50 shortstops (No. 22)
Hunter Jessee, OF
The first Indiana hitter to hit .400 in conference play since Dustin DeMuth (.448) in 2014, Jessee also posted highest single-season on-base percentage since Alex Dickerson (.472) in 2010 during the 2022 campaign. In 52 appearances (42 starts), he reached base safely in 42 of those games and carries a 19-game reached base streak into 2023.
D1Baseball Top 150 Outfielders (No. 135)
Gabe Levy, RHP
One of the transfers on the mound, Levy spent four seasons at Davidson before arriving in Bloomington. In 63 career appearances, Levy has 43 relief appearances and stranded 26 of 39 inherited runners in his career with 175 strikeouts in 181 2/3 innings of work. His career record of 13-5 is bolstered by 20 career saves.
Baseball America Impact Transfer (No. 74)
D1Baseball Impact Transfer (No. No. 85)
Carter Mathison, OF
After one of the most impressive freshman seasons in Indiana history, Mathison looks to build on his Freshman All-America campaign in year two on campus. Mathison averaged nearly 1.0 RBI per game (58 in 59 games played) and logged a program freshman-record 19 home runs to go along with eight stolen bases.
D1Baseball Top 100 Sophomores (No. 44)
D1Baseball Top 150 Outfielders (No. 51)
Preseason All-Big Ten (Perfect Game)
Josh Pyne, 3B
A day-one starter at third base, Pyne produced at the plate and with his glove over 56 starts during his true freshman season. A second-team Freshman All-America selection from three publications, Pyne led the team with 74 hits, drove in 57 RBIs and finished No. 8 on the single season doubles list with 20 first season on campus.
D1Baseball Top 50 third basemen (No. 20)
Preseason All-Big Ten (Perfect Game)
Brayden Risedorph, RHP
The No. 4 overall prospect in Indiana per Perfect Game, Risedorph was an all-state pick as a senior at East Noble High School. A top-225 national recruit, the right-hander struck out 74 batters n 38 2/3 innings of work as a senior and owned 60 punchouts in 35 innings as a junior.
Perfect Game Top-10 Big Ten Recruit (No. 9)
AJ Shepard, C
Among the top prep catchers in the country according to Perfect Game, Shepard earned honorable mention All-America accolades three times from the publication.
D1Baseball Top 100 Freshmen
Devin Taylor, OF
A top-100 prospect out of LaSalle High School, Taylor was a two-time conference player of the year for the Lancers. A three-time Perfect Game All-American, he participated in the 2020 Perfect Game Underclass All-American Game and finished his prep career ranked No. 78 nationally by Perfect Game.
D1Baseball Top 100 Freshmen
Perfect Game Top-10 Big Ten Recruit (No. 1)
Preseason Big Ten Freshman of the Year (Perfect Game)
Brock Tibbitts, C/IF
After a nine-home run, 43-RBI debut campaign, Tibbitts will look to build off of the Freshman All-America season during his sophomore campaign. His rookie season included 58 hits – 23 for extra bases – and 38 walks for a .382 on-base percentage.
D1Baseball Top 100 Sophomores (No. 89)
| Preseason Media Sessions |
1/23/23 - Head Coach Jeff Mercer w/ MLB Network Hot Stove
2/7/23 - Head Coach Jeff Mercer
2/7/23 - Matthew Ellis & Carter Mathison
| Individual Honors |
Ty Bothwell, LHP
The redshirt-senior enters the year with an opportunity to move into the starting rotation, a spot he has seen success in his previous two campaigns. A career 3.85 ERA over 33 appearances (six starts), Bothwell has logged 115 strikeouts over 84 1/3 innings of work during his Indiana career, after redshirting the 2019 season.
D1Baseball Top 200 starting pitchers (No. 168)
Matthew Ellis, C
A third-team All-Big Ten pick in 2022, Ellis started all 59 games and reached base safely in 52 of those contests. His 65 RBIs led the team and finished tied for No. 10 on the IU single season charts, while his 18 RBIs were No. 2 on the squad and No. 7 in the Hoosiers' history books.
D1Baseball Top 50 catchers (No. 18)
Phillip Glasser, IF
After 47 starts at shortstop in 2022, Glasser enters as the most experienced Hoosier on the field with 165 career games played between IU and Youngstown State. A career .306 hitter, Glasser is off a career-best .346 average and 65 hits in 2022 with 27 walks to just 30 strikeouts in the mostly from the leadoff spot.
D1Baseball Top 50 Seniors (No. 16)
D1Baseball Top 50 shortstops (No. 22)
Hunter Jessee, OF
The first Indiana hitter to hit .400 in conference play since Dustin DeMuth (.448) in 2014, Jessee also posted highest single-season on-base percentage since Alex Dickerson (.472) in 2010 during the 2022 campaign. In 52 appearances (42 starts), he reached base safely in 42 of those games and carries a 19-game reached base streak into 2023.
D1Baseball Top 150 Outfielders (No. 135)
Gabe Levy, RHP
One of the transfers on the mound, Levy spent four seasons at Davidson before arriving in Bloomington. In 63 career appearances, Levy has 43 relief appearances and stranded 26 of 39 inherited runners in his career with 175 strikeouts in 181 2/3 innings of work. His career record of 13-5 is bolstered by 20 career saves.
Baseball America Impact Transfer (No. 74)
D1Baseball Impact Transfer (No. No. 85)
Carter Mathison, OF
After one of the most impressive freshman seasons in Indiana history, Mathison looks to build on his Freshman All-America campaign in year two on campus. Mathison averaged nearly 1.0 RBI per game (58 in 59 games played) and logged a program freshman-record 19 home runs to go along with eight stolen bases.
D1Baseball Top 100 Sophomores (No. 44)
D1Baseball Top 150 Outfielders (No. 51)
Preseason All-Big Ten (Perfect Game)
Josh Pyne, 3B
A day-one starter at third base, Pyne produced at the plate and with his glove over 56 starts during his true freshman season. A second-team Freshman All-America selection from three publications, Pyne led the team with 74 hits, drove in 57 RBIs and finished No. 8 on the single season doubles list with 20 first season on campus.
D1Baseball Top 50 third basemen (No. 20)
Preseason All-Big Ten (Perfect Game)
Brayden Risedorph, RHP
The No. 4 overall prospect in Indiana per Perfect Game, Risedorph was an all-state pick as a senior at East Noble High School. A top-225 national recruit, the right-hander struck out 74 batters n 38 2/3 innings of work as a senior and owned 60 punchouts in 35 innings as a junior.
Perfect Game Top-10 Big Ten Recruit (No. 9)
AJ Shepard, C
Among the top prep catchers in the country according to Perfect Game, Shepard earned honorable mention All-America accolades three times from the publication.
D1Baseball Top 100 Freshmen
Devin Taylor, OF
A top-100 prospect out of LaSalle High School, Taylor was a two-time conference player of the year for the Lancers. A three-time Perfect Game All-American, he participated in the 2020 Perfect Game Underclass All-American Game and finished his prep career ranked No. 78 nationally by Perfect Game.
D1Baseball Top 100 Freshmen
Perfect Game Top-10 Big Ten Recruit (No. 1)
Preseason Big Ten Freshman of the Year (Perfect Game)
Brock Tibbitts, C/IF
After a nine-home run, 43-RBI debut campaign, Tibbitts will look to build off of the Freshman All-America season during his sophomore campaign. His rookie season included 58 hits – 23 for extra bases – and 38 walks for a .382 on-base percentage.
D1Baseball Top 100 Sophomores (No. 89)
Players Mentioned
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IF
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RHP
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