D1 Baseball Fall Report: Indiana
2023 Fall Report: Indiana
Burke Granger
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Indiana made a regional last season for the second time in four tries under head coach Jeff Mercer, taking host Kentucky to a game seven in Lexington. Mercer had also led Indiana to a regional bid in 2019 and he previously guided Wright State to one in 2018.
Despite an uber-talented but younger position player group and inconsistent performers on the mound, the Hoosiers were one of the better overall teams in the Big Ten from wire-to-wire last season. After returning a core group from a team that was one game away from a super regional, the expectations from folks like this particular D1 Baseball staffer will be loftier this year.
Regardless of prognostications coming from those outside the program, Mercer’s objective remains simple: grow throughout the year and play your best baseball in the last month of the season.
“I think that probably comes from my Wright State roots where the reality is none of it mattered unless you won the conference tournament, so you always just built toward that,” said Mercer. “Obviously, Indiana is a different animal, but I think you have to look at the season as just a growth opportunity.”
OUTFIELD
The Hoosiers are exceptionally strong in the outfield, bolstered by a trio of guys with a proven track record of collegiate success and talent to play at the next level.
The reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Devin Taylor is back in left field after slashing .315/.430/.650 with a team high 16 home runs and 59 RBIs.
The ball just sounds different coming off Taylor’s bat, and he continued to stay on the barrel with wood bats over the summer, slugging .554 with eight homers for Keene in the New England Collegiate Summer League.
“I mean…Devin’s the man,” said Mercer. “He’s had a good fall. He’s gotten better defensively and he’s still one of the better offensive players I’ve ever been around. He’s the hardest worker, he’s the best kid. He’s smart and he’s just a dream to coach.”
Like Taylor, Carter Mathison was a standout prep whom the Hoosiers were lucky to get to campus, only to have a monster freshman year. In 2022, Mathison set the freshman record in Bloomington with 19 home runs and slugged .608. He got off to a slow start in the encore, hitting in the low .200s for the first month before heating up down the stretch. Mathison can drive the ball to all fields, has excellent zone awareness, and Mercer has lauded his even-keeled demeanor. Although he’s played primarily in the corners in each of his first two seasons, Mathison is likely to start the season in center field.
If it’s not Mathison in center it’s going to be Western Illinois transfer Nick Mitchell, who slashed .348/.421/.489 for the Leathernecks as a two-time All-Summit League performer. He stayed hot over the summer, earning a Cape Cod League All-Star nod before having the best fall among the Hoosiers’ position player group. A 5-foot-9, 180-pound lefthanded hitter, he’s shown the ability to drive the ball in the gaps and let his speed play on the bases. He’s likely slated for right field, but it also wouldn’t surprise me to see he and Mathison switch spots at some point.
There’s probably not a better fourth outfielder in the conference than Morgan Colopy. Drafted out of high school, Colopy struggled to get it going in the batter’s box last spring (.611 OPS), but he’s shown offensive upside at times during his career. Moreover, Mercer regards Colopy as one of the best defensive outfielders he’s ever coached. Colopy was an invaluable piece of last year’s regional team as a late inning replacement, seeing time in 46 games (34 off the bench). His value on this roster is bolstered this season due to the losses of up the middle starters Bobby Whalen, Phillip Glasser, and Peter Serruto.
Despite the crowded outfield, Andrew Wiggins is one of the more talented freshmen to make it to campus in the entire country and is going to get an opportunity. The Hoosiers’ modus operandi is they’re going to play their freshmen early and find out what they have. Thus far, that process has helped sustain a winning program. Wiggins reportedly played well in the second half of the fall season and will be in the mix in the outfield, designated hitter and as a lefthanded bat off the bench.
INFIELD
One of those recent freshman success stories is Tyler Cerny who posted an .837 OPS with 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases as Indiana’s everyday second baseman last year. He then went on to slash .336/.376/.558 as an Appy League All-Star for Greenville over the summer. Cerny will slide over to shortstop this spring, which Mercer acknowledges is a lot to ask of the sophomore, but he’s confident Cerny is up for the challenge.
“Tyler Cerny is a very, very talented defender,” said Mercer. “He’s long and athletic, has a good arm, especially when his feet are under him. But as you know – especially for a young guy – making the transition from second base to shortstop is a big ask. You have to be fundamental and you have to really have a grasp on the details and the nuance of the position. I thought he did a good job of that. He improved tremendously from the beginning of the fall to the end of the fall.”
While Mitchell had the best fall among all position players, junior Josh Pyne likely holds that title among the returnees from last year’s roster. After slashing .295/.357/.445 with 16 doubles as a third team all-conference selection last spring, the third baseman added some additional muscle to his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame. Pyne stands out for his glove work at the hot corner, showing first-step quickness and plus arm strength. He needs to get more consistent at making the routine play, as his .916 fielding percentage isn’t indicative of his ability.
At second base, it’s going to be Houston transfer Brandon Burckel, who slashed .260/.379/.365 with 37 stolen bases as a two-year starter for the Cougars. With so many new faces in the middle of the diamond, Mercer is counting on leveraging Burckel’s experience to be a leader in the infield grass.
“I actually had his meeting with him [recently],” said Mercer. “I just said, ‘We just need you to be the point guard. Just turn double plays, make the routine play and make sure guys are where they need to be on the relays and that the bunt defenses operate smoothly. Just help us by being the adult in the room.’”
First base looks like a potential platoon situation between redshirt freshman Joey Brenczewski and a pair of catchers (more on them later). An athletic switch-hitter with straight line speed, Brenczewski added muscle to a wiry frame during his redshirt year.
Cal Sefcik, Hayden Carlson, and Jasen Oliver represent a trio of freshmen who will be counted on to provide infield depth.
An athletic, physical corner infielder who evokes former Hoosiers standout Sam Travis, Sefcik produced the top exit velocity at last year’s Prep Baseball Report Super 60 (107.1 mph).
A slick-fielding defender from California, Carlson has a lean, projectable frame with plenty of arm to make throws from deep in the hole. He’s slated to backup Cerny and Burckel up at shortstop and second base to start.
Oliver was a two-way standout at national power Orchard Lake St. Marys (Mich.) who reportedly turned down six figure offers to honor his college commitment. His arm strength is an asset at the hot corner and on the mound, where he’s shown mid-90s velocity.
CATCHER
At the catcher position, the Hoosiers will be tasked with replacing the defensive aptitude left behind by the departures of Serruto (UDFA – Yankees) and the offensive thump of Matthew Ellis (transferred to Georgia Tech). Together, the duo caught nearly every inning for Indiana over the past two seasons.
A high school backstop, Brock Tibbitts will slide back behind the plate this year after excelling at first base during his first two years on campus. One of the best pure hitters in the conference, Tibbitts slashed .357/.447/.585 with 10 home runs while leading the team in triples (4) and RBIs (68). He’s expected to handle the primary catching duties but will also get a number of reps at first base to keep his potent bat in the lineup.
Tibbitts caught a few games on the Cape over the summer, and while there was some rust to knock off, the junior showed significant improvement over the course of the fall. Furthermore, Tibbitts earned the confidence from his coach that he’ll take ownership of his development.
“The great thing about Brock [Tibbitts] is that he’s very intelligent. He has a great self-awareness and he’s able to adjust quickly. If you’re thinking something needs to be adjusted with Brock, you can be rather confident that he’s already contemplated it and is working in that direction. There’s not a ton that you’re going to bring to him that he’s not already doing.”- head coach Jeff Mercer via D1 Baseball's Fall Report
A highly touted prep recruit, redshirt freshman AJ Shepard would have likely seen decent playing time on last year’s squad had he not lost his season to Tommy John surgery. He’s expected to help shoulder the load behind the plate and he shows pull side power in the batter’s box.
Mercer also feels good about TJ Schuyler, a freshman out of Illinois who’s long and athletic with good arm strength, adding solid depth at the position.
PITCHERS
The Hoosiers will undoubtedly miss the contributions of ace Luke Sinnard, who will sit out the 2024 season recovering from an elbow injury sustained in last year’s regional. Sinnard was the best starter on last year’s staff by a sizeable margin, going 6-3, 4.27 with Big Ten best 114 strikeouts in 86.1 innings.
His loss is mitigated by the quality of arms that have been brought in via this recruiting class, both through the portal and with the first year newcomers.
“I feel the best that I’ve felt about our depth on the mound as far as having eight, 10, 12, 14 quality competitors with quality stuff,” said Mercer. “We haven’t had this much depth.”
Outside of Sinnard, the Hoosiers didn’t use a rotation last season in a traditional sense, often deploying openers and piggybacking with a multi-inning reliever who offers a different look in order to turn over a lineup. That strategy of winning Friday on Friday and worrying about tomorrow, tomorrow worked well for Hoosiers last year and will likely be the way they start the season.
Regardless of when they throw, you can expect sophomores Brayden Risedorph (3-1, 4.47) and Connor Foley (4-2, 3.72) to be two of the most integral arms on the staff.
Utilizing a mid-to-low 90s heater, a sweeping slider and a mid-80s split changeup, Risedorph is a strike thrower who led the Hoosiers in appearances (25) and saves (six), while striking out 10.3-per-9 last spring.
At 6-foot-5, 235-pounds, Foley is an imposing physical presence on the mound with a fastball to match. He works downhill from a high three-quarter arm slot and can run his four-seamer into the upper 90s, peaking at 98 mph in my looks at him last spring. He gained valuable postseason experience last year, holding a good Kentucky offense scoreless on one hit for 2.2 innings in the Lexington Regional.
Though 19 of his 21 appearances came out of the pen and he had five saves, Ryan Kraft (6-1, 2.48) was a de facto starter for the Hoosiers last year, finishing second on the team in innings (61.2). A 6-foot-4 lefthander, Kraft works from a three-quarter slot and is able to spot his 88-90 mph fastball to either side of the plate. He’s worked to refine his slider this fall in hopes of turning it into more of a put-away pitch. He’s likely to be deployed in a similar fashion this year – as a multi inning leverage option – but don’t be surprised to see him in the rotation either.
Fifth-year lefthander Ty Bothwell (4-3, 6.55) is a wild card. After an up and down spring, he threw well for the Hoosiers in the regional, punching out 12 hitters in 8.2 innings over two appearances.
“When he’s right, he’s as good as we have on the team,” said Mercer of Bothwell. “He’s as good as there is in the league.”
Sophomore Ethan Phillips (4-0, 5.01) is a competitive righthander who could be in the mix for starts after a strong showing this fall. He’s got a starter’s arsenal, sitting in the low-90s with his four-seam and his sinker, and he throws three different offspeed pitches.
Lean and projectable with a low-to-mid 90s fastball and a downer breaker, Evan Whitaker could wind up in the rotation at some point but will likely be utilized as a power arm out of the pen from the jump.
Getting Northwestern transfer Ben Grable to Bloomington was a boon, as the big righthander with a bigger fastball had some draft buzz. Grable can scrape triple digits with his heater, but his control can vary, as he’s walked over 5-per-9 during his career. He was impressive for his new club this fall, working to be more intentional with his fastball and continuing to develop his secondaries.
Another transfer, Jack Moffitt (Gonzaga) is a 6-foot-8 righthander who works from a lower slot. Along with pitching coach Dustin Glant, Moffitt has worked to transition his fastball profile from a four-seam to more of power sinker, with positive returns in the fall. Look for him to be a big piece of this Hoosiers bullpen.
A low slot lefthander, redshirt sophomore Grant Holderfield is back after missing last season with an injury. He was an often-used matchup piece as a freshman – tying for the team lead in appearances (25) that spring – and is expected to play a similar tole this season.
At 6-foot-6, redshirt freshman Jacob Vogel is another big, strong power arm out of the bullpen that Mercer and staff have a lot confidence in. The righthander will work in the 91-93 mph range with his fastball and gets a lot of vertical action on his splitter which plays well off the heater.
Seth Benes is a righthanded freshman from Missouri with a major league pedigree, as uncles Andy and Alan have 22 years of combined major league experience. Additionally, his father Adam starred at Evansville and played professionally in the Cardinals organization. As such, he has uncommon polish for a freshman, especially with his secondary pitches. Now healthy after working his way back from Tommy John surgery, he could be an impact backend piece for the Hoosiers this spring.
Ryan Rushing is a 5-foot-9 freshman from IMG Academy who could be a significant bullpen contributor from the left side. He’ll pitch in the low-90s fastball who can really snap off a breaking ball.
