‘Comfortable’ Tibbitts Thrives in First-Baseman Role
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – First base reality hit hard for Brock Tibbitts. Literally. A rocket of a line drive from Indiana teammate Ethan Vecrumba, the ball smashing off Tibbitts’ glove, which was better than crushing his chest. Standing under the Bart Kaufman Field lights, Tibbitts smiles at the 18-month-old memory.
“We were practicing at Mellencamp,” he says. “One of the first balls hit at me was a rocket. It was coming right at my chest. That was a little wake-up call. OK. This is first base.”
At the time, Tibbitts was a freshman transitioning from catcher to first base, a position he’d never played before. Like third base, it’s a position that demands quick reflects, great vision and unrelenting focus.
Let’s just say day dreaming can get you hurt.
“The ball gets hit hard at you,” Tibbitts says. “Getting used to that was a big thing. You’re right in the action.”
He’s used to it now. The sophomore is one of the Hoosiers best fielders and, perhaps, their best hitter. He leads IU in batting average (.372) and runs batted in (50), he’s tied for the team lead in total bases (97) with shortstop Phillip Glasser and even getting hit by a pitch (9) with second baseman Tyler Cerny.
This follows an exceptional freshman season in which Tibbitts hit .266 with nine home runs and 43 runs batted in. He was second on the team with 13 doubles. The homers rank fifth in program history among freshmen. The runs batted in rank No. 12. He only made six errors all season.
“It’s trusting my approach and the work I’ve put in,” Tibbitts says about his improvement. “We have a great coaching staff. They’ve done an amazing job. They’ve helped us be in the best position possible. Trust what they say.
“It’s staying within my approach and within myself. Sometimes I get a little too anxious and think too much at the plate. It’s about thinking less and going back to what I’ve been taught. Stick with the plan.”
Transitioning to first base was a big learning curve because Tibbitts had never played the position before college. He’d been a standout catcher for an Ohio powerhouse New Albany High School program.
“Learning a new position was different,” he says. “I had a lot of help from other players. Coach (Jeff) Mercer helped me develop that skill.”
The biggest adjustments, Tibbitts says, were getting used to where he was on the field, the way the ball comes off the bat, getting a feel for where the bag was, and his responsibilities on different plays.
“I took a lot from catching to first base,” he says. “At the end of the day, you’re still catching the ball.”
As far as fielding throws, he says IU’s infielders, “do a great job of getting me the ball, or putting it at a great place for me to pick it. It was about learning the different bounces and when I need to stay back and let it get to me, or when I need to go out and attack it.
“It was a learning curve I got through quickly."
For the record, Tibbitts has one college game at catcher. It came in his college debut at Clemson. Will there be another? IU is solid at catcher with Peter Serruto and, when healthy, Matthew Ellis. Still, does Tibbitts ever ask about catching at least one game?
“I’ll do whatever it takes to help the team win,” he says.
Don’t question Tibbitts’ toughness. He broke his nose when a ground ball hit him in the face in the ninth inning against Morehead State. A few days later, he was back in the lineup against Indiana State, and went 3-for-4 with four runs scored and a run batted in, and fielded everything cleanly.
“What he did embodies what you want the program to be about,” Mercer said in the aftermath. “It's a bunch of kids that love each other. That are too tough to quit. Anybody can have the rallying cry in the locker room, but you got to have a stiff upper lip to go out there and compete. And that's what he did.”
Tibbitts was a multi-sport athlete in high school. He was the starting quarterback in football, and also played basketball.
“It was huge playing multiple sports,” he says. “I was able to meet new people. I love football from the competitive aspect. It’s so different from baseball. The lessons I learned in football and basketball have helped me, not just athletically but with mindset. I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything.”
Tibbitts was a good enough quarterback to briefly consider playing football in college, but his love of baseball was too strong.
“Ultimately, I always wanted to play baseball.”
Inspiration came from his father, Jeff, who also was a high school quarterback before playing college baseball, first at Florida State, then at Ohio University. Along with his mother, Heather, who ran track in high school, his parents instilled the importance of keeping a level head no matter the challenges.
“My father was a big mentor,” the younger Tibbitts says. “He taught me how to play. He was one of my first coaches, and then a coach behind the scenes through my youth years to high school.
“It was cool to know your dad played college baseball. That was a dream of mine growing up, striving to be in his shoes. I’m thankful to have him and my mom behind me.”
As for IU, it is in regroup mode after losing a weekend series against defending Big Ten champ Maryland.
The Hoosiers had been nearly unbeatable at Bart Kaufman Field, with a 22-1 record, before the Terrapins swept them to take over the Big Ten lead.
Still, IU (31-14 , 9-6 B1G) is only two games out of first place. It has nine remaining Big Ten games -- three-game series at Northwestern and at Michigan State, and a three-game home series against rival Purdue -- to turn things around.
A conference championship remains very much within reach.
“There’s a lot of work to be done,” Tibbitts says, “but having all that in front of us, knowing what’s at stake, it’s why you play. It’s so much fun to come to the field every day, knowing we have that chance to make a run, win a Big Ten title, go to the NCAA regional. We know we have that possibility.”