Indiana University Athletics
Patience Matters – Taylor Aims to Play to All-America Standard
2/6/2024 10:00:00 AM | Baseball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Does ping-pong excellence equal college baseball success?
What does that have to do with Devin Taylor, Indiana's sophomore outfielder and a preseason baseball All-America?
Consider recent media availability. The Hoosiers have just completed a scrimmage at Bart Kaufman Field. There's been plenty of hitting and pitching and fielding under an industrial gray sky in preparation for a potential Big Ten title run, and questions turn to leadership, chemistry and competitive fun.
Last season, chess was a big hit among players. This season, not so much, but ping-pong now, as before, remains popular.
"It always gets intense," catcher Brock Tibbitts says.
He is asked who's the best. He defers.
"It's hard to say."
Taylor stands next to him in the press box. His expression confirms there's nothing hard about it.
"It's me, bro," Taylor says with a smile.
The 6-1, 225-pounder's confidence and background suggest this is not just talk. He's a force in anything he does.
Last year, Taylor won Big Ten freshman-of-the-year honors by hitting .315 with 16 home runs and 59 runs batted in. He became the third IU freshman to make first-team All-Big Ten, joining Larry Blackwell (1979) and Joey DeNato (2011).
His 16 home runs rank second all-time among Hoosier freshman, trailing only the 19 by teammate Carter Mathison in 2022.
If you think this is too small a sample size to award true All-America status, consider what he did last summer in the highly regarded New England Collegiate Baseball League, when he hit .314 with eight homers and 30 RBI in 33 games.
Taylor downplays the accolades, recognizing they don't guarantee success.
"I'm not a big fan of all that. It's good to see. I take a little peek at it. After that, it's all about baseball."
Or, as Tibbitts puts it, "At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is winning games. Accolades come with that."
Coach Jeff Mercer saw this potential for the first time when Taylor was an Ohio eighth grader playing in the Futures Games at Westfield's Grand Park just north of Indianapolis. Mercer, capitalizing on his strong Ohio recruiting contacts (he coached at Wright State before taking over the IU program), was the only college coach watching that day, and he quickly picked up what sets Taylor apart beyond the physical skills:
His passion.
"I'm playing the game I love," Taylor says. "The results will come. I don't chase results. I chase the love of the game."
Results will require patience -- and perhaps taking more walks (he had 36 last season). Teams are aware of what Taylor can do and will try to negate it, sometimes by pitching around him. He will counter with an all-around game.
"I feel like I had it before," he says, "but now that everyone knows I'm one of the better hitters on the team, I'll be pitched differently. You have to approach it differently. I have to be more patient. I plan on working on that day in and day out."
That work is facilitated by a hitting swing that, says Mercer, doesn't have "many holes." It's been refined by countless hours of watching videos and how teams pitched Mathison and former Hoosier Phil Glasser as well as how they pitched Taylor the second half of last season when they became familiar with his game and realized, Mercer adds, "This isn't the typical player."
"He will have to learn to take his walks, learn to hit to all parts of the park, which we've seen him do," Mercer says. "We do a lot with pitch selection. He'll have to stay steadfast to that. He'll have to trust his teammates to do some damage and carry the load."
And if those teammates drive in runs, teams might scrap the pitch-around-him approach, giving him more opportunities to do his own damage.
"If you can avoid pitching to him," Mercer says, "you'll avoid pitching to him. If (IU teammates) can do their jobs, then teams will be forced to pitch to him."
This will be nothing new for Taylor, who has played beyond his years since he was in middle school in Ohio, thriving in a variety of leagues and organizations, including highly regarded Midland Baseball out of Cincinnati. He hit .443 as a high school freshman LaSalle High School in Cincinnati.
Perfect Game rated Taylor as the nation's No. 78 overall prospect and the No. 19 outfielder, and he played to that promise.
"He's been a known commodity for a long time," Mercer says. "He's been pitched around since he was 14 or 15. He'll handle his at-bats."
As the end of last season, Taylor batted third behind Glasser and Bobby Whalen. It's uncertain where he'll bat this season, and it will likely change depending on results and performance.
Batting him leadoff will likely increase his number of at-bats and scoring opportunities, but perhaps limit his chances to drive in runs.
"We can hit him leadoff," Mercer says, "but he's also one of our best RBI guys. He's very intelligent and good at managing with guys on base. I'd hate to take that away."
Taylor is a standout in a team full of them from a team that went 43-20 last season and played in the NCAA tourney, going 2-2 at the NCAA Regional in Lexington, Ky.
Add Tibbitts (.357, 10 home runs, 68 runs batted in), Mathison (.311, 10, 49), third baseman Josh Pyne (.295, six, 56) and shortstop Tyler Cerny (.276, 10, 43), plus heralded transfer outfielder Nick Mitchell, and you have a team with major Big Ten title aspirations.
"We've got a lot of guys who can play," Tibbitts says, "a lot of guys who are talented. We've come together really well. It should be fun to see what we do against the competition coming up in the next few weeks. We're looking forward to it."
That competition is formidable given IU schedules with NCAA tourney intention. Scheduling strong teams early often produces quality play late.
The Hoosiers will open their season Feb. 16-18 in the Baseball at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, S.C., with Duke, George Mason and Coastal Carolina. All four teams made the NCAA tourney last season, with Duke advancing to the super regional round.
They also have a three-game series at Baylor in Waco, Texas, and a trip to the Frisco (Texas) Classic featuring Alabama, Dallas Baptist and Arizona. Alabama was a super regional team last year. Dallas Baptist and Arizona played in the NCAA tourney.
Plus, they play at perennial national power Vanderbilt, and host a three-game series against Troy, another NCAA tourney team.
"We always welcome the challenge," Tibbitts says. "You can't be the best if you don't beat the best.
"We'll be able to see what we've got and how we can compete against this competition. It will really test us. I think we'll be prepared for it."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Does ping-pong excellence equal college baseball success?
What does that have to do with Devin Taylor, Indiana's sophomore outfielder and a preseason baseball All-America?
Consider recent media availability. The Hoosiers have just completed a scrimmage at Bart Kaufman Field. There's been plenty of hitting and pitching and fielding under an industrial gray sky in preparation for a potential Big Ten title run, and questions turn to leadership, chemistry and competitive fun.
Last season, chess was a big hit among players. This season, not so much, but ping-pong now, as before, remains popular.
"It always gets intense," catcher Brock Tibbitts says.
He is asked who's the best. He defers.
"It's hard to say."
Taylor stands next to him in the press box. His expression confirms there's nothing hard about it.
"It's me, bro," Taylor says with a smile.
The 6-1, 225-pounder's confidence and background suggest this is not just talk. He's a force in anything he does.
Last year, Taylor won Big Ten freshman-of-the-year honors by hitting .315 with 16 home runs and 59 runs batted in. He became the third IU freshman to make first-team All-Big Ten, joining Larry Blackwell (1979) and Joey DeNato (2011).
His 16 home runs rank second all-time among Hoosier freshman, trailing only the 19 by teammate Carter Mathison in 2022.
If you think this is too small a sample size to award true All-America status, consider what he did last summer in the highly regarded New England Collegiate Baseball League, when he hit .314 with eight homers and 30 RBI in 33 games.
Taylor downplays the accolades, recognizing they don't guarantee success.
"I'm not a big fan of all that. It's good to see. I take a little peek at it. After that, it's all about baseball."
Or, as Tibbitts puts it, "At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is winning games. Accolades come with that."
Coach Jeff Mercer saw this potential for the first time when Taylor was an Ohio eighth grader playing in the Futures Games at Westfield's Grand Park just north of Indianapolis. Mercer, capitalizing on his strong Ohio recruiting contacts (he coached at Wright State before taking over the IU program), was the only college coach watching that day, and he quickly picked up what sets Taylor apart beyond the physical skills:
His passion.
"I'm playing the game I love," Taylor says. "The results will come. I don't chase results. I chase the love of the game."
Results will require patience -- and perhaps taking more walks (he had 36 last season). Teams are aware of what Taylor can do and will try to negate it, sometimes by pitching around him. He will counter with an all-around game.
"I feel like I had it before," he says, "but now that everyone knows I'm one of the better hitters on the team, I'll be pitched differently. You have to approach it differently. I have to be more patient. I plan on working on that day in and day out."
That work is facilitated by a hitting swing that, says Mercer, doesn't have "many holes." It's been refined by countless hours of watching videos and how teams pitched Mathison and former Hoosier Phil Glasser as well as how they pitched Taylor the second half of last season when they became familiar with his game and realized, Mercer adds, "This isn't the typical player."
"He will have to learn to take his walks, learn to hit to all parts of the park, which we've seen him do," Mercer says. "We do a lot with pitch selection. He'll have to stay steadfast to that. He'll have to trust his teammates to do some damage and carry the load."
And if those teammates drive in runs, teams might scrap the pitch-around-him approach, giving him more opportunities to do his own damage.
"If you can avoid pitching to him," Mercer says, "you'll avoid pitching to him. If (IU teammates) can do their jobs, then teams will be forced to pitch to him."
This will be nothing new for Taylor, who has played beyond his years since he was in middle school in Ohio, thriving in a variety of leagues and organizations, including highly regarded Midland Baseball out of Cincinnati. He hit .443 as a high school freshman LaSalle High School in Cincinnati.
Perfect Game rated Taylor as the nation's No. 78 overall prospect and the No. 19 outfielder, and he played to that promise.
"He's been a known commodity for a long time," Mercer says. "He's been pitched around since he was 14 or 15. He'll handle his at-bats."
As the end of last season, Taylor batted third behind Glasser and Bobby Whalen. It's uncertain where he'll bat this season, and it will likely change depending on results and performance.
Batting him leadoff will likely increase his number of at-bats and scoring opportunities, but perhaps limit his chances to drive in runs.
"We can hit him leadoff," Mercer says, "but he's also one of our best RBI guys. He's very intelligent and good at managing with guys on base. I'd hate to take that away."
Taylor is a standout in a team full of them from a team that went 43-20 last season and played in the NCAA tourney, going 2-2 at the NCAA Regional in Lexington, Ky.
Add Tibbitts (.357, 10 home runs, 68 runs batted in), Mathison (.311, 10, 49), third baseman Josh Pyne (.295, six, 56) and shortstop Tyler Cerny (.276, 10, 43), plus heralded transfer outfielder Nick Mitchell, and you have a team with major Big Ten title aspirations.
"We've got a lot of guys who can play," Tibbitts says, "a lot of guys who are talented. We've come together really well. It should be fun to see what we do against the competition coming up in the next few weeks. We're looking forward to it."
That competition is formidable given IU schedules with NCAA tourney intention. Scheduling strong teams early often produces quality play late.
The Hoosiers will open their season Feb. 16-18 in the Baseball at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, S.C., with Duke, George Mason and Coastal Carolina. All four teams made the NCAA tourney last season, with Duke advancing to the super regional round.
They also have a three-game series at Baylor in Waco, Texas, and a trip to the Frisco (Texas) Classic featuring Alabama, Dallas Baptist and Arizona. Alabama was a super regional team last year. Dallas Baptist and Arizona played in the NCAA tourney.
Plus, they play at perennial national power Vanderbilt, and host a three-game series against Troy, another NCAA tourney team.
"We always welcome the challenge," Tibbitts says. "You can't be the best if you don't beat the best.
"We'll be able to see what we've got and how we can compete against this competition. It will really test us. I think we'll be prepared for it."
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