Stadler Living Cream & Crimson Dream
Logan LeGrett | IUHoosiers.com Student Staff Writer
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — In 2012, a 10-year-old Jake Stadler sat in the stands at Bart Kaufman Field with his father and watched Kyle Schwarber establish himself as one of the premier catchers in college baseball. Fast-forward to today, and Stadler is living out his dream in Bloomington and hoping to inspire the next generation.
"I remember sitting there and watching [Schwarber], saying 'Man, I hope I can play there one day.'" Stadler said.
For the Greenfield, Indiana, native, to wear the Hoosier uniform doesn't just represent the culmination of his hard work, but a full-circle moment to achieve a childhood dream.
"I grew up an IU fan and I've always been an IU guy," Stadler said. "My dad graduated from IU, so we grew up going to all the IU sporting events that we could."
The path to fulfilling that dream, however, wasn't straightforward.
Stadler attended Mount Vernon High School, just over an hour away from Bloomington, where he broke onto the scene as a junior by posting a .365 batting average and was the fifth-ranked catcher in the state of Indiana per Perfect Game.
Going into his senior season, Perfect Game tabbed him as a preseason All-American, but the COVID-19 pandemic robbed Stadler – and many others – of a final year of high school baseball.
With no senior season to showcase his talents, Stadler's dream of playing for Indiana seemed to slip away.
"The recruiting didn't work out of high school," Stadler said. "Which is just kind of how it went, which is fine. Whatever happened, happened."
Instead of cream and crimson, Stadler donned the black and gold at Purdue for three seasons. After redshirting in 2021, Stadler started 25 games over the next two years for Purdue. He entered the transfer portal following the 2023 season and got the call he had dreamt of: he was going to be a Hoosier.
While the opportunity for Stadler was a dream come true, the transition was not as seamless as he had hoped.
“The transition off the field was really easy,” Stadler said. “There were a lot of swing changes that we made, and working through those was really hard on me mentally, because I didn't see the results right away and that's really frustrating.”
While fall training wasn’t everything Stadler had hoped for, his everyday mentality helped him stay on track.
“Once my head hits the pillow and I wake up the next day, it's a new day,” Stadler says. “It's a game of failure. If I go in the batter's box and I stick to my plan; let's say I hit a ball hard, but it's an out, I did my job to the best of my abilities. It's a game of luck and I can do everything that’s in my control, but [the result] is not always in my hands.”
Stadler's one-day-at-a-time mentality paid off and head coach Jeff Mercer, who had been honest with Stadler about his spot on the depth chart entering fall practice, noticed his work ethic, especially during off-periods when players are away from campus.
"Some guys go for Christmas break, and they [regress a little]," Mercer said. "Some guys come back from break noticeably better. He was one of those guys that came back significantly better than when he left."
Stadler felt it, too.
“I came back from winter break and that's when it all clicked,” Stadler said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I'm here, and I'm here to play.’”
That dedication in the winter transformed Stadler from a possible backup into an everyday player. In fact, Stadler made 44 starts for Indiana in 2024, 19 more than he had in his three seasons combined at Purdue.
While Stadler’s play on the field shined, he arguably contributed more to the team in his leadership off the field, being awarded the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for 2024.
Just days before the start of the 2025 season, Mercer recognized Stadler's impact on the team’s success.
"When you get to have a fifth-year guy in a starter role, especially catching, who cares about the defense and really invests in the pitching staff, that's a great role model and mentor in the locker room," Mercer said. "He's been the starter, he's been the backup, he's been injured, he's played poorly, he's played well. That level of experience really helps everybody."
Now in his final collegiate season, Stadler's focus extends beyond personal achievements. Indiana has reached an NCAA Regional two years running, but this year's goal is to host – which gives them the best chance at a super regional berth.
While Stadler eyes postseason success in his final year, he recently found a chance to take a step back and appreciate his journey from a cancelled high school season, to playing on both sides of a rivalry he grew up with.
“One day this off season, I went to the field to lift and there was nobody else there,” Stadler said. “I just sat and looked throughout the bleachers, and I saw where my dad and I sat growing up, watching all the games.
“Last year happened so fast and I never really took a step back to appreciate what I had accomplished. This being my last year, I've tried to be more thankful for the experiences."
From being a young fan watching Hoosier greats with his father, to wearing the cream and crimson himself, Stadler is hopeful he can be a part of writing the next chapter of Hoosier baseball success that will inspire future generations of Hoosiers.