Hauser first baseman Koby Johnson takes a throw to try to pick off Southwestern’s Jordan Jones at Hauser, Wednesday, April 28, 2021.
The Republic file photo
High school baseball in Indiana starts next week, and all of the local teams will be in action.
We ran the Columbus East preview on Wednesday and the Columbus North preview on Thursday. Here is a look at the other seven area teams, beginning with Hauser:
Hauser
The Jets won the Mid-Hoosier Conference title last year and went 18-11, but lost a few key players to graduation.
“I know we lost a lot last year as far as seniors go, but we have a lot of kids, and we look really good,” Hauser coach Nate Long said. “I have some good young guys that are going to see some action this year, and I have some surprises up my sleeve, as well.”
The top two pitchers are back in seniors Koby Johnson (6-4, 2.36 ERA) and Eli Miller (4-2, 3.12).
Hauser’s Eli Miller looks to first base before throwing a pitch to Southwestern (Shelby) at Hauser, Wednesday, April 28, 2021.
The Republic file photo
“We’re really going to lean on them to lead us in the pitching department,” Long said.
Long also will look to sophomore Sam Louden, senior Sam Miller, junior Owen McIntyre and possibly freshmen Holden Pittman and Simeon Wasil to throw innings this season.
Junior Zane McCanlis takes over at catcher. Johnson (three HR, 18 RBIs), McIntyre and Sam Miller could see action at first base.
Junior Grant Louden was the starting second baseman at the end of last season, and junior Levi Gollmer (.319, 10 RBIs) returns at shortstop. Senior Caleb Walker steps in at third base.
Eli Miller (18 RBIs) returns in center field. Sam Louden, Wasil, freshman Karson Stuckey and Sam Miller (.346, two HR, 28 RBIs) are battling for the left and right field spots.
“We’re going to be young, as far as experience, in some key positions,” Long said. “We’re going to have to learn on the fly and learn early at those positions. We’re going to lean on the guys that have been here. The juniors, we’re hoping they were able to learn the first two years and be able to play now as upperclassmen.”
Columbus Christian
The Crusaders had only 10 players through the first week of practice, but added some more this week and now have 13.
“We have six pretty good players and then a bunch of kids that are just trying out baseball,” Columbus Christian coach Todd Hostetler said. “I think our core is pretty good. Batting lineup, the top six or seven, we should be pretty decent. It’s just a matter of how the other kids come through. When we’re full-strength, if we have everybody there, I think we can be competitive with most teams on our schedule.””
Back to lead the Crusaders is senior Gabe Ridder, who plays center field, shortstop and pitcher. They have added a pair of move-ins from Arizona in senior Peyton Rehlander, who will play short and pitch, and sophomore Brandon Rehlander, who will be in the outfield and maybe first base.
Sophomore Cam Pritchard returns at catcher and pitcher and could play some infield. Sophomore Jordan Burton is the top returning pitcher and also will play first base.
Freshman Isaac Ridder will take over at second, with eighth-grader Levi Hargis at third. Senior Izak Hargis will play in the outfield, and eighth-grader Canon Carr also could make his way into the lineup.
After the 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Columbus Christian went 4-5 in all road games last year.
“We have (seven) home games this year, which is exciting,” Hostetler said. “It’s exciting to actually play down the street instead of an hour away. That will help.”
Jennings County
The Panthers have a new coach in B.J. Sigler, who has been an assistant baseball and football coach at Jennings in the past and also coached in the Indiana Bulls travel baseball organization.
With no seniors on last year’s 13-9 team, the Panthers return all of their starters.
“We have an experienced group,” Sigler said. “I’m super excited. We’re doing a lot of program work, getting our program in. We have an entirely new staff. We’ve been working in the limited-contact period since last July.”
Jennings again will be led by senior Jacob Vogel (7-1, 1.06), who has committed to Indiana University. Three other seniors — Carson McNulty (Indiana Tech), Luke Ownbey (Hanover) and Austin Martin (Goshen) — have committed to play college baseball.
Junior Keegan Manowitz (4-0, 2.12), sophomore Cole Sigler (1-1, 2.78), McNulty and Martin all did some pitching last season.
“We have a lot of arm depth,” B.J. Sigler said.
Senior Ian Sawyer (.339, 20 RBIs) returns at catcher, and Ownbey also could see action there. Vogel or junior Lane Zohrlaut at first, Manowitz at second, Martin at short, and Vogel or junior Matt Hines at third comprise the infield.
Senior Logan McIntosh (.356, eight RBIs), in left, Cole Sigler in center and senior Grayson Jackson in right are back in the outfield. McNulty (.344, 22 RBIs) and sophomore Sam Burkman also could play in the outfield.
“We play in a brutal conference and a brutal sectional,” B.J. Sigler said. “We have a good schedule for the guys. We’ve tried to beef it up a little bit. We’re looking forward to it.”
Edinburgh
The Lancers went 1-16, including 0-10 in the MHC, but return nearly everyone and will be led by eight seniors.
“The last couple weeks of practice has been a lot better,” Edinburgh coach Dennis Smith said. I’m pretty pleased so far because we’re looking a lot better than what I thought we were going to be. The biggest thing that changed this year, is these guys started showing up in the winter time during basketball season.”
The Lancers have four starters from their sectional champion boys basketball team, including a first-year baseball player in senior Travis Jones. Jones will pitch, along with seniors Ian Buchanan, Landen Burton and Riley Palmeter and sophomore Gabe Bennett.
Junior Jarrett Turner (.308) returns at catcher. Burton (.271) is back at first, senior Colin Richardson at second and Palmeter (.333, eight RBIs) at short. Jones takes over at third.
Bennett (.347) returns in center. Seniors Nick Detling and Cade Anderson will be in left or right. Freshman Milas Burkman could play in the outfield, and freshman Jaden Detling could play in outfield or DH.
“Travis Jones adds a lot to the lineup, as far as covering up some holes,” Smith said. “The two things I talked to them about is the two-out situations and walks. We gave up a lot of runs with two out last year.”
South Decatur
The Cougars return nearly all of their key players from last year’s team that went 9-11, including 6-6 in the MHC, and have added a couple of standout basketball players who are new to high school baseball.
“So far, we’re pretty pleased,” South Decatur coach Eric Foga said. “We have quite a few returning players this year, and we have a couple new additions that are pretty athletic. Hopefully, we can get them to where they’re baseball-ready and not just athletic.”
Sophomore Devin Pate (4-2, 2.02) was the top pitcher last season. Also returning on the mound are senior Zaydun Sharp and juniors Dale Peters, Avery Seegers and Brady Lane.
Seegers (.500, three HR, 18 RBIs) returns at catcher, and Lane also could see action there. Peters is back at first
Pate, Sharp or junior Cameron Henderson could play second, and Sharp or Pate could play short. Lane returns at third.
Senior Evan Wullenweber returns in left. Senior Hunter Johnson, who led the state in scoring in basketball this winter, takes over in center. Junior Austin Boilanger or sophomores Colby Rathburn or Jacob Scruggs, also a newcomer from basketball, will be in right.
“We have a good group of core guys that already know what we’re doing,” Foga said. “We hope to compete this year in every game, and I think we have that possibility.”
Brown County
The Eagles have a new coach in Justice Guerrero, who moved from Arizona in October and was the Brown County wrestling coach this winter.
Guerrero, who was JV coach at Arcadia High School in the Scottsdale-Phoenix area last season, takes over a program that went 0-14 last season and was run-ruled in all but two of its games. He has 27 kids out for this year’s team, 20 of which are freshmen or sophomores.
“From what I heard about the team last year, the mentality of the team just looks different,” Guerrero said. “I’ve been really pleased so far. If we can keep our numbers growing, I think we’ll be all right. They’re all really enthusiastic, and they look forward to competing every day.”
Senior Eli Sichting, an outfielder and pitcher, was the Eagles’ top player last season. Senior Jordan Arnold played first base and did some pitching.
Six sophomores started as freshmen last season — utility players and pitchers Brady Bond and Gavin Butcher, third baseman and pitcher Mikey Kobiernik, outfielder Nick Cooney, catcher Sawyer Gore and middle infielder Jack Sichting.
Freshman Noah Lewis could play first, third and pitcher, and freshman Jade Woolems will be a utility player. Seniors Aiden Fox, Cole Ziegler and Elijah Smith, as well as a few other freshmen, could play key roles.
“I told the kids it’s open competition,” Guerrero said. “We’re a younger team. All of those sophomores played last year, and a lot of them saw the field, so they have some experience under their belt. These freshmen did well as eighth-graders and might be able to help us out.”
Trinity Lutheran
The Cougars return five starters from a team that went 8-12.
Evan Hunt, the team’s lone senior, returns in right. Junior Andrew Bell can play a variety of positions, junior Nathan Voelker is back at short and pitcher, sophomore Peyton Pollert returns at pitcher and center and sophomore Kowan Gross is back at pitcher and will play some infield.
Freshman Nathan Finke steps in at catcher. Junior Darren Maxie, a transfer from Crothersville, will be at first.
Junior Luke Coomler or sophomore Levi Pottschmidt will play second, and Gross and sophomore Chase Bode will play third. Junior Cole Brewer, Coomler or Bell will be in left.
“We’re going to be young,” Trinity coach Ben Kleber said. “We’ve kind of revamped our offseason approach. We’re going to have to rely on throwing strikes and playing defense. We may be playing a lot of small ball some games, trying to scratch some runs across.”
The 2022 baseball schedules for Hauser and Columbus Christian:
Hauser
Wednesday;at Shelbyville;5 p.m.
April 2;Bishop Chatard;1 p.m.
April 7;at Edinburgh;5 p.m.
April 8;Edinburgh;5 p.m.
April 9;at Trinity Lutheran;11 a.m.
April 14;at North Decatur;5 p.m.
April 15;North Decatur;5 p.m.
April 16;vs. South Central (at Lawrenceburg);11 a.m.
April 16;at Lawrenceburg;1 p.m.
April 19;at Greensburg;5 p.m.
April 21;at Waldron;5 p.m.
April 22;Waldron;5 p.m.
April 26;at Rising Sun;6 p.m.
April 27;at Southwestern (Shelby);5 p.m.
April 28;Southwestern (Shelby);5 p.m.
April 30;Jac-Cen-Del;11 a.m.
May 7;Jennings County;11 a.m.
May 10;at Batesville;5:30 p.m.
May 12;South Decatur;5 p.m.
May 13;at South Decatur;5 p.m.
May 14;at Charlestown Tournament;9 a.m.
May 16;at Morristown;5 p.m.
May 17;Morristown;5 p.m.
May 19;at East Central;6 p.m.
May 21;North Daviess;3 p.m.
May 23;Indianapolis Lutheran;5 p.m.
Columbus Christian
Thursday;Shawe Memorial;5:30 p.m.
April 4;at Hauser JV;5 p.m.
April 5;Indianapolis Tindley;6 p.m.
April 7;Rock Creek Academy;5:30 p.m.
April 11;Cannelton;6 p.m.
April 12;Crothersville;5 p.m.
April 14;Horizon Christian (DH);5 p.m.
April 21;Dugger Union (DH);5:30 p.m.
April 26;at Indiana Deaf;5:30 p.m.
April 30;at Bethesda Christian;TBA
May 6;at Indianapolis Tindley;6 p.m.
May 7;at Horizon Christian (DH);11 a.m.
