Members of the IUPUC baseball team wait to take part in batting practice at the Hitting Lodge on Washington Street in Columbus, Ind., Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. The Crimson Pride begins their inaugural season on Friday in Alabama.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic
A mix of transfers and freshmen combine to make up the 30-man roster that IUPUC will field when it begins its inaugural baseball season on Friday.
The Crimson Pride will play the program’s first games this weekend in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. They play doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday against Huntington.
Leading the program in its first season is head coach Scott Bickel. Bickel, who had coached at Ivy Tech, originally came to IUPUC as an assistant under Zach McClellan and assumed the head coaching role when McClellan, who also is the school’s athletic director, took on added responsibilities when the Crimson Pride added volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer.
“Coach Bick immediately stepped up and said, ‘I will take the head coaching position. I’m excited for it,’” McClellan said. “We told the players, and then he really built a culture around accountability and volunteering in the community that has really resonated with Columbus already.”
McClellan introduced Bickel and his assistant coaches and a couple players at a media day last week on campus.
“What I’ve noticed is that the team has really taken on the personality of their coach,” McClellan said. “Coach Bick’s heart is as big as this room. He cares deeply about the university. He cares about his players, and it shows every time he speaks with them.”
Four local natives are on this year’s IUPUC team, including Hauser graduate Trey Johnson, a junior who has played the past two years at Purdue-Northwest. He is joined by three freshmen — Alex McComb (Columbus East), Jackson Paradise (Hauser) and Parker Walden (Columbus Chrisitan).
“To be around a great group of guys being led by a great head coach, a great AD, it’s been wonderful, so I’m grateful,” Johnson said.
Johnson will play first base and could do some pitching, and McComb and Walden also could pitch. The top ptichers are Gavin Holtom (Fr., Franklin Central), Riley Mertl (Soph., Westfield), Quincy Collins (Fr., Pike), Tristian Wirth (Fr., South Knox), Payton Dennison (Jr., Rossville), Cyrus Robinson (Fr., Franklin Central) and Blake Nigg (Soph., Mooresville).
Ben Fricke (Jr., Mt. Pulaski, Ill.), Drew Bradley (Soph., Danville) and Alec Beatty (Soph., Augusta, Mich.) are battling for the starting catching job. Johnson and Max Wyninger (Fr., Tuscola, Ill.) will be at first.
Wyatt Sutton (Fr., Eastern Hancock), Peyton Blinn (Soph., Cascade) and Paradise all could play second, shortstop or third. Colin Fee (Fr., Mishawaka) also can play second or third, and Jared Ross (Jr., Franklin) and Bradley could play third. Ross also can pitch and play first base.
John Codner (Soph., Cincinnati Moeller), Wirth and Connor Beatty(Jr., Augusta, Mich.) are vying for spots in the outfield.
“I don’t have any exact starting positions yet because we’re still earning that at practice right now,” Bickel said. “We have a lot of versatility in our lineup.”
The Crimson Pride have been practicing on their new field at Ceraland when weather allows, but the field is not expected to be ready for play for their first home games against Cleary (Michigan) March 4 and 5. Those doubleheaders will be played at Jennings County.
McClellan is hopeful that the field will be ready when IUPUC hosts NAIA nationally-ranked IU-Southeast for a doubleheader on March 22.
“It really is a dream to start a program from scratch, a dream of taking it from the ground and making a legacy out of it, not just for me, it’s for the city of Columbus,” Bickel said. “I hadn’t been to Columbus prior to applying for the job. What you learn about this town is, it’s people are incredible. There is great business. There is great staffing. It’s an incredibly powerful sports town, and it blew me away to know that they’ve never had a college baseball team. With the athletes around here, with the support around here, with the athletic facilities around town, the parks system, Ceraland, the radio outlets, the news media, it is prime for a college sports team and organization.”
The 2023 IUPUC baseball schedule:
Friday;vs.Huntington at Tuscaloosa, Ala. (DH);1 p.m.
Saturday;vs.Huntington at Tuscaloosa, Ala. (DH);1 p.m.
Feb. 17;at Midway (Ky.);2p.m.
Feb. 24;at Oakland City (DH);Noon
Feb.25;at Oakland City (DH);Noon
Feb. 26;at Cincinnati-Clermont;2 p.m.
March 4;vs. Cleary (Mich.) at Jennings County (DH);1 p.m.
March 5;vs. Cleary (Mich.) at Jennings County (DH);1 p.m.
March 7;at IU-Kokomo;3 p.m.
March 10;Concordia (DH);Noon
March 11;Concordia (DH);Noon
March 14;at Thomas More;3 p.m.
March 15;at Indiana Wesleyan;3 p.m.
March 22;vs. IU-Southeast (DH);1 p.m.
March 24;at Asbury (Ky.);5 p.m.
March 25;at Asbury (Ky.) (DH); Noon
March 30;Lourdes (DH);1 p.m.
March 31;Asbury (Ky.);2 p.m.
April 1;Asbury (Ky.) (DH);Noon
April 4;Oakland City (DH);1 p.m.
April 5;at IU-Southeast (DH);1 p.m.
April 13;Point Park;1 p.m.
April 18;IU-South Bend (DH);1 p.m.
April 19;Thomas More;1 p.m.
April 20;at IU-South Bend (DH);1 p.m.
April 22;at Miami Hamilton;1 p.m.
April 23;at Wright State Lake (DH);Noon
April 25;at Lourdes (DH);1 p.m.
