Burke Granger, D-1 baseball's Midwest correspondent out of Columbus, Ohio did their fall report on IU. It was extremely long and very detailed so here are some tidbits/excerpts from it. The report was much more detailed than this, and I hope I don't get into trouble for providing this much detail, and it's just the view of one knowledgeable individual. He talked about the big turnover of players from 2021 to 2022 which caused continuity problems for the program. He opened up about IU position players and he said this:
"Indiana retained an especially strong group on the position player side, including four members of the All-Big Ten Freshman team and a couple offensive holdovers who turned down professional opportunities. This group of galvanized veterans welcome another talented crop of newcomers to comprise one of the stronger position player groups in the Big Ten."
He then did a brief introductory of the pitching position citing how IU has done a good job of churning out draft talent on the mound with seven IU pitchers selected in the last two seasons, including five weekend starters. Here's a quote from the article:
"Outside a couple standouts, the Hoosiers struggled to gain footing on the mound last season, finishing last in the Big Ten in ERA (7.04) and walks (332). If you want to look at it through a more optimistic lens, the Hoosiers finished second in the Big Ten in strikeouts and return several pitchers from the team that helped them do so. While some of the same questions entering last season persist, there’s more depth in this pitching group than there was a year ago."
He discussed how the outfield returns all three starters in Carter Mathison, Bobby Whalen and Hunter Jessee. He also said this about Morgan Colopy:
"The best defender in the group, Morgan Colopy will be in the center field mix as well, although he has the instincts and arm strength to play all three spots. A standout performer as a freshman in 2021, Colopy stumbled in his encore, slashing .236/.329/.431 as a draft eligible sophomore last season. When he’s dialed in, he’ll work counts and produce above average-to-plus exit velocity numbers at the plate. An unsigned 34th-round pick out of high school in 2019 (Orioles), Colopy is a bounce-back candidate this spring. "
He also mentioned that Stan Murrison is a standout defender in the outfield, and he said this about freshman Devin Taylor:
"A highly regarded prep prospect, the Hoosiers were fortunate to get Devin Taylor to campus where he could make an immediate impact, especially with the bat. The freshman has a smooth lefthanded stroke and is in the mix for left field, first base and designated hitter reps."
As far as the infield goes, he talked about the players we already know about in Phillip Glasser, Josh Pyne, Evan Goforth, and Brock Tibbetts. As far as other candidates for the infield, he said this:
"Tyler Cerny is a highly recruited talent out of nearby Indianapolis who will be in the mix for infield opportunities. A transfer from Florida, Jorge De Goti played sparingly for the Gators last year (9 games) and is expected to compete and provide depth at second, short and third.
He cited how IU is deep at the catcher position. He said this about Ellis:
"Affectionally nicknamed “Big Country”, Matthew Ellis is back after slashing .271/.398/.564 while pacing the team in RBIs (65) and walks (40). At 6-foot-4, 240-pounds, Ellis is an imposing figure in the batter’s box with plus raw power to match. Displaying bat speed, barrel control and brute strength, he’s a prodigious power threat, and was among the national leaders in home runs early in the year. While he slowed a little during the Big Ten schedule, he still finished with an impressive 18 long balls and earned third team all-conference honors. Big Country flashes a strong arm behind the plate and improved receiving skills." He said this about Serruto: "A savvy defender, Peter Serruto gets high marks for his catch-and-throw skills as well as his ability to handle a pitching staff. A three-year starter at Rutgers before transferring to Indiana before last season, Serruto has an abundance of Big Ten catching experience. Historically, he’s been light on offensive production (.544 career OPS), but he’s made strides with the bat this fall as a situational hitter who can spray the ball around. As far as freshman catcher A.J. Shepard goes, he said this "The Hoosiers were fortunate to get A.J. Shepard to campus after he garnered some late season draft buzz as a standout prep catcher from Virginia. He exhibits impressive pop to the pull side and could be deployed as a righthanded DH option in addition to seeing time at catcher and first base.
As far as pitching goes, he says that Ty Bothwell (4.47 ERA out of the bullpen) is the favorite to land a rotation spot. He believes W. KY transfer Luke Sinnard is another candidate for the rotation and said this about him, " Sinnard is a candidate to join Bothwell in the rotation after going 1-2, 7.18 with more than a strikeout per inning in a swingman role for the Hilltoppers last season. The 6-foot-8 sophomore was impressive in the fall, showing a high spin fastball up to 94 mph and 2700 rpms." Other candidates for the starting rotation that were mentioned:
"Gabe Levy will see meaningful innings. He pitched in both roles for Davidson during a decorated four-year stint with the Wildcats, compiling a 13-5 record, 3.27 with 20 games started and 20 saves. He fills the zone with a three-pitch mix. His fastball has been clocked as high as 95 in his career, though he pitches more consistently in the upper-80s, while also showcasing a swing-and-miss changeup and a low-80s slider.
"Ben Seiler made headlines last April when he struck out 19 against Niagara, setting the D1 high water mark for punchouts in a game for the season. Now a Hoosier, the 6-foot-6 lefthander gets downhill from a high slot, attacking hitters with 88-89 mph fastballs, low-80s changeups and mid-70s breaking balls."
"Ryan Kraft is a candidate to start after leading the team with 24 relief appearances last season. While he pitched in the low-90s and showed the ability to spin a 75-77 mph breaker in an early season look last spring, the lefthander shined in the Appalachian League last summer (4-0, 1.73 with 29:3 K/BB ratio) and made big strides in the fall while working to optimize his pitch package."
"Brooks Ey came to Bloomington via Fordham, where he went 4-7, 6.90 as a weekend arm for the Rams. The 6-foot-2 righthander is described as having power stuff, and his stuff checks a lot of analytical boxes. Ey also shined in summer ball, going 3-1, 0.69 with 43 strikeouts/six walks in 26 innings in the New England Collegiate Summer League. Like Levy, Ey is a candidate to close if he doesn’t land in the rotation."
"Seti Manase is a transfer from Tacoma Community College (Wash.) who had a lot of success at the Juco level, going 9-2, 1.69 with 92 strikeouts compared to just 10 walks in 74.2 innings last spring. The big bodied righthander sits in the 88-90 mph range with his fastball and does a good job of landing his splitter and slider for strikes."
Bullpen candidates according to him are, and I'll just list the names he cited: Luke Hayden, Grant Holderfield, W.KY transfer Cooper Hellman, Youngstown St. transfer Nathan Ball, Butler transfer Adrian Vega, and Wes Burton, a transfer from Ole Miss. He also said this about freshman Connor Foley: "Keep an eye on Connor Foley, a 6-foot-5 freshman with a power fastball up to 96 mph who threw well this fall."
"Indiana retained an especially strong group on the position player side, including four members of the All-Big Ten Freshman team and a couple offensive holdovers who turned down professional opportunities. This group of galvanized veterans welcome another talented crop of newcomers to comprise one of the stronger position player groups in the Big Ten."
He then did a brief introductory of the pitching position citing how IU has done a good job of churning out draft talent on the mound with seven IU pitchers selected in the last two seasons, including five weekend starters. Here's a quote from the article:
"Outside a couple standouts, the Hoosiers struggled to gain footing on the mound last season, finishing last in the Big Ten in ERA (7.04) and walks (332). If you want to look at it through a more optimistic lens, the Hoosiers finished second in the Big Ten in strikeouts and return several pitchers from the team that helped them do so. While some of the same questions entering last season persist, there’s more depth in this pitching group than there was a year ago."
He discussed how the outfield returns all three starters in Carter Mathison, Bobby Whalen and Hunter Jessee. He also said this about Morgan Colopy:
"The best defender in the group, Morgan Colopy will be in the center field mix as well, although he has the instincts and arm strength to play all three spots. A standout performer as a freshman in 2021, Colopy stumbled in his encore, slashing .236/.329/.431 as a draft eligible sophomore last season. When he’s dialed in, he’ll work counts and produce above average-to-plus exit velocity numbers at the plate. An unsigned 34th-round pick out of high school in 2019 (Orioles), Colopy is a bounce-back candidate this spring. "
He also mentioned that Stan Murrison is a standout defender in the outfield, and he said this about freshman Devin Taylor:
"A highly regarded prep prospect, the Hoosiers were fortunate to get Devin Taylor to campus where he could make an immediate impact, especially with the bat. The freshman has a smooth lefthanded stroke and is in the mix for left field, first base and designated hitter reps."
As far as the infield goes, he talked about the players we already know about in Phillip Glasser, Josh Pyne, Evan Goforth, and Brock Tibbetts. As far as other candidates for the infield, he said this:
"Tyler Cerny is a highly recruited talent out of nearby Indianapolis who will be in the mix for infield opportunities. A transfer from Florida, Jorge De Goti played sparingly for the Gators last year (9 games) and is expected to compete and provide depth at second, short and third.
He cited how IU is deep at the catcher position. He said this about Ellis:
"Affectionally nicknamed “Big Country”, Matthew Ellis is back after slashing .271/.398/.564 while pacing the team in RBIs (65) and walks (40). At 6-foot-4, 240-pounds, Ellis is an imposing figure in the batter’s box with plus raw power to match. Displaying bat speed, barrel control and brute strength, he’s a prodigious power threat, and was among the national leaders in home runs early in the year. While he slowed a little during the Big Ten schedule, he still finished with an impressive 18 long balls and earned third team all-conference honors. Big Country flashes a strong arm behind the plate and improved receiving skills." He said this about Serruto: "A savvy defender, Peter Serruto gets high marks for his catch-and-throw skills as well as his ability to handle a pitching staff. A three-year starter at Rutgers before transferring to Indiana before last season, Serruto has an abundance of Big Ten catching experience. Historically, he’s been light on offensive production (.544 career OPS), but he’s made strides with the bat this fall as a situational hitter who can spray the ball around. As far as freshman catcher A.J. Shepard goes, he said this "The Hoosiers were fortunate to get A.J. Shepard to campus after he garnered some late season draft buzz as a standout prep catcher from Virginia. He exhibits impressive pop to the pull side and could be deployed as a righthanded DH option in addition to seeing time at catcher and first base.
As far as pitching goes, he says that Ty Bothwell (4.47 ERA out of the bullpen) is the favorite to land a rotation spot. He believes W. KY transfer Luke Sinnard is another candidate for the rotation and said this about him, " Sinnard is a candidate to join Bothwell in the rotation after going 1-2, 7.18 with more than a strikeout per inning in a swingman role for the Hilltoppers last season. The 6-foot-8 sophomore was impressive in the fall, showing a high spin fastball up to 94 mph and 2700 rpms." Other candidates for the starting rotation that were mentioned:
"Gabe Levy will see meaningful innings. He pitched in both roles for Davidson during a decorated four-year stint with the Wildcats, compiling a 13-5 record, 3.27 with 20 games started and 20 saves. He fills the zone with a three-pitch mix. His fastball has been clocked as high as 95 in his career, though he pitches more consistently in the upper-80s, while also showcasing a swing-and-miss changeup and a low-80s slider.
"Ben Seiler made headlines last April when he struck out 19 against Niagara, setting the D1 high water mark for punchouts in a game for the season. Now a Hoosier, the 6-foot-6 lefthander gets downhill from a high slot, attacking hitters with 88-89 mph fastballs, low-80s changeups and mid-70s breaking balls."
"Ryan Kraft is a candidate to start after leading the team with 24 relief appearances last season. While he pitched in the low-90s and showed the ability to spin a 75-77 mph breaker in an early season look last spring, the lefthander shined in the Appalachian League last summer (4-0, 1.73 with 29:3 K/BB ratio) and made big strides in the fall while working to optimize his pitch package."
"Brooks Ey came to Bloomington via Fordham, where he went 4-7, 6.90 as a weekend arm for the Rams. The 6-foot-2 righthander is described as having power stuff, and his stuff checks a lot of analytical boxes. Ey also shined in summer ball, going 3-1, 0.69 with 43 strikeouts/six walks in 26 innings in the New England Collegiate Summer League. Like Levy, Ey is a candidate to close if he doesn’t land in the rotation."
"Seti Manase is a transfer from Tacoma Community College (Wash.) who had a lot of success at the Juco level, going 9-2, 1.69 with 92 strikeouts compared to just 10 walks in 74.2 innings last spring. The big bodied righthander sits in the 88-90 mph range with his fastball and does a good job of landing his splitter and slider for strikes."
Bullpen candidates according to him are, and I'll just list the names he cited: Luke Hayden, Grant Holderfield, W.KY transfer Cooper Hellman, Youngstown St. transfer Nathan Ball, Butler transfer Adrian Vega, and Wes Burton, a transfer from Ole Miss. He also said this about freshman Connor Foley: "Keep an eye on Connor Foley, a 6-foot-5 freshman with a power fastball up to 96 mph who threw well this fall."
Last edited:
