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Indiana Baseball Opens 123rd Season on Friday

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Leading Off
• Indiana opens its 123rd season of baseball with four games in Surprise, Ariz. The Hoosiers open on Friday against Gonzaga, followed by Duke on Saturday, Gonzaga on Sunday and Oregon State on Monday.
• The Hoosiers have won their last four season openers (14-4 over Middle Tennessee in 2016; 4-2 over Stanford in 2015; 1-0 over Texas Tech in 2014; 2-0 over Louisville in 2013).
• Since the start of the 2008 season, Indiana leads the Big Ten in wins (310) and conference wins (135). The Hoosiers have made four NCAA Regionals over that span, the most out of any current Big Ten team.
• Indiana posted a school record fielding percentage of .975 in 2016. Through head coach Chris Lemonis ' first two seasons at Indiana, the Hoosiers own two of the top three fielding percentages in program history.
• With a lot of experience in the lineup coming back for the 2017 season, Indiana returns from 2016, 68 doubles (83.9 percent), 406 hits (83.8), 225 runs (83.3), 574 total bases (82.8), 1,542 at bats (81.8), eight triples (80.0), 152 walks (79.1), 195 RBI (78.6), 28 home runs (77.8) and 34 stolen bases (72.3).

Head Coach Chris Lemonis
• Chris Lemonis is in his third season as Indiana's head coach, posting an overall record of 67-48 thus far. Lemonis took over an IU program in 2015 that had gone 93-31 the previous two seasons, including its first-ever College World Series appearance in 2013 and the No. 4 overall seed in the 2014 NCAA Baseball Championship. With a new look roster, his program immediately lived up to the expectations, posting a 35-24 overall record and earning a berth into a third-straight NCAA Regional in 2015.
• Lemonis' squad posted a school record fielding percentage of .975 in 2016 while finishing thrid in the Big Ten standings. Through his first two seasons as head coach at Indiana, the Hoosiers own two of the top three fielding percentages in program history.
• As an assistant coach, Lemonis' imprint in elevating the Louisville program to new heights was evident. The former Cardinals' recruiting coordinator aided Louisville to three College World Series appearances (2007, 2013, 2014) and a 359-159 (.693) record during the past eight seasons, including back-to-back 50-win seasons in 2013 and 2014.

Top Heavy Slate
• Indiana's 2017 schedule features a total of 19 games against 2016 NCAA Tournament teams.
• A total of 17 of IU's games come against teams that finished in the 2016 Top 50 RPI.
• The Hoosiers will play 28 games against teams that finished in the 2016 Top 75 RPI.
• Indiana's first seven games this season will come against teams that finished in the Top 50 RPI in 2016 (Gonzaga - 32, Oregon State - 46, Duke - 30 and Florida Atlantic - 34).

Championship Experience
• Indiana's 2017 roster features six players and or coaches that have either been part of a national championship or College World Series squad.
• Infielder Tony Butler , spent his freshman season in 2014 as a member of the Virginia Cavaliers baseball program. During his 2014 stint in Charlottesville, Butler and the Cavaliers earned a berth into the College World Series, reaching the National Championship series, eventually falling to Vanderbilt.
• Senior RHP Luke Stephenson is another transfer who joined the Hoosiers in 2016. Stephenson spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons with Vanderbilt. He was a member of the 2014 Commodore club that went on to with the College World Series.
• Senior OF Alex Krupa spent 2014 and 2015 at Iowa Western Community College, where his squad went on to win the 2014 JuCo World Series. Krupa was named MVP of the World Series.
• Junior INF Matt Lloyd also attended Iowa Western C.C. He was a member of the 2015 and 2016 squads, both of which advanced to the JuCo World Series.
• In addition, head coach Chris Lemonis has been a part of three College World Series teams when he was an assistant coach at Louisville (2007, 2013 and 2014).
• Assistant coach Kyle Cheesebrough has made two College World Series appearances as an assistant coach (2013 and 2014 at Louisville).

Hurling Hoosiers
• A big part of Indiana's success in recent years has been its pitching staff, with eight pitchers over the last two seasons going on to play professionally with MLB organizations.
• Under the tutelage of Associate Head Coach/Pitching Coach Kyle Bunn , the Hoosiers in 2016 ranked second in the country in walks allowed per nine innings (2.31), fifth in WHIP (1.15) and 11th in team ERA (3.09). Indiana led the Big Ten in walks per nine innings, WHIP, strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.17), was second in team ERA and second in hits allowed per nine innings (8.02).
• Bunn has been known nationally for developing his pitchers as 54 of them have gone on to play professional baseball. During his 15-year stint as an assistant at Ole Miss (2002-07), Clemson (2008-09), Alabama (2010), East Tennessee State (2012-14) and Indiana (2015-present), a total of nine of his pitchers have reached the Major Leagues. Bunn's staffs have poured out three first round draft picks and 22 top five round draft picks.

Dedelow Returns to Hoosiers in 2017
• 2016 Third Team All-Big Ten selection Craig Dedelow opted to return for his senior season in Bloomington. Named IU's offensive MVP, Dedelow was selected in the 34th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• The Munster, Ind. native led IU in batting average (.302), hits (70), doubles (16, 11th in the Big Ten), and runs scored (33), and was second in RBI (36).
• For his career, Dedelow is a .303 hitter with 162 hits, 31 doubles, 12 home runs, and 81 RBI. In each of the last two seasons, Dedelow has led the Hoosiers in hits (76 in 2015; 70 in 2016) and total bases (116 in 2015; 105 in 2016).
• Additionally, for the second-straight fall, Dedelow was the individual champion of Indiana's Omaha Challenge.

Logan Providing the Lumber
• Named Indiana's 2016 Team MVP, outfielder Logan Sowers played and started in 44 games for the Hoosiers in 2016, leading IU in slugging percentage (.466), on base percentage (.377) and home runs (8).
• The Lafayette, Ind. native ranked ninth in the Big Ten in home runs and in conference games only, was tied for fifth in home runs (4), tied for ninth in walks (14) and 11th in RBI (16).
• Sowers was an All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection in 2015 and a four-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week (3/2, 3/9, 4/14, 5/18), the most honors by any Big Ten freshman and tied for the most weekly conference recognitions in the league.
• He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 31st round of the 2014 MLB amateur draft.

Gold Glove Second Baseman
• In 2016, second baseman Tony Butler earned a spot on the Rawlings Gold Glove Team. It marked the first time ever that Indiana Baseball has had a Gold Glove winner in the 10 years the teams have been recognized at the collegiate ranks.
• The lone representative from the Big Ten to be named to the 2016 Gold Glove Team, Butler is the first player from the conference to be named to the team since 2011 (Trevor Willis, Iowa).
• The Wisconsin native did not make an entire error during the 2016 season, recording 77 putouts and 126 assists (203 chances).
• In total, Butler has played in 56 career Division I games at Indiana and Virginia (2014), and has yet to make an error.

Miller Tabbed Freshman All-American
• Indiana utility man Luke Miller returns for his second season in 2017 after being name a 2016 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. Miller was Indiana's first Freshman All-American since RHP Scott Effross in 2013. Since the 2008 season, Indiana has had nine Freshman All-Americans.
• An All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection in 2016, Miller played in 53 games, making 51 starts, and finished second on IU in batting average (.284), hits (54), doubles (11), third in stolen bases (7) and sixth in RBI (23).
• The Muncie, Ind. native's .333 batting average in Big Ten games only in 2016 ranked 10th in the conference.

A Fine One Behind the Plate
• An All-Big Ten Freshman selection, a Johnny Bench Award Watch Lister, and Indiana's primary catcher in 2016, Ryan Fineman appeared in 54 games, making 50 starts.
• The California native finished tied for third on the team with 51 hits, while also adding eight doubles (T-3rd), three home runs (T-5th) and 25 RBI (T-3rd).
• Fineman was second in the Big Ten catching 15 runners trying to steal and was third in fewest stolen bases allowed amongst starting catchers.

All in the Family
• Indiana's baseball roster features some deep family ties in the sports world.
• John Cangelosi, the father of senior infielder Austin Cangelosi , spent 13 years playing in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh, Texas, the New York Mets, Houston, Florida and Colorado.
• Freshman catcher Jake Matheny's father is Mike Matheny. Mike played in the MLB for 13 years with Milwaukee, Toronto, St. Louis and San Francisco. He won four Gold Glove Awards as a catcher and has been the manager for the Cardinals since 2012.
• Scotty Bradley is the son of Scott Bradley, an MLB catcher from 1984 to 1992 with the New York Yankees, the Chicago White Sox, Seattle and Cincinnati. Bradley was the catcher for Randy Johnson's no-hitter on June 2, 1990. Scott has been the head coach at Princeton since 1998, where he has led the Tigers to seven NCAA Regional appearances.
• Bradley's uncle is Bob Bradley, the former USA Soccer National Team head coach from 2006-11. Bob's son and Scotty's cousin, Michael, has been a midfielder for the USA since 2006.
• Grant Sloan is the grandson of Jerry Sloan, the former head coach of the Chicago Bulls (1979-82) and Utah Jazz (1988-2011). Grant's father, Brian, played basketball at Indiana from 1986 to 1989 and was part of the 1987 national championship team.

Indiana vs. Gonzaga
Friday - 7 p.m. ET Listen | Live Stats IU - RHP Jonathan Stiever (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
GU - RHP Eli Morgan (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Indiana vs. Duke
Saturday - 8 p.m. ET Listen | Live Stats IU - LHP Tim Herrin (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
DU - LHP Mitch Stallings (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Indiana vs. Gonzaga
Sunday - 3:30 p.m. ET Listen | Live Stats IU - LHP Andrew Saalfrank (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
GU - RHP Daniel Bies (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Indiana vs. #7 Oregon State
Monday - 1 p.m. ET Listen | Live Stats IU - RHP Brian Hobbie (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
OSU - TBA (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

iuhoosiers.com/news/2017/2/15/indiana-baseball-opens-123rd-season-on-friday.aspx

Go Hoosiers!
 
Indiana Picked to Finish Fourth in Big Ten; Dedelow, Miller and Sowers Named Players to Watch

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Indiana baseball was selected by the Big Ten coaches to finish fourth in 2017, the league office announced on Wednesday. Conference coaches voted on the top six teams and also selected three student-athletes from their own squads to a Players to Watch list.

Representing the Hoosiers on the list is senior outfielder Craig Dedelow, sophomore infielder Luke Miller, and junior outfielder Logan Sowers.

A 2016 Third Team All-Big Ten selection, Dedelow opted to return for his senior season in Bloomington. Named IU's offensive MVP, Dedelow was selected in the 34th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Munster, Ind. native led IU in batting average (.302), hits (70), doubles (16, 11th in the Big Ten), and runs scored (33), and was second in RBI (36). For his career, Dedelow is a .303 hitter with 162 hits, 31 doubles, 12 home runs, and 81 RBI.

Miller returns for his second season in 2017 after being named a 2016 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. He was Indiana's first Freshman All-American since RHP Scott Effross in 2013. An All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection in 2016, Miller played in 53 games, making 51 starts, and finished second on IU in batting average (.284), hits (54), doubles (11), third in stolen bases (7) and sixth in RBI (23). The Muncie, Ind. native's .333 batting average in Big Ten games only in 2016 ranked 10th in the conference.

Named the 2016 Team MVP, Sowers played and started in 44 games for the Hoosiers, leading IU in slugging percentage (.466), on base percentage (.377) and home runs (8). The Lafayette, Ind. native ranked ninth in the Big Ten in home runs and in conference games only, was tied for fifth in home runs (4), tied for ninth in walks (14) and 11th in RBI (16).

Indiana opens its 2017 season this weekend at the Surprise College Baseball Classic in Surprise, Ariz. The Hoosiers will face Gonzaga on Friday, Duke on Saturday, Gonzaga on Sunday and Oregon State on Monday.

Follow the Hoosiers on Twitter (@HoosierBaseball), Instagram (HoosierBaseball) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/HoosierBaseball) for all the latest Indiana Baseball news.

http://iuhoosiers.com/news/2017/2/1...miller-and-sowers-named-players-to-watch.aspx

Go Hoosiers!
 
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Maryland Tabbed Big Ten Baseball Favorite
Big Ten coaches select Terrapins as favorites to claim conference title

Feb. 15, 2017
Rosemont, Ill. – Maryland was voted the preseason favorite to claim the 2017 Big Ten Baseball Championship as selected by the conference coaches and announced on Wednesday. The coaches voted on the top six teams and also selected three students from their own squads to a Preseason Honors list. The Terrapins were followed in the preseason poll by Michigan in second place, No. 3 Nebraska, Indiana in fourth place, No. 5 Michigan State and Iowa and Minnesota tied for sixth place.
The Terrapins return sophomore outfielder Marty Costes, who saw action in 54 games and was named to the Preseason Honors list. Costes, a returning All-Freshman selection, hit .263 on the year, knocking in a team-leading 37 RBI. Also representing Maryland on the Preseason Honors list are sophomore infielder Nick Dunn, who hit a team-leading .300 last season, and infielder Kevin Smith, who started all 57 games for the Terrapins a year ago.

Michigan finished 2016 with a 36-21 overall record. Junior infielder Jake Bivens, a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2016, hit .356 a year ago, scoring 53 runs and adding 26 RBI. Junior starting pitcher Oliver Jaskie started 14 games for the Wolverines, posting a 3.19 ERA and a 7-3 record. Drew Lugbauer, a junior infielder for the Wolverines, contributed 47 RBI and scored 39 runs.

The Cornhuskers finished second in the Big Ten a year ago, posted a 37-22 overall record and are coming off of their 14th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Nebraska returns sophomore relief pitcher Chad Luensmann, who was the 2016 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2016. Luensmann tallied 13 saves with a 1.18 ERA. Junior starting pitcher Jake Meyers also returns and posted a 6-1 record for the Cornhuskers to go along with a 1.42 ERA. Junior outfielder Scott Schreiber hit .325 last season to earn first-team All-Big Ten recognition.

Indiana accumulated a 32-24 overall record a year ago and tied for third in Big Ten play. Among the Hoosiers’ preseason honorees are third-team All-Big Ten selection Craig Dedelow, an outfielder who batted .302 with 70 hits last season, Luke Miller, a unanimous All-Freshman selection who hit .284 a year ago, and Logan Sowers, who tallied 44 hits and 24 RBI.

Michigan State posted a 36-20 record last season. The Spartans’ preseason honorees include catcher Matt Byars, outfielder Brandon Hughes and utility player Alex Troop. Byars hit .284 a season ago, tallying 58 hits and 26 RBI. Hughes appeared in 55 games for the Spartans, hitting .303 while posting 31 RBI. Alex Troop played in 12 games in the field hitting .372 scoring 11 runs and 13 RBI and played four games on the mound, producing a 3-0 record and a 1.64 ERA.
The Hawkeyes made a run to the Big Ten Tournament Championship game last season, posting a 30-26 overall record. Among Iowa’s preseason honorees are starting pitcher Nick Gallagher, an All-Tournament selection who posted and 8-3 record and a 2.57 ERA in 2016, infielder Mason McCoy, also an All-Big Ten Tournament selection who hit .291 on the year with 65 hits and 34 RBI, and outfielder Robert Neustrom, who hit .307 with 47 hits and 21 RBI.

The Golden Gophers return as the defending Big Ten Champion. Minnesota posted a 36-21 record last year and are led into 2017 by preseason honorees infielder Micah Coffey, starting pitcher Lucas Gilbreath and infielder Terrin Vavra. Coffey, a second-team All-Big Ten honoree, appeared in 56 games for the Gophers, hitting .333 with 70 hits and 42 RBI. Gilbreath appeared in 16 games on the mound, posting a 3-2 record and a 1.36 ERA. Vavra appeared in 32 games in 2016, hitting .358 while adding 43 hits and 20 RBI.

The 2017 Big Ten baseball season is set to begin on Friday, Feb. 17. The preseason poll, featuring the top six teams, and the complete Players to Watch list can be found below.

2017 BIG TEN BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL (top six teams)

  1. Maryland
  2. Michigan
  3. Nebraska
  4. Indiana
  5. Michigan State
    T6. Iowa
    T6. Minnesota
2017 BIG TEN BASEBALL PRESEASON HONORS LIST
Trent Hammond, INF, Sr., Illinois
Pat McInerney, INF, Sr., Illinois
Doran Turchin, OF, So., Illinois
Craig Dedelow, OF., Sr., Indiana
Luke Miller, So., INF, Indiana
Logan Sowers, OF, Jr., Indiana
Nick Gallagher, SP, Jr., Iowa
Mason McCoy, INF, Sr., Iowa
Robert Neustrom, OF, So., Iowa
Marty Costes, OF, So., Maryland
Nick Dunn, INF, So., Maryland
Kevin Smith, INF, Jr., Maryland
Jake Bivens, INF, Jr., Michigan
Oliver Jaskie, SP, Jr., Michigan
Drew Lugbauer, INF, Jr., Michigan
Matt Byars, C, Sr., Michigan State
Brandon Hughes, OF, Jr., Michigan State
Alex Troop, UTIL, So., Michigan State
Micah Coffey, INF, Jr., Minnesota
Lucas Gilbreath, SP, Jr., Minnesota
Terrin Vavra, INF, So., Minnesota
Chad Luensmann, RP, So., Nebraska
Jake Meyers, UTIL, Jr., Nebraska
Scott Schreiber, OF, Jr., Nebraska
Tommy Bordignon, SP, Jr., Northwestern
Matt Hopfner, INF/OF, Sr., Northwestern
Joe Schindler, SP, Sr., Northwestern
Seth Kinker, RP, Jr., Ohio State
Yianni Pavlopoulos, SP/RP, Jr., Ohio State
Jalen Washington, INF, Sr., Ohio State
Sal Biasi, SP, Jr., Penn State
Willie Burger, IF, So., Penn State
Nick Riotto, OF, Sr., Penn State
Tanner Andrews, SP, Jr., Purdue
Nick Dalesandro, C, So., Purdue
Jacson McGowan, UTIL, So., Purdue
Jawuan Harris, OF, So., Rutgers
John O’Reilly, SP, Jr., Rutgers
Kevin Welsh, INF, Fr., Rutgers

http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/021517aaa.html

Go Hoosiers!
 
IU opens season with four games in Arizona
by Spencer Davis

IU baseball’s 2017 opening weekend is a busy one, as the Hoosiers will head out to Surprise, Arizona on Friday, to play four games on consecutive days.

The Hoosiers will see a variety of competition from around the country and will take on Gonzaga twice, and Duke and Oregon State once. IU Coach Chris Lemonis said it will be nice for his team to face actual opponents rather than playing intrasquad games.

“Obviously we’re tired of playing each other,” IU coach Chris Lemonis said. “We’re excited to get out to Arizona. We’ve set up our schedule to play some of the nation’s best and to really test us so our first couple weeks will be a good test of our ball club.”

After a convincing 14-4 victory against Middle Tennessee in last year’s season opener, IU dropped six consecutive games to dig itself into an early hole.

To avoid a repeat of 2016’s early season woes, IU’s coaching staff has implemented a new team motto — “start to finish.” Junior outfielder Logan Sowers said the team will have to focus on not getting too high or low based on individual game results.

“You always want to start off the season well and get your confidence up,” Sowers said. “Last year our first game we played really well, and then after that I don’t know if we got a false sense of confidence because we won by so much in that first game.”

The winter weather has been uncharacteristically kind to the Hoosiers, as they have been able to practice outside more often than usual rather than being contained to the John Mellencamp Pavilion for offseason practices.

Senior outfielder Craig Dedelow sees the extra outside practice time has given IU a huge advantage.

“This is my fourth year here, and it’s the most we’ve been outside in spring leading up to the season,” Dedelow said. “Especially for Logan and I and the rest of the outfield, being able to get reads off bats and it not being in Mellencamp and hitting the ceiling and it only being able to go so far, it has been a big part for us.”

The Big Ten announced the results of its annual preseason poll Wednesday, as voted on by the conference’s coaches. IU is slated to finish fourth in the Big Ten on the heels of its 15-9 conference record last season.

Maryland is projected to finish atop the 13 Big Ten baseball teams, followed by Michigan and Nebraska. Last season’s Big Ten Champion, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, tied for sixth place with Iowa in the 2017 poll.

Lemonis selected Dedelow, Sowers and sophomore infielder Luke Miller as the three Hoosier representatives on the Big Ten Baseball Preseason Honors List.

The third-year head coach believes his team’s strength and conditioning training will factor into its success, both in Arizona and for the rest of the season.

“When you come out to see us play we’ve got some physicality, we’ve got some athleticism and we have a lot of experience, too,” Lemonis said. “We are going to be able to put out a lineup with good depth and be able to do some different things together.”

http://www.idsnews.com/article/2017/02/iu-opens-season-with-four-games-in-arizona

Go Hoosiers!
 
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