The 2012 Indiana State baseball team made their mark on the rich history of Sycamores baseball, finishing the season with a 41-19 record while winning the Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season Championship and earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Below are some highlights from the record-setting 2012 Indiana State baseball season. Also make sure to check out the attached Season in Review PDF.

Sycamores Claim Fourth Regular Season Title In School History
Indiana State secured their fourth regular season Missouri Valley Conference title in 2012, defeating the Missouri State Bears, 6-3, in the opening game of their series on Thursday, May 17. The Sycamores last won a regular season conference title back in 1985, while also picking up the regular season crown in 1982 and 1983. This season marks the first time in school history that the Sycamores have been outright champions following the regular season, as the 1982 and 1983 squads won the East Division of the MVC while the 1985 team tied with Wichita State for the league title.



At-Large Selection
ISU received an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament field on Selection Monday, just the second time in school history that the Sycamores have made the postseason without winning the MVC Tournament. Indiana State claimed their only other at-large selection back in 1987 when the Sycamores fell in the conference finals to Wichita State, ending the regular season with a record of 44-16-1 before going 1-2 in a regional in Austin, Texas.

Here was the scene in the locker room as the announcement was made:



NCAA Tournament Year-By-Year
Below is a quick look at Indiana State's previous seven trips to the NCAA Tournament.

1979 (Tucson, Ariz.)                                            1987 (Austin, Texas)
May 25 vs. Hawaii                      L, 3-4                May 21 vs. Houston                    L, 5-10
May 26 vs. Oklahoma                 L, 2-9                May 22 vs. Lamar                      W, 10-5
                                                                        May 23 vs. Sam Houston State    L, 8-10
1983 (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
May 18 vs. Miami (Ohio)             L, 4-7                1989 (Starkville, Miss.)
May 19 vs. Morehead State         L, 1-7                May 25 vs. Jacksonville              L, 2-3
                                                                        May 26 vs. West Carolina           W, 10-3
1984 (Mount Pleasant, Mich.)                               May 27 vs. Jacksonville              W, 9-4
May 25 vs. Central Michigan        W, 4-2              May 28 vs. Mississippi State        L, 2-11
May 26 vs. Michigan                   L, 2-8
May 27 vs. Central Michigan        L, 0-4                1995 (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
                                                                        May 25 vs. Oklahoma                 L, 6-9
1986 (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Omaha, Neb.)                May 26 vs. Pennsylvania             W, 6-5
May 23 vs. Michigan                   W, 7-1              May 27 vs. Texas                       L, 2-3
May 24 vs. Central Michigan        W, 5-3
May 25 vs. Central Michigan        W, 7-6              2012 (Eugene, Ore.)
May 31 vs. Florida State             L, 3-5                June 1 vs. Cal State Fullerton      L, 5-9
June 1 vs. Oklahoma State          L, 0-4                June 2 vs. Austin Peay                L, 0-1

Lucas Named Joe Carter MVC Player Of The Year
Junior catcher Jeremy Lucas became the first student-athlete in ISU baseball history to earn the MVC's Joe Carter Player of the Year award, in a vote conducted by the eight head coaches from around the league following the regular season. The West Terre Haute, Ind., native and West Vigo High School product ranked in the top five in nearly all offensive categories in the conference, including: batting average (second, .345), runs scored (second, 53), on-base percentage (second, .443), slugging percentage (third, .540), total bases (third, 122), hits (tied for fourth, 78), home runs (tied for fourth, nine) and runs batted in (fifth, 52). Lucas also led ISU with 24 multi-hit games and 16 multi-RBI games this season.

Bacus Named MVC Newcomer Of The Year
Junior starting pitcher Dakota Bacus was named the Newcomer of the Year in the MVC, going 4-1 with an even 2.00 ERA in MVC action while throwing a pair of complete games in his seven starts. The Moline, Ill., native and Southeastern Community College transfer, led ISU to the regular season MVC championship, throwing a complete game in ISU's 6-3 victory over Missouri State. Bacus ranked seventh in the MVC with a 2.70 ERA for the season, while placing second in the league with 116.1 innings pitched. The junior hurler became the fourth student-athlete to be named the Newcomer of the Year at ISU, joining Tim Brewer (2005), Clint Barmes (2000) and Rick Angell (1998).

Heller Named Dan Callahan MVC Coach Of The Year
After leading the Sycamores to their first outright regular season championship in school history, head coach Rick Heller was named the Dan Callahan MVC Coach of the Year following the season. The MVC announced this February that the league's annual coach of the year award would be renamed to honor former Southern Illinois head coach Dan Callahan, who spent 16 years as the head coach of the Salukis before losing his long battle with cancer in November of 2010. Heller is the third coach in Indiana State history to receive the Dan Callahan MVC Coach of the Year award, joining Bob Warn (1979, 1983 and 1984) and Lindsay Meggs (2009) on the list of honorees.

Bacus Selected In Ninth Round Of MLB Draft By Oakland
Indiana State junior pitcher Dakota Bacus was selected with the 288th overall pick in the ninth round of Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft by the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday, June 5. Bacus was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Newcomer of the Year and a First Team All-MVC selection this past season, going 7-4 with a 2.70 ERA. The ISU junior set the school record for innings pitched in a single season, tossing 116.2 innings on the mound with 89 strikeouts and a .240 batting average against.

Lucas Selected In 12th Round Of MLB Draft By Cleveland
Indiana State junior catcher Jeremy Lucas was selected with the 383rd overall pick in the 12th round of Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft by the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday, June 5. Lucas earned numerous awards following a standout junior campaign with the Sycamores, earning the program's first Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year award this past season. The junior backstop led ISU in several offensive categories, including: batting average (.345), hits (78), runs scored (53), home runs (nine), total bases (122), slugging percentage (.540) and on-base percentage (.443).

Dorsett Signs Professionally With Toronto
Senior Brandon Dorsett signed a free agent contract with the Toronto Blue Jays in the days following the MLB Draft, joining the team at Rookie Affiliate Bluefield. Dorsett appeared in 28 games in 2012 for ISU, totaling a 2-0 record and a 1.99 ERA in 22.2 innings with one save.

Burnam Named To All-Regional Team
Senior Kyle Burnam was selected to the All-Regional Team, following Indiana State's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since the 1995 season. Burnam led the Sycamores with a .400 batting average while at the University of Oregon, going 2-for-5 at the plate with a double, two runs scored, a pair of walks and a stolen base.

A four-year starter at Indiana State, Burnam played in 215 games with 203 starts in ISU Blue, totaling 241 hits, 38 doubles, 157 runs scored, 121 runs batted in, 120 walks and a .309 career batting average. His 120 walks rank fourth in Indiana State history. The senior from Marshall, Ill., became the 15th member of the ISU baseball program to earn All-Regional status.

Eight Sycamores Earn All-MVC Honors
Indiana State placed eight members of their 2012 team on the Missouri Valley's All-Conference teams, led by junior pitcher Dakota Bacus, junior catcher Jeremy Lucas and junior outfielder Rob Ort all earning First Team status. Senior outfielder Kyle Burnam, sophomore pitcher Sean Manaea and sophomore shortstop Tyler Wampler all earned All-MVC Second Team plaudits, with Honorable Mention All-MVC awards going to senior first baseman Jon Hedges and freshman outfielder Landon Curry. Along with his Joe Carter Player of the Year and First Team All-MVC awards, Lucas also picked up MVC All-Defensive Team honors. ISU's eight selections were tied for the second-most in the conference, one behind Missouri State's nine.

Bacus Sets Innings Pitched Record
Junior Dakota Bacus logged 116.2 innings on the mound in 2012 for the Sycamores, edging Mike Farrell for the single-season record at ISU. Farrell threw 115.2 innings during the 1991 season, going 9-5 with five complete games and a 3.42 ERA. In his 16 starts this past season, Bacus tossed at least seven innings in 12 games, including complete games against Western Illinois (Feb. 24), Evansville (March 23) and Missouri State (May 17).

Manaea Goes Over 100 Strikeouts
Sophomore Sean Manaea joined an elite group in 2012, becoming just the ninth pitcher in ISU history to record at least 100 strikeouts in a single season. In 17 starts and 105.0 innings, Manaea tallied 115 strikeouts, an average of 9.9 per nine innings. On a national scale, the ISU sophomore hurler ranked in a tie for 14th in the country. Manaea struck out at least seven batters in nine of his 17 starts, including a season-high of 12 against Illinois State on March 31. Manaea also went into double-digits against Maryland Eastern Shore on Feb. 25, fanning 10 batters in six innings. Manaea will enter his junior season with 197 strikeouts for her career, looking to become the eighth student-athlete in ISU history to go over 200 strikeouts.

Three Straight Seasons For Ort
Junior Rob Ort has tallied at least 50 RBIs in all three of his seasons as a Sycamore, leading Indiana State with 54 RBIs this past season. Ort is the first Sycamore to lead the team in runs batted in for three straight seasons, after totaling 53 RBIs as a sophomore and 50 RBIs as a freshman. The ISU junior outfielder was already just the seventh Sycamore to lead ISU in runs batted in in back-to-back seasons since 1955, joining Brady Shoemaker (2008-09), Dan Frye (1991-92), Chad McDonald (1988-89), Larry Kester (1971-72), Harlan Lautenschlager (1963-64) and Joe Gore (1957-58).

Lucas Named A Semifinalist For The Johnny Bench Award
Junior Jeremy Lucas was named one of 12 semifinalists for the Johnny Bench Award at the end of May, an award presented to the nation's top collegiate catcher. Lucas was also named the Joe Carter MVC Player of the Year following the regular season. The ISU junior led the team in the regular season with a .345 (78-for-226) batting average, also topping the roster with 78 hits, nine home runs, 53 runs scored, 122 total bases and a .540 slugging percentage.

40 Wins
Indiana State's 10-4 win over Southern Illinois on Sunday, May 13, gave the Sycamores their 40th win of the season, the 10th time in program history that ISU has broke the 40-win barrier. ISU's 41 wins are tied for seventh-most in school history and is the team's best total since winning 42 games back in 1991. Below is a quick look at the 40-win seasons in ISU history:
 

2012: 41-19, First Place MVC, NCAA At-Large Bid       1987: 45-18-1, NCAA At-Large Bid
1992: 40-19, Third Place MVC                                   1986: 48-21, MVC Tournament Champions
1991: 42-23, Third Place MVC                                   1985: 57-22, T-First Place MVC
1990: 43-21, Fourth Place MVC                                 1982: 40-20, First Place MVC East Division
1989: 48-21, MVC Tournament Champions                 1979: 41-11, MVC Tournament Champions

A Look Back At The Past
Indiana State's 41-19 record in 2012 is tied for the third-best mark in school history after 60 games, sitting just behind the teams from 1987 and 1990. Indiana State also checked in at 41-19 after 60 games in 1985 and 1986. Below is a quick look at the best records through 60 games in ISU history:
 

Through 60 Games                     Notes
1987 -- 44-15-1                         Finished 45-18-1, 16-game winning streak from March 17-31
1990 -- 42-18                            Finished 43-21, second of four straight 40-win season (1989-92)
2012 -- 41-19                            First Outright Regular Season MVC Championship in ISU history
1986 -- 41-19                            Finished 48-21, College World Series appearance
1985 -- 41-19                            Finished 57-22, school record for single-season wins

All We Do Is Win
Indiana State led the Missouri Valley Conference with a .683 winning percentage in 2012, their seventh-best winning percentage in a single season in school history. Since joining the MVC in 1977, only four other teams at ISU have finished a season with a winning percentage above .700, led by the 1979 squad's 41-11 season (.788). Indiana State's three other seasons above .700 took place in the mid-1980s, in 1983 (37-14-1, .721), 1985 (57-22, .722) and 1987 (45-18-1, .711). The Sycamores tallied a .696 winning percentage in both 1986 and 1989 (48-21 overall), sitting just ahead of the 2012 season.

Over The Century Mark
Head coach Rick Heller recorded his 100th win at Indiana State this past season, as ISU topped Wichita State, 6-3, on Saturday, May 5. Heller is just the fifth coach in ISU history to reach the century mark in wins in ISU blue. ISU legend Bob Warn totaled 1,070 wins from 1976-2006, while Paul Wolf (140 -- 1938-41, '56-67), Jim Rendel (129 -- 1968-75) and Wally Marks (108 -- 1929-31, '34-37, '42, '46-47, '49-55) are also in the select group. In his three seasons at ISU, Heller has totaled a 105-66 record.

Best Winning Percentage In The MVC
Indiana State has posted 105 wins and a .614 winning percentage under head coach Rick Heller over the past three seasons, the best winning percentage in that span among teams in the MVC. ISU is second to Wichita State (115) in overall wins, but leads the way in winning percentage due to playing 14 fewer games.

Three Runs Or Less
The three-run plateau has been the breaking point for the Sycamores under head coach Rick Heller the last three seasons. When ISU has allowed three runs or less to their opponents, the team is 63-8 over the past three seasons, including a 29-5 mark in 2012. When opponents score four runs or more, ISU holds a 42-58 record.

Early Runs
The Sycamores dominated the early innings this past season, outscoring their opponents 242-110 (+132) over the first five innings. In the first inning alone, Indiana State has a 37-run advantage, scoring 58 runs to their opposition's 21.

Weekend Success
Indiana State came away winners on 12 of their 14 weekends this past season, including a string of 12 consecutive from Feb. 24-26 through May 11-13. Below is a look at the weekend results for the Sycamores.
 

Feb. 17-19, at Southeastern Louisiana - 0-3                Apr. 6-8, at Creighton - 2-1
Feb. 24-26, Bulldog Classic - 4-0                               Apr. 13-15, at Bradley - 2-1
Mar. 3-4, at Eastern Kentucky - 2-1                           Apr. 20-22, vs. Dallas Baptist - 2-1
Mar. 9-11, vs. UT Martin - 3-0                                   Apr. 27-29, vs. Nebraska Omaha - 2-1
Mar. 15-18, Irish Classic - 4-0                                   May 4-6, vs. Wichita State - 2-1
Mar. 23-25, at Evansville - 2-1                                  May 11-13, at Southern Illinois - 3-0
Mar. 30-Apr. 1, vs. Illinois State - 2-1                        May 17-19, vs. Missouri State - 1-2

Scoring First
The Sycamores scored the first run in 38 of their 60 games this past season, tallying a 31-7 record when putting a run on the scoreboard first. ISU also scored in the first inning in 25 of their games, going 22-3 when plating a run in the opening frame.

Getting To The Seventh
Under head coach Rick Heller, Indiana State is 74-12 in games that they hold a lead heading into the seventh inning. When the Sycamores have trailed after the sixth inning, ISU is 14-47.

Double-Digit Hits
ISU recorded at least 10 hits in a game 29 times this past season, going 26-3 when posting double-digit hits. Indiana State's only losses when tallying 10 hits have come in walk-off wins for their opponents (at Eastern Kentucky on March 3, at Indiana on April 11 and at Bradley on April 14). When ISU had under 10 hits this past season, they went 15-16.

Ouch!
Indiana State finished the season fifth on a national scale in hit by pitches and broke the school record by totaling 104 HBPs. ISU also tied a school record for single-game HBPs on Tuesday, March 13, against SIU Edwardsville, as the Sycamores were hit by seven pitches during the game. ISU was also hit by seven pitches twice during the 2008 season, on March 15 at the College of Charleston and on May 13 against Miami (Ohio).

Moving Up The Record Book
Senior Kyle Burnam was a four-year starter since coming to ISU in 2009. Over his career, Burnam drew 120 walks, ranking fourth in ISU history. The ISU senior has also totaled 241 hits in 215 games played, sitting just outside the top five in ISU history.

Triple Play
ISU turned a triple play on Sunday, May 13, against Southern Illinois as Koby Kraemer, Jordan Pearson, Jeremy Lucas, Ryan Torgerson and Jon Hedges combined for a 5-4-2-1-3 triple play in the first inning. ISU last completed a triple play in 2009, when the Sycamores turned one on May 15, 2009, at Missouri State when Dallas Hord lined into 6-4-3 triple play in the first inning. ISU's fielders in 2009 were Ben Ferrell at short, Kraemer at second and Joe Meggs at first.

Above Average
ISU ranked above the league average in batting, pitching and fielding last season, one of just three teams in the MVC to do so. ISU ranked third in batting average (.288), second in ERA (3.25) and fourth in fielding percentage (.974). Missouri State and Wichita State also checked in above the league average. The MVC averages last season were .276 at the plate, 3.81 on the mound and .971 in the field.

MVC Series Wins
The Sycamores went 6-1 in their series in Missouri Valley Conference play, including wins in six straight to start their league run. ISU took two out of three games over Evansville, Illinois State, Creighton, Bradley and Wichita State before sweeping Southern Illinois. 2012 marks the first time that ISU has ever posted six straight series wins to begin a league season.

Winning Ways
Indiana State posted their fourth straight winning season in 2012 and three straight under third-year head coach Rick Heller. ISU's last run of four consecutive winning seasons came from 2000-03. Looking ahead to next season, the last time ISU has five consecutive winning seasons was from 1989-93.

ISU Ties NCAA Record For Runners Left On Base
The Sycamores tied a NCAA record on Tuesday, April 17, against Valparaiso, as Indiana State left 24 runners on base in their 2-1 victory in 16 innings. San Diego State (vs. Hawaii, April 22, 1994 in 15 innings) and Harvard (vs. Holy Cross, April 15, 1987 in 13 innings) also stranded 24 runners. ISU (24) and Valparaiso (17) combined to leave 41 runners on the base, two short of the NCAA record of 43 held San Diego State (24) and Hawaii (19) from their game in 1994.

Sycamores Sweep 2012 Irish Baseball Classic
Indiana State swept the 2012 Irish Baseball Classic in San Antonio, Texas, on March 15-18, picking up victories over Kansas and Houston Baptist before knocking off tournament-host Notre Dame in back-to-back games. The Sycamores defeated the Jayhawks by a score of 2-1, with both RBIs coming off the bat of junior Jeremy Lucas. Junior Dakota Bacus threw eight strong innings to pick up the win. ISU picked up their second win by rallying from an early deficit to score one run in innings six through nine, picking up a 4-3 walkoff victory on a bases-loaded single by senior Kyle Burnam.

Against Notre Dame on Saturday, the Sycamores rallied in extra innings for a 6-4 victory, using a two-out, two-run triple by redshirt junior Koby Kraemer to take the lead in the 10th inning on Saint Patrick's Day. On Championship Sunday, freshman Kyle Rupe and senior Chris Machado combined to allow one run on four hits, as Indiana State picked up a 6-1 victory. Junior Casey McCurdy provided the early offense, dropping a two-run triple down the rightfield line in the second inning.

Saint Patrick's Day Success
Indiana State defeated Notre Dame on Saint Patrick's Day this past season, picking a 6-4 victory in 10 innings in San Antonio, Texas. The Sycamores are now 21-10 all-time on the holiday, including a five-game winning streak. Before this season, the last time that ISU played on Saint Patrick's Day was back in 2007, when ISU swept a doubleheader at Murray State.

Free Baseball
Indiana State played 10 extra-inning games this past season, including a stretch of five out of nine games from April 3-17. ISU's longest game this season came on Tuesday, April 17, when ISU and Valparaiso played 16 innings on Bob Warn Field before ISU came away with a 2-1 win. The Sycamores were 6-4 in extra-inning games in 2012.

Eight Times This Season
The Sycamores recorded eight shutouts in 2012, their highest total since blanking opponents nine times during both the 1985 and 1983 seasons. The school record for shutouts in a single season is 10, set by the 1977 squad.

Freshman At The Top
Freshman Landon Curry led Indiana State with 16 stolen bases, ranking sixth in the MVC. The last time that a freshman led the Sycamores in steals was back in 1985 when Bob Zeihen also picked up 16 in his rookie season.

Close Games
In Indiana State's 19 losses this season, eight came by just a single run with six coming in walk-off fashion for the opposition. ISU was 10-8 in 2012 in one-run games.

18 In March
Indiana State posted an 18-3 record in the month of March, their most wins in a single month since going 19-9 during April of 1991.

Grand Salami
Freshman Landon Curry hit his first career home run at Indiana State on Wednesday, March 28, at Ball State, hitting a grand slam in the sixth inning. Before Curry's four-run shot, the last grand slam by the Sycamores came off the bat of Jake Hartley at Butler on April 6, 2010.

13 In A Row
Indiana State's 13-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday, March 24, against Evansville, as the Purple Aces rallied for two runs in the ninth to win 3-2. ISU's 13 consecutive wins tied with the 2003 squad for the third longest winning streak in school history. The top two winning streaks at ISU are held by the teams from 1987 (16) and 1985 (17).

Second-Best ERA In School History
Indiana State's pitching staff combined for a 3.25 ERA on the season, the second-best mark in school history behind the 2.58 team ERA posted back in 1977 (on a seven-inning game standard). ISU's four primary starting pitchers (Dakota Bacus, Sean Manaea, Ryan Torgerson and Kyle Rupe) combined to toss 369.3 innings, going 26-11 with a combined 2.95 ERA.

Midweek Action
Indiana State went 10-2 in midweek games this past season, with their only losses coming in walkoff fashion on the road at Indiana (April 11) and Purdue (May 15). As a team, ISU hit .319 (150-for-470) in midweek games and averaged 9.3 runs per game. Senior Kyle Burnam led the team with 20 hits and 16 RBIs in midweek games, while junior Jeremy Lucas scored 17 runs and tallied 14 runs batted in. Seven members of the 2012 team hit above .350 at the plate in midweek games.

Rounding The Bases
Indiana State scored a combined 41 runs from March 27-30, picking up wins over Evansville (6-0), Illinois-Springfield (21-1) and Ball State (14-3). ISU's 41 runs were their most in a three-game span since scoring 42 runs in wins over Eastern Kentucky (14-5), Illinois-Springfield (13-1) and Butler (15-3) on March 20-23 in 2011.

Shut 'Em Down
The ISU pitching staff combined for three shutouts in their four games during the Bulldog Classic. The last time ISU turned in three shutouts in four games came back in 1999 when ISU shut down Wisconsin-Parkside (12-0), Eastern Illinois (4-0) and Viterbo (4-0) on March 6-13.