Danny PfrankGoSycamores.com
After having their originally
schedule game on Wednesday, Feb. 27, cancelled due to winter weather, the
Indiana State and Austin Peay baseball teams will meet on Tuesday, March 12, in
Clarksville, Tenn., for a rematch of last season's elimination game in the 2012
Eugene Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
First pitch between the Sycamores and Governors is set for 6:00 p.m. (ET), 5:00
p.m. locally in Tennessee, and can be heard live online for free through
GoSycamores.com.
Indiana State enters the midweek matchup at an even 5-5 on the season, riding a
two-game winning streak after sweeping South Dakota State (5-4) and Mercer
(10-2) last Saturday on Bob Warn Field. Austin Peay checks in on a five-game
winning streak and at 13-2 on the season.
Probable Indiana State Starting Pitcher
Tuesday: Tyler Fehringer (R-Sr. -- RHP -- 6-1 -- 220 -- Lincoln, Neb. --
Marshalltown CC)
Notes: Two innings pitched with three
strikeouts against South Dakota State last Saturday
2013 Season Stats: 0-0 record ... 6.23 ERA ... 4.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R (3 ER), 5
strikeouts
A Little History
Indiana State holds a 22-14 lead in the series against Austin Peay dating
back to the teams' first meeting during the 1988 season. The Sycamores and Governors
last met during the Eugene Regional in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, with Austin
Peay earning a 1-0 win. Indiana State last made a trip to Clarksville on March
4, 2009, as ISU fell to APSU 12-4. Indiana State has lost six straight games at
road or neutral sites to Austin Peay, with ISU's last road win coming on March
6, 2002, an 8-0 shutout victory. Under fourth-year head coach Rick Heller,
Indiana State is 0-1 against Austin Peay.
Game-by-Game -- Austin Peay
Below is a quick look at the last 10 games in the series between Indiana
State and Austin Peay.
June 2, 2012 at Eugene, Ore. -- L, 0-1 March
14, 2006 at Indiana State -- W, 5-2
March 23, 2010 at Indiana State -- W, 6-5 March
19, 2005 at Indiana State -- L, 3-4
March 4, 2009 at Austin Peay -- L, 4-12 March
19, 2005 at Indiana State -- W, 15-8 (7)
March 14, 2007 at Indiana State -- L, 7-8 March
8, 2005 at Austin Peay -- L, 0-1
March 13, 2007 at Austin Peay -- L, 5-11 March
8, 2005 at Austin Peay -- L, 3-4
Last Season In Eugene
Indiana State, the third seed in the regional, and Austin Peay, the fourth
seed, met in an elimination game in the 2012 Eugene Regional of the NCAA
Tournament in Eugene, Ore., on June 2. The Sycamores and Governors battled in a
pitchers' duel with Austin Peay picking up a 1-0 win in the elimination game.
Sean Manaea started the game for Indiana State, allowing one run on seven hits
with nine strikeouts over 7.1 innings. APSU's Andy Cox allowed just three ISU
hits in seven shutout innings, walking three and striking out two. The Governors
scored the games only run in the fourth inning on a single to left by Rolando
Gautier.
Manaea Tabbed On Golden Spikes Award
Watch List
Junior Sean Manaea was named to the Preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch
List heading into the 2013 season, an award presented by USA Baseball at the
end of the season to the top amateur baseball player in the country. Manaea is
one of 50 student-athletes from around the nation to earn selection to the
preseason list and is joined by Missouri State's Nick Petree in representing
the Missouri Valley Conference.
Manaea, Ort Named Preseason All-MVC
Senior Robby Ort and junior Sean Manaea were named to the Preseason All-MVC
Team heading into the season in a vote conducted by the eight head coaches from
around the MVC.
Ort, a native of Newburgh, Ind., and Castle High School, hit .291 last season
while leading the team with 54 RBIs and 20 doubles. Over his first three
seasons at Indiana State, Ort has totaled 157 runs batted in, needing 17 more
in his senior season to break into the Top 5 in school history. Manaea, an
Andrean High School product and Wanatah, Ind., native, went 5-3 on the mound
with a 3.34 ERA last season, leading the team with 115 strikeouts in 105
innings pitched. Manaea's 115 strikeouts last season ranked the southpaw in a
tie for 13th on a national scale, while his 221 career Ks put Manaea in seventh
place in school history.
Manaea Named To Three Preseason
All-America Teams
Junior Sean Manaea earned selection to a trio of Preseason All-America
teams heading into the season, as Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball
Newspaper and Perfect Game each selected the Indiana State southpaw as a First
Team All-American. Below is a quick look at the last All-America selections for
the Indiana State baseball team:
ABCA: OF Dan Olson, 1996 Collegiate
Baseball: DH Todd Tatlock, 1995
Baseball America: SP Casey Whitten, 1993 Sporting
News: 3B Chad McDonald, 1990
Sycamores Picked Third In MVC Preseason
Poll
In a vote conducted by the eight head coaches from around the Missouri
Valley Conference, Indiana State was picked to finish in third place during the
upcoming 2013 season.
Coming off their first outright regular season MVC championship in program
history and their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1995, the Sycamores
return 14 total letterwinners, five position starters and seven pitchers from
last year's squad that finished 41-19 on the season and participated in the
NCAA Regional in Eugene, Ore. Indiana State welcomes 14 newcomers to the team
and will have six student-athletes eligible after redshirting in 2012.
Missouri State was voted as the preseason favorite in the league, receiving six
first-place votes and 60 points overall. Wichita State (one first-place vote,
47 points) checks in second while Illinois State (one first-place vote, 45
points) and Indiana State (45 points) tied for third. Southern Illinois (36
points), Bradley (21 points), 2012 MVC Tournament champions Creighton (18
points) and Evansville (16 points) round out the bottom half of the preseason
poll.
Indiana State will face a tough MVC schedule this season despite having four
home series against three on the road. ISU's three road trips in conference
play this season are against the top three teams in the preseason poll, as the
Sycamores travel to Missouri State, Wichita State and Illinois State. Indiana
State's home series are against Southern Illinois, Creighton, Evansville and
Bradley. Illinois State will host the 2013 MVC Tournament, beginning on May 21.
ISU Claims First Outright Regular Season
Title In School History
Indiana State earned their first outright Missouri Valley Conference
regular season championship in 2012, finishing the league schedule with a 14-7
record. The 2012 season marked the fourth time in program history that the
Sycamores have sat atop the standings at the end of the season, joining the
teams from 1982, 1983 and 1985. The 1982 and 1983 squads won the East Division
of the MVC while the 1985 team tied with Wichita State.
At-Large Selection
Indiana State received an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament field on
Selection Monday last season, 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 at 44-16-1 before going 1-2 in a regional in Austin, Texas.
Winning Ways
Indiana State posted their fourth straight winning season in 2012 and third
straight under head coach Rick Heller. ISU's last run of four consecutive
winning seasons came from 2000-03, while the last time that Indiana State
posted five winning seasons in a row came during a 17-year run from 1977-1993.
During Indiana State's 17-year run from 1977 to 1993, the Sycamores posted a
675-354-7 record and made six NCAA appearances.
Three Runs Or Less
The three-run plateau has been the breaking point for the Sycamores under
head coach Rick Heller the last four seasons. When ISU has allowed three runs
or less to their opponents, the team is 65-9 (.878) over the past four seasons.
When opponents score four runs or more, ISU holds a 45-62 (.421) record.
Scoring First
The Sycamores scored the first run in 38 of their 60 games last season,
tallying a 31-7 record when putting a run on the scoreboard first. ISU scored
in the first inning in 25 of their games, going 22-3 last season when plating a
run in the opening frame. That trend has continued into 2013, as Indiana State
is 4-1 when scoring first and 1-0 when scoring in the opening inning.
Allowing Big Innings
Under head coach Rick Heller, the Sycamores are 72-20 (.783) when the team
does not allow a three-run inning during a game. When Indiana State does allow
their opponent to score at least three runs in one inning, Indiana State holds
a 38-51 (.427) record.
Manaea Joins 200 Strikeout Club
Junior Sean Manaea struck out 10 batters last weekend against College of
Charleston, continuing his climb up the career rankings at Indiana State.
Manaea totaled 115 Ks in his sophomore season, ranking in a tie for third in
school history for single-season strikeouts. Below is a quick look at the Top
10 in career strikeouts at Indiana State.
1. Casey Whitten (1991-93) - 299 6.
Mike Farrell (1988-91) - 248
2. Mike Gardiner (1984-87) - 296 7. Sean Manaea (2011-present) - 221
3. Brad Finken (1994-97) - 275 T8.
John Howes (1982-86) - 217
4. Blaise Ilsley (1983-85) - 274 T8.
Tom Browning (1993-96) - 217
5. Mitch Stetter (2000-03) - 254 10.
Paul Quizner (1983-86) - 214
Productive At The Plate: Part I
Senior Robby Ort has led the team in runs batted in following each of his
first three seasons at Indiana State, totaling 157 RBIs in his freshman through
junior seasons. The Newburgh, Ind., native has also increased his production in
all three seasons, improving from 50 RBIs as a freshman to 53 RBIs as a
sophomore to 54 RBIs as a junior. In 2012, Ort became the first Sycamore in
program history to lead the team in runs batted in for three consecutive
seasons.
Productive At The Plate: Part II
Senior Robby Ort enters the weekend with 163 career RBIs at the plate,
ranking sixth in program history at ISU. Below is quick look at the Top 10 for
RBIs in school history.
1. Boi Rodriguez (1985-87) - 200 6.
Robby Ort (2010-present) - 163
2. Chad McDonald (1988-90) - 198 7.
Bob Zeihen (1985-88) - 159
3. Dan Frye (1989-92) - 186 8.
Mike Lexa (1984-86) - 154
4. John LaMar (1989-92) - 175 9.
Dan Olson (1994-96) - 153
5. Mike Eberle (1984-87) - 174 10.
Kevin Egli (2000-03) - 151
Steady At Short
Junior Tyler Wampler has been a mainstay on defense for the Sycamores,
starting 101 games at shortstop over his three seasons. Wampler has tallied 356
fielding assists (140 as a freshman in 2011, 184 as a sophomore in 2012, 32 in
2013) in his time at Indiana State, a total that puts the West Terre Haute,
Ind., native on pace to break Dan Frye's school record of 541.
Freshman At The Top
Sophomore Landon Curry led Indiana State with 16 stolen bases last season
as a true freshman, ranking in a tie for sixth in the MVC overall. Curry became
the first freshman since Bob Zeihen in 1985 to lead the Sycamores in steals as
a rookie. The Uniondale, Ind., native is off to a fast start again in 2013,
swiping a team-leading six bases already this season.
Best Winning Percentage In The MVC Since
2009
Indiana State has posted 143 wins and a .609 winning percentage since the
2009 season, the best winning percentage in that span among teams in the MVC.
ISU is second to Wichita State (153) in overall wins, but leads the way in
winning percentage due to playing 21 fewer games.
Strong In The Field
Indiana State has ranked in the Top 35 in fielding percentage in all three
of their seasons under head coach Rick Heller, one of only nine teams in the
nation to do so from 2010-2012. Three of the nine from around the nation are
from the Missouri Valley Conference, as Evansville and Creighton are also in
the select group.
ISU Sets School Record For Hit By
Pitches, Ranks Fifth In The NCAA
ISU finished fifth in the NCAA in hit by pitches in 2012, breaking the
team's school record by totaling 105 HBPs. ISU also tied a school record for
single-game HBPs against SIU Edwardsville (March 13, 2012), 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). Landon Curry led the team with 20 HBPs, while Jeff
Miera (15), Jeremy Lucas (10), Robby Ort (10) and Tyler Wampler (10) also went
into double figures.
Getting To The Seventh
Under head coach Rick Heller, Indiana State is 81-14 in games that they
hold a lead heading into the seventh inning. When the Sycamores have trailed
after the sixth inning, ISU is 16-52.
Double-Digit Hits
Indiana State recorded at least 10 hits in a game 29 times last season,
going 26-3 when posting double-digit hits. Indiana State's only losses when
tallying 10 hits came in walk-off wins for their opponents. So far in 2013, ISU
is 3-0 when posting 10 hits or more and 2-5 when going for nine hits or less.
Early Runs
The Sycamores dominated the early innings last season, outscoring their
opponents 242-110 (+132) over the first five innings of their 60 games. In the
first inning alone, Indiana State had a 37-run advantage, scoring 58 runs to
their opposition's 21. In 2013, Indiana State has a 10-run advantage in the
first five innings, leading 32-22, but has scored just three first-inning runs.
40 Wins
Indiana State's 10-4 win over Southern Illinois on May 13 last season gave
the Sycamores their 40th win of the season, the 10th time in program history
that ISU broke the 40-win barrier. ISU's 41 wins in 2012 tied for seventh-most
in school history and was the team's best 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
Three Sycamores Earn MVC Specialty
Awards In 2012
Jeremy Lucas and Dakota Bacus and head coach Rick Heller each claimed a
specialty award from the MVC following the 2012 season, highlighted by Lucas
becoming the program's first conference Player of the Year. Bacus was named the
Newcomer of the Year for the conference while Heller earned the Dan Callahan /
MVC Coach of the Year award.
Lucas hit a team-leading .345 last season, topping the roster in hits (78),
home runs (nine), runs scored (53), slugging percentage (.540) and on-base
percentage (.443). The Cleveland Indians draftee also totaled 52 RBIs and 13
doubles. Bacus went 7-4 with a 2.70 ERA on the mound, tossing three complete
games. The Oakland Athletics selection set the program record for innings
pitches in the single season, racking up 116.2 innings on the mound. Heller was
named the Dan Callahan / MVC Coach of the Year following the 41-19 season for
the Sycamores, their first 40-win season since 1992.
Above Average
ISU ranked above the league average in batting, pitching and fielding last
season, one of just two 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).
Wichita State also finished last season above the league averages of .276 at
the plate, 3.81 on the mound and .971 in the field.
Close Games
In ISU's four seasons under head coach Rick Heller, the Sycamores are 63-46
(.578) in games decided by three runs or less. In games decided by four or more
runs since 2010, ISU carries a 47-25 (.653) record. This season, Indiana State
is 3-3 in games decided by three runs or less.
ISU Ties NCAA Record For Runners Left On
Base In 2012
The Sycamores tied a NCAA record on Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 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 VU (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.
Eight Sycamores Earn All-MVC Honors
ISU placed eight members of their 2012 team on the All-MVC teams, led by
Dakota Bacus, Jeremy Lucas and Robby Ort all earning First Team status. Kyle
Burnam, Sean Manaea and Tyler Wampler all earned All-MVC Second Team plaudits,
with Honorable Mention All-MVC awards going to Jon Hedges and 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.
Indiana State Around The NCAA
The Sycamores finished the 2012 season among the nation's best in several
offensive and defensive categories. Below is a look at where Indiana State
ranked around the NCAA:
Category ISU Rank ISU Total NCAA Leader / Total
Total Wins T-21st 41 Stony Brook / 52
Win/Loss Pct. T-25th .683 Utah Valley / .797
Hit By Pitches 5th 104 Delaware State / 152
Sacrifice Flies T-20th 34 Florida / 46
ERA 32nd 3.25 Missouri State / 2.57
Fielding Pct. 35th .974 Evansville / .981
Total Runs T-37th 374 Utah Valley / 532
Walks Allowed P/G 39th 2.89 Cal State Fullerton / 1.87
Hits 41st 609 Arizona / 756
K-to-BB Ratio 42nd 2.42 Florida / 3.65
Runs Per Game T-46th 6.2 Utah Valley / 9.0
Weekend Success
ISU came away winners on 12 of their 14 weekends in 2012, including a
string of 12 straight from Feb. 24-26 through May 11-13. Below is a look at
last season's weekend results.
Feb. 17-19, at Southeastern
Louisiana -- L, 0-3 Apr. 6-8, at
Creighton -- W, 2-1
Feb. 24-26, Bulldog Classic -- W, 4-0 Apr.
13-15, at Bradley -- W, 2-1
Mar. 3-4, at Eastern Kentucky -- W, 2-1 Apr.
20-22, vs. Dallas Baptist -- W, 2-1
Mar. 9-11, vs. UT Martin -- W, 3-0 Apr.
27-29, vs. Nebraska Omaha -- W, 2-1
Mar. 15-18, Irish Classic -- W, 4-0 May
4-6, vs. Wichita State -- W, 2-1
Mar. 23-25, at Evansville -- W, 2-1 May
11-13, at Southern Illinois -- W, 3-0
Mar. 30-Apr. 1, vs. Illinois State -- W, 2-1 May
17-19, vs. Missouri State -- L, 1-2
Welcome Aboard
ISU added 14 newcomers to the team in 2013, with five freshmen and nine
transfers joining the Sycamore baseball program. Below is a quick look at the
new faces on the roster.
No. Name Year Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown
4 Taylor Steen Fr. C 6-3 190 Grand
Fork, N.D.
11 Hunter Owen Fr. INF 6-0 175 Evansville,
Ind.
12 Jeff Smith Jr. C 6-0 190 Valparaiso,
Ind.
17 Logan Willard Jr. RHP 6-2 210 Eagle
Grove, Iowa
20 Taylor Shaw R-Sr. C 6-2 210 Pleasant
View, Utah
22 Mike Fitzgerald Jr. OF 6-1 210 Rochester, Ill.
28 Cody Zimmerman Jr. INF 5-9 200 Newark, Calif.
30 Jeff Degano Jr. LHP 6-4 200 Surrey,
British Columbia
31 A.J. McElderry Jr. LHP 6-2 210 Batavia,
Iowa
32 Tony Rosselli Fr. OF 6-2 185 Terre
Haute, Ind.
33 Daniel Peterson Jr. RHP 6-6 182 Lenexa, Kan.
36 Bobby Boynton Fr. RHP 6-1 215 Decatur, Ill.
37 Nick Martin Fr. RHP 6-0 205 Lake
of the Hills, Ill.
38 Josh Dove Jr. RHP 6-2 235 Terre
Haute, Ind.
On To The Next One...
ISU heads to the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn., for a three-game set with
the Minnesota Golden Gophers. All three games can be heard live for free on
GoSycamores.com.