TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State University President Dr. Deborah Curtis and Director of Athletics Sherard Clinkscales have announced a contract extension for head baseball coach Mitch Hannahs. The deal was announced on Tuesday and will run through 2028.
 
Under Coach Hannah's leadership, Indiana State just recorded one of its most successful seasons in program history. The Sycamores won the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament championships, hosted their first-ever NCAA regional, won the Terre Haute Regional, and advanced the first NCAA Super Regional in program history. For his efforts, Hannahs was voted as the league's Dan Callahan Coach of the Year by his peers for the first time in his career.
 
"We are so proud of Coach Hannahs and this incredible group of student-athletes on their historic 2023 season. He truly cares about holding his players and our university to a high standard. We are thrilled Mitch is staying, and we look forward to next season and many more after," said President Curtis.  "Indiana State is thrilled to continue the momentum from the 2023 season for many years to come."
 
In 2023, the Sycamores won 45 games; the most in the Hannahs coaching era and set a new program record for Missouri Valley wins with 24. ISU won every MVC weekend series for the first time in program history.
 
"We are thankful that Mitch has chosen to extend his leadership of our storied program. ISU is very fortunate to have a coach of his caliber. Mitch is the foundation of the baseball team, and he has done a terrific job building a group that engages not only with our alumni and students, but across the Wabash Valley and beyond. Mitch and Amy care about this community, and we are excited they'll be staying," Clinkscales said.
 
He is a 1989 graduate of Indiana State, and in 2010, Hannahs was inducted into the university's athletics Hall of Fame. The Sycamore head coach has posted at least 30 wins in six seasons and ten or more wins in Missouri Valley Conference play in seven of the last ten years. His 311 career wins are second all-time in ISU baseball history.
 
"I continue to be very thankful to serve as the head coach at Indiana State University," Hannahs said. "Thank you to my coaching staff and to our past and current players for their effort and support over the years. Indiana State and the community of Terre Haute is a very special place for our family. I'm grateful to President Curtis and Sherard (Clinkscales) for their commitment to improving all aspects of Indiana State baseball."
 
The Sycamores advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 12th time in program history and third in the last four seasons in 2023. ISU was ranked in all six major NCAA baseball polls and posted a top-10 RPI heading into the postseason. With a mantra of playing anyone, any time, and any place, the Sycamores finished as one of the nation's hottest teams, winning 30 of their final 33 regular season games, including winning nonconference games against Vanderbilt, Indiana, Purdue, Ball State, and Illinois.
 
ISU won the 2023 MVC Tournament in front of their home fans at Bob Warn Field, clinching the program's first tournament championship since 2019 and eighth in program history. The regular season and conference tournament success led to Indiana State earning the No. 14 national seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and the right to host an NCAA Regional for the first time in program history.
 
Indiana State continued its momentum in the NCAA Tournament as ISU topped Wright State and Iowa (twice) over the June 2-4 weekend on the way to winning just the program's second NCAA Regional title in school history and first since 1986. The Sycamores advanced to the Super Regional round for the first time in program history since the NCAA Tournament format was changed back in 1999. ISU's season ended in Fort Worth after falling twice to TCU at Lupton Stadium.
 
Eleven Indiana State athletes were honored on the MVC postseason All-Conference team, including Connor Fenlong (MVC Pitcher of the Year) and Grant Magill (MVC Defensive Player of the Year).

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