IU Baseball

[Aaron 4,577]

7 hours ago, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

Completely off the rails is finishing 6th in an 18 team league? With programs like USC, UCLA ahead of us? 

That's nuts. If that's off the rails, we gotta start actually caring about baseball from a university standpoint. 

Its about making the NCAA Tournament given talent of roster. Had no issues with performance in conference though this spring. 2016 team was third in league but missed tourney. 2017 they were sixth but made into a Regional.

My measurement is whether they make NCAA Tournament given talent they have (which in 2016 and 2022 they did not). Not their placement in the conference. This was first time they had a clear NCAA caliber squad since 2011 and blew making it which by any measurement is a failure. 

[Aaron 4,577]

Don't take my word for it being underachieving.

Here is a recap from Zach Horowitz who covers team for IUBase.com with many of the same points I made:

Underwhelming. A preseason buzz in the clubhouse that involved 'hosting a regional' flipped upon its head early in the season.

Opening with a great opportunity to jump high in the RPI ranks, Indiana fell to an 0-4 weekend in the arms of UNLV (twice), now a national seed in Oregon State, and Xavier. 

The season rolled into conference play, where Indiana sported a 16-14 record, losing four rubber matches which included a dramatic loss to USC, where they once led 12-3. 

The Hoosiers hadn't won a Big Ten road series until Michigan in the final weekend of the regular season.

The 2025 campaign ended in the first game of pool play to Rutgers, leaving 11 runners on base in the contest.

For what feels like a massive let down year, given that Indiana showcased the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in Jake Hanley and two Big Ten First-Team outfielders in Devin Taylor and Korbyn Dickerson, they failed to make the tournament for the first time since 2022. 

In what now seems to be an annual occurrence, the Hoosier pitching staff didn't have much of an identity. This season offered many jumbled roles and the reliance on transfer arms became an issue. 

Cole Gilley, Ryan Kraft, and Ben Grable seemed to be the only legitimate hurlers, while Gavin Seebold grew into his own towards the back-half of the season. The injuries to Drew Buhr and Jacob Vogel played a big part of the staff's problems. 

This offseason will be crucial. A new era in collegiate athletics could alter a program in just a few months.

There should be a good amount of roster turnover as Indiana loses many pitchers but hopefully keeps its young core who gained valuable experience in the lineup. 

I had wished for this season to involve more highs, with much positivity along the way, but the course of the season swayed away from it. 

Hoosier Nation, thank you for following along all season long. And, of course, a big thank you to @jovian34, @ChrisF3105, and the rest of the @SeeYouAtTheBart crew. I got the opportunity to create 15 articles and take part in 13 podcast episodes. Forever grateful for the opportunity and the future ahead.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 92,106]

Transfer News: Josh Pyne (@_joshpyne_ ) a three year starter at Indiana has entered the transfer portal after missing most of this year. He will have one year of eligibility left.

[CSP 12,139]

12 hours ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

Transfer News: Josh Pyne (@_joshpyne_ ) a three year starter at Indiana has entered the transfer portal after missing most of this year. He will have one year of eligibility left.

Not totally surprising 

[IUHoosierJoe 2,158]

16 minutes ago, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

Not totally surprising 

Actually, it's pretty surprising and disappointing to me.  Grew up close to Bloomington, always loved IU and wanted to play there.  Decent-level recruit coming out of high school.  Seems like next year would have been his time to shine at his life-long dream school.

[CSP 12,139]

1 hour ago, IUHoosierJoe said:

Actually, it's pretty surprising and disappointing to me.  Grew up close to Bloomington, always loved IU and wanted to play there.  Decent-level recruit coming out of high school.  Seems like next year would have been his time to shine at his life-long dream school.

It's really not. 

[CSP 12,139]

On 5/27/2025 at 6:18 PM, Aaron said:

Don't take my word for it being underachieving.

Here is a recap from Zach Horowitz who covers team for IUBase.com with many of the same points I made:

Underwhelming. A preseason buzz in the clubhouse that involved 'hosting a regional' flipped upon its head early in the season.

Opening with a great opportunity to jump high in the RPI ranks, Indiana fell to an 0-4 weekend in the arms of UNLV (twice), now a national seed in Oregon State, and Xavier. 

The season rolled into conference play, where Indiana sported a 16-14 record, losing four rubber matches which included a dramatic loss to USC, where they once led 12-3. 

The Hoosiers hadn't won a Big Ten road series until Michigan in the final weekend of the regular season.

The 2025 campaign ended in the first game of pool play to Rutgers, leaving 11 runners on base in the contest.

For what feels like a massive let down year, given that Indiana showcased the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in Jake Hanley and two Big Ten First-Team outfielders in Devin Taylor and Korbyn Dickerson, they failed to make the tournament for the first time since 2022. 

In what now seems to be an annual occurrence, the Hoosier pitching staff didn't have much of an identity. This season offered many jumbled roles and the reliance on transfer arms became an issue. 

Cole Gilley, Ryan Kraft, and Ben Grable seemed to be the only legitimate hurlers, while Gavin Seebold grew into his own towards the back-half of the season. The injuries to Drew Buhr and Jacob Vogel played a big part of the staff's problems. 

This offseason will be crucial. A new era in collegiate athletics could alter a program in just a few months.

There should be a good amount of roster turnover as Indiana loses many pitchers but hopefully keeps its young core who gained valuable experience in the lineup. 

I had wished for this season to involve more highs, with much positivity along the way, but the course of the season swayed away from it. 

Hoosier Nation, thank you for following along all season long. And, of course, a big thank you to @jovian34, @ChrisF3105, and the rest of the @SeeYouAtTheBart crew. I got the opportunity to create 15 articles and take part in 13 podcast episodes. Forever grateful for the opportunity and the future ahead.

Take the 20 yr old writers word for it! Weak to use this as backing. 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 92,106]

Carl James -

 

Initial list of players transferring out as of opening day of the standard window include:

1. Seth Benes
2. Joey Brenczewski
3. Grant Hollister
4. Michael Lorenzetti
5. Evan Macintyre
6. Jasen Oliver
7. Josh Pyne
8. Ryan Rushing
9. Deron Swanson

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 92,106]

[CSP 12,139]

4 hours ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

Carl James -

 

Initial list of players transferring out as of opening day of the standard window include:

1. Seth Benes
2. Joey Brenczewski
3. Grant Hollister
4. Michael Lorenzetti
5. Evan Macintyre
6. Jasen Oliver
7. Josh Pyne
8. Ryan Rushing
9. Deron Swanson

 

Cerny too 

2 of the kids on this list have already transferred and one didnt make the roster. 

[Aaron 4,577]

20 hours ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

Carl James -

 

Initial list of players transferring out as of opening day of the standard window include:

1. Seth Benes
2. Joey Brenczewski
3. Grant Hollister
4. Michael Lorenzetti
5. Evan Macintyre
6. Jasen Oliver
7. Josh Pyne
8. Ryan Rushing
9. Deron Swanson

 

On that list, only Brenczewski, and maybe Swanson were likely to every contribute here. Others are the typical transfers that were either injured or near bottom of roster who enter portal at every other program.

Cerny is interesting since I assumed he would be drafted and not spend anymore time in college, so was already mentally not factoring him into future. It's the four elite freshman on offense that will tell us a lot and who you hope to keep.

As we know, offense is likely to always be elite and question will be if they can find enough good starting pitchers and bullpen guys with defined roles. If Glant is still here and the same issues happen in 2026 which causes team to miss postseason again, then the entire staff needs to be fired. 

I have defended Mercer and think he gets to much flack. However, if Mercer holds on to a guy in Glant who clearly is not doing his job well similar to Tom Allen and Darren Hiller, and it fails, then everyone needs to be gone regardless.

Staff loyalty is a factor and Teri Moren did what was best for the program getting rid of her recruiting coach recently who was not getting job done for someone who likely can. If Mercer is blindly loyal to failing staff as Allen was, unfortunately I can say he is not cut out for the job no matter how well he recruits and develops players. 

[Aaron 4,577]

First massive transfer portal get for offseason adding Aiden Stewart from Delaware who will play in Cerny's place and fill in seemlessly. While it was at a mid-major level on a decent team (Delaware), I would be shocked if most of his .326 average and 9 home runs don't translate to Big Ten. This is a case of a player who outplayed his lower school and rightly wanted to move up a level and IU pounced.   

Assuming the four elite freshman come back, the offense should hum again, and it will be about the pitching as usual which will make or break team and this Mercer era at this point as he has clearly hitched his wagon to Glant and will sink or swim with him (which is a huge risk).

So far, a couple portal guys here with not great numbers but really hard to know how that translates. IU has had anywhere from guys with great numbers previously struggling here (Seebold is an example of this), to a guy with not great numbers at last stop thriving (Giley is example of this).

While offensive numbers are easy to read and will almost always translate between every NCAA team good or bad (and in Stewart's case very good), transfer pitchers are really hard to predict regardless of their stats.   

[CSP 12,139]

3 hours ago, Aaron said:

First massive transfer portal get for offseason adding Aiden Stewart from Delaware who will play in Cerny's place and fill in seemlessly. While it was at a mid-major level on a decent team (Delaware), I would be shocked if most of his .326 average and 9 home runs don't translate to Big Ten. This is a case of a player who outplayed his lower school and rightly wanted to move up a level and IU pounced.   

Assuming the four elite freshman come back, the offense should hum again, and it will be about the pitching as usual which will make or break team and this Mercer era at this point as he has clearly hitched his wagon to Glant and will sink or swim with him (which is a huge risk).

So far, a couple portal guys here with not great numbers but really hard to know how that translates. IU has had anywhere from guys with great numbers previously struggling here (Seebold is an example of this), to a guy with not great numbers at last stop thriving (Giley is example of this).

While offensive numbers are easy to read and will almost always translate between every NCAA team good or bad (and in Stewart's case very good), transfer pitchers are really hard to predict regardless of their stats.   

2nd big addition bat wise... Crouse JUCO CF with absurd numbers .391/.468/.570 28 BB 25K 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 92,106]

#48 draft pick - Devin Taylor.  Highest drafted outfielder in program history.

https://www.on3.com/teams/indiana-hoosiers/news/devin-taylor-goes-no-48-in-2025-mlb-draft-caps-historic-indiana-career/

https://www.thedailyhoosier.com/indianas-devin-taylor-is-the-highest-drafted-outfielder-in-program-history/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLh3oxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHoWKGF0maOYMrsvnb5WiGW-hIhla5npvzFOeWM39scUO_j5At91zaiXsghU4_aem_JeW_KWs4ZRUL5hx3RX9cTQ

[Class of '66 Old Fart 92,106]

[Class of '66 Old Fart 92,106]

[Hoosierfan1901 8,317]

IU Commit Matthew Fisher was drafted too in the 7th round by the Phillies. Even though he has kept the door opened, he is most likely going to sign with the Phillies.