Indiana University Baseball: A Legacy of Tradition and Triumph
The Indiana Hoosiers baseball team represents Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. As a varsity intercollegiate athletic team, they compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I and are members of the Big Ten Conference. The Hoosiers have a storied history marked by conference titles, NCAA Regional appearances, and a memorable College World Series run.
Early Days and Jordan Field
Indiana's baseball program began in 1887. The team's first athletic grounds, Jordan Field, was initially named University Athletic Field before being renamed in 1898 to honor then-Indiana University President David Starr Jordan. This mixed-use facility was shared by the football and baseball teams. Over time, a track and field component was added in 1904, and upgraded in 1915. However, the field's conditions remained a persistent issue for the Hoosiers.
The Andres Era and Sembower Field
In 1949, Indiana University alum and former MLB third baseman Ernie Andres was hired to manage the team. Andres would become the longest-serving head coach of IU baseball, amassing a 388-367-3 overall record (129-209 conference record) during his 25-year tenure. Sembower Field became the main baseball stadium utilized by the Hoosiers from 1951 to 2012. It was named after former Indiana baseball player Charles Sembower. The stadium was located just north of the Foster Quadrangle dormitory on Fee Lane, less than 1 mile southeast of the current Hoosier baseball facility: Bart Kaufman Field.
Even now, more than half a century later, former Indiana University baseball coach Ernie Andres still wonders. He wonders if his star pitcher had shown better judgment-if things had gone just a bit differently, would the Hoosiers have made NCAA tourney noise in the spring of 1949? IU’s baseball squad has a long and exciting history, even if that history is sometimes lost in the campus excitement for basketball and football. But there have also been long stretches of futility. It was April of 1949 and Andres was a rookie head coach with a veteran team-as in war veteran. Five players had served in World War II and, because of the G.I. Bill, could afford college. That they also could play baseball was a bonus Andres exploited. That year, the Hoosiers won their first seven games and nine of their first 10. This was the second year of the NCAA baseball tourney competition and Indiana was invited to the District 4 playoffs, set for Western Michigan and Kalamazoo, Michigan. At least the trip wasn’t expensive. The total cost was $230.05. The problem came when Andres had to select the pitcher to start against Western Michigan in IU’s first NCAA tourney appearance. On paper, the Hoosiers had two great options: Bill Tosheff and Jim McGee. McGee was the team’s true ace thanks to his curve ball-“the best of any pitcher I ever had,” Andres said. But Tosheff wasn’t available. McGee was still on campus, but he wasn’t himself. He had suffered a mysterious injury that had sapped his famous curve of its power. “He hurt his back in the shower,” Andres said of McGee. “He was probably horsing around. I don’t know. Without the curve, McGee was just a fastball pitcher and Andres didn’t think that was enough. With no Tosheff, the coach chose Don Colnitis, whose 4-1 record and steady pitching made him the logical choice. But logic couldn’t overcome bad defense. Five errors helped put IU in a 6-2 hole it couldn’t overcome. And McGee? Well, he pitched the final three innings of the game.
Coaching Changes and Continued Success
In 1974, Bob Lawrence replaced longtime-tenured coach Ernie Andres. Then, in 1984, Bob Morgan took over from Larry Smith as head coach. Morgan led the Hoosiers to five Big Ten Conference baseball tournaments and one appearance in the NCAA Regionals.
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The Tracy Smith Era and Beyond
Following the conclusion of the 2014 season, then-head coach Tracy Smith was hired by Arizona State to the same position.
Bart Kaufman Field: A New Era
Bart Kaufman Field is the current home of the Hoosiers, located in Bloomington, Indiana, on the campus of Indiana University.
Recent Achievements
On May 18, 2019, the Hoosiers became the 2019 Big Ten regular season champions, following their win over Rutgers by a score of 13-3. Following the culmination of the regular season, on May 21, 2019, Jeff Mercer was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Conference and NCAA Success
In conference postseason play, Indiana has won four Big Ten Conference baseball tournaments and made eight NCAA Regionals appearances, including one College World Series appearance in 2013. In regular season play, the Hoosiers have won seven Big Ten Conference titles.
Read also: Comprehensive Ranking: Indiana Colleges
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tags: #indiana #university #baseball #history
