Mayer: Appreciation for Wabash Valley High School Sports

It's a fun week for Wabash Valley sports. All kinds of great spring sports matchups are happening leading up to Big 4 day this Saturday. Terre Haute South, Terre Haute North, West Vigo, and Northview will play in baseball, softball, and track. This got me thinking about high school sports around the Valley in general. The attention the community gives to high school athletics is awesome.

There are endless examples of how much high school sports mean to the area. Big 4 day along with the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic and the consistently large and rowdy crowds at basketball games are just a few. It may seem normal to people who grew up here to have two television stations and a paper constantly reporting on high school events. All of this should be cherished.

I'm a California kid, born and raised in Los Angeles. I love LA, but since coming to Indiana it's interesting to see the contrast between amateur athletics in the two places. Obviously this is true for most major cities compared to smaller cities. While Indianapolis puts a great deal more emphasis on high school athletics than New York or Chicago, a city like Terre Haute (and the surrounding areas) take it to another level.

For instance, my freshman year playing baseball a new coach was hired. He happened to be former two time Cy Young Award winner and World Series MVP Bret Saberhagen. Not only that, around the same time there was an anonymous donation (I wonder who???) to create a brand new baseball field. I'm not saying there was zero coverage, but it was minimal. If a coaching hire of this magnitude happened in the Valley, it would be a gigantic story that would be covered from all angles.

We had an awesome cheering section in basketball for about two years while the team was good. People still showed up to make solid crowds, but it wasn't the same my junior and senior years. Students went to football games as a social activity more than to support the team (although being one of the worst  teams in the entire state of California didn't help). For other sports the crowds usually were family and some friends. If you asked most students how the baseball team was doing, who the best tennis player was, or what the water polo team's record was they would not have the slightest clue.

Obviously, Indiana is known as THE basketball state and after experiencing this past season (especially playoffs) I can understand why. To see community after community come together every Friday to support the school and team was exhilarating. The student sections only make the atmosphere that much more charged. When I drove to the other side of the state covering girl's regionals and was met by countless fans making the journey it was hard for me to fathom. I'm not sure I can ever recall a student in high school talking about attending a girl's basketball game.

The support goes beyond basketball though. Obviously the crowds are not as big for other sports. Football is a big deal, but still can not compare to the ecstasy of basketball season. Crowd numbers are not the point though. People in the Valley care. There is civic pride when the swim team beats a rival and when a golfer finishes first. The amount of demand is so great for high school sports that it is a no brainer for all media outlets to make amateur athletics a priority.

I know there are many places all around the country that care a great deal about high school athletics. Kentucky for basketball and Texas for football are just two other well known examples. However, I'm sure many people grow up with the coverage and community fan fare being normal. For me it's not normal at all. It is hard to imagine having one of my baseball games covered by two TV stations and a newspaper. I never would have thought to attend the high school basketball games until I was in high school. It's just a completely different frame of mind.

So take a second to appreciate the rich history and support for high school sports around the Valley.

Mayer: What is Holding Sycamores Baseball Back?

(Stats effective 4/24/13 not including game vs IU)

I've been able to cover a good amount of Indiana State baseball games this year. Maybe it's because I have seen a disproportionate amount of wins (although I follow the non home games as well), but I get the feeling this squad is not living up to its potential. Indiana State is 10-3 at home, 5-11 away, and 2-3 in neutral territory. Those records definitely have meaning.

Courtesy gosycamores.com

Including the contest today at Indiana, ISU has 17 games remaining until the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Currently, the Sycamores are in the bottom three of the MVC with an overall 17-17 record and a 7-8 mark in conference games. That just doesn't seem right to me.

When I see the Sycamores play, it looks like a pretty solid and mostly complete ball club. Rick Heller has a great pulse on his team and has garnered a great deal of respect. ISU has one of the best pitchers in the country, a lineup based on small ball and speed, and has played good defense for the most part. The Sycamores are not a bunch of mashers and seem committed to small ball, but that approach fits the players skill sets well.

Let's dive into the numbers a bit and see if we can find out what is holding the Sycamores back.

Starting Pitching

Courtesy: gosycamores.com

ISU has a pretty nasty 1-2 punch. Sean Manaea has been stalked by major league scouts all season and is expected to be a top five pick in the draft. Manaea is 5-3 over nine starts while accumulating a 1.57 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP (walks + hits/innings pitched). Hitters are batting only .195 against the big lefty with 72 strikeouts and 20 walks. In conclusion, Manaea is dominating as expected although he has seemed a bit off his last two outings (this could have to do with a hip injury sustained earlier this month).

Devin Moore has gone a bit unnoticed pitching behind Manaea, but the senior right hander is having a fantastic 2013. In 53 IP he is 3-4 (but we all know the win stat is greatly flawed) with a 2.89 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 2/1 strikeout to walk ratio, and a .206 batting average against. Those numbers are better then many top starters across the country.

Daniel Peterson (51.2 IP, 4.53 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 42 Ks, 10BB, .321 BAA) and Tyler Fehringer (27.1 IP, 4.61 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 27 Ks, 13BBs, .261 BAA) have the majority of the other starts and have not done nearly as well. However, with Manaea and Moore plus a not terrible combination in the third slot, ISU has a strong starting core.

Relief Pitching
The bullpen is a bit more of a mixed bag and this is a place ISU needs to improve. While it may be overshadowed because the Sycamores rely on their starters, not having a strong bullpen has been a season killer for countless baseball teams.

Courtesy: gosycamores.com

Kurt Kudrecki is the standout reliever throwing 27 innings with a 1.67 ERA, .96 WHIP, .189 BAA, 22Ks, and 8BBs. To put it lightly, that is dirty and Kudrecki can be considered an elite reliever. Unfortunately for the Sycamores no one else really qualifies as even a "good" relief pitcher. Aside from his six starts, Fehringer has made eight relief appearances (his stats are above). Greg Kuhlman has 23.2 IP out of the pen with a 6.08 ERA and a .301 BAA. Josh Dove has pitched 16 innings with a 4.50 ERA and .333 BAA. Josh Negele has tossed 13.2 innings with six walks and two strikeouts while allowing a .315 BAA. The rest of the bullpen is similar with unimpressive numbers, so we have definitely found a weak spot.

Offense
As I mentioned earlier, the Sycamores are not Earl Weaver's Orioles waiting for the three run home run. There is not much power on this club, but they play to their strengths showing a great deal of devotion to small ball by advancing runners and using speed to score runs.

Courtesy: indianastatesman.com

Robby Ort is the most recognizable name in the lineup and he is putting together a solid campaign although nothing incredible. Ort is hitting .299 with a .322 on base percentage, .438 slugging percentage, 26 runs batted in, 21 runs, and 5/7 in steals. By no means is that a bad line, but if Ort is considered one of the better hitters (with only one home run) his on base percentage should be higher. 

Koby Kraemer is putting together a very nice season with the bat. He is hitting .314, .393 OBP, .462 SLG, 20 R, 17 RBI, and 6/9 in steals. Can't ask for much more; he's getting on base and finding ways to score. Jordan Pearson has hit a bit with a .289 BA, .357 OBP, but it is only in 18 games with 38 at bats. Owen Conway is in a similar boat hitting .274, .337 OBP, but has only scored nine runs with two steals in 84 at bats.

Landon Curry has shown excellent speed and ability to do damage on the base paths stealing 15/20 and scoring 22 runs. The problem is that Curry is hitting .254 with a .346 OBP. The OBP isn't terrible, but for a game predicated on speed Curry needs to find more ways to get on first. Mike Fitzgerald plays catcher so you don't necessarily expect monster numbers, but a .202 BA, .325 OBP, .298 SLG won't cut it. Fitzgerlad and Tyler Wampler both have 104 at bats with similarly questionable production. Wampler is also hitting .202 with a .308 OBP and a .212 SLG.

Looking at the rest of the offense I see similar issues with players simply not getting on base enough or hitting for a high enough average to compensate for the Sycamores' lack of power.

Defense
I've seen Indiana State play some excellent defense in certain games while making troublesome errors in others. I figured they played pretty decent defense and obviously the sampling of defensive metrics in college baseball are few and far between. Overall, the Sycamores are fielding at a .976 clip compared to .974 for their opponents. ISU has made 32 errors while their opponents have made 34. With that I would deem ISU's defense right at average or above average.

Courtesy: gosycamores.com

Conclusion
Indiana State does not have issues in the starting rotation even though the third slot is below average. Manaea and Moore are two top starters who give the Sycamores a chance to win games. Relief pitching is definitely a problem for the Sycamores with only one top caliber reliever surrounded by guys who can be scarcely relied on. If ISU gets into a situation where multiple relievers are needed it probably won't end well. As expected, the offense is all about speed and moving runners over as ISU only has five total homer runs. The biggest issue is players are not getting on base enough for that to be effective. For the small ball game to work hitters need to be showing OBPs around .370 not .330. The defense may not be a major issue, but for a club that is trying to win with pitching and small ball an elite level defense is necessary. Don't forget the big differential for ISU at home and away. They clearly are much more comfortable at Bob Warn field where they play 12 of their remaining 17 games. I get the feeling that the Sycamores are capable of more, especially hitting and getting on base. They still have time to make a move in the MVC, but the numbers say around .500 might be their destiny.

Mayer: Terror at the Boston Marathon Gives Perspective

npr.org

Whenever our nation faces a national crisis or in the case of the events at the Boston Marathon, an act of terror, it often gives perspective. This perspective really should happen every day as attacks along with starvation and cruelty are constantly happening throughout the world. When it happens on US soil, the feeling hits close to home and we collectively ask questions about the relative importance of many aspects in our every day lives.

Anyone who works in sports faces this head on. In the grand scheme of things, how important are sports when lives are at stake? Who cares about a baseball score or a football draft when the Twin Towers come down and countless people have their lives changed forever?

The Boston Marathon may emphasize this even more seeing as it is most definitely a sporting event, one of the most distinguished marathons around. Many run to raise money for charity or for personal pride, but there are also athletes looking to claim victory. In the moments the explosions happened it no longer mattered who won the race or came in the top ten. As it should be, all attention went to the victims and trying to save and help injured citizens.

Courtesy boston.com

On a tangible level, it is true sports become insignificant when such horrific events occur. However, for the mental conscious of our nation (and for that matter any nation that encounters such an event) I believe sports actually take on a greater role. Many of the Boston Marathon runners crossed the finish line and ran straight to the hospital to donate blood. If that act is not what sports is all about, I'm not sure what is...perseverance in the face of peril.

It's true the Boston Celtics game was cancelled and Boston Bruins game was postponed due to necessary compliance with increased security measures. But have no doubt, the teams will get back onto the court and ice. The Red Sox will don their jerseys and take the field. The players will play without fear and fans will show up to support them.

Courtesy fun107.com

Sports has a much greater impact on our society then many are willing to admit. We come together in the face of adversity through sports. We show a camaraderie with teams and fans who are usually considered enemies. New Yorker's don't like the Red Sox, but empathize with them and understand  we are all family under the American Flag and will move forward.

Sports are not important compared to the health and well being of family, friends, and for that matter any person. However, that does not make sports insignificant. To the contrary, sports are one of the best tools we have to band together and triumph over evil.  

Mayer: College Athletes Must Play Smart and Bolt for the Pros

Courtesy midwestsportsfan.com

I've had many should "college player A" and "college player B" declare for a professional league debates. The subject comes up as Victor Oladipo is about to announce his decision to forgo his senior season at Indiana to declare for the NBA Draft. Cody Zeller will follow with his own press conference tomorrow. His fate is not as sure, but I fully expect Zeller to make the jump as well. (UPDATE: Oladipo declared for the NBA Draft and multiple reports have Zeller going as well)

There are many IU fans that believe the duo, or at least Zeller, should stay at Indiana to improve their bodies and skill set. To that I would respond, take a walk in their shoes. These two young men have worked their entire lives for the chance to play the game they love professionally. Oladipo's draft stock has absolutely sky rocketed and will never be higher. He is a lottery pick. Over the last month or so Cody Zeller's stock has dropped a bit with pundits pointing out his struggles against larger more powerful opponents. He should still go.

Courtesy espn.com

This is a big deal and fans often forget to realize that an NBA contract gives the player a chance to be set for life if they manage their money properly. Zeller, the Washington native, was once thought of as a top five pick and will still be a first round pick. So what, he'll make a ton of money, develop his skills, and improve his body practicing against NBA players. No team will look at Zeller, or for that matter Oladipo, as a savior. They are young and will have time to develop into even better players.

Oladipo will have his college degree and has been a part of the transformation at Indiana. Zeller will be able to graduate with summer and online classes. He was the first domino to fall allowing the Hoosiers to once again become a dominant recruiting force. They have put their time in and left their legacies. It may have come up short of a championship (or even an Elite 8), but they deserve to move on.

I believe this is the smart path for any college athlete that knows they can make enough money to provide for themselves and their families. If Jake Odum was projected as a first round pick this year, then I would say go pro. There are only so opportunities to play sports professionally and a single play could result in a career ending injury.

Obviously not every college athlete should try and go pro at first chance (Christian Watford made the smart move to not enter the draft last year). It is only a good decision after doing research and understanding the possibility of being drafted and predicted position within the draft.

Courtesy NBA

Personally, I can't stand that basketball players are not allowed to enter the NBA from high school. If a player has the skill set out of high school to play sports professionally and that is his dream, let him go. Fans root for these players as if they were family, so there should be no ill will at the end. When it's time for the bird to leave its nest, don't fault it for flying away.