Meet Indiana Baseball’s First Base Crew
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — It’s the first Wednesday in February at Indiana baseball’s Bart Kaufman Field.
The sun’s out, it’s in the mid-50s. Perfect weather, and in this case, spring training weather at this time of year for baseball in the north. Opening Day weekend in the south is just nine days away, and this afternoon practice came to a hushed close. But Indiana baseball head coach Jeff Mercer doesn’t leave his field. Neither do his four first basemen.
Offseason departures have forced Indiana to find new alternatives at catcher. The Hoosiers didn’t have to look far to find one in junior Brock Tibbitts, the team’s starting first baseman for the past two seasons. His natural position is catcher, so Indiana has plugged that hole. But it created another, especially for games where Tibbitts won’t be at first.
They’re the only ones out there. Just like Kevin Costner hitting fly balls to Ray Liotta. Instead, these four players: veteran transfer Jake Stadler, as well as underclassmen AJ Shepard, Joey Brenczewski, and Cal Sefcik, take turns fielding bunts and shoveling them to get the tag out at home. Most are accurate, some aren’t. But that’s to be expected — they’re learning. Stadler and Shepard are catchers. Brenczewski and Sefcik are middle infielders, per Perfect Game.
Meet Indiana baseball’s “First Base Crew.” Where practice and evaluation are simultaneous.
“Every year, I slide 5-6-7 guys to first base and then we whittle it down,” Mercer said. “I was joking, I always call it The First Base Crew. [Tyler] Cerny said today, ‘Remember when I was in that Crew last year?’ Cerny was in the first base crew last year before he ended up winning the second base job … you always start with five or seven guys because … injuries happen.”
Mercer’s right, the crew has been bruised in the offseason. Stadler missed time due to his hamstring and his throwing arm. Shepard is coming off Tommy John surgery in high school. Brenczewski broke his hand in fall-ball and was out three months. Sefcik was out the whole fall with surgery and his hip injury. Obviously, that’s not ideal for four players trying to grasp the position, which is imperative defensively in Mercer’s words. But he’s been proud.
“It’s not where you start, it’s where you end,” Mercer reflected. “I’m really pleased. I told the guys at the end, and I genuinely mean it, I was really proud of them. They've just gotten so much better in the last month or six weeks and I told them, we'll be better in one week and then we'll be better the week after that. We'll see where it goes … And they can all really hit.”
And they’re all competing in perhaps the most undecided position group this preseason. The outfield is set. So is the other infield corner and up the middle. The catcher also revolves around who's playing first base that day, at least in the beginning of the season when roles are likely subject to change. So, is there jealousy within the First Base Crew? Is the competition cut-throat?
Nope. They communicate well. They help each other. After all, it was the warmth in Indiana’s clubhouse last season that translated to the Hoosiers winning 43 games, the most in nine seasons. In this case, it seems the same, even with fresh players. In the fall, Tibbitts was the instructor. As Shepard has gotten to the field more, Mercer said that he’s taken over that role. Last year, the staff had worked with Shepard to play first because of his arm surgery.
If anyone has insight to the First Base Crew best, It’s Mercer. He coaches the position group.
“They're all really good kids,” Mercer said. “I mean, we're really fortunate. We don't have selfish guys or greedy guys, and everybody wants to play. If I had eligibility, I would want to get out there … so, they're all competing. But if Indiana wins, then that means some of that group is succeeding and they're going to have a chance to compete their way into the lineup throughout the course of the year. They've been very helpful and encouraging to each other.”
* * *
Another Wednesday rolled around this week at Bart Kaufman. The weather was sunny again, and Opening Day was just two days out. The Hoosiers play No. 12 Duke in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Friday morning. Mercer said that Tibbitts will start at first base, while Stadler will catch. On Saturday versus No. 18 Coastal Carolina, Tibbitts will be behind the dish. Therefore, the first base spot is to be determined for Saturday, Sunday and into next week.
Shepard has been picking the ball well at the corner, though Mercer doesn’t want to rush him due to his arm. Brenczewski has made great progress in the past 10 days, and Mercer feels comfortable with him out there, as well. Mercer’s plan is to evaluate the Friday and Saturday games, which will help decide the infield for Sunday. Whatever that decision may be, the First Base Crew will pick each other up.
Now, their task is to pick up their fellow infielders.
Related Stories on Indiana Baseball
- CAN DEVIN TAYLOR CRUSH THE SOPHOMORE SLUMP, TOO?: Taylor is coming off an outstanding rookie season where he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. But can he avoid the sophomore slump? CLICK HERE
- INDIANA BASEBALL 2024 POSITION PREVIEW: Indiana has a core of returning players coming off its 43-win season in 2023, but it will have to fill some vacancies. Here is the 2024 position preview, divided into groups. CLICK HERE