Opening Day for NCAA baseball is February 15, and former Indiana high school players dot the rosters of five teams ranked in D1Baseball.com’s preseason poll.  

The University of Louisville leads the way.  Coach Dan McDonnell’s Cardinals rank fourth, with nine ex-Hoosier preps:  freshman infielder Tim Borden (Our Lady of Providence High School, Clarksville);  sophomore catcher/outfielder Zach Britton (Batesville HS);  junior OF Drew Campbell (Jeffersonville HS);  Jr. right-handed pitcher Austin Dickey (New Albany HS);  senior RHP Bryan Hoeing (Batesville HS);  Fr. left-handed pitcher Carter Lohman (Hamilton Southeastern HS);  Jr. RHP Michael McAvene (Indianapolis Roncalli HS);  Fr. RHP Jack Perkins (Kokomo HS);  and Fr. IF/RHP Jared Poland (Indianapolis Cathedral HS).  

Hoeing, Louisville’s closer, was drafted out of high school by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015 and again last year by the San Francisco Giants (36^thround).  Hoeing’s cousin is right-hander Alex Meyer, a Greensburg High School alum who pitched for the Minnesota Twins (2015-2016) and Los Angeles Angels (2016-2017). 

Three more Louisville players were selected as preps in last year’s MLB Draft:  Jared Poland (Boston Red Sox, 34^th round), Tim Borden (Cleveland Indians, 37^th round), and Jack Perkins (39^th round, Atlanta Braves).       

Mississippi State, led by former Indiana University coach Chris Lemonis, checks in at No. 14 in D1Baseball’s ratings.  The Bulldog roster includes Fr. C Hayden Jones (Fort Wayne Carroll HS), whose father Ken was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1995.  

Michigan is ranked 17^th.  The Wolverines have a pair of freshmen infielders from Indiana – Riley Bertram (Zionsville HS) and Jack Van Remortel (Carmel HS). 

No. 20 Wake Forest has no former Hoosier preps, but So. IF Bobby Seymour – a graduate of Chicago’s Mount Carmel High School – hails from St. John, Indiana. 

Coastal Carolina, rated 21^st, has redshirt Jr. RHP Davie Inman (Terre Haute West HS).  Inman redshirted at Indiana State in 2016 before switching to SouthWestern State College for 2017.  His 27 appearances for the Chanticleers last season was a team high.  

Other teams with Indiana high school alums that could crack the top 25 this year: 

Duke:  Fr. OF Damon Lux (Shelbyville HS).  “We really like his speed and power,” says Blue Devils coach Chris Pollard.  

Kent State:  Fr. RHP Luke Albright (Fishers HS).  The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Albright was the winning pitcher when Fishers nipped Cathedral 4-3 for the 2018 IHSAA Class 4A title at Victory Field. 

Kentucky:  Jr. C T.J. Collett (Terre Haute North);  Jr. LHP Zack Thompson (Wapahani HS, Selma).  Collett was drafted out of high school by the Minnesota Twins in 2016.  The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Thompson is one of Baseball America’s pre-season first-team All-Americans.  Armed with a fastball in the low 90s and a high-spin slider, he is expected to go high in the 2019 MLB Draft.  The Rays selected him out of high school in 2016.   

In addition, keep an eye on these Indiana high school alumni playing for NCAA Division I squads:     

Army:  Jr. CF Jacob Hurtubise (Zionsville HS).  Cincinnati:   So. LHP Garrett Schoenle (Fort Wayne Northrop HS);  Dayton:  So. RHP Aaron Ernst (Carmel HS), Jr. OF Mitchell Garrity (Perry Meridian HS;  Purdue U.);  Houston:  Fr. IF Craig Yoho (Fishers HS);  Morehead State:  RS So. LHP Cory Conway (Noblesville HS), Sr. 1B Trevor Snyder (Fort Wayne Carroll HS);  Ohio State:  Fr. RHP Garrett Burhenn (Lawrence North HS), Fr. RHP Bayden Root (Kokomo HS);  Virginia:  Fr. RHP Zach Messinger (Castle HS);  Wright State:  Fr. RHP Bradley Brehmer (Decatur Central HS), Fr. 1B/OF Jacob Gilcrest (Center Grove HS);  Xavier: Fr. OF Jake Armentrout (Wheeler HS, Valparaiso), So. OF/RHP Allbry Major (Indianapolis North Central HS). 

While there are no former Hoosier preps at Arizona State, the Sun Devils’ head coach is Tracy Smith, a Kentland, Ind., native and a South Newton High School graduate.  Smith served as Indiana University’s field boss from 2006 to 2014.   

Naturally, the greatest number of former Hoosier preps play for the state’s Division I schools.  Here’s a team-by-team look: 

Ball State:  Fr. LHP Chandler Banic (LaPorte HS);  RS So. C Tim Blankenberger (Northwestern HS, Kokomo);  RS Sr. RHP Brendan Burns (Hamilton Southeastern HS);  Sr. RHP Nick Floyd (Jimtown HS, Elkhart);  Fr. OF Nick Fushi (Andrean HS, Merrillville);  Fr. IF Langston Ginder (Fort Wayne Carroll HS);  RS Sr. OF/C Griffin Hulecki (Fishers HS);  Jr. LHP Lukas Jaksich (Andrean HS, Merrillville;  St. Joseph’s College);  So. OF/RHP Drey Jameson (Greenfield Central HS);  RS Fr. Chayce McDermott (Pendleton Heights HS);  Fr. OF Mack Murphy (Indianapolis Cathedral HS);  RS Fr. 2B Noah Navarro (Avon HS);  Jr. LHP Mike Pachmayer (Hamilton Southeastern HS);  Jr. IF Noah Powell (Mount Vernon HS, Fortville ;  St. Joseph’s College);  Jr. LHP Garett Simmons (Churubusco HS;  Univ. at Buffalo).      

Butler:  Fr. C Kollyn All (McCutcheon HS);  So. IF Andy Bennett (Fishers HS);  Jr. IF Connor Christman (Noblesville HS);  Fr. RHP Benji Downs (Terre Haute South HS);  So. LHP Nick Eaton (Indianapolis Cathedral HS);  Jr. OF Harrison Freed (Westfield HS);  So. LHP Joe Graziano (Lake Central HS, Elkhart);  Jr. C Duncan Hewitt (Indianapolis Lawrence North HS);  Sr. RHP Quentin Miller (Pendleton Heights HS);  So. RHP Jack Myers (Indianapolis Cathedral HS);  Jr. RHP Ryan Pepiot (Westfield HS);  Jr. RHP Jack Pilcher (Zionsville HS);  Fr. RHP Alex Voss (South Bend St. Joseph HS);  Fr. OF Malik Wirges (Fort Wayne Homestead HS). 

Evansville:  So. OF Evan Aders (Jasper HS);  Fr. C Trevor Boyle (Princeton Community HS);  So. IF Tanner Craig (Austin HS);  Jr. OF Kenton Drews (Heritage Hills HS, Lincoln City);  Jr. RHP David Ellis (Princeton Community HS);  Fr. C Camden Hair (Evansville Memorial HS);  Fr. OF/RHP Caleb Meeks (Evansville Memorial HS);  Jr. IF Craig Shepherd (Jasper HS);  Fr. IF/RHP Sam Steimel (Sullivan HS);  Sr. IF Sam Troyer (Northridge HS, Goshen; Rend Lake CC). 

Indiana:  So. C Drew Ashley (Evansville Memorial HS);  So. IF Cole Barr (Yorktown HS);  Jr. LHP Cam Beauchamp (Peru HS);  Fr. RHP Gabe Bierman (Jeffersonville HS);  Jr. OF Carter Bridge (Lafayette Harrison HS;  Heartland CC);  Jr. LHP Brad Busald (Rushville HS;  Lincoln trail College);  So. OF Sam Crail (Sheridan HS);  So. OF Elijah Dunham (Evansville Reitz HS);  Fr. LHP Michael Dunkelberger (South Bend St. Joseph’s HS);  Fr. RHP Alex Franklin (Bloomington South HS);  Jr. OF Matt Gorski (Hamilton Southeastern HS);  Sr. OF Logan Kaletha (Michigan City HS;  John A. Logan College);  Jr. RHP Cal Krueger (Jasper HS);  Fr. RHP Matt Litwicki (Lake Central HS, Elkhart);  So. RHP Austin Long (Bedford North Lawrence HS);  So. RHP Connor Manous (Munster HS;  Miami, Fla., Univ. – did not play);  Sr. RHP Pauly Milto (Indianapolis Roncalli HS): Fr. OF Grant Richardson (Fishers HS);  Jr. LHP Andrew Saalfrank (Heritage HS, Monroeville);  So. LHP Braden Scott (Shakamak HS;  Olney Central College);  Fr. RHP Grant Sloan (Zionsville HS;  U. of Virginia – did not play);  So. LHP Tommy Sommer (Carmel HS);  Fr. LHP Braydon Tucker (Northview HS);  Fr. OF Tyler Van Pelt (Bloomington South HS);  So. IF Justin Walker (Lafayette Jefferson HS). 

The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Gorski started 58 games in left field for the Hoosiers last season, when he led the team with a .356 average.  He is considered a top prospect for the 2019 MLB Draft.   

Indiana State:  RS Fr. OF Nick Barrett (Terre Haute North HS);  RS Jr. IF Nolan Brimbury (Peru HS);  Sr. IF Clay Dungan (Yorktown HS);  RS Sr. RHP Evan Giles (Franklin HS);  RS Jr. OF Brandt Nowaskie (Vincennes Lincoln HS);  Sr. LHP Triston Polley (Brownsburg HS);  RS So. IF Jordan Schaffer (Terre Haute West HS);  Sr. RHP Tyler Ward (Heritage Hills HS, Lincoln City). 

Notre Dame:  So. IF/OF Niko Kavadas (Penn HS, Mishawaka). 

Purdue:  Jr. OF Milo Beam (Westfield HS);  RS So. RHP Andrew Bohm (Hamilton Southeastern HS);  Fr. IF Tanner Haston (Mooresville HS);  So. RHP Bo Hofstra (Illiana Christian HS, Dyer);  Fr. C Luke Houin (St. Joseph HS, St. John);  So. RHP Trent Johnson (Crawfordsville HS);  RS So. LHP Matt Moore (Avon HS);  So. OF Ben Nisle (Lake Central HS, St. John);  Fr. RHP Austin Peterson (Chesterton HS);  So. IF Tyler Powers (Lafayette Central Catholic HS); Fr. LHP/1B Jackson Smeltz (McCutcheon HS);  Fr. RHP/IF Conner Tomasic (Lake Central HS, St. John);  Fr. RHP Kyle Wade (Kokomo HS);  and RS Fr. LHP Hayden Wynja (Indianapolis Heritage Christian HS).   

Purdue Fort Wayne:  So. RHP Trevor Armstrong (Fort Wayne Snider HS);  Jr. RHP Cameron Boyd (Fishers HS):  Fr. C/OF Alec Brunson (DeKalb HS, Waterloo);  Jr. OF Jacob Dickson (Portage HS);  So. RHP Sean Ferguson (New Haven HS;  Parkland CC);  Fr. RHP Garrett Hill (University HS, Carmel);  Fr. RHP Grant Johnston (Hamilton Southeastern HS);  Jr. RHP Tyler Kissinger (Fort Wayne Carroll HS;  Mauldin, S.C., HS;  Florence Darlington CC);  So. IF Jack Lang (Hamilton Southeastern HS);  So. C Andrew Lawvere (Eastbrook HS, Marion);  Fr. LHP Justin Miller (Fort Wayne Homestead HS); RS Jr. utility man Garrett Mohler (New Haven HS);  Jr. RHP Chase Phelps (Fort Wayne Snider HS);  Fr. RHP Drew Pyle (Hagerstown HS);  So. RHP Brian Skelton (Westfield HS);  So. IF Trenton Stoner (South Bend Clay HS);  So. LHP Spencer Strobel (Avon HS); Fr. C Braxton Turner (Greenfield Central HS);   Jr. 1B/OF Travis Upp (LaPorte HS);  RS Fr. RHP Cade Willard (Eastside HS, Butler);  Sr. IF Brandon Yoho (Fishers HS);  RS Jr. Robert Young III (Indianapolis North Central HS) 

Valparaiso:  Sr. IF Chase Dawson (Andrea HS, Merrillville);  Fr. OF Jeremy Drudge (Plymouth HS);  Jr. LHP Jarrett Hammel (South Newton HS;  St. Joseph’s College);  Jr. RHP James Meyer (Zionsville HS).  Note:  Fr. C Jake Kapers, who played for Chicago’s Mount Carmel HS, is a Schererville, Ind., resident. 

Pete Cava is the author of “Tales From the Cubs Dugout” and “Indiana-Born Major League Baseball Players:  A Biographical Dictionary, 1871-2014.”