Indiana Baseball’s 5 Players to Watch in 2017

Spring is right around the corner and that means that Indiana baseball is back.

As Major League Baseball prepares for Spring Training and the start of a fresh season, so does NCAA baseball. The Indiana Hoosiers are looking to find a way back to the top of the Big Ten Conference – Indiana finished No. 4 in the conference last season (15-9).

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The Hoosiers were impressive at home, with a record of 19-6. Fortunate for the Hoosiers, The Big Ten Conference Tournament will be played at Bart Kaufman Field this year. The opportunity for the Hoosiers to showcase their relatively new stadium is a major plus for the program.

The Indiana baseball team has been training all offseason and are patiently waiting to get back on the diamond after a 32-24 season in 2016. Here are five players to watch this season.

Dedelow is going to provide the offensive firepower for Indiana this year just as he did last year. In 2016, the outfielder led the Hoosiers in batting average (.302), hits (70), doubles (16), runs scored (33) and RBIs (36). He was drafted in the 24^th round of the MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates but opted to come back for his senior year. Dedelow was also earned All-Big Ten Third team honors last season. The Munster, IN native is expected to have another big season yet again. This season is crucial for Dedelow. He is betting on himself in order to improve his draft stock come June. Look for Dedelow to have another great year for the Hoosiers while hitting in the middle of the order.

Stiever will fill in as the ace for this Hoosier staff that lost all three weekend starters from last year. The 6-foot-1 RHP had a strong rookie campaign in 2016 posting a 2.47 ERA in 18 appearances. He went 1-1 and made four starts on the year. Stiever’s most impressive outing came in his start against Louisville on May 17. The then-freshman went 3.2 innings striking out two while allowing no runs to the Cardinals lineup. The Wisconsin native is going to have to carry the load for an unproven pitching staff. The Hoosiers will put the ball on his hand on Friday nights and expect him to deliver. The ceiling for Stiever is extremely high and he will be a pivotal piece for Indiana this year.

You might also see him entering games to the sound of a ballpark favorite, “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC.

Like Stiever, Miller had a great freshman year for the Hoosiers in 2016. He finished second on the team in batting average (.284), hits (54), and doubles (11). He also swiped seven bags and drove in 23 runs. The Muncie, IN native was named a 2016 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. He was also an All-Big Ten Freshmen Team selection after his first year with IU. Miller will be hitting in the middle of the order along with Dedelow. Similarly to Dedelow, Miller is going to provide a lot of offensive fuel for Indiana this year. He set the bar high for himself last season posting a .333 batting averaging in Big Ten play, which was good for No. 10 in the conference. Expect Miller to follow up his impressive rookie year with another great sophomore season.

https://twitter.com/HoosierBaseball/status/740577095064145920

The 6-foot-4 outfielder was named IU’s 2016 Team MVP. Sowers led the Hoosiers in 2016 in slugging percentage (.466), on base percentage (.377) and home runs (8), which ranked ninth in the Big Ten. Sowers will be batting in the middle of the order along with Dedelow and Miller. He is a very strong kid who has the ability to drive the ball. Indiana will look for Sowers to drive in runs after he posted six multi-RBI games last year. Now a junior, Sowers will be asked to step up as a leader for Indiana this year and provide a spark while swinging the bat. This could potentially Sowers’ last year as a Hoosier as he is expected to get drafted in June.

Logan Sowers was named to Baseball America’s Top 100 College Baseball Draft Prospects list for 2017 (No. 85).

Houston is Indiana’s top recruit for 2017 and the Hoosiers have high expectations for the freshman. The Dalton, IL native is projected to be one of the best defensive players in the Big Ten this year. He has great range and a very strong arm across the diamond. The 5-foot-7 shortstop was named preseason Big Ten freshman of the year by D1 baseball. The Hoosiers know what they are getting from Houston defensively. The big question for him this year is whether or not he will be able to hit. If Houston can be productive on offense, he will have a great year for Indiana.

D1Baseball has pegged Houston as the pre-season Big Ten Freshman of the Year for 2017.