MITCH HANNAHS
Head Coach
Head coach Mitch Hannahs enters his 10th season at the helm of the Indiana State baseball program after returning to his alma mater in 2013. Hannahs, who is one of the most decorated student-athletes in program history, entered the Indiana State Hall of Fame in 2010. Overall, Hannahs has been a part of seven of the program’s 11 trips to the NCAA Postseason Tournament as a player or coach.
Since taking over the program in 2013, Hannahs has led the Sycamores to 266 wins, a trio of NCAA Tournament appearances including a regional final in 2019 and six top-3 finishes in the Missouri Valley Conference. He sits second all-time in career wins behind legendary head coach and ISU Hall of Famer Bob Warn who guided the program to 1,070 wins from 1976-2006.
Hannahs again posted a winning record in the 2022 season after guiding the Sycamores to a 26-22-1 overall mark. The Sycamores had six players honored on the MVC All-Conference teams, including First Team selections Matt Jachec (SP) and Jordan Schaffer (SS), while Josue Urdaneta (2B), Seth Gergely (OF) both claimed Second Team nods. ISU also had a trio of players honored on the MVC All-Defensive squad in Jachec, Gergely, and catcher Grant Magill.
The Sycamores earned back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament after picking up an at-large bid in 2021. Hannahs led the squad to a 31-21 record, including 21 wins away from home. ISU traveled to Nashville as the No. 3 seed at the Vanderbilt Regional, picking up a victory against Presbyterian in an elimination contest.
Geremy Guerrero was named Pitcher of the Year -- the first time a Sycamore has earned the award in program history -- while Aaron Beck earned Newcomer of the Year accolades marking consecutive years that an Indiana State student-athlete has earned the honor. Guerrero finished the season 10-1 with a 2.08 ERA while earning five All-American honors. Hannahs also saw longtime catcher Max Wright sign a free agent deal with the San Francisco Giants following the postseason run.
Hannahs led his club to an 8-6 record in 2020 before the season was suspended due to COVID-19.
2019 served as a milestone year for Hannahs and the Sycamores. ISU picked up its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance after securing the No. 2 seed at the Nashville Regional following Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship -- the first in over 20 years for the program. After knocking off both McNeese and Ohio State, the Sycamores advanced to the regional final against No. 1 ranked Vanderbilt, falling to the eventual National Champion Commodores.
Indiana State used a wealth of experience to make the magical run with 13 seniors on the roster. In 2019, Hannahs coached seven All-MVC selections, including three first-team honorees. Third baseman Jake Means was named the MVC Defensive Player of the Year while starting pitcher Collin Liberatore earned Newcomer of the Year honors from The Valley. Five Sycamores were tabbed MVC Scholar-Athletes while catcher Max Wright picked up CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades. Clay Dungan, Triston Polley and Jake Means were each selected in the MLB Draft.
Indiana State entered the national ranking in three different polls in 2019, coming in at No. 23 in both D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game while sitting at No. 25 in the Baseball America poll. The last time the Sycamores were nationally ranked was at the conclusion of the 1989 season when ranked 22nd by Collegiate Baseball.
He led the Sycamores to a 31-24 overall record during the 2018 campaign and an 11-10 clip in Valley play. Hannahs eclipsed the 100-career win mark at Indiana State and moved into second all-time in program history in career wins behind long time skipper Bob Warn.
Jake Means, Dane Giesler, Tyler Ward and Jarrod Watkins earned MVC postseason honors while Ward was also named an Honorable Mention MVC Scholar Athlete. Right-hander Ethan Larrison was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 16th round of the MLB Draft.
Hannahs saw four players drafted in the 2017 season after the Sycamores finished the year 29-26 and 12-9 in The Valley. Four Sycamores earned MVC Postseason honors, including Tony Rosselli who was tabbed First Team All-MVC. Austin Conway Dane Giesler and Will Kincanon earned second team honors.
Year three in Terre Haute was a standout season for the Sycamores under Hannahs. He led the squad to a 35-21 record and a 13-8 finish in the MVC and the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The 2016 season was full of memorable moments including weekend sweeps at Campbell, Butler as well as an impressive sweep at home against nationally ranked Missouri State.
Andy DeJesus, Hunter Owen, Andy Young, Jeremy McKinney and Tyler Friis earned MVC postseason honors while Hunter Owen and Andy Young were taken in the MLB Draft. Right-hander Tyler Ward was also named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American.
The 2015 Sycamores finished 28-26 overall and 8-13 in the Valley. Key wins during the 2015 campaign include defeating NCAA runner-up and defending champion Vanderbilt, 8-1 in Port Charlotte, Fla. Indiana State swept in-state rival Indiana, taking two games from the Hoosiers.
In his first season at the helm, Hannahs led the Sycamores to a 35-18 overall record and 14-7 in the Missouri Valley while earning an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament. The Sycamores were placed in the Bloomington Regional, falling to Stanford and Youngstown State. Infielder Tyler Wampler pitcher Ryan Keaffaber earned MVC postseason honors.
Hannahs is four-year letterwinner from 1986-89. He finished his career on the diamond with a .376 batting average, 274 hits, 34 doubles, 23 triples, 11 home runs, 220 runs scored, 138 runs batted in and 77 stolen bases. An American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Baseball America All-American in 1989, Hannahs led the team with a .428 batting average, 101 hits and 76 runs scored in his senior season while the Sycamores claimed the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship.
With Hannahs on the diamond from 1986-89, Indiana State posted 172 victories and made trips to the NCAA Tournament in 1986, 1987 and 1989, including the 1986 College World Series team – the lone trip to the CWS in program history.
Following his collegiate career, Hannahs was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 16th round of the 1989 Major League Baseball Draft. He went on to play three seasons in the minor leagues from 1989 to 1991 where he compiled a .306 batting average with 132 hits in 127 career games played.
He returned to Terre Haute in 1995 to serve as an assistant coach for Bob Warn. He worked as the hitting and infield coach from 1995 to 1999 and was the Sycamores’ coach for pitchers and catchers from 1999 to 2001. He oversaw the development of several potential major league pitchers including Mitch Stetter, Joe Thatcher, Matt Zaleski, Alex Graman, and Aric LeClaire. Under Hannahs, the Sycamores saw the revitalizing of a pitching staff that ranked eighth in team earned run average in the Missouri Valley Conference, improving to third in the MVC.
Hannahs went on to become the head coach at Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Illinois, for nine seasons where he led the Statesmen to Region 24 titles in 2005 and 2007, and the Great Rivers Athletic Conference championship in 2006 and 2007.
Hannahs was also inducted into the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in recognition of his accomplishments at Skyvue High School (Graysville, Ohio) where he played basketball and baseball.
Hannahs graduated from Indiana State in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing. He went on to earn his master's degree in athletics administration. Hannahs and his wife, Amy, have three children: Derek, Kylee and Kaleb.
Overall Coaching Record |
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| Year-By-Year | Overall | MVC | ||
| 2014 | 35-18 | 14-7 | ||
| 2015 | 28-26 | 8-13 | ||
| 2016 | 35-21 | 13-8 | ||
| 2017 | 29-26 | 12-9 | ||
| 2018 | 31-24 | 11-10 | ||
| 2019 | 43-18 | 13-8 | ||
| 2020 (Cut Short - COVID) | 8-6 | 0-0 | ||
| 2021 | 31-21 | 14-10 | ||
| 2022 | 26-22-1 | 10-10-1 | ||
| Overall Record (8 Seasons) | 266-182-1 | 95-75-1 | ||
| MLB Draft Picks Under Mitch Hannahs | ||||
| Year | Player | Round | Pick | Organization |
| 2014 | Tyler Wampler | 17th | 519 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2014 | Mike Fitzgerald | 27th | 807 | San Diego Padres |
| 2015 | Jeff Degano | 2nd | 57 | New York Yankees |
| 2016 | Hunter Owen | 25th | 765 | Pittsburg Pirates |
| 2016 | Andy Young | 37th | 1126 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2017 | Will Kincanon | 11th | 327 | Chicago White Sox |
| 2017 | Tyler Friis | 21st | 642 | Cleveland Indians |
| 2017 | Jeremy McKinney | 31st | 943 | Washington Nationals |
| 2017 | Damon Olds | 33rd | 990 | Kansas City Royals |
| 2018 | Ethan Larrison | 16th | 489 | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 2019 | Clay Dungan | 9th | 259 | Kansas City Royals |
| 2019 | Triston Polley | 16th | 475 | Texas Rangers |
| 2019 | Jake Means | 22nd | 649 | Kansas City Royals |
JUSTIN HANCOCK
Assistant Coach
Justin Hancock joined the Indiana State baseball program in July of 2021. In his role the former Chicago Cubs hurler will work primarily with Sycamore pitchers while also helping facilitate camps.
A Defiance, Ohio native, Hancock spent nine years in professional baseball after being selected in the ninth round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres.
The right-hander completed the first six seasons of his professional career with the Padres organization before being traded to the Cubs in 2017. He made his major league debut in 2018, pitching in 10 games and recording a 1.46 ERA while striking out 11 batters in 12.1 innings.
Hancock went on to play one year with Hokkaido Nippon Ham in the Japan Pacific League in 2019 before retiring. Overall, he saw action in 193 games during his professional career, including 96 starts on the mound. He finished with a 29-37 record, 450 strikeouts and a 4.07 ERA over 579 innings.
He spent two seasons at Lincoln Trail College before being drafted and was a multisport athlete at Defiance High School where be played baseball and basketball.
Hancock resides in Terre Haute with his wife Tessa, and his daughter Ivy (2).
JASON HAGERTY
Assistant Coach
Hagerty comes to Indiana State by way of the University of Missouri where he served as an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator for the Tigers from July 2020-June 2023.
During his tenure with the Tigers, Hagerty helped recruit the No. 17-ranked 2024 recruiting class according to Perfect Game and helped evaluate, recruit, and retain the current Missouri baseball team. He served as the program's hitting coach, as well as leading instruction for the Tiger catchers. He originally joined the Mizzou Baseball staff in Jan. 2019 as a student manager.
In Hagerty's three seasons with the Tigers, he had a hand in shaping five MLB Draft picks including 2023 selection Luke Mann taken the 14th round of the MLB Draft this week. Additional picks he worked with included former first round selection Kameron Misner, as well as Torin Montgomery, Joshua Day, and Chris Cornelius.
Hagerty enjoyed an eight-year run (2009-16) in professional baseball with the San Diego Padres organization. Over his time with the organization, he was a six-time Spring Training invitee and spent five years at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. He was a 2011 Baseball America Top 10 Prospect and was the 2010 Padres Minor League player of the Year. Hagerty was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Padres.
Prior to his professional career, Hagerty starred for three years (2007-09) at the University of Miami (Fla.). He was the team's captain and MVP in the 2009 season and was named to the NCAA Gainesville Regional All-Tournament team. He also was a key part of the 2008 squad that earned the College World Series No. 1 National Seed after winning the ACC.
KEVIN BOWERS
Assistant Coach
Bowers joins the Sycamores after a decorated career at Lincoln Trail College where he served as the head coach and Athletic Director for the Statesmen since 2010. Bowers brings 28 years of coaching experience to the program as he returns for his second stint at Indiana State. He previously served as an assistant coach with the Sycamores for the 1999-2000 year.
The long-time coach led Lincoln Trail to a 33-18 overall record in the 2023 season that included a trip to the Region 24 Tournament. That success has been consistent throughout his tenure featuring a trio of NJCAA Region XXIV titles and three GRAC titles.
Bowers has quickly established himself as one of the finer recruiters in the Midwest, seeing his classes achieve success both on and off the field. Since 2005, Bowers has had over 175 of his players move on to NCAA D-1 institutions, seeing 23 sign professional contracts and four named NJCAA-All Americans.
In the classroom, these teams have never received below a 3.0 team GPA, and the 2006 team was named NJCAA Academic Team of the Year. On 11 other occasions, teams have been on the top 25 in the nation.
Prior to his time at Lincoln Trail, he spent two years at UW-Platteville (2000-02) where he served as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator. The 2001-02 Platteville team established school records in hits, runs, RBI's and doubles, while posting its best record in 10 years.
Coach Bowers graduated from UW-Parkside and was an assistant there for five years before moving on to Indiana State for the 1999-2000 season. In 2001, he received his Master's of Education from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
