When he’s not filling out the lineup card or otherwise overseeing the day-to-day operations of his Indiana baseball program, head coach Jeff Mercer is working closely with his hitters.
Over the past six months, pitcher McCade Brown has made that work a little more difficult. That’s because, when Brown is on the mound during practice, Mercer isn’t merely helping with swing mechanics, pitch recognition, foot position, or any of the other qualities that help a hitter square up a baseball. Sometimes, Mercer serves a role that is equal parts hitting coach and hitting therapist, offering encouraging, uplifting words after one of his bat-wielding Hoosiers strikes out or flails at one of Brown’s nasty offerings.