The Indy Irish are an adult baseball team that competes in the Indiana Baseball League (Formerly the Indianapolis Adult Baseball League), a local division of the MSBL/MABL. The Irish were originally formed as the Indianapolis Yankees in 2003. Dustin McCallister and Jeff Skirvin co-founded the team after McCallister played one season in the IABL.  The original roster was composed mostly of players from Scecina HS (where Skirvin attended) and Arsenal Tech (where McCallister attended). The Yankees went 4-16 in their first season but overall, were competitive with the more established teams.  Following the 2003 season, McCallister joined the US Navy, leaving Skirvin as the sole manager. However, just prior to the start of the 2004 season, Skirvin made the decision to hand over the team to Erich Rusie. Rusie was a catcher on the 2003 team and played high school baseball with McCallister at Arsenal Tech.

The 2004 Yankees had a lot of new faces as Rusie recruited more players from Tech like Jake Bowling and Steve Gentry and Warren Central standout Jake Armstrong. Despite not pitching much in high school, Matt Matheis became the club’s ace and developed into a strong pitcher by the end of the season. The team finished 5-15 but won a first round playoff game against the Rebels before ultimately losing to the Roosters.

After making slight progress from year one to year two, the Yankees made a bound forward in year three when they went 8-9 and added star players Josh Church and Ricky McGraw. Church played D1 baseball while McGraw would go on to play high level college ball in Louisiana. The team also brought in Wes Journay and Steve Owens to help fortify a struggling defense. Despite losing a first round playoff game to the White Sox, the Yankees were a team on the rise.

Despite the progress that the Yankees had made over their first three seasons, manager Erich Rusie made the decision to merge his team with Kokomo Braves prior to the 2006 campaign. Rusie and Braves manager Jason Nelson both felt that combining their rosters would allow them to compete with the league’s elite teams immediately.

Kokomo Braves History 2004-2005

The Braves were founded in late July of 2003 by Jason Nelson and were originally supposed to be based in Kokomo.  However, the Braves continued to play in the IABL and gave up on trying to play the majority of their games in Kokomo.  Nelson, along with founding members Jay Leedy, Robbie Pattengale and former assistant manager Jake Iseminger, held the first tryout for the Braves in late August of that same year. The Braves played their first exhibition game in late September against the Indianapolis Dodgers.  The Braves were given the first pick in the 2004 MABL Draft and selected Matt Burke, a power-hitting first baseman from Goshen, IN. The Braves opened their inaugural season with an 8-4 victory over the Orioles en route to a 4-16 season. Matt Hubbs had the first victory on the mound for the Braves and Ed Rowell hit the first homerun in Braves history. 
   

            In 2005 the Braves picked Los Angeles City College shortstop Gill Jasso with the first pick in the IABL draft and added players such as Hugo Pena from Long Beach Community College, Caleb Abbott, a 6 foot 5 pitcher from Huntington College, and shortstop/3rd basemen Josh Wilhelm from Marian College.  Catcher Dave Willis from Kokomo was signed to fill the void left when Ed Rowell retired to have more family time with his wife and newborn child.  The team also picked up high school standout Jason Pattengale. The Braves finished the season 2-20, but the big step was the first ever playoff victory when they tallied 23 hits against the Indianapolis Roosters. Matt Burke and Josh Wilhelm had 4 hits each that game while Jason Pattengale, Warren Beal, Hugo Pena, and Jay Leedy had 3 hits apiece. Robbie Pattengale also had a breakout season on the mound holding a 3.24 ERA and striking out 58. He also threw 3 complete games. Matt Burke and Hugo Pena left the team after the season to start their own team, the A's. Following the 2005 season, Nelson and the Braves organization merged with the Indianapolis Yankees and kept the Kokomo Braves title.

            With a new look in 2006 due to the merger with the Indianapolis Yankees the Braves looked poised to finally break the franchise's losing ways. Everything looked good as the team opened the season with a 5-2 win over the Indianapolis Cubs. However, that wouldn't last as the Braves record continued sliding to a 1-8 record under manager Jason Nelson. That included a 2-1 loss at the Braves home field (3000 seat CFD Investments Stadium in Highland Park) to Kokomo's former semi-pro baseball team, the Kokomo CFD Saints. Around 400 fans gathered in the stadium to watch the action. In game two of the double header the Braves kept a one run game until the final inning in a game with the then 12th ranked semi-pro team in the nation, the Indiana Outlaws from Evansville. Nelson ultimately decided to step away from baseball to spend more time with his growing family and handed over the reins to pitcher Robbie Pattengale. Pattengale quickly added three key players in Ancilla College's Dustin Jenkins and Aaron Ringley and 2003 MLB 6th round draft pick Robbie Wooley. The Braves would finish the season 6-12 under Pattengale, including winning four of the final five games and again losing in the second round of the playoffs to defending champs Indianapolis Dodgers. The Braves finished the season 7-20 and 5-15 in league play and had the team’s best offensive season yet. Jonathan Off (.483), NL All-Star Jordan Marsell (.444), and Steve Gentry (.437) would all bat over .400 while Ringley (.375), Erich Rusie (.353), Jason Pattengale (.339), Dustin Jenkins (.310), and Zach Hewitt (.304) all batted over .300. Robbie Pattengale was elected the team's permanent manager in the offseason, but with many questions surrounding the team's future and structure, it was determined that Erich Rusie would manage the Braves and Pattengale would launch an expansion team out of Kokomo, named the Knights. Pattengale took six Braves players with him to start his team, which competed in the IABL and the Midwest Prospects Baseball League. Rusie named Jason Nelson and Matt Matheis assistant managers for the 2007 season.

             In 2007, the Braves recorded the club's first winning season, going 12-8 in the regular season and 12-10 overall. Manager Erich Rusie and his staff, which grew to include Jordan Marsell and Steve Owens, recruited several talented players and established a commitment among the team.  Marsell was once again named to the MABL's National League All-Star team and several players shattered the team's individual record book.  Newcomers Nick Blomeke, a LHP from Vincennes, and Daniel Kafoure, a SS from Olney CC, helped the team gain respect from the IABL's top teams as the club's reputation began to change.  Other additions such as 3B Steve Owens and UT Nick Smiley helped to fill voids in the infield and RHP Adam Hershberger came within a few percentage points of winning the MABL ERA title, after leading for the majority of the season. The Braves eventually fell to the Arrows in the second round of the playoffs.  The Braves received a bye in the first-round when the Knights, managed by former Brave, Robbie Pattengale, were expelled from the IABL because of numerous forfeits. In the fall of 2007, the Braves competed in the Stallion Classic Fall Tournament at Roncalli, using mostly prospective players.  The team added a few players from the tourney and also brought Jerad Tallman and Matt DeWolf onboard, both formerly of the MABL Rockhounds, who folded following the 2007 season.  In late December, word broke that former Braves' star, Matt Burke, was rejoining the team and bringing over three top notch players from his A's team that folded: Evan Montgomery, Jason Combs, and Kevin Murphy.  To top it off, Erich Rusie won the MABL's Al Maniero Manager of the Year award to close out 2007.

            The 2008 Braves underwent a major restructuring due to a lot of teams folding within the MABL. This allowed former Brave, Matt Burke, to return from the A's. Burke helped bring over other standouts from the A's that included Evan Montgomery, Jason Combs, and Kevin Murphy. The Braves also added talent from the Rockhounds, in the way of Jerad Tallman and Matt DeWolf. The team battled all season, playing a tougher schedule than in 2007. Despite a depleted pitching staff for most of the summer, the club managed to finish 9-9 in league play and 9-12 overall, with the season ending with a loss to the Hurricanes in the playoffs by a score of 11-7. While the team did not match the win total from 2007, the team was actually more competitive against the upper echelon teams from the MABL. The Braves handed the Arrows their first loss of the season after they started 11-0 and defeated the Dodgers on a walk off RBI single by Dominic Marino. The team also lost a two-run game to the Stallions that was actually tied before a groundskeeper turned off the lights, which ultimately resulted in the game being reverted back to the last inning when the Stallions held an 11-9 lead. Overall, it was a quirky season that brought together the most talented team the Braves had fielded to that point in their history. Jerad Tallman made his mark on Braves' history by placing himself among the leaders in several single season records, as did Nick Smiley, who went on a rampage the second half of the season, driving in 13 of his 19 RBI in July and August. The pitching was pieced together perhaps more in 2008 than any other season in team history, with Kevin Murphy leading in innings pitched with 44.0. However, good news came after the 2008 season when the Braves received word that LHP David Dugger, who had his season cut short due to injury, would be back in 2009, as would the young Zach McLean, who pitched for the club between his junior and senior years of high school. Shaun Arnold would join Dugger, McLean, and Nick Blomeke, on the pitching staff for 2009, giving the Braves a very young staff, looking to build on their league experience from 2008.

            The 2009 club saw very little change in the roster’s makeup. The only major changes were the additions of RHP Ryan Angrick and 1B Tyler Gastin via the MABL draft. Both players had huge impacts on the season, with Angrick starting opening day and becoming the team’s ace, while Gastin was the hottest hitter for the first part of the season. Both were awarded for their efforts by making the league All-Star team in their rookie season. The Braves also had four other players named to the All-Star squad: Matt Matheis, Jerad Tallman, Matt Burke, and Dominic Marino. The six all-star nominations were the most in team history. Despite a stable roster and fresh arm on the hill, the Braves were not able to pull away from the middle of the pack, finishing 9-9. The club was hampered when Angrick suffered an injury to his throwing hand in the second half of the season. This forced Tallman and Burke to log more innings on the hill than expected. Both filled in admirably to help the team finish at .500 for the second consecutive season. The team also benefited from the addition of UT Andy Zellers, whose power hitting saved the Braves in several games. The Braves got Angrick back just in time for their playoff matchup with the Arrows. The Braves led most of the game but could not battle back from a late surge by the Arrows, ultimately losing 8-6.  Despite the first round loss, the Braves had a successful season with many players having great individual performances.  The team looks to have very little turnover heading in 2010, with several new pitchers joining the club.

            The 2010 Braves started the season off hot, jumping out to a 4-2 record. The offense picked up where it left off in 2009, averaging almost 12 runs a game through the first six contests. However, the defensive woes of years past resurfaced and the Braves dropped 8 of their next 9 games. At mid-season, the team was frustrated with its record, but several players, most notably, Tyler Gastin were having standout seasons. Gastin and Zellers were carrying the team with their slugging while Nick Smiley settled into the leadoff role and began to threaten the team's runs record. On the mound, Zach McLean was a warrior from the minute he joined the team following his college season. McLean had his best season yet, picking up 4 wins while posting an era of 3.57 and striking out 39 batters. Ryan Angrick matched McLean with 4 wins in his second year, but battled an arm injury most of the year. Despite the injury, he still managed to toss 54 innings and strike out 38 batters. The club began to right the ship down the stretch and rolled off three consecutive victories. During that stretch the team also had their inaugural "throwback" and "hits for charity" nights. The Braves drew the Mustangs in the first round of the playoffs after finishing 8-10 in the regular season. The Braves fell behind early but battled to within one by the sixth inning. However, a five-run seventh for the Mustangs put the game out of reach despite a ninth inning surge by the Braves. By season's end, the Braves had several players threaten or actually break team records. Erich Rusie was named "Manager of the Year" in the MABL for the second time in his career while Gastin, Matt Burke, and Jerad Tallman were all named to the All-Star team.

            The 2011 campaign is best described as a season divided into many smaller seasons. The Braves once again did their best Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde impression throughout the summer, but the 2011 team managed to reach all-time lows and highs in the same year. For starters, the make-up of the team shifted early in the season when Dominic Marino retired from the game and Jordan Marsell was unavailable after the first two games. To make matters worse, newly acquired pitcher, Adam Shiltz, was forced to spend most of his time playing centerfield after reaggravating a shoulder injury he sustained in college. The overhaul continued when Nick Smiley and Steve Owens joined the club six games into the season, resulting in a vastly different lineup than the club started with. The Braves hovered around .500 for most of the summer before the wheels came off and the season seemed to be lost for good. The team lost 5 of its final 6 games, mostly to teams with only a handful of wins. However, just when it seemed as if the 2011 club had finally thrown in the towel, the players aired out their frustration in the days leading up to their first-round playoff game with the Hurricanes and looked to salvage what was left of the season. With a new outlook, the Braves eliminated the Canes 14-7 and nearly outlasted the Dodgers in the semi-finals a week later, losing 5-4. Despite the many woes and growing pains, the Braves ended the season on a high note and hope for more success in 2012. Shiltz proved to be a perfect replacement for Marsell in center, while his college teammate, Matt Laucher, was the club’s best defensive player and shared team “MVP” honors with Smiley. McLean and Angrick were the usual mainstays on the mound, while newcomer Ryan Scott was solid in relief. Despite joining the team late, Owens shared “Breakout” player honors with first-round draft pick Shayne Jones, who led the IABL in hits.

            The 2012 season began on a high note as the club defeated the expansion Mets. Ryan Angrick tossed a complete game that earned him “Player of the Week” honors. However, a few weeks into the season, the Braves acquired the undesirable trait of blowing leads in the final inning. Beginning with a ninth inning meltdown against the expansion Knights, the club surrendered leads to the Canes and Mustangs in the final innings that resulted in demoralizing losses. Despite a solid lineup and quality starting pitching, the Braves could not fill the closer role. David Dennemann, who had the team’s one bright relief appearance of the summer in the first Mustang’s game, ultimately suffered an arm injury while trying to shut the door on the Canes. Thus began a game of musical chairs out of the bullpen, and to make matters worse, late game defensive miscues made the task more daunting. By sweeping the season series against the Marlins, Reds, and Mets, the Braves were able to finish a respectable 9-9. As the Baseball Gods would have it, the Braves drew the Mustangs in the playoffs. The season series had been split 1-1, with each team winning in walk-off fashion. The game went back and forth, with the Braves scoring 2 in the 7^th inning to break a tie. Starter Zach McLean, who had tossed a gem, recorded one out in the 8^th but gave way to Ryan Scott after getting into trouble. Scott battled but could not get the next two outs before the Mustangs pulled ahead 9-6. The Braves could not rally in the top of the 9^th, so the game, and the season, ended in familiar fashion with the Braves failing to shut the door when it was closing time. A few frustrating losses left the impression that the summer had been worse than the record indicated. Looking back, the pitching staff showed continued improvement and the transition to wood bats did not slow down many of the team’s top hitters. Angrick and Burke were once again elected to the All-Star team, while McLean and Zellers received their first bid to the game. Ryan Scott shattered the club’s single season ERA record by nearly a full run (1.72) while Burke tied the single season homerun record (3). Following the season, manager Erich Rusie took a few months to reflect on the state of his team before making sweeping changes. He began by releasing first baseman Matt Burke as a part of a culture change. Ultimately, he decided that he would take most of the team’s core and move to the IABL’s 28+ division. The club would be renamed the “Shamrocks” and move on to begin the next chapter in the franchise’s history.

            The 2013 season provided even more change than the club expected. Many of the core players that were expected to make the move to the 28+ division sat out the season due to family and work obligations. This presented the coaching staff with the unusual challenge of remaking almost the entire roster. The team acquired Nikolai Alfimow, Greg Hinkle, Paul Cunningham, Pat Riley, J.R. Clark, and Joe Green through the player pool and all six players became regular starters by midseason. The club struggled to string together wins throughout the summer. A lack of pitching depth resulted in several close losses, many by a single run. However, the team remained competitive and won a first round playoff game against the Dodgers before being eliminated by the Titans. The team combined with the 28+ Bandits for the IABL's Labor Day Tournament, going undefeated through pool play and reaching the championship game before losing to a team from Ft. Wayne. Overall, the growing pains were to be expected but the team was able to successfully rebuild the club's core in their first season in the 28+ division. The team would change names once again, shifting from the "Shamrocks" to the "Irish."

            The club’s second year in the 28+ division saw the team take a huge step forward as many of the new faces from 2013 returned and were complimented with new stars Jason Wuerfel, Josh Doane, and Tim Curren. Wuerfel logged 35 innings on the mound, hit near the top of the lineup, and made for a solid double play combo with Paul Cunningham. Doane split time with the Irish and his 18+ Mustangs team and was one of the top players in the league before suffering a season-ending injury. The addition of Curren came in the wake of Doane’s injury and in just half of a season, Curren established himself as the team’s best offensive force. Paul Cunningham rebounded from his rookie slump to hit .477 with 7 doubles and newcomer Adam Wheeler gave the Irish a real power threat when slugger Andy Zellers became sidelined with hamstring injuries. The team finished 10-6 in the regular season, its best mark in seven years. The offense that was missing in 2013 was found in 2014 between new additions and improvements by returning players. Wuerfel and Robert Allen were solid in the mound to go along with Pat Riley who was a workhorse. Riley won the team’s Thunderbolt Pitching Award, striking out 47 batters in 49 innings. The Irish ultimately fell to the Rangers 10-9 in the playoffs after scoring six unanswered runs in the final two innings to make things interesting.

           The Irish team that unfolded in 2015 was a stark contrast to the one from the previous year. The team featured almost an identical roster from 2014 but gone was the offensive firepower. Several players didn’t hit as well as they had over their careers and the club’s confidence at the plate dwindled. A historically good pitching staff allowed the team to finish 8-8, good enough fourth place out of nine teams. Jason Wuerfel, Pat Riley, and Robert Allen combined to toss 7 complete games. The three pitchers each had an ERA under 3.53, all of which rank in the top twelve for season ERA in franchise history. Wuerfel’s ERA of 1.38 was the single best since the team was formed in 2003. Tim Curren hit .500 on the season and drove in 21 of the team’s 93 runs. He also took over as the team’s shortstop and became a legitimate league MVP candidate. Despite getting hot at the end of the regular season, the Irish lost in the postseason to the Indy Howl, who would go on to win the 28+ championship.

            The 2016 team posted the best winning percentage in franchise history. The core of the team remained the same from the previous two years but several former players rejoined the team; Shayne Jones, a 2011 first round pick, Jerad Tallman, a perennial All-Star and Steve Gentry, a 9 year veteran, helped get the club back on track after a disappointing 2015 season. Jason Wuerfel dazzled on the mound, going 6-0 with 4 complete games. Offensively, the team batted 50 points higher than the year before and had just enough timely hitting to scratch out 11 regular season wins. The Irish finished in 3^rd place and won their first round playoff game against the Rangers, but lost a 2-0 heartbreaker in the semifinals to the HC Phillies. Jason Wuerfel finished second in the Cy Young voting while Jerad Tallman was the 25+ Batting Title with an average of .581.

            Following the 2016 season, several of the clubs players decided to play exclusively in the 32+ division. There were enough players interested in playing in both leagues, so the organization now has a team in both the 25+ and 32+ division. The 25+ team was renamed the Monarchs while the 32+ team will carry on the Irish name.