Pete Diprimio

Hoosier Hitmen Pete Diprimio

For nearly 140 years, Indiana University baseball has thrived on the unexpected. For instance: Coach Bob Morgan missed his Gatorade bath, but not his 1,000th career victory. Mike Smith rocked college pitching to win the first Triple Crown in NCAA Division I history. An ill-fated shower cost the Hoosiers a 1949 run at NCAA tourney success. Bob Lawrence made more with his 1958 pro baseball signing bonus ($50,000) than 1950s superstar slugger Ted Kluszewski ever made in a season ($40,000). Mike Crotty came to the plate looking like a middle aged man-until blasting future major league star Matt Anderson's first pitch off the scoreboard for IU's most memorable post-season home run. Bob Lawrence could have begun his head-coaching career with any patsy in the country; instead, he chose top-ranked Miami of Florida.