Indiana has grown accustomed to having high-end talent playing high school baseball within its borders. With that being said, the recent commitment of Prep Baseball All-American Game participant Sean Dunlap to the University of Tennessee marks the first SEC catcher to come from Indiana since Hayden Jones signed to Mississippi State in 2018, who is the only other SEC signee at the position since 2012. Diving into the rankings of Indiana from 2012 to 2025, only nine catchers have finished ranked in the top 10, six of which went on to play professional baseball, and two currently in college - including Indiana freshman Hogan Denny.

There was a good run of backstops between the 2017 class and 2021 class, featuring eventual pros like Zach Britton (2017), Hayden Jones (2018), and Hunter Dobbins (2021), but the next four classes featured only one backstop in the top ten (Hogan Denny). High-end catchers have been scarce within the past four years for a state that is more-known for its arm talent, and recent first round picks like Max Clark and Colson Montgomery, but Dunlap and a crop of interesting freshman & sophomore catchers seem to be providing a wave of backstops in the Hoosier State.

‘26 Sean Dunlap C/OF (IN)

6’2” 188 lbs. #PBAAG24 | @prepbaseballIN pic.twitter.com/6qviUWpC0y

— Shooter Hunt (@ShooterHunt) September 13, 2024

By all early indications, Dunlap appears to be a legitamite prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft with his professional-looking frame and high-end catch and throw abilities that he pairs with his power potential in the right-handed batters' box. After the Future Games, I tabbed Dunlap as the best backstop to come from the state in ten years. A 2027 from Vincennes Lincoln, Cooper Collins, will look to challenge him on that after shining throughout his freshman campaign and earning a prestigous spot on Team USA's 15u roster at the end of the summer. Collins earns this high praise for his outstanding defensive abilities, and I feel confident in saying he is the best defender in Indiana at the position as just a sophomore. There is some "unteachableness" in the way the three-sport athlete defends behind the dish, moving like a shortstop laterally with plus arm strength for the age and showing creativity when looking for outs with runners on base. 

An absolute weapon behind the dish, I have yet to see a better defender for the age than Coop.

Certainly a name to know moving forward… https://t.co/jY2DmjjcBl

— Cooper Trinkle (@CTrinkle23) August 29, 2024

Other underclass backstops appear to have the potential to catupult themselves into this prestigious club of top ranked catchers in Indiana. Sophomores Mason Meyer (Mt. Vernon), Luke Brown (Evansville Memorial), and Jackson Harris (Carmel) are all up-and-coming backstops with high-end potential and though too early to tell - two of the top 2028 graduates we have identified are catchers, Spencer Schiff (Evansville Mater Dei) and Chase Millington (Terre Haute North). While being bullish and projecting prospects out over the course of years, it appears there is a resurgence of high-end catchers beginning to roll through the state, all of whom are looking to be the first catcher from the state to debut in the big leagues since Nevin Ashley (2015) and Tucker Barnhart (2014) did a decade ago.