Tibbitts Finds Indiana The Place He Wants To Be

NEW ALBANY - The size and physicality of Brock Tibbitts can not be denied. At 6-4 and 195 pounds, the New Albany senior brings a stature behind the plate that is easily noticeable.

“The fact that I play football brought out my tough guy identity, that I can take hits,” noted Tibbitts, a quarterback on the gridiron for the Eagles. “I’m always being competitive and, being a quarterback, I have to be a leader. It’s the same as a catcher, I have to lead, too.”.

It will fit in well playing in the Big 10 after the 58th-ranked 2021 in Ohio made a recent commitment to Indiana.

“I started talking to Indiana at the end of June in Georgia,” Tibbitts reflected. “I talked with (assistant) coach (Derek) Simmons and (pitching) coach (Justin) Parker and eventually (head) coach (Jeff) Mercer, getting to know them and things took off.”

An offer came at the beginning of August once summer baseball season ended.

“Throughout the summer we were texting, and I was calling and talking to them once a week and that worked up to an offer,” explained Tibbitts, who also had offers from Charleston and Marshall and more recently had started having interest from Kentucky. “A week-and-a-half after the offer I decided to commit.”

Tibbitts, who had the second best exit velocity (96) at the PBR Central Ohio Top Prospect Games in July, is excited to have the opportunity to be part of the Big 10.

“It’s a dream come true,” Tibbitts said. “Growing up as an Ohio State fan and going to Ohio State games and seeing the level of baseball being played  ... knowing that I’m going to do that is so surreal. All my work has paid off. The dream is real. Playing in the Big 10 is a dream come true.”

A 3.85 student, Tibbitts believes he has a lot to bring to Indiana where his plans are to major in sport management.

“I’m a player who competes day in and day out no matter the score or the situation,” Tibbitts related. “I feel I can lead on the field and rally guys behind me. Hopefully, we get a chance to go to Omaha and win a national championship.”

Ironically, it was in Omaha where the vision of playing baseball at the next level became real.

“I was 12-years-old and my travel team went to Omaha,” Tibbitts noted. “It was Vanderbilt against Virginia. Seeing the atmosphere and the fan support, it was an insane environment. I knew then it was something I wanted to pursue.”

Indiana has high hopes in Tibbitts, a newcomer to the catching position.

“They see a lot of potential in me as a catcher,” Tibbitts said. “Even though it’s just my first full year as a catcher, they feel I can take that to the next level.”

The position move has proven invaluable.

“Two or three years ago I started to catch a little as more of a secondary position,” explained Tibbitts, a corner infielder and outfielder up to that point in time. “I’d never really thought about catching but we were short on catchers and I have a good arm. I tried out and I’ve been catching ever since, but this is my first summer as a full-time catcher.

“Good coaching helped me maximize my potential and get me to play at a maximum level,” Tibbitts added.

The position has grown on the 17-year-old.

“I like being the guy everyone relies on,” Tibbitts pointed out. “The pitcher has trust in you to keep the offense under control and manage the game.”

There is also the correlation between being a catcher and quarterback.

“It’s being a leader on the field,” Tibbitts said. “At catcher, you get the ball every play. You make defensive calls, you call out pitches and you have to know where everyone needs to be. It’s the same with being a quarterback. You’re basically a coach on the field.”

As a newcomer to catcher, Tibbitts understands the importance of improvement.

“I’m tall and lanky so sometimes blocking is a challenge,” Tibbitts admitted. “I think I can be more smooth as I’m getting more experience behind the plate. I just need to fine-tune things so it all becomes second nature.”

Uncommitted heading into the summer admittedly brought some concerns.

“I was pretty nervous,” Tibbitts said. “I wasn’t talking to any coaches going into the summer so I sent out videos to almost every coach in the country to see if I would get a response and things picked up. I played well in Georgia and started getting responses. Things took off from there and after that it started to get overwhelming.”

Tibbitts gave credit to many for helping along the way.

“My family was always there and reassuring me it was all going to work out and I’d go someplace to play baseball,” Tibbitts said. “All my coaches were a big help trusting in me and giving me the tools and knowledge I need to succeed and get attention from coaches at the highest level.”

Tibbitts found what he was looking for at Indiana.

“I really like the coaching staff,” Tibbitts said. “We’ve built a great relationship and connected well. They’re intelligent when it comes to the game of baseball and they know what you have to do and what you need to do and know how to do it. I felt it was the best place where I can be the player I want to be.”