HUNTINGBURG, Ind. — Perhaps one of the finest multi-sport athletes in Southridge High School history, Tucker Schank announced Friday that he will play baseball for Indiana University.
“I chose to play baseball for IU because it’s my dream university and I really like the idea of playing for Coach (Jeff) Mercer,” Schank told the Courier & Press. “He and I have been able to develop a nice relationship over the past several months because he and I share a lot in common.
“It also became apparent that baseball is the sport that fits my body type when talking about staying healthy and having longevity in the sport.”
Schank will join a Southern Indiana pipeline at IU that includes Memorial grad Drew Ashley, Reitz grad Elijah Dunham and Jasper grad Cal Krueger.
Schank, as a junior running back, lifted Southridge (Huntingburg, Ind.)’s football team to the Class 2A state championship in the fall of 2017. As a center fielder and leadoff man, he lifted the Raiders’ baseball team to a state runner-up finish in the spring of 2018.
He generated lots of interest from NCAA Division II and III schools regarding football following his junior year and was also looked at by IU.
“And I sparked Coach Mercer’s interest after he attended one of our football games last fall,” Schank said. “I also received letters from a number of schools regarding wrestling, but did not pursue anything with those.”
Schank, who has a 3.9 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale, was an honorable mention all-stater in baseball and a three-time all-Pocket Athletic Conference selection and a two-time all-stater in football. He advanced to state twice in wrestling.
