More than defense: New Pal’s Rusche hitting, too, at Taylor University

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Former New Palestine standout Nick Rusche, now a sophomore at Taylor University, has led the Trojans in hitting in each of his first two seasons. Taylor University Athletics

NEW PALESTINE — It appeared to be a certainty that Taylor University was getting a slick-fielding middle infielder.

“I saw him play 11 games, and I never saw him make an error at shortstop,” veteran Taylor University baseball coach Kyle Gould said of his recruiting trips to view New Palestine’s Nick Rusche.

The Trojans got much more than a player that would be a key cog in their middle-infield defense.

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Rusche can hit, too.

Two seasons into his career at the NAIA school in Upland — about a 70-mile drive north of New Palestine — Rusche is 2-for-2 in leading the Trojans in hitting.

He hit .309 as a freshman second baseman in 2019, gradually moving himself up from the bottom part of the order to the leadoff spot. Taylor went 38-18 that season. Rusche was the club’s lone .300-plus hitter. He led in a number of offensive categories including doubles with 16.

When the 2020 season abruptly ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rusche, who began the season as the team’s leadoff hitter and shortstop, was the Trojans’ top hitter, again.

This year he had raised his batting average to .405.

Taylor was 13-5 when the season ended. Rusche was the club’s only .400 hitter with more than five at-bats. He was also tops in hits (30) and a co-leader in doubles (7).

“I was a little surprised,” Rusche said of his quick transition from high school to college baseball. “I thought I could make a difference and was excited to be playing. I thought I could contribute and help the team win some games.”

Rusche played in all 56 games during his rookie season, starting in 55. He also led the team in hits (56), runs (43) and was second in stolen bases (11).

“He’s incredible defensively,” Gould said. “He picked up offensively a little quicker (than most). We knew we got a good player, knew he was consistent, but it was awesome to see him do that (offensively) so quickly.”

He was still picking them clean in the infield, too.

His performance on the defensive side was as expected. Rusche had a .982 fielding percentage, committing only four errors all season out of 227 chances during that initial campaign. He ended the season by completing 88 consecutive chances without an error.

Rusche said he didn’t know how it would play out, but he had always hoped to play college baseball.

He said growing up he watched his brothers play baseball, football, tennis soccer and participate in track and field. His dad had a great love for the game of baseball, too.

Nick fiddled with the other sports, as well, but, “I stuck with baseball. It has a special place in my heart,” he said. “I fell in love with it at an early age, and I wanted to stick with it as long as I could.”

Everybody played baseball in the Rusche family and everyone came over to play at the Rusche’s home.

A baseball diamond in the backyard will do that.

Rusche said it wasn’t like the movie, “Field of Dreams,” though you can’t argue that the field (which has a cornfield behind the chain-link outfield fence) may have helped lead to him fulfilling his dream to extend his playing career at the college level.

There was a chain-link backstop, too and a limestone infield. No dugouts, but there’s a bench behind the home plate backstop. The field was home to a lot of little league baseball practices, and Nick recalled playing a lot of wiffle ball games as a youngster.

“You don’t see that too often,” Gould said of Rusche’s backyard ball field.

All three brothers (Adam, Brad and Pete) along with father (Steve) were middle infielders for the Dragons. An uncle (Andy Swain) starred with the Dragons and Purdue and was drafted by the Montreal Expos.

Nick was New Palestine’s 2018 team MVP and a two-time All-Hoosier Heritage Conference and All-Hancock County choice.

“I’ve been blessed to have the love of the game ingrained in me,” Rusche said. “I learned (at a young age) I loved it, played it and love to play it.”

The love of the game has taken Nick Rusche right where he wanted it to take him — college baseball.

And, it all started right in his own backyard.

“The Rusches are a baseball family,” Gould said. “Mom and dad don’t miss many games. They’re good people and a baseball family, for sure.”