FORTVILLE — Ryan Carr has stepped down as the head baseball coach at Mt. Vernon High School.
Carr’s resignation was accepted at the June Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation board meeting.
In five seasons as the head coach, Carr’s teams compiled an overall record of 72-62. His clubs were 37-33 in the Hoosier Heritage Conference. In four of the five seasons, the Marauders finished with a winning record.
During that time, the Marauders reached two sectional championship games, losing to Pendleton Heights in both 2015 and 2018. They were eliminated in the first round of the sectional in the other three seasons, but all of the teams that beat Mt. Vernon went on to become sectional champions.
The 2016 team finished tied for second in the HHC with Pendleton Heights. Both were one game behind league champion New Palestine.
“Five years was a good time and a good chapter. Now another chapter starts,” Carr said.
Carr is leaving coaching for personal reasons. His next chapter is coming soon. He is getting married in September. His fiance’, Joanna, is a school teacher and will be starting at an IPS school this year after working in Fort Wayne.
“I’d rather go home (after school) and hang out with her,” he said.
Along with a strong record with the Marauders, Carr helped develop some impressive individual talent.
“We’ve had some players go on and have success at the next level. Noah Powell is at Ball State. Zach Spears (who went to Division I Miami of Ohio) was drafted and we’ve had guys play or are playing at the D-II and D-III levels,” Carr said. “I think during my time, when teams were playing Mt. Vernon, they knew they were going to get a good game.”
Two players that will be seniors this upcoming season, Jake Stadler (Purdue) and Nolan Bowser (St. Louis) have verbally committed to Division I schools.
“There was a lot of turnover before me,” Carr, who was the Marauders fifth coach in six years when he was hired, added. “I hope I gave some continuity (over the last five years).
“In high school baseball you have some ups and downs. Four ups and one down, I’ll take that.”
Along with some big wins and continuity, Carr helped develop The Marauders Baseball Club for 8U and 13U kids.
“Ryan brought a consistent presence to the program the last five years and did a lot of good things,” Mt. Vernon Athletic Director Brandon Ecker said. “He has got some personal change in his life and we appreciate all the time and effort he put in the program and wish him the best.
“Coaches make decisions that are best for their families and family is always going to be first. It always will be first for us,” Ecker added.
The new coach will be inheriting a pretty good ballclub. Along with the two Division I commitments, the Marauders return most of the lineup from a team that finished 13-10 overall and 8-6 in the HHC. They were tied for fourth in the conference, but were only one game out of second place.
The Marauders lost in the first round of the sectional to Greenfield-Central, which went on to reach the regional final.
Mt. Vernon returns its entire pitching staff and graduate just two regulars in catcher/designated hitter Sam McCarty, an all-county performer, and outfielder Thomas Obergfell.
“There’s a lot of key pieces returning and there is potential to step in to a situation where there can be immediate success,” Ecker said.
A new baseball coach is expected to be announced at the next Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation board meeting on Aug. 19.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Carr’s coaching record” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Year;Overall;HHC
2015;15-13;9-5
2016;18-9;9-5
2017;10-18;5-9
2018;16-12;6-8
2019;13-10;8-6
Overall;72-62;37-33
[sc:pullout-text-end]
