The Miami University RedHawks baseball team is having another successful season under second-year head coach Brian Smiley. Smiley’s RedHawks are currently third in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). With a 25-19 overall record and an 18-6 conference record, Miami has had its best start in MAC play since 2014.
The RedHawks’ strength this year has been their offense.
Miami ranks fourth in the MAC in batting average at .296, fourth in hits with 437, third in home runs with 59 and second in RBIs with 338. One player who has been a key cog in the offense is Evan Appelwick, a redshirt junior infielder in his third year with Miami. Appelwick grew up in Madison, South Dakota, and he credits his grandfather as a significant influence on his baseball career.
“My grandpa was a big part of me playing baseball,” Appelwick said. “He was always there to throw to me, and it really was a family bonding thing for me.”
In his junior year of high school, Appelwick transferred to IMG Academy after three years at Madison High School. He said his time at IMG prepared him for the next level, starting with Indiana University.
“I think it really prepared me well for the college level,” Appelwick said. “To have that college structure and to be around guys who have the same college mindset really made me work hard and get comfortable.”
During his one season as a Hoosier, Appelwick said he recalls having an excellent experience but mentioned that he had a better opportunity at Miami..
“There were players that were more developed than me, so I thought it would be better to enter the transfer portal and look for a better playing opportunity,” Appelwick said. “Seeing how beautiful the campus and facilities were was another thing that brought me here.”
Appelwick currently leads the RedHawks in home runs with 14, RBIs with 51 and is second on the team in slugging percentage at .600. His 14 home runs also ranks him No. 50 in the country.
Through his time in Oxford, Appelwick’s batting average has increased every year. He’s currently hitting .297 and improved his numbers from .274 last year and .233 in 2023.
Appelwick’s mindset at the plate is to get on base above everything else, and he said it’s helped him out tremendously during his collegiate career.
“The best approach for me is just to hit a hard single the other way and look on the outer half of the plate as it comes in,” Appelwick said. “Overall, I’m just looking for a pitch that I can drive right to centerfield.”
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One person he has attributed his success to throughout his time at Miami is associate head coach Kyle Trewyn, who joined the RedHawks’ coaching staff after spending the 2023 season as a hitting coach for the Bradley University Braves.
“He’s passionate about hitting,” Trewyn said. “He wants to be a really good hitter and help his team win and that mentality is good. It’s a testament to that hard work that Evan has put in.”
The RedHawks are closing in on making back-to-back MAC tournament appearances for the first time since 2018-19. For Appelwick, he believes this team can make the jump to the NCAA regionals this year.
“Our one goal is to make a regional,” Appelwick said. “I would say that’s my main focus to finish in the top two so we can secure a bye. I think this team is very capable of getting into a regional, we have guys that will step up.”
Miami is third in the MAC, but has a tiebreaker over the No. 2 Kent State University Golden Flashes, whom the RedHawks beat in a home series on April 11-13.
The RedHawks have two MAC series left in the 2025 season. They close out their home schedule against the Akron University Zips from May 9-11. Their final series of the regular season finds the RedHawks on the road against the Ball State University Cardinals from May 15-17.
Appelwick hopes to bring Miami to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005. His hitting power puts the RedHawks in a strong position to make history.
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