Behind the south end zone at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Cole Gilley could gaze out and see his future.
No more than 15 yards behind the goalpost, a miniature turf field was barricaded by a small white fence. It’s where Gilley, a Columbus, Indiana, native frequently spent Saturdays during his childhood.
“There’s probably multiple times I was down there tackling somebody playing two-hand touch football,” Gilley said, placing air quotes around “two-hand touch.”
Gilley dreamt of playing football for Indiana. He starred as the quarterback for Columbus East High School, leading the Olympians to a 2019-20 IHSAA 6A State Championship appearance. In a 62-21 win over Bedford North Lawrence that season, Gilley went 8-for-8 passing with 199 yards and five touchdowns.
He earned a spot on both the 2018 and 2019 Indiana AP All-State teams. But it wasn’t just on the gridiron where Gilley’s right arm was a weapon, and it ultimately wouldn’t be at Memorial Stadium where Indiana baseball’s redshirt senior pitcher would hone it in for college.
***
As a pitcher for the Olympians’ baseball team, Gilley was a bonafide ace. He posted a 12-2 record with a career 1.63 ERA. Gilley garnered considerable college interest early in high school, and on Nov. 28, 2017, he announced his verbal commitment to Indiana.
At the time, the Hoosiers were led by head coach Chris Lemonis. Kyle Bunn manned the pitching staff, and Kyle Cheesebrough and Zach Lucas were key assistants. But roughly seven months later, everything changed.
Lemonis was hired by Mississippi State University to become its next head coach. Cheesebrough and Lucas followed. Bunn, who Gilley expected to develop under, jumped to Middle Tennessee State University.
On July 2, 2018, Jeff Mercer was hired from Wright State University to coach at Indiana. He didn’t know Gilley well. Though Gilley was a longstanding recruit for the class of 2020 — and ranked as the No. 23 overall prospect in the state — Mercer brought in a handful of other pitchers to compete.
He told Gilley during one of their first conversations that it would be a “little bit different” than he anticipated.
“You want to be honest with guys when you come in and get the job,” Mercer said.
Less than two weeks later, Gilley withdrew his commitment.
“He decided to go a different direction,” Mercer said. “It was mutual and very respectful.”
***
The following summer, Gilley landed on Indiana State University and head coach Mitch Hannahs, a friend of Mercer’s. In his freshman season, Gilley faced just one batter — he struck him out.
Then, in January 2022, with Gilley expected to be more involved in the rotation, he tore his UCL, a ligament on the inner side of the elbow. Gilley needed Tommy John surgery. His sophomore season was over before it began.
As a junior in 2023, Gilley only compiled 8 2/3 innings of work out of the bullpen. He tossed a scoreless frame with three strikeouts against the Hoosiers but never managed more than two innings in an appearance.
The Sycamores edged Wright State and Iowa in the NCAA Tournament Terre Haute Regional before falling in the Fort Worth Super Regional. Gilley never took the mound during the postseason run.
By his senior year, both of Gilley’s sisters, Cadence and Chloe, were playing volleyball at Indiana State. Gilley had no intentions of transferring, and he was rewarded with his most productive season to date.
In 15 appearances, including three starts, Gilley hurled 32 2/3 innings. He pitched against Indiana twice more and toed the slab in an NCAA Tournament matchup with the University of Kentucky. Gilley’s numbers weren’t ideal — he pitched to a 6.61 ERA and gave up four or more runs on four separate occasions.
But more importantly, Gilley gained much-needed experience with another year of eligibility remaining. When Hannahs left Indiana State shortly after the season to coach at the University of South Florida, Gilley sought a different direction, one that seemed inevitable since his childhood.
He entered the transfer portal, and Mercer was immediately interested.
“I really thought he was a few adjustments away, maybe a cutter or a sweeper or a slider, just another layer or wrinkle, from being really good,” Mercer said.
He worried, though, if the high school recruitment experience had left a sour taste in Gilley’s mouth.
“I was like, ‘do you think Cole Gilley will hang up on me if I call him?’” Mercer asked one of Gilley’s summer ball coaches.
The coach said no, insisting Gilley was everything Mercer wanted in a player. Tough. Blue collar mentality. Strong work ethic and character. During their initial conversation, Mercer first told Gilley how appreciative he was for taking the phone call.
Gilley said there were no hard feelings, and on June 14 last summer, he committed to Indiana. Now, as part of a revamped pitching staff composed of veteran transfers and promising underclassmen, Gilley’s finally seeing his dream realized.
“It’s been a dream come true,” Gilley said. “Growing up, I always wanted to go to IU and play here. Just being here and representing Indiana across your chest — I love it.”
***
One difference Gilley noted between Indiana and Indiana State is the depth of pitching data. He said Hannahs was “a little more old school.” But now, Gilley’s pitch shapes and metrics are being tracked extensively.
With his cutter being a hopeful method of inducing weak contact and going deeper into games, Gilley’s worked frequently with pitching coach Dustin Glant. Mercer said Glant is an adept “pitch design developer” and there’s optimism for Gilley to deliver, either as a starter or in long relief.
Even with the influx of data and attentiveness to every pitch, every minute movement, Gilley’s mentality remains the same.
“Attack hitters and get after them and find any way to get (them) out,” Gilley said. “You’re not going to have your best stuff every day, but whatever you’re working with that day, you got to get guys out ... Some people can get caught up too much in the data and forget to just compete.”
As one of 11 pitching transfers this offseason, eight of which being upperclassmen, Indiana’s gained plenty of experience, something direly needed for a staff trying to recoup considerable pitching production.
Flamethrowing ace Connor Foley was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Brayden Risedorph, who transitioned from a starting role to the back end of the bullpen last year, was taken in the 20th round by the Chicago Cubs. Indiana’s bullpen workhorse Ty Bothwell graduated, and reliever Julian Tonghini transferred to the University of Arizona.
The Hoosiers needed options on the mound, and needed ones who have seen their share of college hitters.
“What’s nice is a couple of those transfers have come in and given us a little bit more of a veteran feel to that group,” Mercer said. “They can go out and win a bunch of ball games and also give those young guys time to grow up, as well.”
Mercer said the starting rotation isn’t yet determined but noted there are a lot of ways Indiana could approach the weekends. He mentioned redshirt senior Gavin Seebold — a transfer from the University of Southern Indiana — as a choice, in addition to senior southpaw Ryan Kraft and junior righty Aydan Decker-Petty.
Graduate student Ben Grable is another arm Mercer has expressed excitement about. Grable was expected to be a front-line starter in 2024 but missed the entire season with an injury. While Mercer said he’ll likely pitch the beginning of the season in a closer or setup role, he lauded Grable’s “premium stuff.”
***
The Hoosiers have a motto for their pitching staff: “we’re gonna be aggressive, we’re gonna be tough, we’re gonna be mean,” graduate student Drew Buhr said.
If anyone embodies that, Buhr said, it’s Gilley.
“Through and through one of the best guys I’ve ever met,” Buhr said. “On the pitching side, he’s an absolute beast. He’s super competitive, really aggressive.”
It’s a bit ironic given his quiet nature. He isn’t the most vocal in group settings, but freshman pitcher Brayton Thomas said Gilley has helped him tremendously in one-on-one conversations.
There’s his work ethic and ability to take “no days off,” as Thomas says. Then there’s his hyper attentiveness to the game, whether he’s on the mound or analyzing it from the bench.
“The way that his mind is so locked in, day in and day out,” Thomas said.
But most importantly, Gilley’s imparted wisdom relating to the mental side of the game. He’s talked to Thomas about staying level-headed through the ebbs and flows of an outing, through mowing down batters or failing to find the strike zone.
“Gilley’s been an outstanding role model,” Thomas said. “He’s been in the game for a really long time. I’m thankful for Gilley because this whole pitching staff can look up to him.”
Wherever Gilley finds himself in the mix this season, be it as a starter or out of the bullpen, he’s emphasizing aggressiveness. Getting ahead in counts. Attacking hitters and pounding the strike zone.
The first time he takes the mound in an Indiana uniform at Bart Kaufman Field, less than half a mile from where he used to fantasize about throwing touchdowns, that won’t change.
And five years later than he expected, Gilley’s Indiana dreams will finally come full circle.
Matt Press is a features writer for the Indiana Daily Student. You can follow him at @MattPress23 on X or contact him via email at mtpress@iu.edu.
