EVANSVILLE — There’s no debating where Southwestern Indiana stands on the baseball diamond.
Team success is clear with the area represented at the IHSAA state finals every year since 2017. Where it may get overlooked statewide is the individual talent, routinely churning out some of the top players at their positions between here and Fort Wayne.
This year includes two choices for All-Southwestern Indiana Player of the Year.
Cooper Collins of Vincennes Lincoln and Jake Mazzier of Gibson Southern share the top spot on the Courier & Press All-Southwestern Indiana baseball team for the 2026 season, as chosen by the sports staff. One is among the best catchers this area has seen in decades. The other made his mark with a dominant senior season on the mound.
Cooper Collins became an elite all-around baseball player
Nobody ever denied the talent behind the plate.
The Vincennes Lincoln catcher has been described as one of the best defensive players at his position in some time around Evansville. The eye test and metrics backed up that assertion. The only possible question — how high was his overall ceiling? Would Collins become a consistent hitter at the level he aspired?
All answered this spring. Collins batted a career-best .471 with 30 runs batted in to pair with his elite arm and awareness behind the dish. It all adds up to being one of the top players in Indiana moving forward with a future even brighter than this time last year.
“My junior year went extremely well as it was another step in my career,” he said. “There’s always room for things to be cleaned up but overall very pleased. The big change I noticed was how much harder I was hitting the baseball.”
The reasoning was simple. Collins put in the work to get better. An entire offseason spent in the weight room to get stronger. A minor tweak in his swing to get his back leg more involved led to increased power. Collins also credited weekly trips to Evansville for access to a hitting lab at GRIT Athletic Academy.
The results become noticeable throughout the season. The junior led the Alices in every notable offensive category: batting average, RBIs, home runs (4), hits (40), doubles (9), runs (22), OBP (.551) and slugging (.765). Vincennes Lincoln completed its time in the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference with a third-place finish and earned its first postseason win against rival Jasper since 2007.
He remained nearly perfect behind the plate too. Collins threw out four runners attempting to steal, not including multiple pick-offs. Few even dared to run against his registered 1.75-1.9 second pop time. There are objectively fewer gaps in his overall game now. He was selected the SIAC Player of the Year and already eclipsed 100 career hits.
“Another thing that stood out to me was just the respect from other teams on the bases,” Collins said. “Obviously, I didn’t love it. I wanted to show off the arm a little bit, but it was neat to see. We started playing our best ball at the right time which just shows the fight and grit from the guys. We could have easily of folded many times throughout the season.
“My experience with the SIAC has been a blast. Playing the best competition as a competitor is always what you should want. I think it has prepared all sports for the postseason play and I will for sure miss it.”
What’s next for the All-State catcher? He wants to see another jump with his bat and add more mass to his 5-foot-11 frame. The Texas A&M commit also hopes to get in front of as many eyes as possible this summer to potential increase his draft potential. Collins already intends to not play football in order to increase his prospects in the fall.
What’s clear is Collins isn’t satisfied. The sky remains the limit with another year remaining.
“There’s some important things that are coming up at the end of summer and early fall that could set me up very well for whatever is next,” Collins said. “I need to get in the weight room even more and gain some mass. Offensively will be the main target. As I get stronger, I think the power will keep coming. Not only this but I need to be the best leader and teammate I can be as I go into my last high school season.”
Jake Mazzier made the most of his only full season
The Gibson Southern pitcher understood the importance of the opportunity in front of him.
Mazzier was an itriguing unknown not too long ago. An elbow injury previously desribed as “halfway to Tommy John surgery” elminated most of his junior campaign. He only had five varsity innings to his name on the mound entering March. It gifted him a greater appreciation of simply being available to pitch.
What transpired was not just a taste of his potential. One could label it among the best seasons in program history.
Mazzier was not just among the top pitchers in the area but all of Southern Indiana. And he only shined brighter when the games mattered more with a dominant postseason run to lead the Titans to their first regional championship in 12 years.
“I’m very grateful for the run we made and the standards we set,” Mazzier said. “It went well for me personally because I really just stayed within myself and my abilities. Just be able to trust the defense I had behind me and behind the plate made pitching a lot easier.”
The 6-foot-1 right-hander was unhittable at times this season. Mazzier went 8-2 with a 1.33 earned run average and 98 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings. His fastball typically sat in the upper 80s, but his curveball/slider combo left hitters with a .174 batting average against and only 11 walks in 13 apperances. The senior was a First Team All-PAC pick and IHSBCA All-Star.
What truly cemented his status was how he performed after Memorial Day.
Mazzier allowed only seven hits and three runs in 24 postseason innings. He pitched a one-hit, nine-inning shutout to beat Vincennes Lincoln in the sectional semfinal. Next was two hits and seven punchouts in the regional. Then 5 1/3 no-hitting innings in the semi-state opener. Mazzier even returned that evening to pitch 3 2/3 innings in a loss to eventual state champion Guerin Catholic. Few pitchers in Indiana were better in June.
“Each start of the postseason I knew it could be my last,” Mazzier said. “I just gave it my all since those were the games my teammates and I have been working for all year. Just sitting out (my junior year) and not being able to help the team out was hard. It taught me to take better care of my arm, to appreciate every single start and not take anything for granted.”
With his prep career complete, the next step is Western Kentucky University. The immediate success after missing nearly a full season injected confidence. But the immediate mindset is continued hard work and trusting the process.
That got him to this point. No reason to stop now after an impressive season on the mound.
“I have to continue to have confidence in my stuff but also be able to control my emotions if something doesn’t go right,” Mazzier said. “I’ll continue to try and be the best person and teammate everyday. I hope I’ve proven to everyone that I did everything this season for the name on the front. I truly do love Gibson southern and appreciate everything this school taught me as a student-athlete.”
Gibson Southern coach Bobby Segal is the Courier & Press All-Southwestern Indiana Coach of the Year. The Titans finished 27-7 with an outright PAC championship and reached the Final Four in the state tournament. It is the second-most victories in program history.
2026 Courier & Press All-Southwestern Indiana Baseball Team
Position, Name, School, Year, Avg.
C: Cooper Collins, Vincennes Lincoln, Jr., .471
C: Gunner Alexander, Gibson Southern, Sr., .293
1B: Jaxon Lueken, Forest Park, Sr., .333
2B/SS: Peyton Gray, Heritage Hills, Sr., .479
2B/SS: Crewe Hasneour, Gibson Southern, Jr., .446
3B: Caden Jamison, Boonville, Sr., .448
INF: Levi Lester, Barr-Reeve, Sr., .402
INF: Jaron Clutter, Princeton, Sr., .479
INF: Jared Burger, Forest Park, Sr., .450
INF: Luke Weintraut, Mount Vernon, Sr., .352
OF: Micah Toler, Heritage Hills, Jr., .466
OF: Sam Beck, Northeast Dubois, Jr., .465
OF: Trey Tyree, Heritage Hills, Jr., .473
OF: Conan Kellems, Tell City, So., .455
Flex: Jack Levin, Jasper, Sr., .370
Flex: Brycen Mroz, Northeast Dubois, Jr., .376
Flex: Grant Davis, Boonville, Sr., .500
DH: Brody Clark, Washington, Sr., .439
DH: Bo Shots, Vincennes Rivet, Jr., .423
P: Jake Mazzier, Gibson Southern, Sr., 8-2, 1.33
P: Alton Ostby, Washington, Sr., 7-1, 0.74
P: Eli Schroering, Northeast Dubois, Jr., 7-1, 1.65
P: Tyce Winchell, Heritage Hills, 7-2, 1.30
P: Brogan McCllelan, Gibson Southern, Jr., 6-0, 1.59
Players of the Year: Cooper Collins (Vincennes Lincoln) and Jake Mazzier (Gibson Southern)
Coach of the Year: Bobby Segal (Gibson Southern)
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at kyle.sokeland@courierpress.com.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Meet the 2026 Courier & Press All-Southwestern Indiana Baseball Team
Reporting by Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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By Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press | USA TODAY Network
