It didn’t take long for Ian White to know Bloomington was home. Less than 48 hours after stepping onto Indiana’s campus, the 6-foot-1 right-handed pitcher from Malvern, Pennsylvania, announced his commitment to the Hoosiers.
It all began with a message — not from Indiana’s coaching staff, but from White himself. He reached out to the program on X (formerly known as Twitter), eager to start a conversation. That led to his first call with Director of Player Development Denton Sagerman, a conversation that would change everything.
“That’s when I fell in love with everything,” White told TheHoosier.com. “We talked for a long time just about development and their plan for me. After that call, I texted my dad and I was like, I think this might be the spot.”
From there, the communication stayed steady while White played summer ball for the Charlottesville Tom Sox in the Valley Baseball League. Eventually, those talks led to a visit to Bloomington.
White spent a full day touring campus, eating lunch with the coaching staff and diving deeper into their vision for his development — an experience he described as “all great.”
The June 13 visit began under rainy skies, but the weather cleared by afternoon. By the time he left campus, both he and his parents knew the decision was made. The next evening, June 14, he made it official.
“Everything seemed great, even before I got on campus,” White said. “But once I got on campus, it was kind of a done deal at that point.”
TRENDING: After long college journey, Michael Sarhatt believes he’s found home — and big role — with Indiana baseball
He had heard Bloomington was beautiful, but seeing it firsthand — even during the quiet of summer break — sealed it. The size and feel of campus fit exactly what he’d envisioned when entering the transfer portal: a big state school with a fan base passionate about the logo on the front of the jersey.
That feeling only grew stronger when White arrived at the Indianapolis airport, where IU tridents and crimson gear are hard to miss.
“Even when I got to the airport… there’s IU logos everywhere,” White said. “I was like, yeah, this is something I want to be a part of.”
Indiana’s coaching staff had emphasized the pride that came with wearing the uniform.
“They were like, ‘If you come here and play here, you’re playing for more than just the baseball team. Whenever you put the logo on, you’re playing for and representing a state,’” White said. “It’s something that comes with it, and it’s something to be prideful in.”
One of the visit’s defining moments came during a sit-down with Sagerman and pitching coach Dustin Glant. For more than an hour, they laid out a detailed plan for White’s development, showing the level of belief they already had in him — even before he committed.
White’s father, not one to be easily impressed, walked away convinced Indiana was different.
“Seeing them do that for someone that wasn’t even committed to play for them,” White said, “my dad was super impressed with that, and we kind of looked at each other and were like, yeah, this is different. This place is special.”
White describes his father as a steady, grounding influence — someone who sits quietly in the outfield during games and offers advice only when asked. When his dad was impressed by the Indiana coaching staff, White took notice.
“He’s been vital,” White said of his father. “The biggest thing that he’s done for me is just kind of give me perspective on the whole process.”
SEE ALSO: Ayden Crouse sees himself as Indiana baseball’s next breakout transfer outfielder
The competitive draw of the Big Ten also played into White’s choice. He wanted to test himself in one of the nation’s top conferences and was drawn to Indiana’s track record under head coach Jeff Mercer — especially with developing pitchers and getting them to the next level.
“The Big Ten kind of caught my eye,” White said. “And seeing the success [Indiana’s] had with pitchers in similar situations to me… it was kind of a perfect fit in my eyes.”
That early belief mattered just as much.
“They saw things in me that could really skyrocket my performance,” White said. “That kind of belief that they showed to me early, that made the decision easy.”
White comes to Bloomington after his freshman season at East Carolina, where he made 16 bullpen appearances, posting a 3.60 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 10 innings. He knows there’s work to be done, but he isn’t putting limits on what his role could be.
“The role is what I’m going to make it out to be,” White said. “There’s no real title to any of it.”
From a rainy Friday morning in Bloomington to a commitment less than 48 hours later, White’s path to Indiana was as decisive as it was fast. Now, with a detailed pitching plan in place and the pride of wearing cream and crimson ahead of him, he’s ready to represent the state — and the logo — that drew him in.
Not yet a member of TheHoosier? Join our community for Just $1 for your first week and get a complimentary year of The Athletic included with your membership. Join here!
Use the code “IND20” on Rhoback.com for a generous 20% off for all new customers through the end of this week. Rhoback — Best Fit, Best Feel.
