HU Foresters to take on IU Hoosiers October 4

Huntington University baseball fans will have a unique opportunity to watch the Foresters take the field against one of the state’s premier college baseball programs when Indiana University comes to Fort Wayne for a special fall exhibition game.

The Huntington University Foresters will face the Indiana Hoosiers at Parkview Field in Fort Wayne at 2:05 p.m. Sunday, October 4. The game will give local baseball fans a chance to see Huntington University compete on a professional baseball field against an NCAA Division I opponent.

The matchup also carries several local connections.

“We love the local tie-ins as well with the Foresters just being 20 or 30 minutes down the road,” TinCaps President Mike Nutter said.

Huntington University is coming off a historic 2026 season in which the Foresters won a program-record 39 games and advanced to the NAIA tournament. The team was led by Homestead High School graduate Grant Simmons, who was named Crossroads League Pitcher of the Year after recording 75 strikeouts in 80 innings with a 2.97 ERA.

Other local players expected to be part of the Huntington roster include Johnnie Ankenbruck, a Homestead graduate, and Kyle Decker of Leo. Decker also has a connection to the TinCaps, working as part of the team’s grounds crew.

Indiana University will bring some familiar faces to Fort Wayne as well. Left-handed pitcher Brayton Thomas, a Bishop Dwenger graduate, and infielder Landen Fry, a Snider graduate, were members of last year’s Hoosiers team. Thomas made 14 starts, while Fry started 47 games and hit .280 with 30 RBIs.

The Huntington-IU connection also extends beyond the players. Huntington head coach Thad Frame and Mercer representatives have connections to the Fort Wayne baseball community, helping bring the exhibition game together. Huntington University is also the sponsor of the right-field picnic pavilion at Parkview Field.

The TinCaps plan to make the October 4 contest feel like a traditional game day at Parkview Field, including the professional-style presentation fans have come to expect during the regular season.

Following the game, players and coaches from both teams will be available for autographs.

Individual tickets start at $12, with group ticket packages available for groups of 20 or more. Tickets are available through TinCaps.com or at the Parkview Field ticket office.

For Huntington University and its baseball fans, the game offers a chance to see the Foresters compete on a big stage while bringing together Huntington and Fort Wayne through a shared love of baseball.