After long college journey, Michael Sarhatt believes he’s found home — and big role — with Indiana baseball

Michael Sarhatt has never taken the easy road. And frankly, he wouldn’t want it any other way.

A 6-foot-6 right-hander from California with a veteran’s arm and a rookie’s enthusiasm, Sarhatt arrives in Bloomington for his sixth and final collegiate season — his fourth school in a six-year odyssey that’s been equal parts grind, growth and grit.

From Skyline College in the Bay Area, to an up and down season at Division I Nevada, to two years at Division II Point Loma Nazarene, Sarhatt has seen nearly every shade of college baseball.

Now, the grad transfer is slated to suit up for Indiana, where he’ll bring not only a refined arsenal to the mound but also a contagious energy to the locker room.

“I just want to throw innings for a winning ball club,” Sarhatt told TheHoosier.com. “That’s my goal.”

For head coach Jeff Mercer and pitching coach Dustin Glant, the addition of Sarhatt is more than a stat sheet move. It’s the kind of veteran presence that can ripple through a clubhouse, especially one looking to return to the NCAA Tournament in 2026.

SEE ALSO: Indiana baseball 2025 transfer portal tracker

Sarhatt’s path to Indiana wasn’t planned. In fact, when he first entered the NCAA transfer portal this past April, his season at Point Loma hadn’t even wrapped up.

There were still outs to chase and innings to eat. But the decision to test the waters early wasn’t about rushing out — it was about planting the seed.

“I wasn’t popping in [the portal] to find a school immediately,” Sarhatt said. “I kind of just wanted to get in the portal and let schools know that I had another year of eligibility.”

After Point Loma bowed out in the NCAA Division II Regionals, Sarhatt made things official. He posted on social media that he was open for business as a graduate transfer — a durable, experienced arm still hungry for innings.

Then came the call that changed everything.

It was Denton Sagerman, Indiana’s director of player development and operations. For Sarhatt, it was supposed to be a quick, boilerplate recruiting call. It became something much more.

“Before our call, I expected it to be just a normal call,” Sarhatt said. “But we ended up clicking. It got rolling fast.”

That call led to others — with Glant, with Mercer — and suddenly, what started as a routine chat became something Sarhatt couldn’t ignore.

“It was awesome to hear from them,” he said. “It was just something that I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of. I loved what I heard.”

But what stood out most wasn’t the pitch. It was the plan.

“They had a plan for me and my development before I’d even committed,” Sarhatt said. “It just seemed like a very promising place to be, definitely something I wanted to be a part of.”

The conversations turned technical — analyzing fastball shape, discussing his vertical attack plan, and maximizing his best weapons: a sharp slider and curveball combo that tormented hitters during a standout 2025 season.

In 21 appearances a season ago, Sarhatt posted a 3.48 ERA, struck out 46, walked just 14, and held opponents to a .197 batting average.

By the time Sarhatt arranged a campus visit, he already knew Indiana was the right fit.

“I went into the visit having a good idea that Indiana was a place I wanted to be,” he said. “And I left Bloomington knowing that it was home.”

Though born and raised on the West Coast, Sarhatt says he’s always had some Midwest in his soul. His father is from Michigan, and he spent his fair share of summers there growing up — fishing, relaxing and soaking up the slower, friendlier rhythm of life.

“I think I have more Midwest in me than most Cali people, that’s for sure,” he said with a laugh.

His visit to Bloomington only reinforced what he already felt in his gut. It wasn’t just the facilities or the baseball talk — it was the easy smiles and warm greetings.

Whether it was Indiana staffers, other student-athletes or even BuffaLouie’s owner Ed Schwartzman chatting him up, Sarhatt felt something genuine in the way people carried themselves.

“Everyone that I met at IU — the coaches, other athletes, even just random faculty — they’re striking up a conversation, they’re smiling, it just felt like a community,” Sarhatt said. “And that’s something that’s very important to me.”

The sense of belonging mattered. But Sarhatt was also intentional about what he wanted from this final year.

As a grad transfer, he was looking for more than a mound to stand on. He was looking for a degree that mattered.

“I was really only looking for a few things in the portal,” Sarhatt said. “I wanted to find a place for some good competition and then also get a degree that’ll hold some real weight in the real world. IU had both of those to offer at a very high level.”

Sarhatt’s role with the Hoosiers is still to be determined, but Indiana may count on him to throw big innings next season. Whether he’s asked to lock down late-game leads, stretch out middle innings, or serve as a mentor to younger arms, he brings polish, presence and professionalism.

But what may prove just as valuable is his off-the-field impact. Sarhatt is a self-described “vibes guy,” and anyone who has played with him knows his presence lights up a locker room. He knows younger players will look to him. That’s the nature of experience. And he’s ready for it.

His pregame routine? Crank the aux, crank the energy.

“I just love to get some good vibes going in the locker room,” Sarhatt said. “Whoever’s on aux, whatever type of music, good vibes, dance a little bit and sing a little bit. Just get some good energy going into the game.”

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For Sarhatt, baseball has always been about more than ERA or WHIP. It’s about shared bus rides, postgame laughs, the little in-between moments that build a team’s soul.

“Those are the things that have stuck in my baseball career,” he said.

This summer, Sarhatt isn’t pitching in summer ball. He’s resting, fishing and preparing for what he hopes will be the perfect send-off. After all the stops, all the setbacks and all the growth, Bloomington isn’t just another school on the resume.

It’s home.

“I’m excited to do what I do and show guys the right way to contribute to winning baseball,” he said.

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