Hoosiers' 2022 baseball season set to begin with weekend road trip

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Indiana baseball opens up its 2022 season with a road trip to Clemson this weekend.

The Hoosiers are coming off of a 2021 season where they went 26-18 in a Big Ten only schedule due to the COVID pandemic. They finished fourth in the conference.

Clemson had a 25-27 record last year and were just 16-20 in the ACC.

It's now the fourth season for IU head coach Jeff Mercer and he looks to take the program back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.

The Hoosiers, who lose their top three batters and pitchers, are picked to finish sixth in the Big Ten this season.

With so many key pieces to replace, Mercer and Indiana went right to the transfer market to bring in players expected to be key contributors for this season.

One of those transfers gets a crack right away to make an impact for Indiana -- Jack Perkins. Perkins is a transfer pitcher from Louisville who is set for a Saturday start against the Tigers.

The season-opening starter is one from the roster last season, but not much of a factor in the starting oration. John Modugno had 16 appearances, with four starts in 2021. He had a 3-1 record with a 2.09 ERA. He looks to build on a good sophomore year with an even bigger season in 2022.

"John has a track record here and has done a really good job. He's very, very competitive and stable," Mercer said. "The off-speed stuff has taken a really nice jump this year, which is a normal progression for a guy that he transitions from a bullpen/spot starter into a full-fledged starter."

As for Perkins, he had 11 appearances last season with two starts. Like Modugno, Perkins spent most of his season in the bullpen. He had a 7.31 ERA in 16 innings pitched.

"Those two guys have really separated themselves," Mercer said. "Jack with the four seem and the two seem. He's got a cutter, slider and curveball, a good changeup. It's a really nice mix of stuff."

Helping the pitching staff is where most of the incoming transfers will come into play. Some of the notable ones are junior college transfer catcher Matthew Ellis. Ellis landed on the Preseason Big Ten Honors list after transferring in from Walters State C.C. He started off his college career at Tennessee.

Ellis appeared in 65 games last season and had a .348 batting average. He had 17 home runs and 62 RBIs.

Additionally, Youngstown State shortstop transfer Phillip Glasser, will play a big role in the Hoosiers' infield as well. He was a Second-Team All-Horizon performer a season ago. In 53 of his 55 games played (53 starts), Glasser reached base safely. He posted 20 multi-hit games as well. Glasser was another member of the IU roster who received Preseason Big Ten honors.

Another key infield piece that Indiana brought in through the transfer route is Tyler Doanes. Doanes spent his first four years at West Virginia where he had a career batting average of .289 with 150 hits and 84 RBIs in 140 career games.

First baseman Kip Fougerousse and outfielders Ethan Vecrumba and Morgan Colopy return from Indiana's roster last year after playing big parts in the 2021 season.

In total, Indiana welcomes 18 newcomers to the roster.

• Clemson posted a 25-27 overall record to mark the first losing season for the Tigers in over 60 years. The last time a Clemson team posted a losing season was 1957 (6-12).

• Players who accounted for 42 percent of the starts in the field during the 2021 season return in 2022.

• Caden Grice, a Freshman All-American and second-team All-ACC pick, returns after leading the team in RBIs (53), home runs (15) and on-base percentage (.427). The left-handed hitter finished No. 2 on the team with a .317 batting average as a freshman.

• Dylan Brewer also posted a double-digit home run season in 2021 with 10. He drove in 31 RBIs and tied for a team- high with six stolen bases.

• Mack Anglin led the Clemson starting pitchers witha 3.99 ERA over 56 1/3 innings of work. He held opponents to a .227 batting average against and struck out 75 to 33 walks.

Friday, February 18, 2022

IU: John-Biagio Modugno, RHP, Jr.

CU: Mack Anglin, RHP, So.

Saturday, February 19, 2022

IU: Jack Perkins, RHP, R-Jr.

CU: Nick Clayton, RHP, So.

Sunday, February 20, 2022

IU: TBA

CU: Nick Hoffmann, RHP, So.

Game One:

When: Friday at 4 pm ET

TV: ACC Network Extra

Radio: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network

Game Two:

When: Saturday at 3 pm ET

TV: ACC Network Extra

Radio: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network

Game Three:

When: Sunday at 2 pm ET

TV: ACC Network Extra

Radio: Indiana Hoosiers Sports Network

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