BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Hogan Denny watched his deep drive soar down the left field line, the crowd erupting in anticipation. It looked like the perfect ending—until it wasn’t.
The ball hooked just foul, and after a long review, the freshman’s walk-off home run was wiped away. Instead of frustration, Denny refocused. On the very next pitch, he delivered.
With a full count in the bottom of the 10th inning, Denny laced a single into right-center field, bringing home fellow freshman Cooper Malamazian and securing an 8-7 comeback victory for the Hoosiers. It was their second walk-off of the day, completing a doubleheader sweep over Ohio State.
“When the freshmen come in and they play well, I’m pleased. I’m happy,” head coach Jeff Mercer said postgame. “But we can’t be surprised. You can’t look at a guy and say, ‘Man, I can’t believe you did that.’ It’s what you’re here to do. You’re recruited at Indiana. The expectation is that you come in and you play and you play well.”
Indiana's freshmen exceeded expectations on Friday. It was the kind of night that could turn around a season, and fittingly, it was the youngsters who owned the moment.
The fireworks started early. After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning of the opener, Indiana erupted for 12 unanswered runs, cruising to a 12-2 victory in eight innings. Redshirt sophomore Korbyn Dickerson put an exclamation point on the rout with a towering two-run homer, triggering the run rule and giving Indiana a walk-off win—technically.
The Hoosiers pounded out 14 hits, with five players recording multi-hit games. Freshman first baseman Jake Hanley—who has been one of Indiana’s most consistent bats early in the season—delivered two home runs, continuing his red-hot start.
"We wouldn’t have won the 10 games that we have won without his offensive performance. He’s hitting probably for a higher average right now in college than he did his senior year of high school," Mercer said. "Kudos to him, what a mature player. He’s a great player from a great family, and he’s just been a great addition."
The pitching was equally dominant, as six Hoosier arms combined to allow just two runs in the first game of the doubleheader. Veterans Drew Buhr and Gavin Seebold combined for five scoreless innings to keep Ohio State in check, while junior Anthony Gubitosi earned the win.
The nightcap was a far tougher test. Indiana trailed by four runs at one point, but its young core rose to the occasion. Despite important pitching performances from a handful of relievers, it was the freshmen who took center stage.
Malamazian, who has solidified himself as Indiana’s starting third baseman with his defensive prowess, came up big with his bat in the 10th inning. He led off the frame with a double, setting the stage for Denny’s heroics.
“Cooper has just been so good defensively,” Mercer said. “And in flashes, he’s been really good offensively.”
After Malamazian’s extra-base hit, Denny stepped to the plate. After quickly falling behind in the count, Mercer called timeout, pulling his freshman aside.
“He was excited. He was just a little sped up,” Mercer said. “[I was] just trying to get him to slow it down. Stay on fastball timing.”
Following the timeout, Denny nearly ended it with a mammoth of a blast down the left field line, but his long drive was ruled foul after a lengthy review.
Denny responded exactly how his coach hoped.
On the very next pitch, he smacked the game-winning single into right-center, capping off a night that put Indiana’s youth movement on full display.
“After Cooper hit the double, I gave [Mercer] a little look and asked him what he wanted me to do. He told me to have my at-bat and that he’s confident in me," Denny said. "That set me off before the at-bat, knowing that the coaches have confidence in me."
"It's a player's responsibility to believe in himself, and it's a coach's responsibility to believe in that player," Mercer added. "We have to believe them through it."
Friday’s doubleheader sweep was more than just two wins—it was a statement. Indiana’s freshman class has arrived, and they’re not just filling roles. They’re making an impact.
“For us, we have to rely on them... not only to be out there, but to be impact players,” Mercer said of his freshmen class. “With those guys, it’s just about toughness and it’s just about competitive desire to get in there and do what you’re taught to do.”
The synergy and connectedness of freshmen and the veterans has created a strong foundation for the Hoosiers.
“We have a great freshman class, but we also have a great veteran class," Denny said. "They’ve welcomed us in and made us feel comfortable."
Indiana will go for the sweep on Sunday, aiming for its ninth Big Ten sweep under Mercer. If Friday was any indication, the Hoosiers' young stars will be ready to put on another show.
"It means a lot. I'm very proud of them, very happy for them," Mercer said. "But at the same time, that has to be the standard and the expectation."
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