IU looks to conclude seven-game road trip by remaining atop Big Ten
Indiana this past weekend played a three-game road series against Michigan State and won the first two games 8-2 and 10-4, respectively, before dropping the series finale 5-1.
The Hoosiers clicked on all cylinders in the first game, with Tommy Sommer, Braden Scott and Reese Sharp holding Michigan State to just two runs. Offensively, Paul Toetz, Cole Barr and Jordan Fucci combined to hit seven of the eight runs batted in. Also, there were no errors in the field.
In the second game, McCade Brown bounced back from his previous start against Purdue and allowed only one earned run through five innings. There were some errors in the field but the offense provided enough run support where the errors and a few runs allowed late in the game did not affect the outcome.
However, game three was a tough loss for the Hoosiers. Gabe Bierman struggled on the mound and allowed three earned runs in four innings. Bierman allowed a leadoff walk in each inning for the first three innings and two of the three baserunners came around to score. While Ty Bothwell replaced Bierman and allowed zero earned runs through four innings, Indiana's offense could not generate enough runs to win the ballgame. Errors in the field led to two of the five runs Michigan State scored being unearned. Overall, four of the 11 runs Michigan State scored throughout the weekend were linked to an error. Nevertheless, Indiana took two out of three and won the series.
Indiana is now 11-3 on the season and currently leads the Big Ten Conference with a slight 0.5 game lead over #25 ranked Michigan and unranked Nebraska.
This upcoming weekend Indiana will head to Columbus, Ohio, to play a four-game series against Ohio State. The four-game series will close out a seven-game road trip before Indiana returns to Bloomington to play a three-game home series against Illinois.
Ohio State is currently sixth in the conference standings and has an 8-7 record. While the Buckeyes started the season strong with a three-game win streak, its season has been variable ever since. After going 3-0, Ohio State lost three, won two, lost two and in its last four games went 2-2, splitting both series against Iowa and Rutgers.
Projected Starters:
Game 1:
LHP Tommy Sommer (IU): 3-0 / 1.85 ERA / 1.0788 WHIP / 27 K's / 13 Walks / 24 ⅓ IP
RHP Garret Burhenn (OSU): 1-1 / 3.91 ERA / 1.2609 WHIP / 25 K's / 8 Walks / 23 IP
Game 2:
RHP McCade Brown (IU): 3-1 / 2.25 ERA / 0.875 WHIP / 43 K's / 10 Walks / 24 IP
LHP Seth Lonsway (OSU): 0-3 / 5.23 ERA / 1.287 WHIP / 27 K's / 15 Walks / 20 ⅔ IP
Game 3:
LHP Ty Bothwell (IU): 1-0 / 3.45 ERA / 1.1184 WHIP / 21 K's / 8 Walks / 15 ⅔ IP
RHP Jack Neely (OSU): 1-0 / 3.57 ERA / 1.221 WHIP / 24 K's / 11 Walks / 17 ⅔ IP
Game 4:
RHP Gabe Bierman (IU): 1-2 / 4.05 ERA / 1.4 WHIP / 20 K's / 14 Walks / 20 IP
RHP Will Pfennig (OSU): 0-2 / 8.56 ERA / 1.4394 WHIP / 12 K's / 7 Walks / 13 ⅔ IP
Players To Watch:
Indiana:
One player to look out for offensively is Cole Barr, who now leads the team with the best batting average, not considering players with three at-bats or fewer. He also has the highest on-base percentage and the second-highest slugging percentage, slightly behind Grant Richardson.
Drew Ashley is another player to watch out for. He currently has a 39 game on-base streak dating back to last season and has the second-highest batting average on the team. He also has the second-highest on-base percentage, making him a valuable leadoff hitter.
Indiana's pitching has been masterful this season and Tommy Sommer has a team-best 1.85 ERA among starters. His 1.85 ERA is the second-lowest in the Big Ten Conference. Another pitcher to look out for is McCade Brown. Brown faced adversity against Purdue but bounced back against Michigan State. He has an impressively low 0.875 WHIP and has held batters to a .136 batting average this season. His 2.25 ERA is the fourth lowest in the Big Ten Conference.
Matt Litwicki and John Modugno are two relievers that have done a great job coming out of the bullpen this season. Litwicki, in 5 ⅔ innings, is yet to give up a hit or an earned run. He has a strikingly low 0.3486 WHIP and has three saves, successfully converting on all save attempts. Modugno has allowed just one earned run through 8 ⅔ innings pitched and retired all six batters he faced in his most recent outing against Michigan State.
Batting
#2 Cole Barr: .400 Avg / .542 OB% / .578 SLG%
#3 Drew Ashley: .396 Avg / 2 HR / .492 OB% / .566 SLG%
#6 Grant Richardson: .333 Avg / 3 HR / .429 OB% / .611 SLG%
#5 Paul Toetz: .321 Avg / 1 HR / .410 OB% / .509 SLG%
#28 Sam Murrison: .346 Avg / .393 OB% / .462 SLG%
Pitching
#19 Tommy Sommer: 3-0 / 1.85 ERA / 1.0788 WHIP / 27 K's / 13 Walks / 24 ⅓ IP
#51 McCade Brown: 3-1 / 2.25 ERA / 0.875 WHIP / 43 K's / 10 Walks / 24 IP
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#14 Nathan Stahl: 1-0 / 0.00 ERA / 0.8065 WHIP / 7 K's / 0 Walks / 6 ⅔ IP
#35 Matt Litwicki: 0-0 / 0.00 ERA / 0.3846 WHIP / 8 K's / 2 Walks / 5 ⅔ IP
#27 Reese Sharp: 0-0 / 0.00 ERA / 0.6667 WHIP / 5 K's / 2 Walks / 3 IP
#45 John Modugno: 1-0 / 1.04 ERA / 0.7317 WHIP / 8 K's / 2 Walks / 8 ⅔ IP
Ohio State:
Kade Kern is currently the best hitter on Ohio State with a team-best .457 batting average. He also leads the team with a .438 on-base percentage and a .554 slugging percentage. He is 3-4 in stolen base attempts, making him a potential threat on the base paths.
While Mitchell Okuley has a somewhat low .260 batting average and .327 on-base percentage, he has hit four home runs this season. He has power and the capability to hit for extra bases with a solid .540 slugging percentage.
A couple of pitchers to be mindful of for Ohio State are Jack Neely and TJ Brock. Neely has a solid 1.221 WHIP and has held opposing batters to a .161 batting average. His 3.57 ERA is also the 12th lowest in the Big Ten Conference. In his most recent start, Neely allowed a home run to the first batter he faced but then no-hit Maryland and struck out 11 through five innings.
TJ Brock has been a great reliever so far this season. Like Modugno, Brock has only allowed one earned run in 8 ⅔ innings pitched and has a 0.7317 WHIP. Opposing hitters have a low .103 batting average when facing Brock.
Batting
#46 Kade Kern: .357 Avg / 1 HR / .438 OB% / .554 SLG%
#24 Mitchell Okuley: .260 Avg / 4 HR / .327 OB% / .540 SLG%
#4 Zach Dezenzo: .250 Avg / 1 HR / .364 OB% / .411 SLG%
Pitching
#10 Jack Neely: 1-0 / 3.57 ERA / 1.221 WHIP / 24 K's / 11 Walks / 17 ⅔ IP
#7 Garret Burhenn: 1-1 / 3.91 ERA / 1.2609 WHIP / 25 K's / 8 Walks / 23 IP
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#17 TJ Brock: 0-0 / 1.04 ERA / 0.7317 WHIP / 11 K's / 3 Walks / 8 ⅔ IP
#16 Wyatt Loncar: 0-0 / 0.00 ERA / 0.6 WHIP / 5 K's / 0 Walks / 5 IP
Game Information:
Who: Indiana (11-3) at Ohio State (8-7)
When:
Game 1: Friday, April 2nd @ 4:05 pm ET
Game 2: Saturday, April 3rd @ 1:05 pm ET
Game 3: Saturday, April 3rd @ 4:05 pm ET
Game 4: Sunday, April 4th @ 2:05 pm ET
Where: Columbus, Ohio
TV: Big Ten Network+
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