Setting the Scene
• Indiana closes out its home schedule with four games this week, starting with a midweek contest against SEC foe Kentucky on Tuesday night at 6:05 p.m.
• Indiana, 13-5 in Big Ten play, sits alone in first place in the conference, while two teams (Minnesota and Michigan) stand just a half game back heading into the weekend.
• The Hoosiers are coming off a series victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers last weekend in Minneapolis. Indiana has now won 16 of its last 20 games, which included an eight-game winning streak that was snapped on April 17 against Iowa. IU is 13-3 in its last 16 Big Ten games and has won its last five Big Ten series, including two sweeps.
The Coaches
• Chris Lemonis is in his second season as Indiana's head coach, posting an overall record of 63-41 thus far. Lemonis took over an IU program in 2015 that had gone 93-31 the previous two seasons, including its first-ever College World Series appearance in 2013 and the No. 4 overall seed in the 2014 NCAA Baseball Championship. With a new look roster, his program immediately lived up to the expectations, posting a 35-24 overall record and earning a berth into a third-straight NCAA Regional in 2015.
• As an assistant coach, Lemonis' imprint in elevating the Louisville program to new heights was evident. The former Cardinals' recruiting coordinator aided Louisville to three College World Series appearances (2007, 2013, 2014) and a 359-159 (.693) record during the past eight seasons, including back-to-back 50-win seasons in 2013 and 2014.
• Gary Henderson, the 2012 SEC Coach of the Year, is in his eighth year as the head coach and his 13th year overall with the Kentucky baseball program. A graduate of San Diego State, Henderson has directed the Wildcats into an unprecedented era of success as UK has set the school wins record three times during his tenure. Henderson has a 255-190 mark as head coach at Kentucky.
Notables
• Indiana pitching ranks first in the Big Ten in fewest walks allowed (110), second in fewest earned runs allowed (142), third in team ERA (3.12), third in fewest runs allowed (178), third in opponent batting average (.241), fourth in strikeouts (344), fourth in fewest hits allowed (368) and tied for fifth in fewest home runs allowed (20),
• Indiana's pitching staff enters this week ranked third nationally in walks allowed per nine innings (2.42), seventh in WHIP (1.17), sixth in strikeout to walk ratio (3.12), 20th in team ERA (3.12), and 32nd in hits allowed per nine innings (8.1).
• Indiana's starting pitching has been strong through the first 12 weekends of action. In 36 combined starts from LHP Kyle Hart, RHP Evan Bell and LHP Caleb Baragar, the trio has posted a 3.08 ERA, allowing just 194 hits over 216.1 innings of work, striking out 163 batters while walking only 51. Teams are hitting a combined .242 off Hart, Bell and Baragar so far.
• Hoosier pitchers have given up one earned run or less 14 times this season, all of which have happened in a 35-game span.
• Indiana pitching has posted double-figure strikeouts in 13 games this season.
• The Hoosiers have given up two walks or less in 27 games this season, including 18 of the last 30 games.
• Entering this week, IU is ranked fifth in the Big Ten in home runs (33) tied for firth in RBI (226), sixth in batting average (.267), sixth in slugging percentage (.391),
• In conference games only, the Hoosiers are first in sacrifice flies (11), second in home runs (13), second in walks (72), third in stolen bases (22), tied for third in triples (4), fourth in runs scored (97), fourth in RBI (88), fifth in slugging percentage (.392), sixth in batting average (.268) and sixth in total bases (237),
• Heading into the week, Indiana is 81st in the country in home runs per game (0.73), and 83rd in home runs (33).
• As a team, IU has recorded at least one home run in eight of the last 16 games, including three against Iowa on April 15 and two against Minnesota on May 6. In its first 18 games of the season, Indiana tallied nine home runs (0.5 average), but in the last 27 contests, the Hoosiers have slugged 24 home runs (0.9 average).
• The Hoosiers strung together 27 runs on 23 hits and five home runs to earn a 27-1 victory over the Butler Bulldogs on March 23 at Bart Kaufman Field. The 27 runs for the Hoosiers are a Bart Kaufman Field record and the most since March 24, 2004 when IU scored 29 against Chicago State.
• The 26-run margin of victory is the third largest in NCAA Division I Baseball this season, while the 27 runs scored are currently tied for the eighth most in the nation this year.
• Heading into the weekend, the Hoosiers stand first in the Big Ten in fielding double plays (44), third in stolen bases against and fourth in fielding percentage (.975).
• Coming into the week, Indiana is 26th nationally in double plays turned per game (0.98), 34th in total double plays turned (44) and 36th in fielding percentage (.975).
• Heading into Tuesday, the Hoosiers have been errorless in eight of their last 11 games, and have recorded just three errors over the 11-game span.
• Bart Kaufman Field enters its fourth season of baseball since opening during the 2013 campaign. Indiana has a 72-21 (.774) record at "The Bart".
Go Hoosiers!
Per IU Baseball tweet, the game time has been moved to 5pm EDT due to weather threat.
http://iuhoosiers.com/news/2016/5/9/baseball-game-notes-hoosiers-host-kentucky-on-tuesday.aspx
• Indiana closes out its home schedule with four games this week, starting with a midweek contest against SEC foe Kentucky on Tuesday night at 6:05 p.m.
• Indiana, 13-5 in Big Ten play, sits alone in first place in the conference, while two teams (Minnesota and Michigan) stand just a half game back heading into the weekend.
• The Hoosiers are coming off a series victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers last weekend in Minneapolis. Indiana has now won 16 of its last 20 games, which included an eight-game winning streak that was snapped on April 17 against Iowa. IU is 13-3 in its last 16 Big Ten games and has won its last five Big Ten series, including two sweeps.
The Coaches
• Chris Lemonis is in his second season as Indiana's head coach, posting an overall record of 63-41 thus far. Lemonis took over an IU program in 2015 that had gone 93-31 the previous two seasons, including its first-ever College World Series appearance in 2013 and the No. 4 overall seed in the 2014 NCAA Baseball Championship. With a new look roster, his program immediately lived up to the expectations, posting a 35-24 overall record and earning a berth into a third-straight NCAA Regional in 2015.
• As an assistant coach, Lemonis' imprint in elevating the Louisville program to new heights was evident. The former Cardinals' recruiting coordinator aided Louisville to three College World Series appearances (2007, 2013, 2014) and a 359-159 (.693) record during the past eight seasons, including back-to-back 50-win seasons in 2013 and 2014.
• Gary Henderson, the 2012 SEC Coach of the Year, is in his eighth year as the head coach and his 13th year overall with the Kentucky baseball program. A graduate of San Diego State, Henderson has directed the Wildcats into an unprecedented era of success as UK has set the school wins record three times during his tenure. Henderson has a 255-190 mark as head coach at Kentucky.
Notables
• Indiana pitching ranks first in the Big Ten in fewest walks allowed (110), second in fewest earned runs allowed (142), third in team ERA (3.12), third in fewest runs allowed (178), third in opponent batting average (.241), fourth in strikeouts (344), fourth in fewest hits allowed (368) and tied for fifth in fewest home runs allowed (20),
• Indiana's pitching staff enters this week ranked third nationally in walks allowed per nine innings (2.42), seventh in WHIP (1.17), sixth in strikeout to walk ratio (3.12), 20th in team ERA (3.12), and 32nd in hits allowed per nine innings (8.1).
• Indiana's starting pitching has been strong through the first 12 weekends of action. In 36 combined starts from LHP Kyle Hart, RHP Evan Bell and LHP Caleb Baragar, the trio has posted a 3.08 ERA, allowing just 194 hits over 216.1 innings of work, striking out 163 batters while walking only 51. Teams are hitting a combined .242 off Hart, Bell and Baragar so far.
• Hoosier pitchers have given up one earned run or less 14 times this season, all of which have happened in a 35-game span.
• Indiana pitching has posted double-figure strikeouts in 13 games this season.
• The Hoosiers have given up two walks or less in 27 games this season, including 18 of the last 30 games.
• Entering this week, IU is ranked fifth in the Big Ten in home runs (33) tied for firth in RBI (226), sixth in batting average (.267), sixth in slugging percentage (.391),
• In conference games only, the Hoosiers are first in sacrifice flies (11), second in home runs (13), second in walks (72), third in stolen bases (22), tied for third in triples (4), fourth in runs scored (97), fourth in RBI (88), fifth in slugging percentage (.392), sixth in batting average (.268) and sixth in total bases (237),
• Heading into the week, Indiana is 81st in the country in home runs per game (0.73), and 83rd in home runs (33).
• As a team, IU has recorded at least one home run in eight of the last 16 games, including three against Iowa on April 15 and two against Minnesota on May 6. In its first 18 games of the season, Indiana tallied nine home runs (0.5 average), but in the last 27 contests, the Hoosiers have slugged 24 home runs (0.9 average).
• The Hoosiers strung together 27 runs on 23 hits and five home runs to earn a 27-1 victory over the Butler Bulldogs on March 23 at Bart Kaufman Field. The 27 runs for the Hoosiers are a Bart Kaufman Field record and the most since March 24, 2004 when IU scored 29 against Chicago State.
• The 26-run margin of victory is the third largest in NCAA Division I Baseball this season, while the 27 runs scored are currently tied for the eighth most in the nation this year.
• Heading into the weekend, the Hoosiers stand first in the Big Ten in fielding double plays (44), third in stolen bases against and fourth in fielding percentage (.975).
• Coming into the week, Indiana is 26th nationally in double plays turned per game (0.98), 34th in total double plays turned (44) and 36th in fielding percentage (.975).
• Heading into Tuesday, the Hoosiers have been errorless in eight of their last 11 games, and have recorded just three errors over the 11-game span.
• Bart Kaufman Field enters its fourth season of baseball since opening during the 2013 campaign. Indiana has a 72-21 (.774) record at "The Bart".
Go Hoosiers!
Per IU Baseball tweet, the game time has been moved to 5pm EDT due to weather threat.
http://iuhoosiers.com/news/2016/5/9/baseball-game-notes-hoosiers-host-kentucky-on-tuesday.aspx