Game Notes: Hoosiers Open Big Ten Tournament with Maryland on Wednesday

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Setting the Scene
• Indiana opens postseason action beginning on Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET against Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament in Omaha, Neb.
• Indiana is 25-18 (.581) all-time in the Big Ten Tournament and has won the title four times (1996, 2009, 2013, 2014). IU's winning percentage in the tournament ranks fourth.
• Indiana will compete in the Big Ten Tournament for the 13th time, which ranks tied for the sixth-most appearances in the conference.
• Indiana owns two of the last three Big Ten Tournament championships. The Hoosiers have won 10 of their last 13 Big Ten Tournament games, including a four-game sweep of the 2014 postseason to win the title.

PITCHING NOTES
• Indiana pitching ranks first in the Big Ten in fewest walks allowed (124), second in fewest runs allowed (202), second in fewest earned runs allowed (165), third in team ERA (3.10), third in opponent batting average (.239), fourth in strikeouts (397), fourth in fewest hits allowed (427) and sixth in fewest home runs allowed (24).
• The Hoosiers in conference games only are fourth in saves (8), fourth in opponent batting average (.247), sixth in ERA (3.66) and sixth in strikeouts (171).
• Indiana's pitching staff entered this week ranked second nationally in walks allowed per nine innings (2.33), sixth in WHIP (1.15), sixth in strikeout to walk ratio (3.2), 15th in team ERA (3.10), and 31st in hits allowed per nine innings (8.0).
• The Indiana pitching staff has surrendered three runs or less in 29 games this season.
• Hoosier pitchers have given up one earned run or less 16 times this season, all of which have happened in a 42-game span.
• Indiana pitching has posted double-figure strikeouts in 14 games this season.
• The Hoosiers have given up two walks or less in 33 games this season, including in nine of the last 11 games and 24 of the last 38 games.
• Indiana's starting pitching has been strong through the first 14 weekends of action. In 42 combined starts from LHP Kyle Hart, RHP Evan Bell and LHP Caleb Baragar, the trio has posted a 2.94 ERA, allowing just 223 hits over 257.1 innings of work, striking out 191 batters while walking only 59. Teams are hitting a combined .235 off Hart, Bell and Baragar so far.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Entering the Big Ten Tournament, Indiana is fifth in the Big Ten in home runs (35).
• In conference games only, the Hoosiers are first in sacrifice flies (14), third in stolen bases (24), fourth in home runs (15), sixth in walks (85), tied for sixth in triples (4), sixth in runs scored (106), sixth in RBI (97), sixth in slugging percentage (.367), and sixth in batting average (.258) ,
• 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.

FIELDING NOTES
• Heading into the weekend, the Hoosiers stand second in the Big Ten in double plays (51), third in fewest stolen bases against (30), fourth in fielding percentage (.975) and fourth in fewest errors (53).
• In league games only, Indiana is first in double plays turned (32), first in fewest stolen bases against (8), tied for third in fewest errors (19), fourth in fielding percentage (.980).
• Coming into the week, Indiana was 44th nationally in fielding percentage (.975), 32nd in double plays turned per game (0.96) and 31st in double plays (51).
• Heading into Tuesday, the Hoosiers have been errorless in 12 of their last 18 games.

Go Hoosiers!

http://iuhoosiers.com/news/2016/5/2...en-tournament-with-maryland-on-wednesday.aspx

 

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Hart Highlights Indiana’s All-Big Ten Baseball Selections

OMAHA, Neb. – The Big Ten Conference announced its baseball awards on Wednesday afternoon, as six players from Indiana earned all-conference honors. Leading the way for the Hoosiers is senior LHP Kyle Hart, who was named First Team All-Big Ten.

Also earning spots were senior shortstop Brian Wilhite and junior outfielder Craig Dedelow, both of whom earned Third Team All-Big Ten laurels. Freshmen Scotty Bradley, Ryan Fineman and Luke Miller each earned spots on the Freshman All-Big Ten team. Junior first baseman Austin Cangelosi was named Indiana's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner.

Indiana's Friday night starter, Hart has made 58 career starts on the mound for the Hoosiers. He currently is first in the Big Ten and tied for fourth nationally in victories (10) while also ranking sixth in the league innings pitched (93.1) and eighth in strikeouts (75). Hart's 58 career starts rank tied for first on the nation's active career leaders list while also placing third nationally on the active career list in wins (31), sixth in innings pitched (333.2) and tied for 21st in strikeouts (233).

Dating back to last season, in his last 16 starts, Hart has thrown 112.1 innings, allowing 100 hits, 32 earned runs and striking out 86 batters, while walking just 15. Entering the Big Ten Tournament, the Ohio native has 31 career wins, which ranks second all-time in school history. In addition, his 333.2 career innings is currently second all-time at Indiana while the 233 career strikeouts puts him fifth in the school annals. Hart ranks second in IU history with 17 career wins in Big Ten games. His 3.38 career ERA in conference action ranks ninth and his 127 strikeouts ranks second.

Dedelow, who was also a Third Team All-Big selection in 2015 as well, ranks eighth in the conference in total bases (241), tied for eighth in doubles (16), tied for 11th in hits (69) and 14th in RBI (36). In Big Ten games only, Dedelow is tied for fifth in home runs (4), seventh in total bases (52), 10th in slugging percentage (.510), tied for 10th in hits (32), tied for 14th in doubles (6) and tied for 15th in RBI (15). Dedelow paces the Hoosiers in batting average and doubles.

Wilhite, who started the year at third base, earns Third Team honors at the shortstop position after starting the last 49 games at that spot. He enters the tournament tied for the sixth in Big Ten in home runs (8) and tied for 12th in RBI (37). Of Wilhite's eight home runs this year, three have been grand slams and one was an inside the park home run against Northwestern on April 29.

A member of the Johnny Bench Award Watch List, Fineman is fourth among Indiana hitters with a .274 batting average in 51 games and 47 starts. He has started Indiana's last 28 games at the catcher position. A cleanup hitter in the Indiana lineup for the majority of the year, Fineman posted a reached base streak of 22-straight games and a 14-game hitting streak earlier in the season.

A utility player for the Hoosiers, Miler has played the majority of games at third base this year, earning 26 starts. The Indiana native is hitting at a .275 clip this year, but .333 in Big Ten games only, which ranks good for 10th in the league. In addition, Miller's 11 doubles on the year place him second on the squad in that category.

Bradley has played in 40 games this season, making 26 starts, and is hitting at .276 with six doubles and 18 RBI. All 26 of his starts have come at the DH position, and he has recorded 12 games with a hit and five multi-hit games.

Indiana opens the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday at it takes on Maryland at 10 a.m. ET.

Go Hoosiers!

http://iuhoosiers.com/news/2016/5/24/hart-highlights-indianas-all-big-ten-baseball-selections.aspx

 

[TeeJay88]

Thanks for the recaps. Really enjoy your passion for IU sports!

 

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IU baseball entering Big Ten Tournament needing to win to stay alive

by ZainPyarali

During a year where the outlook was bleak at times the Hoosiers ended its regular season campaign in familiar territory, with its ticket punched to the Big Ten Tournament in Omaha, Nebraska.

IU (31-22, 15-9) earned the No. 3 seed, finishing behind No. 1 Minnesota and No. 2 Nebraska, and will square off against No. 6 Maryland (28-25, 13-11) at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

“To have our kids and program here in Omaha playing in the Big Ten tournament is exciting,” IU Coach Chris Lemonis said. “We’ve been a little up and down, but we’ve had some really good stretches in there and we’re excited to be here and play great baseball.”


In the double elimination tournament, the Hoosiers will send senior starting pitcher Kyle Hart to the hill as the Terrapins expect to rely on junior starting pitcher Mike Shawaryn to compete against Hart.

The Maryland ace had a shaky 2016 after being nearly perfect a season ago with a 1.71 ERA and 138 strikeouts. Shawaryn still posted a respectful 3.30 ERA this year while keeping the strikeout/nine above eight and his walk total low.

The Hoosier offense went cold against Nebraska in its final regular season series. IU scored just one run in the series and was shut out in the final two games to round out the year.

“We’re a team right now built on pitching and defense, and we need timely hitting,” Lemonis said. “Getting the big hit with somebody out there is the key for us.”

Two players that would be relied on to get the key hit for the Hoosiers have struggled down the stretch.

Sophomore outfielder Logan Sowers went 0-for-18 at the plate to the end the year after being an important piece in the Hoosier lineup all year. While freshman catcher and cleanup hitter Ryan Fineman has seen a decline in his numbers as well at the plate, earning just two hits in the past four games.

While a few Hoosiers have been scuffling, junior outfielder Craig Dedelow has seemed to hit his stride in the batters box. He accounted for the only Hoosier run in the Nebraska series via a solo home run and has watched his batting average rise from .302 to .315 with six doubles in the month of May.

The injury bug has depleted the Hoosiers late in the year as freshman third baseman Luke Miller started game one against Nebraska, but was removed due to complications following an injury he suffered versus Illinois the weekend before.

Junior second baseman Tony Butler, the defensive guru for the Hoosiers who hasn’t committed an error all year, has been battling a knee injury that Lemonis said he tweaked during the opener against Illinois. Sophomore second baseman Colby Stratten has replaced Butler the past five games going 3-for-16 at the plate and no errors committed in the field.

Winning the Big Ten tournament outright, like so many of these other teams, may be the only shot the Hoosiers have to make the NCAA tournament. With a RPI of 91, IU hasn’t beat enough quality opponents to prove its mark in the NCAA and will look to take care of business against its Big Ten foes this weekend.

“We need to win the tourney to get in,” Lemonis said. “I think right where we’re at RPI wise unless it went crazy, which I don’t see that happening. I see us needing the automatic qualifier to get into the postseason.”

Go Hoosiers!

http://www.idsnews.com/article/2016...g-ten-tournament-needing-to-win-to-stay-alive