Setting the Scene
• Indiana closes out its four-game homestand with a pair of midweek games. The Hoosiers will face the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first of two games this week on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m., followed by a matchup with the Evansville Purple Aces on Wednesday at 6:05 p.m.
• Entering Tuesday, the Hoosiers have won eight of 10 games and 10 of their last 13. IU is at its high-water mark of two games over .500 (12-10).
• Indiana is 7-3 in home games this season at Bart Kaufman Field.
• IU is coming off a series with the Indiana State Sycamores in which it took two of three in the series, capped off by a walk-off win in Sunday's game on a home run by Tony Butler, IU's first walk-off home run since 2013.
The Coaches
• Chris Lemonis is in his second season as Indiana's head coach, posting an overall record of 47-34 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.
• Ty Neal, who was regarded as one of the top assistant coaches in college baseball, was named the University of Cincinnati's 27th baseball head coach on June 7, 2013. Neal, a native of Southwest Ohio, spent the previous eight seasons at IU under Tracy Smith as the program's top assistant and recruiting coordinator. Neal helped direct the Hoosiers to their first appearance at the College World Series in 2013.
NOTABLES
• Entering the weekend, Indiana pitching ranks first in the Big Ten in fewest walks allowed (51), third in team ERA (2.47), third in opponent batting average (.232), fourt in batters struck out (179), third in fewest runs allowed (68), third in fewest earned runs allowed (56) and sixth in fewest hits allowed (178).
• Indiana's pitching staff entered last week ranked fourth nationally in walks allowed per nine innings, eighth in strikeout to walk ratio (3.5), 13th in team ERA (2.42), 15th in WHIP (1.12) and 46th in hits allowed per nine innings (7.8).
• Hoosier pithers have given up one earned run or less 7 times this season, all of which have happened in an 14-game span.
• Indiana pitching has posted double-figure strikeouts in nine games this season.
• The Hoosiers have given up two walks or less in 15 games this seaosn, including six of the last seven games.
• Over the last eight games, Indiana's pitching staff has allowed 24 runs (14 earned), while surrendering just 52 hits in 72 innings.
• Indiana's starting pitching has been strong through the first five weekends of action. In 15 combined starts from LHP Kyle Hart, RHP Evan Bell and LHP Caleb Baragar, the trio has posted a 2.06 ERA, allowing just 88 hits over 113.2 innings of work, striking out 87 batters while walking only 24. Teams are hitting a combined .213 off Hart, Bell and Baragar so far.
• Coming into the Tuesday, IU ranks fifth in the Big Ten in runs scored (131), fifth in hits (209), fourth in RBI (122), fourth in home runs (18) and first in hit by pitch (34).
•Senior Brian Wilhite is second in the Big Ten in RBI (24) and tied for fifth in home runs (5).
•Junior Craig Dedelow stands tied for second in the conference in doubles (8) and tied for 12th in RBI (18).
• Before Tony Butler's walk-off home run against Indiana State on March 27, the last extra-inning walk off home run for the Hoosiers dates back to the 2013 NCAA Regional when Chad Clark hit one against Valparaiso in NCAA Regionals.
• 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 largest in NCAA Division I Baseball this season, while the 27 runs scored are currently the fourth most in the nation this year.
• Indiana is in a stretch of playing nine of 10 games in the friendly confines of Bart Kaufman Field, which enters its fourth season of baseball since opening during the 2013 campaign. Indiana has a 63-19 (.772) record at "The Bart".
• Since opening Bart Kaufman Field in 2013, the Hoosiers are a combined 24-4 in March home games in the new ballpark. Indiana's loss to Western Carolina on March 12 was its first loss in its home ballpark in the month of March since the 23rd day in 2014, a 4-3 loss to Michigan.
• The 2016 roster features a total of 19 returnees and 14 newcomers. Of the 14 newcomers, four are transfers and 10 are freshmen.
• The Hoosiers' 2016 schedule includes 27 home games, five NCAA Tournament teams from 2015, and a 2015 College World Series participant.
• Senior left-handed pitcher Kyle Hart, junior right-handed pitcher Jake Kelzer and senior infielder Brian Wilhite have been named team captains for the upcoming 2016 season.
Go Hoosiers!
http://iuhoosiers.com/news/2016/3/2...s-cincinnati-evansville-in-midweek-games.aspx
• Indiana closes out its four-game homestand with a pair of midweek games. The Hoosiers will face the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first of two games this week on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m., followed by a matchup with the Evansville Purple Aces on Wednesday at 6:05 p.m.
• Entering Tuesday, the Hoosiers have won eight of 10 games and 10 of their last 13. IU is at its high-water mark of two games over .500 (12-10).
• Indiana is 7-3 in home games this season at Bart Kaufman Field.
• IU is coming off a series with the Indiana State Sycamores in which it took two of three in the series, capped off by a walk-off win in Sunday's game on a home run by Tony Butler, IU's first walk-off home run since 2013.
The Coaches
• Chris Lemonis is in his second season as Indiana's head coach, posting an overall record of 47-34 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.
• Ty Neal, who was regarded as one of the top assistant coaches in college baseball, was named the University of Cincinnati's 27th baseball head coach on June 7, 2013. Neal, a native of Southwest Ohio, spent the previous eight seasons at IU under Tracy Smith as the program's top assistant and recruiting coordinator. Neal helped direct the Hoosiers to their first appearance at the College World Series in 2013.
NOTABLES
• Entering the weekend, Indiana pitching ranks first in the Big Ten in fewest walks allowed (51), third in team ERA (2.47), third in opponent batting average (.232), fourt in batters struck out (179), third in fewest runs allowed (68), third in fewest earned runs allowed (56) and sixth in fewest hits allowed (178).
• Indiana's pitching staff entered last week ranked fourth nationally in walks allowed per nine innings, eighth in strikeout to walk ratio (3.5), 13th in team ERA (2.42), 15th in WHIP (1.12) and 46th in hits allowed per nine innings (7.8).
• Hoosier pithers have given up one earned run or less 7 times this season, all of which have happened in an 14-game span.
• Indiana pitching has posted double-figure strikeouts in nine games this season.
• The Hoosiers have given up two walks or less in 15 games this seaosn, including six of the last seven games.
• Over the last eight games, Indiana's pitching staff has allowed 24 runs (14 earned), while surrendering just 52 hits in 72 innings.
• Indiana's starting pitching has been strong through the first five weekends of action. In 15 combined starts from LHP Kyle Hart, RHP Evan Bell and LHP Caleb Baragar, the trio has posted a 2.06 ERA, allowing just 88 hits over 113.2 innings of work, striking out 87 batters while walking only 24. Teams are hitting a combined .213 off Hart, Bell and Baragar so far.
• Coming into the Tuesday, IU ranks fifth in the Big Ten in runs scored (131), fifth in hits (209), fourth in RBI (122), fourth in home runs (18) and first in hit by pitch (34).
•Senior Brian Wilhite is second in the Big Ten in RBI (24) and tied for fifth in home runs (5).
•Junior Craig Dedelow stands tied for second in the conference in doubles (8) and tied for 12th in RBI (18).
• Before Tony Butler's walk-off home run against Indiana State on March 27, the last extra-inning walk off home run for the Hoosiers dates back to the 2013 NCAA Regional when Chad Clark hit one against Valparaiso in NCAA Regionals.
• 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 largest in NCAA Division I Baseball this season, while the 27 runs scored are currently the fourth most in the nation this year.
• Indiana is in a stretch of playing nine of 10 games in the friendly confines of Bart Kaufman Field, which enters its fourth season of baseball since opening during the 2013 campaign. Indiana has a 63-19 (.772) record at "The Bart".
• Since opening Bart Kaufman Field in 2013, the Hoosiers are a combined 24-4 in March home games in the new ballpark. Indiana's loss to Western Carolina on March 12 was its first loss in its home ballpark in the month of March since the 23rd day in 2014, a 4-3 loss to Michigan.
• The 2016 roster features a total of 19 returnees and 14 newcomers. Of the 14 newcomers, four are transfers and 10 are freshmen.
• The Hoosiers' 2016 schedule includes 27 home games, five NCAA Tournament teams from 2015, and a 2015 College World Series participant.
• Senior left-handed pitcher Kyle Hart, junior right-handed pitcher Jake Kelzer and senior infielder Brian Wilhite have been named team captains for the upcoming 2016 season.
Go Hoosiers!
http://iuhoosiers.com/news/2016/3/2...s-cincinnati-evansville-in-midweek-games.aspx
