Below is the story I'm writing for Monday's paper about this weekend. It's a bit long, but it's all here. I'll also have a story Monday about Josh Phegley and Chris Hervey breaking respective records.
One other note: It's kind of buried at the bottom of the story, but IU plays Penn State in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament at 3:35 p.m. Wednesday at Ray Fisher Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. Stay with Inside Pitch and I'll have you a preview online and/or in this space Monday or Tuesday regarding the tournament. Enjoy.
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Sh: Record-breaking sweep
Ssubh: IU takes all 4 from
By Zachary Osterman
Several weeks ago, IU coach Tracy Smith told reporters he had stopped looking at where his team stood in the Big Ten standings. Now he's free to look at them as much as he wants.
"Honestly, I haven't yet. But yes, I will," Smith said by phone Saturday after his team swept Michigan State in four games to make their first Big Ten Tournament appearance since 2003. The Hoosiers (28-28, 15-17) defeated the Spartans 9-2, 7-6, 7-3 and 14-5 in their most successful conference series of the year, just when they needed it most.
The Hoosiers entered the weekend needing three or four wins plus some help from
The series started with a strong performance from sophomore right-hander Eric Arnett, who threw eight innings of two-run baseball. The Hoosiers backed him up with nine runs, and Chris Squires struck out the side in the ninth for the win.
Junior left fielder Chris Hervey, who had three hits - including a home run - and four RBIs in the game one, characterized the game one win as "huge."
"Winning that game gave us a little wiggle room," Hervey said.
Game two marked the fourth straight decision won by sophomore southpaw Matt Bashore, who pitched his fifth complete game of the year in the 7-6 win.
"We've been preaching all along, it's about what happens on the hill," Smith said of his pitching staff's performance at the weekend. "I think the guys are starting to get a little bit more confidence on the mound."
In game three, senior Chris McCombs and sophomore Matt Carr, both right-handers, combined to shut the
At the plate, freshman first baseman Jerrud Sabourin continued his hot hitting this year, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
The Hoosiers entered game four needing just one win or one Northwestern loss to
Hervey said the Hoosiers adopted an attitude of "Let's take care of business ourselves," which he said made winning all the more sweet - and also provides them with extra momentum heading into tournament play.
"It's so much better, because it shows we did it ourselves," said Hervey, who also set an. IU record of his own this weekend - most times hit by a pitch in a single season. "I think it helps with momentum. We're playing our best baseball of the year right now."
They didn't leave the job to the Wolverines, scoring seven runs in the first two innings en route to a resounding 14-5 victory that ended the five-year drought.
Pitcher Tyler Tufts forced
Sophomore catcher Josh Phegley closed out one of the best hitting seasons in the program's history, banging his 13th home run of the season and plating three RBIs. Those three gave Phegley 43 RBIs in Big Ten play this year, besting by one the previous record for RBIs in a conference season, set by
IU coach Tracy Smith said after the game that he was most impressed with his team's approach to their critical four-game road trip. He said they never seemed tense or looked like they were putting too much pressure on themselves.
Smith also said he's pleased with the way his team has reacted so far to their first postseason appearance as IU baseball players, calling their overall demeanor "businesslike."
Phegley said his coach had it right in terms of their attitude, and he exuded the confidence the Hoosiers used to score 37 runs in their first conference series sweep since 1999.
"We're gonna be a tough team to beat if our offense and pitching are on at the same time," said Phegley of the team's tournament chances. They open conference play at 3:35 p.m. Wednesday against
For IU senior shortstop David Trager, one of just four players in their last year at IU, making the Big Ten Tournament is a sweet end to a mostly bitter career at IU. He and his three fellow seniors - McCombs, shortstop Tyler Cox and right-handed pitcher Doug Fleenor - all stated throughout the year their desire to close out their IU careers with a conference tournament appearance. To hear it from Trager, three years of rebuilding have been worth a last year of success.
"It's great that it is our senior year and we're making the turn in the program," Trager said. "All this hard work is finally paid out."