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(05/19/14 12:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After IU lost to Indiana State March 26, the Hoosiers’ record fell to 12-10.IU was out of the top 25 polls.It was out of national seed contention.The team, which had been ranked as high as No. 3 in the preseason, was battling injuries and losing close games.Going into that weekend after the Indiana State loss, IU traveled to play Ohio State. “I tell the guys, ‘You’ve seen the light, so it can’t get much worse,’” IU Coach Tracy Smith said at the time.IU went on to sweep Ohio State. Then IU swept Iowa. Then, in the next Big Ten series against Michigan State, the Hoosiers swept the Spartans and were playing some of the best baseball in the country.IU (38-13, 21-3) has continued to play well, and this weekend finished off its regular season hot streak by winning two-of-three against Minnesota (27-22, 13-11).“We knew all along we have something bigger to play for,” first baseman Sam Travis said.Since the Indiana State loss, IU is 26-3, and all three of those losses have come by just one run.The Hoosiers are back in the top 10 in several rankings, checking in at No. 9 in the Baseball America rankings.During the first two games of the series, where IU and Minnesota split victories, Smith said he felt his team was flat and maybe thinking too much about what’s on the horizon for this team — a chance to win a national championship.But when IU defeated Minnesota, 8-0, Saturday, it marked the fourth time the IU pitching staff had recorded a shutout in Big Ten play, and Smith said he saw that focus again.“We have a chance to do something really historical with our program,” Smith said. “I won’t say this is a hard team to read, but they’re kind of melancholy in everything they do. But I like the intensity today.”From here on, IU will be playing postseason ball. The first taste of playoff baseball will be this week when the Big Ten tournament begins Wednesday.IU earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament, which will be played in Omaha, Neb., during a five-day stretch. In round one, the Hoosiers will play No. 8 seed Iowa (29-21, 10-14) at 6 p.m. EDT Wednesday.When IU and Iowa played earlier this season, IU swept Iowa in three games with a combined score of 25-9.If the Hoosiers win, they’ll go on to play the winner of the Minnesota–Michigan game. The potential round two game will start at 10 p.m. Thursday. Both games will be aired on the Big Ten Network.Smith will have to decide who will start which game for his pitching staff. If the Hoosiers win all their games in the Big Ten tournament, they will end up playing four games in five days.However, the tournament has a double elimination format, which means IU could potentially play more than four games if they lose in round one, two, three or four.The Hoosier pitching staff has been the best staff in the Big Ten despite losing two of its original three starters.No. 2 starter Kyle Hart is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and No. 3 starter Will Coursen-Carr has struggled this season with 25 walks given up in just 36.2 innings pitched. He was pulled from the rotation earlier this season.Christian Morris and Brian Korte have stepped up and boast a 1.99 and a 2.11 ERA, respectively. Their performances, coupled with senior ace Joey DeNato’s 11-1 record with a 1.83 ERA, has made IU the best pitching team in the conference.Their team ERA of 2.22 is the lowest in the Big Ten by almost a run. But Smith will have to decide who gets the nod as the fourth and possibly fifth starter for not only the Big Ten tournament, but regionals, super regionals and possibly the College World Series.Smith said he doesn’t want to use his pitchers on short rest in the Big Ten tournament, because they’re not in a position where they need to win every game to get into the NCAA tournament — the Hoosiers already have an at-large berth locked.“I’ve already started thinking about that,” Smith said. “We gotta make sure our pitchers are fresh when it comes time for regional play.”
(05/17/14 11:05pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Casey Rodrigue reached second base on a double in the bottom of the sixth inning, he turned toward his team’s dugout and raised three fingers.It was just like the salute from the popular movie series, "The Hunger Games."After Rodrigue’s salute, the whole dugout raised three fingers back at Rodrigue. The same thing happened when the next two batters, Kyle Schwarber and Sam Travis, recorded doubles. The back-to-back-to-back doubles by the Hoosiers in the bottom of the sixth propelled them to a three-run frame and gave the pitching staff a comfortable four-run cushion. “When you get through our lineup without giving up hits once or twice, we’re sure gonna get to you the third time," Travis said.Minnesota (27-21, 13-10) wouldn’t threaten again, as they fell to No. 9 IU (38-13, 21-3) in the rubber match 8-0. The win gave the Hoosiers the series win against the Gophers. On the year, IU won all eight of its Big Ten series, sweeping five of them.In addition to hitting .359 on the year and leading the Big Ten in hits, RBI and home runs, Travis has another accolade.When asked who on the team came up with "The Hunger Games" gesture, Travis let out a smile and said, “I actually did. I started it.”“Getting extra hits in baseball, guys always got their own things they do back to the dugout," Travis continued "Some guys do like the bow and arrow thing. We did the wave last year. And we’re doing 'The Hunger Games' this year. It’s catching on.”Not only do the players get into it, but the fans do as well. Toward the end of the game when a Hoosier would reach second base and salute the dugout, the public address system would play the patented "Hunger Games" whistle, and some of the fans behind the dugout would salute the player back, along with the entire dugout.The Hoosiers recorded six doubles on the day, and their eight-run performance was more than enough thanks to another gem by the pitching staff.Starter Brian Korte went five innings, Scott Effross went 2.2 and the 6-foot-7 Jake Kelzer closed it out as the three combined for the eight-hit shutout.“I was pleased,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “We always tell our pitchers get stingy. Regardless of the situation, and even though we’re up eight runs in that last inning, we wanna pitch as though there’s no scoreboard out there.”The senior Korte threw just 64 pitches. Smith said he felt Korte could have gone longer, but he wanted to give Effross some extra work. Effross, who has been the team’s closer since Ryan Halstead went down with an ACL tear on March 5, hasn’t been as exceptional as he was in the beginning of the year. That coupled with the emergence of Kelzer has opened up the team’s closer role.Smith said who the closer is depends on the situation.“Scotty’s a pound the strike zone, locating the zone, fastball kind of guy and Kelzer’s our strikeout guy,” he said. “But both guys we have confidence in to get it done, but we probably will leave it situational.”It was senior day at Bart Kaufman Field. Before the game several seniors, including Joey DeNato, Dustin DeMuth, Casey Smith and Korte were honored before the game. While based on projections the Hoosiers will most likely be host to regionals and possibly super regionals at Bart Kaufman during the postseason, it was still a special day, Smith and the players said.“These guys are a big part of putting Indiana baseball on the scene nationally,” Smith said of the senior group. “I know I’ll be forever grateful for that, and the fan base will.”
(05/17/14 4:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The rain started just as Christian Morris hurled the first pitch and continued on and off throughout the night.The slippery conditions caused a combined seven errors between IU (37-13, 20-3) and Minnesota (27-21, 13-10). The Hoosiers won 7-3 thanks to timely throwing errors by the Gophers. “It’s baseball,” shortstop Nick Ramos said. “You gotta go out and play in all kinds of weather. Today definitely wasn’t ideal at all.”Bart Kaufman Field is all-field turf, meaning there is no natural grass on the diamond. When rain mixes with the turf, players slide longer and the field becomes slicker.“It’s tougher to slide, it’s tougher to run, it’s tougher to pick up a baseball,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “But it was also tough for the other team. It was kind of a sloppy game.”IU scored three unearned runs on the night, which was the biggest sequence coming in the bottom of the fourth inning.After Scott Donley and Dustin DeMuth led off the inning with flyouts to left field, Brad Hartong knocked a two-out double to right center. Will Nolden walked, and Nick Ramos singled up the middle to drive in Hartong from second base.With runners on second and third and two outs, Tim O’Conner grounded to the Minnesota shortstop for what should have been a routine ground ball. But Connor Schaefbauer’s throw to first went wide and careened into the outfield.Both Nolden and Ramos scored on the play, and the Hoosiers built a comfortable four-run lead. The Gophers would tack on another run in the seventh inning but never got close again after the fourth. Not only was the rain a factor, but when the first pitch was thrown, the wind chill was 44 degrees. By the time the game ended at 11:14 p.m., the players had been on the field for three hours and nine minutes. Smith said the cold weather wasn’t a factor for the pitchers. He said they were the warmest on the team. Position players and coaches who have to stand around are the ones who suffer the cold the most.“It’s the guys with snot running down their noses like me who are cold all night,” Smith said. “But the pitchers are the easiest guys to stay warm because they’re active.”Smith said during the last two games, the team has been flat because of possibly thinking about postseason play ahead of them. That lack of concentration only got worse, he said, when it was announced on the loud speaker during the game that the Hoosiers had officially won the Big Ten outright.In the bottom of the sixth inning of the game in Bloomington, Illinois beat Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb., 5-1. Smith said his team was slap happy after the announcement, and they would have to regain the focus needed to excel down the stretch.But the mood wasn’t all gloom because the Hoosiers had clinched consecutive regular season Big Ten titles for the first time in the school’s 119-year program history. Both Smith and the players said the conference title is of great importance and significance to them.“For me, personally, it’s pretty cool because I think back to nine years ago,” Smith said. “Coming over here a lot of people said, ‘You cannot win in Indiana.’ "And the fact that these guys are two-time, back-to-back champions at Indiana is pretty cool. Pretty gratifying.”
(05/16/14 4:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Brad Hartong had a lot of ground to cover in left field. His full extention on the diving attempt on Minnesota shortstop Connor Schaefbauer’s fly ball came up just short.“I got a pretty good read on it,” Hartong said. “It came close enough where if I dove, I would have had a chance. Hit me in the glove, so I should have come down with it.”As the ball fell, Schaefbauer recorded the go ahead RBI double in the top of the 10th inning to give the Gophers (27-20, 13-9) a 2-1 lead against IU (36-13, 19-3), which would be the final score.The Hoosiers had their nine-game winning streak snapped on the night when hits wouldn’t fall. IU recorded only four hits on the night, but the team still had a chance to win in extra innings. However, Minnesota was able to push a run across the board in the 10th when Hartong couldn't come up with the ball in his diving attempt. Starter Joey DeNato was in the IU bullpen at the time, which is located in left field, so DeNato was a just a few feet away from the dive. When Schaefbauer’s hit came off the bat, DeNato said he thought it was going to be a close play.“He covered a whole lot of ground trying to get to that ball,” DeNato said. “He put as much effort into that as possible.”DeNato had a streak of his own snapped. The lefty had won each of his last eight starts he’s thrown. Even though he put forth a solid effort, the offense couldn’t give him the necessary run support. On the night, DeNato’s line was nine innings pitched, five hits, one run, which was earned, five walks and seven strikeouts on 115 pitches. The San Diego native had some issues with control. In the fifth inning, DeNato walked the bases loaded on three consecutive batters. He got out of the jam by inducing a groundout, but he walked five batters total on the night.“The hitters were taking a lot of good pitches,” DeNato said. “They had good approaches at the plate, so that didn’t help me. Usually I get some bad swings on my slider and stuff like that.”The Hoosiers and Gophers will play game two of their series 8 p.m. Friday at Bart Kaufman Field. Christian Morris – who is 4-3 on the year with a 2.15 ERA – will get the start for IU.Even though the loss snapped their winning streak, some of the players said they thought it was beneficial for the team to go through this hardship.“It was probably good for us to lose a close one like that,” catcher Kyle Schwarber said. “We gotta realize how important those close ones are.”
(05/15/14 2:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Several players said it was the longest home run they’ve ever seen.“We were all speechless,” relief pitcher Luke Harrison said. “I’ve never seen a ball hit that far. Ever.”Junior preseason All-American catcher Kyle Schwarber drilled a home run over the center field wall against Louisville in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday.The three-run shot sealed No. 9 IU’s 7-2 victory against the No. 10 Louisville Cardinals and left his teammates in awe.“It’s just like any other home run,” Schwarber said. “This time it just went really far.”With the Hoosiers leading 4-2 in the top of the ninth, Schwarber stepped up to bat with runners on first and second. On a 2-1 count, Schwarber drilled the pitch to deep center field.“I knew it was gone,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said.The ball not only carried the wall in center field, which is 402 feet from home plate, but it also cleared the approximately 50-foot tall batter’s eye.As Schwarber rounded third, Smith, who is also the third base coach, told him, “Hell yes, Kyle.” The blast put IU up 7-2, which would be the final score.Schwarber said this was either the farthest or second farthest ball he’s ever hit. He said when the ball came off his bat, he knew it was gone.“I’ve watched a lot of baseball in my life,” Smith said. “And you won’t see too many like that. It’s fun when you see one of the best power hitters in the country show why he’s one of the best power hitters in the country.”With the victory, IU swept the season series from the Cardinals three games to none. In the three games, the Hoosiers beat the Cardinals by a combined score of 22-7.Both IU and Louisville are ranked in the top 15 in most of the national polls, so the game was of great importance for the Hoosiers in trying to secure a national seed come postseason time, the players said.IU and Louisville are two of the best teams from the North, and Smith credits Cardinals Coach Dan McDonnell for making college baseball in the north relevant.Most of the country’s powerhouse programs come from the South where the weather is more conducive to playing year round.The announced crowd was 2,433 people in Jim Patterson Stadium, with a good portion of the crowd donning cream and crimson.Several of the players said Louisville was one of their biggest rivals, and they always enjoy playing the Cardinals.“They’ve set the standard for baseball in the Midwest,” Smith said. “So I’m proud we caught up to them a little bit. I’m sure going forward these are always going to be good games, and they’re always well attended.”After the win, IU moved up one spot in the projected RPI rankings to No. 3 in the nation. Finishing the season is important for the Hoosiers because they are trying to become one of eight teams to be awarded a national seed.If they’re named a national seed, IU will get to be the location of not only the regionals in Bloomington, but also the super regionals. If the Hoosiers get through those two weekends and win at home, they’ll go back to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.IU will have its final regular season series this weekend against Minnesota. The three game series will be a Thursday-Friday-Saturday format with Thursday and Friday starting at 8 p.m. and the series finale scheduled for a 3 p.m. first pitch Saturday.IU has played well as of late. In their past 26 games, the Hoosiers are 24-2. With just one win against Minnesota (26-20, 12-9), IU (36-12, 19-2) will clinch the outright Big Ten regular season title.It’ll be the seniors final time playing in Bart Kaufman before postseason play. Senior ace Joey DeNato, who is 11-1 on the year with a 1.91 ERA, will throw the opening game on Thursday to try and clinch the conference title.“It’ll be just like any other game,” DeNato said. “I’m going to have the same mentality coming out, and hopefully we can get the ‘W’ that day.”
(05/14/14 1:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>LOUISVILLE, K.Y. – In a battle of top 10 teams, No. 9 IU defeated No. 10 Louisville 7-2 after Kyle Schwarber sealed the game in the top of the 9th with a three-run homerun that left his teammates speechless.The homer went over the batter’s eye in centerfield, which is approximately 50-60 feet tall. The fence in center field is 402 feet away from home plate, and the ball was one of the longest IU players have ever seen hit.“It’s just another homerun,” Schwarber said after the game.The Hoosiers swept the season series from Louisville, taking all three games this year. In the first two games, IU beat the Cardinals by a combined score of 15-5. Game three saw another strong Hoosier performance from the pitching staff coupled with timely hitting.IU jumped on Louisville starter Drew Harrington in the second inning. In a display of fundamental baseball, Scott Donley and Dustin DeMuth singled to right field and Brad Hartong laid down the sacrifice bunt to put the two Hoosiers on second and third with one out.Will Nolden lined a single over the first basemen’s head, scoring both Donley and DeMuth. Nolden advanced to second on the throw and IU took an early 2-0 lead.The Hoosiers added another run via a Hartong RBI sac fly, which brought home Donley. Donley had reached third base when he belted a ball to right field that Louisville right fielder Colin Lyman dove but missed.Louisville got back on the board via an RBI single by pinch hitter Kyle Gibson. The throw home by Brad Hartong was wide, allowing Alex Chittenden to score and reduce the deficit to 3-1. Another run, this one in the bottom of the 8th, chipped away at the Hoosiers lead and made it a 3-2 game.After Tim O’Conner’s infield single put the Hoosiers up 4-2, Schwarber unleashed the homerun in the top of the ninth, giving IU more than enough cushion to take the game. Evan Hoopfer
(05/12/14 1:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There was no excessive cheering, no team photo, no dogpile, no dramatic celebration when IU clinched a share of the conference title, giving them consecutive Big Ten titles for the first time in school history.“Coach walked in and said the locker room felt like we had just gotten swept,” first baseman Sam Travis said.The No. 9 Hoosiers (35-12, 19-2) completed the sweep of Penn State (17-29, 5-15) Sunday, outscoring the Nittany Lions by a combined score of 27-3 in three games.Even though the Hoosiers’ win clinched at least a share of the conference title, IU Coach Tracy Smith said the mood was not overly celebratory, and Travis called the event a “stepping stone.”“It’s nice to get it,” Smith said. “But we were pretty low key about it.”Both Smith and Travis said the team has bigger goals in mind, such as the school’s first-ever national championship.IU is projected to be a national seed for the playoffs, which means they’ll be able to play host to the first two weekends of NCAA tournament play.If they advance past the first two weekends — the regionals and the super regionals — the Hoosiers will play in the College Baseball World Series in Omaha, Neb.“We know we have more things we want to accomplish,” Travis said of the Big Ten title.IU leads both Nebraska and Illinois by three games, putting the Hoosiers in the driving seat for the conference title.With just one win against Minnesota next weekend, IU will clinch the outright Big Ten crown.Both the Hoosiers’ offense and pitching were dominant in the three-game sweep of the Nittany Lions. The offense averaged nine runs a game while the pitching staff averaged just one run given up per game.Coming into the series, no home runs had been hit in Medlar Field, home of Penn State, all year.Travis hit three this weekend.“Yeah, I was seeing the ball well this weekend,” he said.Travis went 5-for-14 with six RBI and recorded a home run in each of the three games. He now leads the Big Ten with 10 long balls on the year.Several of his other teammates also had prolific performances at the plate.Brad Hartong went 7-for-12 with five RBI, Kyle Schwarber went 5-for-11 with seven runs and Dustin DeMuth went 8-for-11, batting .727 on the series.As for pitching, Joey DeNato recorded his ninth win in his past nine starts.DeNato went six innings without giving up a run in his start Friday.He improved to 11-1 on the year with a 1.91 ERA. No other Big Ten pitcher has more than eight wins.DeNato is now just one win shy of tying the single season record for wins in a season in IU history.Both Eric Arnett and Brian Partenheimer in 2009 and 1997, respectively, recorded 12 wins in a single year.The Hoosiers got off to a cold start at 12-10 after playing a tough nonconference schedule.They are 23-2 in their past 25 games and are currently riding an eight-game winning streak in which they’ve beaten their opponents by an average of 7.1 runs a game.Smith and Travis said they thought scheduling a tough nonconference has helped the Hoosiers in Big Ten play, where their 19 conference wins is a school record.“But even with the rough start we had,” Travis said, “we knew what we had here as a team.”
(05/09/14 3:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the previous three weekend series, IU had something to prove.Michigan State swept the Hoosiers in the 2013 season, and IU was out for revenge. Illinois was second in the Big Ten and IU was first — it was a battle for conference supremacy. And the last time the Hoosiers played arch rival Purdue, a brawl ensued.The Hoosiers got the best of the three teams, winning all of the series and going a combined 8-1 against the Spartans, Illini and Boilermakers.Now, IU will have to keep that same energy for one of the Big Ten’s lesser teams.“Every single game I pitch in I try to have the same mentality,” senior starter Joey DeNato said.No. 9 IU (32-12, 16-2) travels to State College, Pa., to play Penn State (17-26, 5-12) in a three-game weekend stint starting tonight. By record, the Nittany Lions are one of the weaker teams in the Big Ten. They are tied with Purdue and Northwestern for the least amount of conference wins: five. After a hot start winning their first two Big Ten series of the season — Purdue and Northwestern — Penn State has struggled as of late.In their past four Big Ten series, Penn State is 1-11 and hasn’t won a Big Ten game since April 11. In their past three series they have been swept by Illinois, Minnesota and Nebraska and been outscored by an average of 5.2 runs per game.While Penn State has been struggling, IU has found its stride.After a 12-10 start and falling out of the top 25 in most polls, the Hoosiers have gone 20-2 and vaulted back in the top ten in the latest Baseball America poll to No. 9. Both the losses IU suffered in the past 22 contests came by just one run.One big reason for the recent success is the pitching staff. After losing No. 2 starter Kyle Hart to Tommy John surgery and closer Ryan Halstead to a torn ACL for the remainder of their seasons, the Hoosiers haven’t missed a beat.“I think we’re very close as a staff,” senior starter Brian Korte said. “We hold each other accountable for whatever we do and never take shortcuts.”Starters Christian Morris and Brian Korte have filled in for Hart and struggling starter Will Coursen-Carr, who was pulled from the weekend rotation, and they have successfully led one of the best staffs in the nation.Morris and Korte have a combined ERA of 2.19 in 90.1 innings pitched this season. Their performances, coupled with that of ace Joey DeNato — who is 10-1 with a 2.06 ERA — have helped the Hoosiers become the best pitching staff in the Big Ten.“It’s awesome playing behind them,” shortstop Nick Ramos said. “You know they’re going to throw strikes.”IU has the best team ERA and has kept opponents to the lowest batting average in the Big Ten. The Hoosier offense has provided support as well, scoring the third most runs of any Big Ten team.Penn State ranks in the bottom third of the league in both team batting average and ERA, but IU said it must retain focus. During finals week, IU had no midweek game. This gave the team time to go to the facilities and get some extra work in between studying. It also gave the team more time to take a step back and relax before the end of the season rolls around, the players said.“You have a lot more off time,” Ramos said. “I love it. A lot more time to take naps.”
(05/05/14 2:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU baseball players remember the brawl that occurred the last time IU and Purdue met, a game in 2012. Junior pitcher Luke Harrison said the Hoosiers wanted to put Purdue in its place this season after Purdue had beaten the Hoosiers last year. Other players echoed similar thoughts, saying they wanted to make it known who was the best team in the state of Indiana.This weekend the Hoosiers got their revenge, sweeping the Boilermakers. They took the first game 6-0, the second game 7-3 and the third 12-3.No. 15 IU improved to 32-12, 16-2 on the season, while Purdue dropped to 12-32, 5-13. The Hoosiers have a three-game lead over both Nebraska and Illinois for first place in the Big Ten.“We just don’t look at it like it’s Purdue,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “It’s another team in the Big Ten and I thought we handled what we needed to handle this weekend to keep ourselves in contention to nail down a championship.”With the sweep, the Hoosiers have now won 20 of their last 22 games.On Friday, senior pitcher Joey DeNato picked up his 10th win of the season. He lowered his ERA to 2.06 with the shutout.Sophomore pitcher Christian Morris started and got the win Saturday, his third start of the season. His ERA dropped to 2.25 after allowing only one hit in five and a third innings.Senior pitcher Brian Korte went 2-0 with the win Sunday, pitching five scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 1.78.“The weather, the atmosphere, the whole old school thing, it was pretty cool,” Korte said. “Looking back I’ll definitely remember this game.”IU had an old school theme for Sunday’s game. The team wore its throwback uniforms, hired an organ player and the umpires were dressed in old fashioned uniforms.The players put on a show for two record-setting crowds, with 3,661 attending the game Saturday and 3,862 Sunday setting the all-time record for an IU baseball game, breaking Saturday’s record. The series marked the first time IU has drawn more than 3,000 fans in each game of a three-game series.“We are proud of that,” Smith said. “This is what we thought it could be. I love that we give the people of Bloomington and the surrounding community, and maybe other people drove in from greater distances, something to enjoy at this time of year. I was very excited to see that, and it’s nice that we have the support.”The Hoosier offense was firing on all cylinders yet again, with 25 runs and 42 hits in the series.Senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth played a great game Sunday, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and six RBIs to go along with a walk. He boosted his batting average to .381, the highest on the team.“I think everyone was locked in today,” DeMuth said. “We wanted to come out and get the sweep, especially against Purdue. I thought we got off to a good start.”Junior catcher Kyle Schwarber also had a good series, with seven hits, two of them doubles and one a rocket of a home run, to increase his average to .348.“I got some pretty good barrel on (the home run),” Schwarber said. “It was one you just watch.”The Hoosiers now have seven of their nine starters hitting at least .298.Sophomore pitcher Will Coursen-Carr, who was an important part of last year’s team, has struggled this season and came in to pitch in relief Sunday. He was pulled after hitting a batter and walking the next on four pitches.“We want to get him on track,” Smith said. “He is one of the best pitchers in this conference, whether he believes it or not. He’s just has to get his confidence back.”With finals this week, IU does not have a midweek game. The team will travel to Penn State this weekend.Schwarber said in his freshman year, when they played at Sembower, there were probably 50 to 100 spectators.“Now you have over 3,000,” Schwarber said. “It’s great to have people looking forward to coming to watch baseball and cheering us on. It adds an extra element to the game.”
(05/03/14 3:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Before the IU offense recorded an out, the Hoosiers had given enough run support for senior starter Joey DeNato.“Guys enjoy playing behind Joey,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “Because they have confidence in him.”For the first time since 2010, IU defeated Purdue. Behind 14 hits and another strong performance from DeNato, the No. 15 Hoosiers (30-12, 14-2) defeated Purdue (12-30, 5-11) in the game one of the three game stint 6-0.“It’s really nice to get those early runs for our pitching staff,” DeNato said.The Hoosiers offense got started early. Second basemen Casey Rodrigue led things off with a double to left, and Kyle Schwarber singled through the middle to score Rodrigue.Without an out recorded, IU had taken a 1-0 lead, which was more than enough for DeNato. His final line: 7 innings pitched, 5 hits, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts, 0 runs on 100 pitches.The last eight games DeNato has started, he’s won them all. The senior stands at 10-1 on the year with a 1.89 ERA. No other Big Ten pitcher has more than six wins on the year.“The kid’s a winner,” Smith said of DeNato. “I’d give him the ball any day of the week.”DeNato holds the all-time IU record career wins, strikeouts and innings pitched. He’s also been lights out at home this season. In four starts at Bart Kaufman Field, DeNato is 4-0 with a 1.42 ERA.His catcher for three years, Schwarber, said he always loves catching DeNato. He always knows what he’s getting from his consistent starter.“It’s always something special when you go out and catch him,” Schwarber said. “You know it’s gonna be around the zone.”Schwarber, named a first-team All-American last year, had a proficient day at the plate. He went 4-for-5 and raised his batting average to .355 on the year.He joined three other Hoosiers who had multiple hits. The Purdue starter, Connor Podkul, was knocked around by the IU bats and lasted only three innings while giving up 8 hits and 5 runs – all of them earned.“He was throwing his curve ball a lot, and he was just leaving it up,” left fielder Brad Hartong said. “That was what our hitters were hitting – the curveball.”Game two of the series will start at 2:00 tomorrow. Christian Morris will get the start for IU.
(05/02/14 4:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The last time IU played Purdue, a brawl ensued.It was the Big Ten championship game in 2012, and it all started with a violent ninth inning slide into then shortstop Michael Basil who was covering third base after a wild throw went into the outfield. Basil took exception, and the dugouts cleared.After the dust settled, Purdue came away with a 6-5 win. This weekend, the Boilermakers (12-29, 5-10) travel to Bloomington where they will face the No. 15 Hoosiers (29-12, 13-2) in a three-game series at Bart Kaufman Field.The players from that IU team haven’t forgotten about what happened last time.“There’s only a few guys on the team now that were actually there for the championship game, I think maybe half the team,” junior pitcher Luke Harrison said. “I think now we have the ability to come out and put them in their place a little bit and give it to them.”IU Coach Tracy Smith said he doesn’t believe this weekend is bigger than any other.“It’s not big because it’s Purdue,” Smith said. “I just do not get caught up in all that garbage. It’s big because we’re competing for a conference championship, we’re competing for a national seed, and I don’t care if it was Purdue or anyone else coming in here, we want to take care of business at home.”Smith said he expects large crowds this weekend and wants to give the fans a worthy performance on the field. He has maintained his goal of getting a national seed and with a strong finish, experts Kendall Rogers of perfectgame.org and Aaron Fitt of baseballamerica.com, say that is very possible.“I don’t give anyone that much credit,” Smith said. “It’s irrelevant to me because we play 56 games. If you get all emotional and jacked up for somebody, then you set yourself up to fail.”IU is coming off a 16-1 victory against Smith’s alma mater, Miami Ohio, where they put up the most runs and hits (20) that they have had all year.“With what happened last time I think it makes it even more exciting,” junior outfielder Will Nolden said. “We want to go out there and show them who the best team in Indiana is.”The Hoosiers will start senior Joey DeNato on the mound on Friday. He is 9-1 with a 2.26 ERA on the season. He will be followed Saturday by sophomore Christian Morris who is 2-3 with a 2.47 ERA. Senior Brian Korte, who is 1-0 with a 2.49 ERA, will take the hill Sunday.“I’d be lying to you if I said the guys aren’t going to remember how that all went down,” Smith said. “I don’t anticipate a mental let down from our team.”
(05/01/14 5:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It didn’t take long for IU Coach Tracy Smith to make his presence known again in Oxford, Ohio.Minutes after a pre-game ceremony honoring him for accomplishments during his nine seasons at the helm of Miami of Ohio’s baseball program, Smith’s IU squad had put the game away.“It was a nice little recognition of helping build their program,” Smith said. “I think that was the gist of it. It surprised me. I didn’t have any idea and I appreciate the gesture, but once the first pitch is made, it’s time to tee it up and square off.”Three runs in the top of the first inning were more than enough for the Hoosiers, who excelled both at the plate and on the mound en route to a 16-1 victory against their coach’s former team. IU got all the offense it needed in the top of the first inning when, after recording five singles, the game’s first six batters scored junior second baseman Casey Rodrigue, junior catcher Kyle Schwarber and junior first baseman Sam Travis. The three-run first inning set the precedent for a slew of runs on an evening that saw season-high totals in both runs and hits for IU.“I thought that was kind of key,” Smith said. “I was kind of shocked that we jumped out on them like that. It kind of put them on their heels a little and obviously they never recovered. It kind of set the tone.”IU scored in every inning but two as 12 Hoosiers recorded a hit. Reigning Big Ten Player of the Week Brad Hartong continued his form at the plate, scoring twice and driving in two runs on two hits, but the evening’s greatest production came from an unlikely source in junior outfielder Tim O’Conner.O’Conner, who entered the game batting just .171 with 9 RBI on the season, put together his best game in an IU uniform. He tallied four hits in four at-bats, driving in four runs and scoring another before being removed from the game in the seventh inning. He agreed that Wednesday’s game was his best since coming to Bloomington.“Yeah, definitely,” he said. “I was seeing the ball well, just felt good at the plate.”Much of the Hoosiers’ outburst was made superfluous by a pitching performance that stifled the RedHawks’ offense.Sophomore left-hander Sullivan Stadler started on the mound, pitching three innings of no-hit baseball to lead a five-man group of pitchers that didn’t allow a run until the ninth inning. Stadler, who received the win to push his season record to 2-1, allowed just two baserunners: one on an error by sophomore shortstop Brian Wilhite and one via a hit batter.He was relieved by sophomore Evan Bell, freshman Thomas Belcher, freshman Kent Williams and sophomore Will Coursen-Carr. Throughout the night, the Hoosier pitching staff gave up just five hits, striking out 11 and walking just two RedHawks.“I’m very impressed,” Smith said of his pitching staff. “They pitched aggressively in the strike zone and allowed guys to make plays behind them, which I’ve been saying all year, if you do that, you’ve got a chance to win. I like what I saw.”The win leaves only one non-conference game on the schedule for IU, which has gone 14-10 outside of the Big Ten in 2014. With his team winning 17 of its last 19 games, Smith said the Hoosiers will continue to push as the season winds down.“I think if we take care of our own business, we’ll come out on the winning side more often than losing,” he said. “We’re going to focus on Indiana and just approach it one inning, one game at a time.”He paused.“One pitch at a time.”
(04/30/14 3:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Today, IU Coach Tracy Smith returns to his old stomping ground in Oxford, Ohio, home of the Miami University Redhawks. Smith was the team’s head coach for nine years, from 1997-2005, and led the Redhawks to eight straight 30-win seasons, their winningest season in program history and two NCAA regionals.Smith played baseball all four years and graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Miami. He also met his wife, Jaime, in Oxford.Now, Smith looks to beat the team he called home for so many years.“I love that place,” Smith said of his alma mater. “It’s a big part of my life, but I don’t see it as anything other than it’s another ballgame for us.”IU (28-12, 13-2), Smith’s home for the past nine seasons, takes on Miami (20-23, 10-8 MAC). Miami is 7-3 in its last 10 games and is coming off a series win against the Toledo Rockets.“I don’t want to say it’s a must-win,” Smith said. “It’s a must-play-well because I think if we play well, more often times than not we are going to come out on top.”The players recognize that Miami is an important game and are aware that it is a homecoming game for their coach, junior relief pitcher Luke Harrison said.“It’s huge,” Harrison said. “We play Miami every year, so it’s always fun to come back and see them. We see similar faces, so it’s always fun to compete.”A game between IU and Miami was scheduled in Bloomington earlier this season, but was canceled due to rain. No make-up date has been scheduled as of today.Sophomore lefty Sullivan Stadler will start on the mound for the Hoosiers. He is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA this season.He stepped in as the fourth starter after the pitching staff suffered some injuries, and he has impressed his teammates.“He’s been phenomenal,” sophomore pitcher Christian Morris said of Stadler. “He attacks the strike zone, he gets people out, and when he’s on, he is really fun to watch.”Smith has said all year that attacking the strike zone and throwing strikes are the way to get on the mound. He said Stadler has done a good job of that and will continue to get opportunities.Smith said he is looking for Stadler to be able to keep locating his pitches and keep using secondary pitches for strikes.The starting rotation looks to be set for now with senior Joey DeNato, Morris, senior Brian Korte and Stadler. IU has a 2.51 ERA, good for the lowest in the Big Ten. Sophomore Will Coursen-Carr will still have a chance to earn his spot back, but his command and mindset haven’t been where it needs to be, Smith said.Coursen-Carr, a native of Fort Wayne, was slated to be a weekend starter at the beginning of the season, has struggled and is now working from the bullpen.“Our pitchers have been great all year,” junior Will Nolden said. “We’re just looking for another solid performance. Hopefully our bats will stay hot like they’ve been.”The Hoosiers have won 16 of their past 18 games and are coming off of a series win against Illinois, who is tied with Nebraska for second place in the Big Ten at 10-5. IU has a three-game lead on both teams. The three teams both have nine conference games remaining.“We don’t want to have any letdowns,” Morris said. “We just want to make sure we take care of business and play our game.”
(04/29/14 1:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior outfielder and catcher Brad Hartong was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday.Hartong hit .529 and recorded 10 RBI during the four-game stretch. IU went 3-1 during the week against Ball State and Illinois, and expanded their Big Ten lead to three games.Against Ball State last Wednesday, Hartong recorded five RBI in one inning.“It always seems like some people come up big with the bases empty,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “But (Hartong) always puts together good at-bats with guys on base. He’s a competitive kid.”Hartong, a junior college transfer, is playing his first season for the Hoosiers. At Hartong’s previous school, Cypress College, he was an All-American catcher. He is usually the 6-hole hitter in the lineup and has given junior preseason All-American Kyle Schwarber some valuable rest by playing games as catcher this year.But Hartong said he finally felt comfortable seeing the ball this week.“It’s nice to have a week like this,” Hartong said after the series win against Illinois. “Feeling good about myself, and we got another big week coming up.”This is the first time Hartong has won the award and the first time a Hoosier has won in three weeks.On the year, Hartong is hitting .296 with three home runs and 22 RBI. He is one of six Hoosiers hitting over .290 this season. Evan Hoopfer
(04/28/14 3:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Coming into the weekend series, IU and Illinois were first and second in the Big Ten, respectively.After taking 2-of-3 from Illinois (23-17, 10-5) IU (28-12, 13-2) left Champaign, Ill. with a three-game lead over both Illinois and Nebraska — who are tied for second in the Big Ten.“That’s what we had to do at a minimum to stay where we’re at in the Big Ten,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said.Though the Hoosiers have hopes of going back to Omaha, Neb., to play in its second straight College World Series, the team hasn’t lost focus on winning the Big Ten.“It is important to us,” junior outfielder and catcher Brad Hartong said. “We represent the Big Ten. So we want to make sure we win it.”Last season, IU won the outright Big Ten regular season crown for the first time in 81 years. This year, the Hoosiers are trying to win consecutive Big Ten regular season titles for the first time in school history.The Illini and Huskers are both 10-5 in the Big Ten. IU, Nebraska and Illinois, who are the top three teams in the Big Ten, each have nine conference games remaining.“Obviously we’d love to win the conference,” Smith said. “It’s something they can never take away from you. But our eyes are set on bigger things.”IU won games one and three of the series 9-3 and 11-3, respectively. The two IU wins sandwiched a 2-1 Illinois victory, which halted IU’s 10-game conference winning streak.IU senior starting pitcher Joey DeNato threw eight innings and gave up three runs, leading the Hoosiers to the win Friday. Despite giving up 11 hits, DeNato said he thought he pitched well.“I think they were getting some hits on some pretty good pitches,” DeNato said.With the win, DeNato stands at 9-1 on the year. No Big Ten pitcher has more than six wins.Another standout was left fielder Brad Hartong, who made his best case for Big Ten Player of the Week. Hartong — usually the team’s six-hole hitter — hit .529 and recorded 10 RBI in the four games the Hoosiers had this week. Hartong accounted for almost a third of the runs IU scored during the four-game stretch.“It always seems like some people come up big with the bases empty,” Smith said. “But (Hartong) always puts together good at-bats with guys on base. He’s a competitive kid.”Hartong, a 6-foot-5 junior college transfer, has been valuable in spelling junior preseason All-American Kyle Schwarber at catcher this year, to give Schwarber some rest. But this week, the offense finally came through for the Long Beach, Calif. native.“It’s nice to have a week like this,” he said. “Definitely was. Feeling good about myself and we got another big week coming up, hopefully it continues.”
(04/25/14 2:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The top team in the Big Ten will play the second place team this weekend when IU travels to Illinois.The Hoosiers (26-11, 11-1) boast the top record in the conference and will look to add to their five game winning streak. Illinois (22-15, 9-3) has taken advantage of a weak conference schedule and climbed ahead of Nebraska, which is third in the Big Ten at 8-4.“You can’t really be disappointed with how we’ve been playing,” IU junior closer Scott Effross said. “We’ve been throwing pretty well from top to bottom and getting great starts from our starters.”The Fighting Illini’s opponents in conference play — Michigan, Penn State, Purdue, and Northwestern — have combined for a record of 57-94-1 overall.They have also played several non-conference teams that the Hoosiers have faced, Western Kentucky, Indiana State and Xavier, and gone 4-4 against them, while IU went 3-1.Illinois has little power as a team, with only nine home runs, but has four starters hitting above .300. The series, which runs Friday through Sunday, is an important one, said IU ace Joey DeNato.“The one and two seeds are going at it this weekend, so it’s a big weekend for us,” DeNato said. “We’re just going to stick to our game plan, it’s been working for us for the past month or two. We’re not going to overlook them and will just play our baseball.”IU defeated Ball State 10-1 Wednesday. Illinois comes off of a loss to Missouri at the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, Busch Stadium.“They’re always a good hitting team,” DeNato said. “They scrap it around. They also have a lot of good pitchers.” DeNato will start on the mound on Friday for IU. He is 8-1 with a 2.12 ERA this season. Sophomore Christian Morris will pitch Saturday. He is 2-2 with a 2.49 ERA in eight starts this year. Senior Brian Korte is expected to start on Sunday after starting two games last week. He stepped up to help the team after injuries created problems in the pitching staff. He is 0-0 with a 1.77 ERA this year. Sunday would mark his fourth start of the season.“It starts all the way back in the fall when we condition our arms,” Effross said. “Brian Korte and Luke Harrison are great pitchers, and it’s just a credit to how they work every day.”The bullpen has performed well lately, and a number of guys are making an impact, IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “I’m just not an excuse maker,” Smith said. “I make that clear with these guys, that regardless of your role, I haven’t found yet where the mound distance changes from 60 feet 6 inches. You still have to go out and throw strikes, and we have guys who’ve done that.”
(04/24/14 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was a 1-1 game heading into the bottom of the sixth inning Wednesday when Ball State traveled to Bloomington to play IU. By the end of the sixth, junior catcher Brad Hartong had five RBIs, and IU held a 10-1 lead.It was more than enough to seal the 10-1 win as IU improved to 26-11.“I got a lot of good hitters in front of me and behind me,” Hartong said. “Guys were getting on and when I came up I didn’t try to do too much and just hit the ball and it worked out.”Hartong drilled a 3-run home run to left field, and after the Hoosiers batted around, came up and drove in two more on a single in the big sixth inning.“I don’t want to count on innings like that a lot,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “For the most part, I was not pleased with our at-bats all night. I thought we gave a lot of them away.” IU had just two hits before the sixth, both coming off the bat of junior infielder Chad Clark.Sophomore Sullivan Stadler started on the mound for IU and pitched five innings, giving up one run on three hits with six strikeouts and just one walk.“Getting that first pitch fastball over for a strike worked out,” Stadler said. “My strikeout pitch was my curveball.”His performance was important for a team that has struggled to find a consistent fourth starter after sophomore Kyle Hart went down to injury for the season. “I thought (Stadler’s) breaking ball was very effective today,” Smith said. “If you can get that type of start in the midweek, and with the guys we have backing him up we are going to be in every ball game. I was very, very pleased with him today.”IU kicked off the scoring in the first inning on an odd turn of events. Junior designated hitter Scott Donley struck out, but the ball got by the Cardinal catcher, allowing Donley to reach base.Junior first baseman Sam Travis was on first and went to third on the play and came around to score after the throw to third went into left field.Ball State senior Kyle Raleigh hit a rocket of a home run in the second inning to tie the game, but the IU offense came alive in the sixth.IU junior Kyle Schwarber, senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth, sophomore infielder Brian Wilhite and junior outfielder Ricky Alfonso each had an RBI in the inning to complement Hartong.“If you put together good at-bats and consistent at-bats, your hits are going to fall,” Smith said.Senior Clay Manering started and threw three innings for the Cardinals, allowing one run on one hit and three strikeouts. The Cardinals’ bullpen gave up the damage. The Hoosiers are atop the Big Ten standings and will face the second place team in the conference, Illinois, this weekend.“Where we are sitting with the RPI nationally, every game is important.” Smith said.
(04/23/14 3:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following a sweep at home this past weekend against Michigan State, the IU baseball team looks to continue its hot play when it plays host to Ball State Wednesday.IU (25-11, 11-1) is in first place in the Big Ten, two games over Illinois, who the Hoosiers face this weekend. But first they must play a Cardinals team that beat them in Bloomington last year.“We have some unfinished business with these guys,” IU junior catcher Kyle Schwarber said. “We can’t take them lightly. They aren’t going to just roll over for us. We’re going to take care of business.”The Hoosiers are 13-1 in their last 14 games and are looking to get in position to hold a regional at Bart Kaufman Field, a goal IU Coach Tracy Smith talked about all year.But IU is not the only team on a hot streak right now. Ball State (27-13, 11-4) has won 17 of their past 22 games.Sophomore left-hander Sullivan Stadler will start on the mound for IU. He is 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA this season. He will look to grab the fourth spot in the rotation, which has become open because of inconsistency from sophomore Will Coursen-Carr.“You want to pitch at Indiana University, you have to throw strikes and be competitive in the zone,” Smith said. “I expect to see that out of (Stadler) tomorrow.” Last week, senior Brian Korte started in the midweek game as well as pitching the Sunday game against Michigan State. Korte has impressed the coaching staff and seems to have a lock on the number three spot in the rotation after sophomore Kyle Hart was ruled out for the season with a torn UCL. Smith gave credit to his pitching coach for his staff’s resilience. “I don’t know how many programs could overcome losing certainly two pitchers out of your top five from last year,” Smith said. “(Pitching) Coach Higelin has done a fantastic job, he’s a very positive guy and keeps these guys on track physically and mentally.”The Hoosiers’ ninth-year coach said despite his team’s hot streak, it will continue to take every game seriously. “We’re not overlooking Ball State,” Smith said. “It isn’t going to happen. This is a very mature team. We don’t play the opponent, we just try to take one game at a time.”The Hoosiers’ offense is led by Schwarber, who is batting .338 with six home runs and 21 RBIs, junior first baseman Sam Travis who is hitting .362 with five home runs and 37 RBIs, and senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth, who has a team-high batting average of .371 with five home runs and 15 RBIs. “(DeMuth is) a guy that can hit doubles, hit home runs,” Schwarber said. “He’s a guy we need in the lineup every day, and he takes a really mature approach at the plate and doesn’t give any at-bats away.”Junior designated hitter Scott Donley has also come alive after a slow start and is batting .301 with four home runs and 31 RBIs.The Cardinals have some power of their own, as they have combined for 31 home runs as a team, more than the 25 by the Hoosiers. Seven of these home runs are from senior Sean Godfry.“We are just going to play our baseball,” senior Joey DeNato said. “Hopefully it works out.”
(04/22/14 8:44pm)
Senior
Joey DeNato won Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after setting another IU
pitching record in his start against Michigan State last Friday.
(04/22/14 1:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Casey Rodrigue stands on first base. His goal is simple — steal second.The junior is the team’s leadoff hitter. He gets things going for the offense and has two preseason All-Americans — Kyle Schwarber and Sam Travis — hitting behind him. He leads the team this year with 10 stolen bases, which also ranks tied for seventh in the Big Ten.Rodrigue, a junior college transfer, stole 68 bases last year at LSU-Eunice. IU Coach Tracy Smith said Rodrigue doesn’t have great straight line speed. What attracted Smith was Rodrigue’s quickness and his initial burst off the base paths when trying to steal a bag. “It was kinda a manhunt,” Smith said. “ ... We just literally cold-called a lot of junior college programs in the country.”After time in various slots in the lineup in the beginning of the season, Rodrigue has cemented himself as the team’s leadoff hitter. When he’s on first base after a single or a walk, he said, he studies the pitcher’s tendencies to know the optimal time to steal a bag.Rodrigue will count how long the pitcher stands motionless on the mound. If the pitcher has a “tell,” or he does something different than what he normally does, Rodrigue knows the pitcher will probably try to throw to first and pick him off.“I’ll count, ‘one Mississippi, two Mississippi,’” Rodrigue said. “The better pitchers will vary their tendencies between holds and picks.”When a right-handed pitcher is on the mound, sometimes he moves his front foot forward before the back foot comes off the rubber, Rodrigue said. The move is technically a balk and should be penalized, but pitchers get away with the move most of the time, and they try to pick off the runner at first by confusing them with their footwork.“It’s kind of undetectable to an umpire that’s standing behind a runner,” Rodrigue said of the illegal move.When studying an opposing pitcher, Rodrigue said he is looking for variance in head motion, how long the pitcher takes in between pitches and whether he’s right- or lefthanded.He’ll also look for whether the pitcher will throw a fastball or an off-speed pitch. Rodrigue knows what counts are typically fastball counts and what counts pitchers throw curveballs or changeups. That difference in the speed of the ball getting to the catcher gives him more time to break for second base, even if it’s just a few mph difference.And that’s just for stealing second. Rodrigue said stealing third is more challenging. Instead of a catcher throwing 127 feet and 3.375 inches from home to second base, he only has to throw 90 feet.“On first and second, you’re more willing to take that gamble,” Rodrigue said. “You can’t live and die with being out at third. But you can take that chance at second. So you have to be 100-percent sure when taking third.”Rodrigue hasn’t been able to run as much as he did last season in junior college, because he has two all-American and MLB prospects hitting behind him — Schwarber and Travis. The risk of making an out when two big bats are behind him isn’t worth it.The speedster used to have more freedom in junior college when deciding whether to steal. Here at IU, Smith has taken that responsibility out of his hands. Rodrigue looks to Smith, who is also the third-base coach, when deciding whether to steal or not.“One of the things he did early was try to make too many plays,” Smith said. “So I’ve kind of taken some of that out of his repertoire there.”Rodrigue said he has never stolen home in his career. But he wants to.“A buddy of mine did it in junior college, did it in the World Series one time. Won us the game,” Rodrigue said. “That’d be pretty cool.”