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(04/21/14 4:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Michigan State elected to intentionally walk preseason All-American Kyle Schwarber, which brought preseason All-American Sam Travis up to bat.The finale of the three-game series was tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the eighth. Runners stood on first and second with one out for Travis. With a win, IU would complete the sweep of Michigan State.“It’s always a sign of disrespect when they walk someone to get to you,” Travis said after the game.He smoked a first pitch curve ball to deep left-center field. Rodrigue scored easily from second and Schwarber hustled around the base path to score from first. Another eighth inning RBI by designated hitter Scott Donley gave IU a three-run cushion going into the ninth.Junior reliever Luke Harrison closed out for a win for IU (25-11, 11-1) to beat Michigan State (20-17, 5-7) Sunday 4-1. The win gave the Hoosiers their third sweep of a conference foe this year.In their last 14 games, the Hoosiers are 13-1. And this latest sweep meant something extra for IU — last season Michigan State swept IU in three one-run games.“It’s a great rivalry,” said second baseman Casey Rodrigue, who scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. “Dating back to last year, all the games have been close.”For the past week, the IU offense has cooled down and had trouble manufacturing runs. Coming into the weekend, IU was averaging 5.6 runs a game. But during the three games against Michigan State, the Hoosiers averaged just 4.3 runs a game.That was in part due to the Spartan pitching staff. Michigan State’s three starters were the best trio of pitchers the Hoosiers have faced all year, Travis said. That meant the pitching had to step up.And it did.In the last 41 innings, dating back to the last inning against Morehead State April 13, IU pitchers have given up just two runs, giving Hoosier pitchers an ERA of 0.44 in that span.“Michigan State’s pitching staff I thought was outstanding,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “Ours was equally good ... I thought that was two quality pitching staffs going at it.”The latest in the recent trend of great Hoosier pitching came in the form of Brian Korte. The senior got the start on just three days rest, after a throwing against Western Kentucky last Wednesday.The role of third starter has been in flux for IU ever due to the injury of Kyle Hart and the struggles of sophomore Will Coursen-Carr. Korte learned the day before he would get the nod, and he delivered.His final line — 6.1 innings pitched, five hits, one earned run, four walks and four strikeouts.“To start two games in one week is ridiculous,” junior reliever Luke Harrison said. “It’s a crazy week, but (Korte’s) a great pitcher.”Harrison was also key in thwarting any potential Hoosier rally. When Korte came out of the game in the seventh inning, he struggled and left the bases loaded.Smith decided to put in the righty, Harrison, to try and kill the Spartan rally. The game was still in jeopardy, tied at 1-1.Harrison induced a soft ground ball that came right back to him. He threw home, getting the lead runner out. The catcher, Schwarber, then rifled a throw to first base to complete the inning ending double play.Harrison pumped his fist and the crowd at Bart Kaufman Field erupted. The play proved vital as Michigan State would not get another good scoring opportunity. Harrison allowed just one hit in his 2.2 innings of work. But when he came into the bases loaded situation, he said, he wasn’t thinking about getting a double play ball.“I was just thinking, ‘Get a fly ball, keep it low,’” Harrison said. “I was thinking about a strikeout also, but I got lucky. Well, not lucky. I got the pitch I wanted to and it came right to me.”Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.
(04/21/14 3:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tracy Smith is always surprised how much people curse when playing video games.Smith, the IU baseball coach, plays video games to escape reality. After a tough loss, or if he’s just bored during the day, he’ll fire up his Xbox 360. He doesn’t have to think about if he should have pulled his starting pitcher earlier, or if he should have sent the runner home or not. He can just lose himself. But he’s selective in what he loses himself in.“I only play one game,” Smith said. “I play ‘Call of Duty Black Ops II,’ hardcore team deathmatch. That’s it.”He prefers to remain anonymous when he plays with other people online. He’s free to just be another random player and crack jokes with his famous sense of humor.“I definitely don’t tell them who I am,” Smith said about his online anonymity. “Because I crush ‘em.”But Smith is anything but anonymous in the world of college baseball. Smith has spent nine years building IU into what is now a legitimate national title contender. Last season, he won National Coach of the Year after taking IU to the College World Series. Smith has built several programs in his coaching career, only to leave for greener pastures each time. The question of whether Smith will stay in Bloomington has been brought up in the past. But as he proved last year, he can win a national championship in Bloomington.First, he’s going to take out his aggression on these damn kids playing “Call of Duty” with him. If they curse at him, sometimes he indulges and fires shots back.“If I’m feeling rowdy and I want to let go, I’ll let ‘em have it,” Smith said, wearing his “Call of Duty” T-shirt. “They’ll say, ‘Dude you sound like you’re 40. Get a job.’”***When Smith arrived at Miami University Middletown, there was no baseball program.Smith arrived in Middletown after he played with the Chicago Cubs organization for a few years. He enjoyed playing, but ultimately decided playing professional ball wasn’t for him. Instead, he had applied for a generic administrative job. He and Jaime — his wife since they were both 19 years old — would lead a normal life.The only problem is, he didn’t get the job. Smith had never lacked confidence before, Jaime said. He was used to getting what he wanted.That’s when Jaime’s father, the athletic director at Miami University Middletown, came to Tracy and asked if he wanted to coach basketball. Tracy had never thought of coaching as a profession. But he was from a small town in Indiana — Kenton, Ind., with a population of 1,748 — so basketball was in his blood.“God’s country,” Smith said. “Home of Alexander J. Kent. Whoever the hell that is.”He accepted the basketball coaching job, but wanted to coach baseball. The university didn’t have a baseball program at the time. So he started one from the ground up.After a few years in Middleton, Tracy came back to his and Jaime’s alma mater, Miami University, to be an assistant coach. He moved on to become an assistant coach at IU until he got the call to come back to Miami and become the head coach of the program.“The call came from the athletic director,” Smith said. “And he says, ‘Do you want to be our ne-’ and before he could even finish the sentence I said, ‘Yes!’ So there went my negotiations for salary right out the window.”But Smith wasn’t concerned about the money side of things. He had the opportunity he always wanted — to lead a program. The man who didn’t even fancy himself a coach had become the head of a program by age 30.***Smith said the baseball diamond was nothing more than a “glorified high school field” when he arrived at Miami University.Miami was historically a good mid-major team but had struggled. The Redhawks suffered four straight losing seasons for the first time in 29 years and finished 12-40 the year before he arrived.While Miami University was bigger than the first college he coached at, it still didn’t have all the resources Smith needed. His family was pulling weeds on the diamond, and Jaime’s father drove his tractor to the complex to tend to the dirt field. Smith would walk into the stadium and push the trashcans to the right places.“That was him,” Jaime said. “There wasn’t a detail that was overlooked.”He was able to turn the program around. During his nine seasons, Smith averaged 35 wins a season — the highest average by a coach in Miami baseball history. He eclipsed the 40-win mark twice, something that happened just once in the previous 81 years in Miami baseball, and appeared in two NCAA tournaments.Smith was instrumental in the building of a new stadium. He transformed the field into a legitimate complex.But it wasn’t enough.The only guaranteed bid for smaller schools to get into the NCAA Tournament is to win their conference. In smaller conferences like the MAC — Miami’s conference — usually only one team got into the NCAA Tournament.Miami was in the MAC championship one time, but lost in the bottom of the ninth inning. The cold reality set in for the Smiths.“That loss hurt. I cried,” Jaime said. “It felt like we had a ceiling. I felt like he couldn’t achieve something because it wasn’t possible.”During Smith’s last season at Miami, the program had one of their best seasons ever. The Redhawks went 45-18 — the most wins in school history. They beat Central Michigan 10-6 in the MAC championship game and were headed to the NCAA Tournament.Jaime remembers standing in the field after the game with her husband. One thought kept creeping into her mind.“I remember thinking — it will never get better than this,” Jaime said. “We can repeat this 10 times, but it won’t be better than this. This is what this can be. He did everything he could do at Miami.”***IU second baseman Casey Rodrigue was talking to the media, answering questions about the upcoming series against Michigan State.He started to laugh when Smith came up behind the reporters, making faces and trying to distract Rodrigue. When the reporters turned around, Smith rubbed his chin and looked at the ceiling. He tried to act nonchalant.The reporters turned to face Rodrigue, and Smith went at it again, making Rodrigue chuckle through the interview. “Sorry,” Rodrigue said at one point. “Skip’s over there making faces.” Smith tries not to take himself too seriously. His Twitter account is a mix of baseball comments, reviews of various TV shows, interactions with fans and selfies of his beard.“I don’t have a gazillion followers. I’m getting closer to 10,000 though,” he paused. “9,100, but who’s counting?”He’s still learning the nuances of social media. On Twitter, he used to respond to people in all capital letters, giving off the impression he was yelling. After being made fun of by everybody in his family, Smith finally stopped using all caps.“See, I didn’t know that was yelling,” he said. “It was my Twitter ignorance. I was a Twitter virgin. Or a tweet virgin.”Smith is always trying to come up with different ways to promote his program. Kyle Kuhlman, Smith’s media relations staff member for three-and-a-half years, said he thinks Smith is one of the best imaginative thinkers he’s met.Kuhlman and Smith used to do a weekly video called “Skip’s Scoop.” Kuhlman would shoot the video of Smith talking about the team’s upcoming opponent or whatever Smith felt like talking about at the time. One time, when the team was on a spring break trip in Florida, Kuhlman suggested jokingly they should do the video with Smith in the hot tub.Smith didn’t take it as a joke. They shot the video with Smith sitting in a hotel hot tub.“I won’t forget that,” Kuhlman said. “I don’t know another coach who would be willing to do something fun and out-of-the-box like that.”***“Breaking Bad” is the greatest TV show of all time, Smith said. “House of Cards” is number two. He also put “Lost,” “Dexter” and “Sons on Anarchy” in his top five.“Oh, but ‘Games of Thrones’ is good, too,” Smith said, questioning his own list. “Oh, and ‘Homeland.’” Sometimes after a hard loss, Smith will come home and watch Netflix for four or five hours. It helps keep his mind off replaying bad things repeatedly.When he was watching “Lost,” he found himself consumed by the show. He would catch himself thinking about the latest plot on “Lost” while coaching third base during games.“I was so into that series,” he said. “I have found myself actually wanting to be stranded on an island. I was like, ‘Wouldn’t that be cool?’”When Smith first arrived in Bloomington, he needed every escape from reality he could get. In his first two years, he went a combined 41-69.During his last year at Miami, he won 45 games and went to the NCAA Tournament. But he left that situation because of the resources IU had. He was promised a new stadium would be built.He wasn’t taking over a powerhouse, either. In the two years before Smith arrived at IU, the Hoosiers finished last in the Big Ten both seasons, going a combined 18-45 in the conference. “And what really clicked in my head was, ‘OK, Tracy Smith, you’re really that good? Let’s see you do it again,’” Smith said.All of Smith’s hard work culminated last year. He got the stadium he was promised — 2013 was the inaugural season of Bart Kaufman Field. He went from having one of the worst stadiums in the Big Ten to one of the best college venues in the Midwest.The team’s performance on the field also took off. For the first time in the program’s then 118-year history, they were ranked in the national polls. IU made the 2013 College World Series, another program first.Smith remembers being in shock for most of the time in Omaha, Neb. This was what he had envisioned for the IU program, and he was trying his best to take it all in.IU ultimately was defeated by Oregon State, ending the best season in IU history. But IU had climbed the mountain nobody thought they could. Not even Smith, when he came to IU in 2006, was positive he could ever make it to the College World Series.“I’ll be honest with you,” Smith said. “It always seemed like this distant thing. It always seemed like I was talking about something else. It always seemed like it was somewhere over there. Did I think we could do it? I mean, I gave us a chance. But realistically, the way college baseball is structured, I thought it would be tough.” ***IU opened up the season No. 3 in the preseason Baseball America poll, the highest-ever ranking for the program. In less than a decade, Smith built the worst program in the Big Ten into a national title contender. But since IU isn’t historically a baseball program, the question arises — will he stay in Bloomington?He has had the chance to leave. He interviewed for the head-coaching job at Ohio State in 2010 but turned it down. He said at the time that IU’s atmosphere and the “24 sports, one team” mantra was true. In Columbus, Ohio, he wouldn’t have that same feeling.And now he has a state-of-the-art stadium, facilities and one of the more talented teams in the country. But he also has his wife and three sons, his rural house, his four dogs, his two cats and a program he’s poured his soul into for nine years.“We’ll retire in Bloomington whether I’m coaching here or not,” Smith said. “Plus, we got a state-of-the-art facility and we’re winning. I see it as, ‘Is there anything better?’” Follow reporter Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer.This story has been updated. An earlier version of this story referred to Jaime Smith as Jamie Smith.
(04/19/14 10:59pm)
Second basemen Casey Rodrigue was the hero, as his walk off single in the bottom of the 12th inning gave IU (24-11, 10-1) the 2-1 victory over Michigan State (20-16,
5-6).
(04/19/14 2:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior starter Joey DeNato now owns three of the most significant pitching records in IU baseball history.IU (23-11, 9-1) beat Michigan State (20-15, 5-5) in game one of their three-game stint Friday night 7-0. The Hoosiers combined timely hitting with another masterful DeNato – 8 innings pitched, 5 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts, 0 runs on 113 pitches.Already this season, DeNato broke a couple of IU records. His 32 wins and 261 strikeouts are most for any pitcher in IU’s 119-year history. Against Michigan State on Friday night, DeNato’s career innings count went to 324 – setting another IU record.“Actually I didn’t know about the innings pitched (record),” DeNato said.DeNato had a rocky start to the game. The Spartans had the bases loaded in the top of the first with just one out, but DeNato got a key strikeout to make it two outs.Then a Spartan batter tried to execute a suicide squeeze, but he whiffed on the bunt attempt. The runner on third, charging home, was caught in a precarious situation. Junior catcher Kyle Schwarber threw to third and senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth tagged out the runner, ending the Michigan State threat.In the first inning it took DeNato 25 pitches to ultimately get through the frame unscathed. Through the rest of the game, DeNato settled down and stymied all potential Spartan rallies.As for the difference between the first inning and the rest of the game, IU Coach Tracy Smith had a simple explanation as to why that happened.“That’s just baseball,” Smith said. “I don’t think there was anything major that I would attribute that to. The good part of it is: he doesn’t let that stuff bother him.”Only two Hoosiers gave DeNato run support, and it was two unlikely suspects.Junior outfielder Will Nolden went 2-for-3 with four RBI and sophomore shortstop Nick Ramos went 1-for-4 with a two-run homerun and a sac fly to total three RBI on the day.The bottom of the order came up big for the Hoosiers and picked up the slack of the top of the order. Hitters 1-through-5 went a combined 4-for-17 on the day.“I thought Will Nolden had one of the better games from him that I’ve seen,” Smith said. “Just in terms of focus at the plate … that was nice to see from him sitting down here in the seven-hole.”In Nolden’s first at-bat, he roped a line drive to right-center field – in between two Spartan outfielders. Nolden hustled around the base paths, and recorded a stand-up triple to score two Hoosiers.Nolden knew pretty soon he was going to round second and continue to third.“Right off the bat,” Nolden said. “I kinda knew I was going three because I saw both the outfielders with their backs turned, and that’s the biggest part of the ballpark.”The series continues tomorrow from Bart Kaufman Field. IU’s Christian Morris – 2-2 with a 2.61 ERA – will go against Spartan starter Justin Alleman – 4-1 with a 2.90 ERA.First pitch is scheduled for 2:05.
(04/18/14 2:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When IU traveled to East Lansing, Mich., for a three-game stint with Michigan State last season, the Hoosiers were hot.IU had just had its 18-game winning streak snapped by Illinois five days prior, but had still won 22 of its last 24 games and had vaulted to No. 12 in the national rankings.The Spartans swept the Hoosiers in three losses for IU. Two of the games went to extra innings, and all three losses were one-run affairs that featured a Spartan walk-off hit to beat the Hoosiers. The team expressed anger, but said this time around it will be more composed if adversity comes its way.“It definitely made us all a little bit angry,” senior ace Joey DeNato said. “Baseball’s a sport where you have to channel your anger. In football if you’re hyped up you can go hit someone. In baseball you can’t do that, you have to maintain your composure.”IU (22-11, 8-1) will get its chance at revenge when Michigan State (20-14, 5-4) comes to Bloomington for a three-game series starting at 7:05 p.m. today.DeNato will get the start for the Hoosiers today. The lefty became the winningest pitcher in IU history with his last start against Morehead State. DeNato now owns the record for most career strikeouts — 257 — and wins — 31 — in IU baseball’s 119-year history.Whenever DeNato plays the Spartans, it holds a little extra motivation for him. His father attended Michigan State and Joey — a San Diego native — grew up attending Michigan State football games.“It’s always good beating them,” DeNato said. “For bragging rights.”In the last two seasons against the Spartans, the Hoosiers are just 1-5. This year, the Spartans have had an up-and-down year. Back in February, the Spartans knocked off then-No. 1 Oregon State. But in their last six games, they are just 3-3 against weak competition.In their recent six-game stretch, the Spartans lost two games to Central Michigan and took two of three from Purdue, where they had an average run differential of just +1 per game. The Boilermakers are 8-24 this year.Michigan State leads the Big Ten in steals and steal attempts. IU has a speedster of its own — junior second baseman Casey Rodrigue — who leads the team with 10 stolen bags, which also ranks fifth in the Big Ten.Rodrigue is playing his first year for IU after transferring from LSU-Eunice and has cemented himself as the team’s leadoff hitter. He said he’s heard from his teammates how frustrating last year’s sweep was.“It kinda left a salty taste in their mouths,” Rodrigue said. “And they know there’s a little bit more of an importance on this series.”
(04/17/14 2:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The entire IU team was ready to vault over the side of the dugout and swarm its teammate.In a game tied 0-0, junior centerfielder Tim O’Conner came to bat with two outs in the 10th inning. Junior right fielder Will Nolden was on second base after a stolen bag, ready to score the winning run.To put the luck on O’Conner’s side, a majority of the team turned its caps inside out in a fashion known as a “rally cap.”After fouling off two pitches with two strikes, O’Conner delivered.He hit a ball over the first baseman’s head, landing just fair, which allowed Nolden to score. The team ran out of the dugout and jumped on O’Conner, creating a massive Hoosier dog pile.“It was awesome,” O’Conner said. “I just kinda got mauled by all the guys. It was a good feeling.”In a pitcher’s duel, IU (22-11, 8-1) was the first to draw blood in its matchup with Western Kentucky (19-18, 7-8 in the Sun Belt conference). O’Conner’s RBI was the only run of the day in the 1-0 victory, the first of the walk-off variety this season for IU.O’Conner came into the game hitting just .172 in 64 at-bats. Even though the defensive specialist’s bat hasn’t been clicking this season, IU Coach Tracy Smith said he didn’t think of pinch-hitting for O’Conner. If he didn’t come through and the game went to the 11th inning, Smith would need O’Conner’s glove in center field.“Timmy is our best center fielder,” Smith said. “That was his game to win regardless. If we didn’t score, we were going to have to go out there and play defense.”The IU pitching staff picked up the struggling offense, which only registered three hits on the day. Brian Korte, Thomas Belcher, Jake Kelzer and Scott Effross combined for the 10-inning shutout of the Hilltoppers.Korte got the start and went five innings, giving up only six base runners. After Belcher threw 1.1 innings, 6-foot-7 freshman Jake Kelzer threw 2.2 innings of no-hit baseball. Kelzer — who began his IU athletic career on the swim team — struck out four batters in what he said was the best he has pitched all year.“I was particularly pleased with Jake,” Smith said. “If he can be in the zone like that, that’s going to help us tremendously.”Though the Hoosiers needed three pitchers to throw eight innings, the Hilltoppers needed just one.Western Kentucky starter Ryan Thurston came into the game with a 4.50 ERA and allowed opponents to hit .258 off him. He was originally supposed to throw four or five innings, he said. That plan was vacated when the Madison, Ind., native took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against one of the nation’s most prolific offenses.The performance — which Thurston said was the best he’s pitched in his career — held extra weight for the freshman.He and his father would make the 82-mile journey to Bloomington. He watched the Hoosiers have their best season in program history last year on the same field where he dominated the usually active IU bats Wednesday night.“We showed velocity doesn’t have to get people out,” Thurston said. “I just kept it down.”In the bottom of the ninth, preseason All-American catcher Kyle Schwarber broke up the no-hitter with a deep fly ball to right-center. The hit got the crowd at Bart Kaufman Field out of their seats, thinking it would be a walk-off homerun.“Off the bat, I thought it was gone,” Thurston said.The Hoosiers were unable to capitalize on Schwarber’s leadoff double in the ninth, forcing extra innings where O’Conner came through in the clutch.As did the rally caps.“We’re superstitious man,” Kelzer said with a smile.
(04/16/14 2:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last year, IU’s midweek starter was a constant staple for the team. That hasn’t been the case this year.Will Coursen-Carr, a freshman last year, excelled as the midweek starter in 2013. He was 5-0 with a 1.93 ERA. This year, Coursen-Carr was moved into the weekend rotation but has struggled. Several pitchers have thrown the midweek game, with none securing the job for himself.Brian Korte, Sullivan Stadler and Kyle Hart have all thrown midweek games. Hart excelled and was promoted to the weekend rotation.Korte will get his start when Western Kentucky (19-17, 7-8) comes to Bloomington to face IU (21-11, 8-1). IU had its nine-game winning streak snapped last Sunday against Morehead State. Despite a grand slam by designated hitter Scott Donley in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Hoosiers fell 8-7 to the Eagles.Senior Brian Korte will start tonight against the Hilltoppers. Korte earned the start in the Hoosiers’ last midweek game against Indiana State. The senior went three innings and gave up no earned runs. Freshman Thomas Belcher came in and threw four innings of relief, giving up two earned runs.The issue of starting pitching depth has become a real issue for IU since the injury of junior starter Kyle Hart. Hart — who underwent Tommy John surgery yesterday and is out for the season — has been out since March 30. The injury has bumped pitching up in the rotation, and IU Coach Tracy Smith wants one of his pitchers to step up. With Korte, he specifically wants him to be more aggressive in the strike zone.“With multiple pitches,” Smith added. “I think as a starter, you have to do that. You can’t go hard, hard, hard all the time. You have to drop some off-speed stuff in there.”Smith doesn’t have a specific number of innings he wants Korte to throw. It will be a fluid situation, and Smith will make a decision during the game how long he wants to keep Korte in the game.“If we can jump out and get a few runs, yeah it’d be nice to save him for the weekend,” Smith said.The run support for IU starting pitchers has been prolific as of late. The Hoosiers have scored five or more runs in their last 11 games and haven’t scored less than 3 runs in more than a month.Junior Casey Rodrigue has cemented himself as the leadoff hitter on the team. Rodrigue, hitting .311 this year, said he knows his role is to get on base for Kyle Schwarber and Sam Travis, who hit immediately behind him.“The big bats showed this weekend and during the win streak,” Rodrigue said. “A lot of people are doing great.”
(04/15/14 4:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Junior starter Kyle Hart will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the remainder of the 2014 season, according to an IU news release. “This is a tough break for Kyle,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said in the release. “But surgery is the best option for him right now.”Hart came into the season as the No. 2 starter and was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week in back-to-back occasions in March. He had a 3-1 record with a 2.29 ERA and gave up just three earned runs in March with a total of 28.1 innings pitched.The injury to his arm occurred March 30 against Ohio State. Hart had thrown four innings in his start and walked out to the mound for the fifth inning. After throwing a few warm-up pitches, it was obvious Hart was experiencing discomfort in his left forearm. The coaching and training staff surrounded him, and Hart left the game. The official diagnosis at the time was a forearm strain.It came out later Hart had torn his ulnar collateral ligament and would be evaluated further in the weeks to come.“I will have surgery to repair the torn UCL in my elbow. Can’t wait to support my teammates the rest of the year. I’ll be back. #ForTheBoys,” Hart said in a tweet Monday.Smith said in the release that Hart is expected to make a full recovery and will be ready for the 2015 season.This latest injury means IU has lost their No. 2 starter and their closer on the pitching staff. On March 5 against Xavier, senior closer Ryan Halstead — who has the record for most saves in IU history — tore his ACL, sidelining him for the remainder of the season.In the weeks since Hart’s injury, sophomore Christian Morris has cemented himself as the team’s No. 2 starter. The issue of who will replace Morris as the No. 3 starter is still in flux.Sophomore Will Coursen-Carr got the start Sunday but struggled. He had control issues and only threw one inning against Morehead State before Smith pulled him.After Coursen-Carr and sophomore Evan Bell struggled Sunday, junior Luke Harrison came in and righted the ship by throwing 4.1 innings. Harrison looks to be the next in line to get an opportunity as the No. 3 starter when Michigan State comes to Bloomington Friday.Evan Hoopfer
(04/14/14 3:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As of this weekend, senior ace Joey Denato is the winningest pitcher in IU history.DeNato notched his 31st career win with the Hoosiers’ 11-1 win Friday in a three-game series against the Morehead State Eagles.“It feels good,” he said. “I know it wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for my teammates. Every single year that I’ve been here, we’ve had guys crushing the ball and the bullpen coming in behind me to shut it down.”IU Coach Tracy Smith said DeNato is always a competitor.“It’s a great thing,” Smith said. “I still go back to the day when I recruited that guy, and to sit here now almost four years later and think that he sits atop the record books at Indiana University is an awesome thing, and I’m very proud of him.“There’s a lot of season left to go, so he’s going to make it hard on somebody to get him in the future, I can tell you that.”After pounding the Eagles in the first two games of the series, the IU baseball team lost the third game of the series 8-7. The loss stopped a nine-game winning streak for the Hoosiers, whose last loss came to Indiana State on March 26. “I thought we struck some balls hard and right at guys,” Smith said. “They just didn’t fall today. I still thought we had nice at-bats, just didn’t get anything to show out of it.”Sophomore Will Coursen-Carr started for IU but only went one inning after showing almost no control on the mound.He was replaced by sophomore Evan Bell, who also showed little control of his pitches. He threw several wild pitches, one of which let in a run.Coursen-Carr and Bell combined to give up five runs in the second inning.Smith said he thinks Coursen-Carr is struggling mentally, and that the pitcher needs to get his confidence back in order to pitch well.“When you aren’t aggressive and you’re not confident, it’s very visible, and it exposes a lot of things,” Smith said.With sophomore starter Kyle Hart out indefinitely with a torn ulnar collateral ligament, the Hoosiers are still seeking a rotation that works for them after DeNato and sophomore Christian Morris.Smith said he hoped Coursen-Carr would take the third weekend spot, and sophomore Sullivan Stradler could pitch the weekday game, but the coach said he isn’t sure what he will do moving forward.Junior Luke Harrison kept the game close until the eighth, when the Eagles pushed across three more runs to make it 8-3.The IU offense wasn’t able to get hits with runners in scoring position until the ninth, when junior designated hitter-outfielder Scott Donley hit a grand slam to bring IU within one.“I talked to my brother,” Donley said. “He just told me a few things not to get negative and told me a few minor adjustments in my swing, and it’s been working out.”Hoosiers’ junior first baseman Sam Travis was frustrated after Sunday’s loss, he said, especially because of Eagles’ starting pitcher Willie Sligh.“He was just getting away with a lot of pitches,” Travis said. “He wasn’t making good pitches. We were putting good swings on it. He wasn’t very good. He got away with one.”IU showed off its power in the series, hitting five home runs and 40 hits in the three games.Travis smashed two home runs in the first game, including one that drilled the scoreboard in left field. Senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth, junior catcher Kyle Schwarber and Donley hit the others.“Sometimes things just don’t go your way,” Travis said. “They’ve been going our way for what, 10 games now? We just can’t change anything, can’t put our heads down, and keep going.”DeMuth is now hitting .404 on the year, leading the team, while Travis is hitting .370. “Everyone’s enjoying being out in the field,” Schwarber said. “I can guarantee you that no one on this team says they’re not having the time of their life right now, because we are.”
(04/13/14 7:45pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After pounding the Morehead State Eagles in the first two games of the series, the IU baseball team dropped the third game of the series 8-7. The Hoosiers fall to 21-11, while Morehead State improved to 17-18. Sophomore Will Coursen-Carr started for IU but only went one inning after showing almost no control on the mound. He was replaced by sophomore Evan Bell, who also showed little control of his pitches, as he threw several wild pitches, one of which let in a run.Junior Luke Harrison kept the game close until the eighth, where the Eagles pushed across three more runs to make it 8-3. The IU offense wasn’t able to get hits with runners in scoring position until the ninth where junior designated hitter Scott Donley hit a grand slam to bring IU within one.Junior catcher Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run home run in the first inning, and the Hoosiers got a run on an error in the fifth.IU plays host to Western Kentucky on Wednesday night. Andrew Vailliencourt
(04/12/14 2:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU junior first baseman Sam Travis was facing a 3-2 count during the fourth inning of a 6-1 game when he got a curveball. “I’d seen all of his pitches,” Travis said. “I knew he wasn’t going to beat me.” The next thing everyone saw was the baseball flying into the scoreboard in deep left field for a monster two-run home run - his second of the game. Travis trotted around the bases to a chorus of cheers from fans who packed Bart Kaufman Stadium Friday to see the IU baseball team take on Morehead State. “It’s unbelieveable,” IU senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth said. “(Travis) is one of the greatest hitters in college baseball. When he’s firing on all cylinders it’s hard to get him out. He got a mistake and damaged it.” The fans didn’t leave disappointed as the No. 23 Hoosiers improved to 20-10 on the year with a 13-1 smashing of the Eagles (16-17). It was the team’s eighth straight victory. Travis’ home runs were his fourth and fifth of the season, and he added a double to give him 6 RBIs on the night. He is now batting .395 on the year with five homers and 35 RBIs. “He is locked in,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “That at-bat was probably one of the best at-bats I’ve seen in a long time, because when you’re fouling off pitches and fouling off pitches and then hit a ball the way he did, that was pretty impressive.”His offensive output was more than enough for senior IU starting pitcher Joey DeNato, who had a record setting night. Denato picked up his seventh win of the season, and 31st of his career - an IU record. He went five innings, giving up one run on five hits, while striking out four.“It feels good,” DeNato said. “I know it wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for my teammates. Every single year that I’ve been here, we’ve had guys crushing the ball and the bullpen coming in behind me to shut it down.”Smith said DeNato is a competitor and always gives his best effort when he’s on the field.“It’s a great thing,” Smith said. “I still go back to the day when I recruited that guy and to sit here now almost four years later and think that he sits atop the record books at Indiana University is an awesome thing, and I’m very proud of him. There’s a lot of season left to go, so he’s going to make it hard on somebody to get him in the future I can tell you that.” DeMuth also continued his strong play going 3-for-3 with a home run, improving his season average to .402. The home run was his fifth of the year, and he now has 15 RBIs. “To have him,” Smith said. “Arguably one of the best hitters in the country, sitting in the middle to end of your order is a nice luxury.” IU will play Morehead State again Saturday at 2:05 p.m. at Bart Kaufman Field. “Everyone’s enjoying being out in the field,” IU junior catcher Kyle Schwarber said. “I can guarantee you that no one on this team says they’re not having the time of their life right now because we are.”
(04/11/14 3:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU baseball team will look to continue its seven-game winning streak when it faces off against Morehead State (16-16, 7-8) this weekend in a three-game series. IU is coming off a win against Indiana State on Wednesday, and back-to-back sweeps of Ohio State and Iowa.Senior left-hander Joey DeNato will be the starting pitcher for the Hoosiers in the first game of the series on Friday. He is 6-1 with a 2.49 ERA on the season, leading the team in strikeouts and innings pitched with 37 and 50.2, respectively. It will mark his ninth start of the year.“We’re going to stay with our same weekend rotation,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “I think we have a nice rhythm going right now, and I think that’s important.”Sophomore right-hander Christian Morris is expected to start for IU in game two at 2:05 p.m. Saturday. He is 1-2 with a 2.27 ERA on the year. It will be his seventh start of the year and ninth appearance.Game three will start at 1:05 p.m. Sunday. Sophomore Will Coursen-Carr is expected to start on the mound for the Hoosiers. He is 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA this season. It will be his 11th appearance and seventh start of the season.“Morehead State is going to come in here and be ready to go,” Smith said. “They knocked off Kentucky. We are not taking them lightly. We’re going to treat it like a Big Ten weekend, because I think the stakes we’re playing for are too high.”IU (19-10, 8-1) has seen their offense explode over the seven-game winning streak. Junior first baseman Sam Travis is batting .383 with three home runs and 29 RBIs. Junior catcher Kyle Schwarber is batting .333 with five home runs and 16 RBIs and senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth, who turned down an offer from the Minnesota Twins after being taken in the eighth round of the Major League Baseball draft last summer, is batting .384 with 4 home runs and 13 RBIs.“(DeMuth) has been, to me, the most consistent player that we’ve had this year,” Smith said. “I have been so impressed by not just how he’s playing, but also his leadership and the stuff he’s bringing to the field. That dude is playing like a big leaguer right now. He’s had a great career here, but I’ve never said that about him before, and it’s a very high compliment to him that he has raised his game to another level.”The series will be the second, third and fourth game during a nine-game home stand at Bart Kaufman Field. Morehead State is led by junior outfielder Brandon Rawe, who is batting .426 with five home runs and 29 RBIs.“Morehead State is a very good opponent,” IU redshirt freshman Thomas Belcher said. “They beat Kentucky pretty handily, and we aren’t going to underestimate them under any circumstance whatsoever. We just have to piece together hits and have to perform as a pitching staff.”
(04/10/14 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers’ bats powered the baseball team to its seventh-straight win Wednesday, knocking off Indiana State 8-4.Junior outfielder Brad Hartong led the way for IU with two hits — one was his second home run of the season — and four RBIs. Hartong has played in 21 of the 29 games this season, with yesterday’s game marking only his 14th start.“He went first pitch slider to me, so I knew I’d probably see it,” Hartong said. “I got another one in the at-bat, and he left it up and I put a good swing on it.”IU Coach Tracy Smith said Hartong helps the Hoosier lineup, saying his athleticism helps the team on the field.“He was the difference and kind of set the tone,” Smith said. “He had a big hit for us Sunday at Iowa and it’s nice to see him carry that momentum and that confidence into this game.”Junior first baseman Sam Travis hit a three-run home run, his third of the season, to break the game open in the sixth inning. Junior outfielder Will Nolden got the other IU RBI with a double in the second that scored Hartong.“Now everyone is relaxing and staying concentrated throughout the game,” Hartong said. “We’re coming to the yard expecting to win now, not fighting to win.”Senior Brian Korte got his first start of the season on the mound for IU. He went three innings giving up one run on three hits, while striking out four Sycamores. Freshman Thomas Belcher came in and threw four innings following Korte, giving up two runs on two hits with three strikeouts. He got into some trouble in the seventh and was pulled for sophomore Sullivan Stadler who was soon replaced by sophomore Evan Bell. Sophomore Scott Effross finished out the game for IU.“The plan was to break it up and even use more guys than we did,” Smith said. “I thought Brian Korte was really good, and of course Belcher came in and threw strikes.”It was the second time this season Belcher had thrown four innings, the first occurring during a game against Louisville.“It feels really great,” Belcher said. “It was important for me to go out there and eat some innings for our pitching staff. My sinker was working really well tonight.”The Hoosiers (19-10, 8-1) split the season series with Indiana State (21-9) with the win, after losing a couple weeks ago 12-8 in Terre Haute, the team’s last loss. Smith has seen improvement since then, the last game his team lost since sweeping Ohio State and Iowa.“We knew we had a good offensive team,” Smith said. “We never were in panic mode, but it sure makes your job easier as a manager when you’re scoring runs.”Freshman left-hander Ryan Keaffaber started on the hill for Indiana State and went two innings, giving up one run on one hit and one strikeout. Typically a reliever, it was a group effort pitching-wise for the Sycamores, as it was for the Hoosiers.“We are very confident as a pitching staff that whoever we put out there is going to compete and get us outs,” Belcher said. “We know we have guys that are very capable of performing at a high level.”
(04/09/14 3:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Three weeks ago to the day, the IU baseball team traveled to Indiana State to try and find stability in what had been a rocky start to the 2014 season.IU, which arrived in Terre Haute with a 12-10 record after being named preseason No. 3, fell to Indiana State, 12-8. Tonight, after six consecutive wins and back-to-back weekend series sweeps, IU (18-10) will enter a rematch with Indiana State (21-7 as of Monday) in a much different state.“Everyone’s playing a lot more loose, picking each other up,” junior outfielder Brad Hartong said. “We’re getting there. After (junior pitcher Kyle) Hart went down, we’re still getting quality pitching, so our offense knows that if we just have some good ABs and don’t give away at-bats, we’ll be good in the end.”The Hoosiers are coming off consecutive road sweeps of Big Ten opponents Ohio State and Iowa, outscoring their opponents 46-16 over six games and hitting 12 home runs in the process. While the IU lineup has found its rhythm after a start to the season that saw lower-than-expected run production, IU Coach Tracy Smith said it has been success in other facets that has allowed his team to go on its winning streak.“Everyone wants to talk about the bats, but really, we’re playing well defensively, taking outs, cutting off the big innings,” Smith said. “There’s still room to improve.”IU will need to continue its improvement to find victory against an Indiana State team that comes to Bloomington a winner of six of its last eight games as of Monday. While neither squad has named its starter for Wednesday’s game, Sullivan Stadler has all but solidified himself as the Hoosiers’ mid-week starter. The sophomore left-hander started IU’s first matchup with Indiana State, allowing five runs — three earned — in 3.1 innings and taking the loss. If tabbed to start, Stadler will look to continue a run of strong pitching performances from a Hoosier staff that has rebounded from the loss of two key members.Senior right-hander Ryan Halstead, IU’s all-time saves leader, is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing ACL surgery in March, and Hart will miss indefinite time with a torn ligament in his pitching arm.“It’s sad,” junior catcher Kyle Schwaber said of the injuries. “It’s not fun when you lose two of our better pitchers. But that’s part of the game, that’s what’s going to happen ... that’s what baseball’s all about, picking each other up. When someone’s down, not hitting the ball, we’ve got people in the lineup hitting the ball. That could be one through nine.“It’s all about picking each other up. That’s what we do, we always believe in ourselves. That’s Indiana baseball.”
(04/08/14 4:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the second straight weekend, IU baseball swept a Big Ten foe on the road.Following up the dismantling of Ohio State last weekend, where the Hoosiers outhit the Buckeyes 42-19, the Hoosier bats picked up right where they left off against the Hawkeyes. IU (18-10, 8-1) beat Iowa (16-12, 3-6) in the final game of the series 5-3 thanks to a late game rally.“When we got our pitches to hit,” junior catcher Kyle Schwarber said, “we didn’t miss them.”In the first two games against Iowa, IU hit a total of eight home runs and never trailed. The Hoosiers outscored the Hawkeyes 20-6 in the first two games.The series was moved to a Saturday-Sunday-Monday format because of rain showers on Friday, giving IU the chance to sweep the Hawkeyes on Monday.In game three, IU’s offense was stagnant. Despite a solid combined outing from sophomores Will Coursen-Carr and Evan Bell, who threw a combined seven innings while giving up one run, the Hoosiers trailed Iowa 1-0 heading to the top of the eighth.But the dormant Hoosier bats came alive in the eighth.Junior preseason all-American Sam Travis recorded an RBI single to score one run, making it a 1-1 affair. After Scott Donley’s sacrifice bunt, Dustin DeMuth stepped up to bat. Iowa elected to intentionally walk DeMuth, and in the process snapped his 16-game hitting streak as the senior went 0-2 on the day with two walks.That left a pivotal opportunity for junior Brad Hartong — bases loaded, one out, tie game in the eighth inning. Hartong, a junior college transfer playing in his first year for the Hoosiers, said he was ready to make a play for this team. In the sixth inning the Hawkeyes had also intentionally walked DeMuth. Hartong grounded out when the Hawkeyes intentionally walked DeMuth, squandering the potential scoring opportunity.“I knew I just had to get a pitch elevated,” Hartong said. “Hopefully deep enough to get a sac fly or something.”Hartong sharply hit a curveball between the third baseman and the foul line. The stand up double for the Long Beach, Calif., native plated two runs, giving IU the 3-1 lead. IU would score twice more in the frame, pushing the lead to 5-1.IU Coach Tracy Smith said he “toyed around” with the idea of pinch-hitting for Hartong but ultimately left him in the game.“We let him in there to get the job done,” Smith said. “And he got it done.”In the bottom of the ninth, sophomore closer Scott Effross was having trouble putting the game away. He opened up the inning by giving up three straight singles to load the bases with no outs. Effross then struck out the next batter looking for the key out. Iowa ended up scoring two in the frame, but it was not enough to prevent the Hoosier sweep.IU is currently riding a six-game winning streak, all on the road, and boast a plus 30 run differential in that span, but Smith said he isn’t content.“We still have better baseball left to play,” he said.
(04/07/14 3:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers broke out the long ball this weekend.In two games against Iowa, the Hoosiers have hit eight home runs — which is equal to or greater than the total of seven Big Ten teams this season.IU (17-10, 7-1) is replicating its road dominance of Big Ten foes in Iowa City, Iowa, against Iowa (16-11, 3-5). IU has defeated Iowa 6-3 and 14-3 in the first two games of the series.The series was moved to a Saturday-Sunday-Monday format because of rain forecasts Friday.In game one, senior Joey DeNato picked up his sixth win of the season by going six innings and giving up three earned runs and earned another accolade in Hoosier baseball history.The win Saturday is No. 30 for the staff ace in his career, which is tied for the record for most wins for a pitcher in IU history.On the offensive end, junior first baseman Sam Travis knocked two out of the park and junior catcher Kyle Schwarber added two RBIs.But the game was still tight in the sixth inning, with IU leading 5-3. Sophomore closer Scott Effross came in and finished the game. He recorded the 2.2 inning save which gave IU the game one victory.The Hoosiers picked up where they left off Sunday by jumping on the Hawkeyes’ starting pitcher, Sasha Kuebel, early. Kuebel gave up five earned runs and only recorded one out in his start.By the second inning, IU already had an 8-0 lead, which was more than enough for the tandem of sophomore pitcher Christian Morris and junior pitcher Luke Harrison. Morris got the start and allowed three runs, only one earned, in 3.1 innings. Harrison then came in and allowed just one hit and surrendered no runs in his 4.2 innings.Senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in the game and extended his hitting streak to 16 games.Sophomore pitcher Will Coursen-Carr will get the nod for Monday’s game. He is 2-2 on the season with a 3.14 ERA in nine total appearances.A win would give IU its second-consecutive sweep of a Big Ten opponent on the road. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. -Evan Hoopfer
(04/04/14 3:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Dozens of shirtless players danced around their coach.Junior catcher and preseason All-American Kyle Schwarber was the first to start dancing. He was rhythmically taking off his catcher’s gear and, eventually, his red IU shirt.He ran to IU Coach Tracy Smith along with a few other IU players. Immediately, the mosh pit began. The players then abandoned their head coach and ran to their assistant coaches. Dozens of players now jumped shirtless, an assistant coach at the center of the mosh pit.The scene died down, and the players dispersed, laughing. Smith had some questions.“What the hell was that?” Smith said to nobody in particular. “Somebody want to tell me what just happened? Is that, like, some Internet thing?”A video of the prank was later posted to the team’s official Twitter account. The April Fools’ joke the players executed on their coaches demonstrated the looseness the team has played with the past week. Leading into the series against Ohio State, Smith said his team had been pressing the whole season. The team was trying too hard, he said, and the subsequent results were not befitting a team ranked No. 3 in the Baseball America preseason poll.“It’s got us inconsistency,” Smith said of his team pressing too much. “So let’s just be who we are and get back to that.”IU swept Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, last weekend. The Hoosiers outscored the Buckeyes 21-7 and outhit them 42-19 in the three-game series.The No. 24 Hoosiers (15-10, 5-1) will try to replicate that success in Iowa City, Iowa, this weekend. IU will take on Iowa (16-9, 3-3) in another three-game Big Ten road stint.The series, originally to be played in a Friday-Saturday-Sunday format, has been pushed back to a Saturday-Sunday-Monday affair because of forecasts of rain Friday.The Hawkeyes have had mixed results this year. After taking two of three games from Nebraska — a team projected to finish second in the Big Ten in the preseason — the Hawkeyes lost three of four games, including a defeat against Bradley and two losses to Michigan.IU played Michigan in its first Big Ten series of the year. The Hoosiers came within a diving catch on the warning track of sweeping the Wolverines.The Hoosiers will try and stymie the efforts of Hawkeye pitcher Calvin Mathews. Mathews was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Monday after his performance against Michigan, in which he led Iowa to its only win in the series.Mathews threw a complete game, surrendering six hits and two runs. He struck out nine batters and walked none.He will be matched up against IU’s staff ace, senior Joey DeNato. DeNato is 5-1 this year with a 2.22 ERA. With his last start, DeNato now holds the record for most strikeouts in IU history.Sophomore Christian Morris will get the start Sunday. Junior Kyle Hart, who is the normal No. 2 starter, suffered a strained forearm in his last start against Ohio State and is out of the rotation this weekend. Monday’s starter has yet to be announced.
(04/02/14 4:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Tracy Smith is finally happy with the performance of his baseball team.After a slow start to the season that saw the preseason No. 3 Hoosiers drop out of the rankings, the team rallied to win eight of its last 12 games and sweep a three-game series at Ohio State last weekend. They returned to the top 25, with IU coming in at No. 24 in this week’s Baseball America rankings.The Hoosiers brought together their sharpest series of the season in Columbus, Ohio, outscoring the Buckeyes 21-7 and outhitting them 42-19.“We’re hitting stride right now,” Smith said. “We know the way we’re capable of playing. It wasn’t a shock, I mean, honestly, that’s the way we play. We’ve just kind of been waiting for it to happen.”Smith will look for a continuation of that momentum today as IU (15-10) takes on his former team.The ninth-year head coach and his Hoosier squad will welcome Miami (Ohio) to Bart Kaufman Field for a first pitch scheduled at 6:05 p.m. today.Smith, a four-time letterwinner at Miami, spent nine years in the RedHawks’ dugout before accepting the IU job prior to the 2006 season. His Hoosier teams have fared well against his former squad, going 4-5 against the RedHawks since he came to Bloomington.He will tap sophomore left-hander Sullivan Stadler to take the mound in pursuit of victory Wednesday afternoon.After pitching just one inning in 2013, Stadler has made two starts for the Hoosiers this season. He has compiled a 1-1 record with a 5.23 ERA in 10.1 innings.Miami will send freshman right-hander Christian Bokich to the mound to complete the pitching matchup. Bokich has struggled this season, allowing 9 runs in just 4.2 innings coming out of the bullpen.Bokich will make his first career start against a talented Hoosier lineup featuring two 2013 All-Americans that is now hitting its stride. Smith said it was up to junior catcher Kyle Schwarber and junior first baseman Sam Travis to spark the offensive surge.“They tried to do a little too much earlier in the season,” Smith said of his two All-Americans. “It’s nice that they’ve settled in with quality at-bats. The thing is, when they do that, other guys are going to follow. You trust the guys around you, you take a walk if they’re going to give you a walk and trust the guys to drive you in.”Schwarber said he and the rest of the IU lineup have fine-tuned their approach and will look to put up runs no matter the opposition.“We really focused on putting in quality at-bats at the plate,” Schwarber said. “We haven’t been putting in quality at-bats for the last month or so. We wanted to make a team effort towards that, and I feel like we made a really good adjustment.”The statistics back up Schwarber’s claim. After scoring 69 runs in its first 17 games — going 9-8 in those contests — IU has scored 51 in its last eight games, winning six of those.Schwarber said despite the RedHawks’ struggles in recent games, with five losses in a row and a 10-15 overall record, the Hoosiers will look to jump on Bokich early.“We don’t care who we’re playing,” Schwarber said. “We’re going to come out and play Indiana baseball. If we play Indiana baseball, we’re not going to be afraid of the results.”
(04/01/14 1:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth was named Big Ten Player of the Week by the conference Monday.In the three-game sweep of Ohio State this weekend, DeMuth batted .583 and extended his hitting streak to 14 games. He now leads the Hoosiers with a .379 batting average this season.This is DeMuth’s second career Big Ten Player of the Week honor.Evan Hoopfer
(04/01/14 1:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>All the students were looking at Kyle Hart when he walked into his chemistry class.Hart stands out from most students because of his 6-foot-5-inch frame. But this time he was drawing attention for walking into his C117 test half an hour late.“Everybody was just staring at me,” he said.He was tardy because earlier that afternoon he was busy shutting down the No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats. Hart’s final line: 8 innings pitched, 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 8 strikeouts and 0 walks. IU won 7-2 in front of a sold-out, standing-room-only crowd at Bart Kaufman Field. Hart said it was possibly the best he’s ever pitched at IU, but the test didn’t go as well.“That test actually went terrible,” he said. “I still had a ton of adrenaline going, so yeah, that was definitely not my best score.”The start against Kentucky was another peg in a historic month of March for Hart, where he has cemented himself as one of the Big Ten’s best pitchers. Before last week, Hart had won back-to-back Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors and became one of the best starting pitchers in the conference. But his rise hasn’t come without adversity. Earlier this season, Hart started the year with two subpar outings and was subsequently demoted.After Hart’s start Feb. 22 against Utah — the Hoosiers lost in 15 innings — IU Coach Tracy Smith told Hart he was being taken off the weekend rotation.“You get what you deserve,” Smith said. “I know he’s a capable pitcher. But he was being tentative and a little unsure of himself.”Hart had thrown just four innings against Utah and lacked his usual control. In the previous start against Texas Tech, he was smacked all over the yard by the Red Raiders. His final line against Texas Tech was: 3 innings pitched, 2 hits, 5 earned runs, 5 walks and 1 strikeout.Smith added an ultimatum.“It was a little bit of a kick in the head for Skip to say to me, ‘Hey man, if you want to keep pitching, you’ll get a couple more opportunities. But you need to step it up,’” Hart said.Hart, who finished the 2013 season 8-2 with a 3.01 ERA and had the fourth-most wins in the Big Ten, was struggling. His ERA through two starts was 7.71.He was now the midweek starter and had to prove himself before returning to the weekend rotation.“I’m not trying to bash him or anything,” catcher Kyle Schwarber said. “But I think that gave him a good kick in the butt.”Upset with his performance, Hart went to his pitching coach, Brandon Higelin, and asked, “What the hell do I need to do?” This was new territory for Hart. He made almost every start last year as the Hoosiers’ No. 2 guy.He was walking batters and not locating his pitches. Hart talked to Higelin, Smith and his roommate, pitching staff ace Joey DeNato, on how to get better.He worked on keeping his weight back on the mound. It helps him keep his rhythm in sync and throw his pitches more consistently. Against Texas Tech in his first start, he was throwing the ball high in the zone. Against Utah in his second start, he was throwing the ball down in the zone.Now that he’s found that balance he has been one of the best pitchers in the Big Ten.“There’s nobody on this team that should doubt themselves,” Smith said. “Especially a guy like Kyle Hart. And I’m glad to see he’s thriving since those early starts. I would not hesitate to give him the ball against anyone, at any time.”In March the Cincinnati native threw 28.1 innings while boasting a 0.96 ERA. He went 3-0 and also added a save in a rare relief effort against Jacksonville.“It’s great to have him back,” Schwarber said. “It’s old him again.”In his last start against Ohio State, Hart came out to pitch the fifth inning. But after throwing a few warmup pitches he was surrounded by the coaching and training staff.Hart came out of the game due to a forearm strain. Smith said after the game he didn’t want to comment on the status of his pitcher, and he’ll be evaluated in the coming days.Hart said his dad, who is usually hard on him, has been texting him “good job” after several of his starts this month. But Hart isn’t content.“I still don’t feel like I’ve dominated yet,” Hart said. “I don’t mean to sound full of myself, but it needs to get better ... I’d like to get Big Ten Pitcher of the Week for 10 straight weeks.”