Hoosiers open home stand with rival Purdue

For the first time since Big Ten play began, the IU baseball team will enter the weekend on a positive note. After winning its first mid-week game during the conference season Wednesday, the Hoosiers hope to sustain that momentum heading into this weekend's series with Purdue. \nThe Boilermakers are not only one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten -- having won seven of their last eight -- but are in-state rivals the Hoosiers (10-18, 2-6 Big Ten) would like to beat at home.\n"It's going be a lot of fun; they're obviously a rivalry," junior second baseman Keith Haas said. "We're going to try to not let them come beat us in our house."\nToday's game is IU's first home game since late March. They wrapped up an 11-game road trip Wednesday, having lost eight of 11 on the trip.\nPlaying at home for the first time since late March against an in-state rival should give the Hoosiers a little extra boost on the field, IU coach Tracy Smith said.\n"I hope the guys see it's an in-state school and there's a little extra fire and determination," Smith said.\nPurdue (18-9, 5-3 Big Ten) comes to Bloomington having played its way into second place in the Big Ten standings, one game behind Ohio State and Northwestern. The Boilermakers also challenged themselves early, playing then-No. 2 North Carolina and then-No. 18 Missouri in their non-conference schedule. \nFirst baseman Eric Wolfe provides the power in the middle of the Purdue offense, hitting .404 with a team-leading four home runs and 29 RBIs. Shortstop and lead-off man Mitch Hilligoss sparks the Purdue offense from the top, hitting .406 and getting on base nearly 50 percent of the time.\nSlowing down Hilligoss might be the key to holding down Purdue's offense, Smith said.\n"He's not Superman, so we're going to treat him like any other guy," Smith said. "Hopefully we can do a good job of keeping him off the bases. When he gets on there, he makes it happen."\nThe Purdue pitching staff will also be a challenge. Four pitchers have a sub-3.00 ERA, including starters Jay Buente and Ricky Heines.\nThe IU offense returned to form this week after a quiet series against Northwestern last weekend. The Hoosiers tallied 14 hits against Xavier and freshman Cameron Satterwhite continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-5 in the game. Satterwhite is hitting .447 on the season.\nFellow freshman and starting right fielder Andrew Means will be available for three of the four games this weekend. Means, who is also a wide receiver on the IU football team, will miss the second game of Saturday's doubleheader for the spring football game. Means has seen limited action on the baseball field lately with ongoing spring football practices. \nThe Hoosiers will try to win their first Big Ten series of the season, beginning with game one this afternoon at 3 p.m. Saturday's double header begins at 1 p.m. and the series finale is Sunday at 3 p.m. \n"Every game is important, but when Purdue rolls into town it's a different story," senior left fielder Jay Brant said. "We're going to look forward to the challenge"