Hoosiers looking for confidence boost in Iowa series

Just a week ago, the IU baseball team (14-13, 3-5) came out of a midweek meeting with Miami (Ohio) on April 2 on a high note, feeling good about a 5-2 victory that came despite struggling in the batter’s box. \nWhat a difference a week makes.\nThe Hoosiers – losers of four of their last five games – will welcome Iowa to town this weekend for a four-game tilt, part of which will be featured on the Big Ten Network. The network will cover the doubleheader Saturday, which begins at noon. This is the teams’ first appearance on the network this year.\nThe Hoosiers find themselves in something of a spring funk this week, having lost three in a row. Their last outing was an 11-4 debacle on a return trip to Miami, which saw the Hoosiers use seven pitchers and give up 10 earned runs. \nPitching has been a problem for the Hoosiers over the last week-plus, something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by IU coach Tracy Smith. IU has given up more than 10 runs per game in the last five games, including four runs in the ninth inning of an 8-7 loss to Illinois on April 5.\nSmith has said all along that he believes his pitching staff has plenty of ability. He said confidence in that ability has become the stumbling block. That’s why Smith said this weekend’s series is key to his team regaining form.\n“Each guy has to realize the importance of this series,” Smith said. “You just hope that you’ve done enough and we’ve run the program the right way.”\nThe Hoosiers might have the right team to rebound against. Iowa is currently 9-17 and a Big Ten-worst 1-7 in conference. \nThe Hawkeyes are eighth in hitting and seventh in pitching overall in the conference. By comparison, the Hoosiers are third in hitting and sixth \nin pitching.\nSophomore catcher Josh Phegley leads the way for IU, hitting a Big Ten-best .430 among hitters with 100 or more at-bats. Phegley also has three home runs and 28 runs batted this season.\nSmith added the Hoosiers might have an extra bit of support from the pitching staff this weekend. He said this weekend will be the first time IU has gone into a weekend series with its pitching staff set, which has not happened yet due to injuries. \nThe Hoosiers aren’t all healthy, however. They’re still missing junior center fielder and team captain Andrew Means – out with a wrist injury – and freshman southpaw Kyle Leiendecker, who’s been fighting arm trouble. Smith described both as “day-to-day” in an interview after the Miami game Wednesday. Leiendecker is not expected to go this weekend, and Means’ status remained unchanged at of \npress time. \nSmith said the coaching staff recognizes that the Little 500 festivities will be a distraction this weekend. He said the team will be staying together off campus to “minimize the distractions.”\nSmith also said he and his team are looking forward to playing on television this weekend, calling the network good for the Big Ten as a whole. \nThe IU coach added he thinks his team can rebound this weekend, saying it needs to find their early-season confidence and remember that the players “are the same people that beat LSU and beat \nFrenso State.” \nWe still feel good about our chances,” he said. “Hopefully they’ll be ready to go.”