Hoosiers victorious in last home game

Tuesday’s game against Butler might not have mattered in the conference picture, but it mattered just the same for the IU baseball team. They scattered 16 hits and 13 runs over nine innings, running through four different Butler pitchers en route to a 13-5 victory over the Bulldogs. \nThe Hoosiers welcomed in-state foe Butler to Sembower Field for one last 2008 home game, a midweek matchup prior to IU’s pivotal four-game set with Michigan State this weekend. IU coach Tracy Smith elected to make several changes to the lineup before and during the game to save some of his key starters for this weekend’s win-or-go-home series in East Lansing, Mich. The Hoosiers opened the scoring early, notching four runs in the first two innings against Butler starter Joe Ochs. But in the third inning, IU put the game well out of reach. \nThe Hoosiers batted around in the frame, plating seven runs while driving Ochs from the game. \nJunior center fielder Andrew Means said after the game that the Hoosiers’ dominant performance against Butler is important heading into the weekend. \n“We just wanna go into the weekend feeling good, feeling hot and knowing that we can play solid baseball and hit the ball around the park a little bit,” Means said. \nLittle-used utility man Brad Henke was a star for the Hoosiers, starting in the hot corner at third base, slapping three hits and scoring twice. \n“You try to work guys in when you can, and the midweek games you try to do that as much as you can,” Smith said after the game of Henke’s contributions. “He’s one of our hardest workers we have.”\nOn the mound, IU used four different pitchers to stop the visitors, giving the bullpen and this weekend’s four starters plenty of rest before facing Michigan State. Freshman left-hander Kyle Leiendecker started for the Hoosiers, going four innings and giving up three runs before giving way to senior Doug Fleenor, who picked up the win in his last appearance at Sembower Field. Fleenor struck out four, including two in the fifth inning. \n“I just had a good curveball, and I was getting ahead of the hitters a little bit,” Fleenor said after Tuesday’s game. \nFleenor also said it helped him to come out of the bullpen already staked with a 12-3 lead.\n“It’s a lot easier,” said Fleenor, who added that he could “just go after hitters” with that kind of cushion. \nFleenor said after the game that winning in convincing fashion should keep the Hoosiers relaxed and confident heading into the Michigan State series. \n“It just keeps the guys a little bit loose to come in and have a day like this,” Fleenor said.\nSmith said after Tuesday’s win that he believes his team is a legitimate Big Ten Tournament title contender. They just have to prove they belong there first. \n“We know if we get in it, we certainly are capable of winning it,” Smith said. “I would like to see that for the kids, I really would.”\nFor Fleenor, however, there is added significance to an already important series. The senior from Richmond, Ind., has never been to a Big Ten Tournament. The last time the Hoosiers qualified came the year before his freshman year.\n“Since I’ve been here, this is the closest we’ve been to having a legitimate shot at (making the tournament),” Fleenor said. “If we come in here and take care of business, I think things will work out for us.”\nMeans said it all comes down to confidence for the Hoosiers on the road in perhaps the most important series of Smith’s tenure at IU. \n“We know we can hit,” Means said, “we know we can play good defense, we know we can pitch well. We just need to go out this weekend, do all three things and have a good weekend.”