Around Sports

Men’s Golf

IU begins Big Ten play in sunshine state

After a successful fall season in which IU finished in the top five of all its tournaments, the men’s golf team will get things rolling again in the first-ever Big Ten Match Play Championship on Saturday and Sunday.

The No. 7 Hoosiers are listed as the second seed in the tournament and will face either Minnesota or Purdue for their first match.

IU coach Mike Mayer left no doubts about which team he would prefer to play.
“You always want to face Purdue,” Mayer said.

Mayer added his entire lineup can be counted on this weekend but that they will be leaning on the match-play experience of No. 3-ranked Jorge Campillo.

The NCAA recently decided to have the NCAA Championships in match-play format, a system that is very popular among Big Ten coaches, Mayer said.

The tournament features all 11 teams in the conference, including another top 10-ranked team, No. 5 Illinois. Despite the tough competition, Mayer said his team has more than just a chance to win, adding he believes his team is “the team to beat.”
– By Ryan Winn

Men’s Tennis

Regrouped IU battles No. 31 Kentucky

The IU men’s tennis team heads into its weekend matchup against No. 31 Kentucky having lost five of their last six matches, but IU coach Randy Bloemendaal doesn’t mind his No. 64-ranked team’s 5-5 record.

The Hoosiers started the season with four wins but stumbled to find win No. 5, after losing five straight matches by 4-3 decisions.

“I know how close we are to being 9-1,” Bloemendaal said.

Three of the close losses came down to the final match on the court. With a predominately underclassman lineup consisting of six freshmen, two sophomores and only one senior, Bloemendaal believes his team is growing all the time.

“Some of that is just youth and maturity,” Bloemendaal said. “The only thing you can do is keep doing the right things. Each week your team gets a little older. They get a little more mature.”

Bloemendaal and the Hoosiers look to build upon their 7-0 demolishing of Georgia State last weekend against Kentucky.

But the Wildcats represent what might be the toughest competition the Hoosiers have faced this season, bringing two nationally ranked singles players in No 4. Bruno Agostinelli and No. 37 Eric Quigley. Kentucky also has the No. 13- and No. 42-ranked doubles teams in the country.

“They’re a good team, a very good team,” Bloemendaal said of Kentucky. “They’re young and talented. I’d be surprised if they’re not ranked in the ’teens by the end of this year.”

In the last meeting between the two, the Hoosiers won 4-3 in Bloomington.
“We have a unique opportunity with Kentucky,” Bloemendaal said. “It’s a rival school, and we’re right on the verge of breaking through.”
– By Stephanie Kuzydym

Wrestling

Grapplers welcome No. 8 Illinois, No. 16 Northwestern

After a big win against in-state rival and then-No. 25 Purdue last week, IU wrestling coach Duane Goldman spoke of consistency and its importance through the rigorous Big Ten schedule.

The No. 20 Hoosiers (14-4-1, 1-2-1) head into the weekend with two heavy tasks on their hands in squaring off against No. 8 Illinois and No. 16 Northwestern. IU will be looking to keep the momentum they built against the Boilermakers last week.

All the momentum they get will be of assistance, as the Hoosiers might face a total of nine ranked wrestlers, three of whom are in the top five.

Friday, IU faces Illinois in Champaign. The Illini (10-1, 3-1) come into Friday’s dual meet as winners of three straight meets, all against ranked opponents at the time. Illinois’ sole loss came to No. 1 Iowa in Iowa City last month.

On Sunday, the Hoosiers return home to the University Gym to host the Wildcats (9-5-1, 2-2-1).

Northwestern comes in having dropped four of their last six matches.

The Wildcats recently went down to the wire in Minneapolis with the No. 11 Golden Gophers, losing 18-16. The Wildcats also defeated No. 18 Wisconsin, a foe IU lost to last month in the Cliff Keen National Duals Meet. 
– By Frank Therber

Track and Field

Hoosiers split up for home and away meets

For the first time this year, the IU track and field team will be in two different places at once.

Half of the team will stay at the Gladstein Fieldhouse in Bloomington to compete in the Hoosier Hills Invitational on Friday,  while the team’s elite athletes will head to Fayetteville, Ark., to compete in the ultra-competitive Tyson Invitational.

The Arkansas meet takes place Friday and Saturday and will feature 12 ranked teams as well as six of the top 10 teams in the nation.

Senior sprinter and jumper Audrey Smoot, who will compete in Fayetteville this weekend, said IU has a different approach to the meet since the level of opposition is so high.

“Pretty much every good school in the country is going to be there,” Smoot said. “Instead of going in there thinking I am going to win my race, it is more about embracing the opportunity to run on a fast track and have good competition.”

IU coach Ron Helmer said despite the team being split up, the two meets have to be approached the same as all other meets have this season.

“I would hope that all of our athletes are doing what we ask them to do every time,” Helmer said. “That is, take advantage of whatever opportunity they have to get better, and if that is what they do then it is no big deal.” 
– By Ari Shifron

Softball

Hoosiers aim to ‘mess with Texas’

After starting their season with four straight losses, the IU softball team came back from their trip to California with a reality check.

A short week of practicing has the team tuned up for another cross-country trip, this time to Houston for the Crowne Plaza Classic.

The slate of games this weekend for the Hoosiers includes Oklahoma, which is coming off of a 4-1 showing at the Hawaii Paradise Classic.

Oklahoma junior Amber Flores was named National Player of the Week after hitting .643 with three home runs and 15 RBI in five games.

IU coach Michelle Gardner said she will respect Flores’ prowess but won’t focus on it too much.

“We’re going to do our best to try and pitch around her, but you can’t pitch around everybody,” Gardner said.

Getting good outings and starting pitchers is something Gardner stressed early in the season as key to getting that first win.

“We have to keep their runs down and start (pushing) more of our runners across,” Gardner said. “We need to put together a complete game.”

The Hoosiers will start their weekend Friday against Texas State and then will sandwich the matchup against Oklahoma with a pair of games against Oklahoma State.

“It’s got to be game by game,” Gardner said of the weekend. “You can’t go out there and say ‘let’s win all four.’”
– By Connor O’Gara