Hoosiers look to regain confidence against Spartans

To expedite the departure of a routine that plagued his team the last couple of games, IU Coach Tracy Smith’s No. 13 IU baseball team (26-4, 8-1) practiced under the lights of Bart Kaufman Field on Wednesday to prepare for what Smith dubbed a very important weekend series for the Hoosiers. The team will square off with Michigan State (18-11, 2-4) at 3:05 p.m. Friday and 1:05 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

“I thought it was time to do something different because we came on the heels of not playing our best baseball on Sunday in the loss,” Smith said. “We followed it up with our worst game of the season. We were very fortunate to get the win.”

Sitting atop the Big Ten, the Hoosiers have had to adjust to having a target on their backs. Senior center fielder Justin Cureton said the adjustment has been one he and his teammates relish.

“We’ve just got to play our game and we’ll be fine,” Cureton said. “Our game plan hasn’t changed throughout the years. We do get everyone’s best, and it just makes it more fun when we beat them.”

Senior outfielder Trace Knoblauch said that though the 18-game winning streak ended Sunday, there was hardly any talk of the streak while it lasted and they never really bought into it.

Smith said perhaps he didn’t give the streak the credit it deserved.

“I almost wish we were still in the middle of it because ever since the 18-game winning streak ended, it’s like we’ve done this emotional letdown,” the eighth-year coach said. “We need to get back on track with our attention and our focus to detail and being smart.”

IU has not played Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich., since 2010. Michigan swept MSU last weekend, and therefore Cureton believes they’ll come out hungry against IU.
“When you drop three in the Big Ten, it’s really hard to get back from that,” Cureton said. “Michigan State’s a very good team. We can’t sleep on them.”

Sophomore catcher Kyle Schwarber will be a game-time decision due to a sprained PCL, a knee injury he suffered April 6 against Illinois. Knoblauch said the leadership dynamic will remain the same as it has been all season.

“One of our biggest advantages is that we’re really deep,” Knoblauch said. “It’s definitely a disappointment to lose Kyle because he’s a great player, one of the best in the country. We know that we can handle it because we have the guys who can back him up, let him get healthy and not have to rush back.”

The Spartans’ home — McLane Baseball Stadium at Kobs Field — features a mild incline in center and right fields as one approaches the warning track.

Smith said he is “half-serious” about coaching his pitchers to make pitches that prohibit balls from flying out that way.

Cureton will be playing his first game in East Lansing as a Hoosier. He said the key to navigating the outfield will be to take many repetitions in batting practice.

If the Hoosiers can regain their form, Knoblauch said he is confident.

“We know that if we’re playing our best baseball that it’s very hard to beat us,” Knoblauch said. “We want to be playing good baseball, keep winning games and get some national respect that we deserve.”