IU reaches 30 wins after EKU victory

It has been 26 seasons since the IU baseball team reached the 30-win plateau this quickly, but IU Coach Tracy Smith is looking beyond the mark.

“It used to be you look at the 30 wins as significant,” Smith said. “But anymore it’s probably the 40-win is kind of that bench mark for the NCAA tournament. But I’d much rather be 30-8 then 8-30.”

No. 17 IU (30-8)  took down Eastern Kentucky Tuesday night 5-2. This is the quickest an IU baseball team has reached the mark since 1987, when the Hoosiers started 30-6.  IU is currently the only Big Ten team to boast 30 wins on the year.

Sophomore pitcher Luke Harrison came through for the Hoosiers after freshman starting pitcher Christian Morris lasted only two and two-thirds innings and gave up two runs to leave IU in need of a strong relief performance.

“(Harrison) was awesome,” sophomore catcher Kyle Schwarber said. “(Harrison’s) been real consistent for us this year, but he’s a strike thrower. He’s got a real hard curve ball to read out of his hand.  All the credit goes to him.”

The sophomore had his longest outing of the year, going five and one-third innings, allowing three hits and no earned runs while striking out four  in perhaps his best outing of the season.

At one point, he retired 12 straight Colonel batters, and Smith liked the maturity that he brought to the mound.

“He to us was the player of the game,” Smith said. “If he doesn’t come in and shut it down right there and take over those middle innings — we didn’t swing the bat particularly well today so who knows what would have happened.”

For the second straight game after being moved down to ninth in the order on Saturday versus Butler, senior outfielder Justin Cureton hit leadoff.

“As far as the moving him down, that was not motivation,” Smith said. “We need to get a little more production out of the top.”

Ever since Cureton was moved down on Saturday, he has hit .333 with three RBI in three games.

“I know I’m the leadoff hitter on this team,” Cureton said. “When I got bumped down for that one game, that sent me a message that I need to step up.”

Schwarber sprained his PCL on April 6 when sliding into home plate and has seen limited playing time since then.

The last two games he has started at designated hitter, hit .500 and accounted for eight runs.

“I’d probably say I’m about 80 percent right now,” Schwarber said. “It’s been a real speedy recovery, actually. I’m very surprised from how I felt when it hurt to where I am now.”

Today IU will try to build on its four-game winning streak when it plays Indiana State (17-17). First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

The Sycamores are currently on a four-game losing streak. This weekend they were outscored 15-3 by Illinois State in a three-game sweep.

ISU has one player hitting over .300, while the Hoosiers feature seven players hitting above that mark this season.

Despite having the statistical edge in so many categories, teams play better when they are playing nationally ranked opponents, Smith said.

“Whenever there is a number in front of your name, you’re going to get that team’s best,” Smith said.