Baseball sweeps Ohio State on the road

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Coming into the weekend, IU and Ohio State were tied for the lead in the Big Ten, and the Buckeyes had the best overall record in the conference.

The Hoosiers (15-10, 5-1) outhit the Buckeyes (16-10, 2-4) 42-19 during the weekend, en route to a three-game sweep of Ohio State.

“We just went out with that demeanor of ‘We’re better then you,’” junior catcher Kyle Schwarber said.

IU won 6-4 Friday behind senior pitcher Joey DeNato’s performance coupled with 15 Hoosier hits. DeNato threw seven innings and gave up just one earned run.

Saturday’s game was rained out, sending the teams into a doubleheader in chilly conditions Sunday.

IU outscored Ohio State 15-3 during the doubleheader. In game one, junior pitcher Kyle Hart — reigning back-to-back Big Ten Pitcher of the Week — came out before the fifth inning due to an injury.

Hart would later be diagnosed with a strained forearm, according to the team’s official Twitter account. Sophomore Will Coursen-Carr was called on for relief.

“I really had no idea what was going on,” Coursen-Carr said. “At that moment I was relaxed in the dugout. And then it was like, ‘Oh, I’m in.’”

Despite the short notice, Coursen-Carr shutout the Buckeyes in his five innings of relief work. He native has struggled recently, and IU Coach Tracy Smith said he was impressed.

“That’s huge,” Smith said. “At that time it was colder than the dickens. And to be sitting there, bundled up in jackets, having no idea you’re going into the game — I thought that was an outstanding job by him.”

Smith said he didn’t want to comment about Hart’s status. He said he doesn’t know if the injury is serious or not, and Hart will be evaluated in the coming days.

In game two of the double header, the Hoosier bats came alive again and the pitching stymied the Buckeyes.

Starting pitcher Christian Morris’s line was 7.2 innings, three hits, one earned run, one walk and four strikeouts.

“Kudos to him,” Schwarber said. “He did a hell of a job.”

IU added 14 hits in support of Morris, including an inside-the-park home run by senior infielder Dustin DeMuth that scored two runs.

The home run extended DeMuth’s hitting streak to 14 games. The Hoosier offense was strong all weekend.

Schwarber went 6-for-12 during the series, leadoff man Casey Rodrigue scored in every game and designated hitter junior Scott Donley had five RBI.

“We finally put it together for a weekend,” Smith said. “I don’t want to say I’m surprised on that because I’ve seen it before.”

IU put together its finest weekend of the season thus far, Smith and the players said.
Players said the mentality of the team was different.

“We were aggressive, we were confident and a little bit arrogant,” Coursen-Carr said. “Arrogant in a good way, not a bad way.”