FINAL: Hoosiers win eighth straight

IU junior first baseman Sam Travis was facing a 3-2 count during the fourth inning of a 6-1 game when he got a curveball.
   
“I’d seen all of his pitches,” Travis said. “I knew he wasn’t going to beat me.”
   
The next thing everyone saw was the baseball flying into the scoreboard in deep left field for a monster two-run home run - his second of the game. Travis trotted around the bases to a chorus of cheers from fans who packed Bart Kaufman Stadium Friday to see the IU baseball team take on Morehead State.
   
“It’s unbelieveable,” IU senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth said. “(Travis) is one of the greatest hitters in college baseball. When he’s firing on all cylinders it’s hard to get him out. He got a mistake and damaged it.”
   
The fans didn’t leave disappointed as the No. 23 Hoosiers improved to 20-10 on the year with a 13-1 smashing of the Eagles (16-17). It was the team’s eighth straight victory.
   
Travis’ home runs were his fourth and fifth of the season, and he added a double to give him 6 RBIs on the night. He is now batting .395 on the year with five homers and 35 RBIs.
   
“He is locked in,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “That at-bat was probably one of the best at-bats I’ve seen in a long time, because when you’re fouling off pitches and fouling off pitches and then hit a ball the way he did, that was pretty impressive.”

His offensive output was more than enough for senior IU starting pitcher Joey DeNato, who had a record setting night. Denato picked up his seventh win of the season, and 31st of his career - an IU record. He went five innings, giving up one run on five hits, while striking out four.

“It feels good,” DeNato said. “I know it wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for my teammates. Every single year that I’ve been here, we’ve had guys crushing the ball and the bullpen coming in behind me to shut it down.”

Smith said DeNato is a competitor and always gives his best effort when he’s on the field.

“It’s a great thing,” Smith said. “I still go back to the day when I recruited that guy and to sit here now almost four years later and think that he sits atop the record books at Indiana University is an awesome thing, and I’m very proud of him. There’s a lot of season left to go, so he’s going to make it hard on somebody to get him in the future I can tell you that.”
   
DeMuth also continued his strong play going 3-for-3 with a home run, improving his season average to .402. The home run was his fifth of the year, and he now has 15 RBIs.
   
“To have him,” Smith said. “Arguably one of the best hitters in the country, sitting in the middle to end of your order is a nice luxury.”
   
IU will play Morehead State again Saturday at 2:05 p.m. at Bart Kaufman Field.
   
“Everyone’s enjoying being out in the field,” IU junior catcher Kyle Schwarber said. “I can guarantee you that no one on this team says they’re not having the time of their life right now because we are.”