Baseball travels to Penn State

In the previous three weekend series, IU had something to prove.

Michigan State swept the Hoosiers in the 2013 season, and IU was out for revenge. Illinois was second in the Big Ten and IU was first ­­— it was a battle for conference supremacy. And the last time the Hoosiers played arch rival Purdue, a brawl ensued.

The Hoosiers got the best of the three teams, winning all of the series and going a combined 8-1 against the Spartans, Illini and Boilermakers.

Now, IU will have to keep that same energy for one of the Big Ten’s lesser teams.

“Every single game I pitch in I try to have the same mentality,” senior starter Joey DeNato said.

No. 9 IU (32-12, 16-2) travels to State College, Pa., to play Penn State (17-26, 5-12) in a three-game weekend stint starting tonight.

By record, the Nittany Lions are one of the weaker teams in the Big Ten. They are tied with Purdue and Northwestern for the least amount of conference wins: five.

After a hot start winning their first two Big Ten series of the season — Purdue and Northwestern — Penn State has struggled as of late.

In their past four Big Ten series, Penn State is 1-11 and hasn’t won a Big Ten game since April 11. In their past three series they have been swept by Illinois, Minnesota and Nebraska and been outscored by an average of 5.2 runs per game.

While Penn State has been struggling, IU has found its stride.

After a 12-10 start and falling out of the top 25 in most polls, the Hoosiers have gone 20-2 and vaulted back in the top ten in the latest Baseball America poll to No. 9. Both the losses IU suffered in the past 22 contests came by just one run.

One big reason for the recent success is the pitching staff. After losing No. 2 starter Kyle Hart to Tommy John surgery and closer Ryan Halstead to a torn ACL for the remainder of their seasons, the Hoosiers haven’t missed a beat.

“I think we’re very close as a staff,” senior starter Brian Korte said. “We hold each other accountable for whatever we do and never take shortcuts.”

Starters Christian Morris and Brian Korte have filled in for Hart and struggling starter Will Coursen-Carr, who was pulled from the weekend rotation, and they have successfully led one of the best staffs in the nation.

Morris and Korte have a combined ERA of 2.19 in 90.1 innings pitched this season. Their performances, coupled with that of ace Joey DeNato — who is 10-1 with a 2.06 ERA — have helped the Hoosiers become the best pitching staff in the Big Ten.

“It’s awesome playing behind them,” shortstop Nick Ramos said. “You know they’re going to throw strikes.”

IU has the best team ERA and has kept opponents to the lowest batting average in the Big Ten. The Hoosier offense has provided support as well, scoring the third most runs of any Big Ten team.

Penn State ranks in the bottom third of the league in both team batting average and ERA, but IU said it must retain focus.

During finals week, IU had no midweek game. This gave the team time to go to the facilities and get some extra work in between studying. It also gave the team more time to take a step back and relax before the end of the season rolls around, the players said.

“You have a lot more off time,” Ramos said. “I love it. A lot more time to take naps.”