IU has two weekends left to make up the difference.
IU is a half-game behind Nebraska, the seventh-place team, so qualifying is still possible.
This weekend IU, (23-19, 6-10) travels to Maryland (32-13, 11-4) to try and start to make up the gap between itself and the projected tournament field.
“These next two Big Ten weekends are going to dictate the rest of our season,” senior closer Ryan Halstead said. “We’re taking it really seriously.”
IU has lost four games in a row and eight of its last 10. The two most recent losses came against Evansville and Indiana State, meaning IU was swept by both Missouri Valley Conference schools this season.
This is all part of a stretch in which IU has lost 14 of its last 21 games since March 27.
“If you’re a baseball player you have to be pretty resilient because you have to play day after day after day,” IU Coach Chris Lemonis said. “So we have to keep fighting.”
The Terrapins enter the weekend having won their past five games.
The Hoosiers veterans say they have been through struggles earlier in their careers and that their experience should help themselves and younger players break out of this recent funk.
“I think we have to rally with each other,” Halstead said. “Everyone knows the task that is at hand, so we’re not going to take this weekend lightly. We’re going to come in ready to play.”
Junior Kyle Hart and sophomore Jake Kelzer will start in the first two games for the Hoosiers, but their Sunday starter is still undetermined.
Lemonis said Sunday’s starter will likely be determined based on how rested IU’s bullpen is.
Regardless of who pitches, IU needs to perform well in its next two series if the Hoosiers want a chance to qualify for not only the Big Ten Tournament but possibly the NCAA Tournament.
The Hoosiers know how important the upcoming games are.
“We know they’re important, but we don’t really talk about it,” senior shortstop Nick Ramos said. “We don’t want to put too much pressure on it. Just go out there and play the best we can.”
