The slow start for the Hoosiers was not how IU Coach Chris Lemonis expected to start the season.
Lemonis said he knew he would have an evolving and maturing offense, but he didn’t expect his club to be 3-7 and carry a .244 batting average through the first 10 games. Getting back in the comfort of Bloomington just might be what the Hoosiers need to kickstart their offense.
“The comfort level of being at home is huge,” senior pitcher Kyle Hart said. “For the hitters, too, they’ve seen so many pitches from that batter’s eye, from that background. There’s just a lot of factors that play in and maybe we can start winning some games at home.”
Being at home could also help the Hoosiers get over the hump in close games. They’ve dropped four of five games decided by two runs or less. In each of those games, IU squandered its lead in the fifth inning or later. The main issues arose after the starters exited the game.
Senior starting pitcher Evan Bell carries a 2.08 ERA to his credit through three starts this season but hasn’t had a decision. Each game in which Bell pitched has gone into extra innings after exiting his last two starts with the lead in tact.
Shaky defense in the late innings in addition to an overworked bullpen, averaging more than four innings pitched per game, have put the Hoosiers in situations that could be avoidable.
Hart said the Hoosiers have a couple of things to sort out matchup-wise in the bullpen in order for relievers to regain confidence.
“We play a little tight late, that’s been our Achilles’ heel to this point,” Lemonis said. “I bragged earlier in the year how good we are defensively, and we’re really good throughout the first six or seven innings, so we have to be good defensively throughout the whole game.”
If there was ever a time for IU to get its edge back offensively, it would be this weekend.
Western Carolina (4-8) enters the series as a team that scores quite a few runs but also allows more.
In addition to being 0-6 away from home, the Catamounts have allowed double-digit runs on five separate occasions this season, but in all four of their wins, they have scored more than 10 runs.
The Hoosiers have already scored at least 14 runs twice this season and the Catamounts’ top two starting pitchers, sophomore Brendan Nail and junior Bryan Sammons, each own ERAs well over 5.00.
The Hoosier offense will be without sophomore outfielder Logan Sowers for a couple of weeks, Lemonis said. Sowers, who is dealing with a sore wrist, initially injured himself in the second game of the series Feb. 27 against Cal State Fullerton and did not play the remainder of the weekend.
Lemonis elected to start Sowers in the first game of the Snowbird Classic on March 3 against Seton Hall, but was removed after his third at-bat of the game and did not play the rest of the weekend.
Lemonis will stay with sophomore Laren Eustace in right field for the foreseeable future. Freshman utility man Luke Miller will replace Sowers in the third spot in the order.
“It feels good to be home,” Lemonis said. “Especially we’ve played in so many tight games, playing in some comfort is huge for our guys.”
