The 27-run performance by the Hoosiers in their previous outing against Butler have given the IU faithful complete confidence the team has finally recovered from its sluggish start.
Winning eight of its last 10 games, IU has eclipsed the .500 mark for the first time since the opening game of the season when they poured 14 runs on Middle Tennessee State. IU will head to Indiana State for one game Friday before returning to Bloomington to finish out the three-game series with the Sycamores.
“Being over .500 feels great, especially after the rough start we had,” senior shortstop Brian Wilhite said. “Hopefully we can just keep it rolling from now on.”
Three players who have significantly influenced the offensive production have all come from the upper class. Junior outfielder Craig Dedelow and junior first baseman Austin Cangelosi have done what’s expected out of them so far, while Wilhite has exceeded expectations.
Dedelow has been the most consistent Hoosier hitter in the lineup all season, reaching base in 18 of 19 games and never allowing his batting average to dip below .300. The junior center fielder entered the season expecting to be a major part in the offensive production and has done just that. His 17 RBIs are second best on the team, and he has one home run to his credit.
Cangelosi not only has great range in the field, making extremely difficult plays, but he has also heated up significantly over the past four games.
The sure-handed first baseman has recorded at least one hit per game through the past nine games while finding his power stroke recently. Three home runs to go along with 10 RBIs in the past four games has a red-hot Cangelosi confident at the plate after some early-season struggles.
“First couple weeks of the season were pretty rough for me,” Cangelosi said. “But now, playing at home, you have everyone cheering for you versus against you, so it’s nice to get back out here and start seeing the ball well again.”
The offensive production molding the Hoosier lineup has surprisingly come from the final spot in the batting order. Wilhite has been on an absolute roll as of late, riding a seven-game hit streak after starting the season just 2-for-22 at the dish.
His three home runs in the previous two games have him leading the team with four on the season along with a team-high 20 RBIs. Both of those numbers have already eclipsed his season totals from a season ago, showing his development at the plate in addition to being a smooth fielder.
The Hoosier offense will also gain some help in the heart of the order this weekend after sophomore outfielder Logan Sowers returned to the lineup for the first time in 11 games Wednesday.
Recovering from a wrist injury, Sowers went 0-for-2 with a hit by pitch in his return before being removed once the game got out of hand.
The starting pitching for IU is expected to be dominant this weekend once again, as the senior trio of Kyle Hart, Evan Bell and Caleb Baragar have a combined 1.79 ERA this season. Things won’t necessarily come easy, however, with the Sycamores batting .285 at the plate as a team this season.
“I’ve got to hand a lot to the pitching,” Wilhite said. “When you look at it we’ve come out and dominated every game that we’ve played in. When we come out and put up zeros every inning, it’s great baseball.”
