Indiana baseball sophomore pitcher Connor Foley was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after throwing four scoreless innings in a 7-2 win over then-No. 18 Coastal Carolina University on Feb. 18.
In Foley’s first start, the flamethrowing righty only surrendered two hits, issued two walks and struck out seven. Redshirt senior pitcher Ty Bothwell picked up the remaining five innings of work and earned the win.
Last season as a freshman, Foley made 20 appearances in relief, tossed 29 innings and posted a 3.72 ERA while striking out 42 batters. Foley worked extensively on incorporating more off-speed pitches into his previously fastball-reliant arsenal, and that training came to fruition against the Chanticleers.
Just a day after Coastal Carolina exploded for 26 runs against George Mason University, Foley shut down an explosive array of bats. The 6-foot-5 Jasper, Indiana, native escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first and cruised for the ensuing three frames.
B2 | Foley fires one past him! ?@ConnorFoley24 | #IUBase pic.twitter.com/3UQkvYYfAG
— Indiana Baseball (@IndianaBase) February 17, 2024
At the “Baseball at the Beach” tournament in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, over the weekend, the Hoosiers went 2-1 with wins over Coastal Carolina and George Mason and a loss to No. 12 Duke University in the opening game.
With Foley seemingly penciled in as Indiana’s No. 2 starter behind sophomore righty Brayden Risedorph, he’ll likely get a week off before returning to action against Baylor University this weekend.
First, Indiana takes on Miami University of Ohio at Bart Kaufman Field in Bloomington for the Hoosiers’ home opener Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. and will be available to watch on BTN+.
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Nick Rodecap (@nickrodecap) for updates throughout the Indiana baseball season.
