Indiana baseball took down Northern Kentucky University 11-5 Wednesday night behind strong showings from junior first baseman Brock Tibbitts, sophomore right-handed pitcher Ethan Phillips and junior righty Julian Tonghini.
Although the Hoosiers committed four errors, they compensated by outslugging the Norse, putting up 13 hits and posting a .571 batting average with runners in scoring position. Tibbitts led the way for Indiana, reaching base safely in all five plate appearances, picking up a walk in the seventh four-hit game of his career and adding two RBIs and a run scored for good measure. Tonghini slammed the door, overcoming defensive miscues and ending eighth-inning Northern Kentucky rally.
It was a reversal of fortunes for Tonghini, who surrendered four runs in one inning against the University of Arizona on Sunday. Back home against Northern Kentucky, the Boston College transfer allowed just one hit and kept the Norse off the scoreboard as he shouldered most of the pitching load for Indiana.
“It was a great feeling,” Tonghini said postgame, emphasizing the importance of being ready regardless of when his name was called. He added that his slider allowed him to carve up Northern Kentucky’s high-flying offense, one that scored 29 runs in three games against the University of Missouri on March 1-3.
“Hammering the slider and throwing it at guys was big for me tonight,” Tonghini said. “Then, throwing the fastball up in the zone and getting ahead. That was working.”
Tibbitts could not be stopped at the plate. Although he is more known for his power than his ability to string together base hits, a simplified approach allowed him to keep Indiana’s offense moving.
“Based on the situation, [I] just tried to put the ball in play,” Tibbitts said postgame. “The guys in front of me are doing their job. They get on base, so it comes down to me being the one to drive them in.”
Sophomore shortstop Tyler Cerny and redshirt junior catcher Jake Stadler each picked up three RBIs; Cerny on a pair of doubles and Stadler on his first home run in an Indiana uniform after three years at Purdue. Freshman outfielder Andrew Wiggins hit his first career home run, entering the game as a pinch-hitter in the third inning and belting a 1-2 pitch into the Indiana bullpen.
Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer said postgame that balancing playing time with an outfield as talented as Indiana’s is a case-by-case basis. He picked his spot well with Wiggins.
“[We] just wanted the pinch-hit option,” Mercer said. “Wiggins came up in that next inning, and I was going to take a shot offensively. He made me look smart there.”
Indiana’s 11-run performance overshadowed its four errors, which Mercer attributed to sloppy conditions. The infield turf, still wet from Tuesday’s thunderstorms, took on more water as light rain fell throughout the game. Cerny struggled early, but Mercer said he noticed the young middle infielder regain his confidence late in the game.
Along with sure-handed freshman second baseman Hayden Carlson, Cerny and Tibbitts turned the game-ending 4-6-3 double play and closed the book on a much-needed bounce-back win after Indiana’s dismal showing at the Frisco Classic that saw it drop out of the D1Baseball Top 25.
“It is what it is,” Mercer said. “You pick up and move on. You’re going to get your butt kicked sometimes. That’s part of life. Nobody has ever gone their whole life without getting hit in the mouth and we won’t either.”
Indiana enters spring break 8-4, hosting 14 of its next 17 games. Troy University, a preseason Sun Belt Conference favorite, comes to Bloomington for a three-game series Friday through Sunday. Friday’s game begins at 5 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday matinees scheduled for 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively. All three games will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
Follow reporters Matt Press (@MattPress23) and Nick Rodecap (@nickrodecap) for updates throughout the Indiana baseball season.
