Indiana baseball will travel to Eugene to face Oregon in a three-game set at PK Park for its first Big Ten road series of the season. The series begins at 7:05 p.m. EST, followed by a 5:05 p.m. EST first pitch Saturday and a 3:30 p.m. EST finale Sunday.
After dropping its opening conference series to Washington, Indiana will look to reset against an Oregon team that has emerged as one of the conference’s early standouts. The Ducks enter the weekend 14-3 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play after taking their opening conference series over Purdue.
Oregon’s success has come from strengths on both sides of the ball.
Senior third baseman Drew Smith has led the Ducks offensively, hitting .472 through 17 games — the second-highest average in the Big Ten and 14th nationally. His 1.468 OPS ranks second in the conference and 10th in the country. Smith has already tallied six home runs and 24 RBIs.
Freshman right fielder Angel Laya has provided immediate impact for the Ducks, batting .368 with six home runs and 19 RBIs while posting a 1.192 OPS — the ninth-highest among freshmen nationally. Sophomore left fielder Jax Gimenez has added consistency with a .356 average, .493 on-base percentage and 15 RBIs.
Oregon’s offense has been supported by one of the Big Ten’s most effective pitching staffs.
The Ducks carry a 3.26 ERA, second-best in the conference this season.
Junior right-hander Collin Clarke owns a 2.55 ERA across 24.2 innings with 27 strikeouts and a .190 opponent batting average. Sophomore right-hander Will Sanford has been even more efficient statistically, posting a 0.92 ERA in 19.2 innings with 26 strikeouts while holding batters to a .149 average. Redshirt sophomore right-hander Cal Scolari rounds out the group with a 2.37 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 19 innings.
The combination presents a significant challenge in a challenging road environment.
Like Oregon, Indiana has leaned heavily on underclassmen for offensive production.
Sophomore outfielder Caleb Koskie leads Indiana at the plate, anchoring a lineup powered by its sophomore class. First baseman Jake Hanley, third baseman Will Moore, outfielder Hogan Denny and shortstop Cooper Malamazian round out a top five in batting average made up entirely of second-year players.
That group has provided both power and consistent contact through the first month of the season. For Indiana to find success in Eugene, the sophomore core will need to match Oregon’s offensive output while maintaining disciplined at-bats against a rotation that is at the top of the conference.
With Big Ten play still in its opening stretch, an early road series presents an opportunity to build momentum and stabilize conference footing.
Indiana’s starter Friday will be graduate student right-hand pitcher Reagan Rivera. Rivera has struggled so far this season, pitching to the tune of a 13.50 ERA in 11.1 innings.
Graduate student left-hand pitcher Tony Neubeck, who has been Indiana’s ace this season, is projected to start Saturday. Sophomore left-handed pitcher Brayton Thomas is projected to start the finale.
Follow reporters Elakai Anela (@elakai_anela and eanela@iu.edu) and Will Kwiatkowski (@WKwiatkowski_15 and wdkwiatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana baseball season.
