Indiana baseball put together its most complete stretch of the season, finishing 3-1 across four games over March 14-22. The Hoosiers earned a marquee midweek win at Vanderbilt University on March 17 and a series victory against Minnesota over the weekend at Bart Kaufman Field in Bloomington.
The Hoosiers’ 5-1 victory over Vanderbilt marked one of Indiana’s strongest performances of the season against a historically powerful Southeastern Conference program.
Graduate left-handed pitcher Conner Linn set the tone on the mound, delivering a steady outing that helped quiet a potent Commodores lineup. Linn lowered his earned run average from 9.28 to 6.91 in his eighth appearance of the season.
Sophomore catcher/outfielder Hogan Denny led the charge offensively with one of his best performances of his season.
Denny went 4-for-5 at the plate with two home runs and four RBIs. It marked the second time this season he has hit two home runs in a game, with the first coming in an Feb. 17 win over Bradley.
Indiana carried that momentum into its weekend series against Minnesota, winning two of three games despite a lopsided 14-2 loss in the finale Sunday afternoon.
The series opened Friday with an 8-6 comeback victory by the Hoosiers after an early deficit.
Graduate right-handed pitcher Reagan Rivera allowed four earned runs in the first inning. Freshman right-hander Ivan Mastalski — who allowed one run in two innings of work at Vanderbilt — surrendered two more in the second, putting Indiana in a 6-2 hole after the first two innings.
The Hoosiers responded with consistent offense in the bottom of the fifth inning. Sophomore infielder Jake Hanley paced the comeback, going 4-for-5 with a home run, a double and two RBIs. His game-tying home run in the fifth inning shifted momentum firmly in Indiana's favor.
Sophomore infielder Cooper Malamazian also delivered a standout performance. The Clarendon Hills, Illinois, native finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and three RBIs. His production helped fuel the rally and pushed his season RBI total to 19.
Graduate right-handed pitcher Gavin Seebold provided a crucial shutdown effort out of the bullpen.
Seebold threw four scoreless innings on 60 pitches to secure his first save of the season, continuing an impressive start to the year. He has posted a 0.83 ERA across 21.2 innings through eight relief appearances.
Indiana followed with a more controlled performance Saturday, defeating Minnesota 7-2 to clinch the series.
Graduate left-handed pitcher Tony Neubeck earned his second win of the season, allowing two earned runs over six innings while keeping Minnesota’s offense in check.
The Hoosiers broke the game open in the fifth inning with a five-run surge. Sophomore outfielder Cole Decker and redshirt freshman catcher Brayden Ricketts hit back-to-back home runs to spark the inning before Hanley added a three-run home run later in the frame to give Indiana a three-run lead it would not relinquish.
The win marked Indiana’s third consecutive victory — its longest winning streak of the season — and secured its first Big Ten series win of the year.
Indiana looked to complete a sweep Sunday but was unable to overcome an early eight-run deficit in a 14-2 loss.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Brayton Thomas, who entered the game with a 2.95 ERA, struggled against Minnesota’s lineup. He allowed six earned runs on four hits in just 1.2 innings, raising his season ERA to 5.09.
Minnesota quickly seized control with power hitting in the opening innings. Senior catcher/infielder Weber Neels hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning, followed by a three-run home run from junior outfielder Ty Allen in the second.
The Hoosiers’ pitching staff couldn’t recover, with redshirt senior right-hander Eli Walker allowing four additional earned runs while recording just one out. In total, Indiana used eight pitchers and threw 171 pitches while facing 48 Minnesota batters.
Despite the setback in the finale, Indiana’s 3-1 week represents a step forward after a difficult start to the season. The Hoosiers have now won three of their last four games, improving from 7-12 to 10-13 overall.
While consistency remains a work in progress, improved pitching performances and timely hitting offers signs of a resurgence as conference play continues.
Indiana will look to maintain its momentum in midweek action when it returns home to face Indiana State University on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Bart Kaufman Field in Bloomington with the game being streamed on Big Ten+.
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.
