Indiana baseball travels to College Park, Maryland, this weekend for its first Big Ten road series of April. The Hoosiers will face Maryland in a three-game series, looking to continue its momentum and secure their first conference road win of the season.
Indiana (13-19, 5-10 Big Ten) enters the weekend after a strong start to April, winning three of its first four games of the month. The Hoosiers most recently took down Ball State University 6–4 in a midweek matchup Tuesday, powered by a dominant bullpen performance that delivered 8.1 innings of scoreless baseball.
That kind of bullpen stability could play a key role as Indiana enters a road environment where its execution late in games has faltered in the past.
Offensively, Indiana continues to be driven by the top of its lineup. Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley is hitting .346 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs, while sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny has been just as productive, batting .344 with a team-best .455 on-base percentage, six home runs and 25 RBIs. Sophomore outfielder Caleb Koskie rounds out the trio with a .341 average and 23 RBIs, giving Indiana a consistent and balanced offensive core at the top of the order.
For Maryland, the challenge will be limiting that production while leaning on a lineup built around power.
Maryland’s offense is anchored by a pair of crushing bats in the middle of the lineup. Redshirt-freshman first baseman, Ryan Costello serves as the Terrapins’ primary power threat as he leads the group with 13 home runs — tied for the most in the Big Ten — and 42 RBIs while posting a .642 slugging percentage. Redshirt sophomore outfielder Jordan Crosland adds to that production with eight home runs and 27 RBIs alongside a 1.043 OPS. Sophomore catcher Rylen Stockton contributes a .303 average with six home runs and 20 RBIs, giving Maryland depth and extra-base ability in the heart of the order.
Maryland’s approach at the plate, however, relies more on its patience than its slugging.
The Terrapins have drawn the most walks in the Big Ten this season, meaning Indiana’s pitching staff will need to stay in the strike zone and avoid giving free baserunners against a lineup capable of capitalizing on mistakes.
Indiana holds a 16-13 all-time record against Maryland, including a 15-5 win in its most recent meeting last season in Bloomington. While the Hoosiers have had success in the historical series, they have yet to carry that consistency onto the road this year.
Indiana’s early schedule forced the Hoosiers through one of the toughest stretches in the country, facing multiple ranked opponents and navigating hostile road environments. Those games often came down to late-inning situations, where Indiana struggled to finish, contributing to its seven losses in one-run contests.
Now, the opportunity shifts for Indiana as they head to College Park to take on the Big Ten’s last place team.
With a softer portion of the schedule ahead, Indiana enters a stretch where those early-season lessons can begin to translate into results. The Hoosiers have shown they can compete with top teams; the next step is turning those performances into consistent wins.
A road series against Maryland provides the first real chance to do that.
The series begins at 6 p.m. Friday at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium. Indiana graduate student left-handed pitcher Tony Neubeck is projected to get the start in the opener, with graduate student right-hander Reagan Rivera and sophomore left-hander Brayton Thomas expected to follow on Saturday and Sunday. The series is available to watch on Big Ten plus.
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.
