Indiana baseball returns to Bart Kaufman Field this weekend to host Iowa for a three-game Big Ten series, with the Hoosiers riding their hottest stretch of the season.
The Hoosiers — who sit at 19-22 overall and 6-12 in the Big Ten — enter the weekend playing their best baseball of the season, winning seven of their last 10 games and posting a 9-4 record in April. Iowa (23-16, 7-11 Big Ten) sits at No. 10 in conference standings, while Indiana enters the weekend at No. 13.
Indiana’s offense has driven its recent success.
Since the start of April, the Hoosiers have hit .337 as a team with 31 home runs across 13 games, improving their average to .285 on the season.
In five of its nine wins this month, Indiana has scored at least 10 runs, including double-digit outputs in all three Friday games.
That production has come from several hitters at the top of the lineup.
Sophomore outfielder Caleb Koskie has led the group, batting .500 in April with five home runs and 19 RBIs while carrying a 21-game hitting streak. He tied a program record in Sunday’s series finale against Abilene Christian University before missing Tuesday’s game due to illness. If he returns this weekend, he will have a chance to extend the hitting streak to 22 games.
Sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny, sophomore outfielder Cole Decker and sophomore infielder Cooper Malamazian are all hitting above .400 this month, giving Indiana consistent production throughout the lineup.
Indiana’s offense played a key role in last weekend’s series against Abilene Christian, when the Hoosiers scored 29 runs across three games and completed the sweep.
Iowa presents a different profile at the plate.
The Hawkeyes are one of the top contact teams in the Big Ten, hitting .316 as a group. Rather than relying on power, Iowa generates offense through consistent at-bats and pressure. It’s hit just 39 home runs this season — the second-fewest total in the Big Ten — while Indiana is tied for fifth with 53.
That approach extends to the Hawkeyes’ defense.
Iowa enters the weekend with the highest fielding percentage in the conference. It has consistently limited mistakes and converted balls in play into outs. The combination of contact hitting and reliable defense has allowed the Hawkeyes to stay competitive in conference play.
Indiana has a 36-29 all-time record against Iowa, including a 15-7 mark at home in Bloomington. The Hoosiers won the most recent matchup, a 5-0 game on May 22 last year, though Iowa has won seven of the last 10 meetings between the teams.
In the Jeff Mercer era, the results have favored Indiana in the home matchups, with a drastic fall-off when facing the Hawkeyes in Iowa. Indiana is 7-2 against Iowa at Bart Kaufman Field but just 1-8 on the road under Mercer.
Graduate left-hander Tony Neubeck is expected to start Friday night, with sophomore left-hander Brayton Thomas projected for Saturday. Sunday’s starter has not been announced.
Indiana’s bullpen should also be available for extended work.
After using five pitchers in Tuesday’s win over Ball State, relievers junior Jackson Yarberry, redshirt-junior Jacob Vogel and graduate student Gavin Seebold are expected to be available throughout the weekend.
The series begins at 6 p.m. Friday at Bart Kaufman Field, followed by a 2 p.m. first pitch Saturday and a 1 p.m. start Sunday in Bloomington. All three games will be streamed on B1G+.
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.
