Two losses, one win.
What do those results say about the IU baseball team?
Given that it was the first weekend of the season (and that Kevin and I didn't have the wherewithal to travel to Myrtle Beach and cover the Hoosiers in person), it's difficult to determine that with a great deal of certainty.
However, a few things stick out after following how IU fared in the season-opening Caravelle Resort Invitational.
- Offense is off to a slow start. This is unlikely to be a trend once the Hoosier batters have a few weekends (and some practice outdoors) under their belts, but the scoring wasn't there for IU in Myrtle. The Hoosiers managed just one run in each of their first two games -- both losses -- and needed 16 innings to score a second run to put away No. 18 Coastal Carolina. Big Ten Triple-crown winner Alex Dickerson went 1-for-4 Saturday against Boston College and 1-for-6 against the Chanticleers. While IU held advantages in hits in each contest, coach Tracy Smith said he expects much better output from his bats.
- Bullpen was solid; could be strong. An area which Smith described as an Achilles' heel for the Hoosiers in 2010, the IU relievers impressed during the opening weekend, allowing just two runs as a unit on the staff. The 'pen especially shined Sunday in the Hoosiers' 16-inning epic against Coastal Carolina as senior Matt Carr, junior Matt Igel and freshman Ryan Halstead -- who picked up the win -- prolonged a 1-1 affair. Igel's 4 1/3-inning effort earned him semifinalist recognition for CollegeBaseball360's "Primetime Pitcher of the Week."
- Single innings hurting Hoosiers. In each of IU's losses, the opponent did most of its damage in one inning, often the result of Hoosier defensive errors. Virginia Tech scored two runs in the bottom of the second Friday, one of which came on one of two wild pitches in that inning by junior pitcher Drew Leininger. The next day, Boston College surged to a 6-1 victory on the heels of a three-run second inning. One of them came on a failed run-down by IU.
- Dustin DeMuth could be legit. The freshman third baseman certainly made his presence felt both offensively and defensively. DeMuth scored the Hoosiers' only run Friday in their loss to the Hokies and on Sunday recorded the game-winning RBI with his hit in the top of the 16th. The LaPorte, Ind. native also made some impressive saves in the field, diving for a couple of ground balls and throwing darting outs to senior first baseman Jerrud Sabourin.
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