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(11/29/07 5:00am)
Step on that ledge, spread your arms wide, let the wind blow in your hair and scream "I'm king of the world!" because, believe it or not, "Titanic" turns 10 years old this month. Think back to 1997. Sheep were being cloned, and Nike-wearing cult members were drinking Kool-Aid. The "Men in Black" were fighting aliens and the Spice Girls were still together (oh, wait ... ). Hollywood was about to be hit by a colossal movie epic as big as that damn iceberg, changing cinema forever.\n Eleven Oscars. That's how many of those golden boys "Titanic" raked in. The little old lady, the giant diamond, the elegant ballrooms, the peasant lower levels, Kathy Bates, Jack and Rose, naked Kate Winslet (a giant bonus as a fifth grader!), the freaking iceberg, people dying ... you remember all that transpired in those three hours and 14 minutes. When the movie ended, nobody in the theater moved. People tend now to think about all the hysteria and backlash surrounding the movie, forgetting the film itself, but "Titanic" really is one hell of an excellent movie. \nThe plot is nothing more than the classic Hollywood love story of boy meets girl at a disastrous time. It's "Casablanca" on a boat. The film starts with Rose trapped in her loveless, mother-approved, engagement to rich businessman Cal, in a dying-off upper-class society. About to end her life, she meets poor but life-loving artist Jack. He's fun and frees her from her stuffy world. It sounds like your standard Lifetime-movie/romance-novel plot, but director/writer James Cameron makes the story so enjoyable. The drunken Irish dancing, banging in a car and then the iceberg. Suddenly the romance took a back seat as the film started focusing on the disaster. Thousands were trapped in the lower levels as those dumb guards sent off the lifeboats half-full. It's a history lesson (albeit, not a completely accurate one) mixed with entertainment and an examination of human suffering and behavior in a time of unexpected disaster. Yet throughout the final tragic hour of the film, this mass suffering is given human faces through the established characters. And this is why the film was such a hit. It tugs at every human emotion possible. Guys could pretend to be interested in the sinking ship, while girls got to bury their faces with tissues. \nSo, this holiday break when you have three weeks to spare, go rent "Titanic." And as Rose starts talking about the ship coming back to life as she begins telling her story, you'll find yourself transported to 10 years ago. So break out the tissue, and don't worry, Jack, we'll never let go. In the meantime, here's a "Titanic 'Where Are They Now'" for your nostalgic enjoyment.
(11/01/07 4:00am)
Robert Plant has always had a soft side. Even underneath those Led Zeppelin yowls, the folk singer lingered in songs such as "Tangerine" and "Black Country Woman." \nNow, with a chance to let that voice shine through, Plant, with collaborator and bluegrass diva Alison Krauss, hushes and vocalizes lyrics in tender, haunting renditions of folk standards by the likes of Tom Waits, Gene Clark and the Everly Brothers. Their two voices work in fascinating tandem, with Krauss' beautiful feathery soprano floating in thirds above Plant's tempered howl, mimicking the close harmonies of the Everly Brothers, whose songs they cover. \nI should mention, though, that their devotion to classics doesn't make them overly reverent. They avoid the mistakes of Eric Clapton on Me and Mr. Johnson by choosing to truly adapt each song to their unique vision. Additionally, Krauss and Plant refuse to turn these tracks into yet another tiresome duet album by ensuring that they harmonize in spirit and sound. \nThough you might expect a jarring dissimilarity between their timbres, they dovetail perfectly, creating a cosmic beauty you wouldn't anticipate. After first performing together, fittingly, at a Lead Belly tribute concert, Plant and Krauss began discussing this project, searching for the elemental roots of folk music. Under the production of T-Bone Burnett, the weirdly familiar tunes sound alien, with voices we know singing in ways we don't quite understand.\nTake, for instance, "Killing the Blues," written by Rowland Salley and made famous by John Prine. Krauss and Plant trade in the folk guitar for wavering electric tones that fill the space between slower punctuated downbeats, all the while adding their own vocal harmonies that open and close delicately.\nThen, when rockabilly is called for on a tune such as the Everly Brothers' "Gone, Gone, Gone," understated percussion keeps the song churning beneath a hypnotically alternating guitar riff, and Plant gets in his wails within the boundaries of the tune.\nIn their quest for roots, Krauss and Plant succeed as collaborators and musical explorers, probing the origins of both their genres. Though media might ballyhoo the "odd couple" pairing, this album doesn't exasperate its listeners with harsh mishmashes. Instead, it weaves timeless songs and singers at the top of their craft into one of the year's best albums.
(06/21/07 4:00am)
1. Super Jam\nThe midnight show was a\nhistoric jam in every sense.\nBen Harper's voice and guitar\nsoared over masterful\nbass from Led Zeppelin's\nJohn Paul Jones and deep\ngrooves from Questlove, who\nlooked like a king atop his\nhigh-rising drum kit.\nThe trio created a soundscape\nof classic Zeppelin\nsongs for the fi rst set, weaving\nthem together in a collage\nwith a soulful, extended\njam on "When the Levee\nBreaks" and "Good Times\nBad Times" continuously returning\nto riffs from "Dazed\nand Confused."
(05/31/07 4:00am)
Spoof movies have typically been known to cause viewers to laugh uproariously, to shoot cola out of their nostrils and to pick up on quotable lines that they will pull out at opportune moments for years to come. Writers/directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer set out to do just that in "Epic Movie," but instead produced a lukewarm, sometimes crude film filled heavily with sex humor and little substance. Rather than being seized by fits of rolling-on-the-floor laughter, one should expect only to chuckle every 15 minutes or so.\nThe movie's four main characters, Edward (Kal Penn), Peter (Adam Campbell), Lucy (Jayma Mays) and Susan (Faune A. Chambers), are siblings who are separated at birth by the "White Bitch," (Jennifer Coolidge) who is seeking to control the world of "Gnarnia" (copyright sensitive, of course). In their attempt to save the world, the four encounter many strange characters and lay siege to many great movies. From "Snakes on a Plane" to "Pirates of the Caribbean" and even "MTV Cribs," "Epic Movie" spoofs just about every major pop culture fixture that exists in this day and age.\nStill, "Epic Movie" joins the long list of spoofs written by Friedberg and Seltzer that, since their admittedly brilliant hit "Scary Movie," have left their fans wanting. The good thing about "Epic Movie" is that you can very easily get up and make some popcorn or go to the bathroom while it's on because you won't miss much while you're gone. But don't stray too far; the movie does produce the occasional chuckle once every 15 minutes or so, so make sure you're on the couch for it. To find a few more laughs, check out the special features, but be prepared to encouter a lot of childish humor in the many selections.\nIs this really the standard of American humor? Let's hope not, because a few well-placed pop culture references are all that saves "Epic Movie" from being an epic disaster.
(04/30/07 4:00am)
With just three Big Ten series left, the IU baseball team split a four-game set with Penn State this weekend, winning the last two games.\n“We were on a terrible losing streak,” sophomore center fielder Andrew Means said. “We knew we were capable of playing better. We weren’t going out and performing as a team, but we came together, made some big plays and got some big hits and went from there.”\nAfter this weekend’s action, IU’s record now stands at 16-25 overall and 6-14 in conference play.\nIn Sunday’s series finale with the score knotted at five, junior designated hitter Jon Fixler punched a single through the right side of the infield, bringing Means home from second. The Hoosiers would score two more runs to take an 8-5 lead.\nFreshman reliever Chris Squires gave up two runs in the eighth. But in the ninth he was able to shut down the Nittany Lions and IU held on for the 8-7 win.\nIn Friday’s opener, IU struck early with two runs in the fourth, but Penn State put four of its own up in the second. \nThe Hoosiers came within one run in the fifth, but Penn State responded, scoring two runs in the late innings to win 6-4.\nIn the first half of Sunday’s doubleheader, Penn State held a 6-1 lead after four innings. In the fifth, a Brian Lambert RBI single knocked in sophomore right fielder Chris Hervey from third base. But that was all for IU’s offense, as the Hoosiers fell 6-2.\nAfter the loss, IU rebounded quickly in the second half of Saturday’s action thanks to freshman starter Matt Bashore. The southpaw threw a complete game, scattering nine hits over seven innings and only allowing one run.\n“It felt good just to be out there giving us a chance to win,” Bashore said. “We battled, and it was a good game.”\nAfter pitching five shutout innings, Bashore allowed a run in the sixth to cut IU’s lead to 2-1. But in the Hoosiers’ half of the inning, Fixler drove a ball deep over the center field wall for his second home run of the season and IU’s first at Sembower Field this year.\n“I was just trying to put a swing on it,” Fixler said. “We needed a couple insurance runs. I was trying to get on base, to tell you the truth, and let my teammates knock me in.”\nUp 3-1, Bashore found himself in a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, but the freshman pitched out of it, inducing a flyout to right field to end the game.\nThe win snapped IU’s 10-game losing streak heading into Sunday’s game.\nAfter IU’s win Sunday, IU coach Tracy Smith was pleased to see his team win, but Smith knows they can’t settle for a series split.\n“(The wins) were important for this year, but also for the future,” Smith said. “Guys have to believe they can win. We did what we had to do to stay in this and give ourselves a chance. Looking at this league, there’s a lot of beating up going on, so we still have a chance to get into that tournament as long as we put our uniforms on and give ourselves a chance.”
(04/25/07 4:00am)
After being swept in a four-game series at Ohio State this weekend, the IU baseball team will play at Miami University of Ohio today with a home field of sorts.\nToday’s game will be the first time IU coach Tracy Smith returns to the school he attended as a student and served as the head coach at for nine years before coming to IU for the 2006 season. Tonight’s game is scheduled for 7 p.m.\n“It’ll be good to go back and see some of the kids we recruited and see (Miami) coach (Dan) Simonds who is definitely one of my better friends,” Smith said.\nIn nine seasons at Miami as the head coach, Smith led the team to a school-record 317 wins, 317-220-1 overall record, with two NCAA Tournament appearances and two MAC Tournament champs.\nLast season, the Hoosiers hosted Miami at Sembower Field, defeating the Redhawks 5-0 as then-sophomore Doug Fleenor took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before allowing a hit. Fleenor would throw a complete game one-hitter in earning the win.\nBut as the Hoosiers travel to Miami today, they find themselves in the midst of a seven-game losing streak which started with a 13-0 loss against Purdue on April 15. IU has also lost nine of its last ten games.\nAnd while every win is important for IU, Smith’s players realize this game might mean more to their second-year coach.\n“You want to go out there and win every game you play, but obviously this one a little bit more since (Smith) used to coach there,” senior shortstop Keith Haas said. “This is the first time he’s going back there for a game, last year we played them at home, so he probably wants this one a little more.”\nWhile the Hoosiers did drop all four games at Ohio State this past weekend, Smith was pleased to see his team making progress in its game focus.\n“We came out and did some of the things we set out to do goal-wise, not necessarily \nperformance-based, just being really into the baseball game and being into every pitch,” Smith said. “I thought we did make some strides as far as \nthose things.”\nIn Miami, IU will be facing a 19-15 team that has played well at home, posting a 9-3 record at McKie Field at Hayden Park.\nJust like Ohio State, Miami has a high-powered offense with a team batting average of .291. Sophomore shortstop Jordan Petraitis (.348 batting average, 23 RBIs) and senior outfielder Brandon Hillier (.336 BA, three home runs) lead the way for the Redhawks lineup. \nHoping to snap their seven-game losing streak, the Hoosiers will try to put together a strong offense and defensive showing for the full nine innings. In all four games against the Buckeyes, IU held a lead before eventually falling behind \nin Columbus.\n“As a team, we just need to stay enthusiastic the whole game, all nine innings,” said freshman outfielder Brian Lambert. “Keep fighting and play our game.”
(04/23/07 4:00am)
The Big Ten road woes continued this weekend for the IU baseball team as Ohio State claimed all four games of the series.\n“This league is too good, nobody’s going to roll over,” IU coach Tracy Smith said after Sunday’s loss. “Everybody’s trying to win, and you have to go out there and pitch to win. The big innings absolutely killed us.”\nAfter being swept by the Buckeyes, IU’s record stands at 14-22 overall and 4-12 in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers have now dropped seven in a row and nine of their last 10 games.\nIn Sunday’s finale, sophomore center fielder Andrew Means got things started off with an RBI triple that knocked in freshman second baseman Evan Crawford from second.\nBut in the bottom half of the first, the Buckeyes jumped on junior starter Doug Fleenor to the tune of six runs, four earned, in just two-thirds innings of work. His replacement, freshman Billy Kitchen, did not fare any better, allowing four more runs in 1 1/3 innings.\nStaked to a 10-1 lead after two innings, Buckeyes starter J.B. Shuck did not allow another run. Shuck gave up nine hits but also struck out eight batters.\nThe Hoosiers would score two runs in the ninth to make the final score 11-3.\n“As an offense, we need to go out there and score some more runs,” senior shortstop Keith Haas said. “Sometimes, you get comfortable with an early lead, and then they come back, and we’re down two or three runs. We’ve got to keep playing hard, playing aggressive.”\nIn Friday’s opener, the score was knotted up at three after seven innings, but in the bottom of the eighth the Buckeyes scored three more runs.\nHaas hit an RBI single, his second of the day, to cut the lead to two in the ninth, but junior designated hitter Jon Fixler struck out with two runners on to end the game as the Hoosiers fell 6-4.\nIn the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, IU held a 1-0 lead heading into the fourth inning when Ohio State put up four runs off freshman starter Matt Bashore.\nWith the Hoosiers down 4-1, sophomore right fielder Chris Hervey and freshman catcher Josh Phegley each had RBI singles in the sixth, but it was not enough. Buckeyes closer Jake Hale came in and shut the door to earn the save in Ohio State’s 4-3 win.\nIn the second half of Saturday’s doubleheader, the big inning was the issue again for the Hoosiers. Down 6-3, IU clawed back into the game, scoring two in the sixth and three in the seventh to take a 8-6 lead.\nBut the high-powered Buckeyes lineup scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh capped off by a sacrifice fly from third baseman Tony Kennedy to win the game 9-8.\n“A win would be huge for us right now,” freshman outfielder Brian Lambert said.
(04/18/07 4:00am)
With the score tied in the bottom of the ninth, two outs and runners on first and third, the IU baseball team had its chance against Indiana State.\nBut on a set-play, freshman left fielder Sterling Mack was picked off between first and second. As planned, pinch runner David Trager was supposed to break from third for home as Mack intentionally ran himself into a rundown.\n“It’s a set play, but ideally you don’t want to do that,” Smith said. “We were trying to steal a run. (Mack) held and allowed himself to be tagged.”\nFollowing the base-running gaffe, the Sycamores came up to the plate in the top of the 10th inning and quickly put two runs on the board. \nDown 9-7, the Hoosiers went down in order in the bottom of the inning to give Indiana State the win.\nThe loss Tuesday dropped IU to 14-18 on the season.\n“It’s those types of situations where we need to come out and do what we do best and play ball, not make those types of mental errors,” sophomore center fielder Andrew Means said. “Sooner or later, it’s going to get fixed, and we’re going to win some of these games.”\nIn the loss, Means went 4-for-6 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and three runs scored.\nIn a game that featured four lead changes and two ties, Indiana State took a 5-1 lead after the fourth inning. The Hoosiers took their first lead of the game after they exploded for five runs in the sixth. The offense was capped off by an RBI single from junior first baseman Jon Fixler.\nThe junior finished 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs and two doubles. \nAs quickly as IU took the lead, the Sycamores tied the game at 6-6 with a run in the seventh.\nAfter taking the lead on another clutch hit from Fixler, an RBI double, in the eighth to once again go up one run, Smith turned to junior pitcher Chris McCombs to shut the door on Indiana State. McCombs had missed most of the last month with a strained elbow and pitched himself into a jam.\nWith ISU pinch runner Paul Strack on third base, a McCombs wild pitch got away from freshman catcher Josh Phegley, allowing Strack to scamper home and tie the game, all leading up to the Hoosier base-running error in their half of the inning.\n“Everybody thought we had that won, and we kind of let up, let our guard down a bit” Phegley said after the loss. “We have to learn to finish games and play all nine innings. We just let them have that one. It was the little things that beat us.”\nThe Hoosiers will now return to Big Ten action this weekend as they travel to Ohio State for a four-game set with the Buckeyes.\n“We need to get over the hump, and Ohio State’s a great opportunity,” Smith said. “They’re going to come out with a little fire having been swept by Michigan so we have to stand up to them and take some steps forward with this program.”
(04/11/07 4:00am)
Playing its fifth game in three days and its first midweek nonconference contest since March 7, the IU baseball team fell 8-1 to the Evansville Purple Aces at Sembower Field on Monday.\nThe loss snapped a quick two-game winning streak for the Hoosiers and dropped them to 13-14.\n“We need to keep being aggressive, because we’ve been hitting into some bad luck, not getting some breaks,” junior catcher Jon Fixler said. “But we need to make our own breaks and start coming through when we need to, because once we get that started, it’ll keep coming.”\nThe Hoosiers scored first, with one run in the bottom half of the first. Freshman center fielder Evan Crawford hit a double on the first pitch he saw and moved over to third on a fielder’s choice by senior second baseman Josh Richardson.\nNext up, senior shortstop Keith Haas hit a grounder to second that brought Crawford in, giving IU the 1-0 lead.\n“I was just trying to put the ball in play and score him,” Haas said. “The infield was back, so all I had to do was put it in play.”\nWith IU coach Tracy Smith trying to get some pitchers work, freshman lefty Jarrett Casey came into the game in the third. Evansville first baseman Kasey Wahl hit a solo shot to left off Casey that knotted things up at one. The scoring continued as three more Purple Aces crossed the plate in the third.\nFollowing Casey’s struggles, Smith turned the ball over to freshman Eric Arnett. In his last outing, Arnett was roughed up for seven runs on just four hits against Michigan State on March 31.\nBut against Evansville, Arnett threw 2 1/3 -scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts. \nAs the Hoosiers prepare to return to Big Ten action this weekend, Smith was more than pleased with Arnett’s effort as they look for answers with the pitching staff.\n“That was good to see,” Smith said after the game. “Somebody in the pen has to step up and be valuable for us. Hopefully, that’ll get (Arnett) back on track.”\nUp 4-1, the Purple Aces scored another run in the seventh and three more in the eighth as IU sputtered on offense. After scoring in the first, the Hoosiers had runners in scoring position in the second, fifth, seventh and eighth but were unable to bring any of those runners around.\n“It hurts, especially when we get guys on first and second and nobody out,” Haas said. “We feel like we can get a guy in. That’s a situation when you have to execute and score your runs. It obviously hurts when you don’t.”\nDown by seven runs in the final innings, the Hoosiers were unable to muster a comeback, falling 8-1.\nIU now has two days off before beginning a four-game series with in-state rival Purdue in West Lafayette. But regardless of Tuesday’s loss, Smith wants to get back on the field as soon as possible.\n“I’d like to get back out there and get working,” Smith said. “You try to get some rhythm, some consistency, have your hitters get your timing down. But we’re looking forward to the weekend, getting on the bus and heading to West Lafayette, strapping it on for the Boilermakers.”
(04/10/07 4:00am)
Maybe the IU baseball team should play more Monday doubleheaders.\nWith weekend weather conditions forcing the Hoosiers to play a Big Ten twin bill, IU (13-13, 3-5) took two games, 5-4 and 5-2, from Northwestern to split the four-game series with the Wildcats.\n“It’s hard to win two against anybody in one day,” freshman second baseman Evan Crawford said. “It felt real good to get these two wins. It gives us a little breathing room because if we hadn’t won these two, the Big Ten would have been real hard.”\nThrough most of Monday’s first game, the Hoosiers continued to struggle at the plate, only mustering four hits through five \ninnings. Then in the sixth, the IU bats exploded for five runs to give them a 5-1 lead.\nPinch hitter Josh Phegley started the scoring burst off with a two-run double in the left-center gap. The freshman catcher came into the game hitting just .194 in 72 at-bats but came through when his team needed it.\n“I have been struggling and just trying to clear my head,” Phegley said. “I was trying to forget about it and keep swinging it like I know I can swing it. It came at a big time.”\nCrawford would come up three batters later and hit a two-run single that extended IU’s lead. \nIn the seventh, just when it seemed IU had the game in its grasp, Northwestern mounted a comeback off of freshman starter Jason Ferrell who came into the inning allowing only one run on one hit. IU coach Tracy Smith turned to sophomore closer Joe Vicini to shut the door. \nWith the bases loaded and two outs, Vicini induced a 6-3 double play to clinch the 5-4 win for the Hoosiers. Vicini earned his second save of the season.\n“Joe doesn’t have the best stuff in the world,” Smith said. “He doesn’t have a 90-mph fastball or a knee-bending curveball. But what he does have is great toughness and great mentality. It doesn’t bother him (inheriting runners).”\nThe Hoosiers continued their hot play in Monday’s second game, getting on the board in the second inning on an unlikely play. With freshman right fielder Sterling Mack on third, Phegley fouled out down the first base line, allowing Mack to race home for the first run of the game.\n“I was just trying to hit a fly ball, and it was off the plate so I dipped a little bit,” Phegley said. “When I saw it off the bat, I didn’t think it would get (Mack) in, but the first baseman tripped or fell or something. Line drive in the book, I guess.”\nNorthwestern would counter with two runs in the top of the third, but the IU offense responded, adding two of its own in the bottom half of the inning and one more in both the fourth and sixth.\nJunior starter Doug Fleenor allowed only six hits in throwing a complete game, his first of the year. Fleenor pitched himself into a jam in the ninth, but his middle infield backed him up, turning a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.\n“As I told the guys, I’m proud of them,” Smith said following the game. “We did what we had to do to have any chance of staying in this thing. We had to get these two today. Now, we just keep going.”\nThe Hoosiers will return to action today at Sembower Field against non-conference rival Evansville. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
(04/06/07 4:00am)
Freshman second baseman Evan Crawford stands near the IU dugout at Sembower Field. \nThe public address announcer goes around the horn, introducing the Hoosiers in the starting lineup. Crawford hears his name, works his way through a gauntlet of high fives from teammates, then jogs around third into shallow left field.\nHe nears the middle of the infield, cartwheels and back flips, landing smoothly and softly behind second base. \nThe pregame flip dates back to IU coach Tracy Smith’s days at Miami of Ohio when one of his players, outfielder Ryne Robinson, did the same move. It was at a fall practice that Crawford told Smith he could perform the flip, too.\n“(Evan) had talked about it at fall practice,” Smith said. “One time on the turf at practice, \nhe whipped out a bunch of them. They were pretty cool. I liked it. The fans like it.”\nThe IU fans have embraced Crawford – as much for what he does on the field as his pregame acrobatics.\nThe freshman has been a mainstay in Smith’s lineup this season, starting all 22 of IU’s games while leading the team with a .388 batting average, tying the team lead in RBIs and hits, and coming in second overall with 10 stolen bases.\nAs a senior at Reynoldsburg High School in Ohio, Crawford hit a blistering .462 with 21 stolen bases while playing shortstop.\nBut coming to IU as a freshman, the 6-foot-1-inch second baseman admits he struggled in fall practice.\n“I got here and wasn’t ready to play shortstop,” \nCrawford said. “I didn’t show I was ready in the fall.”\nCrawford did not earn the chance to be named the Hoosiers’ starting shortstop, Smith said.\n“He wasn’t consistent enough, and that’s the thing we talk about Evan all the time,” Smith said. “Shortstops have to be consistent. The nature of the position of shortstop is that it’s a defensive position first, and then you worry about your offense.”\nBut because Smith saw Crawford as such an “accomplished hitter,” the freshman was moved over to second base. He is still adjusting to the new position. He is tied for the team lead with nine errors, but his double-play partner at shortstop, Keith Haas, has seen the transformation as Crawford becomes accustomed to playing second.\n“Defensively, he’s definitely improved,” Haas said. “He’s always hit the ball. That’s not a problem. But defensively, he’s getting his hands out and keeping his hands out. The little things, we’ve seen a lot of improvement out of him.”\nCrawford’s defensive ability has come in spurts so far, but one obvious example has come in turning double plays. The Hoosiers have turned 21 double plays this season – tied for first in the Big Ten – thanks to the range of both Crawford and Haas.\nWith the position change, Crawford is still getting used to the increased workload with the coaches pushing him to improve as a player.\n“It’s how much the coaches ask out of you,” Crawford said. “I’ve never been pushed this hard in my entire life.”\nSmith said he and his staff push Crawford as a player because they see potential in the second basemen they recruited to be the future of the IU middle infield.\n“I often say to him: ‘You don’t know how great you could be,’” Smith said. “And it’s true. He has a chance to be very, very special. He’s already good, but I’m always challenging him to be great.”\nNow 22 games into the season, Crawford has solidified his spot in the two-hole, giving the Hoosiers a contact hitter to get things started while also giving them a threat to steal bases.\nIn the future, Smith sees Crawford as a lead-off hitter for the Hoosiers in the years to come because of his physical makeup.\n“The way he runs, the way he handles the bat, gets on base, his speed alone makes him a lead-off candidate,” Smith said.\nWith the Hoosiers less than halfway through their 2007 campaign, there is still more baseball left to be played. And for now, Crawford is working on improving one game at a time, something his teammates have noticed.\n“He just goes out there and plays,” Haas said. “That’s all you can ask from someone no matter what age. Just go out and play the game. You’ve been doing it your whole life.”
(04/03/07 4:00am)
Due to weather conditions expected to deteriorate by Wednesday, the IU baseball team’s scheduled game at Ball State has been moved to 3 p.m today.\nThe Hoosiers (11-11) are coming off a disappointing start to the Big Ten season this past weekend. \nDuring the 1-3 series against Michigan State, the Hoosiers struggled at the plate, scoring a combined 10 runs in the four games. Six of the runs came in the second half of Saturday’s double-header.\nIU coach Tracy Smith was not necessarily upset with the results but instead with how his team looked in the batter’s box.\n“I think our guys need to stay relaxed and stay with the plan and do what you’re supposed to do,” Smith said. “Hopefully, this’ll turn around. We have no choice. It has to turn around. But it starts mentally, competing.”\nIn hopes of injecting some new blood into the lineup Sunday, Smith inserted a pitcher into his batting order. Sophomore Tyler Tufts got his first start as an everyday player, getting the nod in left field.\nTufts went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, the lone run for the Hoosiers on the day.\nThe sophomore has a simple solution for IU’s struggles at the plate.\n“We just have to keep swinging,” Tufts said after Sunday’s loss. “The bats are a little quiet right now.”\nDuring the Hoosiers’ seven-game winning streak that was snapped Saturday, they won with a small-ball mentality, moving runners over while the pitchers kept opponents at bay.\nFollowing a two-game sweep of IPFW two weeks ago, sophomore center fielder Andrew Means said the Hoosiers know they have the ability to hit.\n“Once we get on (base) and steal second, we’re just trying to get the guy over to third like we’ve been doing all year,” Means said.\nBall State comes into the game with a mark of 11-16 and a 2-4 record in MAC play. But just like the Hoosiers, the Cardinals come into the midweek game on a losing streak – four games compared with IU’s three.\nIU’s pitching staff will have its hands full with a Cardinals lineup that features several big power hitters. Ball State has three players with at least four home runs.\nOn the other side of the ball, the Cardinals have struggled on the mound. Their main three starters are all posting ERAs above 4.00.\nAs the Hoosiers travel to Muncie, Smith is banking on his team working itself out of its current funk.\n“I’m a believer in you make your own breaks,” Smith said. “The way you get out of this is through hard work and a belief and a confidence. Right now we’ve got to get the swagger back. It’s certainly missing.”
(04/02/07 4:00am)
So much for riding the momentum.\nAfter winning its Big Ten opener Friday, the IU baseball team dropped its next three games against Michigan State this weekend.\nHoping to split the series with a win Sunday, the Hoosiers came out flat, mustering only one run on six hits in a 6-1 defeat. Junior pitcher Doug Fleenor went seven innings but got some unlucky breaks when his defense wasn’t able to make plays behind him.\nFleenor allowed six runs, only two of them earned, on eight hits.\nThe Spartans wasted no time getting on the board, scoring two runs in the first inning and four more in the fifth.\n“We don’t score runs, we’re not going to win,” IU coach Tracy Smith said after Sunday’s loss. “It really just comes down to executing and competing, and right now we’re not hitting at all.”\nOne bright spot for the Hoosiers came from sophomore Tyler Tufts, an IU pitcher tied for the team lead with three wins. Tufts started in left field, going 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk while scoring IU’s lone run in the game.\nFollowing the loss, Tufts said he was trying to help his team out while enjoying his first in-game at-bat in two years. He also originally thought Smith’s putting him in the lineup was an April Fools’ joke.\n“First career (college) at-bat, definitely,” Tufts joked after the game. “I was out there with nothing to lose, just having fun.”\nIn Friday’s opener, the Hoosiers started off strong as Tufts, at his usual position, came within one out of a complete game shutout. Down a run in the ninth, the Spartans scored on a throwing error from sophomore right fielder Chris Hervey to tie the game.\nBut IU did not dwell on the defensive misfortune. Junior first baseman Jon Fixler hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to win the game 2-1.\n“This is a big win for the team, especially because in the past we’ve had trouble with one-run games,” Fixler said after the win. “It was a great win for our program.”\nFollowing Friday’s late-innings drama, the Hoosiers struggled in Saturday’s doubleheader.\nAfter fighting back from an early deficit, IU found itself down 3-2 in the seventh. In the top half of the inning, Spartan center fielder Dennis Jones hit a three-run bomb to the left that capped the day for Michigan State, as it held on 6-2.\nThe loss snapped IU’s seven-game winning streak.\nIn the second half of the doubleheader, IU dug itself into a hole early. Freshman starter Eric Arnett was rocked for seven runs, six earned, without recording an out.\nDown big, the Hoosiers did claw back into the game, coming within one run. But with Michigan State leading 7-6, the Spartans exploded for five runs in the sixth. The difference proved to be too much as IU fell 12-6 to finish the doubleheader.\n“Michigan State was much more competitive in the box today,” Smith said. “I thought they were much more into the baseball game and coming out here today with something to prove.”\nWith this weekend’s slate of games completed, IU stands at 11-11 and 1-3 in Big Ten play. Next up for the Hoosiers is a midweek game at Ball State. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday.
(03/28/07 4:00am)
As the IU baseball team travels to play Xavier today at 3 p.m. at Hayden Field in Cincinnati, it’s riding its longest win streak of the year at six games.\nAnd the hot streak could not come at a better time, with the start of Big Ten season just two days away.\nEven with the conference opener against Michigan State so close, the Hoosiers (10-8) aren’t looking past the Musketeers.\n“Every game you want to go out and do your best, no matter who you’re playing,” freshman outfielder Sterling Mack said. “We’re going to take this game, see what we can do and try to get better.”\nIn Xavier the Hoosiers will be facing a team coming off its first series sweep in five years. The Musketeers swept Dayton this past weekend at home, lifting their season record to 7-18.\nIU is riding high, too, after a two-game sweep of IPFW that extended its current win streak dating back to a March 14 game at North Florida. The Hoosiers think this past weekend’s wins will give them a boost at Xavier.\n“I think it helps getting a couple wins,” freshman pitcher Matt Bashore said. “We should be able to roll in confident.”\nBashore got the win in Sunday’s victory, throwing five shutout innings of three-hit ball. The freshman starter is now 3-1 this season with a 1.63 ERA in five appearances, four of them starts.\nThe spark for the Hoosiers during their streak has been a blend of pitching, defense and speed, a combination that works for IU coach Tracy Smith. With his team’s success with the small-ball mentality, Smith does not want to see his team start swinging for the fences.\n“We’re going to have to rely on our pitching and defense,” Smith said. “I just don’t want the guys to press and think they have to hit a bunch of home runs. Then we’ll start pulling off the ball. A ‘W’ is a ‘W,’ and we have to adapt to our personnel. We’re not a power team.”\nThe Hoosiers have adapted, taking advantage of their team speed to put runs on the board.\nThrough 18 games, IU has stolen 44 bases in 53 attempts while their opponents have managed just 14 in 22 tries. Sophomore center fielder Andrew Means leads the team with 12 steals and freshman second baseman Evan Crawford is close behind with 10 of his own.\nBalancing out the base stealing, the pitching staff has held opponents to three runs or less in four of the six games in the current win streak.\n“It’s great for the pitchers to go out and throw some great games,” Means said. “We’ve had games where they go out and throw two-hit games, and we just haven’t hit the ball. Now, we’re starting to hit the ball so it’s starting to all come together.”\nFor today’s game with Xavier, Smith said he will continue to tinker with his lineup in the last warmup before Big Ten season begins. He will try to find some added power to match the speed while also getting some players some at-bats.\nSmith and his coaches will take a similar approach with the pitching staff, trying to let his players get in one more tune-up.\n“You want to stay healthy,” Smith said, “probably rest the pitching staff a bit, use some guys trying to carry on into the weekend. Just try to continue to play good baseball. We look at it as prep for the weekend.”
(03/26/07 4:00am)
IU coach Tracy Smith wants power from his lineup, but he didn’t get it this weekend.\nInstead, Smith got two wins playing small ball as his Hoosiers swept a shortened two-game series with IU-Purdue University at Fort Wayne at Sembower Field.\nIn two games, IU scored 10 runs on 18 hits, 14 of them singles, while the pitching staff shut down the Mastodons.\n“I wish we had a little more power,” Smith said following Saturday’s game, “but we’re fast so we’re going to play to what we do well, which is running the bases and putting pressure on the defense. That’s just the type of team we are.” \nAfter Friday’s game was canceled due to rain, the Hoosiers fell behind early in Saturday’s contest. Sophomore starter Tyler Tufts gave up two early doubles, putting the Mastodons up 1-0.\nIU responded quickly, scoring three runs of its own as IPFW starter Cole Uebelhor issued two walks while giving up a single and a double in the first.\nFollowing the shaky first inning, Tufts settled in, not allowing another run until the sixth. The sophomore finished with six solid innings while allowing nine hits and three runs, one earned, with seven strikeouts, a new career high.\n“(I felt) good,” Tufts said. “A lot of my stuff was working. It just felt good to get in another (quality) start before Big Ten.”\nUsing their team speed, the Hoosiers scored two more runs in the fourth with singles from sophomore center fielder Andrew Means, freshman second baseman Evan Crawford and freshman right fielder Sterling Mack. All three would also steal a base in the inning with Means and Crawford both crossing the plate.\n“Once we get on (base) and steal second, we’re just trying to get the guy over to third like we’ve been doing all year,” Means said. “Coach Smith’s system of baseball is to get them on and get them in.” \nIn relief of Tufts, junior Doug Fleenor pitched three shutout innings as he earned his first save of the season in IU’s 6-3 win.\nSunday afternoon, the Hoosiers continued their hot play, notching a three-spot in the second frame as the bottom three hitters in IU’s lineup all knocked in a run. Mack, starting in center in place of Means, continued his hot hitting of late, going 2-for-4 with one RBI.\n“(Hitting) coach (Bryan) Prince has been helping me a lot in the cages – coach Smith, too – so everything’s starting to click right now,” Mack said.\nOn the mound, freshman Matt Bashore threw five shutout innings of three-hit ball before being pulled so the bullpen could get some work. Four IU relievers combined to finish off Bashore’s shutout, giving the Hoosiers a 4-0 victory.\n“It wasn’t the best stuff I had so I just let my defense pick me up,” Bashore said. “My curveball was all right, my change-up was there a little bit today, and I was getting ahead of hitters.”\nThis weekend’s two wins lifted IU to 10-8 this season, including a current winning streak of six games. \nNext up for the Hoosiers is a Wednesday game at Xavier at 3 p.m. before they host Michigan State this weekend for a four-game set to open the Big Ten season.
(03/09/07 5:00am)
Move over spring breakers. Here come the Hoosiers.\nComing off a convincing 6-0 shutout of Butler on Wednesday at Sembower Field, the IU baseball team (4-4) will start its annual spring trip today with a 6 p.m. game at No. 5 Florida State.\nThe Hoosiers start their eight-game Florida trip with a three-game set against the nationally ranked Seminoles, who have raced out to a 17-0 start. IU will then face North Florida for a quick two-game series March 13 and 14 before wrapping up the trip with three games at Florida A&M next weekend.\n“We’re getting a really big opportunity, playing Florida State, so hopefully we’ll go down there and take care of business,” IU freshman outfielder Sterling Mack said.\nAgainst the Bulldogs, IU capitalized on a strong performance from junior starter Chris McCombs and the IU bullpen. He threw six shutout innings before turning the ball over to the bullpen. Three relievers finished off Butler, allowing only one hit.\nHeading into this weekend’s series with the highly ranked Seminoles, IU hopes the momentum from the Butler win will carry over.\n“I think this win will definitely help us heading into this weekend with a confident attitude,” IU junior and third baseman Tyler Cox said. “Hopefully, we can pull out a couple wins, maybe even sweep them.”\nThe Hoosiers did receive bad news this week following Tuesday’s 5-3 defeat at Indiana State when freshman left fielder Kipp Schutz left the game with an injured left shoulder. IU head coach Tracy Smith confirmed after Wednesday’s win that Schutz did break his left collarbone on the play and will miss six to eight weeks following surgery.\n“It’s just an unfortunate, freak accident,” Smith said. “Kipp’s obviously devastated, and we’re disappointed because he was starting to swing the bat, and he’s a competitive kid. He’ll bounce back from it, but whether or not we get him back this year, we’re not sure yet.” \nWith IU’s Big Ten opener just three weeks away, Smith will be looking to fill the void left by Schutz’s injury in the lineup and on the field defensively. After going 0-for-10 in IU’s first three games, Schutz rebounded this past weekend, going 6-for-11 at the plate with three runs and one run batted in.\n“Certainly the injury to Kipp opens up another (position) for us,” Smith said. “Sterling Mack and Andrew Means have emerged as two guys for sure in the outfield. We’re still searching for that other one.” \nIn the outfield, Mack has come on of late for the Hoosiers, hitting .333 and scoring all three of IU’s runs in the Indiana State loss. Means, who moved from right to center field this year, has flourished, giving the Hoosiers a strong bat at the bottom of the lineup.\nOne of five Hoosiers to start all eight games so far, Means is hitting at a .310 clip with a triple and six runs scored.\nSo as IU works to fill the outfield hole left by Schutz’s injury, Smith is excited to see how his team responds against the Seminoles.\n“Florida State’s going to be all that we can handle, but I think that’s going to be a good test for us,” Smith said.
(03/07/07 5:00am)
Playing its fourth game in five days, the IU baseball team lost 5-3 at in-state rival Indiana State on Tuesday afternoon.\nAfter going 2-1 at this weekend’s AutoZone Classic in Memphis, Tenn., the Hoosiers (3-4) had their chance against the Sycamores on Tuesday but did not cash in when it counted, leaving 12 runners on base for the game.\n“We’re a team built on pitching, defense, and finding ways to score runs,” IU assistant coach Ty NealMichael Nilles popped out to left field to end the inning.\nThe Sycamores jumped on IU freshman starting pitcher Chris Squires in the bottom half of the inning, scoring four runs on a grand slam from right fielder Nick Ciolli. \nStarting IU freshman left fielder Kipp Schutz left the game after the home run with an apparent left shoulder injury that he received while attempting to make the play.\nFollowing the game, Neal was uncertain of the extent of the injury but did say Schutz would get X-rays on the injured shoulder.\nDown 4-0 early, IU began to chip away at the deficit when freshman left fielder Sterling Mack scored from third base on an Indiana State wild pitch in the second inning.\nTwo innings later, in the fourth, Mack would score his second run of the day. Freshman second baseman Evan Crawford hit a sacrifice fly to left field, driving in Mack to score from third.\nClawing back into the game one run at a time, IU took advantage of its second opportunity with the bases loaded. \nIn the sixth, senior designated hitter Josh Richardson reached base on a fielder’s choice with Mack scoring his third run, bringing the Hoosiers within one run of Indiana State.\nWith IU inching closer, the Sycamores finally got to freshman reliever Billy Kitchen , scoring a run to extend their lead to 5-3.\n“Billy did well,” Neal said. “The biggest thing was that he gave us a chance to win. He allowed some base runners, but he pitched out of it.”\nKitchen came into the game during the second inning and pitched four innings of one-hit ball before giving up a lone unearned run while also hitting four batters. Sophomore reliever Joe Vicini replaced Kitchen and quickly got the Hoosiers out of a jam, inducing a double play.\nBut in the eighth and ninth innings, IU was unable to capitalize with runners on, a trend that lasted all day. \nIn the eighth, the Hoosiers stranded two runners and hit into a double play in the ninth after getting the lead-off man on. Junior first baseman Jon Fixler flew out to end the game.\nEarlier this season, IU head coach Tracy Smith expressed his lack of concern about his team falling behind in the early innings.\n“It’s more or less just the pitcher coming out from the get-go and taking control of the game,” Smith said at a Feb. 28 practice. “Baseball is baseball whether you’re down 10 (runs) or up 10. You just keep playing inning by inning, pitch by pitch.”\nThe Hoosiers return to Bloomington for their first home game of the season today, with a scheduled start of 3 p.m. at Sembower Field. Junior Chris McCombs (0-1, 4.91 ERA) is slated to take the mound for IU. McCombs took the loss in IU’s season opener at Troy, a 4-3 defeat in 10 innings.
(02/26/07 5:00am)
After losing its first two games of the season this weekend, the IU baseball team claimed its first win under some odd circumstances late Saturday night. Playing an unexpected double-header that started Saturday, the IU baseball team earned its first win of the 2007 season with a 5-1 score over Georgia Southern in the wee hours of Sunday morning. \nWith weather conditions expected to deteriorate by Sunday’s planned game time, the Hoosiers discovered that their game had been moved up to late Saturday night with the Eagles. Starter Tyler Tufts’ first pitch did not cross the plate until 11 p.m., but it was just the beginning for the sophomore starter.\nTufts would go the distance, claiming his third career complete game. He recorded three strikeouts while limiting the Eagles to just six hits.\n“Whatever I threw seemed to work,” Tufts said. “My teammates had to make some plays behind me so it wasn’t just me who had to have a good game.”\nWith Tufts holding Georgia Southern scoreless for five innings, the Hoosiers struck first, notching four runs in the fifth inning. Junior third baseman Tyler Cox knocked in a run on an RBI single and freshman second baseman Evan Crawford had a two-RBI single while also scoring in the frame. \nTufts finally gave up a run in the sixth while IU would score one insurance run in the bottom of the eighth as the Hoosiers claimed the 5-1 win.\n“Tyler was huge for us,” IU coach Tracy Smith said. “We weren’t informed we’d be playing earlier so we were throwing a lot of pitchers out there (in Saturday’s first game) so we needed that. He set the tone for us, and we desperately needed it.”\nThe weekend tournament got off to a rockier start for the Hoosiers as they dropped their first two games.\nIn Friday night’s season opener, IU’s defense came up short early in the game, taking Troy to an early 3-0 lead. With IU junior starter Doug Fleenor calming down on the mound and sophomore pitcher Joe Vicini pitching two shutout innings in relief, the Hoosiers seized the opportunity, clawing back into the game to force extra innings.\nThe comeback came up short as Troy scored the winning run in its half of the tenth inning off of IU reliever junior Chris McCombs.\n“It was good that we didn’t just settle,” senior shortstop Keith Haas said. “We competed and didn’t just go through the motions.”\nAfter Friday night’s heartbreaker, IU struggled out of the gate in its next game versus Southern Mississippi. The Golden Eagles jumped on freshman starter Danny Rosenbaum in the first inning scoring five runs on four hits.\nThe Hoosiers were unable to recover from the deficit as their pitchers continued to struggle. Southern Mississippi would score three in the third, six in the fourth, and one in the seventh.\n“We just stunk it up for nine innings,” Smith said. “We didn’t give ourselves a chance to win.”\nIU would muster three runs of its own in the fifth and one in the eighth. Haas finished the game a perfect three-for-three with two runs batted in at the plate in the losing effort as the Hoosiers fell 15-4.\nFor his team’s first live game action in months, Smith liked what he saw from his team.\n“For the first time playing, I was pleased with how we played,” Smith said. “There was a lot of good baseball we can build on.”\nNext up for the 1-2 Hoosiers is a trip to Memphis this weekend for games with Eastern Illinois, Memphis and Northern Iowa.
(02/23/07 5:00am)
Get the peanuts and Cracker Jack ready, and keep the game program handy. The IU baseball team is back and ready to open the season.\nTraveling to Dothan, Ala., for the ScreenTech Wiregrass Baseball Classic, this Hoosier team bears little resemblance to the 2006 squad that finished 22-34. IU coach Tracy Smith brought in 20 new players to Bloomington – 19 freshmen and one transfer.\nSecond-year coach Smith knows part of having so many freshmen is going through growing pains early in the season.\n“With freshmen, there are some inconsistencies,” Smith said. “Some days are good, some are bad. But I like the way guys are maturing, and a lot of it has to do with the leadership that we have from the guys at the top saying, ‘This is the way we do things.’ But I think we’re coming together very well, and honestly, we’re just so much ahead of where we were last year.”\nIn the weeks since the 2007 Hoosiers officially started practice on Feb. 1, the returning veteran players have seen improvement in the freshman class. Senior shortstop Keith Haas said that many have adjusted well to baseball at the college level.\n“There’s been a lot of development,” Haas said. “You get a handful of kids who are ready for it, but with this many kids there are a lot where you’re still teaching them stuff. With this group of freshmen, there’s been a lot who are ready to go. I think the first game will help us during the season.”\nThrough the first weeks of practice, Smith has used the influx of freshmen as a way to improve competition among players for open positions. He said IU’s everyday lineup is still up in the air and will change from day-to-day early in the season.\n“The thing we’ve been saying day in and day out is that ‘Fellas, we’ve got no idea what the lineup is going to be so go out and win a position,’” Smith said. “Then we hope by the end of spring break as we get into Big Ten play, things will shape up.”\nAlong with the freshman class, IU returns seven of its top 10 hitters and two of its three winningest pitchers. Smith is counting on the team’s captains – junior pitcher Doug Fleenor, senior infielder Ben Greenspan, sophomore pitcher Joe Vicini and junior first baseman Jon Fixler – to mentor the new players while also contributing themselves.\nAs the team prepared for this opening weekend’s slate of games, the quartet of captains worked to support the freshmen as they adjusted to college ball.\n“We’re just trying to help their confidence and get them ready for the season,” Fleenor said. “The biggest thing for them is just to help them (gain) that confidence.” \nWhile the Hoosiers will be playing their first games this weekend, all three teams IU faces have already kicked off their seasons. The first test for Smith and his team in the tournament is a game against Troy (5-3) Friday night, followed by Southern Mississippi (4-0) on Saturday afternoon and Georgia Southern (8-3) on Sunday to wrap up the weekend .\nFor the first three games of the 2007 campaign, the Hoosiers have a simple goal, Greenspan said.\n“We want to compete, win and find out who we are as a team,” he said.
(11/21/06 9:11pm)
WEST LAFAYETTE -- IU senior safety Will Meyers ran off the field Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium as Purdue fans and players celebrated all around him and his Hoosier teammates. \nPlaying in his last collegiate game, Meyers felt the emotions run through him -- disappointment, disbelief and anger. But most of all, he felt aggravation.\n"The tears hadn't really started yet. It was more frustration," Meyers said. "I just wanted to get off (the field) before anything worse happened."\nMeyers is one of 21 seniors who played their last game as Hoosiers on Saturday, a 28-19 loss against Purdue in West Lafayette. The defeat finished off any Hoosier hopes for a bowl game, which would have been their first since 1993, and ended IU's 2006 season.\nAs the final seconds on the clock wound down, the seniors realized this was it. No more games. No more practice.\n"Empty. One word," said senior center Justin Frye. "Very empty. I put a lot into getting ready for games and everything. You play hard, and when you look up and you're not on the winning side, especially in a big game like this, you feel empty."\nIU coach Terry Hoeppner, who wrapped up his second year at IU on Saturday afternoon, inherited this group of players upon arriving in Bloomington. As juniors in Hoeppner's first year, the current senior class struggled through a 4-7 season.\nThis season's record improved overall from that of a year ago, but the result was the same: no bowl game. \nOn Saturday following the game, his head buried in his hands, Hoeppner sat alone in a corner waiting for the post-game press conference. He expressed his appreciation for what the senior class did for the Hoosiers.\n"I just told the seniors I'm proud of the way they played, the way they've led," Hoeppner said. "I don't know if I've ever felt as badly for a group of guys as I feel for these guys. They're taking it so hard that we don't get to play together one more time."\nAfter four seasons of yearlong workouts, personal sacrifices and heartbreaking moments on and off the field, the senior class finished with a disappointing 14-32 record overall and a 6-26 mark in the Big Ten, with three of those conference wins coming this season.\nThey have seen the coach who recruited them (Gerry DiNardo) fired, and another coach (Hoeppner) who has helped revive IU football hired. In the span of less than a year, the seniors have seen their new coach undergo two brain surgeries. But through it all, the Hoosiers said they're better for it.\n"When you go through all that adversity, your seniors have to band together, just keep it all together," said senior defensive back Troy Grosfield. "We went through those coaching changes, through so many growing pains. We've just been through a lot together."\nNow, as the program prepares to move on without its veteran leaders, the seniors can look back on their IU careers and see that they have accomplished something, even if the ultimate goal of a bowl berth was never attained.\n"We changed things along the way," Frye said. "We didn't get a bowl game. We didn't get our big main goals that we wanted. But in the end, we're leaving this program a lot better than when we got here, and you can feel happy about that"