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(04/14/14 3:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As of this weekend, senior ace Joey Denato is the winningest pitcher in IU history.DeNato notched his 31st career win with the Hoosiers’ 11-1 win Friday in a three-game series against the Morehead State Eagles.“It feels good,” he said. “I know it wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for my teammates. Every single year that I’ve been here, we’ve had guys crushing the ball and the bullpen coming in behind me to shut it down.”IU Coach Tracy Smith said DeNato is always a competitor.“It’s a great thing,” Smith said. “I still go back to the day when I recruited that guy, and to sit here now almost four years later and think that he sits atop the record books at Indiana University is an awesome thing, and I’m very proud of him.“There’s a lot of season left to go, so he’s going to make it hard on somebody to get him in the future, I can tell you that.”After pounding the Eagles in the first two games of the series, the IU baseball team lost the third game of the series 8-7. The loss stopped a nine-game winning streak for the Hoosiers, whose last loss came to Indiana State on March 26. “I thought we struck some balls hard and right at guys,” Smith said. “They just didn’t fall today. I still thought we had nice at-bats, just didn’t get anything to show out of it.”Sophomore Will Coursen-Carr started for IU but only went one inning after showing almost no control on the mound.He was replaced by sophomore Evan Bell, who also showed little control of his pitches. He threw several wild pitches, one of which let in a run.Coursen-Carr and Bell combined to give up five runs in the second inning.Smith said he thinks Coursen-Carr is struggling mentally, and that the pitcher needs to get his confidence back in order to pitch well.“When you aren’t aggressive and you’re not confident, it’s very visible, and it exposes a lot of things,” Smith said.With sophomore starter Kyle Hart out indefinitely with a torn ulnar collateral ligament, the Hoosiers are still seeking a rotation that works for them after DeNato and sophomore Christian Morris.Smith said he hoped Coursen-Carr would take the third weekend spot, and sophomore Sullivan Stradler could pitch the weekday game, but the coach said he isn’t sure what he will do moving forward.Junior Luke Harrison kept the game close until the eighth, when the Eagles pushed across three more runs to make it 8-3.The IU offense wasn’t able to get hits with runners in scoring position until the ninth, when junior designated hitter-outfielder Scott Donley hit a grand slam to bring IU within one.“I talked to my brother,” Donley said. “He just told me a few things not to get negative and told me a few minor adjustments in my swing, and it’s been working out.”Hoosiers’ junior first baseman Sam Travis was frustrated after Sunday’s loss, he said, especially because of Eagles’ starting pitcher Willie Sligh.“He was just getting away with a lot of pitches,” Travis said. “He wasn’t making good pitches. We were putting good swings on it. He wasn’t very good. He got away with one.”IU showed off its power in the series, hitting five home runs and 40 hits in the three games.Travis smashed two home runs in the first game, including one that drilled the scoreboard in left field. Senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth, junior catcher Kyle Schwarber and Donley hit the others.“Sometimes things just don’t go your way,” Travis said. “They’ve been going our way for what, 10 games now? We just can’t change anything, can’t put our heads down, and keep going.”DeMuth is now hitting .404 on the year, leading the team, while Travis is hitting .370. “Everyone’s enjoying being out in the field,” Schwarber said. “I can guarantee you that no one on this team says they’re not having the time of their life right now, because we are.”
(04/13/14 7:45pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After pounding the Morehead State Eagles in the first two games of the series, the IU baseball team dropped the third game of the series 8-7. The Hoosiers fall to 21-11, while Morehead State improved to 17-18. Sophomore Will Coursen-Carr started for IU but only went one inning after showing almost no control on the mound. He was replaced by sophomore Evan Bell, who also showed little control of his pitches, as he threw several wild pitches, one of which let in a run.Junior Luke Harrison kept the game close until the eighth, where the Eagles pushed across three more runs to make it 8-3. The IU offense wasn’t able to get hits with runners in scoring position until the ninth where junior designated hitter Scott Donley hit a grand slam to bring IU within one.Junior catcher Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run home run in the first inning, and the Hoosiers got a run on an error in the fifth.IU plays host to Western Kentucky on Wednesday night. Andrew Vailliencourt
(04/12/14 2:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU junior first baseman Sam Travis was facing a 3-2 count during the fourth inning of a 6-1 game when he got a curveball. “I’d seen all of his pitches,” Travis said. “I knew he wasn’t going to beat me.” The next thing everyone saw was the baseball flying into the scoreboard in deep left field for a monster two-run home run - his second of the game. Travis trotted around the bases to a chorus of cheers from fans who packed Bart Kaufman Stadium Friday to see the IU baseball team take on Morehead State. “It’s unbelieveable,” IU senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth said. “(Travis) is one of the greatest hitters in college baseball. When he’s firing on all cylinders it’s hard to get him out. He got a mistake and damaged it.” The fans didn’t leave disappointed as the No. 23 Hoosiers improved to 20-10 on the year with a 13-1 smashing of the Eagles (16-17). It was the team’s eighth straight victory. Travis’ home runs were his fourth and fifth of the season, and he added a double to give him 6 RBIs on the night. He is now batting .395 on the year with five homers and 35 RBIs. “He is locked in,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “That at-bat was probably one of the best at-bats I’ve seen in a long time, because when you’re fouling off pitches and fouling off pitches and then hit a ball the way he did, that was pretty impressive.”His offensive output was more than enough for senior IU starting pitcher Joey DeNato, who had a record setting night. Denato picked up his seventh win of the season, and 31st of his career - an IU record. He went five innings, giving up one run on five hits, while striking out four.“It feels good,” DeNato said. “I know it wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for my teammates. Every single year that I’ve been here, we’ve had guys crushing the ball and the bullpen coming in behind me to shut it down.”Smith said DeNato is a competitor and always gives his best effort when he’s on the field.“It’s a great thing,” Smith said. “I still go back to the day when I recruited that guy and to sit here now almost four years later and think that he sits atop the record books at Indiana University is an awesome thing, and I’m very proud of him. There’s a lot of season left to go, so he’s going to make it hard on somebody to get him in the future I can tell you that.” DeMuth also continued his strong play going 3-for-3 with a home run, improving his season average to .402. The home run was his fifth of the year, and he now has 15 RBIs. “To have him,” Smith said. “Arguably one of the best hitters in the country, sitting in the middle to end of your order is a nice luxury.” IU will play Morehead State again Saturday at 2:05 p.m. at Bart Kaufman Field. “Everyone’s enjoying being out in the field,” IU junior catcher Kyle Schwarber said. “I can guarantee you that no one on this team says they’re not having the time of their life right now because we are.”
(04/11/14 3:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU baseball team will look to continue its seven-game winning streak when it faces off against Morehead State (16-16, 7-8) this weekend in a three-game series. IU is coming off a win against Indiana State on Wednesday, and back-to-back sweeps of Ohio State and Iowa.Senior left-hander Joey DeNato will be the starting pitcher for the Hoosiers in the first game of the series on Friday. He is 6-1 with a 2.49 ERA on the season, leading the team in strikeouts and innings pitched with 37 and 50.2, respectively. It will mark his ninth start of the year.“We’re going to stay with our same weekend rotation,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “I think we have a nice rhythm going right now, and I think that’s important.”Sophomore right-hander Christian Morris is expected to start for IU in game two at 2:05 p.m. Saturday. He is 1-2 with a 2.27 ERA on the year. It will be his seventh start of the year and ninth appearance.Game three will start at 1:05 p.m. Sunday. Sophomore Will Coursen-Carr is expected to start on the mound for the Hoosiers. He is 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA this season. It will be his 11th appearance and seventh start of the season.“Morehead State is going to come in here and be ready to go,” Smith said. “They knocked off Kentucky. We are not taking them lightly. We’re going to treat it like a Big Ten weekend, because I think the stakes we’re playing for are too high.”IU (19-10, 8-1) has seen their offense explode over the seven-game winning streak. Junior first baseman Sam Travis is batting .383 with three home runs and 29 RBIs. Junior catcher Kyle Schwarber is batting .333 with five home runs and 16 RBIs and senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth, who turned down an offer from the Minnesota Twins after being taken in the eighth round of the Major League Baseball draft last summer, is batting .384 with 4 home runs and 13 RBIs.“(DeMuth) has been, to me, the most consistent player that we’ve had this year,” Smith said. “I have been so impressed by not just how he’s playing, but also his leadership and the stuff he’s bringing to the field. That dude is playing like a big leaguer right now. He’s had a great career here, but I’ve never said that about him before, and it’s a very high compliment to him that he has raised his game to another level.”The series will be the second, third and fourth game during a nine-game home stand at Bart Kaufman Field. Morehead State is led by junior outfielder Brandon Rawe, who is batting .426 with five home runs and 29 RBIs.“Morehead State is a very good opponent,” IU redshirt freshman Thomas Belcher said. “They beat Kentucky pretty handily, and we aren’t going to underestimate them under any circumstance whatsoever. We just have to piece together hits and have to perform as a pitching staff.”
(04/10/14 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers’ bats powered the baseball team to its seventh-straight win Wednesday, knocking off Indiana State 8-4.Junior outfielder Brad Hartong led the way for IU with two hits — one was his second home run of the season — and four RBIs. Hartong has played in 21 of the 29 games this season, with yesterday’s game marking only his 14th start.“He went first pitch slider to me, so I knew I’d probably see it,” Hartong said. “I got another one in the at-bat, and he left it up and I put a good swing on it.”IU Coach Tracy Smith said Hartong helps the Hoosier lineup, saying his athleticism helps the team on the field.“He was the difference and kind of set the tone,” Smith said. “He had a big hit for us Sunday at Iowa and it’s nice to see him carry that momentum and that confidence into this game.”Junior first baseman Sam Travis hit a three-run home run, his third of the season, to break the game open in the sixth inning. Junior outfielder Will Nolden got the other IU RBI with a double in the second that scored Hartong.“Now everyone is relaxing and staying concentrated throughout the game,” Hartong said. “We’re coming to the yard expecting to win now, not fighting to win.”Senior Brian Korte got his first start of the season on the mound for IU. He went three innings giving up one run on three hits, while striking out four Sycamores. Freshman Thomas Belcher came in and threw four innings following Korte, giving up two runs on two hits with three strikeouts. He got into some trouble in the seventh and was pulled for sophomore Sullivan Stadler who was soon replaced by sophomore Evan Bell. Sophomore Scott Effross finished out the game for IU.“The plan was to break it up and even use more guys than we did,” Smith said. “I thought Brian Korte was really good, and of course Belcher came in and threw strikes.”It was the second time this season Belcher had thrown four innings, the first occurring during a game against Louisville.“It feels really great,” Belcher said. “It was important for me to go out there and eat some innings for our pitching staff. My sinker was working really well tonight.”The Hoosiers (19-10, 8-1) split the season series with Indiana State (21-9) with the win, after losing a couple weeks ago 12-8 in Terre Haute, the team’s last loss. Smith has seen improvement since then, the last game his team lost since sweeping Ohio State and Iowa.“We knew we had a good offensive team,” Smith said. “We never were in panic mode, but it sure makes your job easier as a manager when you’re scoring runs.”Freshman left-hander Ryan Keaffaber started on the hill for Indiana State and went two innings, giving up one run on one hit and one strikeout. Typically a reliever, it was a group effort pitching-wise for the Sycamores, as it was for the Hoosiers.“We are very confident as a pitching staff that whoever we put out there is going to compete and get us outs,” Belcher said. “We know we have guys that are very capable of performing at a high level.”
(04/09/14 3:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Three weeks ago to the day, the IU baseball team traveled to Indiana State to try and find stability in what had been a rocky start to the 2014 season.IU, which arrived in Terre Haute with a 12-10 record after being named preseason No. 3, fell to Indiana State, 12-8. Tonight, after six consecutive wins and back-to-back weekend series sweeps, IU (18-10) will enter a rematch with Indiana State (21-7 as of Monday) in a much different state.“Everyone’s playing a lot more loose, picking each other up,” junior outfielder Brad Hartong said. “We’re getting there. After (junior pitcher Kyle) Hart went down, we’re still getting quality pitching, so our offense knows that if we just have some good ABs and don’t give away at-bats, we’ll be good in the end.”The Hoosiers are coming off consecutive road sweeps of Big Ten opponents Ohio State and Iowa, outscoring their opponents 46-16 over six games and hitting 12 home runs in the process. While the IU lineup has found its rhythm after a start to the season that saw lower-than-expected run production, IU Coach Tracy Smith said it has been success in other facets that has allowed his team to go on its winning streak.“Everyone wants to talk about the bats, but really, we’re playing well defensively, taking outs, cutting off the big innings,” Smith said. “There’s still room to improve.”IU will need to continue its improvement to find victory against an Indiana State team that comes to Bloomington a winner of six of its last eight games as of Monday. While neither squad has named its starter for Wednesday’s game, Sullivan Stadler has all but solidified himself as the Hoosiers’ mid-week starter. The sophomore left-hander started IU’s first matchup with Indiana State, allowing five runs — three earned — in 3.1 innings and taking the loss. If tabbed to start, Stadler will look to continue a run of strong pitching performances from a Hoosier staff that has rebounded from the loss of two key members.Senior right-hander Ryan Halstead, IU’s all-time saves leader, is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing ACL surgery in March, and Hart will miss indefinite time with a torn ligament in his pitching arm.“It’s sad,” junior catcher Kyle Schwaber said of the injuries. “It’s not fun when you lose two of our better pitchers. But that’s part of the game, that’s what’s going to happen ... that’s what baseball’s all about, picking each other up. When someone’s down, not hitting the ball, we’ve got people in the lineup hitting the ball. That could be one through nine.“It’s all about picking each other up. That’s what we do, we always believe in ourselves. That’s Indiana baseball.”
(04/08/14 4:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the second straight weekend, IU baseball swept a Big Ten foe on the road.Following up the dismantling of Ohio State last weekend, where the Hoosiers outhit the Buckeyes 42-19, the Hoosier bats picked up right where they left off against the Hawkeyes. IU (18-10, 8-1) beat Iowa (16-12, 3-6) in the final game of the series 5-3 thanks to a late game rally.“When we got our pitches to hit,” junior catcher Kyle Schwarber said, “we didn’t miss them.”In the first two games against Iowa, IU hit a total of eight home runs and never trailed. The Hoosiers outscored the Hawkeyes 20-6 in the first two games.The series was moved to a Saturday-Sunday-Monday format because of rain showers on Friday, giving IU the chance to sweep the Hawkeyes on Monday.In game three, IU’s offense was stagnant. Despite a solid combined outing from sophomores Will Coursen-Carr and Evan Bell, who threw a combined seven innings while giving up one run, the Hoosiers trailed Iowa 1-0 heading to the top of the eighth.But the dormant Hoosier bats came alive in the eighth.Junior preseason all-American Sam Travis recorded an RBI single to score one run, making it a 1-1 affair. After Scott Donley’s sacrifice bunt, Dustin DeMuth stepped up to bat. Iowa elected to intentionally walk DeMuth, and in the process snapped his 16-game hitting streak as the senior went 0-2 on the day with two walks.That left a pivotal opportunity for junior Brad Hartong — bases loaded, one out, tie game in the eighth inning. Hartong, a junior college transfer playing in his first year for the Hoosiers, said he was ready to make a play for this team. In the sixth inning the Hawkeyes had also intentionally walked DeMuth. Hartong grounded out when the Hawkeyes intentionally walked DeMuth, squandering the potential scoring opportunity.“I knew I just had to get a pitch elevated,” Hartong said. “Hopefully deep enough to get a sac fly or something.”Hartong sharply hit a curveball between the third baseman and the foul line. The stand up double for the Long Beach, Calif., native plated two runs, giving IU the 3-1 lead. IU would score twice more in the frame, pushing the lead to 5-1.IU Coach Tracy Smith said he “toyed around” with the idea of pinch-hitting for Hartong but ultimately left him in the game.“We let him in there to get the job done,” Smith said. “And he got it done.”In the bottom of the ninth, sophomore closer Scott Effross was having trouble putting the game away. He opened up the inning by giving up three straight singles to load the bases with no outs. Effross then struck out the next batter looking for the key out. Iowa ended up scoring two in the frame, but it was not enough to prevent the Hoosier sweep.IU is currently riding a six-game winning streak, all on the road, and boast a plus 30 run differential in that span, but Smith said he isn’t content.“We still have better baseball left to play,” he said.
(04/07/14 3:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers broke out the long ball this weekend.In two games against Iowa, the Hoosiers have hit eight home runs — which is equal to or greater than the total of seven Big Ten teams this season.IU (17-10, 7-1) is replicating its road dominance of Big Ten foes in Iowa City, Iowa, against Iowa (16-11, 3-5). IU has defeated Iowa 6-3 and 14-3 in the first two games of the series.The series was moved to a Saturday-Sunday-Monday format because of rain forecasts Friday.In game one, senior Joey DeNato picked up his sixth win of the season by going six innings and giving up three earned runs and earned another accolade in Hoosier baseball history.The win Saturday is No. 30 for the staff ace in his career, which is tied for the record for most wins for a pitcher in IU history.On the offensive end, junior first baseman Sam Travis knocked two out of the park and junior catcher Kyle Schwarber added two RBIs.But the game was still tight in the sixth inning, with IU leading 5-3. Sophomore closer Scott Effross came in and finished the game. He recorded the 2.2 inning save which gave IU the game one victory.The Hoosiers picked up where they left off Sunday by jumping on the Hawkeyes’ starting pitcher, Sasha Kuebel, early. Kuebel gave up five earned runs and only recorded one out in his start.By the second inning, IU already had an 8-0 lead, which was more than enough for the tandem of sophomore pitcher Christian Morris and junior pitcher Luke Harrison. Morris got the start and allowed three runs, only one earned, in 3.1 innings. Harrison then came in and allowed just one hit and surrendered no runs in his 4.2 innings.Senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in the game and extended his hitting streak to 16 games.Sophomore pitcher Will Coursen-Carr will get the nod for Monday’s game. He is 2-2 on the season with a 3.14 ERA in nine total appearances.A win would give IU its second-consecutive sweep of a Big Ten opponent on the road. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. -Evan Hoopfer
(04/04/14 3:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Dozens of shirtless players danced around their coach.Junior catcher and preseason All-American Kyle Schwarber was the first to start dancing. He was rhythmically taking off his catcher’s gear and, eventually, his red IU shirt.He ran to IU Coach Tracy Smith along with a few other IU players. Immediately, the mosh pit began. The players then abandoned their head coach and ran to their assistant coaches. Dozens of players now jumped shirtless, an assistant coach at the center of the mosh pit.The scene died down, and the players dispersed, laughing. Smith had some questions.“What the hell was that?” Smith said to nobody in particular. “Somebody want to tell me what just happened? Is that, like, some Internet thing?”A video of the prank was later posted to the team’s official Twitter account. The April Fools’ joke the players executed on their coaches demonstrated the looseness the team has played with the past week. Leading into the series against Ohio State, Smith said his team had been pressing the whole season. The team was trying too hard, he said, and the subsequent results were not befitting a team ranked No. 3 in the Baseball America preseason poll.“It’s got us inconsistency,” Smith said of his team pressing too much. “So let’s just be who we are and get back to that.”IU swept Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, last weekend. The Hoosiers outscored the Buckeyes 21-7 and outhit them 42-19 in the three-game series.The No. 24 Hoosiers (15-10, 5-1) will try to replicate that success in Iowa City, Iowa, this weekend. IU will take on Iowa (16-9, 3-3) in another three-game Big Ten road stint.The series, originally to be played in a Friday-Saturday-Sunday format, has been pushed back to a Saturday-Sunday-Monday affair because of forecasts of rain Friday.The Hawkeyes have had mixed results this year. After taking two of three games from Nebraska — a team projected to finish second in the Big Ten in the preseason — the Hawkeyes lost three of four games, including a defeat against Bradley and two losses to Michigan.IU played Michigan in its first Big Ten series of the year. The Hoosiers came within a diving catch on the warning track of sweeping the Wolverines.The Hoosiers will try and stymie the efforts of Hawkeye pitcher Calvin Mathews. Mathews was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Monday after his performance against Michigan, in which he led Iowa to its only win in the series.Mathews threw a complete game, surrendering six hits and two runs. He struck out nine batters and walked none.He will be matched up against IU’s staff ace, senior Joey DeNato. DeNato is 5-1 this year with a 2.22 ERA. With his last start, DeNato now holds the record for most strikeouts in IU history.Sophomore Christian Morris will get the start Sunday. Junior Kyle Hart, who is the normal No. 2 starter, suffered a strained forearm in his last start against Ohio State and is out of the rotation this weekend. Monday’s starter has yet to be announced.
(04/02/14 4:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Tracy Smith is finally happy with the performance of his baseball team.After a slow start to the season that saw the preseason No. 3 Hoosiers drop out of the rankings, the team rallied to win eight of its last 12 games and sweep a three-game series at Ohio State last weekend. They returned to the top 25, with IU coming in at No. 24 in this week’s Baseball America rankings.The Hoosiers brought together their sharpest series of the season in Columbus, Ohio, outscoring the Buckeyes 21-7 and outhitting them 42-19.“We’re hitting stride right now,” Smith said. “We know the way we’re capable of playing. It wasn’t a shock, I mean, honestly, that’s the way we play. We’ve just kind of been waiting for it to happen.”Smith will look for a continuation of that momentum today as IU (15-10) takes on his former team.The ninth-year head coach and his Hoosier squad will welcome Miami (Ohio) to Bart Kaufman Field for a first pitch scheduled at 6:05 p.m. today.Smith, a four-time letterwinner at Miami, spent nine years in the RedHawks’ dugout before accepting the IU job prior to the 2006 season. His Hoosier teams have fared well against his former squad, going 4-5 against the RedHawks since he came to Bloomington.He will tap sophomore left-hander Sullivan Stadler to take the mound in pursuit of victory Wednesday afternoon.After pitching just one inning in 2013, Stadler has made two starts for the Hoosiers this season. He has compiled a 1-1 record with a 5.23 ERA in 10.1 innings.Miami will send freshman right-hander Christian Bokich to the mound to complete the pitching matchup. Bokich has struggled this season, allowing 9 runs in just 4.2 innings coming out of the bullpen.Bokich will make his first career start against a talented Hoosier lineup featuring two 2013 All-Americans that is now hitting its stride. Smith said it was up to junior catcher Kyle Schwarber and junior first baseman Sam Travis to spark the offensive surge.“They tried to do a little too much earlier in the season,” Smith said of his two All-Americans. “It’s nice that they’ve settled in with quality at-bats. The thing is, when they do that, other guys are going to follow. You trust the guys around you, you take a walk if they’re going to give you a walk and trust the guys to drive you in.”Schwarber said he and the rest of the IU lineup have fine-tuned their approach and will look to put up runs no matter the opposition.“We really focused on putting in quality at-bats at the plate,” Schwarber said. “We haven’t been putting in quality at-bats for the last month or so. We wanted to make a team effort towards that, and I feel like we made a really good adjustment.”The statistics back up Schwarber’s claim. After scoring 69 runs in its first 17 games — going 9-8 in those contests — IU has scored 51 in its last eight games, winning six of those.Schwarber said despite the RedHawks’ struggles in recent games, with five losses in a row and a 10-15 overall record, the Hoosiers will look to jump on Bokich early.“We don’t care who we’re playing,” Schwarber said. “We’re going to come out and play Indiana baseball. If we play Indiana baseball, we’re not going to be afraid of the results.”
(04/01/14 1:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth was named Big Ten Player of the Week by the conference Monday.In the three-game sweep of Ohio State this weekend, DeMuth batted .583 and extended his hitting streak to 14 games. He now leads the Hoosiers with a .379 batting average this season.This is DeMuth’s second career Big Ten Player of the Week honor.Evan Hoopfer
(04/01/14 1:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>All the students were looking at Kyle Hart when he walked into his chemistry class.Hart stands out from most students because of his 6-foot-5-inch frame. But this time he was drawing attention for walking into his C117 test half an hour late.“Everybody was just staring at me,” he said.He was tardy because earlier that afternoon he was busy shutting down the No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats. Hart’s final line: 8 innings pitched, 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 8 strikeouts and 0 walks. IU won 7-2 in front of a sold-out, standing-room-only crowd at Bart Kaufman Field. Hart said it was possibly the best he’s ever pitched at IU, but the test didn’t go as well.“That test actually went terrible,” he said. “I still had a ton of adrenaline going, so yeah, that was definitely not my best score.”The start against Kentucky was another peg in a historic month of March for Hart, where he has cemented himself as one of the Big Ten’s best pitchers. Before last week, Hart had won back-to-back Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors and became one of the best starting pitchers in the conference. But his rise hasn’t come without adversity. Earlier this season, Hart started the year with two subpar outings and was subsequently demoted.After Hart’s start Feb. 22 against Utah — the Hoosiers lost in 15 innings — IU Coach Tracy Smith told Hart he was being taken off the weekend rotation.“You get what you deserve,” Smith said. “I know he’s a capable pitcher. But he was being tentative and a little unsure of himself.”Hart had thrown just four innings against Utah and lacked his usual control. In the previous start against Texas Tech, he was smacked all over the yard by the Red Raiders. His final line against Texas Tech was: 3 innings pitched, 2 hits, 5 earned runs, 5 walks and 1 strikeout.Smith added an ultimatum.“It was a little bit of a kick in the head for Skip to say to me, ‘Hey man, if you want to keep pitching, you’ll get a couple more opportunities. But you need to step it up,’” Hart said.Hart, who finished the 2013 season 8-2 with a 3.01 ERA and had the fourth-most wins in the Big Ten, was struggling. His ERA through two starts was 7.71.He was now the midweek starter and had to prove himself before returning to the weekend rotation.“I’m not trying to bash him or anything,” catcher Kyle Schwarber said. “But I think that gave him a good kick in the butt.”Upset with his performance, Hart went to his pitching coach, Brandon Higelin, and asked, “What the hell do I need to do?” This was new territory for Hart. He made almost every start last year as the Hoosiers’ No. 2 guy.He was walking batters and not locating his pitches. Hart talked to Higelin, Smith and his roommate, pitching staff ace Joey DeNato, on how to get better.He worked on keeping his weight back on the mound. It helps him keep his rhythm in sync and throw his pitches more consistently. Against Texas Tech in his first start, he was throwing the ball high in the zone. Against Utah in his second start, he was throwing the ball down in the zone.Now that he’s found that balance he has been one of the best pitchers in the Big Ten.“There’s nobody on this team that should doubt themselves,” Smith said. “Especially a guy like Kyle Hart. And I’m glad to see he’s thriving since those early starts. I would not hesitate to give him the ball against anyone, at any time.”In March the Cincinnati native threw 28.1 innings while boasting a 0.96 ERA. He went 3-0 and also added a save in a rare relief effort against Jacksonville.“It’s great to have him back,” Schwarber said. “It’s old him again.”In his last start against Ohio State, Hart came out to pitch the fifth inning. But after throwing a few warmup pitches he was surrounded by the coaching and training staff.Hart came out of the game due to a forearm strain. Smith said after the game he didn’t want to comment on the status of his pitcher, and he’ll be evaluated in the coming days.Hart said his dad, who is usually hard on him, has been texting him “good job” after several of his starts this month. But Hart isn’t content.“I still don’t feel like I’ve dominated yet,” Hart said. “I don’t mean to sound full of myself, but it needs to get better ... I’d like to get Big Ten Pitcher of the Week for 10 straight weeks.”
(03/31/14 10:23pm)
IDS IU baseball writers Alden Woods, Evan Hoopfer and Andrew Vailliencourt discuss the Hoosiers' early-season struggles and recent resurgence.
(03/31/14 4:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>COLUMBUS, Ohio – Coming into the weekend, IU and Ohio State were tied for the lead in the Big Ten, and the Buckeyes had the best overall record in the conference.The Hoosiers (15-10, 5-1) outhit the Buckeyes (16-10, 2-4) 42-19 during the weekend, en route to a three-game sweep of Ohio State.“We just went out with that demeanor of ‘We’re better then you,’” junior catcher Kyle Schwarber said.IU won 6-4 Friday behind senior pitcher Joey DeNato’s performance coupled with 15 Hoosier hits. DeNato threw seven innings and gave up just one earned run.Saturday’s game was rained out, sending the teams into a doubleheader in chilly conditions Sunday. IU outscored Ohio State 15-3 during the doubleheader. In game one, junior pitcher Kyle Hart — reigning back-to-back Big Ten Pitcher of the Week — came out before the fifth inning due to an injury.Hart would later be diagnosed with a strained forearm, according to the team’s official Twitter account. Sophomore Will Coursen-Carr was called on for relief.“I really had no idea what was going on,” Coursen-Carr said. “At that moment I was relaxed in the dugout. And then it was like, ‘Oh, I’m in.’”Despite the short notice, Coursen-Carr shutout the Buckeyes in his five innings of relief work. He native has struggled recently, and IU Coach Tracy Smith said he was impressed.“That’s huge,” Smith said. “At that time it was colder than the dickens. And to be sitting there, bundled up in jackets, having no idea you’re going into the game — I thought that was an outstanding job by him.”Smith said he didn’t want to comment about Hart’s status. He said he doesn’t know if the injury is serious or not, and Hart will be evaluated in the coming days.In game two of the double header, the Hoosier bats came alive again and the pitching stymied the Buckeyes.Starting pitcher Christian Morris’s line was 7.2 innings, three hits, one earned run, one walk and four strikeouts.“Kudos to him,” Schwarber said. “He did a hell of a job.”IU added 14 hits in support of Morris, including an inside-the-park home run by senior infielder Dustin DeMuth that scored two runs.The home run extended DeMuth’s hitting streak to 14 games. The Hoosier offense was strong all weekend. Schwarber went 6-for-12 during the series, leadoff man Casey Rodrigue scored in every game and designated hitter junior Scott Donley had five RBI.“We finally put it together for a weekend,” Smith said. “I don’t want to say I’m surprised on that because I’ve seen it before.”IU put together its finest weekend of the season thus far, Smith and the players said.Players said the mentality of the team was different.“We were aggressive, we were confident and a little bit arrogant,” Coursen-Carr said. “Arrogant in a good way, not a bad way.”
(03/30/14 7:32pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>COLUMBUS, Ohio – IU’s 13 hits coupled with a strong relief performance from Will Coursen-Carr allowed the Hoosiers to take game one of the doubleheader 8-2 against Ohio State.Starting pitcher Kyle Hart went four innings and gave up two earned runs. After coming out in the fifth inning and throwing a few warmup pitches, the coaching and training staff surrounded Hart at the mound. He was removed due to injury. According to the team’s official Twitter account, Hart suffered a “forearm strain.”Replacing him was the sophomore Coursen-Carr. The Fort Wayne, Ind. native stepped up to the challenge, throwing five scoreless innings of relief.After not scoring in the first four innings, the Hoosier offense posted three and four runs in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively. Both Kyle Schwarber and Scott Donley homered and Dustin DeMuth went 3-for-5.IU broke the game open in the sixth when Travis stepped up to the bat with the bases loaded and two outs.Travis singled and initially scored two. Then Travis tried advancing to second but the Buckeyes caught him in a pickle. This allowed Schwarber to score before Travis was tagged out in the pickle. Three Hoosiers ended up scoring on the play, making it a five-run game.Game two of the double header will start at 4:00 p.m. as the Hoosiers go for the sweep of the Buckeyes.Evan Hoopfer
(03/29/14 1:49am)
Joey DeNato picked up his fifth win of the season behind a 15-hit performance fromt he Hoosier baseball offense as IU defeated Ohio State 6-4.
(03/28/14 3:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The last time IU and Ohio State played a weekend series, the Hoosiers were trying to accomplish a feat 81 years in the making.In the final Big Ten series of the season last May, IU was in contention with three other schools — including Ohio State — for the Big Ten crown.The Hoosiers took two of three game from the Buckeyes to capture their first outright Big Ten regular season championship since 1932.“I think everybody understands what this series means,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said.IU (12-10, 2-1) travels to Columbus, Ohio, for a rematch with Ohio State (16-7, 2-1) this weekend for a marquee three-game stint.“Our guys are smart — they know how to turn on a computer and read the Internet, and they see that Ohio State is hot,” Smith said.According to the coaches’ preseason predictions, both of these teams are expected to finish near the top of the conference. The Hoosiers were picked to win the Big Ten and Ohio State was predicted to finish third.Coming into the year ranked No. 3 in the preseason Baseball America poll, IU has struggled and is no longer ranked.“I tell the guys, you’ve seen the light, so it can’t get much worse,” Smith said.Smith said he expected the offense to make up for any shortcomings the pitching and fielding would have coming into the season. “It’s been totally reversed,” he said.The Hoosier pitching staff has been one of the Big Ten’s best. They lead the Big Ten in team ERA by more than .3 runs a game. But the offense has struggled compared to last year.Last season, IU led the Big Ten in batting average, on base percentage, slugging, hits, runs, doubles, home runs and total bases.This year, the Hoosiers have seen a drop off of almost two runs per game. They averaged 6.6 runs per game last year, compared to 4.5 this year.“We were one of the best offensive teams in the country and had guys coming back,” Smith said, pointing to a picture of preseason All-Americans Kyle Schwarber and Sam Travis hanging on his office wall. “You’d never think we would be struggling the way we are offensively.”Meanwhile, 220 miles to the east, the Buckeyes are on a hot streak. Ohio State owns the best overall record in the conference and has won eight of their last nine games.They’ve been led by their pitching staff, which has kept opponents at a .248 batting average — a Big Ten best.Senior Joey DeNato, junior Kyle Hart — who’s won two straight Big Ten Pitcher of the Week awards — and sophomore Christian Morris are projected to start Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively for IU.The three Buckeye pitchers they’ll face are a combined 9-1 this year.“We’ve been pressing all year,” Smith said. “And look what pressing has got us. It’s got us inconsistency. So let’s just be who we are, and get back to that.”
(03/27/14 3:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>An early deficit and a big seventh inning doomed the IU baseball team Wednesday afternoon as it fell 12-8 against Indiana State.The Sycamores jumped on Hoosier starter Sullivan Stadler early, pushing across five runs in the first two frames. The sophomore left-hander made it through just 3.1 innings in his second career start, striking out two batters and issuing two walks.IU was able to cut the deficit to 6-5 by scoring four runs in the top of the seventh inning, but a disastrous bottom half of the inning put the game out of its reach.With one out and runners on first and second base, sophomore shortstop Nick Ramos fumbled a potential double-play grounder, allowing the inning to continue. The Sycamores went on to score six runs in the inning, and the Hoosiers were unable to close the gap, despite a three-run ninth inning.Errors have been a continuing problem for the Hoosiers in 2014 — three against the Sycamores brought their season total to 27 in just 22 games. Last season, IU committed 90 errors in 65 games.Junior first baseman Sam Travis and senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth carried the offensive load for the Hoosiers, collecting five hits and three RBI between themselves.IU (12-10) will next take the field against Ohio State for a three-game series in Columbus, Ohio, this weekend. Alden Woods
(03/26/14 3:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After taking two of three against Michigan last weekend, the IU baseball team (12-9, 2-1) advances to play Indiana State (15-5) at 3:30 today.Hoosiers offense has not lived up to IU Coach Tracy Smith’s expectations, but designated junior hitter Scott Donley said the team should bounce back soon.“It’s just execution,” Donley said. “When we have runners on third base we need to put the ball in the air, hit a sacrifice fly... we have to be able to lay down bunts.” The start time of the game was moved to 3:30 because of expected cold weather in Terre Haute.“It’s a really big game,” Donley said. “We have to come out and play well against them. Indiana State’s proven themselves this year and have quite a few big wins. It’s going to be a good game.”Sophomore left-handed pitcher Sullivan Stadler will start on the mound for IU. It will be his second start of the year, as he started against Louisville last week where he picked up his first win. He is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA and three strikeouts. Opponents are batting .241 against him this season.“He did a good job for us,” Smith said. “I think he has earned the opportunity to follow that up with another performance.”Smith also said he is looking for another outing where he competes aggressively in the strike zone. The Hoosiers have a team ERA of 2.55, which is the best in the Big Ten.“There is not an issue with the way we’ve been pitching the baseball,” Smith said. “These starters, midweek included, have given us a chance to win the game every single time. That’s their job, that’s their role.”The Sycamores are No. 22 in Ratings Percentage Index, or RPI, meaning the game will play a big part of where IU ranks next week.“They’ve always been a good test for us, being a neighbor and in-state,” Smith said. “The RPI implication is a big part of it, but we’re not going to go over there and think about RPI. We’re going to go over there and think about playing good, standard, quality baseball.”IU is led on offense by junior catcher Kyle Schwarber, who is batting .313 with three home runs and 11 RBIs, junior first baseman Sam Travis who is batting .325 with six doubles and 17 RBIs, senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth who is batting .343 with one home run and five RBIs and by junior second baseman Casey Rodrigue who is batting .326 with nine steals and 12 RBIs.“(We need to) hit balls hard, not far,” Smith said. “I think once we focus on that and swing at pitches in the zone and pitches we can handle, and recognize pitches in the zone and pitches we can handle, I think our results will turn around.”
(03/25/14 2:59pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After defeating No. 14 Louisville and taking two of three from Michigan this past weekend, two IU baseball players were recognized by the Big Ten.Second baseman Casey Rodrigue was named co-Big Ten Player of the Week, and Kyle Hart was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week.During the four-game stretch, Rodrigue hit .444 with seven RBI, scored five runs and stole three bases.Rodrigue transferred from LSU-Eunice and has played in all of IU’s 21 games, starting in 20 of them.The speedster stole 68 bases last year in Louisiana and has stolen nine bags this season.After being demoted from the weekend rotation earlier in the season for struggling, Hart has turned his season around to win two straight Big Ten Pitcher of the Week awards.The lefty from Cincinnati regained his weekend spot and led IU to a 5-1 victory over Michigan on Saturday. His line was 7 innings pitched, 2 hits, 0 runs, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts.In his last three starts, Hart has given up just one earned run in 22 innings pitched.Evan Hoopfer