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Junior Will Nolden attempts to catch Tommy Edman's walk-off home run during the regional championship against Stanford Monday at Bart Kaufman Field. Stanford won 5-4, which ended the Hoosiers' season.
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Junior Will Nolden attempts to catch Tommy Edman's walk-off home run during the regional championship against Stanford Monday at Bart Kaufman Field. Stanford won 5-4, which ended the Hoosiers' season.
IU Coach Tracy Smith claps for his team after the regional championship against Stanford Monday at Bart Kaufman Field. Stanford won 5-4, which ended the Hoosiers' season.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Kyle Schwarber sat at a table cloaked in a crimson cloth. A name tag and a Dasani water bottle sat in front of him.A microphone was perched under his chin.He was talking to the press after one of the most devastating losses in IU baseball history.To his right sat his teammate, Dustin DeMuth. To his left, his teammate Sam Travis and his coach, Tracy Smith.The three Hoosier players' hat brims covered their eyes, which were visibly red. IU (44-15) had just had its season ended minutes prior in a 5-4 loss to Stanford (34-24) with a walk-off Cardinal home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.IU had gone into the bottom of the ninth with a one-run lead, which was erased with one swing of freshman shortstop Tommy Edman’s bat.The players were asked to put the loss into words.Schwarber, a first team All-Big Ten catcher and the No. 17 ranked draft prospect, leaned forward to the microphone.He started to answer, then paused.He was trying to find the right words.What did the loss mean for his team that came into the season ranked No. 3 in the nation, and had aspirations of a national championship?“I'll speak for all of us,” Schwarber said. “It's tough. I mean, this group of guys, these guys up here, everyone in the locker room, they are like -- they are all brothers to us. I'm not going to lie. This is my favorite team to be on, out of all my years here.”In a do-or-die game Monday night and a bid to the super regional on the line, Stanford was able to keep its season alive, while IU’s dramatically ended.IU had taken an early 3-0 lead in the third inning, thanks in large part to a two-run home run by Schwarber.After a two hour and 51 minute rain delay, Stanford responded with a two-run third inning. The team added a solo home run in the sixth to make it a 3-3 ballgame.In the top of the eighth, sophomore shortstop Nick Ramos hit a chopper over the head of Stanford pitcher Cal Quantrill for an RBI infield single to put IU up 4-3.The fans that remained after the rain delay were elated. Sophomore reliever Scott Effross plowed through the eighth inning with two strikeouts and a groundout, and the Hoosiers were three outs away from a win.In the bottom of the ninth, Effross got Stanford’s Wayne Taylor to a 1-2 count, but Taylor – who hit the go ahead three-run home run Sunday night – singled up the middle.Smith had his ace, senior Joey DeNato, warming up in the bullpen, but he opted to stay with Effross to face Edman.After the game, Smith said he was going to bring in DeNato to face the next Stanford batter, first baseman Danny Diekroeger.But Diekroeger wouldn’t take his at-bat.On the first pitch, Edman sent Effross’ pitch over the right field wall. The home run kept Stanford’s national championship dream alive, and it ended the Hoosiers’ historic season.“I was just trying to get on base to be honest,” Edman said. “Home run was the last thing I expected.”Now it was Smith’s turn to answer the question. He acknowledged that yes, this was one of the worst losses he’s endured.But that’s not what he was thinking about.It’s the people, the relationships he’s built, that were done. With just one swing of the bat, those relationships, to an extent, ended.“It's hard for me to be disappointed when I've had the opportunity to work with the group of guys and the team that we had,” Smith said. “And, again, the toughest piece is not going to be seeing some of those faces in the locker room.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Coming into the game, IU was 39-0 this season when leading after seven innings.In the top of the eighth with two outs and a 6-4 lead, IU was four outs away from a second consecutive super regional berth.Down two runs, Stanford Coach Mark Marquess put outfielder Wayne Taylor into the game as a pinch hitter.The Cardinal’s postseason life needed a clutch hit to stay alive.And Taylor delivered.He hit a three-run home run that gave Stanford the one-run lead.“I think that was a pretty good pitch,” Taylor said of the home run he hit off IU closer Jake Kelzer. “I ended up getting the barrel on it and driving it pretty well.”The Cardinal tacked on three more runs in the top of the ninth as extra insurance, and they knocked off the Hoosiers 10-7 in front of 3,524 stunned IU fans at Bart Kaufman Field.Stanford’s win sets up a rematch between the two teams. IU (44-14) and Stanford (33-24) will play at 5:30 p.m. Monday on Bart Kaufman Field.The stakes are simple.The winner goes on to super regional play and keeps its dream of a national championship alive for at least another weekend.The loser’s season is done.“We’ve got our own destiny in our hands,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said.After Kelzer came into the game in the eighth inning with two outs, Stanford scored three runs in the eighth and ninth innings to put the game away.Kelzer only recorded two outs in his appearance, and he allowed four earned runs.Despite being just four outs away from a victory, Smith said his team is where it needs to be mentally.“I don’t have to say too much to these guys,” Smith said. “We’re going to go take a shower, go eat, sleep, get up and come ready to play baseball. It’s pretty simple.”On who will pitch Monday, both Smith and Marquess said they don’t know who will start.They will talk with their respective coaching staffs before making a decision.Among the possible starters for IU are senior Brian Korte, the No. 3 starter in the regular season, and sophomore Sullivan Stadler, who was the midweek starter toward the end of the year.Whoever starts for IU will have to contend with a Cardinal lineup who put as many runs on the board as the IU pitching staff has allowed in more than two months.The last time IU gave up 10 runs was March 26 against Indiana State — 36 games ago.That was also the last time IU lost by more than one run. In the previous 35 games, IU was 32-3 and had lost those three games by just one run.Stanford pitcher A.J. Vanegas threw 5.1 innings, the longest he’s gone all season. He’s battled injuries all year, and his longest outing before that was four innings.Vanegas threw with strong velocity, and at points reached the upper 90s on the stadium radar gun.After Cardinal starter Logan James went just 1.2 innings and gave up four earned runs, Marquess went to Vanegas with his season on the line, and the senior delivered.“We told him we’re going to him early because there was no tomorrow,” Marquess said. “We needed to win today to keep playing.”With the most important game of the season Monday, IU catcher Kyle Schwarber said his team is confident.“No one is not out there competing,” he said. “So we’re going to be out there ready to go, and, you know, play for our tournament life.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU will play Stanford at 6 p.m. for a chance to move on to the super regionals.Stanford defeated Youngstown State 12-4 earlier today to end the Penguins’ season and set up a rematch between the Hoosiers and the Cardinal tonight.IU will be the home team and Stanford will be the away team. Per NCAA rules, Stanford was the home team Saturday night when the two teams played.The Hoosiers defeated the Cardinal 4-2 Saturday behind strong performances from senior starter Joey DeNato and junior first baseman Sam Travis, who went 3-for-5.Given the double-elimination format of the regional, there are two possibilities that could occur given the result of Sunday’s game.If IU wins, the team will be crowned regional champs and move on to the super regional.If Stanford wins, another game will take place between the two teams at 5:30 p.m. Monday.The Hoosiers will throw No. 2 starter Christian Morris, who is 6-3 on the year with a 1.82 ERA.The Cardinal will throw Logan James, who is 3-3 on the year with a 4.13 ERA in 56.2 innings pitched.Thunderstorms are forecasted for tonight’s game. Follow @EvanHoopfer and @idsnews on Twitter for updates.Evan Hoopfer
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Left fielder Brad Hartong will miss the remainder of the 2014 postseason due to a spleen injury, according to a release.In the first inning of the IU-Stanford game Saturday, Hartong went back in an attempt to catch a fly ball hit by Stanford’s Austin Slater.Hartong crashed hard into the wall, and the ball dropped, which allowed the Cardinal to score a run.Trainers went out to check on Hartong, who was lying on the ground for a few moments after the collision with the wall.Hartong was able to get up, and he remained in the game for a few inning.He even took an at-bat and made an outfield assist when Stanford’s Dominic Jose tried to stretch a single into a double in the second inning.In the fourth inning Hartong came out, and Craig Dedelow replaced him in left field. Hartong was seen walking gingerly back into the clubhouse with an IU trainer by his side.“This a tough break for Brad, as he has been a huge contributor to this team all season,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said in the release. “We look forward to having Brad back in 2015 after he makes a full recovery.”Not only was Hartong a first team All-Big Ten choice in left field, as he was hitting .313 on the year with 36 RBI, but he was also the team’s backup catcher and served as Christian Morris’ personal catcher.Morris will get the start today at 6 p.m. against the winner of the Stanford-Youngstown State game, which begins at 1 p.m.It is unclear if Smith will opt to go with Schwarber for a third straight start at the catcher position, or if he will use another catcher for Morris.Evan Hoopfer
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With one out in the eighth inning, starter Joey DeNato came out of the game to a standing ovation in front of the biggest crowd in Bart Kaufman Field history.The senior ace had thrown 7.1 innings and given up just two earned runs on 104 pitches.“I thought I pitched pretty well,” DeNato said. “The two runs they scored, really I think I had -- maybe I had a few bad pitches all game, but they definitely executed on them, on pitches that I missed on.”He left with his team in the lead by one run, and the record attendance of 4,312 fans at Bart Kaufman Field got out of their seats to give DeNato, statistically the greatest IU pitcher of all-time, an ovation.IU was able to maintain the lead and defeated Stanford 4-2 in Saturday night’s regional game. With the win, IU moves just one victory away from the regional championship.IU will play the winner of the Stanford-Youngstown State game at 6 p.m. Sunday. The Penguin-Cardinal bout is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch Sunday.DeNato, a San Diego native, was not recruited by California schools because he lacks size and fastball velocity. But the 5-foot-10 ace improved to 13-1 on the year, which set the record for most wins in a single season for an IU pitcher.After the game, Stanford Coach Mark Marquess lamented not having DeNato.“We did not recruit him,” he said. “Wish we had.”The performance by DeNato was coupled with a clutch-hitting clinic by the Hoosiers. Of the four runs on the day for IU, three came with two outs.Leading the way was Big Ten Player of the Year Sam Travis. The junior first baseman went 3-for-5 on the day with two RBI.“Yeah, postseason play as a player, you know, coming up in key situations,” Travis said, “that's kind of what you live for as a player.”In the top of the fifth inning on a 2-0 count, Travis drilled a ball over the left field fence to put IU up two runs at the time, and it sent Bart Kaufman into a frenzy.“I think he was sitting fastball,” Stanford starter John Hochstatter said. “And he beat me on it. Nothing more than that.”He went 7.1 innings in the loss, giving up nine hits for four earned runs on 114 pitches. Another big at-bat for IU came in the top of the eighth inning. It was just a 3-2 lead, and right fielder Will Nolden faced a full count, two-out situation with runners on first and second.And Nolden delivered.He singled up the middle, and the hit scored Ramos from second base to give the Hoosiers a two-run cushion.“It's those two at-bats that I remember as I was reflecting on that game that I thought were momentum gainers for us, momentum breakers for them," IU Coach Tracy Smith said.The RBI gave extra insurance to closer Jake Kelzer, even though he didn’t need it. After DeNato came out in the eighth inning, Kelzer came in to throw 1.2 innings of one-hit baseball, not giving up a run.While Kelzer and his wicked curveball have been proficient this year, he is still a redshirt freshman.But Smith didn’t lack any confidence in his closer, who is a former swimmer on the IU swim and dive team.“Anybody that spends their mornings at 5:00 a.m. staring at the bottom of the pool,” Smith said, “ … has some mental toughness.”Christian Morris will get the start Sunday. He is 6-3 with a 1.82 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the Hoosiers will either play the Cardinal or the Penguins.The Hoosiers knocked off both teams already, and are now one win away from their second consecutive super regional appearance.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After dispatching both of their opponents by a combined score of 18-3, IU and Stanford will meet in game two of the Bloomington regional on Saturday.First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the winner of the game will move on in the winners’ bracket for a shot at winning the regional on Sunday.IU (43-13) comes into the game after beating Youngstown State 10-2, and Stanford (31-23) took care of Indiana State 8-1. Both games took place Friday.Getting the start for the Hoosiers will be Joey DeNato. On the year he is 12-1 with a 1.77 ERA.Both teams have the benefit of having fresh bullpens for the game on Saturday.The Hoosiers were able to rest their No. 1, 2 and 3 starters in the win against Youngstown State. Also, closer Jake Kelzer and first team All-Big Ten reliever Luke Harrison didn’t pitch Friday.For Stanford, starter Cal Quantrill threw a complete game, four-hit shutout against the Sycamores on Friday, so everyone is available in the Cardinal bullpen.Projected to get the start for Stanford is John Hochstatter, who has gone 10-1 with a 2.62 ERA in 72 innings pitched this season.Hochstatter has the best ERA of any Cardinal starter this year, and he has allowed opponents to hit just .202 off him.As for offense, the Hoosiers will have to slow down the corners of the Cardinal infield.Third baseman Alex Blandino – the No. 63 ranked prospect in the nation according to Baseball America – and first baseman Danny Diekroger both went 2-for-5 against the Sycamores.They hit No. 2 and No. 3 in the lineup, and they are both hitting more than .300 this year. In total, five Cardinals are hitting more than .300.But if trends stay true, it will be a pitchers’ duel.The two starting pitchers tomorrow, DeNato and Hochstatter, are a combined 22-2 on the year.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers struck early in the pitch count against the Penguin pitching staff Friday night.In its first game of the NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed IU beat No. 4 seed Youngstown State, 10-2.“I thought that was a perfect scenario for us,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said after the game.On the offensive end, the top hitters stepped up.In junior catcher Kyle Schwarber’s first two at-bats, he was swinging on the first pitch. And on the both of the first pitches, Schwarber placed a ball into right field.The first went for a single in the first inning, and it was the first of 15 Hoosier hits on the day.In his second at bat, Schwarber lined the ball to the right-center gap for a triple.“Schwarber’s definitely the wrong guy to throw in the middle of the plate,” Youngstown State Coach Steve Gillispie said.After not reaching base in his third at-bat, Schwarber drilled a pitch over the center field wall for a three-run home run, which put the Hoosiers up 9-1.The catcher finished the day 4-for-5 with three RBI, and a double short of the cycle.But when asked if Schwarber had any thoughts of trying to stretch a single into a double in the seventh inning to give him the cycle, Schwarber was clear in his answer.“No,” he said.He wasn’t the only Hoosier to have a prolific day at the plate. Sam Travis went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, Scott Donley was 3-for-4, and DeMuth went 3-for-5 with three RBI.The Hoosiers chased Youngstown State starter Jared Wight out of the game early. Wight only went 2.1 innings and gave up eight hits that led to six earned runs.Sophomore Scott Effross earned his first start of the year and delivered. His final line included 4 innings pitched, 3 hits, one run, one earned run, one walk and 4 strikeouts on 58 pitches.“After the first inning,” Effross said, “I kind of just treated it like a relief appearance.”Going into the game, Smith was deciding whether or not to hold ace Joey DeNato until later in the weekend or throw him against the Penguins.Youngstown State came into the game with a 16-36 record, and DeNato alone had 75 percent of the number of wins they had – he’s 12-1 on the year.By throwing Effross and sophomores Evan Bell and Will Coursen-Carr on Friday, this leaves IU with its top three starters, DeNato, Christian Morris and Brian Korte, available for the rest of the weekend.When Coursen-Carr came in the game with an eight-run cushion, the game was still of great interest to IU fans. After going 5-0 last year with a 1.93 ERA, the sophomore has struggled this year and was replaced in the rotation.He’s struggled with his control, and Smith has said throughout the season Coursen-Carr doesn’t have the confidence necessary to be effective.Coursen-Carr hit one batter, but was otherwise effective. He went 1.1 innings without giving up a hit or a walk.“I thought that was a huge positive on tonight’s game,” Smith said. “That kid kind of put us on the map last season with his pitching in postseason play."He’s struggled, no secret about that … Regardless of his scenario before tonight, that was pretty electric stuff.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After a rain delay that lasted nearly three hours, the Hoosiers and Cardinal take the field to resume play for the regional championship title.IU led Stanford 3-0 in the middle of the third inning before the game was postponed due to severe weather. An RBI single by Craig Dedelow in the second inning and a two-run home run by Kyle Schwarber in the third put IU up 3-0.Stanford starter Logan James was pulled after pitching two innings and getting through the IU order once.Follow @EvanHoopfer on Twitter for live game updates.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After practice today, IU Coach Tracy Smith said he has not decided who will start Friday when the Hoosiers play Youngstown State.“Right now we're not sure, and here's why,” Smith said. “Because what makes this time of the year different is every decision moving forward is critical. You try to put yourself in the best position to win the weekend.”Smith did narrow down the list to four possible names. Either Scott Effross, Joey DeNato, Evan Bell or Brian Korte will get the start Friday.Smith said he will watch the Indiana State–Stanford game at 2 p.m. Friday to see if one matchup is more favorable down the road. It appears to be a game-time decision, but Smith laughed and assured reporters people will know who the starter is before the first pitch. Here's a breakdown of the potential starters.Scott Effross ERA: 1.65Record: 4-2 Starts: 0Innings pitched: 49Effross has been either the setup man or the reliever this year with Jake Kelzer in the bullpen.But due to the emergence of Kelzer as the closer in the bullpen, Smith said at the Big Ten Tournament last weekend that Effross didn’t get to pitch as much as he would have liked.He called Effross “one of the top arms in the country,” and he wants to use him in the best possible way. Plus, Effross hasn’t just been a one-inning-and-done guy in his career. The sophomore has thrown as many as three innings of relief in his career at one time.“But sometimes guys are different guys in the starters' roles,” Smith said. “I just don't know yet, but that's why he's in the discussion for sure.”Joey DeNatoERA: 1.77Record: 12-1Starts: 15Innings pitched: 101.2DeNato has been the ace of the staff and the Friday starter this season. He was named a third team All-American Thursday.He has the records for most wins, strikeouts and innings pitched in his career of any pitcher in IU’s 119-year history.So, why wouldn’t DeNato start the opening game of the regional?The opponent Friday is Youngstown State, who is 16-36 on the year. IU may not want to throw his best pitcher against statically the weakest team in the regional.IU will face the winner of the Indiana State–Stanford game at 6 p.m.Saturday, if the Hoosiers can get past the Penguins in the opening round.Since DeNato has a reputation of eating up innings, Smith may keep DeNato until Saturday or even Sunday, when he anticipates a needed break for the bullpen.When asked if he knew if he was starting Friday, DeNato responded, “I do not know yet.”Evan BellERA: 3.50Record: 2-1Starts: 1Innings pitched: 18After primarily being a middle reliever for most of the season, Bell started his first game of the season in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal against Michigan State and responded well.His line was: 4.1 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned runs, 2 walks and one strikeout on 62 pitches against a Spartan team fighting to keep its season alive. The 6-foot-9 sophomore has the least experience out of any of the other three starters, but given his most recent outing against Michigan State, he is a legitimate contender to get the start Friday.Brian KorteERA: 2.11Record: 3-0Starts: 7Innings pitched: 38.1When Kyle Hart underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery earlier this year and Will Coursen-Carr struggled his way out of the rotation, Korte was thrust in a situation where he responded well.As the No. 3 starter, Korte hasn’t lost a game. Though he hasn’t exhibited the endurance of DeNato or No. 2 starter Christian Morris, he’s been effective.He didn’t pitch in the Big Ten Tournament, however. Smith said Korte was day-to-day because of arm soreness heading into regional play, but he has been throwing.“We'll know more tomorrow based on the medical stuff,” Smith said. “He cranked it up on a bullpen the other day full speed, and it looked pretty good. We just want to see how he's responding to that.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Four Hoosiers were named to the Louisville Slugger NCAA Division-I All-American teams today, which is the most in team history.A pair of juniors, catcher Kyle Schwarber and first baseman Sam Travis, earned second team honors. Senior pitcher Joey DeNato and senior third baseman Dustin DeMuth earned third team honors.Travis won the Big Ten Player of the Year award after hitting .342 with 10 home runs and 53 RBI. In Baseball America’s latest prospects rankings, Travis comes in as the No. 85-ranked prospect.This marks the second straight year Schwarber was named an All-American. He led the Big Ten in home runs with 12 and bat .340 this season with 41 RBI. He is the No. 18-ranked draft prospect, according to Baseball America.It also makes two consecutive All-American awards for DeMuth. The senior led the Big Ten with a .381 average, and he hit .448 in Big Ten games. DeMuth is also the active NCAA leader in career hits, with 311.DeNato cemented himself as one of the best pitchers in IU history with a stellar 2014 season. He now has the records for career wins, strikeouts and innings pitched for any Hoosier pitcher.This year DeNato is 12-1 with a 1.77 ERA, and he joins former teammate Aaron Slegers as the second consecutive Hoosier starter to be named an All-American.Evan Hoopfer
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In advance of this weekend’s regional, IDS reporter Evan Hoopfer asked the Stanford Daily’s Jordan Wallach some questions about the Cardinal’s team and its chances. IDS Stanford was a bubble team. What was the expectation of getting into the NCAA tournament this year? Did it come as a surprise?Wallach Coming into this season, while the team had its sights set on a tournament berth, expectations were certainly low from an outside perspective.While Stanford returned key position players, particularly in the infield with senior third baseman Alex Blandino and junior first baseman Danny Diekroeger, no one knew how Mark Appel, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, would be replaced in the Cardinal’s starting rotation.The Astros prospect ate up 229.1 combined innings over 30 starts in his junior and senior years, so his departure left a massive gap in the team’s staff.Stanford’s answer was to start freshmen pitchers for 27 consecutive games to open the season, the longest streak in the nation this season and perhaps in the history of NCAA baseball as well.The quartet of Cal Quantrill — son of former major leaguer Phil Quantrill — Brett Hanewich, Chris Viall and Tyler Thorne shocked most as they got their seasons off to surprisingly composed starts against one of the nation’s most difficult schedules, which featured 24 games against teams in the top-50 in the RPI rankings.While only Quantrill made it through the entire season in the rotation (the others came and went), not many people expected the youth of the Cardinal to hold up against their schedule, but it did. Another freshman, second baseman Tommy Edman, ended up making major contributions at the plate as he took over the lead-off spot in the middle of the season after carrying the offense with a 10-game hitting streak.So it certainly came as a surprise that Stanford was able to clinch a postseason berth given its young roster, but credit is due to pitching coach Rusty Filter — the mentor of two No. 1 overall draft picks over the last five years, Appel and Stephen Strasburg at San Diego State — for toughening his first-year starters quickly and getting them ready to carry the staff for a good part of the season.IDS What are the feelings around Palo Alto about this team compared to previous years? How big is baseball at Stanford?Wallach Baseball at Stanford certainly isn’t as big as football or men’s or women’s basketball, and you’ll rarely find students at Klein Field taking in a game on a weekend. But support still comes from local residents, alumni and other Cardinal supporters, and it’s usually a safe bet to have around 1,500 supporters in the stands for an average weekend home game.Overall, with the departure of Appel, interest in the team this year dipped slightly — the ballpark no longer had the same buzz on Friday nights when the ace stepped onto the rubber.My former managing editor, Sam Fisher, put it this way in a column: “Every time you walked into Sunken Diamond, you came with the knowledge — perhaps even expectation — that you were going to see something special. There’s something very cool about seeing more scouts than there are MLB teams sitting behind home plate at every one of a pitcher’s starts.”That simply wasn’t there this year, but plenty of fans still cared about the team and were eager to see the youth will shape the Cardinal roster for at least the next two years.IDS What are Stanford’s strengths and weaknesses?Wallach Stanford’s main strength certainly lies in its starting rotation.While the four freshmen mentioned earlier did not all end the season in the rotation, other players stepped up immediately after getting the call in the middle of the season.For junior John Hochstatter, that call came on April 13 against Washington. From that point forward, he became the team’s most sturdy arm, as he went 7-0 with a 2.68 ERA in the seven starts he made at the end of the season, including two consecutive complete games (and he was one out away from a third).Sophomore Logan James also transitioned from the bullpen and soon earned a spot in the weekend rotation.Over five starts, he went 3-1 with a 2.15 ERA. As long as the Cardinal avoid falling behind in counts early on in games and allow minimal free passes — something they suffered from early in the season and at times later on — the rotation has the potential to match up with anyone.The team’s weakness is probably its depth on the bench.While there’s no shortage of defensive replacements, Stanford has very few options when needing a pinch-hitter late in games, namely just freshman Jack Klein and sophomore Austin Barr.Also, the Cardinal lack a strong running game, as the team went just 32-for-51 in stolen base attempts on the season, and it ranked last in the Pac-12 in both steals and attempts.So Stanford will often resort to sacrifices, sometimes unnecessarily wasting precious outs in order to advance runners.IDS Who is one Cardinal player that will surprise us with how good he is?Wallach While junior center fielder Austin Slater won’t surprise anyone with his offensive performances this weekend given that he’s riding a career-long 17-game hitting streak, over which he’s hitting .448, sophomore right fielder Zach Hoffpauir can make a big impact very quickly with the bat.Hoffpauir, a two-sport athlete who also plays free safety for Stanford’s football team, has raised his batting average from .271 to .339 over his last 13 games, a span in which he’s hit .520 (26-for-50). He leads the team with a .522 slugging percentage, demonstrating his power that can alter a game with just one swing.IDS Care for a prediction? Will Stanford make it out of the regional in your opinion?Wallach As head coach Mark Marquess leads the Cardinal into their 29th postseason appearance in the last 34 years under his tutelage but the team’s first berth since 2012, expectations are not very high for the team that surprised many by just making it to a regional.But I think this team has a strong run in it. Each of Stanford’s first three starters can match up with any opponent. So as long as the offense holds up its end of the bargain, the Card can reach the regional’s final game against Indiana.But the run will likely stop there as it’s going to take a lot to slow down the Hoosiers train that has won 30 of its last 33 games.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU will welcome three teams to the Bloomington regional this weekend in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.The Hoosiers will face Youngstown State in their first game at 7 p.m. Friday.Youngstown State and Indiana State offer some challenges to IU, which is 30-3 in the past 33 games.For a breakdown of the Penguins and the Sycamores, read below. For a breakdown of the Stanford Cardinal, read the IDS Q&A with the Stanford Daily’s Jordan Wallach.Youngstown State Penguins (16-36)Youngstown State is 20 games below .500 and was the No. 6 seed in its own conference tournament, the Horizon League.The Penguins knocked off No. 1 seed Wright State in the Horizon League Tournament twice in three days, and they received the conference’s automatic bid.The Penguins have a rank of No. 270 in the projected RPI of 302 teams, while IU is No. 2.Youngstown State pulled off the major upset in its own conference tournament, and the team will have to pull off an even bigger upset against the Hoosiers in the first round matchup.Lefty Jared Wight will get the start on Friday for the Penguins. In 16 appearances this year, Wight has a 6.97 ERA in 40 innings pitched.Wight is 1-3 and has walked more than he has struck out. Who Wight will go up against for the Hoosiers is still in flux.IU Coach Tracy Smith said he will probably keep ace Joey DeNato until later in the weekend.“We’re still trying to figure out what we’re doing Friday,” Smith said. “I think the good part for us is we have a lot of confidence in the other guys.”On the offensive side of the ball, the Penguins have two players who have hit more than .300 this season. Second baseman Phil Lipari has been on a tear during the later stretch of the season.As recent as April 27, Lipari was hitting just .236. In the past 15 games Lipari is 30-for-65, good for a .462 average that has bumped his season average to .322.Indiana State Sycamores (35-16) The Sycamores are the only team in the Bloomington regional that IU has played this season.The two teams split the season series. Indiana State took a 12-8 bout March 26 in Terre Haute, and the Hoosiers got revenge with a 8-4 win April 9 in Bloomington.Indiana State is coming off a strong regular season, where it finished 14-7 in the Missouri Valley Conference, but the Sycamores followed that with a lackluster performance in the conference tournament, where they went 0-2.They received an at-large bid mainly because of their RPI, which was No. 22 in the nation.On the offensive side, Mike Fitzgerald and Derek Hannahs are the only Sycamores who are hitting more than .300 on the year.Fitzgerald also has an on-base percentage of .461, which is the highest on the team. He is usually the team’s cleanup hitter, batting fourth in the lineup.Three Sycamore pitchers have thrown more than 70 innings this year, and each have an ERA less than 3.50.Stanford and Indiana State play the first game of the regional at 2 p.m. Friday.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Just like the NCAA Tournament in basketball, the NCAA Tournament in baseball has 64 teams in the first round. Basketball has added a few more teams through the years, but its base bracket still consists of 64 teams.That’s where the similarities end between the two sports’ postseasons.IU was selected to the No. 4 national seed during Monday’s NCAA Tournament selection show. But the NCAA baseball postseason can be tough to understand for first-time college baseball fans.There are two weekends of postseason play in college baseball and then the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.IU looks to return to the College World Series for the second consecutive year, as the team fell short of winning a national title in Omaha, Neb., last year.That journey begins this weekend with regional play at IU. All games will be played at Bart Kaufman Field.There are three other teams in the regional, ranked from seeds two-to-four. IU is the No. 1 seed in the regional.It is joined by No. 2 seed Indiana State (35-16), No. 3 seed Stanford (30-23) and No. 4 seed Youngstown State (16-36).IU and Youngstown State received automatic bids into the NCAA Tournament by winning their respective leagues. If a team wins its conference, it is automatically granted entry into the NCAA Tournament. Stanford and Indiana State were at-large bids.Regional play is a double-elimination tournament. The winner of the four-team tournament moves on to super regionals.If IU sweeps the regional and wins all its games, the team will play three games — at 7 p.m. Friday, at 6 p.m. Saturday and at 6 p.m. Sunday.However, if IU wins its first two games against Youngstown State and the winner of the Stanford–Indiana State game but loses Sunday, a different situation will ensue.The Hoosiers won’t be out of the tournament, since it’s a double-elimination format. In that case, there will be another game at 5:30 p.m. Monday with a “winner take all” feel.To recap, if IU takes care of business and wins all of its games, the team will be done by Sunday with a regional crown.If the Hoosiers have several hiccups, the team could be out of the regional by Sunday.And, if necessary, there will be another game Monday.If IU makes it out of the regional, the Hoosiers will move on to the super regionals. This is where the importance of being a national seed comes in.The top eight teams in the nation are named national seeds, and each will be a host to a super regional.Whichever team comes out of the Nashville, Tenn., regional will play IU in the super regional.Vanderbilt, Oregon, Clemson and Xavier are the potential teams.The super regional format is much easier to digest. It’s simply a best-of-three series between the two teams.If IU wins the super regional, the Hoosiers will move on to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., where the top eight teams in the nation take part in a double-elimination tournament to determine the national champion.Last season IU defeated Valparasio, Austin Peay and Austin Peay again to sweep its regional. The team traveled to Tallahassee, Fla., and took two games from national seed Florida State to move on to Omaha, Neb.The Hoosiers beat Louisville and then lost to Mississippi State and Oregon State — both in one-run games — and were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament.The road back to Omaha, Neb., starts 7 p.m. Friday for the Hoosiers.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU was named the No. 4 national seed this afternoon in the NCAA tournament selection show. It is not only the first time IU has been a national seed, but also that a Big Ten team has been a national seed. The top eight teams in the nation are named national seeds each year.Being a national seed means not only will the Hoosiers be host to regional play, but if they advance out of regional play, they will also be host to a super regional.The other teams in IU’s regional bracket are Youngstown State, Stanford and Indiana State. The Hoosiers (42-13) kick off the NCAA tournament at 7 p.m. this Friday, when they play Youngstown State (16-36) at Bart Kaufman Field in Bloomington.The other teams in the regional, Stanford (30-23) and Indiana State (35-16), will play their first round game at 2 p.m. Friday, before IU’s game.The regionals are a double elimination-style format. Looking ahead to if the Hoosiers win their regional, the Hoosiers will play Vanderbilt, Oregon, Clemson or Xavier in the super regional matchup.The super regional is a three-game series. Last year, IU traveled to Tallahassee, Fla., and took down the Florida State Seminoles to advance to Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series. Evan Hoopfer
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Nebraska had just tied the game 3-3 with a three-run fifth inning. Even though it was technically a home game for IU, the 19,965 patrons were mostly wearing Nebraska’s shade of red, and they were loud in their support of the Huskers. No. 2 seed Nebraska was back in the game against No. 1 IU.After leadoff hitter Casey Rodrigue struck out, first-team All-Big Ten catcher Kyle Schwarber stepped up to bat. On a 1-0 count, Schwarber crushed the pitch to deep right field. Schwarber said he knew it was a home run as he walked a few steps out of the batter’s box and flipped his bat.IU took the lead and would not relinquish it the rest of the day. The Hoosiers knocked off Nebraska 8-4 in the Big Ten Championship game. For the second consecutive season, IU won both the regular season and tournament title. And for the second consecutive year, IU beat Nebraska in the tournament title game.“They took the momentum there a little bit,” Nebraska Coach Darin Erstad said of Schwarber's home run. During the week, IU Coach Tracy Smith told Schwarber to try and keep the ball out of the air because of how big TD Ameritrade Park is. The park is so big that nobody has ever hit a home run to center field.The fifth-inning bomb was Schwarber’s second home run of the tournament. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2014 Big Ten Tournament after the game.“I was trying to hit line drives,” Schwarber said. “But I got under a couple, and they happened to go out.”IU played four games in five days and went 4-0 to win the Big Ten crown. The team outscored its opponents 25-10, and the closest game was a three-run dispatching of Michigan State on Saturday. When Nebraska second baseman Pat Kelly popped out to shortstop Nick Ramos to seal the victory for IU, there wasn’t an overdone celebration on the field by the Hoosiers. All season IU has said its goal has been to return to Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series.“What I liked best is that we just won a championship in front of 20,000 fans rooting against us,” Smith said. “And when it was over, we just went out and slapped five.”IU will be host to a regional next weekend. According to national projections, the Hoosiers will be a national seed.IU will also be host to a super regional the following weekend, June 6-9, if the team gets out of regional play in good shape.It would be the first time a Big Ten team has ever been a national seed.The Hoosiers (42-13) are one of the hottest teams in the nation. After a mediocre 12-10 start, IU is 30-3 in its past 33 games. The NCAA tournament selection show is Monday at noon and will air on ESPNU. The Hoosiers will learn what other teams will be in their regional, and if they are indeed a national seed.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the game tied at 4-4 between IU and Michigan State and a bid to the Big Ten Championship on the line, Tim O’Conner led off the top of the ninth inning. He came into the game batting just .185, but he reached base when Michigan State pitcher Walter Borkovich plunked O’Conner’s foot. With its season on the line, Michigan State changed pitchers. It brought in its ace, Mick VanVossen.The first batter VanVossen saw was second baseman Casey Rodrigue. The Hoosiers’ leadoff hitter was trying to lay down a sac bunt to advance O’Conner, but VanVossen’s pitch got away, and he hit Rodrigue.After falling behind 3-0 on his next batter, preseason All-American Kyle Schwarber, VanVossen gave up a single to Schwarber. The ball wasn’t deep enough to score any runners. Thus, the bases were loaded with no outs for Big Ten Player of the Year Sam Travis.On the first pitch, Travis hit a slow grounder to Spartan shortstop Ryan Richardson. Richardson went home with the throw to get O’Conner on the force play, but the catcher didn’t have enough time to get Travis at first. That left the bases loaded with one out for cleanup hitter Scott Donley. And he came through for IU.Donley drilled a ball over the right fielder’s head, scoring Rodrigue and Schwarber and giving IU the 6-4 lead.Michigan State went with another pitching change, bringing in reliever Chase Rihtarchik. With runners on second and third, the Spartans opted to walk Dustin DeMuth to load the bases and hope for an inning-ending double play.On the intentional walk, Rihtarchik unexpectedly threw the pitch over the catcher’s head. An alert Travis reacted and slid into home before the throw could be made. IU had a 7-4 lead, which would be the final score. Rihtarchik was able to induce fly balls from Brad Hartong and Will Nolden to end the inning, but the damage was done. In the bottom of the ninth, Michigan State couldn’t get a legitimate threat going and the game ended. And with an at-large bid highly unlikely, the Spartans’ season is over. No. 1 seed IU moves on to play No. 2 seed Nebraska in Sunday's Big Ten Championship game. The two teams didn’t play each other this season, but IU defeated the Huskers 4-3 in 2013's conference title game to win the Big Ten tournament.IU Coach Tracy Smith said after the game Sullivan Stadler – who is 2-1 with a 2.92 ERA in 24.2 innings pitched this season – will get the start. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Omaha, Neb., and the championship will air on BTN.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Heading into the sixth inning, neither team had recorded a hit.The difference was the Hoosiers were eventually able to capitalize on Michigan starter Brett Adcock, while the Wolverines couldn’t touch Hoosier starter Christian Morris all night. During the pitcher’s duel, IU (40-13) had just one big inning to propel the team to a 5-0 victory against Michigan (29-28-1) to move on in the Big Ten tournament.All five Hoosier runs came in the seventh inning. Dustin DeMuth led things off with a double. After an RBI infield single by Will Nolden to make it 1-0, second baseman Casey Rodrigue broke the game open with a two-out, two-RBI triple to the right-center gap to make it 3-0.Catcher Kyle Schwarber added the final insurance runs when he blasted a two-run home run to right field that plated Rodrigue. The Schwarber bomb gave IU the comfortable 5-0 lead, which would be more than enough for the IU pitching staff.Starter Christian Morris showed why he was named to the first team All-Big Ten with a gem. His line included seven innings pitched, one hit, no runs, two walks and four strikeouts on 90 pitches. The Wolverines had trouble all night against the sophomore righty, and they couldn’t make a substantial run at him all night. Scott Effross and Jake Kelzer took care of the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, without allowing a Wolverine base runner to complete the one-hit staff shutout.IU improved to 2-0 in the Big Ten tournament and 40-13 overall. It marks the first time since the 1986 and 1987 seasons that IU has had back-to-back 40 win seasons. After the final out was recorded at 1:26 a.m., the Hoosiers get the day off on Friday. They’ll play at 2:00 p.m. Saturday. Their opponent has yet to determined.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the first round of the Big Ten tournament, No. 1 seed IU defeated No. 8 seed Iowa, 5-2.The win means the Hoosiers will move on to play the winner of the Michigan–Minnesota game tonight. The first pitch is scheduled for 10 p.m.IU (39-13) is the No. 1 seed in the double elimination conference tournament for the second consecutive year. The Hoosiers rode ace Joey DeNato’s performance in their takedown of Iowa.DeNato threw another gem. His line included eight innings pitched, seven hits, two runs, one earned run, no walks and a season-high nine strikeouts on 106 pitches.DeNato, the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, improves to 12-1 on the season.On the Big Ten Network postgame show, IU Coach Tracy Smith said going into the game, “Our plan with Joey was, let’s probably use him one time (in the Big Ten tournament).”This means in all likelihood, Smith will not opt to use DeNato in a potential Big Ten tournament championship game May 25, if the Hoosiers advance that far.During the game, DeNato etched his name into the Hoosier record book once again.He already picked up the record for most career innings pitched earlier this season, but during the Iowa game, DeNato passed former IU pitcher Eric Arnett for most innings pitched during a single season for any IU pitcher.Despite having two errors of his own early in the game, DeNato was able to keep the Hawkeyes scoreless in the final four innings he tossed.On the offensive end, leadoff hitter and second baseman Casey Rodrigue was able to pace the Hoosiers’ offensive attack.Rodrigue went 3-for-3, recording a single, a double, a triple and a walk. The LSU-Eunice transfer also added two RBI.Shortstop Nick Ramos continued his hot play. He went 2-for-4 on the day, and in his past five games, the Tampa Bay, Fla., native is hitting .412, or 7-for-17, in the stretch.As the Hoosiers look ahead to the round two matchup, they will face either Michigan or Minnesota.IU beat both Michigan and Minnesota in three-game series in the regular season. The Hoosiers took 2-of-3 from the Gophers and from the Wolverines at Bart Kaufman Field.If the Hoosiers win tonight’s game, they will not play until 2 p.m. Saturday.If the Hoosiers lose tonight’s game, they will play at 8:30 p.m. Friday.Both of the potential games will be aired on BTN.