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(04/11/12 3:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Though they enter today’s contest against Indiana State in a tie for second place in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers will not be able to improve their seeding. But freshman first baseman Sam Travis said his team must bring a better mindset to the ballpark.“We’ve got to come out with more intensity,” he said. “We came out flat, and we didn’t really have life in our dugout, on the field. We were kind of going through the motions. We’ve got to come out aggressive, be ready to go and be excited to play.”IU committed four errors in its 7-3 loss to Illinois on Saturday. The Hoosiers committed two on Sunday. IU Coach Tracy Smith did not mince words.“(They were) big,” he said. “We did some really stupid things with the ball. We’ve got to eliminate that stuff because it’s tough to overcome when we’re not swinging the bats that well.“You can’t just give teams as many free bases as we did on Saturday. We’ve got to eliminate those silly, silly mistakes.”The Sycamores enter today’s contest scoring an average of 7.7 runs per game and having won eight of their past 10 games.Indiana State will send freshman right-hander Kyle Rupe to the mound. The Indianapolis native allowed four runs on seven hits in 1.2 innings in his most recent start April 3 against the University of Illinois at Chicago.Rupe, however, did not walk a batter. Smith said he wants his team to be more selective offensively.“We’re still striking out too much and hitting their pitch rather than being selective and getting our pitch,” he said. “That’s going to be a focus this week.”The most recent time these teams played, sophomore reliever Ryan Halstead started for the first time in his career.The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native pitched a perfect 5.1 innings in relief last Sunday against Iowa. He said after the game that relief pitchers have no defined roles.“Honestly, there’s no roles set out coming into this year,” he said. “I just want to pitch. Wherever they put me is fine with me. I just kept going and didn’t say anything, and they kept me in. That’s what I was planning on.“I’ve thrown a lot more this year because my role’s different. I think that’s helped my endurance.”Freshman pitcher/infielder Collin McEnery will make his third career start on the bump for the Hoosiers as IU seeks to earn a season split.Sophomore designated hitter/third baseman Dillon Dooney said the Hoosiers need to keep their foot on the gas no matter the score.“I feel like we’re swinging the bats well,” he said. “We’re just coming out flat when we first jump on the team. We need to keep it going, keep tacking on runs.”Dooney dismissed any relevance of last month’s 13-8 loss to the Sycamores.“That’s in the past,” he said.
(04/09/12 1:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After Illinois dropped the opener, the Fighting Illini rallied, winning 11-6 Sunday and the series 2-1. It was the Hoosiers’ first series loss in Big Ten play.In each of the three Big Ten series in which Indiana has played, the Hoosiers won the contest on Friday, scoring double-digit runs each game. On Saturday, the opponent would rally for a win to even the series and force a rubber match.“I don’t know how consistent we are in our approaches at the plate yet,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. ”That probably has something to do with that. We’re not as consistent in every single at-bat. I would say probably that.”Smith tabbed freshman Luke Harrison to start the third game against the Illini.Harrison, who held the Ball State Cardinals to one run on four hits while striking out six in three innings of work, did not enjoy such success against Illinois.He did not retire a batter, allowing three runs on three hits. Smith said he started Harrison to shorten the game to get it to sophomore reliever Matt Dearden.The Hoosiers scored five runs in the first two innings to take the lead twice against Illini starter Josh Ferry.In the third, junior reliever Matt Milroy entered to pitch. He shut down the Hoosiers, allowing three hits in five innings and striking out 10.In the fifth, the Hoosiers trailed 6-5. Sophomore designated hitter Dillon Dooney walked to begin the frame. Junior shortstop Michael Basil reached via fielder’s choice, as Basil’s speed disallowed the Illini to turn the 4-6-3 double play.The Hoosiers had men on first and second with one retired. Milroy struck out Sujka swinging and DeMuth looking to end the threat.“That was huge for them,” he said. “That was a whole different ball game if he would have let us score. But he clutched it up and shut us down.”Freshman first baseman Sam Travis said the Hoosiers didn’t have the intangibles on this day.“It really wasn’t our day all around,” he said. “Obviously that could’ve been a momentum-builder, but we didn’t really have momentum going into that anyways. We needed momentum to get us through that game, and that could’ve got us going, and maybe put us over the top, but who knows?”A grand slam by junior left fielder Justin Parr gave the Illini an 11-5 lead, and this time, the Hoosiers were unable to rally.Basil said winning the series would have been the best way to earn payback.“We could’ve taken the series,” he said. “That would’ve been the biggest thing. Friday, we came out strong and feeling pretty good at that point. We needed to get another game. We just didn’t come through right there.”Despite the loss, the Hoosiers are still in a three-way tie for second place with Ohio State and Nebraska.“That’s huge,” Travis said. “It’s always good to be on top. It’s a lot harder to work your way up once you dig yourself in a hole.”Basil said it is important for the Hoosiers to be near the top of the standings.“It’s very big,” he said. “We need to realize we’re still in the battle for this. With how tight the race is, it’s going to be a battle to be getting into the Big Ten Tournament. Every series and every game, we need to understand that it means something, that it could make a difference at the end of the season.”
(04/06/12 2:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the first time in 11 months, the Hoosiers will play the team that ended their season last year when they play the University of Illinois Fighting Illini.Last season’s series knocked the Hoosiers out of Big Ten Tournament contention. That memory is still fresh in the players’ minds as they enter Champaign, Ill., with a slightly bigger chip on their shoulders.“We’ve talked about it before,” junior shortstop Michael Basil said. “(His teammates) know how (the Illini) did it. It was the last series. It was painful. Losing on two walk-off home runs and two runs in the bottom of the eighth in a game is not the way you want to end a season. We remember that. We’ve talked about it with the younger guys before. Nothing more necessarily needs to be said to them.”The Illini like to wreak havoc on the base paths, ranking first in the Big Ten with 66 steal attempts. Illini base runners also lead the conference in times they’ve been caught stealing — 25 times. Their success rate of 62 percent places them in third.“You got to do the little things now,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “It’s not just going out and executing your pitch. You got to limit runners, their ability to time you up.“Illinois’ always fast. They always have a good base-stealing team. That’s something we’ll definitely prepare for.”Sophomore reliever Walker Stadler said the Hoosiers’ pitching staff won’t be too affected after Wednesday’s game against Ball State that lasted 15 innings.“Some of us only went two innings, so we can bounce back.” Stadler said. “We’ll get a day off for a travel day. We’ll be excited to get back on the bump.”Stadler also said the key to striking out 19 Ball State hitters during IU’s past game against the Cardinals was to get ahead of the hitters, and the Hoosiers’ success will give them confidence entering weekend play.“It’s great,” he said. “We only gave up one hit in the last six innings, so it’s great to take into this Big Ten weekend and keep our streak going.”Basil said it was great to get a win like that after playing so many innings.“Games that long that are sometimes excruciating to get through, those are ones you need to get wins in,” Basil said. “That was huge for the morale of this team heading into this weekend, too, to pull out a win in a game like that because you never want to lose those games.”Despite having one of those games, he said there will not really be a change in how the Hoosiers prepare for their third Big Ten series.“There’s a long game, and you’re tired, but nothing major,” he said. “You’ve got to go on just like it was a nine-inning game. We’re still preparing the exact same way this weekend. We need to pay them back for last year.”
(04/05/12 2:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Extra innings wear both teams outAs dusk came and faded, the most important statistic on the scoreboard remained constant: Ball State 5, IU 5.The lack of offense prompted a decision: The 15th inning would be the final frame. Junior center fielder Justin Cureton stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and delivered a walk-off single.In extra innings, the teams combined for:1 run2 hits5 walks7 pitchers used9 strikeouts35 outs
(04/04/12 2:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman first baseman Sam Travis won the Big Ten’s Player of the Week for the second consecutive time Tuesday thanks to his performance against the Iowa Hawkeyes.The Hoosiers’ first baseman batted .625/.727/1.375 against the Hawkeyes and drew one walk in each game.His three walks give him a team-high 20 on the season. He was also hit by a pitch.His five hits pushed his average to the .400 plateau, as it sits at .404 entering Wednesday’s game against Ball State. Two of those hits left the yard.He will put his 15-game hitting streak on the line against Ball State, as well.He is tied with Nebraska’s Michael Pritchard for the conference lead. He leads the conference in on-base percentage with a .508 clip.His closest competitor — the Cornuskers’ Pritchard — trails by .035 points.Only Purdue’s Kevin Plawecki has slugged for a higher percentage than Travis, with Plawecki slugging .645 and Travis at .596.Travis is third in the conference with 40 hits. He trails leader Chad Christensen by four hits. He also drove in seven runs against the Hawkeyes.Defensively, Travis played his 12th, 13th and 14th games at first base. He posted a perfect fielding percentage, cleanly handling all 42 putout opportunities and earning two assists, as well.He gave Indiana a conference-high seven weekly awards with his newest accolade. Hoosier baseball players have captured 26 percent of all awards.
(04/04/12 2:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After Iowa’s 4-0 win on Saturday, IU Coach Tracy Smith said he played the defensive lineup that gave his team the best chance to win.That lineup included sophomore Dustin DeMuth moving to second base. DeMuth admitted it is a position he has never played. “We’re young,” Smith said. “We’re not playing real well up the middle. We think DeMuth is one of our better middle infielders. What we did statistically is look at where most of the play is happening. “With our pitching staff of left-handed pitchers, most teams try to go the other way. It made a lot of sense. Let’s put one of our best infielders over there, who has some maturity, and I think it paid off. He made two really nice plays up the middle. That was the reason, to hopefully get stronger up the middle.”Tinkering with the lineup has been necessary because of IU’s youth and because, through 28 games, the Hoosiers have committed 61 errors, the most in the Big Ten.Another factor is the loss of junior second baseman Micah Johnson, the Hoosiers’ preseason All-American, who had elbow surgery in March.But DeMuth said his move to second base helps the team.“Just being strong up the middle,” he said. “Good baseball teams have strong defense up the middle. He (Smith) wanted to move me to second, so I was all for it. It’s worked out so far.”Smith said his team wasn’t playing well defensively up the middle.Prior to the Hoosiers’ series against the Hawkeyes, DeMuth started the past 12 games at the hot corner. It was a position in which he started 48 games this past season, including 23 of 24 in conference play.His shift to second base meant freshman Chad Clark has taken over at the hot corner.“With that kid, there’s no timidness,” Smith said. “He plays the game like I wish a lot of our guys would play the game. Sometimes he’ll make a lackadaisical mistake because he’s not thinking, but he’s busting his tail.“Once he settles in and gets comfortable and is not looking over his shoulder, you’ll start to see some of those types of plays. He comes at it almost like a reckless abandon. When you’re a freshman, he’s trying to prove everything. Once he just settles in, he’s going to take a lot of hits away over there.”Meanwhile, DeMuth entered the series against Iowa batting .173.Against Iowa pitching, he hit 8-11 with a double in each contest, scored two runs and had an RBI. His performances against the Hawkeyes improved his average to .229.“It felt good to get out there and swing it well again,” he said Sunday. “(I’ve been) a little down in the dumps there for awhile. I’m glad to come out strong for the team and glad to get a win.”DeMuth said plate discipline has helped him.“Pitch selection,” he said. “There for awhile, I was reaching out of the zone, swinging at things that I normally wouldn’t swing at. Pitch selection has been better, and concentrating on my approach and going the other way.”DeMuth’s numbers indicate he is becoming more comfortable at the plate.“It definitely felt better going the opposite way,” he said. “That’s what I’ve done my whole life. To do that today, it felt really good.”Smith said Sunday’s game for DeMuth was the best he’d seen him strike the ball consistently.“That was more of the old Dustin DeMuth,” Smith said. “It’s baseball, and he needs to do that consistently for us. Any time you get four hits, that does a lot for your confidence.”The Hoosiers will play a Ball State team Wednesday that has lost five in a row and 12 of their past 13.
(04/02/12 1:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana scored 10 unanswered runs Sunday to rally from a 5-0 deficit and win the game 10-5, taking the series against the Iowa Hawkeyes, 2-1.In the bottom of the seventh, Collin McEnery pinch-hit for freshman third baseman Chad Clark. The freshman pitcher/infielder came to the plate with two outs and with freshman catcher Kyle Schwarber at third, freshman first baseman Sam Travis standing on second and junior shortstop Michael Basil at first.On the second pitch, he hit a ball that rolled into center field, and the Hoosiers took their first lead of the game.“It was a huge situation for our team,” McEnery said. “I got called off the bench. I got in there looking for (a) first pitch fastball. I got it, but I took it. The pitcher came back with the same pitch next pitch. I was ready for it and drove it in between the third baseman and shortstop. I was pretty excited about it.”After three pitching changes and four runs scored by the Hoosiers in the frame, redshirt freshman right fielder Tim O’Conner bounced into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.For three innings, Iowa starter Sasha Kuebel had the Hoosiers under control, surrendering only one hit.In the fourth, the Hoosiers scored twice on a two-run home run by Travis that traveled over the center field fence. The homer, Travis’s third of the season and second of the weekend, pushed his hitting streak to 15 games and his batting average to .398.The Hoosiers drew even in the fifth courtesy of two-out hitting. Junior center fielder Justin Cureton laced a two-run triple off the left-center field fence to draw the Hoosiers to within one.“After I hit the ball, I just started running,” he said. “I was thinking three right out of the box. I don’t think anyone was going to stop me. I have a lot of confidence in my speed.”Schwarber pulled an RBI single through the right side, and Cureton scored easily.The Hoosiers knocked Kuebel out of the game after 4.2 innings. The Hawkeyes’ freshman southpaw surrendered five runs — all earned — on six hits.Smith said the Hoosiers did not change anything, they just got better results.IU overcame a rough outing by senior starter Drew Leininger. Iowa scored two in the second and three in the third. In each inning, the lead-off runners reached base via a four-pitch walk and a hit batter, respectively.Sophomore second baseman Dustin DeMuth said Smith kept the attitude positive.“The whole time, Skip was in our ears saying ‘Hey, just keep playing, just keep playing. Things’ll fall,’” DeMuth said. “We broke it open, scored five there pretty quickly, got it tied and finally broke it open there in the later innings.”They were able to do so because of the performance of sophomore reliever Ryan Halstead. In the fourth inning, he came in to pitch with a man on second. He struck out the batter looking.DeMuth said Halstead, who pitched 5.1 innings of perfect baseball, looked like the Halstead of last season.“He was outstanding today,” DeMuth said. “He looked like (he did) last year. Last year, I remember him coming in, walking around the mound, just knowing he was going to dominate. He looked back in that form today.”Smith said this was a great win.“I’m as proud of this win because of where we’ve been with our defensive woes and where we could’ve gone in that game had we succumbed to that negativity of an error,” he said. “I hope this is the one that turns us around.”For coverage on Friday and Saturday's games, click here.
(03/30/12 3:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman Sam Travis’s RBI single in the bottom of the first gave the Hoosiers a 2-0 lead Tuesday against Xavier. The hit also extended his hitting streak to 12 games.But he could have never played a game for IU Coach Tracy Smith in an IU uniform.The Cincinnati Reds drafted Travis, an Orland Park, Ill., native, in the 40th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball June draft.“It was in the back of my mind the entire time,” he said. “I really wanted to come here when I committed. It was a big part of my life. I wanted to keep going in my education and keep playing ball as well. This is a great opportunity right now. I hope to continue the success.”Travis spent the first 13 games of his IU career at the hot corner. After spending one game as designated hitter, he has played first base in each of the past 11 contests.“I’m going to do whatever I can to help the team win,” he said. “It was a better move for our team. We started getting a little hot when I moved over there. I’ll do whatever I can for our team.”The move allows sophomore Dustin DeMuth to move back to third base, a position in which he started 48 games this past season, including 23 of 24 in conference play.“It’s better for us,” Travis said. “He’s playing good over there. I can do a little better at first, but I’m doing better at first than I was at third. We’re helping the team out with the defense. But we got to get rolling and get our defense a little bit better.”Smith admitted to having played a couple guys out of position.“We continue to struggle defensively,” he said. “In our minds, we had some guys out of position. DeMuth was not really comfortable at short. In order to get the people we want on the field, the one guy that had to move, the one guy that had the most flexibility, was Sam at first base.Travis said playing first requires him to be more involved.“It’s a little different,” he said. “At first base, you’re maybe a little more into the game. At third, you got to be a little more on your toes. You do at first base, as well, because you’re pretty much in every play. Every ground ball, you got to be there.“You’re a little more in the game, a little more active. I think that’s good for me. I think that’s helping my bat, as well.”Meanwhile, as the Hoosiers prepare for Iowa, Smith is not sure what his rotation will look like. Senior Drew Leininger pitched 1.2 innings in his start Saturday against Penn State and 1.1 innings in relief Tuesday.“His last few weekend starts have not been good,” Smith said. “We were hoping to see a little bit of competition between him and (sophomore pitcher) Brian Korte today. I don’t think Brian was particularly sharp. We were moving (freshman Kyle) Hart to Saturday, anyway, based on how he’s been throwing, and really trying to determine who that No. 3 guy is. Based on performances today, I’m going to have a hard time figuring that out.”
(03/27/12 2:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After exploding for 14 runs in their Big Ten opener against Penn State, the Hoosiers managed three and two runs, respectively, in their next two games.Though they won the series, IU Coach Tracy Smith said he wants to see more consistency from his team offensively.“We sometimes fall asleep for a few innings during the game and give a bunch of at-bats away,” Smith said. “We need to be locked in for nine innings, everybody giving a good at-bat every single time.”Smith said at the beginning of the season he wanted his team to play more small ball.Against Penn State, the Hoosiers were able to do that, as they hit six sacrifice bunts in the weekend series against the Nittany Lions — including four Saturday. During that game, two of the Hoosiers’ three runs came via the sacrifice fly. Freshman left fielder Chris Sujka explained how the team practices to execute this.“It starts at practice,” he said. “We work on that stuff every day at practice and BP before every game. We work on the offensive approach and the defensive approach. It’s just a big part of the game. (Us) executing (during) the game is no surprise because we work on it so much in practice.”Sujka also leads the team in RBI with 22. He said he has come to the plate in situations conducive to driving in runs.“It’s very easy to hit with runners in scoring position when there’s less than two outs,” he said. “Really all you have to do is put the ball in play somewhere, and usually you’ll get a run home. I like the opportunity to hit with runners in scoring position because you don’t always have to get a hit. You just have to put the ball in play.”Meanwhile, Smith said he’s still looking for his team to improve defensively. Against Penn State, the Hoosiers committed two, two and zero errors, respectively.“We’ve got to be a better defensive team,” Smith said. “We’ve got to understand not only what it means to take care of the baseball, but we need to start executing because we’re living on the edge right now. I want us to focus, you know, be good defensively at practice, be good defensively in pregame, and that’s how it translates into the game.”The Hoosiers take on the Xavier Musketeers today in their second home game at Sembower Field, and Smith said he will split up the pitching duties. He said his team pitched well against Penn State. “That was our key,” he said. “Defense has been our problem all season. We didn’t play great defense again this weekend. We swung the bats the first night but didn’t have good approaches the next two games.“It goes to show you if you get good pitching, regardless of what’s going on in the other facets of the game, you still have a chance to win. That’s, to me, what stood out.”It won’t be the Musketeers’ first games against Big Ten opponents. On March 3, the Northwestern Wildcats defeated them 3-2. Later that day, Xavier defeated the Michigan Wolverines 7-4. A day later, they again defeated the Wolverines 5-3.The Hoosiers will be looking for their fifth win in six games.
(03/26/12 1:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Chris Sujka’s two-run double in the sixth inning provided the Hoosiers all the offense necessary to win the game — and the series — 2-1 in the rubber match against Penn State. IU’s series win was the first foray into conference play for both teams.Sujka, the Hoosiers’ freshman left fielder, put his team on the scoreboard first in the sixth inning as he laced a double to right field. The ball traveled over the head of right fielder Zach Ell. The hit came with two outs, and freshman first baseman Sam Travis and junior shortstop Michael Basil scored.His two-run double gave him the team lead in RBI with 22, and it proved to be the difference.In the seventh inning, the Nittany Lions cut their deficit in half. A weak dribbler by Luis Montesinos scored center fielder Steve Snyder. Penn State catcher J.C. Coban came to the plate next. Sophomore reliever Ryan Halstead made a kick save on Coban’s grounder to keep the ball in the infield and threw to Travis for the third out.“It was huge,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “He made a good pitch to the kid before and got a kind of infield chopper single, and some momentum was going their way. That was a huge play.”Halstead told Smith the ball would have traveled through the infield if he didn’t hit it with his leg.“That was a big, big momentum changer right there,” Smith said.Halstead said he just reacted.“When I saw it, it wasn’t hit very hard,” he said. “It hit me in the leg. I tried to find where the ball is. I saw that it was at my feet, so I picked it up and made the play.”Halstead’s play allowed freshman starter Kyle Hart to stay in and get the win.“It was a big play,” Halstead said. “The bases are loaded, and it ended their momentum. If that play wouldn’t have been made, they would have got a little momentum and been able to put some more runs on the board.”Again, the Nittany Lions loaded the bases in the ninth with one man retired, poised to win another in walk-off fashion.Sophomore reliever Jonny Hoffman slammed the door on those aspirations, earning his first save as he induced a 1-2-3 double play to help the Hoosiers escape State College, Pa., with a 2-1 series victory.Hoffman said the Nittany Lions’ win Saturday wasn’t in his mind.“It feels pretty good just to come in with the game on the line and execute my pitches,” he said. “It feels good to win a series like that.” The bullpen’s performance allowed Hart to pick up his first career win.“It felt good,” he said. “Everything kind of fell into place in the later innings, which hasn’t been happening me for me lately, as far as some things not going our way. I was happy to get a quality start, keep the team in the game and they took it from there.”For coverage of Friday and Saturday’s games, check out Hoosier Hype.
(03/23/12 2:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Perhaps the Hoosiers are peaking at the proper moment.IU’s 11-5 win Wednesday against Eastern Kentucky gave them their fourth win in six games. Their stop at Sembower Field was brief, as the team took a bus to State College, Pa. to open Big Ten play this weekend with a three-game series at Penn State.Against the Colonels Wednesday, the Hoosiers got on base at a .523 clip in the last home opener at Sembower Field.Sophomore third baseman Dustin DeMuth, second in the Big Ten with 85 hits last season, picked up five in seven at-bats against the Colonels.“He’s a good hitter,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “The kid’s done it at this level. He knows he can hit. We know that he can hit. It’s good to see him get some results today.”DeMuth said he’s made an adjustment at the plate, and it’s made him more comfortable.“At the beginning of the season, I was not comfortable at all,” DeMuth said. “I don’t know what it was. Now I feel like I’m ready, and I feel good in there.“A different approach, being ready to hit early in the count. My teammates (have) been keeping up all year when I was struggling. Kudos to them. I’m glad to be back.”Junior shortstop Michael Basil hit 5-for-8 against EKU. On a team that started five freshman position players Wednesday, Smith said it benefits the team when more experienced players have success.“It’s huge,” Smith said. “We’ve been saying all along (that) we’re struggling right now record-wise. Early in the season, good opponents, playing good teams. But Mike and Dustin (were) really not doing a lot offensively. It’s tough when you ask a bunch of freshman to carry the load for you.“I would much rather have these guys swinging very well right now as we head into conference play as opposed to early and taking a dive.”Freshman first baseman Sam Travis said the biggest gain from their two wins was something intangible.“Biggest part of it is to get momentum going into Big Ten play, going in with two wins under our belt,” he said. “Looks like we got the bats rolling a little bit. Let’s hope we can keep that going through Big Ten play.”After junior pitch hitter Trace Knoblauch singled to begin the sixth, freshman second baseman Chad Clark came to the plate. He hit a ball down the left field line and tried to stretch his hit into a triple. Though he was called out at third, his RBI extended the Hoosiers’ lead to 11-0.Smith said that’s the kind of base running he likes to see.“That’s kind of a judgment thing,” Smith said. “Obviously we wouldn’t have brought him if we didn’t think he was going to make it. They made a good relay. Credit to them. Probably could’ve gone either way. I love the aggressiveness right there.”The Hoosiers’ first games in conference play since Illinois ended their 2011 season via the walk-off home run come against a team struggling offensively. The Nittany Lions rank last in batting average, hits, on-base percentage, runs scored and RBI.Meanwhile, the Hoosiers send reigning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week sophomore Joey DeNato to the bump to begin the series.
(03/20/12 1:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Coach Tracy Smith and his players have said their focus is playing their best baseball when Big Ten games begin.The home-and-home series today and tomorrow against Eastern Kentucky marks the Hoosiers’ final two opportunities to improve before Big Ten play begins this weekend. Three days after their spring break trip to California, the Hoosiers will make the trek to Richmond, Ky., to play the Colonels. Their second game will be their 10th game in 12 days.“Prepare like every game matters, because they all do,” junior center fielder Justin Cureton said. “We’re trying to build up. We had a rough start to the season. Right now, we’re trying to focus and get our good stretch going on into the Big Ten.Smith said he told his team after its games in California to maintain focus on the conference season.“Keep an eye on what’s really important, which is figuring out our team and being ready by conference,” he said. Freshman third baseman Sam Travis said Smith emphasized his team improving its play defensively.“He’s definitely talked about defense improving,” Travis said. “Defense just has to get better. Right now, I think we got two or three errors a game. That just can’t happen. That takes us out of ball games right away and doesn’t even give (us) a chance with our bats.”Smith moved Cureton to the leadoff spot before the Hoosiers’ game against Indiana State. In seven of the eight games against Southern California opponents, he batted leadoff.Counting the game against the Sycamores on Wednesday, Cureton has batted .303 and drawn three walks in eight games from the leadoff spot.“It’s better than what we’ve had,” Smith said. “He still needs to be better at it. The fact that he’s getting on base a little bit, it’s good for him. It’s also good for us.”Cureton said his job is to get on base regardless of his place in the order.“(My) approach doesn’t change,” he said. “My role on the team is to get on base, steal bases, make things happen on the base paths and score runs for my team. Ninth, or first, or third, or fifth—it doesn’t matter where I am. I need to get on base and make plays on the base paths.”The Colonels are one game removed from a 22-2 loss to Bowling Green State on Saturday. That does not matter to Smith.“We’ve just got to worry about how we’re playing,” he said. “We’re making quite a few errors and not playing good baseball right now. Our focus is going to be on what we need to be better.”
(03/19/12 3:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers won game one of their weekend series against Loyola Marymount, 3-1.
Incoming rain caused the Hoosiers to play a doubleheader against the Lions on
Saturday. LMU swept the Hoosiers in the doubleheader. In game one, each team scored twice in the first inning.
The Lions scored their third run off a bunt single by the Lions’ second baseman, Cullen Mahoney, an inning later.
They never relinquished their lead as they tagged senior starting pitcher Drew Leininger for seven runs in five innings.
In game two, the Lions’ freshman starter, Colin Welmon, limited the
Hoosiers to three hits in seven innings as the Lions claimed a 9-0
victory.
The Hoosiers committed three errors in the contest, though these only led to one unearned run.
Freshman Sam Travis has now reached base in all 19 games in which he’s played.
“He’s disciplined at the plate,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “He’s a very accomplished hitter, and he’s a competitive kid.”
On Friday, sophomore Joey DeNato took the ball for the Hoosiers.
The southpaw allowed only three hits as he threw a complete game to give IU its second 1-0 series lead of the trip.
The Hoosiers scored first in the fourth. With two outs, Travis singled to left field.
Sophomore designated hitter Dillon Dooney drove him home with an RBI
double.
Three consecutive base hits to open the sixth inning pushed two more
across the plate, including freshman catcher Kyle Schwarber’s third
triple.
It was all the run support DeNato needed to pick up his third win, throwing 101 pitches.
Smith said he was pitching aggressively. Smith described Schwarber’s
method as “throwing strikes, getting ahead of hitters and locating his
pitches.”
DeNato’s performance lowered his ERA to 1.64 in five starts.
It was the second game of the trip in which the Hoosiers did not commit an
error.
In their 7-6, 11-inning win against San Diego on Wednesday, and in their
3-1 win against Loyola Marymount on Thursday, the Hoosiers achieved a
perfect fielding percentage.
Wednesday was their first error-free game since March 2, a span of eight
contests.
Smith said taking care of the baseball is the key to the Hoosiers’ success.
“When we play defense, we usually win,” he said. “When we don’t play
defense, we’re not good. That’s the big thing we stress with our team.
We need to play better defense as we prepare for the Big Ten.
“The formula’s pretty simple: Pitch and play defense, you give yourself a
chance to win. Our wins up to this point have all pretty much indicated
that. We got to get better defensively to be a consistent Division I
baseball team.”
(03/09/12 3:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Southern California is well-represented on the IU baseball team’s roster. Of the 35 Hoosiers, nine players hail from the region.IU Coach Tracy Smith said it’s not a coincidence that during spring break, the Hoosiers will play eight games against southern California foes.“The west coast part is just something we want to do for them,” Smith said. “I’m proud of the fact that they made the decision to come here, and I want to show them off.”Two seasons ago, the team traveled to San Diego to take on the No. 23 Toreros. Then-freshman Jonny Hoffman surrendered seven runs — all earned — and six hits in 1.1 innings.The junior pitcher from Oceanside, Calif., said this trip will mean a lot for his father.“(I’m) excited to play in front of family and friends,” he said. “It’s good competition out there. It’s always fun.“For my dad, it has special meaning because he got to watch me all throughout high school, and he doesn’t really get to see me much now.”Hoffman said he aspires to pitch more effectively this time.“I’m excited to get back out there because as a freshman, I didn’t do too well,” he said. “I started on Saturday and didn’t get out of the second inning. Hopefully I can redeem myself, and we can win more games.”Senior starting pitcher Drew Leininger relieved Hoffman in game three of the series. Leininger threw 5.2 innings of shutout baseball, allowing five hits and striking out four.He said this trip will be different for a couple of reasons.“Back then, USD was ranked, and that was our first four games, our first four days outside playing baseball,” Leininger said. “Right now, we’ve got three series under our belt.“We’ll treat it the same way: a business trip. It’s not an average spring break. It’s different because we’re a little bit more into the season.”Their first opponent on the trip will be California State Northridge — a team freshman second baseman Chad Clark could have played for.“They offered me a scholarship,” he said. “I turned them down to come to Indiana just because their offer was a little lower than I expected. I’m pretty pumped to face that coach.”Three Hoosiers are from the greater Los Angeles area — Clark, sophomore closer Ryan Halstead and freshman infielder Rhet Montana — and three are from San Diego or its suburbs — sophomore starting pitcher Joey DeNato, Leininger and sophomore infielder Dillon Dooney.Clark said there is no rivalry between players from the two cities.“We kind of stick together in the locker room, socially, because we have something in common that we’re from California,” he said. “We’re pretty close to each other.”Leininger said he agreed.“It’s kind of Southern California in the group,” Leininger said. “It’s not really San Diego vs. Los Angeles.”Leininger hails from the same town as departed slugger Alex Dickerson.“We made the situation individually,” Leininger said. “He was recruited before I was. Coach Smith was out in California, saw him and recruited him. Alex committed before I was looked at. Through Alex, Coach Smith asked about any pitchers. He came down and watched me throw.“I had other options, too, but Indiana was my choice. I made the decision on my own, and we ended up coming to the same place.”Meanwhile, Smith said he and his staff will to continue to recruit there.“We’ve been able to grab some guys out of that area that have been successful for us,” he said. “It opens the eyes of the guys out there. ‘Where’s such-and-such? He’s going to Indiana? What? Where?’ It kind of puts us on the map. You keep going back to where you have connections and success.“As long as we keep grabbing good players out of that area, we’re going to keep going after it.”
(03/08/12 4:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Mere inches prevented the Hoosiers from escaping the fourth inning unscathed. Instead, Indiana State scored four runs in the frame on its way to a 13-8 win.The Sycamores scored runs in every inning but the second, helping them earn the win, their third in a row and eighth in their last nine. Freshman left fielder Chris Sujka clubbed a three-run home run to left field in the second to give IU a 3-1 lead. It was his third home run of the season, and all have been worth three runs. It gave him a team-high 15 RBI.Sophomore Ryan Halstead, who tied a school record with nine saves as a freshman, got the start for the Hoosiers.“Let’s start him, get him some innings and go from there,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “We’re 10 games in, trying to get some guys innings and save the arms of regular starters. With Ryan, it’s always situations where we’re trying to put him in with a lead.”Three times last season, he had appearances spanning three innings. He was on a pitch count today, Smith said.Offensively, junior outfielder Justin Cureton batted ninth through the first 10 games. Against ISU, he led off.“We’re trying to find ways,” Smith said. “We’re so young. Guys are inconsistent (in) their approaches. He’s had a pretty good approach lately, and with his maturity, we wanted to get some maturity at the top of the lineup to get some guys on base so (freshman catcher Kyle) Schwarber can be hitting with people on base.”The junior center fielder hit 2-4, including a two-run home run in the sixth.With 25-mile-an-hour winds blowing out, any ball hit in the air had a chance to leave the yard. Five did — all traveled over the left field wall. Smith emphasized the need for his pitchers to keep the ball down.“I felt good about our guys,” he said. “I felt good about the guys we had going today. Unfortunately, they got a couple pitches up, and if the ball got up in the air today, it was going out of the park. A couple bad pitches in a couple scenarios and that hurt us.”Indiana State scored four times on home runs. IU pitchers walked five Sycamore batters, and four times, the recipient of the walk scored.The loss dropped IU to 54-40-1 all-time against ISU.It was the second-consecutive game the Hoosiers allowed 13 runs, and Smith said the number of errors his team has committed worries him.“Defensively, we’re struggling,” he said. “This team needs to get better and understand the importance of defense. In spite of our hitting woes, if we take care of the baseball and play good defense, you still win that game.”
(03/06/12 1:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After dropping a pair of one-run games against East Tennessee State, the Hoosiers travel to Louisville, Ky., to take on the No. 14 Cardinals today.It’s the first weekday game the Hoosiers play and begins a stretch of 10 games in 11 days.Sophomore shortstop Dustin DeMuth said the short break between games is beneficial.“We played with a lot more energy the last two games this weekend,” he said. “The quick turnaround will probably help us get our confidence back up. Hopefully, we can get two wins.”The Cardinals are also the first ranked opponent the Hoosiers will face. But freshman second baseman Chad Clark said current rankings mean little to him.“We’re going to go about it the same as today and the other games we’ve been in,” Clark said. “We’re going to do what we can at the plate and try to shut down their offense.”The Cardinals’ offense has scored at least six runs in six different games this season, thanks in part to senior Stewart Ijames. The Cardinals’ first baseman/right fielder paces his team with four home runs.Opponents have hit five against the Hoosiers’ pitching staff.Meanwhile, IU has averaged five runs a game, yet IU Coach Tracy Smith said consistency is lacking.“We’re struggling offensively right now,” Smith said. “We’re asking these kids to get in there and be competitive out at the Division I level. That’s significant. We know we’re going to go through some growing pains early in the season because over a majority of our team are kids who’ve not played college baseball.”In their last contest against East Tennessee State, Smith filled out a lineup card featuring six freshmen in the starting batting order.”We’re trying to stay positive with everything and allow these kids a fair and reasonable time to make adjustments at this level without hitting a panic button,” Smith said. “That’s going to be our mantra over the next couple weeks so we have guys experienced and comfortable by the time we hit the Big Ten regardless of our record, because we are trying some different things and trying to figure out our personnel.”His players are not panicking. DeMuth, for example, is hitting .051. He was a Freshman All-American last season and said there’s no need to be concerned about his average.“I’m not too worried about it,” he said. “I need to focus on driving it the other way like I did last year. Things will come around here pretty soon.”No matter their record, Smith said, the most important goal will be playing well when Big Ten season is upon them.“These are going to be good opponents,” he said. “It’s going to be good for us to get some different pitchers out there that necessarily haven’t been pitching on the weekend, so we can be playing our best baseball as we get closer to the Big Ten.”
(03/05/12 4:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Through seven innings, East Tennessee State outhit IU 7-3, but freshman pitcher Kyle Hart and senior pitcher Chad Martin pitched the Hoosiers out of jams. That changed in the eighth inning, as pinch hitter Chris Riopedre scored the game-winning run to give the Buccaneers a 2-1 win.The Hoosiers’ best opportunity to take the lead came in the sixth inning. Indiana had the bases loaded with two outs. Freshman designated hitter Danny Sader, making his second career start, grounded out to the second baseman.A half-inning later, Martin retired two Buccaneers to strand Kerry Doane at third.“It was a big situation in the game, to come in and strand that runner at third,” Martin said. “Things didn’t really go my way in my first two starts. It was more of a mechanical problem than a mental problem.”But IU Coach Tracy Smith did not get to see it, as the Hoosiers’ skipper was ejected in the bottom of the fourth.“Being in Division I baseball for 20 years, that was probably one of the weirdest, most unconventional things that’s ever happened in a situation like that,” Smith said. “It was one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen.”The rubber match was set up by freshman catcher Kyle Schwarber’s grand slam, which gave IU a 7-4 lead it never relinquished in the second game of the weekend series, a 10-5 win. “In that time of the game, we were down, the adrenaline’s going,” he said. “It felt special when I hit it. We were down two, and then I put us up two. It’s pretty different in terms of hitting a regular home run.”It was the Hoosiers’ first grand slam of the season and gave IU its first road win.Redshirt freshman right fielder Will Nolden made his first three career starts this weekend, and the freshman batted .400 with a walk and was hit by a pitch.Meanwhile, junior center fielder Justin Cureton’s average fell to .176.“Offensively, we’re not doing much,” Smith said. “A lot of our guys aren’t hitting. It’s only a concern if we don’t try to improve on that and get more fundamental in what we’re trying to do.”IU dropped to 0-4 in one-run contests. Two of those losses have been of the walk-off variety.“They’re frustrating,” Martin said. “No loss is easy to deal with, even if it’s a one-run loss or a 10-run loss. Our bats are going to come around. We know that. It’s early in the season. We got to keep doing our thing. Our bats are definitely going to come through and get us the runs we need when we’re just surrendering two runs. Right now, frustrating, but it’s going to turn around.”The team has an opportunity to improve its 1-5 road record when it takes on the Cardinals at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Louisville, Ky.For more on the past weekend, click here for Hoosier Hype updates.
(02/24/12 4:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This past weekend, for the first time in nine months, the Indiana baseball team played against a team from a different university. IU won two of three games in the Big Ten-Big East Challenge.Through three games, IU’s and its opponents’ run totals each stand at 19. However, IU committed seven errors that led to opponents scoring eight unearned runs against UConn, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.In other words, 42 percent of opponents’ runs were unearned.“Errors are a part of baseball,” IU Coach Tracy Smith said. “I would say it was the types of errors that have me concerned, which are more of a lack of concentration.Coach Smith said his practice plan included taking care of the baseball.Each position player in IU’s lineup last weekend except junior center fielder Justin Cureton played his first game in an IU uniform or switched positions from 2011.Cureton said he is not concerned about the defense, yet acknowledged it has been something Smith emphasized as the Hoosiers prepare to play Tulane on Friday.“We’re a young team,” Cureton said. “That’s no excuse. Taking care of the baseball is a big part of the game. We can’t make this many errors because teams will convert on it like they did at UConn. We’ve been working hard at that.”Freshman starting pitcher Kyle Hart said committing some errors is part of the growing process.“The errors are something that’s going to come early,” Hart said. “We’re all a little rusty. We’ve got to overcome that mentally, throw good pitches, keep throwing our pitches. That’s something we struggled with this weekend. The bullpen picked us up.”Hart pitched three innings against Pittsburgh on Sunday. Two errors were committed while he was on the mound. Despite having an 8-4 lead after the third, his day was done after he recorded nine outs.Smith said when his team holds a big lead, he wants his pitchers to pitch aggressively. Smith said Hart wasn’t in the strike zone enough.While junior second baseman Micah Johnson was relegated to a designated hitter role due to tenderness in his elbow, junior Michael Basil manned second base. Smith said his adjustment was going well.Basil struggled last weekend, Smith said, but Smith said he is confident that he’ll recover.After an error is committed, Hart said his goal while on the mound is to help his teammates move on.“They’re not going to make errors often,” Hart said. “They’re not going to string errors together a lot. You got to get back on the high horse and throw pitches that your defense can field and play behind you.”
(02/20/12 4:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sophomore shortstop Dustin DeMuth sprained his ankle against the University of Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday, but he was on the field for all eight innings of Sunday’s 12-7 win against the University of Pittsburgh Panthers.A seven-run second inning allowed IU to recapture the lead, and the Hoosiers never looked back.IU Coach Tracy Smith said his team was a little shorthanded this weekend, and DeMuth “knew we were shorthanded and sucked it up.”Junior designated hitter Micah Johnson led the game with a solo shot. Later that inning, junior first baseman Trace Knoblauch flied out to center with the bases loaded.The Hoosiers capitalized on their opportunities the following inning. Freshman left fielder Chris Sujka struck out. Junior center fielder Justin Cureton drew a walk. Johnson drew a walk as well. A two-base throwing error by Pittsburgh catcher Elvin Soto allowed Cureton to score from second. After sophomore shortstop Dustin DeMuth flew out to left field, freshman third baseman Sam Travis doubled, scoring Johnson. Freshman catcher Kyle Schwarber notched his first career RBI with a double.Pittsburgh starter Luke Curtis then ceded two consecutive walks to load the bases. Knoblauch stepped to the plate and was hit by a pitch to force in a run.Sujka made his second plate appearance of the inning, and he laced a single to center to drive in two. Subsequently, Knoblauch scored on a fielding error.Before Cureton grounded out to end the frame, IU sent 11 batters to the plate, and IU’s bullpen kept the Panthers at bay.On Saturday, Sujka’s first collegiate hit — a three-run home run — sparked the Hoosiers to their first win of the 2012 season, 7-4, as sophomore starter Joey DeNato earned the victory.“Getting any hit is an accomplishment at the college level,” Sujka said. “The first hit being a home run is definitely something special, especially when it could give us a 3-0 lead and a little momentum to our side.”IU held a 3-0 lead through six innings despite just two hits off University of Cincinnati starter Andrew Strenge. One mistake cost him as he hung a fastball to Sujka, who hit it over the left-field fence.To begin the seventh, the Bearcats brought in Brad Mergen. Junior second baseman Michael Basil led with a single. Redshirt freshman right fielder Tim O’Conner sacrificed him into scoring position. Knoblauch delivered a single to center, and Basil scored to extend IU’s lead to 4-0.That run allowed DeNato to stay in line for the win, as Cincinnati scored three in the bottom of the seventh.In IU’s two victories, O’Conner hit 3-8 with two RBIs, three walks and a sacrifice.“I thought he had a great weekend,” Coach Smith said. “He has gotten better and better. He had the opportunity to start and showed this weekend that he can help us win baseball games.”IU scored three insurance runs in the ninth, and DeNato earned the win.On Friday, IU managed four hits against University of Connecticut sophomore Southpaw Brian Ward, who held the Hoosiers scoreless in 7 1/3 innings of work, earning an 8-0 victory against IU.DeNato told his teammates that they shouldn’t let one result affect them too much.“Keep a level-headed mindset,” DeNato said. “Stay calm. When you start doing poorly is when you start overthinking and getting out of your game. Stay within yourself.”
(02/17/12 5:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Freshman catcher Kyle Schwarber displayed his power potential at Sembower Field recently, as the warm temperatures have allowed the Indiana baseball team to practice outdoors. IU Coach Tracy Smith said his team has been outside for a week holding some intrasquad scrimmages, and Schwarber has been hitting the ball well against good pitching. Smith also said the Hoosiers are more accustomed to playing outside than in years past.“I don’t remember ever in my coaching career having the ability to do this,” Smith said. “Most of the time, we’re stepping outside for the first time during the first game. What this has allowed us to do is slow ourselves down a little bit.“I think it will allow us to be more in that baseball mode right now. The time we’ve had up to this point has been invaluable.”That opportunity will help IU as the team plays the second-toughest non-conference schedule in the Big Ten, according to Boydsworld.com, a college baseball analysis site. This year’s team features 16 freshmen and 10 sophomores.Junior second baseman Micah Johnson said he expects the freshmen to contribute.“Teams won’t know anything about them,” he said. “These kids should do well this year. It should be exciting to see.”Gone is graduated outfielder Alex Dickerson, as the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him in the third round.Catcher Wes Wilson has also graduated. Dickerson and Wilson combined for 16 of the Hoosiers’ 34 home runs in 2011.Johnson, a Baseball America Preseason All-American, said the team learned last year that hitting home runs won’t be its strongest suit.“Skip did a good job recruiting speed,” he said. “A combination of doubles, maybe stealing a lot of bases, sacrifice bunting. Speed’s definitely going to be the name of our game this year.”Smith said after last season ended, they had to adjust their approach offensively because “the three-run homer, that type of ball, isn’t playing in college baseball as much anymore.“Everybody saw the success in the Big Ten was dictated by the two teams that were the fastest,” Smith said.He said those two teams were Michigan State and Illinois.Last season, to keep their hopes of earning a Big Ten Tournament berth alive, the Hoosiers won five of six Big Ten games entering the final series against Illinois in Champaign, Ill. The Illini swept the series, including two wins via the walk-off home run, and ended IU’s season.Smith praised his team’s offseason work.“I’m pleased with what we’ve done,” he said. “We’re top to bottom a lot faster than we were last year. You miss the power potential of Dickerson. (Now) we stress a ball-in-play (team) this year because our speed’s going to put pressure on a defense.”The Washington Nationals selected IU pitcher Blake Monar in the 12th round of last year’s MLB Draft. Smith said sophomore pitcher Aaron Slegers, who pitched one inning last season before sustaining a forearm injury, can help ease the loss of Monar.“People this year are going to go, ‘Holy cow, where’d this guy come from?’” Smith said. “What he’s done from last year to this year is going to be pretty good for us.”Sophomore pitcher/outfielder Joey DeNato said the pitching staff will be an area of strength for the Hoosiers.“We have a chance to dominate some games with our pitching, which will be huge, especially with the new bats,” DeNato said.