Unable to pitch, Monar contributes in batter's box
There’s a good chance IU coach Tracy Smith never dreamed before the 2010 season that his ace pitcher would be contributing from the batter’s box instead of the pitching mound.
There’s a good chance IU coach Tracy Smith never dreamed before the 2010 season that his ace pitcher would be contributing from the batter’s box instead of the pitching mound.
A day removed from a loss at Morehead State that totaled 35 runs by both clubs, the IU baseball team didn’t lose a thing at the plate in its first home game of the 2010 season. Six home runs, a school record-tying, five-hit day for junior first baseman Jerrud Sabourin and a clinching five-run seventh inning produced a 17-8 winning effort for the Hoosiers (10-10) at Sembower Field.
After a long road trip, the IU baseball team is returning to comfortable surroundings. The Hoosiers (9-10) play their first contest at Sembower Field after 19 consecutive away games against the Xavier Musketeers (4-15) today.
IU baseball coach Tracy Smith said baseball is a game of consistency — both in play and preparation.
Aided by a stout offense and an improved pitching staff, a rejuvenated IU baseball team looks to earn a winning record for the first time this season Tuesday in Morehead, Ky.
Coming into the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, the Hoosiers boasted a 4-8 record. The team was fresh off two games against both Vanderbilt and Louisville, two of the better teams in the nation, and played them very well despite the final result ending in a loss. A breakout was right around the corner.
For the second-straight game, the IU baseball team had a ranked foe on the ropes, only to watch a late surge slap a tally in the loss column.
Another game, another ranked opponent and another day where pitching by committee will be the name of the game for IU baseball.
Despite IU junior Jerrud Sabourin making the biggest impact in the 2010 season for the Hoosiers with his bat, the innings he pitched Sunday against Vanderbilt were a big reason the Hoosiers took the ranked Commodores to extra innings.
Injuries and a lack of depth in pitching left both teams playing in the finale of this weekend’s Music City Classic a bit out of tune — but that didn’t stop them from going to extra innings.
The Hoosiers will travel to Nashville, Tenn., this weekend for the Music City Classic after taking one out of three games at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge. IU (2-5) will face Illinois State (4-3) and Kent State (4-2) before rounding out the weekend with Vanderbilt (7-1) on Sunday.
During the 2010 season’s first four games, the IU baseball team’s starting pitching staff averaged less than three innings of work per game. That number has to change, IU head coach Tracy Smith said, in time for the Hoosiers’ three-game trip this weekend for the Big Ten/Big East Challenge.
The Hoosiers’ baseball season is under way, with the team losing three of the four road games against No. 23 San Diego during the weekend.
The Hoosiers’ baseball season is under way, with the team losing three of the four road games against No. 23 San Diego during the weekend.
The IU baseball team will be tested quickly on how well it has restocked and reloaded for the 2010 season Friday. The Hoosiers open play a long way from home with a four-game series at the University of San Diego. The schedule has the Hoosiers playing one game Friday, a doubleheader Saturday and closing out the series with a single game on Sunday, all at USD’s Cunningham Stadium.
Most collegiate coaches would consider themselves in a rebuilding stage after losing 11 letterwinners from the previous year, but not IU coach Tracy Smith. As the Hoosiers get ready to fly west to battle No. 23 San Diego for its opening weekend matchup, Smith must decide between now and conference play who’s going to fill the void left by six starting position players and two of his three starting pitchers from 2009.
As the Hoosiers get ready to fly west to battle No. 23 San Diego for its opening weekend matchup, Smith must decide between now and conference play who’s going to fill the void left by six starting position players and two of his three starting pitchers from 2009.
The IU baseball team will be tested quickly on how well it has restocked and reloaded for the 2010 season Friday.
With the 2010 season just two weeks away, the team has been in full practice mode, taking batting practice and running situational drills inside Mellencamp Pavilion every afternoon since Monday.
Losing seven players from last year’s squad, the IU baseball team certainly needed to reload in a quick fashion if it wanted to improve on last year’s Big Ten Tournament championship. Fortunately, it didn’t have to look too far to find a talented new pitcher for the 2010 campaign.