Crucial final weekend on deck for IU at Maryland
With 3 games to play, Hoosiers trying to make final case for NCAA Tournament bid
Share this story
Scott Utterback/Courier Journal
Twelve weeks down, one to go.
The end of the regular season is here for Indiana, which closes the spring docket with a three-game trip to Maryland beginning Friday night. For the Hoosiers, who ended a five-game losing streak with a win over Ohio State on Monday, it’s a crucial weekend for their NCAA Tournament hopes. IU heads to College Park on the good side of the bubble, but things can change in a snap. The Terps have been playing great baseball, the Hoosiers have not, and these next three games could very well determine whether IU’s season ends in The Land of Pleasant Living or extends to a postseason site to be determined.
Three Things: IU splits with Ohio State
Hoosiers salvage a game at the end of a forgettable five-game homestand
Share this story
Auston Matricardi
It took six tries, but Indiana finally scored a victory over Ohio State in the final regular season meeting between the two clubs.
In doing so, the Hoosiers ended their season-long-tying and potentially season-crippling five-game skid, bouncing back from Sunday’s 3-1 loss with a 2-0 victory to cap the four-game Bloomington pod on Monday night.
Here are Three Things from the two-game set against the Buckeyes:
Boy oh boy, that was a much-needed win
One of the most frustrating parts about Indiana’s five-game skid was that the Hoosiers were
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State’s pitchers ruled the day as the Buckeye collected 28 strikeouts and limited league-leading Indiana to just two runs in a double-header sweep on Saturday afternoon at Bill Davis Stadium.
The Buckeyes (11-7) won game one 6-0 behind a 17-strikeout, complete game shutout from Seth Lonsway. In the night cap, the combo of Jack Neely, Griffan Smith and TJ Brock combined for 11 strikeouts and held IU to just two runs in a 5-2 victory.
At the plate, Zach Dezenzo, Mitchell Okuley and Kade Kern each had two hits. Dezenzo’s two hits both were solo home runs in the first inning of each game to get the Buckeyes jump-started. Conner Pohl also had a home run on the day.
Three Things: A weekend sweep of Penn State
IU marked the start of its Bart Kaufman Field schedule with four wins over the Nittany Lions
Share this story
Don’t look now, but the Hoosiers are streaking.
With a four-game sweep of Penn State, Indiana has now won seven in a row after last week’s disappointment on opening day. IU opened the Bart Kaufman Field portion of its schedule with:
A 7-2 win over the Nittany Lions in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader
An 8-0 win in the second game of Saturday’s twinbill
A 6-5 walk-off in the opener of Sunday’s double dip