Aaron

You also have to understand $$$ are at play. Since both would be in a 2-3 game NCAA wants to sell as many tickets as possible to that first game since they will be in separate sessions on Friday likely from the host. IU fans will still travel to Lexington and Vol fans will travel to Terre Haute. If you send some random team to Kentucky you are looking at a friends and family crowd in that first game. If you send IU there you are likely to sell 1,000 tickets to that first game in Lexington and 1,000 in Terre Haute to Vols fans. IU sold 1,000 tickets on their own to first game in 2019 so I would think a similar number would go to either place. Now if Louisville had been a two in Lexington and not collapsed then IU to Terre Haute and UT to Appalachia would be obvious (there fans will travel anywhere). If It is Indiana vs. Louisville in a 2-3 in Lexington, while not beneficial to IU, would make NCAA salivate and sell out Proud Park for all games. If Vols do host (which there is a chance) than yes IU would likely go to Terre Haute. In that bracket Matt posted though sending UT or IU to Terre Haute is equally plausible and 50-50 for either there or Lexington. If UT not placed there due to hosting or going Appalachia it goes up to like 90% for Terre Haute. Also just to be clear NCAA and Hosts split some percentage of the revenue so the committee is absolutely looking at who makes most $$$ when placing teams.

Not necessarily. Tennessee cannot go to Kentucky or Vandy since they are in the same conference. This makes the Vols closest to either Terre Haute or somewhere in the Carolina's or Virginia's where there will be tons of southern teams competing for those spots. The committee could very easily Send UT to ISU and IU to UK so each team gets someone close by or it is equally possible they send IU to Terre Haute and stick the Wildcats with a random team farther away. Either scenario is very plausible but IU is a near lock to go to Terre Haute or Lexington if both host. If it is just Kentucky, than things get more interesting and IU could go to Nashville or farther (ISU can't go to Vandy since they are not allowed to go to same regional three times in a row) depending on if the committee decides to put the Hoosiers or Sycamores in Lexington. There are arguments for either for different reasons.

Means all remaining games are on regular TV on BTN rest of way with Evansville and Big Ten Tourney already slated on there.

Thank god they brought in Lisa Byington today to do play-by-play after yesterday's debacle. They bring in a big name and the difference in the announcer quality from today to yesterday is a complete 180.

Is this a clue?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well this game is the literal the definition of a nail biter:)!

This game is alternating between highlight plays and careless mistakes for both teams. PSU was an inch from winning but dropped the ball before the double in foul ground. IU was an inch from winning but an incredible catch keeps game going.

You sure;).

That break for IU of foot coming off bag reminded me exactly of the play with the Cubs and Jose Lobaton that won Chicago the series over Washington. That was only other time I have seen that happen.

The "Count is Full' meme they use on the loud speaker in reference to Sesame Street is hilarious. I was at the baseball series there last month between IU and Illinois (watching on TV today) and they used it every time the batter got into a full count there as well. Very creative!

With it being scattered thunderstorms I would be surprised if they can't finish all three games by Sunday night. Like against Maryland, they can play between the storms with delays. Remember with a turf field even if they got two inches of rain from a pop up storm (and I mean that literally) they can play as soon as it stops. This is not all day rain at any point. Just pop ups the models have not gotten a hold of exact timing on yet.

Could be both:). There was definitely a slight odor (albeit very mild) coming from the porta potties as I sat in the bleachers today!

Usually Big East uses FloTV. However, with game being a last minute addition no broadcast. With that said, even if it were streamed, FloTV is $19.99 a month and the most expensive online broadcast there is for college sports (and not great quality). It is the same platform women's basketball has those November tournaments on. For all the complaints about BTN+ and the way they stream, the Big East has by far the most expensive and most obscure streaming option of all the major conferences.

Probably the stench from the porta potties;). I have been to many (probably 40 in all) college baseball stadiums and this one at Xavier is easily the worst that is still in use I have seen. The only rival to it is Purdue's old stadium before they built Alexander Field. Both of those places make Sembower Field look world class and that is hard to do! Not kidding.

Long overdue and not a terrible price for season tickets.

Offense woke up which was badly needed. Last time the bats went into a funk it took just a high scoring 16-13 win over Ball State to get back on track at the plate and stay there until Maryland. Hopefully this game despite being a bit higher scoring then team would like starts another explosion at the dish. Bonus quad 1 game at Xavier Wednesday who is best midweek team IU has seen outside of Indiana St, Louisville, and Kentucky. A victory could all but secure a spot in the postseason and a loss will do no damage. I'll take 34-14 overall and 12-6 in the league any day after last season. What a nice turnaround even if games were a little closer than hoped. Bottom line is they did the job and avoided the land mine of defeat and dropping to the bubble.

Wow. Got away with that. A win is a win and always take it but would like to see bats wake back up. Bottom line though is team has avoided a land mine and 2-0 on weekend which is ultimate goal.

IU trails 1-0 halfway home today. It is truly mind blowing watching this offense alternate between among the best in baseball and being unable to hit any pitching staff no matter now bad within the same season. They have gone back and forth twice now this season between both extremes and right now they are in the cycle of cannot hit anyone. Big part of being a young team with growing pains but it is still odd to watch.

Throwing Sinnard now saved that game and he was brilliant. If he can give you more of that 7 inning and even 2-3 run ball in last couple series you have a much better chance to take first games of the weekend finally. Also he gave you 110 pitches which is good to know down the stretch that you can count on him for 100+ pitches per start. Offense going MIA against a pitcher who was filling in for the normal Friday guy is not ideal. Hopefully hitting gets stronger as weekend goes on though like normal. All four runs were scored because of poor fielding by Northwestern but Mathison took full advantage as the one guy who is hot at the plate right now. Just need two more of these. A sweep this weekend is the difference between likely needing to go 5-3 in last 8 after this weekend to be safely in NCAA Tourney vs. 7-1 or 8-0 if you trip up even once. That is how bad the Wildcats' record and RPI is.

Northwestern quickly showed why they are 8-31. Easy pop up into the outfield that should have been the third out by Brock Tibbitts is misplayed. Mathison makes them pay with three-run HR. 3-0 IU after 1/2 inning.

Again need a sweep which is very likely as IU has best offense in conference and MSU has worst pitching. You do that and you are in the NCAA Tourney with 40 wins (first time since 1994) regardless of how things go in Big Ten Tourney. You also lock in to no. 2 seed for it with all three victories which needs to be the expectation. Lose even one and you might need to win a game or two in conference tourney.

This gives him an extra start as now he can go Fri. NW, Fri, PU, Thu. MSU, than start him in opener of Big Ten Tourney (likely) Tues, and then again Sun if IU makes the Championship as well as Friday of the (hopefully) Regional opener. Mercer talked about this yesterday and it makes sense. In a single game elimination tourney you have to throw your best pitcher first and try to avoid the loser's bracket. Can't hold him back as they have in regular season until now (which also made sense). Have to pitch him now in first games as every one of these openers is most important both in the regular and especially postseason the rest of 2023.

IU can afford a couple more losses and still be in great shape to make NCAA Tourney. However, one of these losses cannot come to NW or their RPI will drop into the mid 40's which puts you on the bubble. A loss or two to anyone else will keep RPI in 30's which will still put you on track to get in.

Smartest thing they could have done from a tournament perspective to secure at-large bid. Losing at Xavier will be worth the same in the RPI as beating Southern Indiana would have. However, beating Xavier will be worth several spots in the RPI. Also, Musky plays Cincy on Tuesday so IU will be at a pitching advantage.