Aaron

Maryland just came out and clubbed IU. This same thing happened in 2018 where they were in the Big Ten Title chase and then got clocked by Minnesota in similar fashion to cost themselves hosting a Regional and the Big Ten. However, they picked it right back up and won their last two series in far tougher games to easily slide into a Regional. This 2023 squad has to do exactly the same against a bit easier of a schedule down the stretch and they to will be playing in June. The RPI is still right around 30 and with the next seven games against struggling competition you need at least six of them. This squad has been good all season taking care of business against the bad teams and as long as they do that this will turn into 2018 all over again which is certainly not a bad thing after the last two season.

Young team. Not time to panic. However, the dream of a Bloomington Regional probably died today. Staying in contention for a Big Ten Title rests on tomorrow. Going to NCAA's still is contingent upon not slipping against the bad teams coming up in next seven games after tomorrow. Finish 6-1 in that stretch and you should be OK.

That likely punches IU's ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 12 years if they don't have a slip up against Michigan St at home next weekend who is the worst team in the league. What a nice job Shonda Stanton has done turning the program around.

The team is making lemonade out of lemons this year with only one starting pitcher essentially. There is a reason they lose Friday and then come back strong the rest of the weekend. They have pitching depth which wins you later in the weekend but no ace which is what you need to win a series opener. What has happened almost all year is no accident and I expect it to continue the rest of the season. Hoosiers need to find a second legit starter for next season. However, for now they are doing the best they can with the hand dealt and as a result things have played out exactly how you would expect in a series all year.

Most definitely!

All I can say is sigh of relief. That ninth inning was ugly but a win is a win in the end so no complaints.

Hosts per D1 Baseball and Baseball America: https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2023-ncaa-tournament-projected-field-of-64-41923/ https://d1baseball.com/projections/d1baseball-field-of-64-projections-week-10/ It is possible but they probably need to 16-3 at worst down stretch to maintain this given they have sub-200 Purdue and NW still. Of those three losses they cannot be PU, NW, or Southern Indiana. Definitely possible but very little margin for error given weak schedule. On the other hand they are all but certain to get in to the tourney and hopefully get their Regional at UK, Vandy, or Indiana St if they have to travel. Outside chance Louisville and Mizzou also host. However, UK, and Vandy only driving distance teams very likely to host at moment. IU and Indiana St have next best chance in this area to be one seeds and get home games..

He deserves a promotion to bigger games and sports.

Dare I say those announcers were the best I have ever heard on an ESPN broadcast? Not kidding. They were very complimentary of IU and the Big Ten and northern baseball in general. They were also extremely well prepared and had studied both teams quite well and knew what they needed about them. They also called a perfect game on the broadcast from a play-by-play standpoint. So unusual for ESPN for something like that to happen but not complaining:).

As long as IU has the media school and they use it as a way to get experience for the students that is not changing. Maybe games like Wednesday they sync the radio once replay arrives when students are not available. However, as long as students are available they will be used to gain experience for most broadcasts.

Every conference has an extra streaming subscription service to watch some of the smaller sports. ACC, SEC, Big 12, Pac 12 have ESPN+ which is same price per month. Big East has Big East Digital. Smaller conferences use ESPN+ also. BTN+ is no different than any other league in how they handle Olympic sports. The issue is leaving the broadcast itself in hands of the schools where some take it seriously (IU generally does but if they run out of students to help they will do a one camera broadcast) and some will use a single camera with no announcer. This is what needs to change. Every other league the streaming service handles the broadcasts rather than the schools. As a result some BTN+ telecasts are pretty poor quality. This is what has to change (particularly if they are adding replay in all the sports as seems to be the case next year). The platform itself and the way it is accessed is very much on par with other conferences (most Olympic sports streamed for extra $$$ online only with a few games on regular TV although the latter could be increased somewhat as Btown said). The issue is 100% the quality. I would be happy for Bardo to go:).

Saturday would be the day for a doubleheader. Play an afternoon game Saturday followed by the regularly scheduled Saturday game at 5 central. Rain is not until late in the evening Saturday and you have to do everything you can to play at the original time Friday and Saturday night so you don't lose the BTN telecast.

Just an FYI: Illinois throws their pitchers worst to best on a weekend. The Friday guy in Riley Gowens is a guy IU has faced three times before and torched him for 13 runs in 13 innings and chased him by the fifth inning every time. He has also had exactly one good start this season against anyone. This is probably why Mercer flipped Manase to Friday and is going all out to win the first two and make Sunday a "house money" game given Illinois throws their best guy always in series finales.

While it will take a LOT of winning down the stretch to hold onto this and a top 16 RPI, IU is now projected to host a regional by College Sports Madness in their latest Bracketology: https://www.collegesportsmadness.com/baseball/bracketology A nice change of pace after the last couple years to be talking about whether team is hosting and not whether they are in at all. Not that different from the basketball team this year going from not in or barely in, to safely in and question being if they get a top four protected seed (note the top 16 teams host in baseball just like women's basketball except all are made one seeds instead of one through four).

Ironically the Louisville game is on ESPNU but what you said about an FS College would be a great idea indeed.

Agreed they need more just not all of them. I misunderstood you. To me though it is a bigger deal to have standard streaming requirements like watchespn does for other leagues and no more one camera broadcasts. To me the quality of the online stream by some teams (IU among them in rare cases) is what needs to be fixed as much as getting more games on TV. This is where the Big Ten needs to step in and tell the schools 'no more one camera anouncerless broadcasts and all online games going forward are going to be TV quality like all other leagues do'. This is where I am hoping having a former MLB person as commissioner puts the wheels in motion on all of this.

Not likely. No conference has every single game on regular TV. Ever Power 5 league has some games on ESPN Networks but the rest streamed on Watch ESPN in some form. There is no chance the Big Ten becomes the first conference to televise every single game nor should they. Now with that said, the Big Ten does need to put more games on regular TV as you said but it certainly won't be all of them. What the Big Ten does need to mandate is NO MORE one camera broadcasts like PSU did and even IU did Wednesday against Ball State. They need every stream to have full cameras like a TV broadcast like other conferences do when it is an online broadcast only. This is where the Big Ten really lacks. While IU is much better than most at usually making BTN+ broadcasts having as many camera's as TV, they do have a very occasional game like Wednesday with one camera and that needs to go. With the Big Ten adding instant replay likely next year (and yes it sounds like they are), the conference is going to need to mandate that every broadcast is done like a TV broadcast and no more one camera games. I know IU uses students and the issue Tuesday was between softball (which had a TV level broadcast on BTN+) and classes for some, they didn't have enough people in the media school to do two full camera games with both teams. This is where next year IU (and all other conference schools) are either going to need to hire full time people to run cameras or make sure before the season starts they have enough students accounted for and available for all broadcasts. Hopefully with the new league commissioner coming from MLB he will start to put down certain mandates (I.E. all broadcasts are now required to have full camera's like other conferences do when streaming online so instant replay can start) to make the league on par with the rest of the Power 5. Another thing that needs to happen is requiring all teams to have lights. Northwestern is now the last school to not have them because their stadium is in a neighborhood and the residents don't want night games. This is where the Big Ten needs to put the mandate down for lights and then see if the Evanston city council mysteriously allows them if it kicks the Wildcats out of the Big Ten (not fully just for baseball where their lack of being competitive most years is hurting the league). More likely they need a compromise like with Wrigley Field where lights can go in, but only a limited number (four home Friday Big Ten series) of night games are allowed. There is I hate nothing more than people that move next to a place that creates noise at night (I.E. Stadiums, Concert Venues, Airports, Train Tracks, ETC.) and then get mad when the sound is generated in the evening. If that bothers you move somewhere where there is not a venue that generates a lot of noise at night. Unless the venue goes in AFTER you moved in (which is usually not the case), you forfeit the right to complain about any noise it generates and part of me hopes that becomes a law someday.

Starting with adding replay for the umpires as the Big Ten continues to be the only major conference without it for baseball.

Games all weekend are on SEC Network+ which can be streamed free with a subscription to cable. IU down 4-2 after 3 due to ridiculous fielding. Ellis has a 2-run HR. However, IU has gifted Auburn 4 on an error in the first and then an inability to realize they didn't have a force play at third on a ground ball to short which led to two free runs. Should be 2-1 Hoosiers. Both pitchers who have gone so far (Ben Siler, Gabe Levy) have filthy stuff but their defense has let them down big time.

Yes she is.

Shonda Stanton:).

Well they got it done which is the bottom line! Hopefully the offense wakes up soon.

You saw what I said earlier in thread and tonight was the first of that. Brecht is a first round draft pick with Aroldis Chapman like speeds and no one can hit him. Bad luck facing two elite arms in a row with Hollycross of ISU on Tuesday and Brecht tonight. Finally get someone who has struggled tomorrow and offense should be able to get back on track as a result.

Don't like that Friday matchup and not having a true ace will kill them against Brecht who can throw 100 mph for his fastball and might be best arm in conference. My prediction: IU gets beat pretty big tomorrow but wins Saturday and Sunday.

That Hollycross guy IU saw for five innings is probably the best arm they have seen this season and his numbers back that up (0.47 ERA). He went multiple shutout innings against very highly ranked Kentucky and Miami also so the Hoosiers are far from the first high powered offense he has completely befuddled . Just one of those days. Focus on winning the Iowa series which is most important. RPI will stay between 25-30 and keep team in position for an at-large bid should they win the games they are supposed to down the stretch.