Aaron

IU with easy 8-4 win today to clinch the three seed in Omaha. Still RPI around 60 so likely need to win conference tourney for NCAA bid or at very least reach championship.

IU tied the game when down to their final out but the bad luck continued as the tying double was a half-an-inch from a go-ahead home run. 7-7 to bottom 7.

IU out of inning but needs a run to keep game going.

And now IU three outs from losing after two massive throwing errors on what should have been a routine double play. Both teams seemingly trying to give this game away and IU may be the last one to do so.

IU misses a break now on a game tying bloop single 6-6. Washington still batting bottom 6.

What a catch By Cora Bassett to save a triple! IU catching every break so far.

Another IU Home Run that was out by an inch on the top of the wall and its 6-4. Huskies still struggling with who to throw after inexplicably removing first girl who was cruising. As an aside Mizzou has strange ground rules. The top of the wall has a short fence just beyond it. Every baseball and softball game I have ever seen, one needs to clear the fence and hitting off the top of wall is in play. Not here apparently.

Now Washington goes to a part time two-way player on the mound who has not pitched in nearly a month. Either way this will look questionable. If she does well the question is why she was not put in first as a stronger arm and if she fails it can be asked again why the cruising starter was removed.

IU just took advantage of one of the more bizarre coaching decisions I have seen. Washington had a lefty in who was cruising through four innings. Her pitch count was not high and even more so in softball where a pitcher can throw every inning of every game there was zero reason to remove her. However, Washington coach did just that for a righty who IU beat up in 1/3 of an inning in the fifth to get within 4-3. Then the first pitcher comes back (this is allowed in softball) out cold and first pitch is an IU 2-run home run. IU went from down 4-1 to up 5-4 as we head to the sixth. Washington is a legendary program with a legendary coach and has been to 30 straight NCAA Tourney's. However, If IU gets the final nine outs and wins the Huskies manager will be kicking herself and have some explaining to do. Before the new girl threw her first pitch I was thinking in my mind that making a change at pitcher was a strange decision. Shonda Stanton also removed a struggling Brianna Copeland who is normally the Hoosiers best arm for Sophie Kleinman. With two innings left this game, it is coming down to a pitching decision by each coach with one hitting the mark and one looking like a misfire.

I said I think the program is in fine shape and minimal change is needed. The fact though that it takes so long for the pitching to get going each season since Glant has been here needs to be looked at. Also, why has Risedorph who was projected to be a Friday starter taken such a step back? Same with Kraft and Whitaker. Why has Luke Hayden thrived at Indiana State as expected after never getting going here. No one is getting fired and no one should. However, Mercer and Glant need to sit down after the season and figure these answers out and make slight adjustments to fix this. Everything you said is true but it has been made worse by the issues I described above. Just minor tweaks needed to correct this. Since Mercer sells himself as a developmental program, you cannot have pitchers taking step backwards instead of forwards when a new season begins and take so long to get the staff going if this is what you are selling. Like I said minor tweaks and discussion with Glant needs to be had to figure out how to correct all of this to keep moving forward as an upper echelon Big Ten program. Also it is Oregon State that is hosting. Oregon is a few spots higher than IU than 46 in RPI and on bubble. The other three coming into league are well out of the postseason picture and near or worse than 100 nationally.

Much better in game two with an 11-2 domination. Still think the numbers don't add up for at-large at this point regardless. However, by throwing Ty Bothwell and Connor Foley today they can now throw them in first two games in league tourney. This is of utmost importance since winning the first two means a bye on Friday and only needing one of two victories on Saturday to advance to championship. If you lose one of the first two you will need either three or four wins from the losers bracket including two straight on Saturday. With IU's struggles with giving up home runs and Omaha rarely yielding any, as well as pitching staff improving, this is the best position the team has been in to win the whole thing since 2014 when they actually did it.

IU with another costly close loss as the bats have died last few games. At this point its probably win Big Ten Tourney or bust (and good pitching and struggling offense is actually the recipe to do this in a park like Omaha). A low scoring 3-2 loss that happened now with a total lack of clutch hitting. This is how every game at conference tourney will likely be and with a couple bounces you could easily win four of this type next week. It is pretty much that or bust at this point. I am not a blow this program up person at all and have excepted this season is not what was expected. Regardless of who comes back in offseason, they could be great in 2025. I have seen time and again when teams don't live up to what should have happened the year before and then come back with big season after. They need to evaluate why the pitching takes so long to get going the last few seasons and maybe look at some inconsistencies on offense. However, program is very close to being what everyone expects even if major offseason attrition as expected. Winning in the Big Ten is possible every season with everyone on essentially a high mid-major level and evenly matched season to season. The Pac 12 squads may help some but none that are coming in had a very good season. Winning in northern baseball is tough and IU has gotten that lesson the last few seasons despite some things that need to shored up around the edges.

I just thought you were a little overly optimistic. Maybe comparing softball was a bit much and confusion was the wrong emoji. However, without the RPI getting to at least the high 40's they will not even be considered. To get there they need some combination of five wins between now and selection Sunday. Even the IUBase guys who are the most optimistic out there have more or less said they have a ton of work to do and need several more wins. Winning two of three does not give IU a decent chance but makes them need to get all the way to the conference championship to have a chance. A sweep still leaves you a couple games short still. The committee does things almost exclusively on RPI and unless they get it into the 40's (which will take five wins) they will not even be considered. They will not take a Big Ten team with an RPI in the low 50's regardless and they likely need five wins to get higher than that. They are 66 RPI points out of the top 50 and a sweep would get you 35-40. 2 of 3 would lose you 10-15 RPI points for the weekend. Just trying to make sure everyone understands the realistic math and where IU stands. I pay much more attention to the RPI and resume than anything the bracketologists say and IU is about five games short of where they need to be right now to be considered and need some combination of that between now and selection Sunday to have a chance which is possible. However, tons of work to do and 2 of 3 this weekend leaves you needing three wins and getting to conference championship and be considered. I didn't mean to be confused by your post as much as making sure everyone understands they are a few wins away still. I definitely appreciate everyone's optimism for sure. However, the chances are somewhat short of rosy right now when looked at realistically.

As I wrote in the IU Baseball thread, IU really needs a sweep this weekend to be in the at-large discussion without a really deep run in Omaha. With a sweep, you still have work to do but less so. The reality is with an RPI of 58, IU is some combination of five wins MINIMUM away to be in at-large discussion. Best bet is to win the auto bid. Normally I hate the Omaha park. However, with IU's penchant for giving up home runs, there is no better place to go play right now when you need victories than that stadium where dingers are nearly impossible to come by. Typically you see no more than 5 combined in an entire tourney which is music to Hoosier fans ears as well as this pitching staff. The image of Schwarber and Travis flying out in Omaha on absolute bombs or Larusso last year for Maryland hitting a game winner even harder that hit the top of the wall and barely left the park will always ring in my mind of how unforgiving that place is when it comes to bombs.

Baseball America is assuming a deep run in the Tourney and is being WAY too optimistic. IU has a TON of work to do to go at-large. RPI is 58 and anything less than a sweep this weekend will leave it in the upper 50's where it is now. A sweep will move RPI to right around the lower 50's and then probably two Big Ten Tourney wins puts you in discussion. If IU goes 2 of 3 probably anything short of making Big Ten title game will likely not be enough. Softball's RPI was 46 with a much better record and an otherwise similar resume to be last four in by making conference championship. Baseball will need to do the exact same without a sweep. With a sweep you might be able to get away with making the Semifinals and getting in. I am sorry to pour cold water on this at-large excitement. However, the reality is the team has tons work to do to get a bid without winning conference tourney. Softball had work to do as well and barely did enough with an RPI that is around 10 spots higher. Baseball has even more it needs to have happen and is at least some combination of five wins minimum from at-large discussion including Big Ten Tourney. RPI does not need to get to exactly 45, but it needs to get at least into the high 40s which will require a sweep and two wins in conference tourney or 2 of 3 and three wins in Omaha. Lose this series and auto-bid is only way. It gives be no pleasure to be the barer of bad news but the above I wrote is the somewhat long odds IU is facing to get in :(. Not impossible, but tons of work to do.

So did IU. Both were among the last four in.

It is highest seed always now. It used to switch in baseball and softball conference tourney till recently but now it is always higher seed. Now need to do same in NCAA Tourney which still alternate based on a convoluted formula.

That is number's 4, 23, unranked, and 17 in ESPNW's 2025 recruiting rankings. Makalusky and Caffey who are already committed are 56 and 59 respectively.

Not surprised. This in one of the few secondary sports at IU that is still struggling mightily.

Today's game against NW is likely the equivalent of a play-in game for an NCAA Tournament berth. Hoosiers are on bubble and possibly out with a loss today. With a victory, I'd be stunned if they don't make it. Hoosiers beat NW in one of the three games last weekend and were competitive in all three.

Purdue pitchers basically imploded in the ninth inning and IU took advantage of the kind gesture to walk right through the proverbial door and steal a win. Walks, an error, and an infield single that could have been another error but was not scored that way did PU in. Hoosiers had trouble hitting the Boilermakers struggling starters but absolutely took advantage of a bullpen that could not do anything right all weekend. Still lots of work to do for NCAA Tourney bid (probably 6-2 down the stretch) but have a chance which is more than I could have said a few weeks ago with an RPI near 60. The two weekday games matter again starting with Cincy in Bloomington Tuesday night.

Probably need to upset NW another time in Big Ten Tourney quarter finals for bid to NCAA Tourney. If only they had won that Wisconsin series then probably being Purdue would be sufficient. Now more work to do.

Saw the play on TV. Kleinman was hit on the neck by a line drive and was taken off on a stretcher.

I have never been overly impressed by Gearlds and am not surprised. The Big Ten coaches that impress me a lot are Moren, Shauna Green at Illinois, Robyn Frailick at MSU, Lisa Bluder at Iowa, Kevin McGuff at Ohio State. Those are the coaches that are special when it comes to recruiting and in-game strategy.

Still tons of work to do for a postseason appearance but team playing much better now. A brutal close to the season with the top three teams in the league is next as well as tough midweeks vs. Louisville and Cincinnati. Likely need to go 9-2 for a chance at NCAA Tournament (sweep home games, win at Louisville, take series at Purdue and Nebraska is most obvious) which will be extremely tough. Huge opportunity though to save the season if they perform as they have lately.