IU Baseball

[Dave from Dayton 4,067]

Indiana with one out just loaded the bases.  Behind in the bottom of the 8th.  

Sides retired.  5 - 0, still. 

[Dave from Dayton 4,067]

IU loses 5 - 2.  Two home runs in the 9th.  

Just wait for basketball season.  Right?!??

[Class of '66 Old Fart 91,359]

Losing tonight is pretty much the nail in the coffin.  Sad the way the overall season played out.

[WayneFleekHoosier 51,553]

IU loses 5 - 2.  Two home runs in the 9th.  
Just wait for basketball season.  Right?!??

Football first and maybe foremost.


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[WayneFleekHoosier 51,553]

Losing tonight is pretty much the nail in the coffin.  Sad the way the overall season played out.

I think we aren’t far off from coaching discussions. Way too much “talent” on this roster to have this type of season. If next season is like this one, I’m ready to move on.


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[TheWatShot 15,533]

1 hour ago, Dave from Dayton said:

IU loses 5 - 2.  Two home runs in the 9th.  

Just wait for basketball season.  Right?!??

More like wait for football season. That program is actually relevant right now. 

[Dave from Dayton 4,067]

47 minutes ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

 

 

I think we aren’t far off from coaching discussions. Way too much “talent” on this roster to have this type of season. If next season is like this one, I’m ready to move on.


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The players have to make the plays.  Can't get tagged out on a throw from the pitcher.  Got to get hits.  Got to make the plays.  Got to get multiple strike outs by our pitchers.  Yeah, coaching, too...

[Dave from Dayton 4,067]

28 minutes ago, TheWatShot said:

More like wait for football season. That program is actually relevant right now. 

Maybe.

But historically, for IU, it has been "Just wait for basketball season.".

Hope the football team competing for a B1G title becomes the norm.   

Same goes for basketball.

[WayneFleekHoosier 51,553]

The players have to make the plays.  Can't get tagged out on a throw from the pitcher.  Got to get hits.  Got to make the plays.  Got to get multiple strike outs by our pitchers.  Yeah, coaching, too...

I get that. But accountability falls on the leader of the program. I don’t think he’s a bad coach necessarily but he isn’t winning enough and that’s the bottom line. Eventually you lose faith and want to see what someone else can do with the reins. Hopefully he figures out winning baseball games.


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[Aaron 4,565]

Mercer has to wear this season being a massive failure anyway you slice it. Given this team has two potential first round picks you figured the floor was like what softball did this season of squeaking into a regional while the ceiling was contending to host and being borderline top-25 squad. 

The truth ended up being even lower then what the floor reasonably should have been. Mercer is definitely on the clock to do something about the pitching or he will likely be fired in a yr or two if he allows status quo to continue. Truth lies in between 'fire everyone' and 'program is in great shape and Mercer has been a great coach'. 

Interest in the program is starting to wain with the inconsistencies and IU as an athletic department will need to decide how important baseball success is if this starts to go south. Program is at a critical point and how Mercer reacts to what was indisputably the worst season since 2011 given expectations will say a lot.  

[Aaron 4,565]

14 hours ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

I get that. But accountability falls on the leader of the program. I don’t think he’s a bad coach necessarily but he isn’t winning enough and that’s the bottom line. Eventually you lose faith and want to see what someone else can do with the reins. Hopefully he figures out winning baseball games.


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Mostly agree, but would argue Mercer didn't win enough this season and program is definitely teetering at moment. However, until this yr the bar of success was cleared (sometimes barely) during his tenure. 2022 was worse overall but that team was in a massive rebuild.

This year was a bigger problem by almost every measure possible given talent and expectations. To me if Glant stays and everything continues status quo next season, then the staff needs to be house cleaned after 2026 if another season like this happens. If Mercer makes some changes to the pitching program and he replaces Glant, then to me at least he has a bit more leeway.

How Mercer reacts this offseason to what was undisputably the biggest failure of a spring since (except maybe 2011) program got good in 2008 will say a lot.    

[Class of '66 Old Fart 91,359]

 

SCHEDULE CHANGE

Due to weather, our game vs. (3) Iowa has been moved to Thursday (May 22) evening at 10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network.

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 91,359]

The season certainly didn't meet expectations but at least it ended on a positive note for the players with a 5-0 win over Iowa.  Devin Taylor likely finished his outstanding career getting 3 of our 7 hits and responsible for 4 of our runs that included a 3-run HR.  Gilley started and went 6 innings allowing just 4 hits and walking 2.  Grable finished the night allowing just 1 more hit.  

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 12,113]

Why not just play the tourney in Lincoln? 

 

[Aaron 4,565]

A frustrating day with the NCAA selection show underway and IU not being in. Its not the first time, but only one since 2011 where you legitimately expected to be in at all costs when season started and wont make it.

2016 had hitting stink and 2022 had pitching stink with lower expectations. 2021 was weird COVID year with conference only and cant really hold that to normal standards.

Those are only time they have missed since 2013 when program really came into its own. 2008 and 2012 had big runs late in season to nearly win big ten tournament but expectations were relatively low at that point. 2010 had worst pitching in program history (and made Glant's struggles recently look brilliant by comparison) where team was decent but nowhere near tourney quality. Pre-2008 program stunk. 

Its just annoying that this was a season where you should have competed to host a regional and instead missed all together. Expectations were similar in 2018, but then missing hosting meant being a two seed at a very tough regional in Texas and nearly winning it by making final game. That's how this season should have been if expectations were less then expected. Not completely missing postseason.

It speaks to success that this is really only the second time where a high expectation season went completely off rails. However, it is still just as frustrating and cannot become the norm. 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 12,113]

20 hours ago, Aaron said:

A frustrating day with the NCAA selection show underway and IU not being in. Its not the first time, but only one since 2011 where you legitimately expected to be in at all costs when season started and wont make it.

2016 had hitting stink and 2022 had pitching stink with lower expectations. 2021 was weird COVID year with conference only and cant really hold that to normal standards.

Those are only time they have missed since 2013 when program really came into its own. 2008 and 2012 had big runs late in season to nearly win big ten tournament but expectations were relatively low at that point. 2010 had worst pitching in program history (and made Glant's struggles recently look brilliant by comparison) where team was decent but nowhere near tourney quality. Pre-2008 program stunk. 

Its just annoying that this was a season where you should have competed to host a regional and instead missed all together. Expectations were similar in 2018, but then missing hosting meant being a two seed at a very tough regional in Texas and nearly winning it by making final game. That's how this season should have been if expectations were less then expected. Not completely missing postseason.

It speaks to success that this is really only the second time where a high expectation season went completely off rails. However, it is still just as frustrating and cannot become the norm. 

Competed to host? Lol I have some ocean front property for you. 

We started 5 FR A LOT of games this season and rolled with 4 nearly every game. Honestly bringing a possibility to host? That's crazy.  No.  That was never in the fold.  

Last season we probably easily host of Sinnard and Grable are healthy. 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 12,113]

Completely off the rails is finishing 6th in an 18 team league? With programs like USC, UCLA ahead of us? 

That's nuts. If that's off the rails, we gotta start actually caring about baseball from a university standpoint. 

[Hardwood83 5,077]

On 5/25/2025 at 4:15 PM, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

Why not just play the tourney in Lincoln? 

 

Probably a rhetorical question, but playing at the site of the CWS is pretty cool and Omaha turns out for CBB. Of course it's a Husker friendly crowd, but I think historically not many locations draw consistently for the league tourney. 

Maybe Indy is a good option? But conflicting with the 500 weekend isn't ideal. 

[Aaron 4,565]

7 hours ago, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

Competed to host? Lol I have some ocean front property for you. 

We started 5 FR A LOT of games this season and rolled with 4 nearly every game. Honestly bringing a possibility to host? That's crazy.  No.  That was never in the fold.  

Last season we probably easily host of Sinnard and Grable are healthy. 

Publications preseason had IU borderline top-25 which puts you in range to host. Whether that was realistic or not is an open question but well known national publications had it within the realm of possibility. It was not a crazy thought till we saw team play. 

No one would have complained though if the reality was like 2023 where were very safely in as a 2-3 seed and top 35-40 all year. The bottom line though is IU massively underachieved. Given they have two high draft picks on offense, the direct culprit was the pitching where once again and Glant could not find set starters or roles for most part just like every season he has been here. At some point that is on you, when every year prior to being here roles and starters were found relatively easily.

There is no doubt anyway you slice it this season did not come close to meeting expectations. Pitching has to get better whether it is development program (most likely culprit since never a problem pre-Glant) or talent. Whether this is by Glant or someone else, status quo cannot continue if this is going to continue to be a winning program.  

This season was worst season for the team since 2011 given expectations. I stand by that. This team had zero excuse to not make NCAA Tournament with talent they had.

[Aaron 4,565]

41 minutes ago, Hardwood83 said:

Probably a rhetorical question, but playing at the site of the CWS is pretty cool and Omaha turns out for CBB. Of course it's a Husker friendly crowd, but I think historically not many locations draw consistently for the league tourney. 

Maybe Indy is a good option? But conflicting with the 500 weekend isn't ideal. 

Everyone likes it there except IU and other fans who want to go at times when more centrally located. I think putting it in Omaha every other year makes sense given prestige and crowds. Then rotate it to somewhere more central in Columbus or Chicago or something the other times. 

Can't be in Indy with 500 as you said.