IU Baseball: NCAA Tournament With Short Ride to Louisville

[WayneFleekHoosier 48,370]

I think Mercer is good. But this comes from letting Lemonis run the program and just the overall cloud around IU. Untill Glass is gone, don’t expect to be relevant in any sport.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners

I realize you are frustrated and venting but Baseball Swimming and especially Soccer certainly seem to be on good/great trajectories.

Football....lol. Never gonna happen.

Basketball.....it should have happened long ago. Not holding my breath.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

[Brass Cannon 24,801]

Mercer definitely needs to manage his pitching staff better. It’s my one gripe about him. 

You cant have such a long leash 

[ccgeneral 38,084]

Hoosiers rallying in the 7th! Down 7-5 with bases loaded and 2 outs.

[ccgeneral 38,084]

Houston with an RBI single! Down 1.

[ccgeneral 38,084]

Fineman HBP. Tie game!

[mjhoosier 93]

IU Big rally in 7th - 7 all with bases loaded 2 outs


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners

[Brass Cannon 24,801]

Wow sometimes it’s nice to watch an opposing BP implode

[Brass Cannon 24,801]

Well we end the 7th tied up. Battle of bullpens now

[ccgeneral 38,084]

Manous starts the 8th for Bierman.

[mjhoosier 93]

Manous gives up 2 hits immediately in 8th and IU now down 8-7


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners

[Brass Cannon 24,801]

I swear to god we have got to lead the country in tying or retaking the lead to give it right back the next time we are pitching. 

[Brass Cannon 24,801]

And we go to the 9th down a run. 

[mjhoosier 93]

Illinois state w 18 hits. Threatening again. Top of 9th


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners

[ccgeneral 38,084]

Barr with a 1 out single in the 9th. Bradley up.

[ccgeneral 38,084]

Barr steals 2nd and Bradley Ks. Down to 1 out and Houston up.

[ccgeneral 38,084]

Houston Ks. That's all folks. We play the loser of Louisville/UIC @ 11 am.

[mjhoosier 93]

IU goes down. 8-7. Now in losers bracket.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners

[mjhoosier 93]

IU pitching gives up 18 hits while striking out 18 times.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners

[HoosierAloha 30,068]

Aaron, you have to pinch hit for Houston there right?!

I liked what I saw from coach Mercer from his interactions with the players. I was right behind the dugout and saw him explaining situations with batters who struck out.

Ill St. had some timely hits that just snuck through or over fielders. A few runs could have been prevented with better positioning though. Credit to them for hitting early and often while we swung to put it in PJCS.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners

[Aaron 4,293]

I am traveling and camping around attending the games so I will be a little hard pressed to find much time on here. 

From what I saw of the press conference the players are not on the same page and calling each other out. I think some issues have been simmering all year and it shows what a great coach Mercer is that he brought the team together to win a Big Ten and get to the NCAA tourney yet again. When he gets what he fully wants in place IU should be really good. 

IU can talk about how they have a terrible approach at the plate and they do but to me the biggest problem continues to be Milto. He is just not an ace. He is a great number two pitcher but as I keep saying since Kyle Hart left IU has had a bunch of really solid guys and no true ace.

All IU needed to do was have Milto be decent, as it was obvious as soon Headrick left, Illinois State bullpen would implode and they did. Milto just yet again got us in such a hole, that even when we came charging back against the mediocre relievers who could not find the zone, we were to far back.

We get UIC tomorrow who we better be ready for as they gave UL a run for their money tonight before falling. In the complete opposite of today, UIC has a pretty good pen but their no. 2 starter (they burned their decent ace today) hardly strikes anyone out so that is a good thing for us.

We are far better than UIC and a little better than what will probably be a Headrick less ISU team again on Sunday this time if we win tomorrow. We have every chance to win next two games with Gordon and Saalfrank pitching, but we have to battle and get to some pretty mediocre pitchers and not crawl in a hole as UIC and ISU are capable but inferior.

Side note: IU got Louisville because they knew we could sell a ton more tickets then any other two seed there. Not complaining, but it all was economics. Attendance was 1,200 today (and in postseason that is exact number of tickets scanned through door) and it was 99% IU fans. Put any other two seed there including Indiana State and you draw maybe a quarter of that if you are lucky.