IU Baseball at Rutgers - 5/7 and 5/8/21 on BTN+

[Class of '66 Old Fart 84,534]

Another of the B1G's pandemic scheduling.  Hoosiers will be in Piscataway, NJ to play Rutgers on Friday and Saturday and then face Nebraska later on Saturday and again on Sunday.  Currently, the weather forecast for the weekend is not promising.  Friday should be dry but a high probability of rain on Saturday and chances for rain again Sunday afternoon.

Friday vs. Rutgers - 2:00

Saturday vs Rutgers - 11:00 a.m.

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Live Stats

 

SETTING THE SCENE
• The No. 23-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (20-9) head to Piscataway, N.J. this weekend to face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (17-13) and the Nebraska Cornhuskers (20-10) in a Big Ten pod at Bainton Field. IU will face both teams twice over the course of the weekend.
 
• This past weekend, the Hoosiers moved in to first place in the Big Ten after winning two of three games from Iowa at Bart Kaufman Field in Bloomington, Ind. After dropping the first game on Friday, IU responded to win the final two contests, scoring 12 runs in both victories.
 
• Jeff Mercer is in his third season at the helm of the Indiana baseball program. He led the Hoosiers to a Big Ten regular season title in 2019, earning him Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.
 
 
INSIDE #IUBASE
• INF Cole Barr was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on May 4 after helping the Hoosiers to a series win over Iowa. The Yorktown, Ind. native batted 6-for-10 (.600) with a triple, two home runs, five RBI and six runs scored to help IU take two of three games from the Hawkeyes.
 
• Indiana is ranked No. 17 in the nation by Perfect Game, No. 23 by Baseball America, No. 24 by D1 Baseball and No. 29 in the NCBWA poll. IU is also receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches poll.
 
• Offensively, the Hoosiers have been led by OF Cole Barr, who leads the team with a .340 batting average, six home runs, 22 RBI and 30 runs scored. INF Paul Toetz has hit a team-best 14 doubles while driving in 20 and OF Grant Richardson leads the team with 10 stolen bases.
 
• The Indiana pitching staff continues to post some of the best numbers in the nation. The Hoosiers rank second in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (6.37), sixth in ERA (2.93) and 11th in WHIP (1.20). IU leads the Big Ten in all three categories.
 
• Individually, RHP McCade Brown leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (14.85) and ranks third in the league in hits allowed per nine innings (5.62). RHP Gabe Bierman leads the Big Ten in ERA (2.51), ranks second in hits allowed per nine innings (5.59) and is third in WHIP (1.05). LHP Tommy Sommer leads the Big Ten with five victories.
 
• INF Paul Toetz leads the Big Ten in doubles (14) and ranks fourth in the country in doubles per game (0.48). His 14 two-baggers are already a school record for doubles in Big Ten games.
 
• Since the start of the 2008 season, Indiana leads the Big Ten in wins (449) and conference wins (197). The Hoosiers have made seven NCAA Regionals over that span, the most out of any current Big Ten team.
 
• Indiana has posted three shutouts on the season, allowed one run or less six times and surrendered two runs or less 11 times. The Hoosier pitching staff also posted five games this year allowing two hits or less.
 
• Indiana's convincing sweep of Minnesota on April 23-25 was the first series sweep of the Golden Gophers since the 1962 season. In the 23-1 victory on April 25, Indiana scored a season-high 23 runs on a season-best 17 hits. The 23 runs were the most for the Hoosiers since scoring 27 against Butler on March 23, 2016 and the most in a Big Ten game since plating 26 against Michigan in a 26-6 win on April 4, 2010.
 
• RHP McCade Brown and RHP Braydon Tucker combined to throw a no-hitter against Illinois on April 10 - the first no-hitter for the Hoosiers in nearly 37 years. The no-hitter was the first for Indiana since April 25, 1984, when Mark Gramer and the Hoosiers blanked Rose-Hulman, 6-0.
 
• For his efforts, RHP Braydon Tucker was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on April 13. Out of the bullpen, Tucker pitched four scoreless innings of relief to earn the save, striking out one, while issuing one walk.
 
• RHP McCade Brown was named the D1Baseball/AstroTurf Player of the Week, the Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week, Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week and the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after a school-record performance against Penn State on Mar. 13.
 
• The sophomore hurler matched the Indiana school record with a career-high 16 strikeouts in seven, no-hit innings. He also broke the IU record for most strikeouts in a Big Ten game, eclipsing the previous record of 13.
 
• LHP Tommy Sommer was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on Mar. 9. Sommer was outstanding for the Hoosiers this past weekend, helping the team defeat Minnesota, 5-2, on Mar. 5. The Carmel, Ind. native tossed eight shutout innings to earn the win, allowing just two hits, while matching his career-high with 10 strikeouts.
 
• Indiana OF Grant Richardson was named a First-Team Preseason All-American by both Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball. He was also named Third-Team Preseason All-American by D1Baseball.
 
• Before the season, Indiana was tabbed to win the Big Ten in 2021 by Perfect Game. OF Grant Richardson was named the Player of the Year and to the Preseason All-Big Ten team. He was joined on the preseason All-Big Ten team by RHP Gabe Bierman and RHP Connor Manous.
 
• RHP Gabe Bierman, OF Grant Richardson and LHP Tommy Sommer were all named to the Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List. IU was picked to finish second in the Big Ten behind Michigan in a preseason poll conducted of the league's coaches.
 
• After leading the Hoosiers to the 2019 Big Ten regular season championship, Jeff Mercer was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Mercer became the first Big Ten head coach since 1982 (John Anderson, Minnesota) to win a regular season conference title in his first season as the skipper.  He was just the second coach in IU history – in any sport, men's or women's – to win an outright Big Ten championship in his (or her) first year.

 

[Aaron 4,290]

We pounded Rutkowski for two runs in first. Ashley had infield single, Toetz doubled off the LF wall, then RIchardson groundout and Barr sac fly moved the runners over and got both in.

2-0 to bottom 1. 

[Aaron 4,290]

Sommer was really good that inning and hit his spots after a leadoff single. Unfortunately a ridiculous by error by Toetz at second prolonged the inning and forced about 15 extra pitches. IU got out of it after with a flyout to end it and no damage, but with a four games in this pod you don't want your starters throwing extra pitches which could matter later in game and weekend.

2-0 to top 2. 

Also announcer has a thick Jersey (or Joyzey as he would say:)) accent unsurprisingly.  

[Aaron 4,290]

Rutkowski works around a 2 out walk for Rutgers and IU still leads 2-0 to bottom 2.

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 9,069]

4 minutes ago, Aaron said:

Rutkowski works around a 2 out walk for Rutgers and IU still leads 2-0 to bottom 2.

Really like how many pitches Whalen and Tank saw that inning. 8 and 9 hitters saw 12 or 13 pitches. Running the RU starters total to 40 already. 

[Aaron 4,290]

Sommer was strong again, but more bad defense made the inning harder for no reason. Espalin took way to long to throw to first on a groundout and an easy out turned into a bang/bang play but got the call. Then Ashley misplayed a flyout in LF for a double. Sommer was very good around those things and Rutgers is chasing a lot of pitches Iowa was not which is helping.

2-0 to 3rd.

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 9,069]

3 minutes ago, Aaron said:

Sommer was strong again but more bad defense made the inning harder for no reason. Espalin took way to long to throw to first on a groundout and an easy out turned into a bang/bang play but got the out. Than Ashley misplayed a flyout in LF for a double. Sommer was very good around those things and Rutgers is chasing a lot of pitches Iowa was not which is helping.

2-0 to 3rd.

Barr is like 6 total feet short of having two HRs right now. 

[Aaron 4,290]

Very quick top 3rd as Rutkowski is getting so we may need to hold this a while. Good news is with how many pitches we have forced him to throw it will be hard for him to go more than 6 innings. 

2-0 to bottom 3.

[Aaron 4,290]

Just now, btownqb said:

Barr is like 6 total feet short of having two HRs right now. 

I know. To bad.

[Aaron 4,290]

Good job by Sommer to remember to get over to bag at first, after forgetting recently in a game and costing us a run. Also works around a two out walk and its still 2-0 to 4th. 

[Aaron 4,290]

A horrible At Bat by Fougerousse cost us a run that inning. Got the first two on via an infield single and a walk. Then Fougerousse tried to get a bunt down and fouled it off and was forced to swing away and had a very shallow flyout. The next at bat was a deep fly ball that would of been a sac fly if Fougerousse had not failed so miserably. Obviously not an egregious error but that extra run we could of had is important. After a walk to load the bases with two outs Ashley flew out.

Good news is Rutkowski is pilling up a ton of pitches and its 2-0 IU to Bottom 4.

[Aaron 4,290]

Sommer works a very quick inning and its 2-0 to 5th.

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 9,069]

Toetz has swung at 6 straight pitches lol 

[Aaron 4,290]

Halfway home. 2-0. May be one of those games where we just need to make that hold, although we will see what we can do against their pen as no way Rutkowski goes more than another inning being over 80 pitches already.

[Aaron 4,290]

Sommer could not quite get out of it this time. A one out double and a two out bloop single cut lead to 2-1 as we head to the 6th. This is where Sommer starts to get tired at times. 

Would be great if offense could add on.

[Hoosierfan1901 6,222]

2 minutes ago, Aaron said:

Sommer could not quite get out of it this time. A one out double and a two out bloop single cut lead to 2-1 as we head to the 6th. This is where Sommer starts to get tired at times. 

Would be great if offense could add on.

Yea, it’s been quiet for a while now, hope they are not out of gas, but saving it

[Aaron 4,290]

2-1 after 6.

That might do it for Rutkowski. He is at 97 pitches. Iowa stretched their guy to like 120 last week though. We were good and patient first few innings, but less so last couple. Sommer also probably in his last inning at 84 and no chance he can go much beyond 100.

[Aaron 4,290]

Sommer with a very clean 6th. Not sure if we can squeeze another inning out of him or not.

Tried that at NW in the 7th and it almost cost us game. 2-1 to 7th.

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 9,069]

Just now, Aaron said:

Sommer with a very clean 6th. Not sure if we can squeeze another inning out of him or not.

Tried that at NW in the 7th and it almost cost us game. 2-1 to 7th.

I hope not. No activity in the RU bullpen either. 

[Aaron 4,290]

Rutgers will try to stretch Rutkowski. Lets see if we can take advantage.