Indiana Baseball Can't Muster Offense When Needed In Loss To Purdue

In Friday’s eight-run victory over Purdue, Indiana baseball showed what it could be when it all clicks.

In Saturday’s 5-1 loss to Purdue at Bart Kaufman Field, Indiana demonstrated what has held it back and what traits might ultimately keep the Hoosiers out of the NCAA Tournament.

Indiana (28-22, 13-13) scored in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead, but that was all the Hoosiers could muster in the scoring department. The Hoosiers are a good offensive team, but Indiana baseball coach Jeff Mercer lamented the habits that keep Indiana from being consistent.

“We hit some balls hard early that on most days are home runs, but we sometimes just have to adjust differently. We have to execute with guys on base,” Mercer said.

Indiana’s offensive performance looks worse when you consider that first baseman Jake Hanley accounted for three of Indiana’s seven base hits. The top three spots in the order went 1-for-10 against Purdue pitchers Cole Van Assen and lefty Michael Vallone.

“My frustration, and I told them, was our inability to execute to a different game plan,” Mercer explained. “(Purdue) brings in the lefty with low slot ride and they moved the entire infield over. You’re going to have to shoot the ball the other way, hit the ball on a line to right field, and we were unable to do that,” Mercer explained.

Purdue, fighting for its life as far as Big Ten Tournament qualification is concerned, played a steady game and were able to create scoring opportunities Indiana could not replicate.

After Cooper Malamazian drove home Hanley for the opening run of the game for Indiana in the second inning, it was all Purdue in terms of scoring.

Purdue’s Eli Anderson singled home Ty Gill in the third inning to tie the contest. Purdue (30-20, 10-16) then took the lead in the fifth inning on a towering Aaron Manias home run to center.

CJ Richmond singled home Brandon Anderson in the sixth to make it 3-1. In the eighth, Purdue slugger Logan Sutter hit a two-run home run to left to give Purdue the 5-1 edge.

All the while, Indiana created opportunities to push ahead, but the Hoosiers were unable to take advantage.

Some of it was bad execution, but some of Indiana’s issue were also just bad luck.

In the fifth inning, when Purdue’s lead was 2-1, Devin Taylor walked and Korbyn Dickerson hit a Van Assen offering into the right-center field gap. The speedy Taylor would have scored easily on the long shot, but it bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double and Taylor was compelled to stop at third. The Hoosiers were unable to drive Taylor or Dickerson home afterwards.

This inning was part of Indiana’s .143 average with runners in scoring position. The Hoosiers were 0-for-9 with two outs.

Indiana’s pitching wasn’t bad, but wasn’t outstanding either. Starter Ben Grable pitched 5 1/3 innings and struck out five batters. Gavin Seebold, a former starter, then went 3 2/3 innings in relief and struck out six.

 It was Grable’s 11th start of the season, but the Hoosiers have not been able to put together a starting staff that has stood the test of time. Ten different Hoosiers have started a game this season.

“Ideally, you're able to you're able to do that. You're able to line guys up and and have defined roles,” said Mercer on the pitching roles.

“I would love to be able to do that, but when the draft is always an impact, and then injuries here and there, so then you have to problem solve. You have to play the cards that you're dealt,” Mercer said.

Realistically, to have a shot at an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, Indiana probably had to run the table of its remaining regular season games and make a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament.

With the loss to Purdue, that isn’t a possibility. Indiana’s RPI remains in the 70s, not good enough to earn an at-large bid.

The series against Purdue concludes at 4 p.m. on Sunday at Bart Kaufman Field.