Indiana Baseball Review: Devin Taylor’s Stunning Weekend Lifts The Hoosiers

Indiana faced Maryland in the Hoosiers’ penultimate Big Ten home series of the season, but it was outfielder Devin Taylor who stepped into the spotlight in a weekend of excellence at Bart Kaufman Field.

On Saturday, Taylor became Indiana’s all-time leading home run hitter with a solo shot to center field that was his 48th career home run for the Hoosiers.

On Sunday, in Indiana’s 15-5 series-clinching victory over the Terrapins, Taylor did something no Hoosier has done in at least 20 years.

Taylor reached safely in all six of his plate appearances. He had three walks and three base hits, including a three-run home run that ended the game in the eighth inning due to the 10-run rule.

Indiana’s game-by-game records go back to 2005, and no Hoosier has done what Taylor did against the Terrapins on Sunday.

The home run extended Taylor’s Indiana record to 49 bombs. The three walks helped Taylor become the third player since 2001 to be walked at least 110 times. Kyle Schwarber and Carter Mathison were the others.

Taylor is now batting .377 with 13 home runs and 46 RBI. He also has eight stolen bases. Taylor’s batting average leads the Hoosiers. His home run haul places him second behind Korbyn Dickerson, who has hit 17 home runs.

Taylor’s heroics helped the Hoosiers take two of three against the struggling Terrapins, but he was not alone in the hit department.

In Sunday’s win, the top three batters in the order – Will Moore, Taylor and Dickerson – combined to go 9-for-12 with nine runs scored, nine RBI and five walks.

Indiana also got a lift from pitcher Ben Grable, who allowed just one hit in his first four innings.

The 10-run rule win came a day after a run-rule loss. Despite Taylor’s record-setting home run, the Hoosiers were beaten 17-4 by Maryland.

The thriller for Indiana came in Friday’s series opener. Maryland led 6-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning. In a five-run eighth inning, Hogan Denny drove in two runs and Cooper Malamazian followed with a two-run home run. Dickerson later tied the game with a single.

In the ninth inning, Moore singled to left-center field to give the Hoosiers a dramatic walk-off win.

Indiana (22-18, 12-9) is now tied for sixth in the Big Ten with Penn State. The Hoosiers are not currently an at-large threat for the tournament, but opportunity is coming.

After a Wednesday game against Ball State at Victory Field in Indianapolis, the Hoosiers go to Iowa for a three-game set against the first-place Hawkeyes. Those four games are half of an eight-game stretch where the Hoosiers play away from Bloomington.