Three Takeaways From IU Baseball's Big Ten Tourney Opening Win Vs. Purdue

Hoosiers Win Opener But In Position To Need To Win Conference Tourney After Inconsistent Season

IU’s home field Bart Kaufman After Indiana’s 2019 Big Ten Championship

Hoosiers’ Offense Gets Going In Fifth Inning With A Splash And Then Tacks On In Best Fashion Park Allows

IU was overwhelmed by Purdue ace Jordan Morales for four innings. Then in the fifth, the Hoosier bats got going in a way that is extremely unusual at TD Ameritrade Field in Omaha.

Freshman Jasen Oliver managed to muscle a home run to the opposite field in right. The ball went over the wall just barely for a three-run shot and made a huge splash into a puddle there from earlier rains to give Indiana the lead for good.

Hitting a dinger is harder at this place than anywhere in baseball generally. Future pros such as onetime IU studs Kyle Schwarber or Matt Gorski, or even Maryland star Nick Larusso can sometimes barely get one into the bullpens down either line or into the power alley in the first couple of rows with a perfect swing.

However, the vast majority of players who come through here will never park one in the seats. The wind on Tuesday was blowing out, which made it easier to clear the fence than normal. With winds forecasted to shift to blowing across the rest of the tourney, it will get much tougher to go yard as it generally is.

The Hoosiers aware of this, produced offense in the sixth inning the way that is the easiest in this park to do it with small ball. Multiple slap singles and hard-hit doubles down the line allowed IU to tack on five more scores in the frame and break the game open.

Purdue made a late rally with some rare longballs as well. However, a huge base running mistake by them with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning, and a double play in the ninth, let Indiana hold on.

Outfield Defense By Both Teams Is A Sight To Behold

With a swirling wind, the plays in the outfield can get quite interesting. The conditions in this cavernous place are not something any college player is used to.

A ball that was crushed by Carter Mathison was nearly a home run down the right- field line. However, a web gem jumping catch at the wall cost the Hoosiers an opening early score. Also a catch running into foul territory down the RF line by PU in the fifth took another run away.

However, if not for some spectacular plays by Indiana out there, the Boilers would have had at least three more runs than they did. Devin Taylor made two diving catches in LF on balls he had trouble tracking that saved scores with two outs. Also, Mathison laid out for a ball in center field that was a sac fly but would have gotten to the wall for another run if it had landed.

In the end, the final score could have been a 10-9 Hoosiers win if not for the defensive heroics. Instead, it was an 8-6 final with the Cream and Crimson holding on.

Hoosiers In A Pitching Hole

IU coach Jeff Mercer said on the TV broadcast that lead starter Ty Bothwell had been sick all week. As a result, he looked less than 100% and lasted just three innings. In a different more power-friendly park, the Hoosiers may have been in a huge hole as the Boilers made solid contact against Bothwell.

However, by being where they were, the damage was minimal with no runs given up before giving way to the bullpen who closed it out. While it worked out today and the Hoosiers got it done, they had to burn four top relievers in Drew Buhr, Julian Tonghini, Jacob Vogel, and Brayden Risedorph.

How this will affect Indiana going forward against stronger competition remains to be seen. They do have ace Conor Foley available to pitch Thursday on full rest in their next game (3 pm BTN), and maybe Bothwell again Sunday with his short outing. However, what the Hoosiers do once Foley departs and in the next couple of games after remains to be seen.

While the Hoosiers ultimately survived and remain in the coveted winners bracket it may be at a high price. With a really good home-state Nebraska squad likely looming between them and a championship game appearance at least twice, it remains to be seen if having to use so many arms could cost them on Thursday, potentially Friday, and even Saturday.

Indiana likely needs to get to the championship game on Sunday if not win the tournament to have a realistic chance at an NCAA Tourney bid. As a result, burning the bullpen to hold on could prove costly going forward.