DiPrimio: IU Aims for Bounce-Back Finish Against Purdue
4/6/2018 8:01:00 PM | Baseball
By: Pete DiPrimo
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A cold wind blew through Bart Kaufman Field as Chris Lemonis issued a baseball challenge with an edgy smile.
"We're a good team," Indiana's coach said. "We haven't faced a lot of adversity, so it will be interesting to see how we come out and play."
He paused. The wind blew harder, and his eyes hardened with it.
"It's the sign of a good team to come out and play well."
We're early in the Big Ten season and the Hoosiers face an unwanted challenge. They are No. 10 in America and No. 9 in the conference standings, two-and-a-half games behind first-place Purdue.
Friday's 4-2 loss to the rival Boilers creates must-win pressure for Saturday's rematch, and this much is certain:
Hoosier starter Pauly Milto is ready to rock.
"Pauly is on the mound and we're really confident with him," IU pitcher Jonathan Stiever said. "We'll flush this game and be ready to play."
So much remains possible for IU. It is 20-6 overall and projects highly if it plays to its enormous potential.
The fact it didn't in Friday's costly ninth inning -- clutch reliever Cal Krueger walked two batters and hit another; slick-fielding shortstop Justin Walker booted a ball that should have ended the inning without a run -- just adds to the necessity of a strong series finish.
The Hoosiers are more than capable of that finish. Three times this season they've bounced back from a loss to deliver winning streaks of at least four games.
On Friday they started six players with batting averages of .304 or better. Stiever is part of arguably the Big Ten's best pitching staff. He excelled on Friday as you'd expect one of the Big Ten's most dominant starters would with the exception of one bad pitch Purdue first baseman Jacson McGowan hit for a two-run home run.
Lemonis knows what he has even as he subtly pushes the motivation button. He doesn't rant and rave because, except for rare occasions, this isn't the sport for that.
It's about toughness and execution and resilience, attributes these Hoosiers have in abundance
They've shown it before.
They have to show it again.
They are 1-2 in Big Ten play to Purdue's 4-0.
Even this early, they can't afford another letdown.
"We're an older, veteran team," Lemonis said. "We take a lot of pride in our depth. Hopefully we can play well. We've bounced back before."
Another pause.
"We have to come out ready to go because Purdue is going to give us a heck of a game."
Last year's Cream 'n Crimson knack for losing on Friday and winning the series is not guaranteed, even for a team picked to win the Big Ten and do NCAA tourney damage.
Still, you have to like the odds.
Pauly is pitching.
The junior righthander is 4-2 with a 2.25 earned run average. Opponents hit just .234 against him. He has allowed three or fewer runs in six of his seven starts. He has allowed one or fewer runs five times.
The challenge is formidable. Purdue counters with junior lefthander Gareth Stroh, who is 4-0 with a 3.12 ERA. The Boilers, winners of six straight, will be pumped after winning their first ever game at Bart Kaufman Field.
The key, Lemonis said, "is getting a good start out of Pauly and playing good baseball."
A few minutes after he spoke those words, snow fell. It had been a cold day, a disappointing day, the kind of day you'd wish had generated warmth through victory.
The Hoosiers didn't have that, but maybe they had something better, something that all champions have when they lose a game they should have won:
The experience of knowing they can make it right, and then doing it.
Oh, and one other thing:
Pauly Milto is pitching.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A cold wind blew through Bart Kaufman Field as Chris Lemonis issued a baseball challenge with an edgy smile.
"We're a good team," Indiana's coach said. "We haven't faced a lot of adversity, so it will be interesting to see how we come out and play."
He paused. The wind blew harder, and his eyes hardened with it.
"It's the sign of a good team to come out and play well."
We're early in the Big Ten season and the Hoosiers face an unwanted challenge. They are No. 10 in America and No. 9 in the conference standings, two-and-a-half games behind first-place Purdue.
Friday's 4-2 loss to the rival Boilers creates must-win pressure for Saturday's rematch, and this much is certain:
Hoosier starter Pauly Milto is ready to rock.
"Pauly is on the mound and we're really confident with him," IU pitcher Jonathan Stiever said. "We'll flush this game and be ready to play."
So much remains possible for IU. It is 20-6 overall and projects highly if it plays to its enormous potential.
The fact it didn't in Friday's costly ninth inning -- clutch reliever Cal Krueger walked two batters and hit another; slick-fielding shortstop Justin Walker booted a ball that should have ended the inning without a run -- just adds to the necessity of a strong series finish.
The Hoosiers are more than capable of that finish. Three times this season they've bounced back from a loss to deliver winning streaks of at least four games.
On Friday they started six players with batting averages of .304 or better. Stiever is part of arguably the Big Ten's best pitching staff. He excelled on Friday as you'd expect one of the Big Ten's most dominant starters would with the exception of one bad pitch Purdue first baseman Jacson McGowan hit for a two-run home run.
Lemonis knows what he has even as he subtly pushes the motivation button. He doesn't rant and rave because, except for rare occasions, this isn't the sport for that.
It's about toughness and execution and resilience, attributes these Hoosiers have in abundance
They've shown it before.
They have to show it again.
They are 1-2 in Big Ten play to Purdue's 4-0.
Even this early, they can't afford another letdown.
"We're an older, veteran team," Lemonis said. "We take a lot of pride in our depth. Hopefully we can play well. We've bounced back before."
Another pause.
"We have to come out ready to go because Purdue is going to give us a heck of a game."
Last year's Cream 'n Crimson knack for losing on Friday and winning the series is not guaranteed, even for a team picked to win the Big Ten and do NCAA tourney damage.
Still, you have to like the odds.
Pauly is pitching.
The junior righthander is 4-2 with a 2.25 earned run average. Opponents hit just .234 against him. He has allowed three or fewer runs in six of his seven starts. He has allowed one or fewer runs five times.
The challenge is formidable. Purdue counters with junior lefthander Gareth Stroh, who is 4-0 with a 3.12 ERA. The Boilers, winners of six straight, will be pumped after winning their first ever game at Bart Kaufman Field.
The key, Lemonis said, "is getting a good start out of Pauly and playing good baseball."
A few minutes after he spoke those words, snow fell. It had been a cold day, a disappointing day, the kind of day you'd wish had generated warmth through victory.
The Hoosiers didn't have that, but maybe they had something better, something that all champions have when they lose a game they should have won:
The experience of knowing they can make it right, and then doing it.
Oh, and one other thing:
Pauly Milto is pitching.
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