Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Head South for Spring Trip
3/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 10, 2006
Spring Break Trip (March 12-18)
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Fresh off its first victory of the season, the Indiana baseball team (1-6) heads to Bradenton, Fla., for its annual spring break trip. The Hoosiers will take on seven opponents in seven days from March 12-18.
Inside The Opponents
Eastern Illinois - The Hoosiers open their spring trip with a matchup against Eastern Illinois on March 12 at 1 p.m. EIU enters spring break with a 1-6 mark. The all-time series between the teams is even at 3-3. IU won the last meeting, 17-7, on April 10, 1996.
Northern Iowa - On March 13, Indiana will take on Northern Iowa at 2:30 p.m. The Panthers travel to Florida at 7-2. Indiana won the last meeting between the two schools, 8-4, on March 14, 2002, and the all-time series is even at 1-1.
Bradley - The Hoosiers meet Bradley on March 14 at 10 a.m. Coming into the spring break, the Braves hold a 2-6 record. The teams have split the eight meetings in the all-time series with IU winning the last meeting, 5-1, on March 15, 2003.
Fairfield - In its fourth game of the trip, IU goes head-to-head with Fairfield at 3 p.m. on March 15. The Stags leave for Florida at 1-4. This will be the first meeting between the clubs.
Eastern Kentucky - On March 16 at 10 a.m., Indiana faces Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels head to Florida with a 5-4 record. In 15 all-time meetings, the series is tied at 7-7-1. EKU won the last contest between the teams, 9-8, on April 22, 2001.
Vermont - Game six features a battle between Indiana and Vermont at 10:30 a.m. on March 17. The Catamounts are 0-3 on the young season and are facing the Hoosiers for the fourth straight season. IU has won two of the last three meetings, although Vermont won last season, 5-3, on March 18, and leads the all-time series 4-1.
Illinois-Chicago - The Hoosiers conclude their seven-game trip against Illinois-Chicago with a 7 p.m. start time at Ed Smith Stadium (spring home of the Cincinnati Reds) on March 18. Prior to their arrival in the Sunshine State, the Flames are 3-7. IU won the last game between the two with a 2-1 victory on March 3, 2001, and owns a 2-1 lead in the all-time series.
Last Time Out
Joe Vicini was brilliant in relief en route to his first career win and David Trager picked up his first career save, giving Tracy Smith his first victory as head coach of the Indiana baseball team. The Hoosiers (1-6) downed Indiana State (4-5), 7-4, at Sycamore Field on March 6 to secure their first win of the season.
Vicini tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings and held the Sycamores to only two hits and one walk to go along with a pair of punchouts. He retired 13 of the 16 batters he faced in the contest. Trager got the final four outs of the game to earn the save.
Offensively, IU pounded out 10 hits and recorded three stolen bases. Senior center fielder Reggie Watson went 2-for-3 with two runs and two stolen bases, while senior left fielder Jay Brant (1 run, 1 steal), junior first baseman Michael Nilles (2 RBI) and junior third baseman Steve Head (2 runs) each collected two hits.
Career Firsts
In his first year on the mound, sophomore David Trager looks like a seasoned veteran early on this campaign. A utility infielder in 2005, Trager has only surrendered one earned run in 10 2/3 innings pitched (4 appearances) for a 0.84 ERA.
Against Indiana State, the right-hander picked up his first career save. His previous outing, Trager held the powerful Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes to no runs on one hit and one walk in 2 2/3 innings of work on March 5.
Along with Trager, freshman Joe Vicini has been nearly unhittable in 2006. A southpaw from Rural Valley, Pa., Vicini tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings and held Indiana State (March 7) to only two hits and one walk to go along with a pair of punchouts en route to picking up his first career victory. He retired 13 of the 16 batters he faced in the contest. On the season, Vicini has not allowed a run in 7 2/3 innings (2 hits, 2 bases on balls) and has set down 22 of the 26 hitters he has seen.
Smith Nets First IU Win
After racking up 317 wins in nine seasons as head coach at Miami (Ohio), Tracy Smith earned his first victory as Hooiser skipper with a 7-4 triumph at Indiana State on March 7. Smith owns a 318-226-1 career mark.
Running Wild
As the offense has picked up the last two games, Indiana head coach Tracy Smith has been able to install his brand of baseball. The Hoosiers have stolen seven bases in nine attempts and laid down five sacrifice bunts against Miami (Fla.) on March 5 and Indiana State on March 7. Overall this year, IU has swiped 10 bases in 16 attempts and recorded nine sacrifices.
Batting in the second position, senior center fielder Reggie Watson has been a catalyst for the offense. Watson has stolen three bases and scored three times the last two games, and he leads the team with five steals and six runs on the campaign.
With the increased execution, Indiana has averaged over five runs the last two contests compared to just over three runs the first five ballgames.
Fun In The Sun
This season marks the Hoosiers' fifth trip to Bradenton, Fla., over spring break. In the previous four trips, Indiana owns a 23-4 record, including a 6-1 mark last season. IU knocked off Bowling Green (12-2), Bucknell (14-4), Yale (8-0), Illinois State (17-7), Kent State (11-6) and St. Francis-NY (9-0) last season. Vermont handed the Hoosiers their only loss, a 5-3 setback on March 18.
Pitching Hangs Tough
Despite dropping three games to Miami (Fla.), Hoosier starters Tyler Tufts and Chris McCombs turned in gutty efforts in games one (March 3) and three (March 5), respectively. Tufts, a freshman right-hander making only his second start, did not allow an earned run the final five innings and held the Hurricanes to just three hits, two walks and one strikeout. Overall, the Sagamore Hills, Ohio product gave up three earned runs on nine hits to go along with the two bases on balls and a pair of strikeouts.
Making his first start of the season and just the fourth of his career, McCombs pitched better than the four earned runs he allowed indicate. The sophomore right-hander held Miami to six hits and one walk in 5 1/3 innings of work to go along with four strikeouts.
Parker Battles Back
Battling through Hodgkin's Lymphoma, senior Ryan Parker returned to the diamond with two pinch-hit appearances at Miami (Fla.) on March 4-5. Wrapping up his chemo treatment in February, Parker is now going through radiation sessions.
Parker was diagnosed in May last season, yet he completed the year and even hit a home run in his final at-bat against Purdue.
Although his return to the field was questionable this season, Parker was named a team captain and has made it back sooner than expected.
Strength Of Schedule
Hoosier head coach Tracy Smith has upgraded the schedule this season. In addition to opening the season against Charlotte, the preseason Atlantic 10 favorite, three teams - Miami (Fla.), Miami (Ohio) and Ohio State - that made trips to the NCAA Tournament last year appear on the slate.
After taking on the 49ers, the Hoosiers faced off against four-time national champion Miami (Fla.) for the first time since 1974. Miami has made 33 NCAA appearances and 21 trips to the College World Series in their illustrious history.
