Indiana University Athletics
IU Opens Big Ten Campaign in East Lansing
3/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 30, 2006
The Indiana vs. Michigan State game is currently in a rain delay with no outs in the bottom of the seventh. MSU has a 10-7 lead.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - After 18 non-conference contests, the Indiana baseball team begins its Big Ten season this weekend at Michigan State. First-year skipper Tracy Smith leads his Hoosiers into East Lansing with a 7-11 mark, while the Spartans enter the weekend 9-9.
The teams will open the four-game series with a single game at 3 p.m. (EST) on Friday, March 31, before returning to the field for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 1. First pitch for the series finale is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 2. All four games will be held at Oldsmobile Park, home of the minor league Lansing Lugnuts.
Pitching Matchups
Game 1 - Friday, March 31 (7 p.m. EST)
Indiana RHP #7 Josh Lewis (2-3, 4.25 ERA) vs. LHP John Dwan (0-2, 4.32 ERA)
Game 2 - Saturday, April 1 (1 p.m.)
Indiana RHP #9 Chris McCombs (0-0, 3.43 ERA) vs. RHP Jeff Gerbe (2-2, 2.56 ERA)
Game 3 - Saturday, April 1 (4 p.m.)
Indiana LHP #14 Joe Vicini (2-1, 1.37 ERA) vs. RHP Mark Sorensen (1-0, 3.72 ERA)
Game 4 - Sunday, April 2 (1 p.m.)
Indiana RHP #29 Tyler Tufts (0-2, 9.30 ERA) vs. RHP Craig Brookes (1-2, 5.68 ERA)
Follow The Game
Gametracker: IUHOOSIERS.com
Inside The Series
-The last time Indiana met Michigan State to open Big Ten play was back in 1995 (March 25-26) in Bloomington.
-Hoosier skipper Tracy Smith will make his Big Ten debut this weekend. In his 10-year career, Smith has never faced the Spartans.
-Last season, Indiana took three out of four games against Michigan State at Sembower Field in Bloomington (May 5-9).
Scouting Michigan State
Michigan State has won three of its last four ballgames, including taking two out of three from Western Illinois this past weekend and knocking off Grand Valley State, 14-5, on March 29.
The Spartans enter the weekend set batting at a .318 clip, led by leadoff man Troy Krider. The junior shortstop is hitting a team-high .394 and leads the club with nine steals in nine attempts to go along with 16 runs scored. Junior center fielder Adam Tripp provides some power in the middle of the lineup, belting a team-best three home runs with 16 RBI.
Indiana will see right-hander John Dwan in the opening game. The junior holds an 0-2 record and a 4.32 ERA, and he leads the Spartan staff with 23 strikeouts and just six walks in 25 innings of work. Game two starter Jeff Gerbe, a right-handed senior, is 2-2 with the best ERA among the MSU starters at 2.56. Overall, the Spartans team ERA stands at 4.72.
Home Sweet Home
After 14 games away from Bloomington to start the season, Indiana finally returned home to Sembower Field for a three-game set with Hartford (March 24-26). Playing at their friendly confines, the Hoosiers swept the Hawks for their first winning streak of the season. IU began another long road trip beginning with its tilt against Butler on March 29. The Hoosiers play 11 games away from home, including its first two Big Ten series against Michigan State and Northwestern, before welcoming Purdue to Sembower for a four-game set on April 14-16. When all is said and done, Indiana will have played 25 of its first 28 contests outside of Bloomington.
Watson Streaking Along
Reggie Watson enters the Michigan State series with two lengthy streaks. The senior center fielder owns a 12-game hit streak and has stolen 11 straight bases without getting caught. Overall this season, Watson leads the club with 16 steals in 19 attempts. He has stolen at least two bases in one game six times this campaign and has moved into a tie for fifth place on IU's career stolen base list with 70.
During his hitting streak, Watson has raised his average to .357, second on the team to left fielder Jay Brant's .380 mark. The Cincinnati native is 20-for-50 over the 12 games, good for a .400 average.
Additionally, Watson leads the team and is tied for third in the league with 20 runs.
A Different Streak
Reggie Watson isn't the only Hoosier with a double-digit streak. Sophomore right-hander Chris McCombs has not allowed a run in his last 11 1/3 innings of work. McCombs saw action in games one (3/24) and three (3/26) against Hartford, shutting the Hawks down on six hits with three walks and eight Ks.
The Louisville product has not surrendered a run in his last three outings and last gave up a score in the fourth inning of his start vs. Bradley on March 14. He has lowered his ERA to 3.43 in six appearances and 21 innings.
Running Wild
Four Hoosier speedsters have accounted for 44 of the team's 56 stolen bases. Center fielder Reggie Watson (16-for-19), left fielder Jay Brant (10-for-12), right fielder Andrew Means (9-for-9) and second baseman Keith Haas (9-for-10) are a combined 44-of-50 (88 percent) on the season.
Remarkably, the foursome has recorded 36 steals in 38 attempts over the last 11 contests, good for a 95-percent success rate.
In addition to Means' perfect mark, Watson has swiped 11 straight bags and Brant eight without getting caught.
Overall, the Hoosiers lead the Big Ten in stolen bases with Watson and Brant occupying the top-two spots in the league, while Means and Haas share third.
Run And Execute
As the offense picks up, Indiana head coach Tracy Smith has been able to install his brand of baseball. This has especially been the case the since the team's final game at Miami (Fla.) on March 5. Since that contest (12 games), Indiana has stolen 53 of its 56 overall bags, including a stretch of 29 straight steals without getting caught. IU has safely swiped 43 of its last 45 bags.
Thus far in 2006, IU has stolen 56 bases in 67 attempts (84 percent) and has played a little small ball, laying down 19 sacrifice bunts and delivering nine sacrifice flies. Through 18 games in 2005, Indiana owned 32 steals in 46 attempts with 11 sacrifice bunts.
For Starters
Clint Crosier entered the season with no career starts before getting his first nod on the team's spring trip against Fairfield (March 15). Joining the Hoosiers last season, Crosier did not receive a start or a decision in 15 appearances. In two starts this year, the southpaw is 2-0 after downing Fairfield and Hartford (March 25).
Crosier owns a 2.45 ERA in his two starts, giving up just three runs in 11 1/3 innings pitched. The Corydon, Ind., native fired a career-high six innings and netted a career-best nine strikeouts while limiting Fairfield to just one run in a 15-2 Hoosier win and went 5 1/3 surrendering two runs in a 4-2 victory over Hartford.
The Gridiron To The Diamond
Freshman Andrew Means, a redshirt wide receiver for head coach Terry Hoeppner in the fall, is playing baseball and participating in spring football practice simultaneously.
This past weekend against Hartford (3/24-26), Means arrived late for the second game of the series and left the third game early for football.
Despite his hectic schedule, Means has been an integral part of the Hoosier offensive attack. Starting in right field, the Avon Lake, Ohio native is a perfect 9-for-9 in the stolen base department, good for third on the team and in the Big Ten, in addition to posting a .294 average with eight RBI and seven runs.
A Head Of The Competition
One of the biggest surprises this season has been the production of third baseman Steve Head at the plate. Entering the campaign with just 40 at-bats in two full seasons, Head leads the team with six doubles, two triples, and a .549 slugging percentage, sits second with a .453 on-base percentage and third with a .353 batting average. The junior is tied for third in triples, seventh in slugging percentage and tied for fourth in doubles.
Inning-Eaters
After a rough start in its opener on its seven-game spring trip (March 12-18), Indiana's pitching hit its stride the final six games. In five of the contests, Hoosier starters lasted at least six innings, with reliever David Trager going 7 1/3 in relief in the sixth ballgame. Josh Lewis (March 24) continued that trend in the series opener against Hartford with seven innings, and Clint Crosier pitched into the sixth inning of game two (March 25). Here is a breakdown of each pitcher's innings in eight of the team's last 10 contests.
Pitcher Date Opp. IP
Josh Lewis 3/13 N. Iowa 9
Chris McCombs 3/14 Bradley 6
Clint Crosier 3/15 Fairfield 6
Tyler Tufts 3/16 Eastern Ky. 7 1/3
David Trager 3/17 Vermont 7 1/3
Josh Lewis 3/18 UIC 6
Josh Lewis 3/24 Hartford 7
Clint Crosier 3/25 Hartford 5 1/3
Close Calls
Despite their 7-11 record, the Hoosiers have been competitive against tougher opponents this season. Of the 11 defeats, IU has suffered five one-run setbacks, one two-run defeat and two extra-inning losses.
Indiana opened its campaign at Charlotte and lost a heart-breaking 11-10, 14-inning affair in the series finale on Feb. 26. The following weekend, the Hoosiers owned a two-run lead in the sixth inning of the closing game of their three-game set at Miami (Fla.). However, the 11th-ranked Hurricanes (Collegiate Baseball News ranking) rallied with four in the sixth for a 6-4 victory.
Dynamic Duo
In their first seasons on the mound for the Hoosiers, sophomore right-hander David Trager and freshman southpaw Joe Vicini have been pleasant surprises. The duo owns a combined ERA of 1.77, allowing only eight earned runs and 28 hits in their 40 2/3 innings of work.
Trager, a utilityman last season, has appeared in seven games and has a win and a save to his credit along with a 2.14 ERA in 21 innings. Vicini carries a 1.37 ERA in seven appearances with a 2-1 record and two saves in 19 2/3 innings pitched. In back-to-back outings against Hartford (March 25-26), the southpaw earned a save and victory, respectively.
Against Indiana State on March 7, the two showed how tough they could be as they guided the Hoosiers to their first victory of the season. Vicini tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings and held the two hits and one walk to go along with a pair of punchouts en route to picking up his first career victory, while Trager threw the final 1 1/3 to collect his first career save.
Multi-Tasking
Versatility is a key for the Hoosiers this season. A trio of players can produce at two different positions, while a fourth has made a smooth transition from shortstop to first base.
Sophomore David Trager has been a steady arm on the mound and is now getting a chance to see time at shortstop, starting the last three games. Meanwhile, freshman Chris Hervey played in five games in right field before firing a scoreless inning of relief against Fairfield on March 15 and starting the series finale against Hartford on March 26.
Additionally, junior Ben Greenspan caught the first and third games (March 24 and 26) of the Hartford series. Greenspan has seen action primarily at first base, where sophomore Wichita State transfer Tad Reida now resides. Reida opened the campaign at shortstop before making a flawless shift to first base over Indiana's spring trip.
In The Record Book
Senior outfielders Jay Brant and Reggie Watson along with senior right-hander Josh Lewis and junior right-hander Matt Saba can be found scattered throughout the Hoosier record book. Below is a look at where each player sits in IU lore in several career categories:
Triples
T13. Reggie Watson 9
20. Jay Brant 7
Stolen Bases
7. Reggie Watson 70
T11. Jay Brant 54
Innings
12. Josh Lewis 239 2/3
ERA
14. Matt Saba 3.24
Games Started
5. Josh Lewis 43
Strikeouts
T19. Josh Lewis 162
Career Firsts
Several Hoosier pitchers achieved career firsts on the team's spring trip (March 12-18). Senior right-hander Josh Lewis tossed his first career complete game victory in a 3-1 victory over Northern Iowa on March 13. Lewis allowed just one earned run on nine hits with no walks and seven strikeouts en route to his third career complete game.
Making his first career start, senior southpaw Clint Crosier earned his first collegiate victory in IU's 15-2 win against Fairfield on March 15.
David Trager collected his first career victory as Indiana downed Vermont, 10-6, on March 17. Entering with one out in the second, the right-hander pitched a career-high 7 1/3 innings and held Vermont to one earned run on eight hits.
Freshman lefty Joe Vicini came in with men on second and third with two outs in the ninth and forced designated hitter Nick Gallipani to ground out to second baseman Keith Haas en route to his first career save.
