Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers-Huskers Start Series on BTN Saturday Night
5/2/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 2, 2013
| No. 16 Indiana (34-8, 11-4 Big Ten) vs. Nebraska (20-23, 11-4 Big Ten) |
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| When | Sat. (May 4), 7:05 PM | Sun. (May 5), 2:05 PM | Mon. (May 6), 1:05 PM |
| Where | Lincoln, Neb. | Hawks Field |
| Watch | Sat. - Big Ten Network | Sun. Video Stream | Mon. Video Stream | Listen | Sunday/Monday - Audio Broadcast (free) |
| Live Stats | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| @IUBaseballNews (in-game updates) | @HoosierBaseball (Coach Smith) | |
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The quest for Indiana Baseball's first Big Ten regular season title in 64 years amps up this weekend as the #16 Hoosiers travel to Nebraska for a pivotal battle between schools both entering at 11-4 in Big Ten play and in the mix for a conference championship with just three weekends left to decide it. Final exams at both institutions have pushed the series schedule back a day, resulting in a Saturday-Sunday-Monday docket in Lincoln.
Saturday's 6:05 pm CT/7:05 pm ET start marks Indiana's first ever trip to Lincoln and will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network. The series wraps up with a 1:05 pm CT/2:05 ET first pitch on Sunday and 12:05 pm CT/1:05 pm ET Monday afternoon contest.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH-UPS
Saturday, May 4 - 7:05 pm ET
Jr., LHP Joey DeNato (6-1, 2.60) vs. Jr., RHP Christian DeLeon (5-3, 3.64)
Sunday, May 5 - 2:05 pm ET
So., LHP Kyle Hart (7-0, 2.39) vs. So., LHP Kyle Kubat (3-0, 1.50)
Monday, May 6 - 1:05 pm ET
r-So., Aaron Slegers (6-1, 1.85) vs. So., LHP Aaron Bummer (1-0, 3.20)
Kevin Kuglar and Danan Hughes will be on the call for BTN Saturday while Kyle Kuhlman provides the play-by-play for Sunday and Monday on IUHoosiers.com's free audio broadcasts. GameTracker live stats available for all three games.
Fans can also track the team's progress on Twitter. Follow the official team account (@IUBaseballNews) for news, notes, nuggets and in-game updates. Also follow head coach Tracy Smith (@HoosierBaseball).
TRIPLE PLAY QUICK HITS
• The Hoosiers have won their last eight games entering the weekend
• Indiana strung together a school-record 18-game winning streak from March 10-April 6
• IU has recorded a +168 run margin through 42 games (+4.0/game), outscoring the competition 301-133
2013 HOOSIERS MAKING HISTORIC WAVES
With 34 wins this season, the 2013 Hoosiers already own the most wins over Division-I opponents in school history. With 11 regular season games remaining and possible postseason contests, the `13 squad could shatter the previous record of 33 D-I wins. In addition, the Hoosiers enter the weekend with a .810 winning percentage (34-8), the best clip since 1933 (16-3, .842).
BEST SEASON WINNING PERCENTAGES IN SCHOOL HISTORY
1895 - .917 (11-1)
1932 - .867 (13-2)
1933 - .842 (16-3)
2013 - .810 (34-8)
1939 - .800 (16-4)
1943 - .800 (4-1)
NATIONALLY RANKED HOOSIERS
Baseball America tabbed the Hoosiers as the 24th-best team in the country on March 11, marking the first time in school history Indiana has been nationally ranked. IU is slotted #16 this week by Baseball America, and Perfect Game (complete rankings listed on the next page). The Hoosiers have ascended as high as 12th during the 2013 campaign.
BIG TEN RPI NUMBERS
The Big Ten Conference has five teams in the RPI top-55 entering the weekend. IUleads the way at #13, followed by: Illinois (#34). Michigan State (#36), Nebraska (#47) and Ohio State (#53).
BIG TEN'S ELITE, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING AND RECORD WISE
The Hoosier lineup is potent and deep, leading to Indiana sitting atop of every major offensive statistical offensive category in the Big Ten. Don't sleep on the pitching, however, as the Hoosier hurlers' 2.34 team earned run average is also tops in the conference. For the "only thing that matters is wins and losses" crowd, don't fret. Indiana's 34-8 record (.810) is also the B1G's best.
HOW THE HOOSIERS STACK UP ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL
Indiana is posting numbers worthy of top-25 NCAA rankings as well. Entering the weekend, IU staff's 2.34 ERA is the fourth-lowest in the country. In addition, IU is slotted eighth in winning percentage (.810), 10th in slugging percentage (.460), 11th in batting average (.315), 16th in scoring (7.2 runs/game) and 22nd in homeruns (22nd). Defensively, the Hoosiers have turned 48 double plays, good for the eighth-best twin killings clip in D-I baseball.
Individually, Kyle Schwarber is slotted 13th with a .678 slugging percentage, 22nd with 10 homeruns and 24th with a .397 average. Meanwhile, Justin Cureton's 48 runs place 19th and Scott Donley's 47 RBI come in at 24th. On the bump, Scott Effross owns the NCAA's 15th-lowest ERA at 1.23 and ranks 14th in WHIP (0.86).
GOLDEN SPIKES & JOHNNY BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST
Sophomore Kyle Schwarber is one of 60 players to be selected by USA Baseball for the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list. The Golden Spikes Award is given annually to the country's top amateur baseball players. Schwarber was also one of 48 catchers nation-wide to be selected for the Johnny Bench Award watch list, presented annually to the best collegiate catcher.
