Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers No Stranger to Tough Tests
2/19/2020 9:00:00 AM | Baseball
By Jared Rigdon
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer has put a strong emphasis on playing the best competition in the nation since arriving in Bloomington last year.
He has no fear of playing anyone at any time.
To open the 2020 season, Mercer scheduled a three-game set in Baton Rouge, La. against perennial SEC powerhouse LSU.
IU was handed everything they could handle on the opening weekend. INF Grant Macciocchi was injured in the first inning Friday night. Weather forced a doubleheader on Saturday. On top of that, IU was playing in one of the best environments in all of college baseball.
But for sophomore OF Grant Richardson, it just felt like any other opening weekend. He didn't feel like IU was overmatched or overwhelmed in any aspect.
"We're a pretty hard-nosed team even if we're somewhat young," Richardson said. "Nobody was freaking out. They were all calm. Everyone had a good attitude coming in and they knew what they were walking into."
IU's series against LSU culminated with a 7-2 win Saturday night, led by a six-inning effort from sophomore RHP Braydon Tucker on the mound and a four RBI effort from Richardson at the plate. It was a good measuring stick to figure out where IU stood after the opening weekend of competition.
It also showed that IU was able to use Mercer's hitting philosophy to produce results at the plate. His system is built around an attention to detail with patience in the box. In the final game of the weekend, IU had just one more strikeout (9) than it did walks (8).
"This past weekend we were able to do some things from an execution standpoint in the moment that had little to do with talent and more with the understanding of the game," Mercer said.
After losing eight players to the MLB Draft and a handful to graduation, IU's starting lineup has a heavy youth presence in it. The opening weekend rotation featured one junior and two sophomores. Three freshmen and two sophomores got at-bats.
In a sense, it's the opposite of last year's veteran-laden team. The assimilation of freshmen and transfers into this year's lineup was going to take time to shape out. But after one weekend, some of the results are starting to show.
IU was aggressive on the base paths and had a fundamental understanding of the situation at hand. To Mercer, that was more appealing than any number of wins and losses.
"I was more impressed than I have been in a long time with our maturity and discipline and our intent to execute a plan," Mercer said. "If our plan worked or didn't work is irrelevant, our intent in all facets was where I felt it should be throughout the weekend. From there, you can work off of that."
IU's win Saturday night over No. 11 LSU will be an RPI boosting component of its resume come May. But there's not much time to dwell on the past.
The tough non-conference slate continues this weekend in Mobile, Ala. with a three-game tournament against No. 30 South Alabama, Siena and UT-Martin.
Richardson is the reigning Co-Big Ten Player of the Week and one of IU's most impactful players. Even though this team is continuing to develop, he has no shortage of confidence up and down the lineup.
"Everyone on the team is really young and everyone has a job to do," Richardson said.
"There's a role to play."
Friday's matchup with UT-Martin in Mobile, Ala. is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. ET first pitch.
For all the latest on Indiana University baseball, be sure to follow the team at @IndianaBase on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
#GoIU
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer has put a strong emphasis on playing the best competition in the nation since arriving in Bloomington last year.
He has no fear of playing anyone at any time.
To open the 2020 season, Mercer scheduled a three-game set in Baton Rouge, La. against perennial SEC powerhouse LSU.
IU was handed everything they could handle on the opening weekend. INF Grant Macciocchi was injured in the first inning Friday night. Weather forced a doubleheader on Saturday. On top of that, IU was playing in one of the best environments in all of college baseball.
But for sophomore OF Grant Richardson, it just felt like any other opening weekend. He didn't feel like IU was overmatched or overwhelmed in any aspect.
"We're a pretty hard-nosed team even if we're somewhat young," Richardson said. "Nobody was freaking out. They were all calm. Everyone had a good attitude coming in and they knew what they were walking into."
IU's series against LSU culminated with a 7-2 win Saturday night, led by a six-inning effort from sophomore RHP Braydon Tucker on the mound and a four RBI effort from Richardson at the plate. It was a good measuring stick to figure out where IU stood after the opening weekend of competition.
It also showed that IU was able to use Mercer's hitting philosophy to produce results at the plate. His system is built around an attention to detail with patience in the box. In the final game of the weekend, IU had just one more strikeout (9) than it did walks (8).
"This past weekend we were able to do some things from an execution standpoint in the moment that had little to do with talent and more with the understanding of the game," Mercer said.
After losing eight players to the MLB Draft and a handful to graduation, IU's starting lineup has a heavy youth presence in it. The opening weekend rotation featured one junior and two sophomores. Three freshmen and two sophomores got at-bats.
In a sense, it's the opposite of last year's veteran-laden team. The assimilation of freshmen and transfers into this year's lineup was going to take time to shape out. But after one weekend, some of the results are starting to show.
IU was aggressive on the base paths and had a fundamental understanding of the situation at hand. To Mercer, that was more appealing than any number of wins and losses.
"I was more impressed than I have been in a long time with our maturity and discipline and our intent to execute a plan," Mercer said. "If our plan worked or didn't work is irrelevant, our intent in all facets was where I felt it should be throughout the weekend. From there, you can work off of that."
IU's win Saturday night over No. 11 LSU will be an RPI boosting component of its resume come May. But there's not much time to dwell on the past.
The tough non-conference slate continues this weekend in Mobile, Ala. with a three-game tournament against No. 30 South Alabama, Siena and UT-Martin.
Richardson is the reigning Co-Big Ten Player of the Week and one of IU's most impactful players. Even though this team is continuing to develop, he has no shortage of confidence up and down the lineup.
"Everyone on the team is really young and everyone has a job to do," Richardson said.
"There's a role to play."
Friday's matchup with UT-Martin in Mobile, Ala. is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. ET first pitch.
For all the latest on Indiana University baseball, be sure to follow the team at @IndianaBase on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
#GoIU
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