
NOTES: Indiana Returns Home to Host Minnesota this Weekend
4/22/2021 9:59:00 AM | Baseball
SETTING THE SCENE
• The Indiana Hoosiers return home to host the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Bart Kaufman Field for a three-game, Big Ten series this weekend.
• This past weekend, the Hoosiers took two of three games at Northwestern to win the series. After winning on Friday, 5-4, Indiana got a stellar performance from RHP Gabe Bierman to win the rubber match on Sunday, 4-0. The right tossed 7.2 shutout innings while striking out six and allowed just two hits and issued one walk on the afternoon.
• Jeff Mercer is in his third season at the helm of the Indiana baseball program. He led the Hoosiers to a Big Ten regular season title in 2019, earning him Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.
INSIDE #IUBASE
• The series this weekend will bring a close the five games scheduled between Minnesota and Indiana this season. The two teams played in a pod to begin the year, along with Rutgers at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. IU won both the games against the Gophers in the pod, 5-2 on March 5 and 8-1 on March 7.
• Indiana has posted three shutouts on the season, allowed one run or less six times and surrendered two runs or less 11 times. The Hoosier pitching staff also posted five games this year allowing two hits or less.
• Offensively, the Hoosiers have been led by INF Cole Barr, who is hitting a team-best .325 on the year with four home runs, seven doubles and 15 RBI. OF Grant Richardson has three home runs and stole a team-best five bases, while INF Paul Toetz and INF Jordan Fucci each have 14 RBI.
• Indiana ranks third in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (5.83) and fifth in the country in both ERA (2.77) and WHIP (1.12). The Hoosiers lead the Big Ten in all three categories.
• Individually, RHP McCade Brown leads the Big Ten in hits allowed per nine innings (4.58) and ranks second in the league in ERA (2.41), strikeouts (63) and strikeouts per nine innings (15.19). RHP Gabe Bierman leads the Big Ten in ERA (4.58) and ranks third in hits allowed per nine innings (4.93).
• Indiana is ranked No. 23 in the nation by Perfect Game. The Hoosiers are also receiving votes in the NCBWA poll.
• Since the start of the 2008 season, Indiana leads the Big Ten in wins (444) and conference wins (192). The Hoosiers have made seven NCAA Regionals over that span, the most out of any current Big Ten team.
• RHP McCade Brown and RHP Braydon Tucker combined to throw a no-hitter against Illinois on April 10 - the first no-hitter for the Hoosiers in nearly 37 years. The no-hitter was the first for Indiana since April 25, 1984, when Mark Gramer and the Hoosiers blanked Rose-Hulman, 6-0.
• For his efforts, RHP Braydon Tucker was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on April 13. Out of the bullpen, Tucker pitched four scoreless innings of relief to earn the save, striking out one, while issuing one walk.
• RHP McCade Brown was named the D1Baseball/AstroTurf Player of the Week, the Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week, Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week and the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after a school-record performance against Penn State on Mar. 13.
• The sophomore hurler matched the Indiana school record with a career-high 16 strikeouts in seven, no-hit innings. He also broke the IU record for most strikeouts in a Big Ten game, eclipsing the previous record of 13.
• LHP Tommy Sommer was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on Mar. 9. Sommer was outstanding for the Hoosiers this past weekend, helping the team defeat Minnesota, 5-2, on Mar. 5. The Carmel, Ind. native tossed eight shutout innings to earn the win, allowing just two hits, while matching his career-high with 10 strikeouts.
• Indiana OF Grant Richardson was named a First-Team Preseason All-American by both Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball. He was also named Third-Team Preseason All-American by D1Baseball.
• Before the season, Indiana was tabbed to win the Big Ten in 2021 by Perfect Game. OF Grant Richardson was named the Player of the Year and to the Preseason All-Big Ten team. He was joined on the preseason All-Big Ten team by RHP Gabe Bierman and RHP Connor Manous.
• RHP Gabe Bierman, OF Grant Richardson and LHP Tommy Sommer were all named to the Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List. IU was picked to finish second in the Big Ten behind Michigan in a preseason poll conducted of the league's coaches.
• After leading the Hoosiers to the 2019 Big Ten regular season championship, Jeff Mercer was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Mercer became the first Big Ten head coach since 1982 (John Anderson, Minnesota) to win a regular season conference title in his first season as the skipper. He was just the second coach in IU history – in any sport, men's or women's – to win an outright Big Ten championship in his (or her) first year.
#GoIU
• The Indiana Hoosiers return home to host the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Bart Kaufman Field for a three-game, Big Ten series this weekend.
• This past weekend, the Hoosiers took two of three games at Northwestern to win the series. After winning on Friday, 5-4, Indiana got a stellar performance from RHP Gabe Bierman to win the rubber match on Sunday, 4-0. The right tossed 7.2 shutout innings while striking out six and allowed just two hits and issued one walk on the afternoon.
• Jeff Mercer is in his third season at the helm of the Indiana baseball program. He led the Hoosiers to a Big Ten regular season title in 2019, earning him Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.
INSIDE #IUBASE
• The series this weekend will bring a close the five games scheduled between Minnesota and Indiana this season. The two teams played in a pod to begin the year, along with Rutgers at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. IU won both the games against the Gophers in the pod, 5-2 on March 5 and 8-1 on March 7.
• Indiana has posted three shutouts on the season, allowed one run or less six times and surrendered two runs or less 11 times. The Hoosier pitching staff also posted five games this year allowing two hits or less.
• Offensively, the Hoosiers have been led by INF Cole Barr, who is hitting a team-best .325 on the year with four home runs, seven doubles and 15 RBI. OF Grant Richardson has three home runs and stole a team-best five bases, while INF Paul Toetz and INF Jordan Fucci each have 14 RBI.
• Indiana ranks third in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (5.83) and fifth in the country in both ERA (2.77) and WHIP (1.12). The Hoosiers lead the Big Ten in all three categories.
• Individually, RHP McCade Brown leads the Big Ten in hits allowed per nine innings (4.58) and ranks second in the league in ERA (2.41), strikeouts (63) and strikeouts per nine innings (15.19). RHP Gabe Bierman leads the Big Ten in ERA (4.58) and ranks third in hits allowed per nine innings (4.93).
• Indiana is ranked No. 23 in the nation by Perfect Game. The Hoosiers are also receiving votes in the NCBWA poll.
• Since the start of the 2008 season, Indiana leads the Big Ten in wins (444) and conference wins (192). The Hoosiers have made seven NCAA Regionals over that span, the most out of any current Big Ten team.
• RHP McCade Brown and RHP Braydon Tucker combined to throw a no-hitter against Illinois on April 10 - the first no-hitter for the Hoosiers in nearly 37 years. The no-hitter was the first for Indiana since April 25, 1984, when Mark Gramer and the Hoosiers blanked Rose-Hulman, 6-0.
• For his efforts, RHP Braydon Tucker was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on April 13. Out of the bullpen, Tucker pitched four scoreless innings of relief to earn the save, striking out one, while issuing one walk.
• RHP McCade Brown was named the D1Baseball/AstroTurf Player of the Week, the Perfect Game/Rawlings Pitcher of the Week, Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week and the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after a school-record performance against Penn State on Mar. 13.
• The sophomore hurler matched the Indiana school record with a career-high 16 strikeouts in seven, no-hit innings. He also broke the IU record for most strikeouts in a Big Ten game, eclipsing the previous record of 13.
• LHP Tommy Sommer was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on Mar. 9. Sommer was outstanding for the Hoosiers this past weekend, helping the team defeat Minnesota, 5-2, on Mar. 5. The Carmel, Ind. native tossed eight shutout innings to earn the win, allowing just two hits, while matching his career-high with 10 strikeouts.
• Indiana OF Grant Richardson was named a First-Team Preseason All-American by both Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball. He was also named Third-Team Preseason All-American by D1Baseball.
• Before the season, Indiana was tabbed to win the Big Ten in 2021 by Perfect Game. OF Grant Richardson was named the Player of the Year and to the Preseason All-Big Ten team. He was joined on the preseason All-Big Ten team by RHP Gabe Bierman and RHP Connor Manous.
• RHP Gabe Bierman, OF Grant Richardson and LHP Tommy Sommer were all named to the Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List. IU was picked to finish second in the Big Ten behind Michigan in a preseason poll conducted of the league's coaches.
• After leading the Hoosiers to the 2019 Big Ten regular season championship, Jeff Mercer was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Mercer became the first Big Ten head coach since 1982 (John Anderson, Minnesota) to win a regular season conference title in his first season as the skipper. He was just the second coach in IU history – in any sport, men's or women's – to win an outright Big Ten championship in his (or her) first year.
#GoIU
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