Indiana University Athletics
Friday, April 9
Bloomington, Ind.
5:00 PM
Indiana University
vs
Illinois
NOTES: Indiana Baseball Hosts Illinois
4/8/2021 12:49:00 PM | Baseball
SETTING THE SCENE
• The Indiana Hoosiers return home to host Illinois in a three-game, Big Ten series this weekend at Bart Kaufman Field in Bloomington, Ind.
• Indiana has dropped their last five contests, three of which by less than three runs. IU's series loss to Ohio State last weekend was the first for the Hoosiers this season.
• 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 Indiana pitching staff continues to thrive this season, posting a team ERA of 2.81 with 181 strikeouts in 150.2 innings pitched. IU has allowed just 57 earned runs on 93 hits and has limited opponents to a batting average of .174.
• Offensively, the Hoosiers have been led by INF Cole Barr, who is hitting a team-best .361 on the year with two home runs, seven doubles and 11 RBI. OF Grant Richardson has hit a team-high three home runs and stole a team-best five bases, while INF Jordan Fucci leads IU with 14 RBI.
• The Hoosiers lead the Big Ten in team ERA (2.81), hits allowed per nine innings (5.56) and WHIP (1.12). IU ranks sixth in the nation, second and seventh, respectively, in those categories.
• Individually, RHP McCade Brown leads the Big Ten in strikeouts (49), is second in strikeouts per nine innings (15.75), third in hits allowed per nine innings (4.82) and fourth in ERA (2.57). LHP Tommy Sommer ranks third in ERA (2.45) and sixth in hits allowed per nine innings (5.52).
• Indiana is ranked No. 24 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 (440) and conference wins (188). The Hoosiers have made seven NCAA Regionals over that span, the most out of any current Big Ten team.
•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 Illinois in a three-game, Big Ten series this weekend at Bart Kaufman Field in Bloomington, Ind.
• Indiana has dropped their last five contests, three of which by less than three runs. IU's series loss to Ohio State last weekend was the first for the Hoosiers this season.
• 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 Indiana pitching staff continues to thrive this season, posting a team ERA of 2.81 with 181 strikeouts in 150.2 innings pitched. IU has allowed just 57 earned runs on 93 hits and has limited opponents to a batting average of .174.
• Offensively, the Hoosiers have been led by INF Cole Barr, who is hitting a team-best .361 on the year with two home runs, seven doubles and 11 RBI. OF Grant Richardson has hit a team-high three home runs and stole a team-best five bases, while INF Jordan Fucci leads IU with 14 RBI.
• The Hoosiers lead the Big Ten in team ERA (2.81), hits allowed per nine innings (5.56) and WHIP (1.12). IU ranks sixth in the nation, second and seventh, respectively, in those categories.
• Individually, RHP McCade Brown leads the Big Ten in strikeouts (49), is second in strikeouts per nine innings (15.75), third in hits allowed per nine innings (4.82) and fourth in ERA (2.57). LHP Tommy Sommer ranks third in ERA (2.45) and sixth in hits allowed per nine innings (5.52).
• Indiana is ranked No. 24 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 (440) and conference wins (188). The Hoosiers have made seven NCAA Regionals over that span, the most out of any current Big Ten team.
•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
Players Mentioned
RHP
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RHP
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INF
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OF
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LHP
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