Time to Execute – IU Braces for Maryland Challenge
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Country music plays under a cloudless blue sky. Shadows have just begun stretching across Bart Kaufman Field as Indiana wraps up baseball practice. The Hoosiers are a day removed from a victory at Ball State, extending their winning streak to eight. A crucial weekend Big Ten home series with defending conference champion Maryland looms at Bart Kaufman Field, and for coach Jeff Mercer, it’s all about perspective.
“It’s a big deal, but like I tell our guys, the games this weekend count as same as the games next weekend and the games last weekend.
“Sometimes you get too excited and try to do too much. I want them to play and do the things we always do.”
In other words, hit well, pitch well, field well, and win.
Consider the numbers.
IU is 31-11 overall, leads the Big Ten with a 9-3 record and has won seven straight weekend series.
Maryland is second in the conference at 8-4. It is 27-15 overall with a four-game winning streak. It hasn’t lost a Big Ten series since April of 2021.
Beyond that, the Hoosiers have the Big Ten’s best home record at 22-1. Iowa is next at 16-2. Maryland has a conference-best 13-6 road record.
The Hoosiers understand the stakes, even as Mercer downplays the pressure.
“I don’t care if we win or lose,” he says, “as long as we’re prepared and focused, and play as well as we can.”
Nine victories in the last 10 games suggest IU will do that. Its strong early schedule -- including a 17-4 loss to now No. 12 East Carolina in a North Carolina tourney -- is paying off, Mercer says. He points to the recent 7-3 win over then No. 10 Louisville as a primary example.
“You have to execute in the moment. That’s why it’s important to play a hard early schedule, important to play road games, important to get your butt kicked.
“Getting beat by East Carolina 17-4 on a Friday with a fast track with a 100-mph wind in front of 5,000 people was a great thing. It looks like heck at the time, but you’re able to beat Louisville because you played East Carolina.”
Louisville, once a top-10 team, is now No. 21.
Maryland is a formidable opponent. It has won six of seven, and eight of 10. It also played a strong early schedule. Two of its early losses came to then No. 4 Ole Miss. Another came to No. 7 Vanderbilt.
The Terrapins are loaded with home run power. Five players have at least 10, with Matt Shaw and Nick Lorusso tied with 15 each. Shaw just set the program record by hitting his 44th career homer.
They hit seven home runs in a mid-week win over Georgetown, including their ninth grand slam of the season. They have 90 homers overall. IU has 44.
“They’re super offensive,” Mercer says. “They’re data driven. In their (hitting) zones, they’re going to try to get (pitches) up, and hit them out of here.”
Top Terrapin pitchers are Jason Savacool (4-4, 3.75 ERA), Nick Dean (2-1, 5.04) and Kyle McCoy (3.5- 5.25).
Maryland’s team ERA of 6.14 ranks 12th in the Big Ten compared to IU’s No. 3 ranking at 4.64. That suggests pitching vulnerability. Mercer says that’s misleading.
“Their starters are good. The McCoy kid has been good. Savacool is excellent. Dean is excellent. They have two primary bullpen arms. ERA can be inflated.”
IU has won all four Big Ten series it’s played, but has lost the series opener in each of the last three series -- 7-2 to Penn State, 7-1 to Iowa and 7-5 to Illinois.
The Hoosiers bounced back to beat the Nittany Lions 4-1 and 22-11, the Hawkeyes 2-0 and 4-2, and the Illini 6-4 and 16-3.
“We’ve done a great job of getting better over the course of a weekend and limiting scoring,” Mercer says.
IU’s success has it projected as an NCAA tourney opening weekend host. Perspective, Mercer says, is imperative.
“This is the first time this group has experienced it, so it’s important to discuss what it means and how easy it is for teams to get ahead of themselves.
“We have a month to go, but our guys deserve that (recognition). They’ve done such a good job. We are 14-2 in games decided by two runs or less. They’ve done an awesome job of finding ways to win at the end. They’ve been so tough and resilient. I want them to be proud of themselves, but to understand there are no guarantees.”