Tuesday, March 26
Bloomington, Ind.
6:00 PM
Indiana University
13-12
12
vs
5
Middle Tennessee State
10-13
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Middle Tennessee
0
0
0
2
0
2
1
0
0
5
8
0
Indiana
1
3
1
1
0
2
0
4
X
12
15
2
Oliver Homers Twice, Pitching Delivers in 12-5 Midweek Victory
3/26/2024 9:30:00 PM | Baseball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Freshman second baseman Jasen Oliver delivered the game of his life on Tuesday (March 26) evening as the Indiana Baseball team stormed to a 12-5 win over Middle Tennessee State at Bart Kaufman Field.
Oliver hit his first career home run in the third inning and followed that up with a two-run blast in the eighth to put the game on ice. He recorded a career high in hits (4), runs (3), RBIs (3) and home runs (2) as the Hoosiers mashed their way to 12 runs on 15 hits. Oliver kick-started a run of back-to-back-to-back home runs along with senior outfielder Sam Murrison and junior outfielder Carter Mathison in the eighth inning.
Faced with a challenge from the coaching staff, IU's pitchers were fantastic on Tuesday evening. Sixth-year senior Ty Rybarczyk (W, 1-1) set the tone with 3.1 innings of work with four strikeouts. He held the visitors without a hit for the first three innings. IU's pitching staff combined for 18 punchouts, the most this season and most as a team in a nine-inning game since March 13, 2021 (18 - Penn State).
Oliver (4), Mathison (3), junior infielder Brock Tibbitts (3) and redshirt freshman infielder Joey Brenczewski (2) all had multi-hit days in the victory. Tibbitts now has 179 hits for his career. Mathison (35 career home runs) is just one away from moving into top-10 in program history.
The Hoosiers head to Indianapolis on Thursday (March 28) to begin a four-game slate with Butler. The final three contests of the series will be in Bloomington on Friday and Saturday.
Scoring Recap
Bottom First
Nick Mitchell began the IU account on Tuesday afternoon, doubling into the gap in right-center to score Devin Taylor.
Indiana 1, Middle Tennessee 0
Bottom Second
Taylor walked with the bases loaded to drive in one run before Brock Tibbitts scored two on a single into centerfield.
Indiana 4, Middle Tennessee 0
Bottom Third
Jasen Oliver hit his first-career home run with an opposite-field shot into the bullpen in right field.
Indiana 5, Middle Tennessee 0
Top Fourth
Middle Tennessee got a pair back in the fourth. Briggs Rutter hit a line drive through the right side to score Gabe Jennings. Trace Phillips followed that up with a chopper to the third baseman to score Rutter.
Indiana 5, Middle Tennessee 2
Bottom Fourth
Tibbitts answered the call once more, sending a double off the wall in left field to score Taylor all the way from first.
Indiana 6, Middle Tennessee 2
Top Sixth
Jared Vetetoe cut the deficit in half in the sixth with a no-doubt 432-foot home run into right field.
Indiana 6, Middle Tennessee 4
Bottom Sixth
The Hoosiers added a pair in the bottom of the frame to extend the lead again. Mitchell hit a line drive on a rope to the right fielder that resulted in a sacrifice fly. Joey Brenczewski took an 0-2 fastball up the middle with two outs to score Taylor.
Indiana 8, Middle Tennessee 4
Top Seventh
After a dropped fly ball by Oliver at second base, Eston Snider singled to right field to bring around Jennings.
Indiana 8, Middle Tennessee 5
Bottom Eighth
IU opened the floodgates in the eighth with three-straight home runs. Oliver hit a two-run shot into right-center field. Sam Murrison followed with a moonshot over the scoreboard. Carter Mathison added a third on an opposite field solo home run.
Indiana 12, Middle Tennessee 5
Top Hoosier Performers
#2 Oliver, Jasen
4-5, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR
#9 Tibbitts, Brock
3-4, 3 RBI
#51 Risedorph, Brayden
2.0 IP, 1 H, 6 K
Notes to Know
• Nick Mitchell extended his team-best hitting streak to nine games. Jasen Oliver follows closely behind, extending his to a career-long seven games.
• Oliver's four-hit day was the first by an IU freshman since Tyler Cerny did so on April 15, 2023 (at Illinois). It was the first multi-home run game of the season for any IU player and the first freshman to do so since Devin Taylor on May 20th, 2023 (at Michigan State).
• The Hoosiers' pitching staff struck out a season-best 18 batters on Tuesday evening. It was the most strikeouts by an IU staff in a nine-inning game since March 13, 2021 (vs. Penn State). IU struck out 18 against Maryland on May 26th, 2022 (Big Ten Tournament) in a contest that went extra-innings.
• Behind Oliver, Sam Murrison and Carter Mathison, IU hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning. It was the first run of three-straight long balls since April 5, 2014 at Iowa (Kyle Schwarber, Sam Travis, Scott Donley).
Up Next
IU continues its week of non-conference play with a four-game set against Butler. Thursday's game will be in Indianapolis with the final three in Bloomington (Friday-Saturday). Thursday's contest will be streamed on FloBaseball or can be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network viaIUHoosiers.com/Audio.
Oliver hit his first career home run in the third inning and followed that up with a two-run blast in the eighth to put the game on ice. He recorded a career high in hits (4), runs (3), RBIs (3) and home runs (2) as the Hoosiers mashed their way to 12 runs on 15 hits. Oliver kick-started a run of back-to-back-to-back home runs along with senior outfielder Sam Murrison and junior outfielder Carter Mathison in the eighth inning.
Faced with a challenge from the coaching staff, IU's pitchers were fantastic on Tuesday evening. Sixth-year senior Ty Rybarczyk (W, 1-1) set the tone with 3.1 innings of work with four strikeouts. He held the visitors without a hit for the first three innings. IU's pitching staff combined for 18 punchouts, the most this season and most as a team in a nine-inning game since March 13, 2021 (18 - Penn State).
Oliver (4), Mathison (3), junior infielder Brock Tibbitts (3) and redshirt freshman infielder Joey Brenczewski (2) all had multi-hit days in the victory. Tibbitts now has 179 hits for his career. Mathison (35 career home runs) is just one away from moving into top-10 in program history.
The Hoosiers head to Indianapolis on Thursday (March 28) to begin a four-game slate with Butler. The final three contests of the series will be in Bloomington on Friday and Saturday.
Scoring Recap
Bottom First
Nick Mitchell began the IU account on Tuesday afternoon, doubling into the gap in right-center to score Devin Taylor.
Indiana 1, Middle Tennessee 0
Bottom Second
Taylor walked with the bases loaded to drive in one run before Brock Tibbitts scored two on a single into centerfield.
Indiana 4, Middle Tennessee 0
Bottom Third
Jasen Oliver hit his first-career home run with an opposite-field shot into the bullpen in right field.
Indiana 5, Middle Tennessee 0
Top Fourth
Middle Tennessee got a pair back in the fourth. Briggs Rutter hit a line drive through the right side to score Gabe Jennings. Trace Phillips followed that up with a chopper to the third baseman to score Rutter.
Indiana 5, Middle Tennessee 2
Bottom Fourth
Tibbitts answered the call once more, sending a double off the wall in left field to score Taylor all the way from first.
Indiana 6, Middle Tennessee 2
Top Sixth
Jared Vetetoe cut the deficit in half in the sixth with a no-doubt 432-foot home run into right field.
Indiana 6, Middle Tennessee 4
Bottom Sixth
The Hoosiers added a pair in the bottom of the frame to extend the lead again. Mitchell hit a line drive on a rope to the right fielder that resulted in a sacrifice fly. Joey Brenczewski took an 0-2 fastball up the middle with two outs to score Taylor.
Indiana 8, Middle Tennessee 4
Top Seventh
After a dropped fly ball by Oliver at second base, Eston Snider singled to right field to bring around Jennings.
Indiana 8, Middle Tennessee 5
Bottom Eighth
IU opened the floodgates in the eighth with three-straight home runs. Oliver hit a two-run shot into right-center field. Sam Murrison followed with a moonshot over the scoreboard. Carter Mathison added a third on an opposite field solo home run.
Indiana 12, Middle Tennessee 5
Top Hoosier Performers
#2 Oliver, Jasen
4-5, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR
#9 Tibbitts, Brock
3-4, 3 RBI
#51 Risedorph, Brayden
2.0 IP, 1 H, 6 K
Notes to Know
• Nick Mitchell extended his team-best hitting streak to nine games. Jasen Oliver follows closely behind, extending his to a career-long seven games.
• Oliver's four-hit day was the first by an IU freshman since Tyler Cerny did so on April 15, 2023 (at Illinois). It was the first multi-home run game of the season for any IU player and the first freshman to do so since Devin Taylor on May 20th, 2023 (at Michigan State).
• The Hoosiers' pitching staff struck out a season-best 18 batters on Tuesday evening. It was the most strikeouts by an IU staff in a nine-inning game since March 13, 2021 (vs. Penn State). IU struck out 18 against Maryland on May 26th, 2022 (Big Ten Tournament) in a contest that went extra-innings.
• Behind Oliver, Sam Murrison and Carter Mathison, IU hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning. It was the first run of three-straight long balls since April 5, 2014 at Iowa (Kyle Schwarber, Sam Travis, Scott Donley).
Up Next
IU continues its week of non-conference play with a four-game set against Butler. Thursday's game will be in Indianapolis with the final three in Bloomington (Friday-Saturday). Thursday's contest will be streamed on FloBaseball or can be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network viaIUHoosiers.com/Audio.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rybarczyk, Ty (1-1)
L: Beranek, Bryant (1-4)
S: Risedorph, Brayden (1)
Batting:
2B: Vetetoe, Jared 1
HR: Vetetoe, Jared 1
RBI: Snider, Eston 1 ; Rutter, Briggs 1 ; Phillips, Trace 1 ; Vetetoe, Jared 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Jennings, Gabe 2 ; Rutter, Briggs 1 ; Phillips, Trace 1 ; Vetetoe, Jared 1
PO: Snider, Eston 1
Batting:
2B: Tibbitts, Brock 1 ; Mitchell, Nick 1
HR: Mathison, Carter 1 ; Oliver, Jasen 2 ; Murrison, Sam 1
RBI: Mathison, Carter 1 ; Taylor, Devin 1 ; Tibbitts, Brock 3 ; Mitchell, Nick 2 ; Brenczewski, Joey 1 ; Oliver, Jasen 3 ; Murrison, Sam 1
SF: Mitchell, Nick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mathison, Carter 2 ; Cerny, Tyler 2 ; Taylor, Devin 3 ; Brenczewski, Joey 1 ; Oliver, Jasen 3 ; Murrison, Sam 1
SB: Tibbitts, Brock 1 ; Mitchell, Nick 1
HBP: Cerny, Tyler 1 ; Tibbitts, Brock 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
3
H
4
RBI
3
AB
6
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
c/1b
AB
4
R
0
H
3
RBI
3
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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