Indiana University Athletics
Wednesday, March 6
Bloomington, Ind.
4:00 PM
Indiana University
vs
Northern Kentucky
Baseball Central: Northern Kentucky
3/5/2024 1:00:00 PM | Baseball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana Baseball team (7-4) begins a stretch of 15 of 18 games at home to close out the month of March with a midweek contest against Northern Kentucky (March 6th).
After a tough week, that featured three losses sandwiched around a win over No. 25 Dallas Baptist, IU will look to get back on track against Northern Kentucky before a three-game set vs. Troy on the weekend.
Freshman pitcher Seth Benes continues his role as the midweek opener as he makes the slow return to full health after an injury his senior year of high school.
Junior outfielder Nick Mitchell has taken over the leadoff role after missing the first six games of the season and has made an immediate impact. He had a three-hit day in the win over Dallas Baptist and has reached base 11 times in five games.
Four Hoosiers have played in all 11 games and are hitting .300 or better on the season, led by sophomore outfielder Devin Taylor (.422) and sophomore shortstop Tyler Cerny (.383).
Despite being delayed from Tuesday to Wednesday because of weather, IU's midweek with Northern Kentucky will still begin at 4:00 PM EST on BTN+. William McDermott (PxP) and Josh Pos (Color) will have the call.
Gameday Info
vs. Northern Kentucky (Wednesday, March 6th)
Live Video: bit.ly/48GsyEX
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/49HHc0i
Probable Starters
Indiana vs. Northern Kentucky
• Seth Benes (0-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. TBD
Notable
Top-25 Wins
• The Hoosiers have collected two top-25 wins in four tries to begin the season after a rigorous opening three weekends to the season. Down five runs to Dallas Baptist on Saturday, junior catcher Brock Tibbitts sparked a comeback victory with 4 RBI's, two doubles and a triple.
• Now through three weekends, IU has wins over No. 18 Coastal Carolina and No. 25 Dallas Baptist, two of the top mid-major teams in the entire nation. Two of IU's losses are to consensus top-20 teams in Alabama and Duke.
Home Sweet Home
• After three weekends on the road, IU returns to the friendly confines of Bart Kaufman Field for 15 of its next 18 contests. Sprinkled in there are weekend series against Troy, Belmont, Butler and the Big Ten opening weekend against Illinois.
• The Hoosiers were 26-4 at home last year and are 1-1 so far this season. IU is 10 wins away from 200 all-time wins at Bart Kaufman Field, a stadium that opened in 2013.
First RPI Release
• The NCAA released the first edition of the RPI ratings for the 2024 baseball season. The Hoosiers come in at No. 26, the third-highest team in the entire Big Ten Conference.
• Early-season opponents Alabama (7), Duke (13), Dallas Baptist (17) and Coastal Carolina (23) all rank inside the top-25. IU will also play Nebraska (3), Rutgers (6), Indiana State (37) and Purdue (38) as the year progresses.
Saturday Standard
• Connor Foley and Ty Bothwell have combined to form an outstanding pitching duo on Saturday afternoons. The pair has pitched all 27 innings on Saturdays, helping the Hoosiers to wins against No. 18 Coastal Carolina, Baylor and No. 25 Bothwell.
Early-Season Numbers
- Connor Foley: 1-0, 14.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 21 K
- Ty Bothwell: 2-0, 1 SV, 12.2 IP, 13 H, 3 ER. 11 K
Mitchell Makes an Impact
• After missing the first six games of the season, Nick Mitchell earned his first start of the season on the Sunday at Baylor. Since then, he's started all games and appeared in right field on three occasions.
• Through five games with the Hoosiers, he's hitting .353 (6-17) with seven runs and one RBI. He had a three-hit game in the win over Dallas Baptist and scored three times in the victory.
Strong Start
• Off to a 7-4 start through 11 games, IU is ahead of schedule in last year's 43-win campaign. IU was 5-6 through 11 contests last season before getting hot at home in the month of March.
• The Hoosiers began the 2019 Big Ten title campaign at 6-5 and were 9-2 through 11 contests in 2018.
Scouting the Opponent
Northern Kentucky (4-7, 0-0)
• Fresh off a weekend series victory over SEC-foe Missouri, Northern Kentucky makes the trip to Bloomington for the second all-time meeting between the programs.
• The top of the Northern Kentucky lineup has been on a tear to begin the season with six starters batting .310 or better. Led by Jake Paulick who is hitting .484 (15-31) in 10 games, the Norse have an extremely potent offensive lineup.
• Northern Kentucky has hit 17 home runs this year with Mitch Wood and Liam McFadden-Ackman combining on 12 of those. Six of its contests this season have been against SEC competition in Georgia and Missouri.
Inside the Series
Indiana vs. Northern Kentucky
• The two programs meet for just the second time in program history. Northern Kentucky began the four-year reclassification process from division two to division one in 2012-13 and became a full-time member of the Horizon League in 2015.
• IU beat Northern Kentucky 7-3 in March of 2011 in Bloomington.
After a tough week, that featured three losses sandwiched around a win over No. 25 Dallas Baptist, IU will look to get back on track against Northern Kentucky before a three-game set vs. Troy on the weekend.
Freshman pitcher Seth Benes continues his role as the midweek opener as he makes the slow return to full health after an injury his senior year of high school.
Junior outfielder Nick Mitchell has taken over the leadoff role after missing the first six games of the season and has made an immediate impact. He had a three-hit day in the win over Dallas Baptist and has reached base 11 times in five games.
Four Hoosiers have played in all 11 games and are hitting .300 or better on the season, led by sophomore outfielder Devin Taylor (.422) and sophomore shortstop Tyler Cerny (.383).
Despite being delayed from Tuesday to Wednesday because of weather, IU's midweek with Northern Kentucky will still begin at 4:00 PM EST on BTN+. William McDermott (PxP) and Josh Pos (Color) will have the call.
Gameday Info
vs. Northern Kentucky (Wednesday, March 6th)
Live Video: bit.ly/48GsyEX
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/49HHc0i
Probable Starters
Indiana vs. Northern Kentucky
• Seth Benes (0-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. TBD
Notable
Top-25 Wins
• The Hoosiers have collected two top-25 wins in four tries to begin the season after a rigorous opening three weekends to the season. Down five runs to Dallas Baptist on Saturday, junior catcher Brock Tibbitts sparked a comeback victory with 4 RBI's, two doubles and a triple.
• Now through three weekends, IU has wins over No. 18 Coastal Carolina and No. 25 Dallas Baptist, two of the top mid-major teams in the entire nation. Two of IU's losses are to consensus top-20 teams in Alabama and Duke.
Home Sweet Home
• After three weekends on the road, IU returns to the friendly confines of Bart Kaufman Field for 15 of its next 18 contests. Sprinkled in there are weekend series against Troy, Belmont, Butler and the Big Ten opening weekend against Illinois.
• The Hoosiers were 26-4 at home last year and are 1-1 so far this season. IU is 10 wins away from 200 all-time wins at Bart Kaufman Field, a stadium that opened in 2013.
First RPI Release
• The NCAA released the first edition of the RPI ratings for the 2024 baseball season. The Hoosiers come in at No. 26, the third-highest team in the entire Big Ten Conference.
• Early-season opponents Alabama (7), Duke (13), Dallas Baptist (17) and Coastal Carolina (23) all rank inside the top-25. IU will also play Nebraska (3), Rutgers (6), Indiana State (37) and Purdue (38) as the year progresses.
Saturday Standard
• Connor Foley and Ty Bothwell have combined to form an outstanding pitching duo on Saturday afternoons. The pair has pitched all 27 innings on Saturdays, helping the Hoosiers to wins against No. 18 Coastal Carolina, Baylor and No. 25 Bothwell.
Early-Season Numbers
- Connor Foley: 1-0, 14.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 21 K
- Ty Bothwell: 2-0, 1 SV, 12.2 IP, 13 H, 3 ER. 11 K
Mitchell Makes an Impact
• After missing the first six games of the season, Nick Mitchell earned his first start of the season on the Sunday at Baylor. Since then, he's started all games and appeared in right field on three occasions.
• Through five games with the Hoosiers, he's hitting .353 (6-17) with seven runs and one RBI. He had a three-hit game in the win over Dallas Baptist and scored three times in the victory.
Strong Start
• Off to a 7-4 start through 11 games, IU is ahead of schedule in last year's 43-win campaign. IU was 5-6 through 11 contests last season before getting hot at home in the month of March.
• The Hoosiers began the 2019 Big Ten title campaign at 6-5 and were 9-2 through 11 contests in 2018.
Scouting the Opponent
Northern Kentucky (4-7, 0-0)
• Fresh off a weekend series victory over SEC-foe Missouri, Northern Kentucky makes the trip to Bloomington for the second all-time meeting between the programs.
• The top of the Northern Kentucky lineup has been on a tear to begin the season with six starters batting .310 or better. Led by Jake Paulick who is hitting .484 (15-31) in 10 games, the Norse have an extremely potent offensive lineup.
• Northern Kentucky has hit 17 home runs this year with Mitch Wood and Liam McFadden-Ackman combining on 12 of those. Six of its contests this season have been against SEC competition in Georgia and Missouri.
Inside the Series
Indiana vs. Northern Kentucky
• The two programs meet for just the second time in program history. Northern Kentucky began the four-year reclassification process from division two to division one in 2012-13 and became a full-time member of the Horizon League in 2015.
• IU beat Northern Kentucky 7-3 in March of 2011 in Bloomington.
Players Mentioned
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LHP
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OF
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OF
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