Oliver Delivers Career Day in Tournament Opener

Tuesday, May 21

Omaha, Neb.

5:00 PM

Indiana University

31-22-1

#6 Purdue

33-23

Purdue

Indiana

Oliver Delivers Career Day in Tournament Opener

5/21/2024 8:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

OMAHA, Neb. – In his first career Big Ten Tournament game, freshman second baseman Jasen Oliver delivered the biggest moment of the contest. Down a run in the fifth inning, Oliver hit an opposite field home run, just over the wall, to give the Hoosiers a lead it would never concede.

That home run from Oliver was sandwiched between a single and a double, leaving him a triple short of the cycle in his collegiate postseason debut. IU added five runs on seven hits, including Oliver's double, in the sixth inning to break open a big lead. The Hoosiers held on in the ninth to punch a ticket into the winner's bracket.

Eight of IU's nine starters had hits on the day including multi-hit contests from Oliver and juniors Nick Mitchell, Brock Tibbitts and Carter Mathison. IU's six through eight hitters combined to go 7-11 with six runs, five RBIs and a walk in the opening game of the tournament.

The Hoosiers' pitching got hairy in the ninth but was solid throughout the first eight inning of the games. Despite batting a sickness and fever, sixth-year senior Ty Bothwell went three scoreless innings. Graduate student Drew Buhr gave IU length with four innings of two-run ball. Sophomore Brayden Risedorph came in to get the final three outs.

Now into the winner's bracket, the Hoosiers will play either No. 2 Nebraska or No. 7 Ohio State on Thursday afternoon (3:00 PM ET/2:00 PM CT). IU played Nebraska just two weeks ago but hasn't met Ohio State at all this season.

Scoring Recap
Bottom Second
Thomas Green opened the scoring in the fourth inning. Purdue got runners on via a double and a sacrifice bunt but Green's sacrifice fly, on a line drive caught by Carter Mathison, kept it to just one run.
Purdue 1, Indiana 0

Bottom Fifth
Badly needing offense, IU opened the inning with a single from Brock Tibbitts and a walk from Carter Mathison. Jasen Oliver then hit an opposite field, three-run home run to put the Hoosiers up a pair of runs in the fifth.
Indiana 3, Purdue 1

Bottom Sixth
IU's offense exploded in the sixth, batting around the lineup with five runs on seven hits. Tyler Cerny, Tibbitts and Oliver all hit doubles to drive in runs. Jake Stadler and Josh Pyne finished off the frame with a pair of RBI-singles as IU opened up a six-run advantage.
Indiana 8, Purdue 1

Top Eighth
Keenan Spence hit a solo home run to trim the deficit.
Indiana 8, Purdue 2

Top Ninth
Keenan Taylor opened the frame with a home run. A pair of walks put two runners on for Spence, who deposited a three-run home run in the bleachers. A double play and a strikeout from Brayden Risedorph ended the threat in the inning.

Top Hoosier Performers
#2 Oliver, Jasen
3-4, 1 HR, 1 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R

#9 Tibbitts, Brock
2-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI

#24 Buhr, Drew
4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 K

Notes to Know
• Indiana won its Big Ten Tournament opener for the second-straight year after an 8-6 win over Purdue. The last time IU won openers at the conference tournament in back-to-back years was in 2013 and 2014 when it won the whole thing each time.

• IU's pitching staff, despite running into some struggles in the ninth, held its opponent to seven-or-fewer runs for the 14th-straight contest. Drew Buhr has pitched four times in the past 10 games and has conceded just five runs in those 14 complete innings thrown.

• Brock Tibbitts had a multi-hit contest, extending his career tally to 192. He has two guaranteed games remaining but would like to go on a run as he chases 200-career hits in his IU tenure.

• Tyler Cerny recorded his 22nd double of the season in the sixth inning to score Nick Mitchell. His 22 doubles are tied for third-most in a single season in program history with Sam Travis (2013) and Mickey Morandini (2013). Only Dustin DeMuth (24, 2013) and Dan Winters (31, 1984) have more in one campaign.

Up Next
The Hoosiers will meet an undetermined opponent on Thursday afternoon against either No. 2 Nebraska or No. 7 Ohio State. The game will be in the winner's bracket with a first pitch at 2:00 PM CT. It will be broadcasted on the Big Ten Network and can be heard on the Indiana Sports Radio Network via IUHoosiers.com/Audio.