Sunday, June 2
Knoxville, Tenn.
12:00 PM
Indiana University
3
vs
15
Southern Miss
Season Comes to Close in NCAA Regional
6/2/2024 5:00:00 PM | Baseball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After an incredible run of form on the mound over the final month of the season to get into the NCAA Regional, the Indiana Baseball team (33-26-1) ran out of steam on Sunday (June 2) afternoon. The Hoosiers fell to second-seeded Southern Miss 15-3 to close out the 2024 season.
The pitching staff, already stretched thin due to injury and high pitch counts on Saturday, struggled to throw strikes on Sunday. The Hoosiers needed to use five different pitchers after getting just three outs from starter Brayden Risedorph. IU's season featured four different pitchers out for the season and saw its staff run out of gas down the stretch.
Sophomore outfielder Devin Taylor and freshman second baseman Jasen Oliver each hit milestone home runs in the defeat. Taylor smashed a solo home run over the scoreboard, his 20th of the season. He becomes the fifth Hoosier in program history with a 20-home run campaign and the first during the BBCOR era (since 2011).
Oliver's two-run blast in the ninth inning was the 10th of his season, becoming the fourth freshman in the last three seasons (Carter Mathison – 19, Taylor – 16 and Tyler Cerny – 10) with a 10+ home run debut season. Four different Hoosiers had 10+ home run seasons in 2024 including Taylor (20), Oliver (10), Mathison (13) and sophomore shortstop Tyler Cerny (10).
The season has come to a close for IU and with that, the careers of some fantastic players. Seniors Ty Bothwell and Morgan Colopy will go down as some of the toughest players to ever wear the IU uniform. Likely draft picks in juniors Mathison, Brock Tibbitts and Nick Mitchell all made an impeccable impact on the program.
Scoring Recap
Top First
Southern Miss did some serious damage in the first inning as starter Brayden Risedorph struggled to get through the opening frame. Ozzie Pratt doubled to right field to score Dalton McIntyre. Slade Wilks and a single up the middle to bring home Pratt. Braden Luke and Gabe Broadus each drove in runs with a pair of hits as the Golden Eagles hung five in the first inning.
Southern Miss 5, Indiana 0
Top Third
After IU loaded the bases, the Golden Eagles took advantage to blow it open. Pratt hit a chopper off the pitcher's glove for an infield single to score Lawson Odum. Wilks walked with the bases loaded. Davis Gillespie doubled off the wall in left field as another pair of runs came around to score. Matthew Russo and Luke each singled to keep the pressure on in the third.
Southern Miss 11, Indiana 0
Top Fourth
The Golden Eagles added more runs in the fourth. Pratt singled to center field to bring home Broadus. Dalton McIntyre scored on a fielder's choice before Russo doubled down the line to add another pair of runs to the damage.
Southern Miss 15, Indiana 0
Bottom Fifth
Devin Taylor hit a solo home run, his 20th of the season.
Southern Miss 15, Indiana 1
Bottom Ninth
Jasen Oliver hit a two-run home run.
Southern Miss 15, Indiana 3
Top Hoosier Performers
#5 Taylor, Devin
1-3, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI
#8 Cerny, Tyler
2-3, 1 R, 1 2B
#19 Keyster, Brandon
5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 K
Notes to Know
• Tyler Cerny recorded his 24th double of the season with a ninth-inning base hit on Sunday afternoon. His 24 doubles on the season are tied for second in a single campaign in program history. The Big Ten leader in two-baggers is the first since Dustin DeMuth (2013) with 24 doubles in a season.
• Brock Tibbitts and Nick Mitchell will both likely end their collegiate careers short of the 200-hit club. The likely MLB draft picks in July both finished with 199 hits through three years of baseball. For Tibbitts, he finished just outside of 200-career hits for the Hoosiers. Had he not missed a month of the season through injury, he would've reached that mark and then some.
• Devin Taylor crushed a solo home run in the seventh inning, his 20th of the season. The sophomore is just the fifth player in program history with 20+ long balls in a single season. He is the first since Alex Dickerson (24 – 2010) to do so and the first to reach the threshold since the NCAA went to the BBCOR bats in 2011.
• The double from Cerny on Sunday further established the single-season team doubles record set last night. The Hoosiers finished the campaign with 140, led by a combined 46 from Cerny and Josh Pyne. Nine different players had at least eight doubles this year.
• IU blasted 83 home runs on the season including 10+ from four different players. The 83 home runs are third in a single season in program history behind only the 2019 (95) and 2010 (85) teams. 50 of those long balls came from either freshmen or sophomores.
The pitching staff, already stretched thin due to injury and high pitch counts on Saturday, struggled to throw strikes on Sunday. The Hoosiers needed to use five different pitchers after getting just three outs from starter Brayden Risedorph. IU's season featured four different pitchers out for the season and saw its staff run out of gas down the stretch.
Sophomore outfielder Devin Taylor and freshman second baseman Jasen Oliver each hit milestone home runs in the defeat. Taylor smashed a solo home run over the scoreboard, his 20th of the season. He becomes the fifth Hoosier in program history with a 20-home run campaign and the first during the BBCOR era (since 2011).
Oliver's two-run blast in the ninth inning was the 10th of his season, becoming the fourth freshman in the last three seasons (Carter Mathison – 19, Taylor – 16 and Tyler Cerny – 10) with a 10+ home run debut season. Four different Hoosiers had 10+ home run seasons in 2024 including Taylor (20), Oliver (10), Mathison (13) and sophomore shortstop Tyler Cerny (10).
The season has come to a close for IU and with that, the careers of some fantastic players. Seniors Ty Bothwell and Morgan Colopy will go down as some of the toughest players to ever wear the IU uniform. Likely draft picks in juniors Mathison, Brock Tibbitts and Nick Mitchell all made an impeccable impact on the program.
Scoring Recap
Top First
Southern Miss did some serious damage in the first inning as starter Brayden Risedorph struggled to get through the opening frame. Ozzie Pratt doubled to right field to score Dalton McIntyre. Slade Wilks and a single up the middle to bring home Pratt. Braden Luke and Gabe Broadus each drove in runs with a pair of hits as the Golden Eagles hung five in the first inning.
Southern Miss 5, Indiana 0
Top Third
After IU loaded the bases, the Golden Eagles took advantage to blow it open. Pratt hit a chopper off the pitcher's glove for an infield single to score Lawson Odum. Wilks walked with the bases loaded. Davis Gillespie doubled off the wall in left field as another pair of runs came around to score. Matthew Russo and Luke each singled to keep the pressure on in the third.
Southern Miss 11, Indiana 0
Top Fourth
The Golden Eagles added more runs in the fourth. Pratt singled to center field to bring home Broadus. Dalton McIntyre scored on a fielder's choice before Russo doubled down the line to add another pair of runs to the damage.
Southern Miss 15, Indiana 0
Bottom Fifth
Devin Taylor hit a solo home run, his 20th of the season.
Southern Miss 15, Indiana 1
Bottom Ninth
Jasen Oliver hit a two-run home run.
Southern Miss 15, Indiana 3
Top Hoosier Performers
#5 Taylor, Devin
1-3, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI
#8 Cerny, Tyler
2-3, 1 R, 1 2B
#19 Keyster, Brandon
5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 K
Notes to Know
• Tyler Cerny recorded his 24th double of the season with a ninth-inning base hit on Sunday afternoon. His 24 doubles on the season are tied for second in a single campaign in program history. The Big Ten leader in two-baggers is the first since Dustin DeMuth (2013) with 24 doubles in a season.
• Brock Tibbitts and Nick Mitchell will both likely end their collegiate careers short of the 200-hit club. The likely MLB draft picks in July both finished with 199 hits through three years of baseball. For Tibbitts, he finished just outside of 200-career hits for the Hoosiers. Had he not missed a month of the season through injury, he would've reached that mark and then some.
• Devin Taylor crushed a solo home run in the seventh inning, his 20th of the season. The sophomore is just the fifth player in program history with 20+ long balls in a single season. He is the first since Alex Dickerson (24 – 2010) to do so and the first to reach the threshold since the NCAA went to the BBCOR bats in 2011.
• The double from Cerny on Sunday further established the single-season team doubles record set last night. The Hoosiers finished the campaign with 140, led by a combined 46 from Cerny and Josh Pyne. Nine different players had at least eight doubles this year.
• IU blasted 83 home runs on the season including 10+ from four different players. The 83 home runs are third in a single season in program history behind only the 2019 (95) and 2010 (85) teams. 50 of those long balls came from either freshmen or sophomores.
Players Mentioned
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