Indiana University Athletics
Friday, February 13
Chapel Hill, N.C.
4 p.m.
Indiana University
at
North Carolina
Baseball Central: North Carolina
2/10/2026 5:00:00 PM | Baseball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Baseball returns across the country this weekend as the 56-game, 14-week grind begins on Friday (Feb. 13) afternoon. Eighth-year skipper Jeff Mercer and the Hoosiers begin their 2026 slate with a trip to No. 11 North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The two sides will play a true three-game series at Boshamer Stadium.
IU's talented sophomore class will be the driving force of a successful season this year. Reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year – first baseman Jake Hanley – headlines a deep group of returners that all appeared in over 45 games a season ago. Shortstop Cooper Malamazian, third baseman Will Moore and catcher Hogan Denny all got impactful experience a season ago.
With new pitching coach Matt Myers leading the charge, IU will have a new look on the bump in 2026. With the addition of several veteran arms, the Hoosiers believe they have one of their deepest groups of pitchers in the Mercer era. Redshirt senior Pete Haas (1-2, 4.01 ERA), sophomore Brayton Thomas (23 strikeouts) and graduate student Gavin Seebold (49 strikeouts) return to Bloomington after having impactful roles last season.
Mercer's team will be tested right from the jump on opening weekend. North Carolina hosted a Super Regional last year and return one of the best pitching staffs in the country. It will be the third time in the last five seasons that IU will face an ACC team on Opening Day.
First pitch on Friday afternoon is scheduled for 4 p.m. in Chapel Hill. Graduate student southpaw Tony Neubeck will start Opening Day for the Hoosiers. He will make his 15th career start but his first for the cream and crimson. Senior right-handed pitcher Jackson Bergman will pitch on Saturday afternoon.
Gameday Info
at #11 North Carolina (Friday, February 13th – 4 p.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/3M9FGxp
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/4tDubzc
at #11 North Carolina (Saturday, February 14th – Noon ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/4rIlTUD
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/4kkiyc2
at #11 North Carolina (Sunday, February 15th – 1 p.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/4a59Ta7
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/4tDubzc
Probable Starters
Indiana at North Carolina
• Friday: LHP Tony Neubeck, Gr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
• Saturday: RHP Jackson Bergman, Sr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
• Sunday: TBD
Leading Off
BIG HIT HANLEY: Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after a fantastic first campaign in Bloomington in 2025. He led all conference freshmen last year in hits (73), batting average (.333), home runs (14) and RBIs (52).
TAKING HIS BASES: Sophomore third baseman Will Moore led the Big Ten in on-base percentage (.514) in 2025. He had more walks (34) than strikeouts (24) while breaking a single-season freshman program record for hit-by-pitches (17). He figures to lead off for the Hoosiers in 2026.
A VETERAN ARM: Graduate student Gavin Seebold has the most innings (55.2) of any returning pitcher on IU's roster. He's thrown 163.2 innings in three years of baseball. Expect him to take on a plethora of roles for IU's pitching staff. He thrived out of the bullpen for the Hoosiers in 2025.
SOPHOMORE JUMP: Sophomore catcher Hogan Denny has been one of the best hitters in the fall each of the last two seasons. He got off to a slow start in 2025 but expect him to be extremely impactful in the middle of IU's order. Head coach Jeff Mercer has been known for massive sophomore jumps.
OPENING CHALLENGE: Head coach Jeff Mercer hasn't been shy about testing his teams on opening weekend. This is the third time in the last five years (2022 - at Clemson, 2024 - vs. Duke) that IU will open with an ACC foe. The Hoosiers haven't won on Opening Day since his first year in 2019.
THE HEAD BALL COACH: The Hoosiers will be running towards a milestone for head coach Jeff Mercer during the 2026 campaign. He is 16 wins away from reaching 300 victories for his career. Mercer can hit the mark in just his 10th season overall as a head coach.
Scouting the Opponent
North Carolina
• A year after falling a win short of Omaha, North Carolina is back with expectations to be one of the best teams in the country. The Tar Heels will boast one of the best pitching staffs in the country, led by expected ace Jason DeCaro (9-3, 3.78 ERA in 2025). Sophomore arms Ryan Lynch and Walker McDuffie were two of the best first-year pitchers in the ACC last year.
• If there are any question marks, it comes in the lineup. UNC has to replace six of its top seven hitters from last year. Head coach Scott Forbes loaded up in the transfer portal with impact additions in first baseman Erik Paulsen (Stony Brook), shortstop Jake Schaffner (North Dakota State) and outfielder Owen Hull (George Mason).
• UNC is ranked 11th by D1 Baseball to begin the season and was projected third in the ACC by the outlet. The Tar Heels were 46-15 last season before falling to Arizona in the Chapel Hill Super Regional. UNC is one of three preseason top-15 programs (LSU, Louisville) that IU will face in 2026.
Inside the Series
North Carolina
• This will be the first meeting all-time on the diamond between the Hoosiers and Tar Heels. It's the third time in five years (2022 - at Clemson, 2024 - vs. Duke) that IU will play an ACC team on Opening Day.
• If you include a 2023 contest at Auburn, it marks four of the last five year that head coach Jeff Mercer has taken his team on the road to face a Power Four opponent to begin the campaign.
• These two teams have never played in college baseball. The historic basketball programs famously played in the 1981 National Championship game, a victory for Bob Knight and the Hoosiers.
• It's the 14th different program in the current ACC that IU will have faced in school history. The only teams that IU hasn't played, and that sponsor baseball, are California and Virginia.
IU's talented sophomore class will be the driving force of a successful season this year. Reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year – first baseman Jake Hanley – headlines a deep group of returners that all appeared in over 45 games a season ago. Shortstop Cooper Malamazian, third baseman Will Moore and catcher Hogan Denny all got impactful experience a season ago.
With new pitching coach Matt Myers leading the charge, IU will have a new look on the bump in 2026. With the addition of several veteran arms, the Hoosiers believe they have one of their deepest groups of pitchers in the Mercer era. Redshirt senior Pete Haas (1-2, 4.01 ERA), sophomore Brayton Thomas (23 strikeouts) and graduate student Gavin Seebold (49 strikeouts) return to Bloomington after having impactful roles last season.
Mercer's team will be tested right from the jump on opening weekend. North Carolina hosted a Super Regional last year and return one of the best pitching staffs in the country. It will be the third time in the last five seasons that IU will face an ACC team on Opening Day.
First pitch on Friday afternoon is scheduled for 4 p.m. in Chapel Hill. Graduate student southpaw Tony Neubeck will start Opening Day for the Hoosiers. He will make his 15th career start but his first for the cream and crimson. Senior right-handed pitcher Jackson Bergman will pitch on Saturday afternoon.
Gameday Info
at #11 North Carolina (Friday, February 13th – 4 p.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/3M9FGxp
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/4tDubzc
at #11 North Carolina (Saturday, February 14th – Noon ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/4rIlTUD
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/4kkiyc2
at #11 North Carolina (Sunday, February 15th – 1 p.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/4a59Ta7
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/4tDubzc
Probable Starters
Indiana at North Carolina
• Friday: LHP Tony Neubeck, Gr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
• Saturday: RHP Jackson Bergman, Sr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
• Sunday: TBD
Leading Off
BIG HIT HANLEY: Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after a fantastic first campaign in Bloomington in 2025. He led all conference freshmen last year in hits (73), batting average (.333), home runs (14) and RBIs (52).
TAKING HIS BASES: Sophomore third baseman Will Moore led the Big Ten in on-base percentage (.514) in 2025. He had more walks (34) than strikeouts (24) while breaking a single-season freshman program record for hit-by-pitches (17). He figures to lead off for the Hoosiers in 2026.
A VETERAN ARM: Graduate student Gavin Seebold has the most innings (55.2) of any returning pitcher on IU's roster. He's thrown 163.2 innings in three years of baseball. Expect him to take on a plethora of roles for IU's pitching staff. He thrived out of the bullpen for the Hoosiers in 2025.
SOPHOMORE JUMP: Sophomore catcher Hogan Denny has been one of the best hitters in the fall each of the last two seasons. He got off to a slow start in 2025 but expect him to be extremely impactful in the middle of IU's order. Head coach Jeff Mercer has been known for massive sophomore jumps.
OPENING CHALLENGE: Head coach Jeff Mercer hasn't been shy about testing his teams on opening weekend. This is the third time in the last five years (2022 - at Clemson, 2024 - vs. Duke) that IU will open with an ACC foe. The Hoosiers haven't won on Opening Day since his first year in 2019.
THE HEAD BALL COACH: The Hoosiers will be running towards a milestone for head coach Jeff Mercer during the 2026 campaign. He is 16 wins away from reaching 300 victories for his career. Mercer can hit the mark in just his 10th season overall as a head coach.
Scouting the Opponent
North Carolina
• A year after falling a win short of Omaha, North Carolina is back with expectations to be one of the best teams in the country. The Tar Heels will boast one of the best pitching staffs in the country, led by expected ace Jason DeCaro (9-3, 3.78 ERA in 2025). Sophomore arms Ryan Lynch and Walker McDuffie were two of the best first-year pitchers in the ACC last year.
• If there are any question marks, it comes in the lineup. UNC has to replace six of its top seven hitters from last year. Head coach Scott Forbes loaded up in the transfer portal with impact additions in first baseman Erik Paulsen (Stony Brook), shortstop Jake Schaffner (North Dakota State) and outfielder Owen Hull (George Mason).
• UNC is ranked 11th by D1 Baseball to begin the season and was projected third in the ACC by the outlet. The Tar Heels were 46-15 last season before falling to Arizona in the Chapel Hill Super Regional. UNC is one of three preseason top-15 programs (LSU, Louisville) that IU will face in 2026.
Inside the Series
North Carolina
• This will be the first meeting all-time on the diamond between the Hoosiers and Tar Heels. It's the third time in five years (2022 - at Clemson, 2024 - vs. Duke) that IU will play an ACC team on Opening Day.
• If you include a 2023 contest at Auburn, it marks four of the last five year that head coach Jeff Mercer has taken his team on the road to face a Power Four opponent to begin the campaign.
• These two teams have never played in college baseball. The historic basketball programs famously played in the 1981 National Championship game, a victory for Bob Knight and the Hoosiers.
• It's the 14th different program in the current ACC that IU will have faced in school history. The only teams that IU hasn't played, and that sponsor baseball, are California and Virginia.
Players Mentioned
RHP
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C/OF
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INF
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INF
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INF
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LHP
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LHP
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