Indiana University Athletics
Friday, February 20
Jacksonville, Fla.
2 p.m.
Indiana University
vs
#2 LSU
Baseball Central: Jacksonville Baseball Classic
2/19/2026 6:00:00 PM | Baseball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – After opening at No. 11 North Carolina, head coach Jeff Mercer and the Indiana Baseball team will continue to test itself early in the season. The Hoosiers are headed to Florida for the Live Like Lou Jacksonville Baseball Classic, presented by D1 Baseball and Peak Events. The round-robin invitational will pit IU against No. 2 LSU (Friday), UCF (Saturday) and Notre Dame (Sunday).
Through the first two trips of the year, IU is one of three Big Ten schools (Michigan, Michigan State) to play only teams from power four conferences on the weekend. Mercer made the schedule by design with the goal to put his team in tough environments away from home.
Sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny continues to swing a hot bat in the early portion of the season. He is hitting .364 with four hits and five runs through four contests. He slugged a pair of home runs in a midweek win over Bradley and has walked five times compared to just one strikeout. Denny has also played exceptional defense, splitting his time behind the plate and in right field.
IU will begin the weekend with a familiar face on the mound, opening with graduate student southpaw Tony Neubeck on Friday against LSU. This will be his second career appearance against the Tigers. Back in 2022 at Missouri, the southpaw tossed six innings of three-run baseball. To this date, that is still the second-longest outing of his collegiate career.
Behind its starting pitching, IU has found great success over the last several years with long relievers. Graduate student Gavin Seebold and junior Jackson Yarberry have the makings of the next stars in that role for the Hoosiers. Seebold worked 3.2 scoreless frames against North Carolina on opening weekend and is one of several options for a high-leverage role this year.
Friday's (Feb. 20) first pitch against No. 2 LSU is scheduled for 2 p.m. at VyStar Ballpark. Contests against UCF (Feb. 21 – 4 p.m.) and Notre Dame (Feb. 22 – 11 a.m.) round out a busy weekend of baseball. All three games will be streamed on D1Baseball.com with IU's radio call carried at iuhoosiers.com.
Gameday Info
vs. #2 LSU (Friday, February 20th – 2 p.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/3Ofxz35
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/3ZJZ1bx
vs. UCF (Saturday, February 21st – 4 p.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/3Ofxz35
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/3ZJZ1bx
vs. Notre Dame (Sunday, February 22nd – 11 a.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/3Ofxz35
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/3ZJZ1bx
Probable Starters
Indiana vs. Jacksonville Classic
• Friday: LHP Tony Neubeck, Gr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
• Saturday: TBD
• Sunday: TBD
Leading Off
BIG WEEKEND AHEAD: This will be the third time in the last five seasons (2022 - Round Rock, 2024 - Frisco) that IU plays in one of the D1 Baseball/Peak round-robin events. The Hoosiers have won one game in each of those two events, including a victory over No. 25 Dallas Baptist in 2024.
TOUGH AB: Sophomore utilityman Hogan Denny has been a great bat at the top of IU's order this year. Entering the weekend, he has a .611 on-base percentage. He has four hits, five walks and has been hit by two pitches. He had his first career multi-home run game on Tuesday vs. Bradley.
ON BASE MACHINE: Sophomore third baseman Will Moore has been everything you want in a leadoff hitter for the Hoosiers. He has reached base safely in 22-straight games dating back to last year. He has five base hits and two walks during his first four games of the season.
SEEING SEEBOLD: IU ran graduate student right-handed pitcher Gavin Seebold into the game on Saturday afternoon at No. 11 North Carolina with a chance to win the game. He went 3.2 scoreless innings with four strikeouts and has the making of a high-leverage, long-relief option for the Hoosiers.
BIG TESTS: Head coach Jeff Mercer is one of three conference skippers (Michigan, Michigan State) to play only Power Four competition on the opening two weekends. When it's all said and done, IU will have played four games against top-25 teams before the month of February is over.
YOUNG KIDS: Freshman outfielder Cal Gates became the 12th true freshman position player to start a game for head coach Jeff Mercer at IU on opening weekend. He played in all three games and scored one run. A true freshman has started a game on opening weekend in seven of eight of Mercer's seasons.
Scouting the Opponent
LSU
• The defending national champions are off to another blistering start this season. LSU slugged its way to a 5-0 start with three wins over Milwaukee and midweek wins over Kent State and Nicholls. The Tigers have hits 12 home runs in the early going with four being hit by Jake Brown.
• Casan Evans had a slow start on Opening Day but has the makings of the next Friday ace for the Tigers. Gavin Guidry has appeared twice out of the bullpen for LSU and has tossed 4.1 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and zero walks. Eight different pitchers have already thrown twice this year.
UCF
• The Golden Knights are off to a 3-1 start to the season following a dominant sweep of Siena on opening weekend. UCF had a chance to put away Miami (Fla.) on Tuesday evening before a rough ninth inning extended an eventual loss. UCF opens its weekend against Notre Dame on Friday.
• UCF's offense slugged its way past Siena on its home field to begin the season. DeAmez Ross is hitting .471 with eight hits, six runs scored, a home run and five RBIs. He's one of four starters to all be hitting .400 or better this year. Vanderbilt transfer, and Indiana native JD Rogers, is hitting .333 with nine walks.
Notre Dame
• After losing the season opener, Notre Dame responded quickly to take a series at Florida Atlantic last weekend. Mark Quatrani is leading a potent offense, hitting .556 on the young season. Jayce Lee and Bino Watters are both hitting above .370 and have the two home runs for the Fighting Irish this year.
• Notre Dame has allowed just nine earned runs on the season. Indiana native Caden Crowell started last Saturday and threw three scoreless frames. He was anchored with four innings out of the bullpen from Xavier Hirsch. Notre Dame racked up 23 strikeouts from its pitching staff against Florida Atlantic.
Inside the Series
LSU
• The series between these two teams actually dates back to 1926. IU and LSU played twice that year with one of the games resulting in a tie. Since then, they have played a pair of series in 2020 and 2008 - both won by the Tigers.
UCF
• This will be the first meeting in baseball between IU and UCF. Of the current Big 12 programs, it is the 12th different one that IU will have played. Arizona State and Houston are the lone programs that haven't played the Hoosiers.
Notre Dame
• Despite residing in the same state, Notre Dame and IU have played just three times this century. All of those matchups came at Victory Field in Indianapolis in the Chris Lemonis era. All-time, Notre Dame has a commanding 65-33-1 lead. The first matchup between the sides came all the way back in 1901.
Through the first two trips of the year, IU is one of three Big Ten schools (Michigan, Michigan State) to play only teams from power four conferences on the weekend. Mercer made the schedule by design with the goal to put his team in tough environments away from home.
Sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny continues to swing a hot bat in the early portion of the season. He is hitting .364 with four hits and five runs through four contests. He slugged a pair of home runs in a midweek win over Bradley and has walked five times compared to just one strikeout. Denny has also played exceptional defense, splitting his time behind the plate and in right field.
IU will begin the weekend with a familiar face on the mound, opening with graduate student southpaw Tony Neubeck on Friday against LSU. This will be his second career appearance against the Tigers. Back in 2022 at Missouri, the southpaw tossed six innings of three-run baseball. To this date, that is still the second-longest outing of his collegiate career.
Behind its starting pitching, IU has found great success over the last several years with long relievers. Graduate student Gavin Seebold and junior Jackson Yarberry have the makings of the next stars in that role for the Hoosiers. Seebold worked 3.2 scoreless frames against North Carolina on opening weekend and is one of several options for a high-leverage role this year.
Friday's (Feb. 20) first pitch against No. 2 LSU is scheduled for 2 p.m. at VyStar Ballpark. Contests against UCF (Feb. 21 – 4 p.m.) and Notre Dame (Feb. 22 – 11 a.m.) round out a busy weekend of baseball. All three games will be streamed on D1Baseball.com with IU's radio call carried at iuhoosiers.com.
Gameday Info
vs. #2 LSU (Friday, February 20th – 2 p.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/3Ofxz35
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/3ZJZ1bx
vs. UCF (Saturday, February 21st – 4 p.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/3Ofxz35
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/3ZJZ1bx
vs. Notre Dame (Sunday, February 22nd – 11 a.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/3Ofxz35
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/3ZJZ1bx
Probable Starters
Indiana vs. Jacksonville Classic
• Friday: LHP Tony Neubeck, Gr. (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
• Saturday: TBD
• Sunday: TBD
Leading Off
BIG WEEKEND AHEAD: This will be the third time in the last five seasons (2022 - Round Rock, 2024 - Frisco) that IU plays in one of the D1 Baseball/Peak round-robin events. The Hoosiers have won one game in each of those two events, including a victory over No. 25 Dallas Baptist in 2024.
TOUGH AB: Sophomore utilityman Hogan Denny has been a great bat at the top of IU's order this year. Entering the weekend, he has a .611 on-base percentage. He has four hits, five walks and has been hit by two pitches. He had his first career multi-home run game on Tuesday vs. Bradley.
ON BASE MACHINE: Sophomore third baseman Will Moore has been everything you want in a leadoff hitter for the Hoosiers. He has reached base safely in 22-straight games dating back to last year. He has five base hits and two walks during his first four games of the season.
SEEING SEEBOLD: IU ran graduate student right-handed pitcher Gavin Seebold into the game on Saturday afternoon at No. 11 North Carolina with a chance to win the game. He went 3.2 scoreless innings with four strikeouts and has the making of a high-leverage, long-relief option for the Hoosiers.
BIG TESTS: Head coach Jeff Mercer is one of three conference skippers (Michigan, Michigan State) to play only Power Four competition on the opening two weekends. When it's all said and done, IU will have played four games against top-25 teams before the month of February is over.
YOUNG KIDS: Freshman outfielder Cal Gates became the 12th true freshman position player to start a game for head coach Jeff Mercer at IU on opening weekend. He played in all three games and scored one run. A true freshman has started a game on opening weekend in seven of eight of Mercer's seasons.
Scouting the Opponent
LSU
• The defending national champions are off to another blistering start this season. LSU slugged its way to a 5-0 start with three wins over Milwaukee and midweek wins over Kent State and Nicholls. The Tigers have hits 12 home runs in the early going with four being hit by Jake Brown.
• Casan Evans had a slow start on Opening Day but has the makings of the next Friday ace for the Tigers. Gavin Guidry has appeared twice out of the bullpen for LSU and has tossed 4.1 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and zero walks. Eight different pitchers have already thrown twice this year.
UCF
• The Golden Knights are off to a 3-1 start to the season following a dominant sweep of Siena on opening weekend. UCF had a chance to put away Miami (Fla.) on Tuesday evening before a rough ninth inning extended an eventual loss. UCF opens its weekend against Notre Dame on Friday.
• UCF's offense slugged its way past Siena on its home field to begin the season. DeAmez Ross is hitting .471 with eight hits, six runs scored, a home run and five RBIs. He's one of four starters to all be hitting .400 or better this year. Vanderbilt transfer, and Indiana native JD Rogers, is hitting .333 with nine walks.
Notre Dame
• After losing the season opener, Notre Dame responded quickly to take a series at Florida Atlantic last weekend. Mark Quatrani is leading a potent offense, hitting .556 on the young season. Jayce Lee and Bino Watters are both hitting above .370 and have the two home runs for the Fighting Irish this year.
• Notre Dame has allowed just nine earned runs on the season. Indiana native Caden Crowell started last Saturday and threw three scoreless frames. He was anchored with four innings out of the bullpen from Xavier Hirsch. Notre Dame racked up 23 strikeouts from its pitching staff against Florida Atlantic.
Inside the Series
LSU
• The series between these two teams actually dates back to 1926. IU and LSU played twice that year with one of the games resulting in a tie. Since then, they have played a pair of series in 2020 and 2008 - both won by the Tigers.
UCF
• This will be the first meeting in baseball between IU and UCF. Of the current Big 12 programs, it is the 12th different one that IU will have played. Arizona State and Houston are the lone programs that haven't played the Hoosiers.
Notre Dame
• Despite residing in the same state, Notre Dame and IU have played just three times this century. All of those matchups came at Victory Field in Indianapolis in the Chris Lemonis era. All-time, Notre Dame has a commanding 65-33-1 lead. The first matchup between the sides came all the way back in 1901.
Players Mentioned
C/OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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