Indiana University Athletics
Tuesday, March 24
Bloomington, Ind.
6 p.m.
Indiana University
vs
Indiana State
Baseball Central: Indiana State
3/23/2026 3:00:00 PM | Baseball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana Baseball team (10-13, 3-6 B1G) will put its perfect record in midweek games (4-0) to the test on Tuesday (March 24) afternoon against Indiana State. The first of two meetings between the two sides this year will close out a four-game homestand in Bloomington. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. from Bart Kaufman Field.
IU is coming off its first Big Ten series win of the year after taking two of three from Minnesota. Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley hit .471 on the week as the Hoosiers picked up a trio of victories. He smashed two home runs in the series against the Golden Gophers as IU got back on track in the conference standings.
The Hoosiers have been fantastic in midweek games this year. Between a balanced cohort of pitchers and a determined offensive lineup, IU has outscored opponents 42-12 in games played on Tuesday or Wednesday this year. That includes a big 5-1 victory over Vanderbilt last week where sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny had four hits and four RBIs.
IU has five games remaining in the month of April. Games against Indiana State and Evansville are sandwiched around a massive road trip to No. 24 Nebraska (March 27-29). Graduate student left-handed pitcher Conner Linn will get the ball to start on Tuesday. A collection of arms will be available behind him as IU goes for its fourth win in five games. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. in Bloomington.
Gameday Info
vs. Indiana State (Tuesday, March 24th – 6 p.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/4dE8bhS
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/46VZA6j
Probable Starters
Indiana vs. Indiana State
• Tuesday: LHP Conner Linn, Gr. (2-0, 6.91 ERA)
Leading Off
HANLEY'S HOT WEEK: Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley had a productive week in the series win over Minnesota. He hit .538 (7-13) in three games with the Golden Gophers. Hanley provided two home runs, six RBIs and four runs scored as IU won its first Big Ten weekend of the year.
LINNSANITY: Graduate student southpaw Conner Linn worked 3.2 scoreless innings on 65 pitches last week in a win over Vanderbilt. He will get the ball again on Tuesday with hopes he provides a great start for the Hoosiers. In the win over the Commodores, he had a season-high five strikeouts.
GETTING GOING: Sophomore outfielder Cole Decker is amidst the best stretch of play in his young career. The Indiana native is riding a six-game hitting streak that began with a home run against Oregon last week. He has also made several fantastic defensive plays in center field.
VOGEL RESPONDS: After dealing with some injuries last year, redshirt junior pitcher Jacob Vogel has provided a big season on the mound. He's tied for the team lead with nine appearances and has given up just five earned runs in 14.0 innings. His 3.21 ERA is second best on the team.
HOMEGROWN HITS: On the season, 92.6% of IU's hits have come from players that head coach Jeff Mercer recruited to Bloomington out of high school. The top six players in terms of total hits are all underclassmen that began their careers at IU. Jake Hanley leads the team with 33 base knocks.
THROW 'EM OUT: IU's talented catcher duo of junior T.J. Schuyler and sophomore Hogan Denny has been fantastic behind the dish. The two have combined to throw out eight would-be base stealers. They've also committed zero errors in over 220 chances.
Scouting the Opponent
Indiana State
• The Sycamores bring an identical record into this week's matchup against the Hoosiers. Indiana State owns three wins over Big Ten opponents (Penn State – 2, Illinois) on the season. It is coming off a series victory over Bradley to begin Missouri Valley action last weekend.
• Outfielder Carter Beck was the Preseason Player of the Year in the conference and is coming off a season as a First Team All-MVC selection. He leads the team with a .319 batting average and has eight doubles, four home runs and 19 RBIs. Outfielder Emil Estrella is coming off a game where he hit two grand slams against Bradley.
• Indiana State has gotten strong starting pitching from Ty Brooks and Jack Armstrong but has struggled to close out weekends. After using five arms in the Sunday finale against Bradley, the Sycamores will go a staff day to make it through nine innings on Tuesday. 10 arms threw in the 11-inning win over Illinois last Tuesday.
Inside the Series
Indiana State
• These two teams have been quite familiar with each other. Separated by just an hour, they have played over 100 times all-time. Annually, the two sides meet in the midweek on a home-and-home basis. Each of the last four years (including 2026) the Sycamores and Hoosiers will have played twice.
• Jeff Mercer holds a 5-3 advantage over Indiana State during his time in Bloomington. The teams have split each of the last three seasons. Both teams went to a regional in 2023 and 2024. IU has won three of the last four games played at Bart Kaufman Field.
IU is coming off its first Big Ten series win of the year after taking two of three from Minnesota. Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley hit .471 on the week as the Hoosiers picked up a trio of victories. He smashed two home runs in the series against the Golden Gophers as IU got back on track in the conference standings.
The Hoosiers have been fantastic in midweek games this year. Between a balanced cohort of pitchers and a determined offensive lineup, IU has outscored opponents 42-12 in games played on Tuesday or Wednesday this year. That includes a big 5-1 victory over Vanderbilt last week where sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny had four hits and four RBIs.
IU has five games remaining in the month of April. Games against Indiana State and Evansville are sandwiched around a massive road trip to No. 24 Nebraska (March 27-29). Graduate student left-handed pitcher Conner Linn will get the ball to start on Tuesday. A collection of arms will be available behind him as IU goes for its fourth win in five games. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. in Bloomington.
Gameday Info
vs. Indiana State (Tuesday, March 24th – 6 p.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/4dE8bhS
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/46VZA6j
Probable Starters
Indiana vs. Indiana State
• Tuesday: LHP Conner Linn, Gr. (2-0, 6.91 ERA)
Leading Off
HANLEY'S HOT WEEK: Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley had a productive week in the series win over Minnesota. He hit .538 (7-13) in three games with the Golden Gophers. Hanley provided two home runs, six RBIs and four runs scored as IU won its first Big Ten weekend of the year.
LINNSANITY: Graduate student southpaw Conner Linn worked 3.2 scoreless innings on 65 pitches last week in a win over Vanderbilt. He will get the ball again on Tuesday with hopes he provides a great start for the Hoosiers. In the win over the Commodores, he had a season-high five strikeouts.
GETTING GOING: Sophomore outfielder Cole Decker is amidst the best stretch of play in his young career. The Indiana native is riding a six-game hitting streak that began with a home run against Oregon last week. He has also made several fantastic defensive plays in center field.
VOGEL RESPONDS: After dealing with some injuries last year, redshirt junior pitcher Jacob Vogel has provided a big season on the mound. He's tied for the team lead with nine appearances and has given up just five earned runs in 14.0 innings. His 3.21 ERA is second best on the team.
HOMEGROWN HITS: On the season, 92.6% of IU's hits have come from players that head coach Jeff Mercer recruited to Bloomington out of high school. The top six players in terms of total hits are all underclassmen that began their careers at IU. Jake Hanley leads the team with 33 base knocks.
THROW 'EM OUT: IU's talented catcher duo of junior T.J. Schuyler and sophomore Hogan Denny has been fantastic behind the dish. The two have combined to throw out eight would-be base stealers. They've also committed zero errors in over 220 chances.
Scouting the Opponent
Indiana State
• The Sycamores bring an identical record into this week's matchup against the Hoosiers. Indiana State owns three wins over Big Ten opponents (Penn State – 2, Illinois) on the season. It is coming off a series victory over Bradley to begin Missouri Valley action last weekend.
• Outfielder Carter Beck was the Preseason Player of the Year in the conference and is coming off a season as a First Team All-MVC selection. He leads the team with a .319 batting average and has eight doubles, four home runs and 19 RBIs. Outfielder Emil Estrella is coming off a game where he hit two grand slams against Bradley.
• Indiana State has gotten strong starting pitching from Ty Brooks and Jack Armstrong but has struggled to close out weekends. After using five arms in the Sunday finale against Bradley, the Sycamores will go a staff day to make it through nine innings on Tuesday. 10 arms threw in the 11-inning win over Illinois last Tuesday.
Inside the Series
Indiana State
• These two teams have been quite familiar with each other. Separated by just an hour, they have played over 100 times all-time. Annually, the two sides meet in the midweek on a home-and-home basis. Each of the last four years (including 2026) the Sycamores and Hoosiers will have played twice.
• Jeff Mercer holds a 5-3 advantage over Indiana State during his time in Bloomington. The teams have split each of the last three seasons. Both teams went to a regional in 2023 and 2024. IU has won three of the last four games played at Bart Kaufman Field.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
C/OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
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