Indiana University Athletics
Tuesday, March 10
Bloomington, Ind.
5 p.m.
Indiana University
vs
Wright State
Baseball Central: Wright State
3/9/2026 5:00:00 PM | Baseball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana Baseball team (6-9, 1-2 B1G) will close out a four-game homestand on Tuesday (March 10) evening with a midweek visit from Wright State. The two sides will play for the first time since 2019 as head coach Jeff Mercer prepares to face his former program. IU will be off to the west coast this weekend to face nationally-ranked Oregon in a three-game Big Ten set (March 13-15).
Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley has picked up the pace offensively after struggling in the first couple weeks of the season. He's worked his average up to a team-best .339 (20-59) with an OPS just shy of 1.000. Hanley has scored 11 runs, hit three home runs and driven in 13 runs. The Mason, Ohio native is fielding at a .992 clip with just one error on the year.
Without Sunday starter Jackson Bergman available last weekend, IU's bullpen was taxed in the three-game series with Washington. However, a bright spot continues to shine in the form of freshman right-handed arm Ivan Mastalski. The Indiana native has a 2.70 ERA on the season and has seven strikeouts to just one walk. He will start Tuesday's contest against Wright State.
Tuesday's game is scheduled to get underway at 5 p.m. from Bart Kaufman Field. With a potential for rain in the forecast, stay tuned to IU's social media channels for any potential weather updates. The game against Wright State will be streamed on B1G+.
Gameday Info
vs. Wright State (Tuesday, March 10th – 5 p.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/4lrO4pe
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/46VZA6j
Probable Starters
Indiana vs. Wright State
• Tuesday: RHP Ivan Mastalski, Fr. (0-0, 2.70 ERA)
Leading Off
HEATING UP: Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley has found his form in 2026. The big lefty is hitting .432 over his past 10 games with 16 hits, nine runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs. In that stretch, he has an OPS of 1.202. He moved back into the cleanup role on Sunday afternoon.
FAMILIAR FOE: Head coach Jeff Mercer will face his old squad when the Raiders visit down on Tuesday. Mercer played at Wright State and was an assistant before serving as the head coach in 2017 and 2018. His 2018 team went to the NCAA Tournament and the Stanford Regional.
TIMES TWO: Assistant coach Zach Weatherford also played at Wright State and was a player during Mercer's tenure in Dayton. In 2019, the last time Wright State played in Bloomington, Weatherford was on the team that beat Mercer's Hoosiers 15-4. He had two hits in that game.
FINDING FORM: Freshman right-handed pitcher Ivan Mastalski has been a pleasant surprise for the Hoosiers. He has allowed just one earned run over 5.2 innings of work. He has five strikeouts on the season and still hasn't walked a batter. Mastalski worked two scoreless frames against Washington last weekend.
MIDWEEK SUCCESS: To have a chance at the NCAA Tournament, IU will need to be fantastic in midweek games. So far this season, the Hoosiers are 2-0 in games on Tuesday or Wednesday. A win over Wright State would go a long way in helping take the sting out of Sunday's loss to Washington.
BIG HIT COOP: Sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian continues to be a big source of IU's run production. He leads IU with 15 RBIs on the season and is second with 18 base knocks. No IU player has had more multi-RBI contests (five) on the year than Malamazian.
MORE FROM MOORE: Sophomore third baseman Will Moore is finding his stride again after missing a pair of games in February. Over the last five contests, he is hitting .375 with six hits. In that time, he's also reached base via four walks and three hit-by-pitches.
BIG CLOSER: Junior right-handed pitcher Jackson Yarberry has been IU's choice to close games out of the bullpen this year. After a couple tough breaks to start the year, he's settled in nicely. He has a pair of saves in his last three appearances without allowing a run.
Scouting the Opponent
Wright State
• Once again, Wright State has faced a challenging schedule to begin the season. The Raiders own wins over Georgia and Tennessee and took a series over Campbell. Three of their eight losses have come by one run. Wright State will be the favorite to win the Horizon League again this year.
• The Wright State bats are off to a slow start against premier pitching but pack big potential to break through. Outfielder Cy Turner is hitting .366 with 15 base knocks and eight RBIs. Infielder JP Peltier has provided the power with a trio of home runs.
• Even against a tough schedule, the pitching has been a strength of this season so far. Chet Lax is 4-0 with a 2.50 ERA over 18.0 innings of action. Friday starter Cam Allen is working his way back into things and has thrown just eight innings this year. The Raiders have compiled 94 strikeouts on the season.
Inside the Series
Wright State
• This series dates back to the 1970s but was largely dormant before former Wright State coach, and current IU skipper, Jeff Mercer revived the matchup in 2019. This will be the first matchup in seven seasons as the Raiders return to the schedule.
• IU leads the all-time series 17-8 over the first 25 meetings. Wright State won the only matchup during the Mercer era. Most of the contests were played in the early 2000's under former head coach Bob Morgan.
• Three of IU's staff members have ties to Wright State. Mercer was a player, assistant coach and head coach. Zach Weatherford played for Mercer at Wright State and was a volunteer assistant. Denton Sagerman spent one season on staff in 2018 before coming to IU with Mercer.
Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley has picked up the pace offensively after struggling in the first couple weeks of the season. He's worked his average up to a team-best .339 (20-59) with an OPS just shy of 1.000. Hanley has scored 11 runs, hit three home runs and driven in 13 runs. The Mason, Ohio native is fielding at a .992 clip with just one error on the year.
Without Sunday starter Jackson Bergman available last weekend, IU's bullpen was taxed in the three-game series with Washington. However, a bright spot continues to shine in the form of freshman right-handed arm Ivan Mastalski. The Indiana native has a 2.70 ERA on the season and has seven strikeouts to just one walk. He will start Tuesday's contest against Wright State.
Tuesday's game is scheduled to get underway at 5 p.m. from Bart Kaufman Field. With a potential for rain in the forecast, stay tuned to IU's social media channels for any potential weather updates. The game against Wright State will be streamed on B1G+.
Gameday Info
vs. Wright State (Tuesday, March 10th – 5 p.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/4lrO4pe
Live Audio: bit.ly/IUAudio
Live Stats: bit.ly/46VZA6j
Probable Starters
Indiana vs. Wright State
• Tuesday: RHP Ivan Mastalski, Fr. (0-0, 2.70 ERA)
Leading Off
HEATING UP: Sophomore first baseman Jake Hanley has found his form in 2026. The big lefty is hitting .432 over his past 10 games with 16 hits, nine runs scored, three doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs. In that stretch, he has an OPS of 1.202. He moved back into the cleanup role on Sunday afternoon.
FAMILIAR FOE: Head coach Jeff Mercer will face his old squad when the Raiders visit down on Tuesday. Mercer played at Wright State and was an assistant before serving as the head coach in 2017 and 2018. His 2018 team went to the NCAA Tournament and the Stanford Regional.
TIMES TWO: Assistant coach Zach Weatherford also played at Wright State and was a player during Mercer's tenure in Dayton. In 2019, the last time Wright State played in Bloomington, Weatherford was on the team that beat Mercer's Hoosiers 15-4. He had two hits in that game.
FINDING FORM: Freshman right-handed pitcher Ivan Mastalski has been a pleasant surprise for the Hoosiers. He has allowed just one earned run over 5.2 innings of work. He has five strikeouts on the season and still hasn't walked a batter. Mastalski worked two scoreless frames against Washington last weekend.
MIDWEEK SUCCESS: To have a chance at the NCAA Tournament, IU will need to be fantastic in midweek games. So far this season, the Hoosiers are 2-0 in games on Tuesday or Wednesday. A win over Wright State would go a long way in helping take the sting out of Sunday's loss to Washington.
BIG HIT COOP: Sophomore shortstop Cooper Malamazian continues to be a big source of IU's run production. He leads IU with 15 RBIs on the season and is second with 18 base knocks. No IU player has had more multi-RBI contests (five) on the year than Malamazian.
MORE FROM MOORE: Sophomore third baseman Will Moore is finding his stride again after missing a pair of games in February. Over the last five contests, he is hitting .375 with six hits. In that time, he's also reached base via four walks and three hit-by-pitches.
BIG CLOSER: Junior right-handed pitcher Jackson Yarberry has been IU's choice to close games out of the bullpen this year. After a couple tough breaks to start the year, he's settled in nicely. He has a pair of saves in his last three appearances without allowing a run.
Scouting the Opponent
Wright State
• Once again, Wright State has faced a challenging schedule to begin the season. The Raiders own wins over Georgia and Tennessee and took a series over Campbell. Three of their eight losses have come by one run. Wright State will be the favorite to win the Horizon League again this year.
• The Wright State bats are off to a slow start against premier pitching but pack big potential to break through. Outfielder Cy Turner is hitting .366 with 15 base knocks and eight RBIs. Infielder JP Peltier has provided the power with a trio of home runs.
• Even against a tough schedule, the pitching has been a strength of this season so far. Chet Lax is 4-0 with a 2.50 ERA over 18.0 innings of action. Friday starter Cam Allen is working his way back into things and has thrown just eight innings this year. The Raiders have compiled 94 strikeouts on the season.
Inside the Series
Wright State
• This series dates back to the 1970s but was largely dormant before former Wright State coach, and current IU skipper, Jeff Mercer revived the matchup in 2019. This will be the first matchup in seven seasons as the Raiders return to the schedule.
• IU leads the all-time series 17-8 over the first 25 meetings. Wright State won the only matchup during the Mercer era. Most of the contests were played in the early 2000's under former head coach Bob Morgan.
• Three of IU's staff members have ties to Wright State. Mercer was a player, assistant coach and head coach. Zach Weatherford played for Mercer at Wright State and was a volunteer assistant. Denton Sagerman spent one season on staff in 2018 before coming to IU with Mercer.
Players Mentioned
RHP
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INF
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INF
/ Baseball
RHP
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INF
/ Baseball
RHP
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