The Indiana State baseball team closes out their five-game homestand on Wednesday, March 27, hosting Illinois (Chicago) at 5:00 p.m. First pitch has been moved back to 5:00 p.m. from its originally scheduled time to allow for field preparations.

The Sycamores carry a five-game winning streak into the matchup, including a three-game weekend sweep of Southern Illinois to open Missouri Valley Conference play last weekend. The game can be seen live online at GoSycamores.com through SycamoreVision for free. A link will appear 10 minutes before first pitch between the Sycamores and Flames.

Probable Indiana State Starting Pitcher
Wednesday: Tyler Fehringer (R-Sr. -- RHP -- 6-1 -- 220 -- Lincoln, Neb. -- Marshalltown CC)
Notes: Seven appearances with two starts this season ... .178 batting average against
2013 Season Stats: 1-0 record ... 3.75 ERA ... 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 6 Ks vs. Austin Peay last Tuesday

A Little History
Wednesday's game will be the second meeting between Indiana State and Illinois (Chicago), as the teams started their series last season in Chicago. The Sycamores won the inaugural game in the series, 8-7 in 12 innings on April 3, 2012. Under head coach Rick Heller, Indiana State is 3-0 against teams currently in the Horizon League.

Last Season In Chicago
Indiana State earned an 8-7 victory in 12 innings in Chicago last season, using 10 pitchers in the four-hour contest. The Sycamores scored twice in the seventh and twice in the eighth to rally from an early 5-2 deficit before the Flames sent the game into extra innings with a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth. Jon Hedges and Lucas Hileman each drove in a run in the top of the 12th inning and the Sycamores worked out of another jam in the bottom half of the frame as Indiana State improved to 24-6 overall.

Sycamores Sweep Salukis To Open MVC Play
Indiana State opened Missouri Valley Conference play with a three-game sweep of Southern Illinois, the second season in a row that the Sycamores have blanked the Salukis over a weekend matchup. Indiana State's 3-0 start in league play is their best since taking all four games of a series in Terre Haute against Bradley to begin the 2003 season.

Moore Named MVC Pitcher Of The Week
For the second consecutive week and third time this season an Indiana State pitcher has been named the MVC Pitcher of the Week, as senior right-hander Devin Moore earned the award after tossing nine shutout innings in Saturday's 1-0 victory in 11 innings over Southern Illinois. Junior Sean Manaea (Feb. 22 / March 18) has also been selected by the league office earlier this season. Moore allowed just two hits and one walk with three strikeouts in nine shutout innings, needing just 95 pitches to blank SIU. The ISU senior retired the first 12 batters he faced before Austin Montgomery led off the fifth inning with double, one of just four baserunners for Southern Illinois in Moore's time on the mound. Moore allowed those baserunners in just two innings, as the Salukis put two runners on in both the fifth and ninth innings before Moore was able to pitch out of the jams. For the season, Moore is 2-1 with a 2.15 ERA with 26 strikeouts against just five walks in 29.1 innings pitched.

No Errors
Defense led the Sycamores to their series sweep over Southern Illinois, as Indiana State did not make an error in the field in their three-game set with the Salukis. The last time that Indiana State did not make an error over a weekend series was during the 2010 season when ISU took two out of three games at home over Missouri State on April 30 through May 2.

Manaea Tabbed On Golden Spikes Award Watch List
Junior Sean Manaea was named to the Preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List heading into the 2013 season, an award presented by USA Baseball at the end of the season to the top amateur baseball player in the country. Manaea is one of 50 student-athletes from around the nation to earn selection to the preseason list and is joined by Missouri State's Nick Petree in representing the Missouri Valley Conference.

Manaea Named To Three Preseason All-America Teams
Junior Sean Manaea earned selection to a trio of Preseason All-America teams heading into the season, as Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Perfect Game each selected the Indiana State southpaw as a First Team All-American. Below is a quick look at the last All-America selections for the Indiana State baseball team:

ABCA: OF Dan Olson, 1996                                       Collegiate Baseball: DH Todd Tatlock, 1995
Baseball America: SP Casey Whitten, 1993                 Sporting News: 3B Chad McDonald, 1990

Manaea Joins 200 Strikeout Club
Junior Sean Manaea struck out eight batters last weekend against Southern Illinois, continuing his climb up the career rankings at Indiana State. Manaea totaled 115 Ks in his sophomore season, ranking in a tie for third in school history for single-season strikeouts. Below is a quick look at the Top 10 in career strikeouts at Indiana State.

1. Casey Whitten (1991-93) – 299                             6. Mike Farrell (1988-91) – 248
2. Mike Gardiner (1984-87) – 296                             7. Sean Manaea (2011-present) – 238
3. Brad Finken (1994-97) – 275                                 T8. John Howes (1982-86) – 217
4. Blaise Ilsley (1983-85) – 274                                 T8. Tom Browning (1993-96) – 217
5. Mitch Stetter (2000-03) – 254                               10. Paul Quizner (1983-86) – 214

Productive At The Plate: Part I
Senior Robby Ort enters the weekend with 169 career RBIs at the plate, ranking sixth in program history at ISU. Below is quick look at the Top 10 for RBIs in school history.

1. Boi Rodriguez (1985-87) – 200                              6. Robby Ort (2010-present) – 169
2. Chad McDonald (1988-90) – 198                            7. Bob Zeihen (1985-88) – 159
3. Dan Frye (1989-92) – 186                                     8. Mike Lexa (1984-86) – 154
4. John LaMar (1989-92) – 175                                  9. Dan Olson (1994-96) – 153
5. Mike Eberle (1984-87) – 174                                 10. Kevin Egli (2000-03) – 151

Productive At The Plate: Part II
Senior Robby Ort has led the team in runs batted in following each of his first three seasons at Indiana State, totaling 157 RBIs in his freshman through junior seasons. The Newburgh, Ind., native has also increased his production in all three seasons, improving from 50 RBIs as a freshman to 53 RBIs as a sophomore to 54 RBIs as a junior. In 2012, Ort became the first Sycamore in program history to lead the team in runs batted in for three consecutive seasons.

Steady At Short
Junior Tyler Wampler has been a mainstay on defense for the Sycamores, starting 112 games at shortstop over his three seasons. Wampler has tallied 383 fielding assists (140 as a freshman in 2011, 184 as a sophomore in 2012, 59 in 2013) in his time at Indiana State, a total that puts the West Terre Haute, Ind., native on pace to break Dan Frye's school record of 541.

Off And Running
Sophomore Landon Curry led Indiana State with 16 stolen bases last season as a true freshman, ranking in a tie for sixth in the MVC overall. Curry became the first freshman since Bob Zeihen in 1985 to lead the Sycamores in steals as a rookie. The Uniondale, Ind., native is off to a fast start again in 2013, swiping a MVC-leading 11 bases already this season.

Kraemer's Grand Slam Highlights Series Win At Minnesota
Redshirt senior Koby Kraemer hit a grand slam in the sixth inning inside the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, sending the Sycamores to a 9-4 win in the rubber match on Sunday. Indiana State earned a 2-1 victory on Friday night against the Golden Gophers as junior Sean Manaea pitched his first complete game with nine strikeouts.

Best Winning Percentage In The MVC Since 2009
Indiana State has posted 149 wins and a .613 winning percentage since the 2009 season, the best winning percentage in that span among teams in the MVC. ISU is second to Wichita State (156) in overall wins, but leads the way in winning percentage due to playing 22 fewer games.

Getting To The Seventh
Under head coach Rick Heller, ISU is 85-14 (.859) in games that they hold a lead heading into the seventh inning. When the Sycamores have trailed after the sixth inning, ISU is 17-53 (.243).

Against The Best
ISU is 3-3 against the RPI Top 50 this season, with wins over Mercer (21), Austin Peay (22) and College of Charleston (47). Last season, the Sycamores were 14-13 against the RPI Top 100.

Winning Streaks Under Head Coach Rick Heller
Below is a quick look at the longest winning streaks for ISU under head coach Rick Heller.

Streak               Dates                            Victories
1. 13 games      March 4-23, 2012           at EKU, EIU, IU, UTM (3), SIUE, vs. KU, vs. HBU, vs. ND (2), at MIZZ, at UE
2. 8 games        March 30-April 9, 2011    EIU, ROCK (3), at VU, BSU, BRAD (2)
3. 6 games        March 16-23, 2010         at SLU, WMU (4), APSU
T4. 5 games      April 10-17, 2010            at CIT (2), at CSU, WSU (2)
T4. 5 games      March 18-23, 2011          EKU (3), UIS, BUT
T4. 5 games      Feb. 24-March 3, 2012    vs. WIU, vs. UMES, at AA&M (2), at EKU
T4. 5 games      March 31-April 7, 2012    ILS (2), at UIC, at CU (2)
T4. 5 games      March 21-28, 2012          DBU (2), ILL, UNO (2)
T4. 5 games    March 17-23, 2013       at MINN, APSU, SIU (3)

At Home Under Head Coach Rick Heller
Under head coach Rick Heller, Indiana State is 57-23 (.722) in home games since the start of the 2010 season. In MVC action, the Sycamores are 18-15 (.545) in Terre Haute. This season, Indiana State is 6-1 at home and 3-0 within the conference.

Allowing Big Innings
Under head coach Rick Heller, the Sycamores are 76-22 (.776) when the team does not allow a three-run inning during a game. When Indiana State does allow their opponent to score at least three runs in one inning, Indiana State holds a 40-51 (.440) record.

Three Runs Or Less
The three-run plateau has been the breaking point for the Sycamores under head coach Rick Heller the last four seasons. When ISU has allowed three runs or less to their opponents, the team is 69-10 (.873) over the past four seasons. When opponents score four runs or more, ISU holds a 47-63 (.427) record.

Scoring First
The Sycamores scored the first run in 38 of their 60 games last season, tallying a 31-7 record when putting a run on the scoreboard first. ISU scored in the first inning in 25 of their games, going 22-3 last season when plating a run in the opening frame. That trend has continued into 2013, as Indiana State is 8-1 when scoring first and 2-0 when scoring in the opening inning.

Double-Digit Hits
ISU recorded at least 10 hits in a game 29 times last season, going 26-3 when posting double-digit hits. ISU's only losses when tallying 10 hits came in walk-off wins for their opponents. So far in 2013, ISU is 4-0 when posting 10 hits or more and 7-7 when going for nine hits or less.

Early Runs
The Sycamores dominated the early innings last season, outscoring their opponents 242-110 (+132) over the first five innings of their 60 games. In the first inning alone, ISU had a 37-run advantage, scoring 58 runs to their opposition's 21. In 2013, Indiana State has a nine-run advantage in the first five innings, leading 45-36, but has scored just four first-inning runs.

Saint Patrick's Day Success
Indiana State defeated Minnesota on Saint Patrick's Day this season, picking a 9-4 victory on Sunday, March 17, inside the Metrodome. The Sycamores are now 22-10 all-time on the holiday, including a six-game winning streak. Last season, Indiana State defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saint Patrick's Day in San Antonio, Texas, winning 6-4 in 10 innings.

All About Defense
The Sycamores rank 28th in the country in fielding percentage heading into the week, as the Sycamores check in with a .976 fielding percentage. Under head coach Rick Heller, Indiana State is 55-17 (.764) when they do not make an error in a game, including a 6-2 record this season. When the Sycamores have made a fielding miscue in Heller's four seasons, the team sits just above the .500 mark at 61-56.

Strong In The Field
Indiana State has ranked in the Top 35 in fielding percentage from 2010-12 under head coach Rick Heller, one of only nine teams in the nation to do so over each of the previous three seasons. Three of the nine from around the nation are from the Missouri Valley Conference, as Evansville and Creighton are also in the select group. CU (27th), ISU (28th) and UE (49th) are all in the Top 50 in fielding this season.

Close Games
In Indiana State's four seasons under head coach Rick Heller, the Sycamores are 65-47 (.580) in games decided by three runs or less. In games decided by four or more runs since 2010, the Sycamores carry a 51-25 (.671) record. This season, Indiana State is 5-4 in games decided by three runs or less.

Indiana State Around The NCAA
The Sycamores are among the nation's 50 best in several offensive and defensive categories. Below is a look at where Indiana State ranks around the NCAA:

Category                            ISU Rank           ISU Total               NCAA Leader / Total
Sacrifice Flies                        T-12th                 17                            VMI / 23
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio           27th                   2.7                Cal State Fullerton / 4.64
Strikeouts Per 9 IP                  28th                   8.4                   Arkansas State / 9.8
Fielding Percentage                28th                  .976                     UC Irvine / .991
Stolen Bases Per Game           29th                  1.89                      Campbell / 3.08
Hits Allowed Per 9 IP              30th                   7.63                  North Carolina / 5.97
WHIP (BB + Hits / IP)              31st                   1.19                        UCLA / 0.94
Earned Run Average               49th                   3.12                   Oregon State / 1.64

Curry Named MVC Scholar-Athlete Of The Week
Sophomore Landon Curry led the team with four runs scored during their series victory at Minnesota and was named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week on March 20.

The Uniondale, Ind., native and Norwell High School product scored both of Indiana State's runs in their 2-1 victory over the Golden Gophers on Friday night, including the game-winning run following a throwing error after Curry stole third base. The ISU sophomore added a two-run double in the ninth inning of the rubber match on Sunday, capping a 9-4 Indiana State victory to clinch the series. For the week, Curry also drove in three runs and stole two bases. Heading into action on Wednesday, the ISU centerfielder leads the conference with 11 stolen bases. In the classroom, Curry carries a 3.81 GPA while majoring in Business.

ISU Claims First Outright Regular Season Title In School History
Indiana State earned their first outright Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship in 2012, finishing the league schedule with a 14-7 record. The 2012 season marked the fourth time in program history that the Sycamores have sat atop the standings at the end of the season, joining the teams from 1982, 1983 and 1985. The 1982 and 1983 squads won the East Division of the MVC while the 1985 team tied with Wichita State.

At-Large Selection
Indiana State received an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament field on Selection Monday last season, just the second time in school history that the Sycamores have made the postseason without winning the MVC Tournament. Indiana State claimed their only other at-large selection back in 1987 when the Sycamores fell in the conference finals to Wichita State, ending the regular season at 44-16-1 before going 1-2 in a regional in Austin, Texas.

Winning Ways
Indiana State posted their fourth straight winning season in 2012 and third straight under head coach Rick Heller. ISU's last run of four consecutive winning seasons came from 2000-03, while the last time that Indiana State posted five winning seasons in a row came during a 17-year run from 1977-1993. During Indiana State's 17-year run from 1977 to 1993, the Sycamores posted a 675-354-7 record and made six NCAA appearances.

40 Wins
Indiana State's 10-4 win over Southern Illinois on May 13 last season gave the Sycamores their 40th win of the season, the 10th time in program history that ISU broke the 40-win barrier. ISU's 41 wins in 2012 tied for seventh-most in school history and was the team's best since winning 42 games back in 1991. Below is a quick look at the 40-win seasons in ISU history:

ISU added 14 newcomers to the team in 2013, with five freshmen and nine transfers joining the Sycamore baseball program. Below is a quick look at the new faces on the roster.

No.       Name                        Year      Pos.       Ht.       Wt.          Hometown
4          Taylor Steen                Fr.         C         6-3       190         Grand Fork, N.D.
11         Hunter Owen               Fr.        INF       6-0       175         Evansville, Ind.
12         Jeff Smith                    Jr.         C         6-0       190         Valparaiso, Ind.
17         Logan Willard               Jr.       RHP       6-2       210         Eagle Grove, Iowa
20         Taylor Shaw               R-Sr.       C         6-2       210         Pleasant View, Utah
22         Mike Fitzgerald             Jr.        OF        6-1       210         Rochester, Ill.
28         Cody Zimmerman         Jr.        INF       5-9       200         Newark, Calif.
30         Jeff Degano                 Jr.        LHP       6-4       200         Surrey, British Columbia
31         A.J. McElderry              Jr.        LHP       6-2       210         Batavia, Iowa
32         Tony Rosselli               Fr.        OF        6-2       185         Terre Haute, Ind.
33         Daniel Peterson            Jr.       RHP       6-6       182         Lenexa, Kan.
36         Bobby Boynton            Fr.       RHP       6-1       215         Decatur, Ill.
37         Nick Martin                  Fr.       RHP       6-0       205         Lake of the Hills, Ill.
38         Josh Dove                    Jr.       RHP       6-2       235         Terre Haute, Ind.

On To The Next One...
Indiana State hits the road for their next seven games, including weekend trips in the MVC to Missouri State (March 29-31) and Wichita State (April 5-7).