The Indiana State baseball team looks to snap a four-game losing streak on Wednesday when the Sycamores travel to Bloomington, Ind., for a midweek matchup with nationally-ranked Indiana at the new Bart Kaufman Field.

First pitch between the Sycamores and Hoosiers is set for 6:05 p.m. and can be heard live on WIBQ 98.5 FM with Brian Fritz on the call.

Indiana State (17-17) and No. 17 Indiana (29-8) split a home-and-home series last season.

Probable Indiana State Starting Pitcher
Wednesday: Tyler Fehringer (R-Sr. -- RHP -- 6-1 -- 220 -- Lincoln, Neb. -- Marshalltown CC)
Notes: Six starts and eight bullpen appearances this season ... fifth on the team with 21 strikeouts
2013 Season Stats: 1-1 record ... 4.61 ERA ... 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 K vs. SIUE last Wednesday (ND)

A Little History – Indiana
Wednesday's game will be the 97th all-time meeting between Indiana State and Indiana, with the Hoosiers leading the series by a 55-40-1 margin. The Sycamores have won six of their last 10 games with the Hoosiers, including a string of five-out-of-six games from 2007-10. Indiana State and Indiana split their home-and-home series last season, with ISU winning 13-8 in Terre Haute and IU picking up an 8-7 walkoff win in Bloomington. Since 1979, Indiana State is 28-16 against Indiana, including an 11-9 edge on the road. Under fourth-year head coach Rick Heller, Indiana State is 2-3 overall against Indiana and 1-2 on the road in Bloomington.

Scouting The Hoosiers
Indiana enters the week at 29-8 on the season and in third place in Big Ten Conference at 8-4 in league play. The Hoosiers are ranked nationally in three of the four major college baseball polls, including a No. 17 ranking by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Baseball America. IU posted a school-record 18-game winning streak from March 10 through April 6 this season. The Hoosiers enter the week on a three-game winning streak, but have dropped five of their last nine games. Sophomore Kyle Schwarber tops the roster with a .408 batting average (51-for-125) while also hitting a team-leading seven home runs. Redshirt sophomore Scott Donley leads the team with 43 RBIs as the Hoosiers feature seven regular starters with at least a .300 batting average. Indiana hosts Eastern Kentucky on Tuesday before facing the Sycamores on Wednesday.

Game-by-Game – Indiana
Below is a quick look at the last 10 games in the series between Indiana State and Indiana.

April 11, 2012 at Indiana -- L, 7-8                             April 22, 2009 at Indiana -- W, 7-4
March 7, 2012 at Indiana State -- W, 13-8                  March 3, 2009 at Indiana State -- W, 11-2
April 13, 2011 at Indiana -- L, 3-6                             April 23, 2008 at Indiana -- L, 2-7
March 9, 2011 at Indiana State -- L, 4-6                    April 17, 2007 at Indiana -- W, 9-7
April 28, 2010 at Indiana -- W, 17-4                          March 6, 2007 at Indiana State -- W, 5-3

On The Road Under Head Coach Rick Heller
Under head coach Rick Heller, Indiana State is 61-58 (.517) in road and neutral site games since the start of the 2010 season. In MVC action, the Sycamores are 18-23 (.439) away from Terre Haute. This season, Indiana State is 7-14 on the road and at neutral sites.

Game-by-Game -- Big Ten Conference
Below is a quick look at the last 10 games for Indiana State against teams from the Big Ten.

April 9, 2013 vs. Purdue -- W, 10-5                           May 15, 2012 at Purdue -- L, 1-2 (10)
April 3, 2013 at Purdue -- W, 4-3                              April 24, 2012 vs. Illinois -- W, 6-4
March 17, 2013 at Minnesota -- W, 9-4                      April 11, 2012 at Indiana -- L, 7-8
March 16, 2013 at Minnesota -- L, 0-3                       March 7, 2012 vs. Indiana -- W, 13-8
March 15, 2013 at Minnesota -- W, 2-1                      April 13, 2011 at Indiana -- L, 3-6

4-1 Against The Big Ten Conference This Season
Indiana State completed a two-game series sweep of Purdue over six days in early April, moving the Sycamores to 4-1 against the Big Ten Conference this season with four out of those five games coming on the road. The Sycamores took two out of three games inside the Metrodome against Minnesota in mid-March before sweeping a home-and-home midweek series with the Boilermakers over a six-day span.

Nationally-Ranked Opponents
Indiana State is 4-1 against nationally-ranked opponents this season, sweeping three games from No. 30 Creighton and splitting a pair of games with No. 28 Mercer.

Manaea Named To CBHOF National Pitcher Of The Year Watch List
Junior starting pitcher Sean Manaea was one of 41 pitchers from around the nation named to the National Pitcher of the Year Watch List by the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Manaea is one of two representatives from the Missouri Valley Conference, as the ISU southpaw is joined on the prestigious list by Missouri State's Nick Petree. The CBHOF Pitcher of the Year award is college baseball's version of the Cy Young Award and is given annually to the nation's top collegiate pitcher.

Manaea has posted a 5-3 record and a 1.57 ERA this season, fanning 72 batters in 57.1 innings on the mound while allowing just 39 hits, 20 walks and 10 earned runs in nine starts. The ISU junior has struck out at least eight batters in seven of his nine outings, including a season-high of 10 Ks in six shutout innings against College of Charleston on Feb. 22. The Wanatah, Ind., native enters the week with 269 strikeouts for his career, 30 behind record holder Casey Whitten (299 – 1991-93).

Best Winning Percentage In The MVC Since 2009
Indiana State has posted 155 wins and a .598 winning percentage since the 2009 season, the best winning percentage in that span among teams in the MVC. ISU is second to Wichita State (167) in overall wins, but leads the way in winning percentage due to playing 24 fewer games.

Heating Up In April
Redshirt senior Koby Kraemer and senior Robby Ort have seen their batting averages rise this April, both hitting over .400 in Indiana State's 12 games this month. Ort leads the team with a .429 (21-for-49) batting average this month, also totaling 13 runs batted in. Kraemer has posted a .500 on-base percentage, going 18-for-43 (.419) at the plate with a team-leading seven doubles, six walks and 10 runs scored in April.

Indiana State Ends Tough Schedule Stretch At 6-5
The Sycamores ended March and began April with an 11-game stretch against four of the top teams in the Midwest, traveling to Missouri State, Purdue and Wichita State for seven straight games before hosting Purdue and Creighton. The Bears, Boilermakers and Shockers combined for 120 wins last season and won 66% of their games while Missouri State, Purdue and Creighton all joined Indiana State in the postseason in 2012. The Sycamores finished the 11-game stretch at 6-5 after their weekend sweep of #30 Creighton.

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.

Manaea Ranks 22nd Nationally, Fifth In ISU History In Strikeouts
Junior Sean Manaea struck out nine batters last weekend at Illinois State, 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. The Sycamore southpaw enters the weekend with 72 strikeouts this season, good for a tie for 22nd in the nation. Below is a quick look at the Top 10 in career strikeouts at Indiana State.

1. Casey Whitten (1991-93) – 299                             6. Mitch Stetter (2000-03) – 254
2. Mike Gardiner (1984-87) – 296                              7. Mike Farrell (1988-91) – 248
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. Sean Manaea (2011-present) – 269                10. Paul Quizner (1983-86) – 214

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, March 17. 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.

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

Ort Stands Alone In Program History
Senior Robby Ort ranks fourth in career runs batted in (183) and fifth in career hits (254) at Indiana State, becoming the first Sycamore in program history to rank in the top five in both categories. The Newburgh, Ind., native is a two-time First Team All-MVC selection and holds a career .316 batting average with 14 triples, 23 home runs and 27 stolen bases.

Productive At The Plate: Part I
Senior Robby Ort enters the weekend with 183 career RBIs at the plate, ranking fourth in program history at Indiana State. Below is quick look at the Top 10 for RBIs in school history.

1. Boi Rodriguez (1985-87) – 200                              6. Mike Eberle (1984-87) – 174
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. Robby Ort (2010-present) – 183                     9. Dan Olson (1994-96) – 153
5. John LaMar (1989-92) – 175                                 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 Castle High School product 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. Ort enters the week with a team-leading 26 runs batted in in 2013.

Steady At Short
Junior Tyler Wampler has been a mainstay on defense for the Sycamores, starting 127 games at shortstop over his three seasons. Wampler has tallied 419 fielding assists (140 as a freshman in 2011, 184 as a sophomore in 2012, 95 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. Wampler enters the weekend with a career fielding percentage of .963 (24 errors in 144 games).

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, ranking third in the conference with 15 stolen bases this season. For his career, Curry is 31-for-37 in stolen base attempts.

Manaea, Moore Combine For Three MVC Pitcher Of The Week Awards
Junior Sean Manaea and senior Devin Moore have combined for three MVC Pitcher of the Week awards, highlighting a pitching staff that carries a 3.57 ERA this season. Manaea was selected on Feb. 22 following his six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against College of Charleston and on March 18 after fanning nine batters in a six-hitter at Minnesota. Moore earned the award on March 25 following his two-hit shutout of Southern Illinois.

Back-to-Back Home Sweeps In MVC Play
Indiana State has played six games at home during Missouri Valley Conference play and posted back-to-back sweeps, taking all three games from Southern Illinois (March 22-24) and Creighton (April 12-14). The Sycamores have six more games at home during MVC play, coming against Evansville (May 3-5) and Bradley (May 16-18) later this season.

All About Defense: Part I
The Sycamores rank 24th 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 58-21 (.734) when they do not make an error in a game, including a 9-6 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 64-62.

All About Defense: Part II
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 (14th), ISU (24th) and UE (85th) are all in the Top 100 in fielding percentage this season.

Getting To The Seventh
Under head coach Rick Heller, ISU is 90-14 (.865) in games that they hold a lead heading into the seventh inning. When the Sycamores have trailed after the sixth inning, ISU is 18-61 (.228). This season, Indiana State is 13-0 when leading after six innings of play.

Against The Best
ISU is 8-8 against the RPI Top 100 this season, including series wins over Creighton (61) and Minnesota (90). Indiana State also holds wins over Mercer (21), Austin Peay (24) and College of Charleston (72). Last season, the Sycamores were 14-13 against the RPI Top 100.

Allowing Big Innings
Under head coach Rick Heller, the Sycamores are 80-26 (.755) 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 42-57 (.424) 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 72-12 (.857) over the past four seasons. When opponents score four runs or more, ISU holds a 50-71 (.413) 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. Indiana State 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 13-5 when scoring first and 6-3 when scoring in the opening inning.

Double-Digit Hits
Indiana State 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 losses at Indiana and at Purdue. In 2013, Indiana State is 8-3 when posting 10 hits or more and 9-14 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 seven-run advantage in the first five innings, leading 75-68, and has scored 15 first-inning runs.

All Nine Starters Post At Least One Hit Against Purdue
Led by senior Jordan Pearson's three hits, all nine position starters for Indiana State tallied at least one hit in ISU's 10-5 home victory over Purdue. The last time that the Sycamores saw all nine of their starters total at least one hit was on March 11 of last season in a 15-4 victory over UT Martin at Bob Warn Field.

Sycamores Sweep Nationally-Ranked Bluejays
The Sycamores took all three games from the Creighton Bluejays this past weekend, sweeping the team that entered the week ranking No. 30 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll. Indiana State hit .303 (30-for-99) and posted a 2.33 ERA over their three games against CU.

Close Games
In ISU's four seasons under head coach Rick Heller, the Sycamores are 69-53 (.566) in games decided by three runs or less. In games decided by four or more runs since 2010, the Sycamores carry a 53-29 (.646) record. This season, ISU is 9-10 in close games.

Free Baseball
Indiana State has played three extra-inning games this season with all three contests ending in the 11th inning. ISU fell 6-5 at Austin Peay on March 21, picked up a 1-0 victory against Southern Illinois on March 23 and lost 8-7 at Missouri State on March 31. Last season, the Sycamores went 6-4 in extra innings.

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.

Three Sycamores Earn MVC Scholar-Athlete Of The Week Awards
Redshirt senior Koby Kraemer (April 10 / April 17), senior Devin Moore (March 27) and sophomore Landon Curry (March 20) have all been named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week this season. After the fall semester, the baseball team led all men's athletic teams at Indiana State with a combined 3.42 grade point average.

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

Category                                  ISU Rank     ISU Total           NCAA Leader / Total
Fielding Percentage                      24th           .976                    Oregon / .986
Sacrifice Flies                             T-27th           22                    Campbell / 32
Double Plays Per Game                 48th            0.9                    Towson / 1.4
Strikeouts Per 9 IP                        49th            7.7                    Louisville / 9.4
Stolen Bases Per Game               T-73rd           1.4                   Wofford / 3.2
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio                 79th           2.14             Cal State Fullerton / 4.73
Earned Run Average                     82nd          3.75                   Arkansas / 1.81

Seven Former Sycamores In The Show Or Triple-A
Led by shortstop Clint Barmes (Pittsburgh Pirates) and left-handed pitcher Joe Thatcher (San Diego Padres), seven former Sycamores have currently in either Triple-A or on Major League Baseball rosters. Former Sycamore pitcher Blaise Ilsley is also working in the Majors, serving as the bullpen coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. Since 2009, 14 members of the Indiana State baseball team have been drafted or signed as a free agent with MLB teams.

Indiana State Ends The Season With Lengthy Homestand
When the calendar turns to May, Indiana State will play 12 of their final 13 games on Bob Warn Field at Sycamore Stadium, including MVC weekend sets against Evansville (May 3-5) and Bradley (May 16-18). The Sycamores are currently 10-3 at home this season, including three-game weekend sweeps of Southern Illinois (March 22-24) and Creighton (April 12-14).

On To The Next One...
Indiana State takes a break from Missouri Valley Conference play for the first time this weekend, traveling to Martin, Tenn., for a three-game series with UT Martin on April 26-28. The Sycamores are 7-2 against the Skyhawks over the past three seasons. All three games of the series can be heard live online at GoSycamores.com for free.