TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Indiana State Sycamores are hosting the Indiana State Tournament this weekend. ISU welcomes Canisius, Rutgers and Central Michigan to Terre Haute to take part in the five-day event.
The Indiana State Tournament will feature eight games. Below is the tentative weekend schedule, weather permitting.
Game 1// 3-12 // ISU vs. CMU // Bob Warn Field // 3:00 p.m.
Game 2 // 3-13 // Rutgers vs. CMU // Bob Warn Field // 12:00 p.m.
Game 3 // 3-13 // ISU vs. Canisius // Bob Warn Field // 3:00 p.m.
Game 4 // 3-14 // ISU vs. Rutgers // Bob Warn Field // 12:00 p.m.
Game 5 // 3-14 // Canisius vs. CMU // Bob Warn Field // 3:00 p.m.
Game 6 // 3-15 // CMU vs. Rutgers // Bob Warn Field // 12:00 p.m.
Game 7 // 3-15 // ISU vs. Canisius // Bob Warn Field // 3:00 p.m.
Game 8 // 3-16 // Canisius vs. Rutgers // Bob Warn Field // 12:00 p.m.
Normal admission will be charged for games featuring Indiana State, whereas games when the Sycamores aren't involved will be free to the public.
Click here for Indiana State Tournament Central.
Weekend Schedule - Indiana State Tournament
Thursday: vs. Central Michigan, 3:00 p.m. (ET)
Friday: vs. Canisius, 3:00 p.m. (ET)
Saturday: vs. Rutgers, 12:00 p.m. (ET)
Sunday: vs. Canisius, 3:00 p.m. (ET)
Probable Pitching Rotation
David Stagg - LHP (0-1, 10.97 ERA, 13 K)
Jeff Degano - LHP (3-1, 2.75 ERA, 28 K)
Jeremy McKinney - RHP (1-2, 5.52 ERA, 19 K)
Schedule Change
The home-opener against Eastern Illinois was been postponed. The game was originally schedule to be played on Tuesday, Mar. 3. The game will be made up on a date to be determined later. ISU also had to move its series with Youngstown State to Westfield, Ind. making this Thursday's game the home opener for the Sycamores.
A Little History -- Central Michigan
ISU and Central Michigan have met 25 times, with the most recent meeting in 1986. Indiana State defeated the Chippewas in the Mideast Regional in Ann Arbor, Mich. on their way to the first College World Series appearance in school history.
Scouting the Chippewas
Central Michigan is coming off a weekend which saw them take a three game series from conference rival Wichita State. The Chippewas won Friday and Saturday night before falling in the finale Sunday. Logan Regnier leads the Chippewas with a .316 average (18-for-57). Regnier has hit four doubles along with four triples and is tied for the team lead with nine RBI. Pat MacKenzie isn't far behind Regnier, with a .315 average (17-for-54). MacKenzie is trailing on the power side, with just two doubles and one triple, while diving in three runs. MacKenzie has recorded a .472 on base percentage, drawing 16 walks, and striking out just nine times. Pat Leatherman and Nick Deeg lead the Chippewa pitching staff. Both have started in four games with two wins. Deeg has a 2-1 record with a 2.74 ERA pitching in 23.0 innings, allowing 18 hits, nine runs, and seven earned. Deeg has struck out 16 hitters while walking six. Leatherman has amassed a 2-0 record with a 2.55 ERA. In 24.2 innings pitched, Leatherman has allowed 20 hits, eight runs; seven earned walked five and struck out 17.
A Little History -- Canisius
Indiana State played Canisius in a three-game series in 2014 in Buffalo, N. Y., the Golden Griffins took the series 2-1.
Scouting the Golden Griffins
Canisius enters the Indiana State Tournament on a six-game losing streak. The Golden Griffins were beaten by George Mason and Delaware in Lexington, S.C. before being swept in a four game series with James Madison. At the plate, the Canisius has a .290 team average, tied for 55th best in nation at the Division I level. Ryan Stekl leads the Golden Griffins with a .412 batting average (21-for-51), with two doubles and a homer. Stekl has picked up 10 RBI and scored nine times. Connor Panas leads the team with a .660 slugging percentage and is second on the team with a .377 batting average (20-for-53). Panas leads the team with three dingers and has six doubles. Devon Stewart has spent the most time on the bump for Canisius, throwing in 22.2 innings, with a 1-3 record and a 4.76 ERA. Stewart has allowed 22 hits, 14 runs, 12 earned, walked 10 and struck out 19. J.P. Stevenson has held down the back end, making five appearances, four out of the bullpen for the Golden Griffins. Stevenson has a 1-0 record with a 2.81 ERA while appearing in 16.0 innings, allowing 12 hits, seven runs, five earned. Stevenson has struck out 16 hitters while walking only three. Opponents have managed a .194 average against Stevenson.
A Little History -- Rutgers
The Sycamores have never faced Rutgers in baseball.
Scouting the Scarlet Knights
Rutgers enters the tournament after dropping three-straight to Florida Atlantic, who is receiving votes in several polls. The Scarlet Knights have one victory on the season, a 13-9 win over the Monarchs of Old Dominion. Rutgers started the season in Coral Gables, Fla. against Miami who is also ranked in several polls and dropped each game of the four game series. After facing some tough competition, Rutgers has a .213 team batting average. Vinny Zarrillo leads the team with a .306 average (11-for-36) with three doubles and added five RBI. Tom Marcinczyk leads Rutgers with 10 RBI and has a .250 batting average. Marcinczyk has hit two doubles and four dingers for a team-high 17 total bases. On the hill, Howie Brey has logged the most innings, pitching in 15.2 innings over three starts. Brey has an 0-2 record and a 5.74 ERA while giving up 14 hits, 13 runs, 10 earned, walked 10 and struck out 17. Jon Young has been effective for the Scarlet Knights in relief. Young has appeared in five games without being the pitcher of record while posting a 2.08 ERA. In his 4.1 innings, he has allowed just one earned run.
#Fearless
Fearless has been the attitude of the 2015 Sycamore Baseball program. This attitude was personified in the second week of the year when a schedule change saw the Sycamores travel to Port Charlotte, Fla. to take on the defending National Champion Vanderbilt Commodores. Vanderbilt took the series 2-1 but the stats during the games were comparable. Runs were tied at 10, the Commodores managed just two more hits than the Sycamores, and ISU issued 12 walks compared to 19 from Vanderbilt. Other opponents for the 2015 season include two teams that ISU saw in the NCAA Bloomington Regional, Indiana and Youngstown State. Dallas Baptist is also on the schedule who are now a Top 25 team, as well as this upcoming series against Georgia Tech, in which the Yellow Jackets are receiving votes in the NCBWA poll, as well as the USA Today Coaches' Poll, and Collegiate Baseball.
Degano's Dominance
Starting pitcher Jeff Degano took over the Friday night starter's role in the series against Georgia Tech. This season Degano has pitched a combined 25.2 innings, allowing nine runs, 20 hits, and struck out 28, including a career-high 10 against Youngstown State. Degano has also recorded three quality starts in a row. A quality start is 6.0 innings pitched, allowing three or fewer runs.
Game Experience
In the Georgia Tech series, the Sycamores subbed 14 times. This allowed members of the team that haven't seen the field some more extended playing time. Off the bench, the Sycamores notched three hits and scored two runs during the series.
Power Outage
After hitting three home runs over the first three games, the Sycamores have not hit a dinger since 2/15 against Central Arkansas when they hit two. ISU hit 14 bombs in 2014 and looked to be on their way of surpassing that total after the first weekend. With homers coming from Hunter Owen and Tony Rosselli, the Sycamores seemed to sport a lineup with more pop than previous seasons. ISU has gone eight-straight games without a long ball.
Early Season Recognition
The Sycamores placed four players on the Warhawk Classic All-Classic team during the weekend of Feb. 13-15 at the Warhawk Classic hosted by UL-Monroe. Position players Derek Hannahs, Kaden Moore and Andy Young earned a spot, along with pitcher Michael Eberle. ISU went 2-1 in games in Louisiana, placing second at the Classic.
Brothers in Arms
Redshirt juniors, Jeff Degano and Greg Kuhlman made their first appearances since 2013 Opening Weekend. Both are coming off of arm injuries which didn't allow them to appear on the diamond for ISU in 2014. Kuhlman, prior to 2015, had a 3-3 career record and a 5.38 ERA after appearing in 27 games and making five starts. Degano, a transfer from Marshalltown CC, started in three games in 2013, posting an 0-1 record in 8.2 innings pitched. The pair of southpaws started Saturday and Sunday of Opening Weekend. The Sycamores featured an all-lefty rotation in the first weekend of the year at the Warhawk Classic in Monroe, La with senior David Stagg getting the ball on Friday night.
Preseason Poll
ISU placed fourth in the MVC preseason poll with 42 points. Dallas Baptist is the preseason favorite to win the conference, earning seven of the eight possible first place votes and 62 points overall. Missouri State picked up the one other and placed second on the list with 53 total points. Wichita State finished a spot ahead of the Sycamores with 43 points. Rounding out the bottom of the conference was Evansville with 28 points, Illinois State with 26, Bradley with 18, and Southern Illinois with 15.
Preseason All-MVC
Ryan Keaffaber was the lone Sycamore to place on the preseason all-MVC team. Keaffaber is a relief pitcher that finished 2014 with a 3-2 record and a 3.26 ERA. He also was named to the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year. Other members of the preseason all-conference team are as follows: Paul DeJong of Illinois State; Spencer Gaa and Tyler Leffler of Bradley; Daniel Salters, Justin Wall, David Martinelli, and Brandon Koch of Dallas Baptist; Dylan Becker, Tate Matheny, and Jon Harris of Missouri State; and Daniel Kihle and Sam Tewes of Wichita State .
2-for-3
Over the past three seasons, the Sycamores have earned at-large bids into the NCAA Regionals. In 2012, ISU earned a spot in the NCAA Regional in Eugene, Oregon. ISU also earned an at-large bid last season when the Sycamores competed in the NCAA Regional in Bloomington, Ind.
Stellar Sophomore
Sophomore pitcher Ryan Keaffaber had a freshman season that saw him etch his name into the Indiana State Record Book. Ryan earned a place on the Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American Team and was the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year. Ryan appeared in 24 games with three earning a 3.26 ERA and a 3-2 record. Ryan served mostly as the closer for the Sycamores during the season. His 11 saves are the third-best total in school history while holding opponents to a .212 average against him. The only other Sycamore to earn Freshman of the Year honors was Mitch Stetter, a former major leaguer with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 2015, Keaffaber has appeared in five games in relief, allowing five hits in his six innings of work. He has a 2:1 strike out to walk ratio and a .227 average against.
Sycamores against the Big 10
Indiana State did well against Big 10 teams in 2014. The Sycamores split with Indiana, defeating the Hoosiers 12-8 in Terre Haute on March 26 but lost at Indiana 8-4 on Apr. 9. Indiana State owns two wins over Ohio State (7-3 and 8-6) but lost at Illinois (8-0). Indiana State defeated Purdue 10-3 on Apr. 22. In 2015, ISU is scheduled to face off against the Big Ten seven times, with games against Rutgers, Nebraska, Indiana, and Purdue.
Lucky Number Seven
ISU is looking to make it seven winning season in a row. The Sycamores earned their sixth-straight winning season in 2014 after going 35-18 and earning an at-large bid into the NCAA Regionals in Bloomington, Ind. The six winnings seasons are the longest such streak since the 17-season streak from 1977-1993.
Look at Me, I Can Be Centerfield
Landon Curry has started in 161 and played in 162 of the 164 games for the Sycamores since arriving in the 2012 season. Entering 2015, Curry had a career .290 batting average and 53 stolen bases. Curry needs 15 stolen bases to tie for sixth-place all-time at ISU. Curry has hit in the lead-off spot 153 times of his 162 games played, and every game since April 24, 2013, a string of 77 straight. Curry made the most of his one career home run, belting a grand slam against Ball State in 2012.
Powerful Pitching
The Sycamore pitching staff led the MVC with a 3.34 ERA and placed second with 17 saves in 2014. The pitchers also controlled the running game from the mound, picking off 18 runners. Continuing the pitching prowess, the Sycamores were first in runs allowed (222) and tied for first in the MVC in hits allowed (417) during the 2014 season.
Return to Action
The Sycamores are scheduled to return to action on Mar. 17th when it travels to Lincoln, Neb. to face off against the Cornhuskers before opening Valley play against Missouri State in Springfield, Mo. Missouri State was picked to finish second in the conference behind Dallas Baptist.
For the latest information on the Sycamore Men's Baseball team, make sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.
