TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Indiana State baseball team heads to Wichita, Kan. for a three-game series against the Missouri Valley Conference leaders. Wichita State enters the weekend with an 11-17 overall record and a 3-0 mark in the conference. The Sycamores are coming off of two midweek victories against in-state rivals Butler and Ball State. ISU defeated Butler 8-5, before making short work of the Cardinals, winning 14-5. Friday and Sunday's games will be broadcasted on ShockerVision, while Saturday's game will be broadcasted on ESPNU. All games can be heard on 1230 AM WIBQ.
Weekend Schedule vs. Wichita State
Friday: at Wichita State, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Saturday: at Wichita State, 2:00 p.m. (ET)
Sunday: at Wichita State, 2:00 p.m. (ET)
Probable Pitchers
Friday: Jeff Degano (5-2, 46.2 IP, 1.54 ERA, 56 K's)
Saturday: Ryan Keaffaber (1-2, 28.1 IP, 2.22 ERA, 15 K's)
Sunday: David Stagg (0-2, 30.1 IP, 6.82 ERA, 25 K's)
A Little History -- Wichita State
The Sycamores and the Shockers have played 140 games on the baseball diamond, with the Shockers holding a 96-44 advantage. Over the last ten seasons, ISU has gone 14-22 against the Shockers. 2014 saw the Sycamores sweep Wichita State in Terre Haute, the first-ever sweep of the Shockers in baseball. ISU shut out the Shockers Friday, and won a pair of one-run games Saturday and Sunday to earn the sweep.
Scouting the Shockers
The Wichita State Shockers enter the series with the Sycamores with an 11-17 overall record, and a perfect 3-0 record in the Missouri Valley. Wichita State has played series against UC Santa Barbara, who was ranked 14th at the time and is coming off of a weekend series with the No. 2 ranked TCU Horned Frogs. In the one Missouri Valley series of the year, the Shockers swept the Salukis of Southern Illinois. Currently, the Shockers are on a five-game losing streak after having lost 13-12 to Kansas on Wednesday night in Wichita, Kan.
On the mound, the Shockers have a rotation which features a right-handed starters on Friday and Sunday, and a southpaw for Saturday. Friday's projected starter, Willie Schwanke has appeared in seven games, making three starts this season. Schwanke has pitched in 33.0 innings allowing 15 runs; 11 earned, walked 11 and struck out 25. Saturday's starter Jeb Bargfeldt has started four games this season, and has appeared in seven total. Bargfeldt is 2-1 on the year with a 3.74 ERA. Bargfeldt has logged 21.2 innings, giving up 21 hits, 11 runs; nine earned and has struck out 13. Sam Tewes is projected to start on Sunday. The All-MVC Preseason selection has started in five games, earning a 2.42 ERA. Tewes has pitched in 22.1 innings, giving up 18 hits, nine runs; and six earned. Tewes has walked six hitters compared to striking out 22, and opponents are hitting .214 against him.
Shocker hitters have combined for a .260 average this season, and are led by Ryan Tinkham. Tinkham has hit for a .343 average (34-for-99) with 14 doubles and one home run. Tinkham has scored 19 runs while knocking in an additional 19. Sam Hilliard is second on the team with a .312 (29-for-93) average. Another member of the MVC Preseason squad is Danile Kihle. Kihle has a .302 (32-for-106) average while playing in 27 of 28 games. Kihle has scored 20 runs, with 18 RBI, while hitting three doubles, is tied for the team-lead with two home runs, and has added one triple this season. The Shockers have hit 52 doubles this season, which ties for third in the Valley. Wichita State leads the conference with 46 stolen bases this year. The next closes team is Dallas Baptist who has 26 team stolen bases.
Midweek Sweep
The Sycamores are coming off of a two-game sweep of in-state rivals Butler and Ball State. Both games were played at Bob Warn Field. The Sycamores have hit for a .380 average with seven extra-base hits. Andy Young is currently on a streak of 17 games reaching base, while during the last five games, redshirt senior Jacob Hayes has hit for a .528 average, scoring five runs, knocking in six, stealing two bases and picking up four extra-base hits.
Similar Starts
2014 saw the Sycamores finish second in the Missouri Valley during the regular season, with a 14-7 conference record. 2014 also saw ISU get off to a slow start in conference, starting 2-4 in series against Evansville and Illinois State. This season, Indiana State is also 2-4, going 1-2 in both conference series against Evansville and Missouri State.
Keaffaber's transition
Ryan Keaffaber has transitioned from one of the premier closers in college baseball, to a formidable starter for the Sycamores. After being named to the National College Baseball Writers of America's Stopper of the Year watch list prior to the season, Keaffaber has proven to be a tough out for more than just a few innings. In Keaffaber's three starts, he has pitched over six innings, allowing no more than two earned runs in each. Keaffaber has struck out eight hitters over the three starts, with a season-high five against Canisius in his first start of the year.
The Curse at First
The Sycamores have seen a revolving door at first base in 2015. Injuries have moved Redshirt Senior Derek Hannahs from his position at second base, over to first base. Hannahs is hitting .337 (28-for-83) in 2015, and has had the team's highest batting average each of the last two years. Four Sycamores have started at first base during the 2015 campaign. Last year's starter Jeff Zahn has gone down with an injury, which made room for Dane Giesler, a transfer from Wabash Valley CC. Giesler suffered an ACL injury in his first start at first base against Youngstown State. Manny Estevez has played two games at first, including starting against Nebraska on March 18th, where he hit his first home run of the season.
#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 is a Top 25 team. Georgia Tech is receiving votes several polls; the Yellow Jackets took three games from ISU during the third week of the season.
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 46.2 innings, allowing 12 runs; nine earned, 32 hits, and struck out a team-high 56, including a career-high 10 in three-straight appearances against Youngstown State, Canisius and Missouri State. Degano has also recorded six quality starts in a row. A quality start is 6.0 innings pitched, allowing three or fewer earned 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 extended playing time. Off the bench, the Sycamores notched three hits and scored two runs during the series.
Extra Credit
During the Indiana State Tournament, the Sycamores found their power stroke, belting 20 extra base hits. Five Sycamores hit two doubles, as well as four hitting triples. Andy Young and Taylor Steen hit their first career home runs as Sycamores. Jacob Hayes showed his speed with two triples, bringing his season total to three. Hayes hit four during the 2014 season.
Speed Kills
ISU showed off their team speed during the Indiana State Tournament, hitting five triples, by four different players. The Sycamores also stole six bases in eight attempts. ISU's running game causes issues for pitchers, as Indiana State base runners constantly require attention from opposing pitchers. The Sycamores also took advantage of six opponent errors to score four unearned runs.
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, on 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. Keaffaber earned a place on the Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American Team and was the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year. Keaffaber 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 batting 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.
Sycamores against the Big 10
Indiana State has accrued a 1-2 record against the Big Ten Conference. ISU showed its strength against Rutgers, the first of four Big Ten teams ISU will square off with during the regular season. The Sycamores won the first contest by a 14-4 tally. The Sycamores then traveled to Lincoln, Neb. where they dropped a pair of one run games at Hawks Field against the Cornhuskers.
Lucky Number Seven
ISU is looking to make it seven winning seasons 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 Bloomington Regional. 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 183 and played in 185 of the 187 games for the Sycamores since arriving in the 2012 season. Curry has a career .282 batting average and 58 stolen bases. Curry needs 10 stolen bases to tie for sixth-place all-time at ISU. Curry has hit in the lead-off spot 170 times of his 185 games played. On March 18th against Nebraska, Curry hit in the second spot of the lineup, the first time since April 24, 2013 where Curry hadn't hit lead off. It snapped a streak of 84 straight games with Curry being on the top of the lineup card. Curry made the most of his one career home run, belting a grand slam against Ball State in 2012. Curry also holds the record for most times being hit-by-pitch at ISU with 49.
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 April 7th and 8th. The Sycamores welcome the Purdue Boilermakers on the 7th for first pitch set for 3:00 p.m. ISU will travel to Eastern Illinois on Wednesday to take on the Panthers.
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, make sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter.
