Ashley Dickerson
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State Baseball is the No. 2 seed heading into MVC tournament play tomorrow. The host Sycamores will face No. 7 Missouri State at 7:30 p.m. ET at Bob Warn Field. Each game of the tournament can be found on The Valley on ESPN3.
Last Time Out
The Sycamores finished up the regular season with a series win over Evansville on Saturday. After dropping the series opener to the Purple Aces, the Sycamores bounced back with back-to-back shutouts. Junior Ryan Keaffaber tossed his third complete game of the season on Friday, his second complete game shutout, as he went the distance for the Sycamores. On Saturday, juniors Weston Rivers and Damon Olds combined to shutout the Aces for a second consecutive day. Throughout the regular season, Indiana State won six out of seven MVC series', including a sweep over Missouri State.
Setting The Stage
The Sycamores finished second in the Valley this season with a 13-8 MVC record, setting them as the No. 2 seed, heading into the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. The Sycamores will face the No. 7 seed, Missouri State, on Wednesday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Bob Warn Field. The last time the Sycamores were a No. 2 seed in the tournament was the 2014 season, which was the last time the Sycamores hosted. Indiana State's 34 wins marks the 27th time since the 1977 season that the team has reached 30 plus wins. Indiana State, along with Dallas Baptist and Bradley, have won seven of their last 10 games, heading into tournament play.
All-Conference Honors
The Missouri Valley Conference office has announced the 2016 All-Conference honorees as of Tuesday, May 24. Senior Andy DeJesus took home double honors as he was named First Team All-MVC and to the All-Defensive Team at the second base position. Junior Hunter Owen was also named First Team All-MVC, while senior Andy Young was named Second Team All-MVC. Sophomore Jeremy McKinney was named an All-MVC Honorable Mention, and sophomore Tyler Friis was named to the All-Defensive team at the shortstop position.
Completely Keaffaber
Junior lefty Ryan Keaffaber's last regular season performance against Evansville was a rare, yet familiar, sight as he tossed a complete game shutout. Keaffaber has went the distance on three occasions, recording shutouts in two of the three.
Not So Freshman Anymore
Freshman Tyler Ward has been solid on the mound for the Sycamores as he settled into a starting position early on. Ward's team-high six wins ranks him in the top-10 MVC, as he continues to be reliable. The Santa Claus, Ind., native has limited free passes as he has only issued 11 walks in 75.2 innings pitched.
Owen's Offense
Junior Hunter Owen has led the Sycamore offense this season, rounding out the regular season as the Valley's hits leader (78), runner-up in overall hitting (.364), runner-up in runs scored (53), third in doubles (20), and fourth in total bases (118).
Moore Needs One More
Senior catcher, Kaden Moore, is just one RBI away from hitting the 50 mark, as he leads the team with 49.
Home Field Advantage?
Dating back to 1981, host institutions have been the tournament champion 14 times in 35 years, most recently in 2011 (Creighton), while they have been the tournament runner-up an additional seven times. Wichita State and Creighton are the only tournament hosts to have ever won on their home fields.
How To Follow
Each MVC tournament game will be shown on The Valley on ESPN3. All games can be seen exclusively live on ESPN3. Watch online at ESPN3.com, WatchESPN on your computer, tablet or mobile device. You can also follow the tournament on Twitter @MVCSports, using the hashtag, #MVCBaseball.
Scouting The Competition
The preseason favorite and 2015 MVC tournament champions, No. 7 Missouri State, comes into the tournament on a 5-game winning streak. The Bears picked up a win over Dallas Baptist, a season sweep over Arkansas, and a weekend sweep over the No. 8 seed, Illinois State.
Missouri State had a enjoyed a strong start to the season as they won 24 of their first 29 games, with a 10-game win streak The last time the two teams met this season was at Bob Warn Field (4/29-5/1), resulting in the Sycamores sweeping the weekend. The Bears have been hot as of late, and own both the MVC Player and Pitcher of the Week in freshman Jeremy Eierman and Sam Perez.
Who To Look Out For
Jake Burger (First Team All-MVC. All-Defensive Team) leads the bears with a .365 batting average, while hitting 19 home runs. Spencer Johnson (Second Team All-MVC) co-leads the team with 19 home runs while knocking in 63 runs. Hunter Steinmetz (All-MVC Honorable Mention) comes into the tournament hitting .326. RHP Sam Perez (All-MVC Honorable Mention) was named this past week's Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week and is a perfect 6-0 on the mound.
Be sure to check out the MVC Baseball Championship Central page at MVC-Sports.com for all things MVC Baseball, and follow the tournament on Twitter @MVCSports, using the hashtag, #MVCBaseball. For more information about the Sycamores, follow us on Twitter @IndStBaseball.
