Indiana State University Athletics

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- The Indiana State baseball team will open Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend with a trip to Springfield to take on Missouri State. The series opener is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET Friday night. Saturday's contest is slated for a 3 p.m. start and the finale on Sunday will begin at 2 p.m. Throughout the weekend, fans can watch the action on ESPN3 or listen to the radio call on GoSycamores.com with Luke Martin and Brian Fritz on the call.
 
SYCAMORES OFF TO BEST START IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Sixth year head coach Mitch Hannahs has his squad off to the best start in program history at 20-2. The Sycamores opened the season with seven-straight victories before recording nine-straight to open the month of March. Indiana State is 9-1 on the road, 6-1 at home and 5-0 in neutral site contests this season. In 1990, the Sycamores opened the season 13-1. The Sycamores are one of just three teams nationally to have two or fewer losses on the season, joining NC State (23-1) and Arizona State (22-1).  ISU is one of 12 teams with 20 or more wins on the season.
 
LOOKING AT INDIANA STATE
The Sycamores have seen their team average slowly climb this season, now hitting .287 as a squad. Catcher Max Wright leads the Sycamores with a .384 average while three other ISU batters are hitting above .300 on the year. Indiana State has the 20th-best team ERA in collegiate baseball at 3.00 through the first third of the season. Senior Tyler Whitbread leads all pitchers with a 1.74 ERA in five starts while sophomore Jake Ridgway holds a 2.35 ERA after 13 appearances out of the bullpen. All three Indiana State weekend starters have ERA's under 3.50. 
 
A GLANCE AT THE BEARS
Missouri State enters the play at 5-18 on the season and have dropped seven-straight games. The Bears hold a team batting average of .211 and are led at the plate by John Privitera and Drew Millas who each have a .235 average. The Bears' pitching staff combine for a 7.34 ERA with starting pitcher Logan Wiley holding a 5.76 ERA in six starts. 
 
ALL-TIME VS MISSOURI STATE
The Sycamores trail in the all-time series with Missouri State, 71-45. The Sycamores dropped a weekend series to the Bears in in Terre Haute in 2018, 2-1. ISU fell in a Friday doubleheader before securing the finale. Prior to 2018, Indiana State and Missouri State traded sweeps with ISU sweeping in 2016 and the Bears in 2017.
 
BIG 10 STRETCH
Over the course of the 2019 season, Indiana State scheduled 14 games against BIG 10 teams. ISU is coming off a weekend sweep of Rutgers and a midweek win against #25 Illinois. After a three-game set with conference foe Missouri State, the Sycamores will play the midweek game at Purdue before beginning a three-game set with Michigan State in East Lansing followed by a pair of midweek games with the Wolverines in Ann Arbor. 
 
FIVE WEEKEND SWEEPS IN 2019
Indiana State has recorded five weekend sweeps through six weeks of the 2019 season, including four sweeps away from home (at Jacksonville, at UNCW Tournament, at Mercer and against Rutgers in Fort Myers). The 2018 Sycamores recorded just two road sweeps (at The Citadel and Valparaiso). 
 
JUMPING ON TOP AND CLOSING THEM OUT
Indiana State has put up runs consistently this season, averaging seven runs a game and has outscored opponents, 151-74. ISU has outscored opponents 27-5 in the first inning and 23-14 in the second. The Sycamores put up more than opponents in all but two innings this season, including a 27-9 mark in the eighth and ninth innings.
 
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For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.