TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana State baseball returns to the road this weekend as the team travels to Macon, Georgia for a four-game series with Mercer at OrthoGeorgia Park. First pitch Friday is set for 6 p.m. while game one of the Saturday doubleheader is slated for a 2 p.m. start. The series will conclude Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch. No audio or video will be available this weekend. Fans can follow the action via live stats or on Twitter
@IndStBaseball.
ALL-TIME VS MERCER
Indiana State and Mercer have met just two times prior to this weekend, both times during the 2013 season in Terre Haute. The Bears won game one 9-1 before Indiana State took the next game, 10-2.
PITCHING STRONG FOR THE SYCAMORES
The pitching staff for the Sycamores has been outstanding through the first 10 games this season, allowing 25 earned runs in 90 innings of work with its 2.50 team ERA ranking 20th in the nation. Over the last three games, Indiana State recorded a pair of shutouts and has allowed just one earned run. Six different Sycamores have ERA's lower than 2.00 entering the fourth week of the season. Starting pitcher
Triston Polley has a 1.00 ERA in three starts and 18 innings while right-handed reliever
Austin Cross has not allowed a run in two appearances.
SEASONED RETURNERS
Indiana State will be one of the most seasoned and veteran units in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2019, returning eight starters from the field and all three starting pitchers from a year ago. In total, the Sycamores return 22 letterwinners from a third-place team. Eight of the nine returning fielders are seniors and two of the three returning starting pitchers are four-year players. In total, the Sycamore roster bolsters 14 seniors, 16 juniors, two sophomores and a trio of freshmen.
CLOSING OUT GAMES
Indiana State has put up runs consistently this season, averaging 7.1 runs a game and has outscored opponents, 71-29. The Sycamores have outscored opponents in each inning this year including a 31-9 mark in the final four innings of games.
NOT AFRAID TO WEAR IT
Indiana State ranks sixth in the nation in hit-by-pitches, taking 30 HBP's in 10 games. Sycamore outfielder Roberto Enriquez has been hit-by-pitch five times this season -- to rank 36th in the nation in the category. Six different Sycamores have been hit three or more times.
YOU CAN RUN -- BUT I WOULDN'T
Sycamore catcher
Max Wright is one of the best behind the plate in the MVC. The sophomore has had just 22 opponents look to swipe a base with 12 of those runners being thrown out. He is the top defensive catcher in the MVC with the next best starting catcher being challenged is Matt Duce of DBU with 31 steal attempts against. This season, opponents are 5-of-11 stealing on Wright.
More…
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.
