Indiana State University Athletics

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State baseball will look for the season sweep of Illinois Wednesday night in Champaign. First pitch with the Illini is set for 7 p.m. ET from Illinois Field. Fans can watch the action on BTN Plus or listen on GoSycamores.com with Luke Martin on the call.
 
LOOKING AT INDIANA STATE
The Sycamores come into play at 32-9 on the season and 9-3 in MVC play. ISU is hitting .272 as a squad. Catcher Max Wright (.328, 7 2B, 4 HR, 28 RBI, .418 OBP) and second baseman Jarrod Watkins (.305, 7 2B, 4 HR, 24 RBI, .396 SLG) lead the team while four other ISU batters are hitting above .270 on the year. Indiana State also boasts the 8th-best team ERA in collegiate baseball at 3.14. ISU's .979 fielding percentage ranks 15th nationally and tops in the MVC. 
 
PITCHING STRONG FOR THE SYCAMORES
The Indiana State pitching staff has been outstanding this season, combining for a 3.14 team ERA which is 8th nationally. As a team, ISU also ranks 7th nationally with a 1.17 WHIP and 13th with five shutouts. ISU pitching has combined to hit just 14 batters which is second-best in the country. Five Sycamores have ERA's lower than 2.60 through 41 games. Starting pitcher Collin Liberatore has a 2.00 ERA in 11 starts and 72 innings while Tyler Ward has a 1.99 ERA in over 15 appearances out of the bullpen.
 
LOOKING AT ILLINOIS
Illinois enters the play at 28-14 after a weekend series win against Nebraska. The Fighting Illini are led by Grant Van Scoy at the plate with a .357 batting average in 36 starts. Zac Taylor (.352) and Michael Massey (.340) also provide strong bats in the order. Garrett Action leads the Illini with a 1.90 ERA in 21 relief appearances. As a team, Illinois holds a 3.51 ERA (25th) and a .982 fielding percent (6th), both of which are top-25 in the country.
 
ALL-TIME VS ILLINOIS
The Sycamores trail in the all-time series with the Illini, 36-43-2. The Sycamores defeated Illinois, 3-1 in Terre Haute earlier this season. The two teams met in a three-game series in 2017, with the Illini picking up the weekend sweep in Champaign. 
 
SEVEN WEEKEND SWEEPS IN 2019
Indiana State has recorded seven weekend sweeps during the 2019 season, including four sweeps away from home (at Jacksonville, at UNCW Tournament, at Mercer and against Rutgers in Fort Myers). ISU has swept The Citadel, Valparaiso and most recently Southern Illinois at home. The 2018 Sycamores recorded just two road sweeps (at The Citadel and Valparaiso). The Sycamores took both games from Austin Peay earlier this season, but the finale was canceled due to weather.
 
JUMPING ON TOP AND CLOSING THEM OUT
Indiana State has put up runs consistently this season, averaging six runs a game while outscoring opponents, 255-140. The Sycamores have outscored opponents 52-15 in the first inning of action and 30-8 in the fourth. ISU puts up more runs than opponents in all but two innings this season, including a 40-15 mark in the eighth and ninth innings combined.
 
LIBERATORE MVC PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Collin Liberatore set a new career high with 10 strikeouts as he helped clinch the series with a 7-2 victory Saturday. Liberatore held the Salukis to just two hits over eight innings on the mound. The right-hander retired seven-straight batters to close out his day while retiring the Salukis in order in four different innings. Liberatore issued just one free pass on the day of the 27 hitters he faced as he improved to 8-0 on the year.
 
BIG 10 SUCCESS
Indiana State is 8-4 on the season against BIG 10 competition entering Wednesday's game. The Sycamores completed a weekend sweep of Rutgers in Fort Myers, a season sweep of Purdue, a win each against Michigan, Michigan State and Illinois. ISU dropped two games to Michigan State, as well as a game each to Michigan and Indiana. 
 
THE ARM OF APRIL
Collin Liberatore dominated the month of April on the mound for ISU. In four starts, the junior allowed just four runs in 32.2 innings for a 1.10 ERA. The right-hander struck out 19 and walked just seven while allowing just 16 hits and holding opponents to a .147 average against. 
 
A SPECTACULAR SENIOR SEASON
Tyler Ward has seen action in 15 games out of the bullpen his senior season, currently with a 5-1 record and a 1.99 ERA. The right-hander has pitched 40.2 innings and allowed just nine earned runs while striking out 30 and walking just eight. He is second on the team with four saves and third in wins. In April, Ward saw action in six games, with a 0.51 ERA and a 4-1 record. Opponents scored just one earned run against Ward in 17.2 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.