Indiana State University Athletics

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Indiana State baseball will wrap up a nine-game road swing with a pair of games against #24 Michigan during midweek action. First pitch Tuesday is scheduled for 5 p.m. from Ray Fishers Stadium while Wednesday's contest is tentatively scheduled for a 5 p.m. start. Fans can catch the action online at GoSycamores.com with Luke Martin on the call or follow along on Twitter for live updates @IndStBaseball.
 
LOOKING AT THE SYCAMORES
The Sycamores have seen their team average drop over the past two weeks, now hitting .268 as a squad. Catcher Max Wright leads the team with a .326 average while four other ISU batters are hitting above .300 on the year. Indiana State has the fifth-best team ERA in collegiate baseball at 2.75 through the first half of the season. 
 
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 23-6. The Sycamores opened the season with seven-straight victories before recording nine-straight to open the month of March. Indiana State is 11-5 on the road, 6-1 at home and 5-0 in neutral site contests this season. Five of Indiana State's six losses have been by one run. 
 
JUMPING ON TOP AND CLOSING THEM OUT
Indiana State has put up runs consistently this season, averaging six runs a game while outscoring opponents, 174-92. The Sycamores have outscored opponents 33-5 in the first inning of action and 21-4 in the fourth. ISU puts up more runs than opponents in all but two innings this season, including a 29-12 mark in the eighth and ninth innings.
 
PITCHING STRONG FOR THE SYCAMORES
The pitching staff for the Sycamores has been outstanding so far this season, allowing 80 earned runs in 262.2 innings of work. The team 2.75 ERA ranks fifth nationally. Six Sycamores have ERA's lower than 2.60 through 29 games. Starting pitcher Triston Polley has a 1.68 ERA in eight starts and 53.2 innings while relievers Tyler Grauer and Jake Ridgway have 2.25 ERA's in over 10 appearances out of the bullpen.
 
ALL-TIME VS MICHIGAN
Indiana State and Michigan have met twice all-time with both games coming in postseason play. The first meeting came during the 1984 Mideast Regional with the Wolverines coming out on top, 8-2 and the second came in 1986 in the Ann Arbor Regional when the Sycamores defeated Michigan, 7-1 to advance to the College World Series. 
 
LOOKING TO GET BACK ON TRACK
Though the Sycamores are still in the midst of the best start in program history at 23-6, Indiana State has struggled over the last two weeks, losing four of the last eight contests and dropping consecutive weekend series to Missouri State and Michigan State. During the stretch, ISU has been shutout three times and are hitting .197 while pitching has been strong with a 1.86 team ERA.
 
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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.