TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State baseball will make the trek to Texas for a weekend series with Dallas Baptist. First pitch on Friday with the Patriots is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from Horner Ballpark. Game two of the series will air live on ESPNU Saturday, resulting in a 9:30 p.m. ET start time. The two squads will wrap up the weekend tilt Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. Fans can catch the Friday and Sunday game on the Patriots All-Access while all three games will air on GoSycamores.com with
Luke Martin calling the action.
LOOKING AT INDIANA STATE
The Sycamores come into play at 34-11 on the season and 11-4 in MVC play. ISU is hitting .268 as a squad. Catcher
Max Wright (.309, 7 2B, 4 HR, 32 RBI, .436 SLG) and second baseman
Jarrod Watkins (.308, 8 2B, 2 HR, 25 RBI, .401 SLG) lead the team while six other ISU batters are hitting above .270 on the year. Indiana State boasts the 7th-best team ERA in collegiate baseball at 3.10. ISU's .979 fielding percentage ranks 14th nationally and tops in the MVC.
PITCHING STRONG FOR THE SYCAMORES
The Indiana State pitching staff has been outstanding this season, combining for a 3.10 team ERA which is 7th-best nationally. As a team, ISU also ranks 5th nationally with a 1.17 WHIP, 14th in hits per nine innings (7.46) and 16th with five shutouts. ISU pitching has combined to hit just 15 batters which is second-fewest in the country. Indiana State is third nationally in runs allowed per game (3.4) sitting behind top-ranked UCLA and Stanford. Indiana State's MVC ERA sits at 2.44 in 15 games. The next best team is Evansville at 3.71.
LOOKING AT THE PATRIOTS
Dallas Baptist enters the play at 33-15 after a midweek win against Stephen F. Austin Wednesday. The Patriots are led by Luke Bandy at the plate with a .353 batting average in 45 games. Jackson Glenn (.311) and Jimmy Glowenke (.307) also provide strong bats in the order. MD Johnson leads the Patriots with a 2.43 ERA in 12 starts. As a team, DBU holds a 3.82 ERA and a .972 fielding percent.
ALL-TIME VS DBU
The Sycamores trail the all-time series with Dallas Baptist, 18-7. ISU ended a nine-game losing streak to the Patriots in Terre Haute last season after
Tyler Ward tossed a complete-game shutout. The Patriots went on to take the series, 2-1. ISU was swept by Patriots in 2017 at Horner Ballpark, dropping a pair of one-run games to the No. 23-ranked squad.
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, 279-151. The Sycamores have outscored opponents 53-16 in the first inning of action and 30-8 in the fourth. ISU puts up more runs than opponents in all but one inning this season (19-15 in the seventh), including a 45-17 mark in the eighth and ninth innings combined.
THE WEEKEND ROTATION
#28
Triston Polley / Sr. / LHP
6-0, 2.23 ERA, 80.2 IP, 56 H, 20 ER, 65 K, 33 BB
Last Outing: 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 12 H, 15 K vs Illinois State
#32
Collin Liberatore / Jr. / RHP
9-0, 1.80 ERA, 80.0 IP, 49 H, 16 ER, 57 K, 21 BB
Last Outing: 8.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 8 K vs Illinois State
#26
Tyler Whitbread / Sr. / RHP
6-1, 3.30 ERA, 57.1 IP, 52 H, 21 ER, 42 K, 10 BB
Last Outing: 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 5 K vs Illinois State
LIBERATORE EARNS SECOND-STRAIGHT MVC PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Collin Liberatore put together another phenomenal performance on the mound against Illinois State to even the series in Normal Saturday. Liberatore went for at least seven innings for the eighth time this season as he cruised to his MVC leading ninth victory. The right-hander sat down the Redbirds in order in four different innings and retired seven batters in-a-row on two separate occasions. In total, Illinois State was able to spray just five hits against Liberatore over the course of eight innings as he shut down the Redbirds much of the day. The Greensburg, Pennsylvania native struck out eight and issued just two walks. Liberatore has a 1.80 ERA in 12 starts overall and a 0.67 ERA in MVC games.
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 16 games out of the bullpen his senior season, currently with a 5-1 record and a 1.85 ERA. The right-hander has pitched 43.2 innings and allowed just nine earned runs while striking out 34 and walking just nine. He is second on the team with five 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.
GRAUER TOUGH OUT OF THE BULLPEN
Junior
Tyler Grauer leads the Sycamores with seven saves on the season. The left-hander has seen action in 16 games, pitching 26.1 innings and allowing just six earned runs for a 2.05 ERA. In total, Grauer has walked just two batters while striking out 37.
WATKINS RISING
Second baseman
Jarrod Watkins has seen his average climb from .280 to .308 over the course of the last two weeks. The senior has scored eight runs, drove in seven and picked up two walk for a .469 on-base percentage during that span. He recorded seven extra-base hits including a home run for a .759 slugging percentage. Watkins has three of the six Sycamore four-hit games this season.
MEANS SOLID AGAINST REDBIRDS
Third baseman
Jake Means hit for a team-best .417 batting average over the last week for the Sycamores. The senior scored four runs, drove in three and picked up two walks for a .556 on-base percentage. He recorded one extra-base hits over the week for a .500 slugging percentage. A Gardner, Kansas native, Means went 2-for-3 with three RBIs in the Sycamores 13-1 victory to even the series with Illinois State Saturday.
NOT AFRAID TO WEAR IT
Indiana State ranks 23rd in the nation in hit-by-pitches, taking 74 HBP's so far this season.
Jake Means has been hit a team-high 14 times.
Roby Enriquez has been hit 11 times and
Max Wright has been beaned on 10 occasions. Ten different batters have been hit-by-pitch more than once this season.
Full Game Notes…
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