TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State remains in the Sunshine State this weekend as the Sycamores take on Merrimack and Minnesota in Port Charlotte and Fort Myers.
 
The Sycamores will take on Merrimack on Friday morning at Centennial Park in Port Charlotte with first pitch set for 11 a.m. From there, ISU will make the short trek over to Fort Myers and Hammond Field to take on Minnesota for a pair of games on Saturday and Sunday with first pitch set for 1 p.m.
 
Friday's game will be carried live via FloBaseball ($), while live stats will be provided via GoSycamores.com. Minnesota will provide coverage for both games over the weekend at Hammond Field.
 
Weekend Recap
Indiana State went 2-2 over the opening weekend with wins over BYU and Marshall, while falling in both contests against Ohio State. The Sycamores were aided by top performances over the weekend by Jordan Schaffer Josue Urdaneta, Diego Gines, and Mike Sears, while Matt Jachec, Luke Patzner and Connor Fenlong stood out on the mound at the Snowbird Baseball Classic.
 
Friday's opener against BYU saw an early Luis Hernandez two-run single give the Sycamores the early lead, while strong pitching from Jachec and Fenlong shut the door on the Cougars in the 3-2 opener win. Hernandez's two-out single in the bottom of the first scored Miguel Rivera and Diego Gines, while Jachec struck out five of the first nine BYU hitters in his first win of the season. Fenlong went the final 2.2 innings in scoreless relief for his first save.
 
The Sycamores were unable to keep pace with a quick Ohio State start in the second game of the weekend as Indiana State fell 9-3. The Sycamores jumped ahead early on a Rivera RBI single, but the Buckeyes responded with three runs in the first and added a trio of two-run frames late in the game to take the contest.
 
Indiana State utilized a six-run rally late in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader as the Sycamores topped Marshall, 9-7. The Sycamores trailed 7-3 heading into the seventh inning before Mike Sears connected on a two-run home run over the left field fence to jumpstart the Indiana State rally. Aaron Beck drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game in the eighth, before Randall Diaz's pinch-hit two-run single in the win over the Herd.
 
Ohio State rallied back in the final game of the weekend as the Buckeyes utilized a five-run top of the eighth to take the win. Indiana State put together an 8-0 lead in the first four innings behind a pair of Tyler Nelson RBI hits and another Sears home run, but the Buckeyes rallied back to take the win at Centennial Park.
Scouting Merrimack
Merrimack returns several key players to the field following a 19-22 season in 2021 with signature wins over Holy Cross and Boston College. The Warriors return outfielder and leading hitter Michael Golankiewicz (.262 batting average) to the field, while adding 33 hits and six doubles on the year. He added 13 RBI and 21 runs scored, while finishing second on the team with eight stolen bases. Senior right-hander Vin Zappulla returns to the mound after finishing second on the team in both wins (4) and strikeouts (48), while Justin Butera added a team-high four saves on the year.
 
Top Player
Senior Michael Golankiewicz is the top returning hitter for the Warriors heading into their first weekend of the 2021 season. The former NE10 All-Rookie Team has been among the team's hitting leaders since stepping on the field back in 2019. He returns as the team's leader with a .262 batting average, while finishing fourth on the team with 33 hits. The Hillsborough, N.J. native posted a late-season 11-game hitting streak to wrap up the year.
 
Opponent History
Friday marks the first time the Sycamores and the Warriors have faced off in their respective programs histories.
 
Scouting Minnesota
Minnesota went 1-3 overall over the opening weekend of the 2022 season as the Golden Gophers took the opener against Florida Atlantic, before falling over the final three games against the Owls. Jack Kelly (.625) led Minnesota's hitting efforts over the opening weekend, while Easton Bertrand (2) and Chase Stanke (3) combined to hit five of the Golden Gophers' seven home runs over the four games.
 
Minnesota is looking to bounce back from a 6-31 record and addressed some of their concerns with 14 newcomers, including five Division I transfers. Key returners to the squad include second baseman Zach Raabe and Jack Wassel, while first baseman Ronnie Sweeny was named to the 2022 Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List.
 
Top Player
Ronnie Sweeny is the player to watch for the Golden Gophers as the redshirt senior returns as the team's leading slugger. Named to the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List, Sweeny struggled over the opening weekend hitting .125 over his 16 at-bats. The left-handed slugger drilled a solo home run in the series finale against Florida Atlantic.
 
Opponent History
Indiana State and Minnesota have lined up four times dating back to the inaugural matchup on March 30, 1985. The Sycamores took the first contest, 9-4, at the Metrodome Tournament in 1985 and followed up with wins in two of the three contests in a three-game series at Minnesota in 2013.
 
Mike Sears Powering Up
Mike Sears provided the power bat in the middle of the Indiana State lineup as the redshirt junior homered in each of the final two games of the opening weekend of the 2022 Snowbird Baseball Classic. The Cincinnati, Ohio native hit safely in all four games, but did his damage over the final day's doubleheader against both Marshall and Ohio State. Sears' two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh inning against Marshall started the six-run Indiana State rally over the final two innings in the Sycamores' come-from-behind 9-7 win. His two-run shot in the fourth against Ohio State staked Indiana State to the 8-0 lead in the fourth. Sears returned as one of the leading power bats in the Sycamores lineup this season and currently paces Indiana State with a 1.100 slugging percentage on the year.
 
Dodging Baseballs
Jordan Schaffer was not able to get out the path of the baseball this weekend as the redshirt senior shortstop was plunked three times in Saturday's game against Ohio State, while getting hit two more times on Saturday against Marshall and the second contest against Ohio State. Schaffer leads the Missouri Valley with five hit-by-pitches through the first four games of the season and is on pace for nearly 60 HBPs according to Indiana State's current 49-game schedule. Schaffer's three HBP against Ohio State marked the first time a Sycamore had been hit by a pitch since Dominic Cusumano was hit three times against Dallas Baptist back at the end of the 2021 season.
 
Starting the Season on a Hitting Streak
Josue Urdaneta was one of four separate Indiana State players to leave the weekend with hits in all four games as the redshirt sophomore connected on a team-high seven hits over his 18 at-bats. Urdaneta's .389 batting average was third on the Sycamores for the weekend as the Maracaibo, Venezuela opened up the year with back-to-back multi-hit games. Urdaneta sits tied for second overall in the Missouri Valley in overall hits, while adding a stolen base to his name on the year. He has 15 multi-hit games over his Indiana State career and will be looking for more this weekend.
 
Doubling It Up
Diego Gines has been one of the top hitters in the Missouri Valley Conference through the first weekend as the redshirt sophomore slugged his way to a .385 batting average over the four-game set in Port Charlotte. The Canovanas, Puerto Rico native hit safely in all four games and paced the Sycamores with a trio of doubles on the opening weekend with two-baggers coming against BYU, Marshall, and Ohio State. Gines scored three times in the Sycamores' 9-7 win over Marshall and added his lone RBI of the weekend against the Herd. Gines is currently locked in a three-way tie for the conference doubles' lead.
 
New Faces in the Outfield
Indiana State turned to a few new faces in the outfield over the final day of the weekend and it paid off as both Tyler Nelson and Parker Stinson combined for four hits, three runs, and three RBI against Marshall and Ohio State. After going hitless through the first game, Nelson went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs, and two RBI as the Sycamores jumped to the early 8-0 lead against Ohio State. Stinson hit safely in both contests with a RBI against Marshall, while adding a double and run scored against Ohio State. As the Sycamores continue working their way through the lineups, expect to see both players see extended time on the field this season.
 
Friday Night Starts
Redshirt sophomore Matt Jachec made his Sycamore starting debut on Friday night against Brigham Young. The Hampshire, Ill. native went 6.1 innings, allowing six hits and two runs, while striking out seven in the season-opening win against the Cougars. He allowed just one extra-base hit over the 24 batters faced before turning the ball over to the bullpen. The right-hander struck out five of the first nine and six of the first 11 batters in his first collegiate start. He will likely draw the nod again this weekend against Merrimack in leading the Sycamores rotation.
 
Tops in the Bullpen
Four games into the season and redshirt junior Connor Fenlong has already made three appearances on the mound to lead the Sycamores bullpen. The Sycamores' relief ace and a 2021 Missouri Valley Conference First Team selection, Fenlong picked up his first two saves of the year in his first two trips to the mound. He went 2.2 innings allowing just one hit while striking out one in the opener against BYU. Saturday against Marshall, he closed out the 9-7 win over the Herd with a 1-2-3 frame. Fenlong's third appearance came in the loss against Ohio State as the Gouverneur, N.Y. native was unable to close out the contest against the Buckeyes. Fenlong enters the second weekend with a 2.25 ERA and a .231 opponent batting average while posting two strikeouts.
 
Standout Sophomore Hurler
Luke Patzner made the most of his starting debut on Sunday afternoon as the redshirt sophomore went 5.0 solid innings in the second game against Ohio State. Patzner scattered five hits, allowing three runs (one earned), while striking out five in the no-decision against the Buckeyes. The Urbandale, Iowa native faced 23 batters over 89 pitches and limited the OSU offense early as Indiana State built an 8-1 lead. The Heartland Community College transfer saw action in two games at HCC in the 2021 season and posted a 12:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio with a 4.91 ERA.
 
First Times in the Indiana State Uniform
Multiple Indiana State baseball players made their Sycamore debuts over the past weekend as Randall Diaz, Luis Hernandez, Isaiah Thompson, Matt Gauer, Luke Patzner, Jack Parisi, Jared Spencer, Brennyn Cutts, and Will Goebel all saw action the field. The Sycamores list 15 newcomers on the 2022 roster and expect to see more making their way onto the field in the coming weeks as the season progresses.
 
Up Next
Indiana State remains on the road on March 4-6 for the LeClair Classic in Greenville, N.C. hosted by East Carolina University. The Sycamores will take on host East Carolina, Maryland, and Michigan over the three-game weekend at Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium.
 
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.