TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State remains at home as the Sycamores continue one of their longest home stands in the 2022 season by welcoming Purdue to Bob Warn Field on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch in the game is set for 4 p.m.
 
Wednesday's contest between the Sycamores and the Boilermakers will be carried live via ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend. Live stats will also be provided on GoSycamores.com.
 
Memphis Recap
Indiana State took both contests of the weekend series against Memphis this past Friday and Sunday as the Sycamores topped the Tigers in the non-conference matchup at Bob Warn Field. Indiana State took the opener, 12-0, and then followed up with a 3-1 win in the Sunday finale to tie up the all-time series at 6-6.
 
Jordan Schaffer and Randall Diaz broke the Friday game open in the series opener against Memphis in ISU's 12-0 win. Schaffer opened up the offensive scoring with a two-run triple in the bottom of the fifth, while Diaz followed with a two-run home run to give the Sycamores the 4-0 lead. The Sycamores added two more runs in the sixth on a Grant Magill sacrifice fly and a Seth Gergely double, before blowing the game wide open with a six-run eighth inning thanks to a pair of Memphis errors.
 
The Indiana State offense aided another strong pitching effort from Matt Jachec as the redshirt sophomore right-hander went 7.0 strong innings in his third quality start in a row. Jachec allowed four hits while striking out six on the way to his Missouri Valley leading fifth win of the year.
 
After Saturday's contest was called due to the weather, Indiana State and Memphis battled in Sunday's finale. Sean Ross doubled twice, while Joey Hurth struck out five Tigers over the final three innings in the Sycamores' 3-1 win. Ross drove in the first ISU run of the game with a RBI double in the sixth, while Jordan Schaffer and Grant Magill added late RBI in support of the Sycamores pitching staff.
 
On the mound, Jake Ridgway carried a perfect game through four innings and a no-hitter threw five before turning the ball over to the ISU bullpen. Jack Parisi, Connor Fenlong, and Joey Hurth went the rest of the way with Hurth picking up his third win out of the bullpen.
 
Scouting Purdue
Purdue enters the week with an 18-1 overall record in the 2022 season following their weekend series against Ohio State. The Boilermakers took the opener of the series against the Buckeyes on Friday, 7-5, while the final two games were called due to weather. Purdue will host Illinois Chicago on Tuesday night prior to making the trip to Terre Haute on Wednesday.
Purdue has already faced off against one Missouri Valley team this season with the Boilermakers traveling to Illinois State for a weekend series on March 17-20. Illinois State handed Purdue its lone loss of the 2022 season with a 4-3 win in 11 innings in the Thursday opener. Purdue rebounded to take the final two games of the series in a Sunday doubleheader, 9-2 and 7-6 (10).
 
Purdue was not ranked among the top six teams in the Big Ten preseason rankings according to the conference coaches. The Boilermakers did put three players on the preseason conference squad with outfielder Mike Bolton, infielder Paul Toetz, and right-handed pitcher Wyatt Wendall all receiving recognition.
 
Four Purdue players enter the week with an above .300 batting average on the season with Evan Albrecht (.387) pacing the way with 18 starts in 19 games. Cam Thompson is the team's primary power threat with six home runs and 30 RBI, while hitting .359 from the plate. Overall, Purdue is hitting .270 from the plate with 18 home runs over the 19 games played.
 
The Boilermakers' strength this season has come from the mound. Purdue sits nearly a half-run better than any team in the Big Ten with a 2.81 ERA on the year. Eleven different pitchers boast an ERA below 4.00 on the season with four pitchers earning starts on the year. Landon Weins (0.79 ERA, 22.2 IP, 24 Ks) and Khal Stephen (2.53 ERA, 10.2 IP, 11 Ks) highlight the bullpen with a combined 17 appearances on the mound for Purdue.
 
Boilermakers Top Player
Cam Thompson has been highlighting the Purdue offense in the 2022 season with the redshirt sophomore sitting among the team leaders with a .359 batting average. His six home runs put him tied for fifth in the Big Ten, while his 30 RBI put him just behind Indiana's Matthew Ellis (33) in the conference standings on the year. He has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games coming into the weekend and has homered in three consecutive games dating back to March 20 against Illinois State.
 
Opponent History
Indiana State holds the 43-31-2 all-time record against Purdue dating back to the series opener back in 1902. The Sycamores have posted a 23-18-1 record at Bob Warn Field and a 20-13-1 mark in West Lafayette, Ind. over the series. The two teams have held home-and-home meetings every year since the 2015 season. Indiana State has won the last three matchups between the programs.
 
Last Time against Purdue
Indiana State completed the season sweep against Purdue back in the 2019 season as the Sycamores topped the Boilermakers on April 3, 4-3. Nolan Brimbury scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth in West Lafayette, Ind. on Romero Harris' sacrifice fly to give the Sycamores the late lead. Tyler Grauer closed out the contest with his fourth save of the season as ISU picked up its third consecutive win in the series against Purdue.
 
Against the Big Ten this season
Indiana State is currently 3-3 all-time against the Big Ten this season having faced off against Ohio State, Minnesota, Maryland, and Michigan over the non-conference portion of the 2022 season. The Sycamores are still scheduled to face Purdue (Apr. 6), Indiana (Apr. 12), and Illinois (Apr. 19, May 3) over the rest of the season as ISU will take on seven different members of the conference this year. ISU currently boasts wins over Minnesota (two) and Michigan, while falling to Ohio State (twice) and Maryland the year.
 
Leading the Valley
Another week of baseball and another week sitting among the nation's hitting leaders as Indiana State continues to pace the Missouri Valley Conference in batting average on the year. Six different Indiana State lineup regulars have posted above .300 batting averages on the year paced by Sean Ross' .413 average as the Sycamores have connected at a .316 clip from the plate this year. Overall, Indiana State is 16th in the NCAA in team batting average, while their 227 hits put them tied for second in the MVC standings through ISU's first 20 games. Indiana State has posted double-digit hits in 12 different games, including 13 hits this past weekend on March 25 against Memphis. The Sycamores have posted at least nine hits in each of the last 11 games dating back to March 6 against Michigan, while ISU's season-high of 22 hits came back on February 26 against Minnesota.
 
Dodging Baseballs
The Sycamores have been one of the worst teams in the NCAA to dodge a baseball in the 2022 season, but it has worked out to Indiana State's credit this year in providing 37 extra runners to the base paths. The Sycamores rank 33rd in the NCAA in hit-by-pitches, while Jordan Schaffer (11) enters the week sitting 13th nationally in the category. ISU has had a batter hit by a pitch in 19 of the 20 games this season, including multiple players getting plunked in 12 different contests. ISU had five players hit by pitches on February 25 against Merrimack, while Schaffer (three times vs. Ohio State, Feb. 19), Tyler Nelson (twice vs. Kansas, Mar. 20), and Luis Hernandez (twice vs. Memphis, Mar. 25) have all been hit multiple times in a single game.
 
Friendly Confines
Indiana State improved to 6-1 inside the friendly confines of Bob Warn Field this past weekend as the Sycamores swept both games against the visiting Memphis Tigers. The pair of victories come during the middle of a scheduled 11-game home stand with ISU already taking series wins over SEMO and Kansas, prior to the two victories over the Tigers. For the season, Indiana State is hitting a robust .308 at home this year and is averaging 7.4 runs and 10.4 hits per game at home. The Sycamores have also combined for 26 extra-base hits, including nine home runs over the last seven games with five different players leaving the park. Defensively, the ISU pitching staff has posted a 2.57 ERA with a 64:28 strikeout-to-walk ratio at home as they head into conference play this upcoming weekend.
 
We Don't Give Up Free Bases
The Indiana State pitching staff has been one of the nation's best at not hurting themselves this year sitting second in the Missouri Valley in both strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.41) while leading in walks allowed per nine innings (3.77) through the first 20 games of the season. The Sycamores have only had four pitchers record three or more walks in a single game this season, while ISU has posted three or fewer walks as a pitching staff in 10 games on the year. Matt Jachec is individually ranked in the NCAA in both categories on the year with the redshirt sophomore sitting 71st with a 5.67 K:BB ratio, while sitting 40th in the NCAA in walks allowed per nine innings (1.32).
 
Thievin'
Indiana State was back on the base paths this weekend against Memphis as the Sycamores picked up their second three-steal game in 2022 in the finale against the Tigers. ISU posted three stolen bases back on March 4 at East Carolina and added three more thefts on Sunday to run the season total to 15 steals on the year. Nine different Indiana State players have recorded stolen bases on the season paced by Josue Urdaneta and Tyler Nelson's three steals apiece. Grant Magill and Seth Gergely both recorded their first steals of the 2022 season this past weekend against Memphis as the Sycamores improved to 15 out of 18 on the year. Overall, the Sycamores sit sixth in the Missouri Valley in total steals on the season.
 
Double-Digit Streaks
Indiana State boasts several players that have recorded double-digit hitting streaks or on-base streaks in the 2022 season. Currently only one player boasts an active streak heading into the week as Seth Gergely has reached base in each of his last 11 games, while posting a nine-game hitting streak dating back to March 11 against Wright State. Gergely is the fourth Sycamore to post a double-digit on-base streak in the 2022 season joining Josue Urdaneta (18), Jordan Schaffer (15), and Diego Gines (12), while Urdaneta posted a team-high 18-game hitting streak to open the year. Gergely's nine game streak makes him currently the Sycamores' active leader, while Gines is currently on his second seven-game streak of the year after hitting safely in each of the first seven games in 2022.
 
Urdaneta's Early Brilliance
Although Josue Urdaneta's early season 18-game hitting streak came to an end this past weekend against Memphis, the redshirt sophomore has continued to show few signs of slowing down in the 2022 season. The Maracaibo, Venezuela native is fifth in the Missouri Valley this year with a .395 batting average and continues to sit among the conference leader in hits (34) and on-base percentage (.458). Urdaneta was named the March 21 Missouri Valley Player of the Week after a four homer week in the Sycamores' series against both SEMO and Kansas. He's come on recently with 12 of his 15 RBI coming over the last two weeks, while he leads the Sycamores with 11 multi-hit games in the 2022 season.
 
Ross Doubling It
One doesn't have to look far on the Missouri Valley leaderboard to see Sean Ross among the offensive conference leaders this year. The redshirt senior outfielder made his season debut on February 18 and has found success in nearly every game on his way to posting a team-high .413 batting average, while pacing the Sycamores with a .667 slugging percentage, .464 on-base percentage, and eight doubles. He's also one of five Indiana State players with a triple in the 2022 season. In addition, Ross has also played small ball when it has come down to it sitting among the conference leaders with two sacrifice bunts on the year. Ross enters the week hitting safely in 12 of the last 13 games, including adding a nine-game hitting streak that was snapped last weekend against Kansas.
 
Gines Powering Up
Redshirt sophomore Diego Gines has taken over the power bat role in the middle of the Indiana State lineup over the last week as the Canovanas, Puerto Rico native has heated up in conjunction with Josue Urdaneta. Gines has hit safely in 10 of the last 11 games, while adding Indiana State's first grand slam of the 2022 season in ISU's 10-1 win over SEMO. He followed up with a solo home run on March 19 in the Sycamores' 6-2 series-opening win over Kansas, while adding his fifth double of the year in the series finale against the Jayhawks. Gines has two of Indiana State's four-hit games on the year, while sitting fifth on the team with a .329 batting average. He's one of three Sycamores to start all 20 games in the 2022 season joining Urdaneta and Jordan Schaffer.
 
Hitting the Triple
Another weekend, another Indiana State triple as the Sycamores picked up their fifth three-bagger of the 2022 season in the opener against Memphis. Five different Indiana State players have posted triples on the year with Josue Urdaneta, Sean Ross, Seth Gergely, Luis Hernandez, and Jordan Schaffer all ending up on third base this season. Schaffer became the fifth Sycamore to hit a triple on the year as the redshirt senior shortstop drilled a two-run triple to right centerfield to spark a rally in ISU's 12-0 win over Memphis on Friday. Currently, Indiana State is tied for second in the Missouri Valley with five triples trailing just Valparaiso (7) in the category.
 
Leaving the Park as a Group
It just took returning home to Bob Warn Field for the Indiana State bats to find their power stroke as the Sycamores combined to hit nine of their 18 home runs in 2022 over the past two weeks against SEMO, Kansas, and Memphis. Josue Urdaneta led the charge two weeks ago with four home runs, including a pair of two-run homers in the home opener against SEMO, while adding shots in both the first and last games in the Kansas series. Diego Gines added Indiana State's first grand slam of 2022 in the series against Kansas. Overall, 10 different Indiana State players have homered in the 2022 season with six posting multiple home runs on the year. The Sycamores went on a seven-game home run streak earlier this season and added three more consecutive games with a home run earlier late last week against SEMO and Kansas.
 
Doubling It Up
Indiana State's offense has featured a balanced approach throughout the 2022 season with the Sycamores posting 37 doubles on the year. The Sycamores have had at least one player record a double in 18 of the 20 games played on the season, including a season-high four doubles on February 20 against Ohio State. The Sycamores have connected on 15 of their 37 doubles over the last seven games with multiple doubles in all but one contest. Ross has been the primary bat at the plate for ISU with his three doubles in the Memphis series giving him a team-high eight, while Diego Gines (5), Randall Diaz (4), and Jordan Schaffer (4) also sitting among the ISU leaders in the statistical category.
 
Jachec Leading the Way
Indiana State's rotation has found another ace as redshirt sophomore Matt Jachec currently sits among the Missouri Valley leaders through his first six starts of the 2022 season. The Hampshire, Ill. native is currently in the top-10 in multiple individual categories on the season including innings pitched (41.0), ERA (1.98), opponent batting average (.218), strikeouts looking (11), wins (5), and walks allowed (6). He went the first 16.2 innings before surrendering his first walk in the 2022 season, while going at least five innings in each of his six starts. Jachec has picked up wins over BYU, Minnesota, Wright State, Kansas, and Memphis on the year, while taking his lone loss against East Carolina. He remains one of the NCAA leaders in both strikeouts-to-walk ratio and walks allowed per nine innings.
 
Picking Up the Start
Six different Indiana State pitchers have earned starts on the mound in the 2022 season paced by Matt Jachec (6) and Jake Ridgway's (5) successes on the year. Each of the two right-handers boast a sub-2.00 ERA on the season, but neither is expected to take the mound in the midweek contest against Purdue. The Sycamores will look to turn to the rest of their young pitching staff with Jack Parisi, Jose Cabrera, Jared Spencer, and Luke Patzner all making multiple starts on the mound in the 2022 season. Parisi boasts one of the liveliest arms in the NCAA as the only active Division I pitcher with over 300 career strikeouts, while Cabrera did not allow an earned run in his lone start of 2022 against SEMO (Mar. 16). Spencer is another arm with promise after an All-State career in Centreville, Mich. at Centreville high School. Patzner has become one of the top arms out of the bullpen for the Sycamores this season and has posted at least four strikeouts in three separate appearances. Any of the four, or another arm, could be in play for the Sycamores in the midweek matchup against the Boilermakers.
 
Saving the Game
Indiana State features two Sycamores with three saves in the 2022 season as redshirt junior Connor Fenlong and sophomore Joey Hurth help headline the ISU bullpen this year. Fenlong, a 2021 Missouri Valley All-Conference selection, has been one of the top right-handed arms in the league over his career and has seen action in 10 games this year. Hurth has also been among the conference leaders in appearances and wins out of the bullpen this year possessing a strong slider and a 26:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio while earning a trio of saves on the year. Both right-handers headline a bullpen group that has posted a 5.64 ERA over 20 appearances.
 
Bullpen Aces
In addition to Fenlong and Hurth, the Sycamores have turned to several other strong arms out of the pen this season as Luke Patzner, Brennyn Cutts, and Lane Miller have also been weapons out of the bullpen for ISU. Patzner has been the headliner of the group over his last two appearances going 4.0 innings against SEMO on March 15 and 4.2 innings on March 20 against Kansas. He's posted 15 strikeouts over his last 10.2 innings of work allowing just six hits and four walks during the stretch. Cutts is also coming off a pair of standout appearances on the rubber with a 3.0 inning, five strikeout game against SEMO on March 16, while Miller has posted a trio of scoreless outings over his five games.
 
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