TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State makes the trek to Springfield, Mo. and Hammons Field this week for the start of the 2022 MVC Baseball Tournament running from May 24-28. The No. 5-seed Sycamores will take on No. 8 Valparaiso in an elimination game on Tuesday night with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. ET.
 
All MVC Tournament games will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend with live stats to be provided courtesy of the tournament host, Missouri State.
 
Regular Season Recap
Indiana State was picked second overall in the 2022 MVC Baseball Preseason poll as selected by the conference's head coaches coming into the regular season. The Sycamores came into the year coming off their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and retired nine positional starters and four key arms on the mound after a 31-21 season that earned ISU an at-large berth in the postseason.
 
The Sycamores started off the season strong with a 5-2 record coming out of the first two weekends with wins over BYU, Marshall, Merrimack, and Minnesota (twice). ISU added a win over Michigan the following weekend at the LeClair Classic and took the middle game in a three-game series at Wright State to close out their season opening road trip with a 7-6 mark prior to their 2022 home opener.
 
ISU was dominant in their opening 10-game home stand boasting an 8-2 mark with series sweeps over SEMO and Memphis, while also taking two of three from Kansas and Illinois State. The Sycamores continued their winning ways with an extra-inning victory at Purdue, while sweeping the season series at Valparaiso on April 9-10, before returning to Bob Warn Field in mid-April for an eight-game home stand.
 
Indiana State took a midweek loss against Indiana but rallied back after a bye weekend to top Illinois before returning to conference play with series at home against both Evansville and Missouri State. The Purple Aces and Bears both took two of three from the Sycamores to send Indiana State back on the road heading into May.
 
The Sycamores struggled at the start of the month with losses at Illinois, Bradley (twice), Vanderbilt, and Southern Illinois (three), but ISU looked to hit its stride heading into the conference tournament with a dominant home showing against Dallas Baptist on the final weekend. Indiana State took the first two games against DBU, while the third was called due to weather and ending in a 2-2 tie to send the Sycamores into the postseason with a 25-20-1 record.
 
Non-Conference Round-Up
Indiana State finished non-conference play with a 15-10 overall record in the 2022 season. The Sycamores posted a 6-3 record in neutral site contests and a 7-2 home mark at Bob Warn Field against non-MVC opponents this season, while sitting 2-5 in true road non-conference games. Highlighting Indiana State's non-conference schedule includes wins over BYU, Marshall, Merrimack, Minnesota (twice), Michigan, Wright State, SEMO (twice), Kansas (twice), Memphis (twice), Purdue, and Illinois.
 
Sycamores in the MVC
Indiana State finished the 2022 regular season with a 10-10-1 overall record giving the Sycamores the No. 5 seed in the 2022 MVC Tournament. The Sycamores took at least one game from every single conference opponent in 2022 with the exception of Southern Illinois, while winning series over Valparaiso, Illinois State, and Dallas Baptist. Overall, Indiana State went 6-5-1 at home in conference play, while posting a 4-5 record in road contests.
 
Sycamores vs. MVC
April 1-3 vs. Illinois State – W, 4-2; L, 12-2 (7), W, 5-2
April 9-10 at Valparaiso – W, 2-0; W, 15-8; W, 11-8
April 22 vs. Evansville – W, 7-6 (10), L, 14-0 (7); L, 12-9
April 29-May 1 vs. Missouri State – L, 7-6; L, 11-4; W, 8-1
May 7-8 at Bradley – W, 8-5 (12); L, 4-3; L, 5-3
May 13-15 at Southern Illinois – L, 5-3; L, 14-3 (7); L, 7-3
May 19-21 vs. Dallas Baptist – W, 10-6; W, 11-10; T, 2-2
 
MVC Tournament Against All Opponents
Indiana State is heading back to the postseason and looking to keep up its winning ways at the MVC Baseball Tournament as the Sycamores enter the postseason with a 77-64 overall mark dating back to their first appearance in 1977. The Sycamores have won at least two games in every conference tournament dating back to the 2017 postseason and have won at least one game in every tournament dating back to 2014.
 
The Sycamores have won seven MVC Tournaments over program history including the 2019 conference championship when Indiana State won five of their six contests including two over Dallas Baptist on the championship day on their way to taking the title. Last season, the Sycamores again faced off with DBU in the conference championship before falling to the Patriots in Carbondale, Ill. last season in extra innings.
 
All-Time Record against Tournament Field
Bradley ISU, 8-2 – Last Met in 2015 – BU W, 5-4
Creighton ISU, 14-10 – Last Met in 2013 – ISU W, 4-3
Dallas Baptist DBU, 5-3 – Last Met in 2021 – DBU W, 12-8 (11)
Evansville ISU, 6-3 – Last Met in 2019 – ISU W, 7-0
Illinois State ISU, 11-4 – Last Met in 2021 – ISU W, 5-2
Missouri State MSU, 8-6 – Last Met 2018 – MSU W, 9-6
New Mexico State ISU, 2-0 – Last Met in 1980 – ISU W, 6-5
Northern Iowa UNI, 2-1 – Last Met in 2002 – ISU W, 4-1
Southern Illinois ISU, 15-4 – Last Met in 2021 – ISU W, 9-7
Tulsa TUL, 3-2 – Last Met in 1979 – ISU W, 9-8
Valparaiso, First Meeting
Wichita State WSU, 23-9 – Last Met in 2016 – ISU W, 7-1
 
MVC Tournament in Springfield, Mo.
Indiana State is 2-6 all-time when the tournament has been held in Springfield, Mo. with the Sycamores competing against the field in 2004, 2012, and 2017. ISU dropped both their contests to Creighton and Wichita State in the 2004 season, while also going two-and-out in 2012 against Creighton and Evansville. The 2017 season saw the Sycamores top Evansville twice, while falling to DBU twice before bowing out.
 
2004
ISU vs. Creighton – L, 14-4
ISU vs. Wichita State – L, 13-7
 
2012
ISU vs. Creighton – L, 5-0
ISU vs. Evansville – L, 8-5
 
2017
ISU vs. Evansville – W, 13-4
ISU vs. DBU – L, 6-2
ISU vs. Evansville – W, 11-3
ISU vs. DBU – L, 6-5
 
The OG's
Indiana State's Jordan Schaffer and Jake Ridgway remain the only two Sycamores on the roster from the 2019 MVC Championship squad heading into the postseason this weekend. Ridgway evolved into a starting pitcher over the 2022 season, while Jordan Schaffer has been ISU's everyday shortstop over the last two seasons in a starting role. Back in 2019 however, their roles were slightly different with Ridgway sitting among the top relievers on the squad, while Schaffer was primarily utilized as a defensive replacement and pinch runner.
 
Looking back at the 2019 season, Ridgway made 25 appearances out of the bullpen on his way to finishing with a 2-0 record and a 3.38 ERA with wins over Illinois and Dallas Baptist. He saved one of his best performances of the year for when it mattered with a 4.1-inning relief appearance in the championship game against No. 25 Dallas Baptist to send ISU to the NCAA Nashville Regional. Schaffer lined up in 16 games earning just one start against Michigan State back in his redshirt sophomore season, while added a .333 batting average over his 15 at-bats.

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.