TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State opens up Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend as the Sycamores welcome Valparaiso University on March 24-26 for a three-game series at Bob Warn Field.

SCHEDULE UPDATE: Friday afternoon's opener has been moved to a 2 p.m. ET first pitch at Bob Warn Field. Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) are scheduled to remain the same. Follow Indiana State Baseball Twitter for more updates throughout the weekend. All three games are still scheduled to be streamed live on ESPN+. The games will also be carried live on 105.5 The Legend.
 
Indiana State enters the weekend on a three-game losing streak to put their 2023 overall record at 8-11. The Sycamores fell in their home opening doubleheader to Michigan State last weekend by scores of 8-2 and 10-7, before dropping their Tuesday night contest at Indiana, 15-5.
 
The Sycamores dropped their midweek contest to Indiana following a late seventh-inning rally by the Hoosiers. Indiana State rallied to tie the game up at 4-4 in the top of the frame thanks to three-run rally highlighted by Luis Hernandez drawing a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and back-to-back bases-loaded walks drawn by Keegan Watson and Parker Stinson. The Hoosiers rallied back with an 11-run bottom of the seventh inning to take the 15-5 win in the first scheduled games between the two teams this season. Indiana returns the trip to Terre Haute on April 4.
 
Keegan Watson continued his recent resurgence at the plate over the last week. The redshirt senior boasts a .556 batting average with five hits and his first home run of the season, while adding a team-high six RBI. Seth Gergely (.385) and Adam Pottinger (.300) have also been among ISU's leaders at the plate over the last four games, while five different Sycamores have homered during the stretch including freshman Dom Krupinski connecting on his first blast in the Sycamore Blue & White.
 
Jared Spencer continues to spotlight the ISU pitching staff over the last week with the sophomore boasting a 3.18 ERA and a 12:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over two appearances. Brennyn Cutts made a pair of midweek starts against Illinois and Indiana over the last week, while Cam Edmonson made a team-best three appearances on the mound.
 
Gergely is the team's hitting leader through the first 19 games. The redshirt senior has posted a .305 average and is tied for the team lead with five doubles while adding 10 RBI. He's also second on the squad with 12 walks and seven hit-by-pitches and leads the team with a .463 on-base percentage. Keegan Watson (.286) has continued to come on strong recently, while Luis Hernandez (.282) leads the team with 20 hits and 13 runs. Adam Pottinger is tied with Hernandez with 13 runs scored and is the conference leader with 10 hit-by-pitches. Mike Sears is the team-leader with four home runs and 15 RBI.
 
Fifteen different Indiana State pitchers have seen time on the mound this year with the Sycamores boasting a team 6.20 ERA and a 183:89 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Zach Davidson and Jared Spencer pace ISU with two wins apiece, while Matt Jachec and Connor Fenlong are among the team leaders in both games started and strikeouts. Cameron Holycross (0.82 ERA) and Spencer (3.77 ERA) are among the team's ERA leaders on the year.
 
The Sycamores continue to be elite defensively. Indiana State entered the week third in the NCAA and first in the MVC in fielding percentage. The Sycamores are fielding at a .987 clip on the season with five players posting perfect 1.000 percentages with at least 20 chances.
 
Scouting the Opposition
Valparaiso Beacons
Valparaiso enters the weekend series with a 7-7 overall record on the year following their midweek 8-4 loss at Notre Dame. The Beacons have lost five of their last six dating back to March 5 against Arkansas Little Rock, but the win came in the weekend series at No. 22 Southern Miss on March 10. Last weekend's series at Omaha was canceled due to the winter storms that came through the Midwest. All 14 of Valparaiso's games have come away from home.
 
Nolan Tucker leads a Valparaiso offense that is hitting .404 from the plate this season with a team-high 21 hits, while sitting second in RBI (13) and third in runs (12). Kyle Schmack (.316) is also among the team hitting leaders with bests in home runs (4) and RBI (17), while Kaleb Hannahs is Valpo's leader with 19 runs scored. The Valparaiso pitching staff has posted a 6.54 ERA on the year with 11 different pitchers making appearances so far in 2023. Griffin McCluskey (1-2, 6.00 ERA) and Connor Lockwood (2-0, 2.88 ERA) have been among the team's top starters so far this season, while Nathan Chasey and Grant Jablonski have both made six appearances. Overall, Valparaiso has posted a team ERA of 6.54 and a 109:70 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
 
Valparaiso was picked 10th overall in the Missouri Valley preseason poll as announced by the conference office. The Beacons returned their top six hitters in terms of batting average including 2022 MVC First Team selection and Freshman All-American Nolan Tucker. Relievers Nathan Chasey and Bobby Nowak posted the top team ERAs in 2022.
 
Valparaiso and Indiana State only have one common non-conference opponent this season. Valpo will travel to Purdue on April 25, while ISU takes on the Boilermakers at home on March 28 and in West Lafayette on April 4.
 
Indiana State – Valparaiso History
Indiana State leads the all-time series against Valparaiso with a 53-29-1 overall record dating back to their first competition in 1948. ISU holds the all-time 45-19 edge in Terre Haute against the Beacons including winning their last 11 games between the programs at Bob Warn Field dating back to 2007. Overall, Indiana State has won 19 consecutive games against Valparaiso dating back to 2007, including a 16-inning contest back on April 17, 2012, thanks to a game-winning squeeze play in the 2-1 win.
 
Last Season against Valparaiso
The Sycamores swept all four games against the Beacons last year. ISU took all three games at Bauer Field while Matt Jachec carried a perfect game into the ninth inning in the MVC Championships First Round on their way to adding to their winning streak against the Beacons. Keegan Watson and Luis Hernandez both homered twice against the Beacons last year with Watson posting nine RBI over the four games. Matt Jachec (2-0) posted a 0.00 ERA with a 13:0 strikeout-to-walk ratio in two starts against the Beacons, while Joey Hurth and Connor Fenlong both added saves.
 
Recapping the Early Non-Conference
Indiana State went 8-11 in the early non-conference season following their first 19 games of the season. The Sycamores opened the year at the Snowbird Baseball Classic in Port Charlotte falling to Iowa in extra-innings, while topping Quinnipiac and Florida Gulf Coast.
 
Following a midweek loss to then-No. 22 Miami (Fla.), ISU went on a seven-game losing streak including getting swept in weekend series by both Northeastern and Kentucky. The Sycamores rebounded with a six-game winning streak started by taking two midweek games against SEMO, sweeping the weekend at Memphis (Mar. 10-12), and ISU's first win at Illinois since 2007.
 
The Sycamores fell in each of their last three games heading into conference play with Indiana State falling to Michigan State (twice) and Indiana.
 
Strength of Schedule
Indiana State entered conference play boasting the top nonconference strength of schedule in the NCAA Division I through March 23. The Sycamores have faced off against three teams in the top-20 in RPI and six in the top-50. These opponents include Kentucky (4), Miami (12), and Northeastern (15), while Vanderbilt (11) and Missouri (18) are still on the schedule for later in the season.
 
The Sycamores currently trail just Oregon for the second hardest strength of schedule overall in 2023, while Florida State (3), Dayton (4), and UCLA (5) round out the top five.

Indiana State Baseball Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2023 Indiana State baseball season are on sale now as the Sycamores continue to gear up for the upcoming season. ISU will play 19 games at Bob Warn Field this season starting on March 17-19 with a weekend series against Michigan State.
 
Overall, the Sycamores home schedule features nonconference contests against Michigan State (Mar. 17-19), Purdue (Mar. 28), Indiana (Apr. 4), Illinois (May 2), and Ball State (May 9). The conference slate features Valparaiso (Mar. 24-26), Illinois State (Apr. 7-9), Southern Illinois (Apr. 21-23), and Murray State (May 12-14).
 
Those seeking more information on season tickets or MVC Baseball Championship tickets can contact Assistant Manager of Athletic Ticketing Austin Bishop by phone at 812-237-8972 or via email at Austin.Bishop@indstate.edu. Fans can also call 877-ISU-TIXS or email ISU-Tickets@indstate.edu. Fans have the opportunity to also buy season tickets online by clicking HERE.
 
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.