TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State begins a five-game road trip this week as the Sycamores head to West Lafayette, Ind. for a Tuesday night contest against Purdue as the Sycamores and Boilermakers close out their 2023 home-and-home series. First pitch between the ISU and Purdue at Alexander Field is set for 6 p.m.
 
Tuesday night's game will be streamed live on the B1G+ and 105.5 The Legend. Live Stats will be provided on PurdueSports.com.
 
The Sycamores won the initial contest against Purdue, 8-2, this season back on March 28 behind a strong outing from right-hander Lane Miller. The ISU right-hander went eight innings in his first collegiate start since 2020 and posted a career-high five strikeouts in taking home the win.
 
Luis Hernandez sparked the offense with a pair of RBI doubles, while Miguel Rivera and Keegan Watson both had two RBIs in the game to provide Miller all the support he would need in taking the win. Randal Diaz (two hits) and Josue Urdaneta (two runs) also stood out in the first meeting between to the two teams this season.
 
The win over Purdue came in the middle of a stretch that has seen the Sycamores win 10 of their last 11 games dating back to the series sweep on March 25-26 against Valparaiso. Over the stretch ISU has swept Valpo (Mar. 25-26) and Illinois State (Apr. 7-9), as well as midweek wins over Purdue (Mar. 28) and Indiana (Apr. 4) and winning two of three games at UIC (Mar. 31-Apr. 2).
 
The 10-game stretch has been highlighted by strong play from both the ISU hitters and pitching staff. The Sycamores have combined to hit .290 from the plate over the last 10 games with six lineup regulars hitting .300 or better. The ISU pitching staff has also posted a 3.00 ERA over the stretch with a 73:27 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
 
The emergence of the big bats from Randal Diaz (.385, 3 HR) and Mike Sears (5 HR, 9 RBI, 12 R) has highlighted Indiana State during the stretch. Seth Gergely (.359), Luis Hernandez (.353), Josue Urdaneta (.341), Adam Pottinger (.320), and Keegan Watson (.303) have also been on fire at the plate recently. Hernandez and Gergely have both reached base safely in all 10 games over the stretch, while Josue Urdaneta boasts a nine-game hitting streak coming into Tuesday night.
 
More recently, the Sycamores put together a trio of complete game efforts this weekend against Illinois State to improve to 8-1 in Missouri Valley play. The record marks ISU's best start to conference play since the 1998 season (12-1) and just the third time in program history the Sycamores have won their first three conference series (2023, 2012, 1998).
 
The ISU pitching staff turned in one of their best weekends to date this season against the Redbirds. Seven pitchers combined to post a 1.93 ERA over the 28.0 innings pitched on the mound. The Sycamores posted a 21:5 strikeout to walk ratio and allowed just one extra-base hit over the series in ISU's first sweep over the Redbirds since 2017.
 
Indiana State enters the week leading the Missouri Valley teams in RPI as the Sycamores remained inside the top-35 for the fifth consecutive week. ISU (28) is one of three MVC teams inside the top 100 including Evansville (72) and Southern Illinois (86).
 
ISU also continues to boast the nation's toughest non-conference strength of schedule through April 10. ISU has played or is scheduled to play against top-50 RPI opponents in Kentucky (1), Vanderbilt (7), Miami (16), Indiana (17), Missouri (24), and Northeastern (36). The Sycamores also have faced off against or will take on Florida Gulf Coast (56), Iowa (57), Michigan State (58), Evansville (72), Ball State (82), Southern Illinois (86), and Illinois (87) in the 2023 season.
 
Seth Gergely is Indiana State's top batter coming into the week as the redshirt senior is hitting a team-best .340 on the season through the first 30 games. Luis Hernandez (.302) is also hitting above .300 on the season with a team-best eight doubles. Mike Sears (10) and Randal Diaz (6) have been the team's power bats at the plate on the year, while Sears also boasts a team-best 26 RBI on the season.
 
Hernandez enters the week on a 23-game on-base streak equaling the mark set by teammate Mike Sears earlier this season. The duo became just the fourth ISU pair to post 20-plus game on-base streaks in the same season and first since 2018 (Romero Harris – 31, Jarrod Watson – 22).
 
Over the weekend, Sears and Gergely reached double-digits in two different statistical categories in 2023. Sears became the first Sycamore to post 10 home runs in a single season since Max Wright conneted on 16 in 2021. Gergely was the first Sycamore to reach 10 stolen bases in a single season since Jordan Schaffer swiped 11 also in the 2021 season.
 
Sixteen different Indiana State pitchers have seen time on the mound this year with the Sycamores boasting a team 4.96 ERA and a 264:117 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Matt Jachec, Connor Fenlong, Cameron Holycross, and Jared Spencer have all recorded three wins in the 2023 season to lead ISU's staff, while Holycross (0.40 ERA) and Lane Miller (2.57 ERA) are the staff's ERA leaders. Jachec (46) and Spencer (34) are the strikeout leaders.
 
The Sycamores continue to be elite defensively. Indiana State entered the week seventh in the NCAA and first in the MVC in fielding percentage. The Sycamores are fielding at a .984 clip on the season with three players posting perfect 1.000 percentages with at least 20 chances, while three others are fielding at .990 or higher.
 
Scouting the Opposition
Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue enters the midweek contest with a 14-16 overall record on the year following their weekend series win at Minnesota. The Boilermakers took the first two games of the series against the Golden Gophers before falling in Sunday's finale. Purdue currently is 3-3 overall at home in 2023 with wins over Northern Illinois and Northwestern (twice), while falling to UIC, Evansville, and Northwestern at Alexander Field.
 
Evan Albrecht (.362), Paul Toetz (.313), and Jake Jarvis (.313) lead a Purdue offense that is explosive at the plate with a team batting average of .276 through their first 29 games. Albrecht is the team leader with 38 hits and seven doubles on the year, while Toetz (8 HR, 33 RBI) and Jarvis (8 HR, 27 RBI) are the team power threats so far. Couper Cornblum and Mike Bolton Jr. are the team's base stealing threats with 15 stolen bases apiece.
 
Purdue's pitching staff has posted a team 4.99 ERA on the season with 14 different arms making appearances on the mound in 2023. The Boilermakers feature seven different pitchers who have made starts on the mound this season. Purdue's staff has posted a 214:127 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the year and allowed opponents to hit .261 from the plate.
 
Purdue was not ranked among the six teams picked in the Big Ten preseason poll. Albrecht, Mike Bolton Jr. (OF), and Cam Thompson (1B/OF) were all selected to the preseason Big Ten All-Conference team. Albrecht and Bolton teamed up for 50 stolen bases last season, helping Purdue lead the Big Ten (116) in 2022 while eclipsing a program record that had stood since 2000. Thompson was the team's primary run producer in the heart of the lineup, leading the way with a 13 home runs and 56 RBI while producing a 1.031 OPS.
 
Purdue's 2023 schedule features several Missouri Valley teams with the Boilermakers already traveling to Evansville (Mar. 17-19) and hosting UIC (Mar. 21) and Evansville (Apr. 4). In addition to the home-and-home series with Indiana State, the Boilermakers will host Valparaiso (Apr. 25) and travel to UIC (May 10) this season. So far in 2023 Purdue is 0-5 against MVC schools.
 
Indiana State – Purdue History
Indiana State leads the all-times series over Purdue 45-31-2 dating back to the inaugural contest between the teams back on April 26, 1902. Purdue won the initial contest played in West Lafayette, 7-0. ISU's first win in the series came back in 1963 with an 8-3 win in Terre Haute on April 13 that year. The Sycamores are 19-13-1 all-time in West Lafayette. The Sycamores have won their last five contests against Purdue dating back to 2018.
 
Last Season at Purdue
Indiana State won its lone matchup at Purdue in the 2022 season taking the 10-6 win in 10 innings at Alexander Field. The Sycamores scored eight unanswered runs after the sixth inning, including four in the go-ahead 10th frame to top the Boilermakers. Seth Gergely was the key with the go-ahead RBI double in the 10th, while Joey Hurth went the final two innings in taking the win.
 
Sycamores against the Big Ten
The Sycamores enter the Tuesday night game with a 3-4 mark against the Big Ten this season. Indiana State topped Illinois (7-3) in extra innings in Champaign back on March 15. ISU added up with a pair of home wins over Purdue (Mar. 28) and Indiana (Apr. 4) and boast a two-game winning streak against the conference. The Sycamores still have a home game against Illinois on the schedule for May 2. ISU went 5-5 against the Big Ten last season with wins over Minnesota (twice), Illinois, Purdue, and Michigan.

Follow the Sycamores
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