TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State continues the eight-game home stand on Tuesday afternoon as the Sycamores host Purdue University for a non-conference midweek matchup. First pitch between ISU and Purdue is set for 4 p.m. ET with the game to be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
 
The Sycamores (17-5) enter the midweek after a 3-1 week with all four games played at Bob Warn Field. ISU topped Indiana 15-7 in the midweek contest and bounced back from a Friday afternoon 6-5 defeat to Missouri State before coming back to take the Saturday (3-0) and Sunday (8-5) games to secure their 11th consecutive Missouri Valley Conference series win.
 
Indiana State is 3-0 against the Big Ten continuing a stretch of nine consecutive wins against the conference dating back to March 28, 2023, against Purdue. Since then, Indiana State has topped Purdue (again), Indiana (twice), Illinois (twice), Iowa (twice), and Michigan State over the last year.
 
The 2024 season has seen the Sycamores top Michigan State, Illinois, and Indiana over the first month. The Sycamores topped the Spartans down in Port Charlotte, Fla. courtesy of an extra-inning passed ball to take the 7-6 win. Indiana State utilized a six-run seventh inning against Illinois on March 12 highlighted by Grant Magill and Mike Sears home runs in the 7-6 victory.
 
The winning streak was extended this past Tuesday as ISU rallied back from an early 6-0 deficit to outscore the Hoosiers, 15-1, over the final six innings. Five ISU players homered in the contest with Mike Sears driving in six RBIs, while Parker Stinson (4) and Luis Hernandez (3) combined to score seven runs in the win.
 
Indiana State improved to 4-1 overall at Bob Warn Field this season after taking two of three from Missouri State this past weekend with the start of MVC play. Hernandez (.500) and Dominic Listi (.500) were ISU's hitting leaders over the conference's opening weekend with Hernandez and Randal Diaz both homering.
 
The Sycamores' pitching staff shined on the mound again as nine Indiana State pitchers combined to post a 3.00 ERA over the 27.0 innings. ISU limited Missouri State to a .186 batting average on the weekend and a 31:21 strikeout-to-walk ratio with Brennyn Cutts and Cam Edmonson recording wins, while Jared Spencer and Simon Gregersen both recorded saves out of the bullpen.
 
Hernandez continues to be one of the top hitters in the country with a .396 batting average and a 21-game hitting streak entering the midweek. He leads the Sycamores in hits (36) and runs (23), while sitting second in home runs (6), RBIs (26), slugging percentage (.637), and on-base percentage (.451).
 
Listi is also one of the top performers at the plate for ISU over the early part of the season reaching base safely in all 22 games of his Sycamore career in posting a .366 batting average. He leads ISU with a .525 on-base percentage with 26 hits, while reaching base 26 more times on walks (14) and hit-by-pitches (12).
 
The pitching staff remains elite this season with a 4.10 ERA over the first 22 games of the season. Fifteen different pitchers have combined to throw 189.0 innings on the mound while posting a 218:84 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Sycamores have also limited opponents to a .246 batting average on the year.
 
Scouting Purdue
Purdue enters the midweek matchup with a 16-9 overall record on the year but have fallen in four of their past five games dating back to March 17's series finale loss to Samford. Since then, the Boilermakers have dropped an extra-inning midweek contest to UIC, and fell in two of the three games this weekend against Iowa in the start of Big Ten play.
 
The Boilermakers started the season strong winning three of their first four games on opening weekend against Stony Brook, as well as three of four against George Mason. Additional series wins for Purdue include taking three of four against Albany, as well as a midweek win over Northern Illinois.
 
Purdue is scheduled to take on UIC (again), Valparaiso, Indiana State (again), and Evansville later this season playing six total games against Valley competition this year.
 
Camden Gasser (.405) is Purdue's hitting leader on the season with a .554 on-base percentage, while Luke Gaffney (.385) is the team's leader in hits (37) and runs (28), while sitting second in RBIs (30) and doubles (9). Logan Sutter (.341) and Jo Stevens (.318) are also hitting above .300 for Purdue as the Boilermakers have connected at a .290 clip from the plate this season.
 
Sixteen different Purdue pitchers have seen time on the mound this year with right-hander Cole Van Assen expected to make the start on Tuesday afternoon. Van Assen has posted a 2-0 record with a 2.76 ERA over 16.1 innings while allowing opponents to hit .254 from the plate. Overall, Purdue's staff has posted a 4.52 ERA with a 211:87 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 223.0 total innings.
 
Series History
Indiana State holds the all-time 46-31-2 edge over Purdue dating back to the first game in the series in 1902. The Sycamores are 23-16-1 in the series in Terre Haute including winning their last two in the series dating back to 2018.
 
Last season, ISU swept the season series against the Boilermakers taking the 8-2 win over Purdue on March 28, 2023, while taking the 4-1 win in West Lafayette on April 2, 2023.
 
ISU ran their win streak against the Big Ten to nine consecutive games dating back to March 28, 2023, with the Sycamores' 8-2 win over Purdue. Since then, Indiana State has topped Purdue (again), Indiana (twice), Illinois (twice), Iowa (twice), and Michigan State over the last year.
 
­­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.