TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State remains on the road this weekend as the Sycamores continue their season-opening trip in Tallahassee, Fla. with a four-game series at Florida A&M. The schedule is set for a single game on Friday, doubleheader on Saturday, and the series finale single game on Sunday at Moore-Kittles Field.
 
None of the games this weekend will be streamed live, but live stats will be available at the link on GoSycamores.com.
 
Indiana State is coming off a weekend trip to Hattiesburg, Miss. when the Sycamores took on fellow 2023 NCAA Super Regional participant Southern Miss in a three-game series at Pete Taylor Park. The Sycamores fell in each of the first two games by margins of 5-1 and 6-2, before topping the Golden Eagles in Sunday's series finale, 12-5.
 
Dominic Listi was ISU's top hitter over the weekend with the redshirt senior posting a .444 batting average while getting on base eight times over his 13 plate appearances. He added a team-high three runs scored over the series to keep the Sycamores on the base paths. Luis Hernandez added onto his current 10-game hitting streak over the weekend connecting safely in all three contests while adding his first stolen base of the season.
 
Parker Stinson connected on a grand slam to highlight a five-RBI game in the series finale win over USM. Adam Pottinger added two doubles and three RBIs over the weekend, while Randal Diaz added his second home run of the season over the series.
 
The Sycamore pitching staff featured several standouts over the weekend highlighted by Jacob Pruitt's second consecutive 11-strikeout contest in the Friday opener. The sophomore right-hander went 5.1 innings allowing one run and three hits while retiring 11 Golden Eagles on strikes marking the first time an ISU pitcher recorded back-to-back double-digit strikeout outings since Geremy Guerrero (2021). Jared Spencer and Cameron Holycross also added standout relief appearances on the weekend combining to go 6.0 innings while striking out 11.
 
Indiana State is off to an 8-3 mark to start the 2024 season and continues to receive recognition among the major Division I baseball polls through the first three weeks of the season. ISU received votes in the NCBWA poll for the third consecutive week and the USA Today Coaches Poll for the second time as the Sycamores continue non-conference play.
 
Following Tuesday's games, Indiana State continues to lead the Missouri Valley in four major team statistical categories on the season. The Sycamores are first in hit-by-pitches (27), first in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.85), first in strikeouts per nine innings (11.0), and first in team shutouts (1). ISU is also second in the Valley in earned run average (4.41) and third in WHIP (1.42) through the first 11 games of the season.
 
ISU also features several athletes sitting among the NCAA's national leaders with Jacob Pruitt sitting fifth overall in strikeouts (31) and 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (16.41), while Dominic Listi is 16th in hit-by-pitches (7) and Adam Pottinger is 31st in doubles (6).
 
Stinson and Listi lead ISU's offensive efforts from the plate on the year as the duo are tied with team-best .333 batting averages. Stinson leads the team with four home runs and 12 RBIs, while Listi is the team leader with 11 runs, eight walks, and seven hit-by-pitches, as well as a team-best .531 on-base percentage. Randal Diaz (.302) is also among the team leaders with 13 hits, two home runs, and nine RBIs on the year.
 
Pruitt is the team's pitching leader on the season with a 1.06 ERA over a team-high 17.0 innings. He's posted a 31:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the year while limiting opponents to a .186 batting average. Luke Hayden (1-1, 2.57 ERA) is also among the team's pitching leaders with 15 strikeouts over 14.0 innings on the mound.
 
The bullpen remains deep with Jared Spencer (2-0, 1.69 ERA), Cameron Holycross (0-0, 2.70 ERA), Simon Gregersen (0-0, 3.12 ERA) and Zach Davidson (1-1, 5.00 ERA) highlighting a group that has combined for 26 appearances and 53.0 innings pitched, while posting a 59:20 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Adam Berghorst and Cole Gilley have also made three appearances out of the bullpen for the season and provided strong innings in support of ISU's efforts.
 
Scouting Florida A&M
Florida A&M is set to play a Wednesday doubleheader against Ball State ahead of their weekend series against Indiana State. The Rattlers have posted a 5-6 record heading into the week and are coming off a doubleheader split against Grambling State this past weekend in Atlanta, Ga. at Coolray Field. Florida A&M took the opener, 2-1, before falling in the doubleheader finale, 3-2.
 
Additional wins for the Rattlers this season include taking two of three from Eastern Illinois on the season's opening weekend, while adding another win over Grambling State and against Southern University at the Andre Dawson Classic held in Vero Beach, Fla.
 
Florida A&M was selected third overall in the Southwestern Athletic Conference's East Division preseason poll finishing with 61 points and three first-place votes. as voted on by the league's head coaches. Ty Jackson (OF), Sebastian Greico (DH), Janmikell Bastardo (OF), and Caleb Granger (SP) were all named to the conference's First Team.
 
Four Rattlers have already earned weekly SWAC awards this year with Tre Simmons (Pitcher), Jacob Granger (Pitcher), Jalen Niles (Hitter), and True Fontenot (Hitter) being voted on for the weekly honors over the first three weeks of the season.
 
Fontenot is the team's hitting leader on the year with a .370 batting average, while Bastardo paces the team in hits (11), runs (10), and triples (2). Greico is the team's power threat with two of FAMU's six home runs on the year. Overall, the Rattlers are hitting .241 as a team with 59 runs scored over their first 11 games.
 
Jacob Granger (1-0, 1.98 ERA) has made three appearances with one start on the season, while adding eight strikeouts over 13.2 innings. Caleb Granger (2-0, 2.25 ERA) has thrown a team-high 16.0 innings over three starts, while Simmons (1-1, 3.29 ERA) has posted 13.2 innings on the mound this season.
 
Series History
This marks Indiana State's first time facing Florida A&M in program history.
 
Follow the Sycamores
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