Series Recap: Indiana drops pivotal road series at Illinois
It was a weekend of highs and lows for Indiana Baseball in Champaign, one that started with missed chances, peaked with a dominant all-around performance, and ended with a thud.
The Hoosiers (20-16 overall, 10-8 in Big Ten play) dropped two of three games to Illinois at Illinois Field, missing out on a chance to claim their first Big Ten road series win of the season.
After a frustrating 4-2 loss in Friday night’s opener, Indiana bounced back behind a stellar pitching effort and a breakout day from its freshmen to take Saturday’s contest, 12-3. But the momentum didn’t carry into the finale, as Indiana was overwhelmed in a 15-1 run-rule loss on Sunday.
Indiana’s pitching, which had been a strength through the first two games of the weekend, collapsed in the rubber match, while the offense never found its rhythm outside of one big outburst on Saturday. The result marks Indiana’s fourth conference series loss of the year and leaves the Hoosiers still searching for consistency as the final stretch of Big Ten play begins.
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Offense falters as Hoosiers drop series opener
Indiana’s Tyler Cerny takes swings pregame in Champaign. (Photo Credit: Indiana University Athletics)
The Hoosiers struggled to find any offensive traction in Friday night’s series opener at Illinois Field, falling 4-2 to the Illini in a game where timely hitting was in short supply. Indiana managed just five hits and went a cold 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, squandering several chances to shift momentum late.
It was a night where Illinois starter Tyler Schmitt flat-out dominated. The right-hander turned in his best outing of the season, cruising through seven innings and allowing just one unearned run. Schmitt kept Indiana hitters guessing and off-balance, retiring them in order in four of his seven frames.
The lone early spark for Indiana came off the bat of junior outfielder Devin Taylor, whose third-inning double marked the 200th hit of his standout Hoosier career—a milestone only 24 others have reached in program history. The hit eventually led to Hoosiers’ first run, aided by a fielding miscue, but the momentum fizzled quickly.
Taylor later came to the plate in the ninth with a chance to tie or take the lead, but grounded into a double play with two on and nobody out, ending the threat and sealing the loss.
Despite the lack of offense, Indiana’s pitching kept things within reach. Redshirt junior Pete Haas and senior Ryan Kraft were bright spots out of the bullpen, combining for six scoreless innings and nine strikeouts on short rest.
Kraft’s performance was historic in its own right—his 75th career appearance on the mound ties him for fifth-most in program history. The Illinois native has now thrown 10 scoreless innings in Champaign over the last two seasons.
The difference in the game ultimately came down to one swing. In the third inning, Illinois left fielder Vytas Valincius tagged Indiana lefty Anthony Gubitosi for a three-run homer, the only real blemish on an otherwise solid performance from the Hoosiers’ pitching staff.
Indiana looked to regroup and even the series on Saturday afternoon, turning to graduate right-hander Ben Grable for the start.
Gilley dazzles, freshmen shine as Hoosiers even series
Coley Gilley fist bumps Jake Stadler during Saturday’s clash in Champaign. (Photo Credit: Indiana University Athletics)
One night after the offense sputtered and missed opportunities defined the series opener, Indiana flipped the script in emphatic fashion on Saturday.
Backed by a dominant outing from graduate right-hander Cole Gilley and a breakout day from a group of precocious freshmen, the Hoosiers rolled to a 12-3 win over Illinois on Saturday afternoon at Illinois Field, evening the weekend series with an all-around performance that set up a crucial rubber match on Sunday.
Gilley was masterful in relief, taking over in the fourth and slamming the door shut with 5.1 innings of one-run baseball. He retired 15 straight at one point and didn’t surrender a hit until there were two outs in the ninth. The Columbus native moved to 7-1 on the year and continues to be Indiana’s steady hand out of the bullpen—the Hoosiers have now won seven straight games in which Gilley has pitched.
Starting pitcher Ben Grable set the tone early, working through 3.2 innings and keeping Illinois at bay while Indiana’s offense revved to life. Together, Grable and Gilley combined for 11 strikeouts, just two walks, and a much-needed stabilizing presence after a tough loss the night prior.
Offensively, Indiana’s youth led the charge. Freshmen Caleb Koskie and Hogan Denny each tallied the first three-hit performances of their collegiate careers, combining for six RBIs and five runs scored. The rookie class as a whole contributed nine of Indiana’s 12 runs scored, showcasing both poise and production in a road environment.
Even with the spotlight on the freshmen, it was junior Devin Taylor who once again found ways to impact the game, notching a multi-hit day out of the leadoff spot. Third baseman Will Moore, despite going hitless, reached base four times—extending his on-base streak to 11 games—thanks to a patient approach that saw him draw two walks and wear two pitches.
Indiana’s lineup, which looked lifeless on Friday night, was relentless on Saturday. The Hoosiers drew seven walks, were hit by five pitches, and turned nearly every mistake by Illinois into a scoring opportunity.
Indiana’s win on Saturday set up a rubber match on Sunday. The Hoosiers, despite entering the series finale 0-3 in Big Ten series deciders this season, had a rested bullpen and momentum squarely on their side.
Hoosiers Flat in series finale as Illinois takes series with run-rule rout
Indiana huddles together pregame. (Photo Credit: Indiana University Athletics)
With a chance to grab its first Big Ten road series win of the season, Indiana never got out of neutral on Sunday afternoon.
The Hoosiers were overwhelmed from the jump in the series finale at Illinois Field, falling 15-1 in a run-rule loss that saw the Illini score early and often while Indiana’s offense remained stuck in first gear. The defeat capped a frustrating end to an otherwise competitive weekend and marked Indiana’s fourth rubber match loss in conference play this season.
Illinois jumped on Indiana starter Gavin Seebold, who lasted just 1.1 innings and was tagged for eight earned runs. By the time the second inning ended, Indiana trailed by nine and never recovered. Redshirt junior lefty Grant Holderfield was called on to stop the bleeding, but the Illini bats stayed hot, piling on runs and putting the game well out of reach by the middle innings.
On the offensive side, Indiana had its best chance in the top of the first when it put two runners on with one out. But a rally-ending double play halted any early momentum, and the bats stayed quiet the rest of the day. Indiana finished with just four hits against Illinois starter Regan Hall, who cruised through his outing with little resistance.
The lone silver lining for Indiana came in the seventh, when graduate outfielder Tyler DeMartino launched a pinch-hit solo homer to left—his first hit as a Hoosier and the only thing that prevented a shutout.
Defensively, it was a sloppy afternoon for Indiana. The Hoosiers committed three errors and issued 10 free passes (seven walks and three hit-by-pitches), giving Illinois too many chances—chances they didn’t waste. All told, it was Indiana’s most lopsided loss since early February.
Sunday’s loss continued a troubling trend in potential series-clinching games this season for the Hoosiers. Indiana is now 0-4 in Big Ten series deciders this season and has dropped four straight such games on the road. Dating back to last year, the Hoosiers have lost five of their last six rubber matches, and Sunday’s result also marked their fourth conference series loss of the year—the most since 2022.
Indiana will look to reset at home with a four-game homestand beginning Tuesday against in-state foe Indiana State. After that, the Hoosiers host Maryland for what will be Indiana’s final Big Ten home series in April.
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