Indiana baseball survives late rally to open Big Ten tournament with win over Purdue (2024)

BLOOMINGTON —Indiana baseball closed out a 8-6 win over Purdue in the opening game of the Big Ten tournament on Tuesday night.

The rare postseason showdown between the in-state rivals didn't disappoint. They hadn't played each other in the Big Ten tournament since 2012.

No. 3 seed Indiana (31-22) snuffed out a four-run rally in the ninth inning to advance in the winners bracket in the program’s 11th-straight tournament appearance. The loss dropped No. 6 seed Purdue (33-23) to the losers bracket in the double-elimination tournament.

The teams faced a lengthy weather delay that pushed back the first pitch back from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The rain continued to fall as the action got underway and the heavy winds blowing out created a series of near miscues in the outfield.

Indiana baseball survives Purdue's ninth-inning rally

Purdue put the tying run to the plate with no outs after going into the ninth inning trailing 8-2.

The rally started with a lead off home run from Keenan Taylor off right-hander Jacob Vogel. Vogel’s appearance ended up being a brief one after putting two more runners on base without getting an out.Vogel came into the game with a 0.43 ERA in 21 innings pitched (18 appearances) and hadn't given up a run in 13-plus innings.

Indiana baseball coach Jeff Mercer turned to sophom*ore Brayden Risedorph, who came into the game with eight career saves, to close out the game. It turned into a nailbiter when Keenan Spence hit a three-run homer off Risedorph to make it 8-6.

Spence also hit a home run in the eighth.

The key at-bat came when Risedorph got Couper Cornblum to ground into a double-play with Jo Stevens at first base.

He struck out Thomas Green to end the game.

Purdue left 11 runners stranded on base in the loss and ran into a key out to close out the eighth inning with the bases loaded. Cornblum was called out trying to take home on a passed ball with Taylor, the team’s No. 2 hitter, at the plate.

Indiana baseball true freshman Jasen Oliver powers up

Oliver’s second ever at-bat in the Big Ten tournament was a memorable one.

The true freshman out of Almont, Michigan put his team up 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth with his ninth home run of the season. He launched a ball to right field that just carried over the fence.

It was in a nearly identical spot where Purdue right fielder Keenan Spence robbed Carter Mathison of a home run in the second inning with a leaping grab. He stayed hot with an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth. The former high school All-American ended up 3 of 4 and just a triple shy of the cycle with two runs and four RBIs.

Indiana batted around the order in the sixth to make it 8-1. Oliver had one of three extra-base hits in the inning as part of a five-run inning. The Hoosiers knocked starting pitcher Jordan Morales out of the game in the inning. Morales allowed five earned runs on seven hits and one walk.

Indiana baseball flirts with trouble in early innings

Indiana starter Ty Bothwell hit Purdue’s leadoff hitter Mike Bolton to open the game. The Boilermakers scored 70% of the time this season when he got on base to lead off an inning, but he didn’t make it past first base.

First baseman Brock Tibbitts made a nice catch in foul territory leaning over the fence for the second out.

Indiana got through the second inning unscathed as well after Bothwell loaded the bases. Cornblum and Green hit back-to-back singles and Camden Gasser reached first on a two-out walk.

Bolton flied out to left field to end the inning.

The Boilermakers broke through with a run in the fourth inning when Indiana made a pitching change with Drew Buhr entering the game. Bothwell threw 53 pitches (34 strikes) over three innings while allowing three hits and a walk.

Stevens hit the third pitch he saw for a double to leadoff the inning. He came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Green. Mathison limited the damage by making an incredible diving grab in center on the play.

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

Indiana baseball survives late rally to open Big Ten tournament with win over Purdue (2024)

FAQs

Who won the Big Ten baseball tournament in 2024? ›

OMAHA, Neb. — Fueled by a sea of red in the stands, Nebraska edged Penn State, 2-1, in the championship game of the 2024 Big Ten Baseball Tournament Presented by IFS.ai.

What year did the Purdue baseball team win the Big Ten Tournament Championship? ›

Championships by school
SchoolBig Ten ChampionshipsYears
Purdue21909, 2012
Nebraska22017, 2021
Maryland22022, 2023
Penn State11996
11 more rows

Will IU baseball make the NCAA tournament? ›

– After sweating it out on Selection Monday, the Indiana Baseball team (32-24-1) earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Baseball Tournament for the second-straight season.

What 2 teams are joining the Big 10 in 2024? ›

Who are the new teams in the Big 10? The conference raided the Pac-12 and added USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon.

Where will the Big Ten tournament be in 2024? ›

Target Center Minneapolis, Minnesota

What division of baseball is Purdue? ›

The program's first season was in 1888, and it has been a member of the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference since the start of the 1906 season. Its home venue is Alexander Field, located on Purdue's campus.

Is the Big 10 baseball tournament double elimination? ›

The Big Ten Tournament features an eight-team, six-day, double-elimination format.

Is the Big Ten baseball tournament always in Omaha? ›

The event will remain at Schwab Field at least through 2027, the league announced Sunday. It agreed to a three-year contract with the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA) that further entrenches Big Ten baseball at the home of the College World Series.

Has IU ever won the NCAA Championship? ›

Indiana has won five National Championships in men's basketball (1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987) – two coming under Branch McCracken and three under Bob Knight. For forty-seven years and counting, Indiana's 1976 squad remains the last undefeated NCAA men's basketball champion.

Who won the SEC baseball championship in 2024? ›

Tennessee Vols win 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament after record attendance week at Hoover Met. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey presents the 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament championship trophy to the Tennessee Vols at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama, on Sunday, May 26, 2024.

Who are the top 16 seeds in the 2024 NCAA Baseball Tournament? ›

The national top 16 seeds are Tennessee (50-11), Kentucky (40-14), Texas A&M (44-13), North Carolina (42-13), Arkansas (43-14), Clemson (41-14), Georgia (39-15), Florida St. (42-15), Oklahoma (37-19), NC State (33-20), Oklahoma St.

What are the standings in big ten baseball? ›

Big Ten Baseball 2024 Standings
TEAMCONFPCT
Illinois18-6.750
Nebraska16-8.667
Indiana15-9.625
Iowa14-10.583
9 more rows

Who won the Nebraska Penn State baseball game? ›

– The Penn State Baseball team fell 2-1 against Nebraska on Sunday in the Championship Game of the Big Ten Tournament Presented By IFS.ai.

Who won World Series 2024? ›

Tennessee baseball wins the 2024 Men's College World Series | Final out | NCAA.com.

How many Big Ten teams make baseball tournament? ›

The Big Ten Tournament features an eight-team, six-day, double-elimination format.

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