Series Recap: Indiana completes road sweep of Abilene Christian

In a weekend defined by timely power, gritty pitching, and a flair for the dramatic, Indiana Baseball put together one of its most complete series performances of the season, sweeping Abilene Christian on the road.

The Hoosiers claimed wins of 8–4, 14–5, and 7–6 across three days in Texas, showcasing depth up and down the lineup while leaning on both veterans and emerging freshmen to get the job done.

The series opened with a milestone victory for head coach Jeff Mercer, who notched his 200th win at the helm of the program Friday night. It closed with a comeback thriller on Sunday afternoon, headlined by sophomore catcher T.J. Schuyler’s late-game heroics. In between, Indiana’s offense exploded for 14 runs in Saturday’s rout, with the top of the order combining for 16 hits in a statement performance.

The sweep marks Indiana’s third of the season and gives the Hoosiers momentum heading into finals week and a key rivalry series against Purdue at home next weekend.

Indiana rolls past ACU on Friday, Mercer collects win No. 200

On a warm Friday night in West Texas, Indiana took care of business early and never let up, powering its way to an 8–4 victory over Abilene Christian.

With the win, Mercer notched his 200th career victory at the helm of the Hoosiers, becoming just the fourth coach in program history to reach the milestone.

The Hoosiers came out swinging, plating four of their eight runs with two outs and showcasing the kind of offensive balance that’s become a staple under Mercer.

Redshirt senior Jake Stadler and freshman Hogan Denny each launched two-run home runs, while fellow freshman Jake Hanley came through with a clutch two-out, two-run double to break things open.

All told, seven different Hoosiers recorded a hit, and IU capitalized on eight free passes from the Wildcats’ pitching staff.

On the mound, senior lefty Ryan Kraft delivered his best outing of the season, tossing six innings with seven strikeouts — tying his career high — while allowing just a pair of runs on two swings.

Kraft, who didn’t walk a single batter, also moved into the program’s top 20 in career strikeouts. Graduate right-hander Cole Gilley was equally efficient, recording a three-inning save with four strikeouts and just one hit allowed.

Indiana’s offense explodes, as Hoosiers secure series win

Indiana’s offense left no doubt on Saturday afternoon, pounding out 17 hits and running wild on the basepaths in a dominant 14–5 win over Abilene Christian. The victory clinched the series for the Hoosiers.

From the jump, Indiana’s top six hitters went to work, combining to go 16-for-30 at the plate with 11 RBIs. Four different Hoosiers — Will Moore, Devin Taylor, Hogan Denny, and Korbyn Dickerson — turned in three-hit performances, marking the first time since early March that IU had four players notch three hits in a game.

The bats wasted no time, posting a two-run first inning and blowing things wide open with a seven-run outburst in the fifth.

That fifth inning featured back-to-back home runs from Dickerson and freshman Jake Hanley, whose power surge continues to be a major storyline late in the season.

Dickerson’s homer was part of a four-RBI day that pushed him to 70 RBIs on the year — making him just the sixth Hoosier to reach that mark and the first since Alex Dickerson in 2010. With 18 home runs and 70 hits now on the season, the redshirt sophomore is writing his own chapter in the Indiana record books.

Despite some defensive miscues that extended his outing, right-hander Ben Grable battled through 4.2 innings and allowed just three earned runs.

He handed things off to lefty Grant Holderfield, who picked up the win, and Gavin Seebold, who locked down the final 13 outs to earn the save. Together, the Indiana staff racked up 11 strikeouts while walking just three.

T.J. Schuyler’s late-game heroics cap of sweep for Indiana

Sunday afternoon belonged to T.J. Schuyler. The sophomore catcher came through in the biggest moments of the series finale, powering Indiana to a gritty 7–6 win over Abilene Christian.

With the Hoosiers trailing multiple times throughout the afternoon, it was Schuyler who sparked the comeback—and finished it. His two-run homer in the sixth inning cut into a three-run deficit, and his ninth-inning RBI single proved to be the game-winner as IU completed its first road sweep of the season.

Schuyler was the only Hoosier with a multi-hit game, but his contributions went far beyond the batter’s box. He threw out two would-be base stealers, guided five different pitchers through nine tense innings, and turned in one of his most complete performances of the year.

In a weekend dominated by offense and firepower, Sunday was about grit — and Schuyler set the tone on both sides of the ball.

Joey Brenczewski added to the drama in the seventh inning, launching a pinch-hit, three-run bomb into right field to give Indiana its first lead of the day. It was déjà vu for the redshirt sophomore, who also hit a pinch-hit three-run shot back in February against UNLV.

The long ball helped Indiana overcome a 5–3 deficit and flipped the momentum in a game that had swung back and forth all afternoon.

The Hoosier bullpen had its shaky moments, but sophomore Jackson Yarberry steadied the ship in crunch time. After issuing a bases-loaded walk in the eighth, Yarberry dug deep and retired the heart of Abilene Christian’s order to escape the jam.

He followed that up with a flawless ninth inning to earn his first win in an IU uniform.

The Hoosiers trailed or were tied in the sixth, seventh, and ninth innings — but found a way to win. It marks the Hoosiers’ third series sweep of 2024, joining earlier clean slates against Ohio State and Michigan State.

Indiana now gets a break during finals week before hosting rival Purdue next weekend at Bart Kaufman Field.

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