Series Recap: Indiana rides late-inning heroics, offensive explosion to series win over Maryland

On a weekend defined by swings — both literal and metaphorical — Indiana baseball found its stride at the right moments to secure a pivotal Big Ten series win.

Behind a stunning comeback Friday night, a record-setting performance Sunday, and a forgettable loss sandwiched in between, the Hoosiers continued their climb up the conference standings with a 2-1 series win over Maryland at Bart Kaufman Field.

Friday offered another dose of late-inning drama, as Indiana erased a five-run deficit in the final two frames and walked it off with a freshman’s clutch swing. Saturday brought a sobering setback in the rain, as the Terrapins unloaded five home runs in a 17-4 rout. But when the stakes rose in Sunday’s rubber match, the Hoosiers delivered one of their most complete efforts of the season.

It was a weekend full of big moments from familiar faces — and emerging stars — as head coach Jeff Mercer’s club showed again it’s built for the long haul.

Will Moore the hero in Indiana’s wild comeback win on Friday night

MORE: ​Will Moore’s heroics deliver season-altering walk-off win for Indiana

For seven innings on Friday night, Indiana looked overmatched. Maryland left-hander Kyle McCoy, one of the Big Ten’s most dominant arms, carved up IU’s lineup and kept the Terrapins in control with a 6-1 lead.

But once McCoy returned for the eighth inning, the tide shifted.

Freshman Jake Hanley and junior Tyler Cerny sparked the comeback with back-to-back hits in the eighth. Fellow freshman Hogan Denny, no stranger to pressure moments, laced a two-run single to jumpstart the rally.

That brought the crowd to life — and IU’s dugout followed suit.

Freshman shortstop Cooper Malamazian delivered the thunder moments later, launching a no-doubt, two-run home run that sliced Maryland’s lead to one.

Then it was Korbyn Dickerson’s turn. The redshirt sophomore, one of the Big Ten’s most reliable bats, tied it with an RBI single — his third hit of the night and his 60th of the season.

Still tied in the bottom of the ninth, Indiana loaded the bases with two outs. That brought Will Moore to the plate.

Hitless on the night, the freshman fell behind with two strikes — but stayed calm, shortened his swing, and shot a single into left-center to cap one of Indiana’s most thrilling wins of the season.

The comeback was made possible by the bullpen, which pieced together seven innings of two-run work.

Senior Ryan Kraft was the workhorse, grinding through 91 pitches and climbing into IU’s top five in all-time appearances with 76.

Jacob Vogel and Ben Grable followed with steady relief, with Grable slamming the door in the top of the ninth to set the stage for Moore’s heroics.

IU scored six runs on six hits in the final two innings and did not commit an error in the field. It was a resilient, clean performance—and the kind of gritty win Mercer has come to expect from his club.

Taylor’s historic swing can’t save Hoosiers in blowout loss to level series

Saturday’s matchup began with promise but unraveled quickly in a cold, steady rain.

Maryland scored 14 unanswered runs between the third and sixth innings, capitalizing on walks, wild pitches and five home runs — including a grand slam that blew the game open.

Indiana starter Cole Gilley struggled with his command, issuing five free passes and lasting just two innings in his shortest outing of the season.

When a weather delay interrupted the game in the sixth, Maryland already led by double digits.

The Hoosiers returned from the break with one last highlight: Devin Taylor’s 48th of home run of career, breaking a four-way tie to become Indiana’s all-time home run king.

Jasen Oliver added a two-run shot in the seventh, but it was too little, too late. Maryland ended the game early via the run rule, handing Indiana its most lopsided loss since giving up 30 runs at Iowa in 2022.

IU used five pitchers in the loss, including extended outings from underclassmen Seth Benes and Brayton Thomas to eat innings and preserve arms for Sunday.

Still, it was the kind of game the Hoosiers had to flush quickly — with the series hanging in the balance.

Taylor’s historic day powers Indiana to series-clinching win over Maryland

When Indiana has needed a spark this season, Devin Taylor has often been the one to provide it. On Sunday, he lit the match — and then poured gas on the fire.

The junior outfielder reached base in all six plate appearances and capped his record-setting weekend with a walk-off three-run homer to give Indiana a 15-5, run-rule victory in eight innings.

He finished with three hits, three walks and four RBIs—becoming the first IU player since at least 2005 to post that kind of stat line.

Freshman Jake Hanley added two home runs of his own, giving him nine on the year. His second multi-homer performance of the season brought him within one of becoming the fourth straight true freshman at IU to hit double-digit long balls.

The offensive outburst was a full-team effort. All nine starters recorded a hit, and the top third of the order—Will Moore, Taylor, and Korbyn Dickerson—combined to go 9-for-12 with nine runs scored and nine RBIs.

Moore, leading off for the first time in his career, set the tone with two early hits and reached base five times overall.

IU broke open a 5-4 game with 10 runs over the final three innings, drawing 10 free passes along the way. The five homers tied a season high and marked the first five-homer game in Big Ten play since May 17, 2024.

On the mound, Ben Grable stepped into a spot start and gave IU four innings of one-run ball just two days after earning the win in relief.

Sophomore Ryan Rushing and fifth-year senior Gavin Seebold combined for four solid innings to close it out, keeping the Terps off the board in the final frames.

IU’s Sunday win marked the team’s first rubber-match victory in five tries this season — and came in emphatic fashion.