Series Recap: Indiana sweeps Michigan State with statement weekend in Bloomington

Over the course of three games at Bart Kaufman Field, Indiana baseball didn’t just sweep Michigan State—they dismantled them, piece by piece, inning by inning, with a mix of veteran poise and youthful firepower.

Now 18-14 overall and 9-6 in Big Ten play, Indiana put together its most complete weekend of the season, blending timely hitting, rock-solid pitching, and a contagious energy that spread through the dugout like wildfire.

What started as a hard-fought, small-ball victory on Sunday turned into a doubleheader drubbing on Monday, as the Hoosiers outscored the Spartans 38-8 across the series and flexed the kind of top-to-bottom dominance that suggests a late season run is possible.

More than just three wins, this sweep felt like a shift—both in momentum and mentality. For a team still battling inconsistency, Indiana may have just found its stride at exactly the right time.

Indiana outlasts Michigan State in series opener

In a game that required patience, precision and plenty of contact, Indiana found the right formula to win the series opener against Michigan State.

Behind a relentless small-ball approach and a trio of clutch pitching performances, Indiana earned a gritty 6-4 win Sunday afternoon at Bart Kaufman Field.

With gusting winds turning the ballpark into a pitcher’s haven, the Hoosiers relied on timely base hits and opportunistic baserunning to overcome one of the Big Ten’s top arms.

Indiana’s 12-hit performance included just one extra-base hit—a double from freshman third baseman Cooper Malamazian—but it proved more than enough. Michigan State starter Joseph Dzierwa, who had allowed only six earned runs all season entering the day, was tagged for five runs (four earned) over five innings as Indiana chipped away, inning by inning.

The Hoosiers took the lead for good on a two-run single in the fourth inning off the bat of left fielder Devin Taylor.

On the mound, redshirt senior Gavin Seebold delivered one of his best starts of the season, allowing two earned runs over five innings to earn the win. From there, the veteran bullpen duo of left-hander Ryan Kraft and right-hander Jacob Vogel closed it out, with Vogel recording his first save of the season.

The win was fueled—as many of Indiana’s victories this season have been—by its youth. Freshmen Jake Hanley, Will Moore and Malamazian each recorded multi-hit games, combining for seven of the Hoosiers’ 12 hits while playing clean defense behind the pitching staff.

Sunday’s win marked Indiana’s 11th victory in its last 12 games when holding opponents to four runs or fewer.

Indiana dominates Monday’s twin bill

If Sunday’s series-opening win was a statement, Monday’s doubleheader was a full-on exclamation point for the Hoosiers.

Indiana didn’t just beat Michigan State—the Hoosiers buried them.

In back-to-back seven-inning run-rule victories, the Hoosiers outclassed the Spartans in every facet of the game, posting lopsided scores of 14-2 and 18-2.

The offensive onslaught came in waves. Five different Hoosiers went deep on Monday, including a no-doubt two-run homer from Korbyn Dickerson that capped off a weekend to remember for the redshirt sophomore.

Alongside junior outfielder Devin Taylor, the duo combined for 14 hits, 11 RBIs and 11 runs scored over the three-game set. Their consistency set the tone for a lineup that batted .427 across the series—a staggering clip considering only 11 of Indiana’s 41 hits went for extra bases.

But the fireworks weren’t limited to the upperclassmen. Freshmen Caleb Koskie and Will Moore each notched the first home runs of their young careers in the series finale.

Koskie, in particular, stole the spotlight with a six-RBI performance that etched his name into Indiana’s record books—becoming the sixth freshman under Mercer to tally six or more RBIs in a single game.

On the mound, Indiana was surgical. Across 23 innings, the Hoosiers used just eight pitchers, none of whom surpassed 85 pitches. The staff issued only four walks and gave up a single home run all weekend.

The sweep marked Indiana’s 10th in Big Ten play under Mercer and second of the year following a similar effort against Ohio State.