Purdue Sports Update August 22

Boilermakers Check In at #8 in AVCA Preseason Poll

Returning nearly its entire lineup, the volleyball program was picked to finish No. 8 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason poll.

The eighth-place ranking ties for the highest preseason ranking in program history, matching 2021’s No. 8 nod, which the team went on to finish sixth in the nation behind an NCAA Regional Final appearance.

In six of the last seven years, Purdue out-performed its preseason ranking, finishing better than predicted.

Purdue is one of six teams in the nation to return three All-Americans for the coming 2024 season with junior Eva Hudson (Second Team All-America), sophomore Chloe Chicoine (Third Team All-America) and senior Raven Colvin (Honorable Mention) headlining the returning Boilermakers. Despite having one of the youngest teams in the program’s history last year, Purdue finished third in the Big Ten standings and No. 13 in the AVCA final poll behind a 23-9 (15-5 Big Ten) record.

Purdue’s 2024 season will begin at home with the Stacey Clark Classic on Friday, August 30 vs. K-State and will face six non-conference matchups vs. 2023 NCAA tournament teams before Big Ten action begins on Wednesday, September 25 vs. Penn State at home.

Purdue Football LIVE to debut Aug. 29 from Walkons

With the 2024 season just around the corner, Purdue Football’s rebranded radio show is set to make its debut on Thursday, August 29. The weekly radio show, Purdue Football Live, will take place at Walk-On’s in the Purdue Memorial Union, a restaurant owned by legendary quarterback Drew Brees.

Each week, head coach Ryan Walters or a member of the coaching staff, along with multiple football student-athletes, will join the Voice of the Boilermakers, Tim Newton. Fans can listen on the Purdue Global Radio Network, including Z96.5 WAZY in West Lafayette, or watch a live stream on the Purdue Athletics Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) accounts.

The first show is scheduled for Thursday, August 29 beginning at 6 p.m. ET, two days before the Boilermakers host Indiana State to open the 2024 season. During Purdue’s bye week, the show will hit the road live from Wolfies Grill in Carmel, Indiana.

Complete Schedule (All shows subject to change)
Thursday, Aug.29, 6-7 PM ET
Thursday, Sept. 5, 6-7 PM ET (live from Wolfies Grill in Carmel, Indiana)
Thursday, Sept. 12, 6-7 PM ET
Wednesday, Sept. 18, 6-7 PM ET
Thursday, Sept. 26, 6-7 PM ET
Thursday, Oct. 3, 6-7 PM ET
Thursday, Oct. 10, 6-7 PM ET
Wednesday, Oct. 16, 6-7 PM ET
Thursday, Oct. 31, 6-7 PM ET
Thursday, Nov. 7, 6-7 PM ET
Thursday, Nov. 14, 1-2 PM ET live and on Purdue Athletics social channels (radio air time: 6-7 PM ET)  
Wednesday, Nov. 20, 6-7 PM ET
Wednesday, Nov. 27, 1-2 PM ET live and on Purdue Athletics social channels (radio air time: 6-7 PM ET)  
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 6-7 PM ET

Soccer Falls to Butler

The soccer team suffered a 3-0 loss at Butler on Sunday night at the Sellick Bowl in Indianapolis.

Concluding the opening weekend of the season away from home, the Boilermakers (1-1-0) had three shots, two on goal. The Bulldogs (1-0-1) were credited with 25 shots, nine on target, and earned 11 corner kicks.

Senior forward Gracie Dunaway and senior midfielder Cloey Uddenberg both had one shot on goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Edwards made a career-high six saves, and Butler’s keeper stopped both shots she faced.

Sunday night’s matchup was the first between the Boilermakers and Bulldogs since 2012, and Purdue’s first game in Indianapolis since 2009. The Old Gold and Black fell to 6-2-0 in the in-state series.

Purdue returns home for two games next week, beginning against Loyola Chicago on Thursday, August 22, at 7 p.m. Kickoff is free for all fans to the contest and each regular-season home game at Folk Field.

Purdue Wrestling Announces 2024-25 Non-Conference Schedule

The Wrestling program released its official out of conference schedule for the upcoming 2024-25 season on Wednesday afternoon, featuring seven duals and two tournament trips.  

Head coach Tony Ersland‘s program will have to be road warriors this year, with all seven of the team’s non-conference events happening away from home.  The Boilermakers will kick off their season with their second trip to North Carolina in as many years to take on Gardner-Webb on November 1.

It will be Purdue’s first matchup against the Runnin’ Bulldogs since 2011 and the fourth all-time. In a historical anomaly, the Boilers won the most recent dual 48-(-1) thanks to four pins, a tech fall, and a deducted team point from Gardner-Webb.

The next trip on the calendar will be to the Tiger Style Invite hosted by Missouri in Kansas City, Mo, on November 9. The program will be making its first appearance in the tournament’s third year. Boilermaker wrestlers took eight medals from their non-conference opens last season.

Ersland and company follow up the tournament trip with a pair of back-to-back tri-dual meets. The first will take the team to upstate New York to face Buffalo and Army on November 17. In the following week, the Boilers travel south to dual with Chattanooga and Princeton on November 23 in a meet hosted by the Mocs. Purdue holds a 17-3 combined record against those four opponents with the only losses coming against the Black Knights.

The first weekend of December will once again see the Boilermakers head out to the desert for the annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The program’s 18^th appearance in the vaunted tournament, Purdue has earned 49 placewinners and four champions in that span. Last season, Matt Ramos claimed his third straight Cliff Keen medal and could become the first wrestler in program history to place four times.

The Boilers will then bookend the new year with two quick trips across the Ohio border for duals at Cleveland State (Dec. 18) and Kent State (Jan. 3). Purdue has won nine straight against the Vikings and is 6-3 all-time against the Golden Flashes.

Big Ten schedules are expected to be released in September, unveiling Purdue’s eight conference opponents. This season’s Big Ten tournament will be a quick drive up I-65 for the Boilermaker faithful as Northwestern plays host in Evanston, Ill.

Baseball Welcomes 30 Newcomers to the Roster

The first week of a new school year is underway and Baseball has welcomed an influx of newcomers, a group of 30 that will compete for the program during the 2025 season this spring.

The Boilermakers are slated to start their eight-week fall practice calendar the week of Aug. 26 and open scrimmages at Alexander Field begin Sept. 10. The fall ball schedule features two exhibition games vs. Division I opponents at home and the Black & Gold Series in mid-October. Fall dates for gameday action and scrimmages open to the public will be announced in the coming weeks.

“I adore the start of the new school year and having the full team together for the first time. We’re excited to announce all of the newcomers that have joined us,” head coach Greg Goff said of his year-four recruiting class. “After having 20 graduates in our Class of 2024, we essentially had to replace half the roster. Our staff did so effectively with an equal mix of Division I transfers, junior college transfers and freshmen. It’s a great group of Boilermakers and a talented collection of ballplayers from across the country. They’re going to make an impact and contribute to our program’s continued successes, like last year’s record-setting season that featured team records such as the 75 home runs and 11-game Big Ten win streak. I’m eagerly anticipating getting back on the field and giving our fans an opportunity to see the team in action after they set attendance records at Alexander the last two years.”

Frezzotti Announces Fall Ball Slate

Head coach Magali Frezzotti announced softball’s Fall Ball schedule, featuring an exclusive slate of home games to be held at Bittinger Stadium. This season, all eight Fall Ball matchups will take place on the Boilermakers’ home turf, offering fans free opportunities to catch a preview of the team before the spring season.

The Fall Ball season kicks off on Sunday, September 22, with a doubleheader against IU Indy and Illinois State beginning at Noon ET.

“We are excited about the fall schedule; the opponents making the trip to West Lafayette will challenge us and help us solidify our team identity as we go become a better version of the team they saw last year,” Frezzotti said. “Playing at home is important to us, and we honor every opportunity we get to play at Bittinger stadium. Not only do we have one of the most beautiful stadiums in the country, but we also love the chance to show our fans what this team is made of right away this fall.”

The fall season will wrap up Saturday, October 19 vs. Bryant & Stratton College.

2 Home Tournaments Highlight 2024-25 Women’s Golf Schedule

The 2024-25 Women’s Golf schedule features a pair of home tournaments, starting the season with the Boilermaker Classic (Sept. 2-3). Entering his third season, head coach Zack Byrd put together a challenging slate that will see the Boilermakers play at incredible courses across eight states, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico.  

Purdue will look to start the season off with a victory just like last year as the defending champions of the Boilermaker Classic. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will be contested on the Kampen-Cosler Course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex.

The tournament is looking for volunteers for the afternoon (2-7 PM ET) of September 2. Anyone interested in filling those volunteer roles can contact assistant coach Lauren Guiao at [email protected].

Stevens Signs Pro Deal in ABL, to Play for Australia in U23 World Cup

Purdue alumnus Jo Stevens is set to continue his career as a professional in his native Australia, signing with the Sydney Blue Sox for the upcoming 2024-25 season, but first he’s headed to China in September for the WBSC Under-23 Baseball World Cup.

Stevens was a two-year starter for the Boilermakers at third base, impressing with his defensive consistency and baseball instincts. His improvements at the plate as a senior in 2024 helped him post a .307/.431/.531 slash line, raising his batting average by .084 points and OPS by .342 from Purdue’s 2023 campaign. Stevens’ nine home runs and 43 RBI helped the Boilermakers set team records in both categories this past spring.

Stevens also played for Australia at the 2019 U18 World Cup in South Korea. Five years later, he’s been selected to represent Australia again in the 12-team U23 tournament set for Sept. 5-15 in Shaoxing City, China. The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is the world’s governing body of the sports and organizer of World Cup events as well as the WBSC Premier12, which shares top-tier status with the World Baseball Classic.

Stevens was among six players with playing experience at the NCAA level selected for Australia’s 24-man U23 World Cup roster. He’s also among a dozen players on Australia’s roster that have played in an U18 World Cup.

The Sydney Blue Sox are part of the six-team Australian Baseball League, which plays its season from November through February during the summer months in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also recognized among professional baseball’s winter leagues like many in the Caribbean and Central America.

Stevens earned his bachelor’s degree in communications in just two years at Purdue, graduating in May.

Boudia hires Bradshaw as Diving Associate Coach

Another Olympian is joining the coaching staff at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center as Mark Bradshaw brings collegiate and international coaching experience with him while becoming Purdue Swimming & Diving’s associate head coach for diving.

Bradshaw most recently served as the head diving coach at Notre Dame for the last three seasons. He also spent 23 seasons as the diving coach at Arizona State (1998-2020), winning the CSCAA’s national Diving Coach of the Year award twice (2003 and 2005) and nine Pac-10/12 Diving Coach of the Year honors.

An NCAA champion on 3-meter for Ohio State, Bradshaw represented Team USA on 3-meter at the 1988 Olympic Games.

Diving head coach David Boudia announced the hiring, bringing aboard Bradshaw to fill Boudia’s previous position. Boudia succeeded Adam Soldati as head coach of the Purdue Divers in June when Soldati transitioned to a director of diving role after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Bradshaw served as the coach for Finland’s divers at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. He has also served as the diving coach at the United State Military Academy (1988-89) and Ohio University (1996-97). As an athlete, Bradshaw won medals internationally for USA Diving at the 1991 and 1995 Pan American Games, 1990 Goodwill Games and 1985 World University Games.

Enekwechi reflects on Olympic Experience

Former Purdue All-American thrower Chukwuebuka Enekwechi had a unique perspective on his Olympic experience.

“It was so different from Tokyo,” says Enekwechi, who competed in Paris for Nigeria, the nation in which he holds dual citizenship. “In Tokyo, we called it the ‘Covid Olympics’. You didn’t get that super-fun experience you dreamed about because you competed in empty, massive venues. I contrast that with what I experienced on August 2nd and 3rd, [when] there were 80,000 fans.

“I have competed in stadiums before in front of 50,000 fans, but when I walked out in Paris to a crowd of 80,000 on prelim day, it was amazing. You are already nervous because it could be the end of your Olympic run, but they swallowed me alive when I saw the capacity crowd. There was a constant buzz in the crowd, and I felt it.”

Enekwechi, a self-proclaimed showman, played to the crowd and was pleased that his overall finish from three years prior was cut in half. He finished sixth in the shot put with a throw of 21.42 meters in Paris after a 12th-place finish in Tokyo.

“A crowd like that can help you, or it can hurt you,” says Enekwechi, who visits Nigeria at least once a year. “You have to know how to channel that. You can’t not do your job and then have as much fun as possible because you will look like a fool. So, the first step is to throw far, and then the next thing is to entertain the crowd.”

Ranked ninth in the world entering the Paris Games, he was pleased to finish higher than his ranking and achieve his goal of qualifying for the next day’s final.

However, there was much more to Enekwechi’s Olympic experience than just his two-day competition. While he was disappointed that he could not experience the opening and closing ceremonies, he did have the chance to watch the track & field events, some beach volleyball, and break dancing. He will never forget being in the infield when the 4×100 mixed relay was run, one of the more memorable events of the Games.

“There is a different vibe for track & field in Europe, and when you add the Olympics on top of that, it is taken into the stratosphere,” says Enekwechi, who also ran into a few ‘stars’ including tennis legend Serena Williams. “I take it one competition at a time, but if I am good enough, I would like to compete in Los Angeles in 2028.”

Enekwechi says he is at his physical peak now, at age 31, and looks forward to continuing training and honing his skills as a coach and instructor in the sport. He expects to spend the rest of his professional life doing these roles.

Purdue was not far from his mind during his memorable time in the City of Light. He ran into fellow Boilermaker track & field athlete Devynne Charlton and watched the Bahamian finish sixth in the 110-meter hurdles. He ran into volleyballer Annie Drews, part of the silver medalist USA squad.

Along with five other Boilermaker greats from years past, the trio of Enekwechi, Charlton and Drews will return to campus in October to be inducted into the Leroy Keyes Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame.

“I get goosebumps when I think about my time at Purdue,” says Enekwechi. “I am a pretty sentimental person, so it is an honor to be an ambassador for the school. That is why I stick around campus and want to pay it forward by helping those who experience some of the same angst and struggles I did.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without Purdue.”