Indiana Sports 2023 Rewind: Baseball's Most Memorable Moments
Indiana baseball showcased an impressive turnaround in 2023, winning 43 games to reach the postseason comfortably. That win total is the most under head coach Jeff Mercer since he took over the program in 2019. It was the Hoosiers’ first time in the regional final of his tenure.
The Hoosiers lost on back-to-back days in June at No. 12 Kentucky, needing just one more victory over the Wildcats to advance to the top-16 super regionals. As part of our “Indiana Sports 2023 Rewind” series, here is our list of superlatives, all good, from the 2023 season.
Most clutch hit
Speaking of Kentucky, the most clutch hit goes to catcher Peter Serruto, who became the leading option behind the dish in April once Matthew Ellis suffered his season-ending injury. The Hoosiers bested West Virginia to open the double-elimination regional and met Kentucky in the winner’s bracket. Trailing 3-1 in the seventh inning, Serruto’s remarkable opposite-field home run put Indiana up 4-3. He went down 0-2 in the count, watched three balls pass, then poked just his third home run of the year. Kentucky’s park was stunned, and Indiana won 5-3.
Indiana snuck into the regional championship, but this is when they lost in back-to-back days.
Best freshman
This category is difficult. The frontrunner answer is Big Ten Freshman of the Year Devin Taylor. But every-day starting second baseman Tyler Cerny was tremendous in the field and became one of just six Hoosiers all-time, alongside Taylor, to hit 10 home runs in their rookie season. You also can’t count out reliever arms, Ethan Phillips and Brayden Risedorph, who recorded clutch outings in critical moments. Flamethrower Connor Foley also pitched well.
But again, 16 home runs for Taylor, who has towering stock for the 2025 MLB Draft.
Best single-game performance
Fifth-year shortstop Phillip Glasser, selected by the Washington Nationals in the 10th round of the MLB Draft last summer, hit .357 in the leadoff spot for the Hoosiers in 2023. When Indiana went south for non-conference matchups at the start of the year, the Hoosiers faced No. 9 East Carolina and starter Trey Yesavage, who is among the top-40 prospects for the 2024 MLB Draft. Glasser went 3-for-3 to best the ECU ace, homering and totaling seven bases. Once Yesavage left the game, Glasser recorded another double to go 4-for-4 for nine bases. Glasser reached base in 45 consecutive games, which tied the program record since 2005.
Best pitching performance
Sophomore transfer Luke Sinnard convinced Mercer and pitching coach Dustin Glant in fall camp that he hated hitters — just by the way he pitched. Sinnard sprang as the team’s ace in the opening few February series at Auburn and Texas. The only games the Hoosiers won in each three-game series was with Sinnard on the mound. Indiana went 12-4 when he started.
The sophomore broke the program’s single-season strikeout record with 114. He struck out five West Virginia batters in the first two innings of the NCAA regional, but departed in the third due to health concerns. He is expected to miss the 2024 season following elbow surgery. This likely lowers the team’s ceiling. He was the bonafide and attacking starter they needed.
Best series win
Indiana’s 2-1 comeback when hosting Iowa in Bloomington is the clear choice.
On April 7, Iowa starter Brody Brecht held the Hoosiers to one run through seven innings, and he is among the top-20 draft prospects for 2024. The next day, Sinnard tossed six shutout innings with 12 strikeouts in his best outing of the season. Hawkeye starter and top-60 draft prospect Marcus Morgan matched with 5⅓ shutout innings. But Hoosier Ryan Kraft won the reliever duel. Teammate Morgan Colopy, who usually entered in the latter innings for defense, hit the walk-off home run in the 10th inning for the 2-0 win — his only home run of the season.
With the series tied, Indiana trailed 2-1 in the top of the eighth inning of Sunday’s finale on April 9. Cerny made an uncommon error at second base, which gave up the run. Serruto’s base-hit in the bottom frame, however, tied the ballgame. Bobby Whalen’s go-ahead hit put the Hoosiers up 4-2, and they later won by that score. Muffled cheers rang through the halls of the clubhouse afterward. Iowa ended the season ½ games behind Indiana in the Big Ten. It was Indiana’s best, and only, series victory of the season over an NCAA Tournament team.
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