Weekend Review: Indiana Baseball Stumbles Out Of Gate With 0-4 Start

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It was a sobering start to the season for the Indiana baseball team.

Ranked No. 25 in two different national preseason polls, the Hoosiers didn’t live up to their billing as they began the season with four losses.

All but one of the losses was close, but that’s not much consolation. In four games played in Surprise, Ariz. at Surprise Stadium, spring training home of the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers, Indiana lost 4-2 to UNLV on Friday, fell 8-6 to Xavier in 10 innings on Saturday, lost to No. 7 Oregon State 6-0 on Sunday and then fell 13-12 to UNLV in 10 innings on Monday afternoon.

Going into the season, Indiana’s offense was highly-touted, but there were questions about the Hoosiers’ pitching. Those questions remain after a rough first weekend.

Indiana starting pitcher Gavin Seebold allowed four earned runs in four innings in the opener against UNLV. Reliver Drew Buhr pitched four innings of shutout relief, but the four runs the Runnin’ Rebels got against Seebold were enough as three UNLV pitchers scattered two runs over the duration of the game.

Saturday’s game produced drama for the Hoosiers, but not the fulfillment of a victory.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME! 106 OFF THE BAT!

BRAND NEW GAME! pic.twitter.com/S1mnsxwikO
— Indiana Baseball (@IndianaBase) February 16, 2025

Second baseman Jasen Oliver hit a dramatic game-tying three-run home run in the ninth inning to force extra innings against the Musketeers. However, Indiana’s defense undermined the comeback. A throwing error contributed to a two-run rally by Xavier in the 10th inning. Indiana had four errors in the game, leading to a pair of unearned runs.

However, no Indiana pitcher came away unscathed in the earned runs department. Starter Cole Gilley was solid, allowing one run in 5 1/3 innings, but reliever Ben Grable, Jackson Yarberry and Ryan Kraft all gave up earned runs.

No. 7 Oregon State dominated Sunday’s game in the 6-0 victory. Jake Hanley’s single was the only base hit allowed by Oregon State’s staff of Ethan Kleinschmit, Wyatt Queen and Laif Palmer.

Indiana starter Pete Haas allowed four earned runs in three innings of work.

Monday’s finale against UNLV was a back-and-forth slugfest. Indiana rallied from a 7-3 deficit with a three-run fourth inning and tied the game via a UNLV balk in the seventh.

The Runnin’ Rebels put two across in the ninth, but Indiana answered with a RBI single by Hanley and a RBI fielder’s choice by Will Moore to make it 9-9

However, Indiana’s resistance on the mound wasn’t there. A grand slam by UNLV’s JP Hefft put UNLV up 13-9 in the top of the 10th. In the bottom half of the inning, Korbyn Dickerson hit a three-run home run for the Hoosiers to make it 13-12, but Indiana could not get the tying or winning run.

B10 | Korbyn with his first home run of the year!@korbyndickerson | 📺 https://t.co/rFS5MEUNqB pic.twitter.com/HEZ25a3Jol
— Indiana Baseball (@IndianaBase) February 17, 2025

On Indiana’s fourth game in four days, Indiana coach Jeff Mercer went with a staff day on the mound for the Hoosiers. Nine different Hoosiers pitched and six hurlers gave up at least one earned run.

Indiana is scheduled to play its home opener against Purdue Fort Wayne on Wednesday, but that is unlikely to happen with a high of 23 degrees forecast and with snow on the ground.

If Indiana doesn’t play on Wednesday, the Hoosiers would next play Northwestern in Cary, N.C. at 4 p.m. ET on Friday. Indiana is scheduled to play Northwestern, Fordham and Harvard during their three-game trip to North Carolina.

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