One Game at a Time: Purdue Baseball Looks to Continue Its Win Streak Against Illinois This Weekend
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue baseball doesn't look back on previous wins and losses, every game is a new game. The Boilermakers have left a 1-8 start to the season in the past and currently ride a five-game win streak heading into the weekend.
Purdue is set to play Illinois in West Lafayette for just the second time since Alexander Field opened in 2013, continuing the teams' five-game series. The opening pitch is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. ET.
Illinois is currently 10-14 on the season.
This past weekend, the Boilermakers were part of a three-team pod that also featured the Fighting Illini. The team beat both Michigan State and Illinois twice, resulting in a perfect 4-0 weekend.
Purdue exploded for a 20-6 victory against Illinois Monday, a game that featured multiple runs in five different frames. But Purdue head coach Greg Goff expects the Illini to bring their best baseball and challenge the Boilermakers despite recent results.
"It was really awesome to see us finally have a great game where we hit and pitched and kind of did all of it," Purdue head coach Greg Goff said. "This weekend will be a different story. That was game four of a weekend, and we were seeing some arms that we probably won’t see this weekend."
Junior left-handed pitcher Calvin Schapira is expected to open the series on the mound for Purdue, followed junior pitcher Trent Johnson on Saturday and redshirt junior pitcher Cory Brooks on Sunday.
The Boilermakers' pitching staff gave up just 24 hits in 38 innings during their 4-0 weekend. They also threw for more than 30 strikeouts.
“We’ve been really focusing on our mental stuff throughout the week for our preparation," sophomore pitcher Jett Jackson, who made his first start since March 28 on Monday, said. "Whenever we get on the mound or we get into a sticky situation, we’ve been working on keeping our mind in the right place."
Goff said he's been stressing to his pitchers to pound the strike zone. He tells them to have a strike-throwing contest with the other team, and it's led to less pressure for Purdue's batting order.
“I guess more than anything, it all starts on the mound," Goff said. "I think we’ve been able to get some really quality starts from our pitching staff. Anytime you do that it gives you an opportunity to run an offense and not play from behind.”
The Boilermakers have recorded 33 ninth-inning runs in its first 25 games, which already ranks third all-time in program history for a single season. Purdue recorded 39 ninth-inning runs during the 2012 season en route to a 45-14 record.
But while this season hasn't gone as smoothly, the players are working before, during and after practice to improve. Senior outfielder Miles Simington said the game is about getting better, and the team is treating every game like it is 0-0.
“One guy at a time, just trusting the guy after you — it’s what we live by," Simington said. "It’s not individual, it’s a team effort. Everybody’s been believing in each other, just buying into what we’ve been practicing and what we’ve been told, so it’s working pretty well.”
The confidence of this team is high, and it will continue to build should it step away from this series with a positive record.
"We’re having fun and everyone is coming together nicely, just taking it one game at a time, to be honest with you," Simington said. "But it’s awesome right now.”
Stories Related to Purdue Baseball
- PURDUE'S 4-0 WEEKEND: The Purdue baseball program defeated both Illinois and Michigan State twice this weekend in Champaign, Illinois. The Boilermakers, now 10-15 on the year, have recorded a five-game win streak in each of the last two seasons. CLICK HERE
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