Indiana Qualifies for Big Ten Tournament Despite 0-3 Weekend at Iowa

Indiana began its road trip to Iowa by scoring nine runs off the potential Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Adam Mazur, but the rest of the weekend took a turn for the worse.

The Hoosiers squandered a 13-2 lead in a series opener that quickly got out of control. Iowa finished the game on a 28-3 run, led by a 12-RBI performance by Kyle Huckstorf. Despite three or more hits from four Hoosiers in game one, Iowa won the slugfest with 23 hits that led to 30 total runs. 

The Iowa bats continued where they left off on Friday, scoring runs in five separate innings in a 12-0 win. Leadoff hitter Michael Seegers set the tone throughout the night, finishing 4-for-5 with four RBI. At the bottom of the order, Sam Hojnar was ready to turn the lineup back to Seegers, recording three hits and three RBI of his own.

Indiana starter Jack Perkins tied his season high for runs allowed on Friday across 4.2 innings of work. Perkins gave up nine runs, six of which were earned, while walking three with two batters hit-by-pitch and six strikeouts. 

The Indiana defense didn't do much to help Perkins on Friday, committing three errors that each led to Iowa runs. Ryan Kraft relieved Perkins and pitched the game's final 3.1 innings, allowing five hits, three runs, two walks and seven strikeouts. 

Iowa starter Dylan Nedved held the Hoosiers to just one hit in the first six innings, and the Hawkeye bullpen followed his lead with three scoreless innings, two hits and four strikeouts. Two of Indiana's three hits came from freshman Josh Pyne, and the Hoosiers combined for 10 strikeouts with eight runners left on base. 

Indiana got the pitching performances it needed in the series finale, but the bats stayed cold in a 2-1 loss. Starter Bradley Brehmer went four innings and allowed three hits, one run, two walks and five strikeouts. Reigning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Ty Bothwell entered for the following two innings, striking out six Hawkeyes but allowing a run on a wild pitch. 

Reese Sharp didn't allow a hit or run in the final two innings, but Indiana stranded 12 runners in the one-run loss. Catcher Matthew Ellis scored Indiana's only run of the game with his team-high 18th home run of the season. Right fielder Hunter Jessee added three hits, but the Hoosiers struck out 11 times.

Iowa's Ty Langenberg earned his fifth win of the season, completing the series sweep. With this loss, Indiana finished the regular season with a 25-30 record overall and a 10-14 mark in conference play.

The Hoosiers still snuck into the Big Ten tournament as the eighth and final seed, but it wasn't without some drama. Indiana, Northwestern and Nebraska all finished with a 10-14 record in conference play, but the Hoosiers won the three-team tiebreaker.

Indiana now enters postseason play against the No. 1 seed Maryland Terrapins. Maryland finished the season with a 44-10 record and an 18-5 mark in Big Ten play. The Terrapins finished second in the Big Ten in team batting average and runs scored, while hitting 27 more home runs than any other team.

Maryland is fourth in the Big Ten with a 4.80 team ERA, led by Jason Savacool who finished first in the Big Ten with a 2.71 ERA in 93 innings with 109 strikeouts. First pitch between Indiana and Maryland is at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday in Omaha, Neb.

Stories related to Indiana baseball:

• INDIANA ALLOWS 30 RUNS: Indiana was off to a hot start against potential Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Adam Mazur with a 13-2 lead in the third inning, but Iowa came storming back to finish the game on a 28-3 run. Four Hoosiers recorded at least three hits, and Iowa's Kyle Huckstorf drove in 12 runs. CLICK HERE
• SERIES PREVIEW: Six teams are fighting for the final four spots in the Big Ten tournament, creating a do-or-die series for the Hoosiers as they travel to Iowa City. Indiana goes for its fifth-straight series win against the top pitching team in the conference. CLICK HERE
• FOLLOWING WHALEN'S LEAD: Leadoff hitter and center fielder Bobby Whalen has started every game for Indiana this season, leading the Hoosiers with toughness and a "win at any cost" mentality. They'll continue to follow his lead into the final regular season series at Iowa beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday.
• ELLIS' GRAND SLAM DEFEATS ILLINOIS STATE: The Hoosiers rallied for a seven-run eighth inning, defeating Illinois State on Tuesday in their final game at Bart Kaufman Field this season. Matthew Ellis' monstrous grand slam put Indiana on top, and Ryan Kraft struck out the side in the ninth. CLICK HERE