TERRE HAUTE — Going into season, Indiana State’s baseball aspirations — at least as seen by those not on the team — were modest. Rightfully so given where the Sycamores have been in the Missouri Valley Conference pecking order in recent seasons.
The goal was simple: do what the Sycamores haven’t done since 2005 … qualify for the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Once the trip to Wichita was clinched, anything from there would be gravy as ISU coach Lindsay Meggs’ continued to build the program.
It seemed a reasonable enough goal given ISU’s solid lineup, though it presumed ISU’s pitching would allow the Sycamores to be in that position after the ISU staff had a horrific 7.03 ERA in 2008. Conference coaches picked ISU sixth in the preseason poll.
As recently as March 27, aspiring to make the MVC Tournament seemed as tenuous as ever. The Sycamores were 1-3 in the MVC after rain washed out the series at Illinois State after one loss, one weekend after Creighton took two-of-three in the conference-opening series at Sycamore Field. The Sycamores were looking up at every other Valley team save Bradley in the win column at the time. A month later, those initial aspirations seem laughably modest. The Sycamores are on a tear not seen since their mid-1980s salad days. Three consecutive series sweeps and nine conference wins in a row later, every Valley team is looking up at ISU in the conference win column.
ISU is on its hottest conference streak since 1985, when it won 12 consecutive MVC games. The surging Sycamores are now in a virtual tie with Missouri State atop the MVC. Due to rainouts, the standings are jumbled, but Missouri State is 9-2 and ISU is 10-3.
The Bears (who have the edge in winning percentage) and Sycamores are a half-game ahead of Creighton and one ahead of Illinois State.
So why be modest? Forget conference tournament qualification, that’s virtually assured, why not think MVC regular season championship. If the Sycamores win the MVC regular season championship, its not unreasonable to let NCAA Regional dreams dance in your head too.
Too much, too soon? The heck with it. If the ISU roll continues, it stands to be one of ISU’s best baseball seasons ever. Really. Look it up. Given modest preseason expectations, I can hardly believe it myself.
If ISU maintains its current winning percentage — .769, a tall order to be sure — it would qualify as its second-best MVC winning percentage in school history. The 1983 Sycamores had an .875 winning percentage, finishing 7-1 when the MVC season was a fraction of the 24-game slate that currently constitutes a full MVC schedule.
That’s a dream scenario for ISU fans. A more grounded likelihood is that ISU will be Wichita-bound in late May. With nine conference games left, ISU has a six-game lead over seventh-place Southern Illinois, the last non-qualifying spot in the conference standings for the tournament. It would take an epic collapse by ISU and a miraculous surge by the Salukis, or any other also-ran, to keep ISU out.
This is heady stuff. Though its won six conference tournament championships, ISU has only had the best MVC regular season record twice in school history, never attaining the title outright, tying Wichita State in 1983 and 1985. ISU has only finished fourth or better in the MVC twice since 1993.
Why has ISU turned it around? The obvious answer is the potency of ISU’s lineup. The Sycamores are second in the conference with a .303 batting average and are second in home runs with 30.
Production is evident throughout the Sycamore lineup. Luke Fieser (.402) and Brady Shoemaker (.389) are currently 1-2 in MVC batting average. Ryan Strausborger (43) and Shoemaker (41) are 1-2 in runs scored. Nick Ciolli is second in RBIs (38) and doubles (15). Bronco Lafrenz is tied for second in home runs with seven round-trippers.
Less obvious are some other key factors. ISU’s season ERA is an unimpressive 5.93, second-last in the conference. However, in MVC games, ISU’s ERA is a much more palatable 4.34. Since its early struggles, the weekend rotation of Eric Valdez, Jake Petricka and Joe Rodriguez have been solid. Petricka’s MVC ERA is 2.93.
The pitchers get plenty of help. ISU has a league-low eight errors in 13 conference games, good for a league-best .984 fielding percentage. Catcher-first baseman Joe Meggs (68 total chances) and, remarkably, third baseman Fieser (39 total chances) have no conference errors at all. Outfielders Shoemaker and Ciolli have also been flawless.
For once, the Sycamores have also had coveted intangibles in their corner too. Half of ISU’s conference wins have come after the Sycamores have trailed. Three victories were achieved with the go-ahead run occurring in the seventh inning or later. Lafrenz’s eighth-inning grand slam to help ISU to a 5-3 win over SIU on Sunday at Sycamore Field was the latest example.
ISU has three series left. The Sycamores travel to Wichita State on May 1-3. Winning at Eck Stadium is always difficult, but unlike other seasons, it’s not Mission Impossible. Wichita State was swept at Missouri State last weekend, the first time in coach Gene Stephenson’s long tenure that he endured a conference sweep.
ISU’s final home series is against Evansville from May 8-10. The Purple Aces currently hold down sixth place, the final qualifying spot for the MVC Tournament. The best could be saved for last — a three-game, season-ending series at Missouri State May 14-16. If things break right for the Sycamores, it could be a championship showdown.
Missouri State has four series left (at Evansville, Northern Iowa, at Creighton, ISU), so does Creighton (Bradley, at Illinois State, Missouri State, at Wichita State). Illinois State’s fate will be known earlier than the others as they finish their MVC season on May 10 against Bradley. The Redbirds also have series left at Southern Illinois and against Creighton.
The last season at Sycamore Field (as we know it) could be one of the best ever. Who woulda thunk it? Not me. But ISU fans should enjoy would could be a championship ride.
Todd Golden is sports editor of the Tribune-Star. He can be reached at (812) 231-4272 or todd.golden@tribstar.com. Please check out Golden’s blog at blogs.tribstar.com/downinthevalley
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Don’t worry. I can’t just rattle state flowers off the top of my head. I had to look it up too, even though I’ve seen them all over the place in Honolulu.
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