CARBONDALE, Ill. —
Indiana State’s baseball team had won every Missouri Valley Conference series it had played this season, but one nagging thought was on the Sycamores’ minds as they suited up Sunday to play Southern Illinois.
ISU had left its brooms in the closet each time it had a chance to get a conference series sweep.
“I’ve been 0-for-2 on getting the series sweep and that rattled in my head a little bit,” ISU starting pitcher Ryan Torgerson said.
On Sunday at SIU’s Abe Martin Field, the Sycamores finally broke through. And the timing couldn’t have been more impeccable.
Given a big boost by a bizarre 5-4-2-1-3 triple play in the first inning, ISU went on to dominate SIU en route to a 10-4 victory.
Not only did ISU (40-12, 13-5) claim its first MVC series sweep of the season, it also took a 11⁄2-game lead in the Missouri Valley Conference. Missouri State lost 1-0 at home to Evansville as Aces’ starter Kyle Freeland took a no-hit bid into the ninth inning.
Starting Thursday, Missouri State visits ISU for the regular season series finale. The Sycamores only need to win one game against the Bears to claim the MVC championship.
ISU hasn’t won a MVC regular season baseball championship since 1985 and has never won it outright in the current format.
“It’s good we’re peaking at the right time. We’re going into a home series with an advantage,” said ISU catcher Jeremy Lucas, who was 3 for 5.
To get to its 40th victory — ISU’s first time at the 40 mark since 1992 — the Sycamores needed some good fortune in the first. Good fortune? It doesn’t aptly describe it. Few words do.
SIU (25-26, 9-12) led off the game with three consecutive singles; the last by Chris Serritella scored a run to make it 1-0.
Torgerson looked to be in trouble, but ISU’s salvation came with a hard grounder to third baseman Koby Kraemer. He relayed to second baseman Jordan Pearson for one force out.
Because the ball was hard hit, Donny Duschinsky — SIU’s runner on third base — had to hesitate before he went home. Pearson noticed, and instead of throwing to first for a traditional double play, he threw home to get Duschinsky.
Pearson made a mid-air throw to the plate off his pivot and threw a perfect strike to Lucas, who tagged Duschinsky out.
“That throw was really impressive. He was turned to throw to first base, and at the last second … he didn’t even change his body or the way he threw the ball. It was a perfect throw to me,” Lucas said.
All the while, batter Austin Montgomery had assumed he had been doubled up at first and didn’t run the ball out. ISU assumed the play was over too as Lucas threw the ball back to Torgerson for the next batter.
But the frantic screams from the Sycamore dugout were heeded, and Torgerson threw to first to force Montgomery for a sublime triple play.
“It was one of the weirdest plays I’ve ever seen, but it came at a perfect time. If that doesn’t happen, they score a few runs and gain some momentum. That boosted our confidence,” Lucas said.
With the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not portion of the game behind them, the Sycamores went to work with their bats. ISU tied it in the third on a balk and took the lead in the fourth. A Kraemer triple knocked in Lucas Hileman and a Tyler Wampler sacrifice fly drove in Kraemer to make it 3-1.
ISU broke it open in the sixth with a five-run, seven-hit parade. With the exception of one of the base hits, it all came with two outs. RBI doubles by Pearson, Landon Curry and Hedges were paired with RBI singles by Kyle Burnam (who returned to action from a hamstring injury) and Rob Ort.
“Our guys locked in at the plate today,” ISU coach Rick Heller said. “Everyone was really dialed in at the bat and in the field.”
Torgerson went on to go the distance for ISU. He struck out eight and walked just one.
“The triple play happened, and it was weird how it happened. But after that, I thought he really settled in and did a nice job. He finally got the feel for his breaking ball. He was able to throw it for a strike,” Heller said.
ISU will play at No. 15 Purdue on Tuesday before its MVC summit meeting begins against Missouri State on Thursday.
In 2009, ISU needed to win only one game against Missouri State to win the MVC championship, but was swept by the Bears in the series finale. However, the 2009 series was at MSU’s Hammons Field.
This time, ISU will get the chance to win the crown at home. The Sycamores have three players left (Kraemer, Burnam, Brandon Dorsett) with memories of 2009 and perspective on how ISU can avoid a similar fate.
“It’s a good situation to be in. Burnam, Dorsett and I have been there. We just have to treat it like it’s another game. We put so much pressure on ourselves in ’09 and we couldn’t do it,” Kraemer said.
ISU 10, SIU 4
ISU ab r h bi SIU ab r h bi
Curry dh 4 1 2 1 Welch 2b 4 2 2 0
McCurdy ph 0 0 0 0 Duschinsky ss 4 0 1 1
Burnam lf 3 2 2 1 Seritella 1b 4 0 1 1
Conway pr-lf 1 0 0 0 Mntgmry 3b 4 1 2 1
Lucas c 5 1 3 0 Sivertson cf 3 0 1 0
Ort rf 4 0 1 2 Harding dh 4 1 1 0
Hedges 1b 5 0 2 1 Bajer c 3 0 0 1
Hileman cf 5 1 0 0 Johnson rf 3 0 0 0
Kraemer 3b 4 2 2 1 Renner rf 0 0 0 0
Wampler ss 4 1 1 1 Troggio cf 3 0 0 0
Pearson 2b 4 2 1 1
Totals 39 10 14 8 Totals 32 4 8 4
Indiana State 001 215 001 — 10
Southern Illinois 100 001 101 — 4
E — Duschinsky (27). TP — ISU 1. LOB — ISU 10, SIU 3. 2B — Curry (5), Lucas (13), Hedges (12), Pearson (2), Harding (8). 3B — Kraemer (3), Welch (3). HR — Montgomery (7). SB — Hileman (5). SH — Burnam (9). SF — Ort (7), Wampler (2), Bajer (4).
IP H R ER BB SO
Indiana State
Torgerson (W, 8-2) 9 8 4 4 1 8
Southern Illinois
Conrood (L, 2-5) 5 6 4 4 1 6
Weld 2/3 4 4 4 0 0
Dray 1/3 3 1 1 0 1
Eaton 3 1 1 0 2 1
WP — Torgerson (6), Conrood (5), Weld (1). HBP — by Conrood (Pearson), by Eaton (Kraemer). Bk — Conrood (1). T — 2:31. A — 153.
Next — Indiana State (40-12, 13-5 Missouri Valley Conference) plays at Purdue at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Indiana State University
Related Photos
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Indiana State pitcher Ryan Torgerson (left) celebrates with his teammates after turning a triple play to end the first inning against SIU on Sunday at Abe Martin Field in Carbondale. (Steve Jahnke/The Southern Illinoisan)
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Steve Jahnke/The Southern Illinoisan Indiana State's Jordan Pearson throws home after forcing Chris Serritella out at second base Sunday at Abe Martin Field in Carbondale. The Sycamores turned a triple play on the exchange to end the first inning.
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Steve Jahnke/The Southern Illinoisan Indiana State's Lucas Hileman catches a fly ball in center field for an out against SIU on Sunday at Abe Martin Field in Carbondale.
Discussion
Sycamores get brooms out: ISU needs 1 more win to claim MVC
- Indiana State University
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ISU baseball hoping Manaea can get its MVC Tournament moving in right direction
Indiana State’s baseball team has been waiting all season for its stars to align.
But this is the 2013 Sycamores, after all, and after a season in which seemingly little has gone right, it appears its stars will remain crossed at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. -
ISU's athletic treasure trove
Think of every championship that Indiana State has won in each of its sports, past and present. Think of every tournament — postseason or regular season — which the Sycamores have claimed as their own.
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Ort sets ISU RBI record in 16-7 win
Robby Ort celebrated his Indiana State baseball Senior Day on Saturday by becoming the Sycamores’ all-time leader in RBIs as ISU ended its regular season with a 16-7 win over Bradley at Bob Warn Field.
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Bradley ends 16-game MVC losing streak against ISU
Momentum was the only thing riding on Indiana State’s baseball game against Bradley on Friday. With a five-game winning streak going, ISU wanted to keep the good vibes going into next week’s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
ISU couldn’t do it. -
Indiana State to host 2014 MVC baseball tourney
Build it… and they will come. The Missouri Valley Conference and Indiana State University made that famous line from the movie “Fields Of Dreams” reality Thursday.
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Behind 16 hits and Manaea's pitching, ISU beats Bradley
Indiana State’s baseball team rode a wild ride of emotion on Thursday.
First came the public announcement that Bob Warn Field would host the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Later, Sean Manaea’s availability to pitch ISU’s series opener against Bradley was in doubt. -
TODD GOLDEN: Don't give up on ISU baseball just yet
If you had to pick one word that would describe the 2013 Indiana State baseball season, it would have to be frustration.
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ISU baseball team builds on success with 14-2 rout
Indiana State’s baseball victory over Alcorn State on Friday would take on more meaning Saturday if the Sycamores could build momentum and pick up on the good work they did in Friday’s ninth-inning rally.
Mission accomplished.
The Sycamores were aggressive from the opening inning at the plate and starting pitcher Devin Moore gave them eight valuable and effective innings on the mound as ISU defeated Alcorn State 14-2 at Bob Warn Field.
“It was a really good experience for everybody. It felt great to finally come out here and put some things together. It’s also really nice when your offense puts a lot of runs on the board,” Moore said.
Moore’s eight innings of work were as valuable as gold to an ISU team that is short on quality arms due to injury and ineffectiveness. He didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning and one of the two runs he conceded was unearned. -
ISU earns badly-needed win
Alcorn State’s baseball team might be ranked in the bottom 10 in RPI and Indiana State might have never lost to a Southwestern Athletic Conference team. So it wouldn’t appear that a quality win was in the offing when Alcorn State visited Bob Warn Field on Friday.
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ISU’s Mascari and Hope win MVC track & field titles
Indiana State produced two champions during the opening day of action in the Missouri Valley Conference track and field championships Friday at Drake. Freshman John Mascari, a Terre Haute native, won the men’s 10,000-meter race and Nicole Hope won the women’s pole vault for the second time in three seasons.
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ISU pole vault tradition continues with help from its author
Pole vault is track and field for the adrenaline junkie, Indiana State senior Nicole Hope proclaimed during a recent practice at Marks Field.
To catapult oneself about 14 feet into the air with a large $500 fiberglass pole on a daily basis is a risky endeavor.
“We have to be fearless. You can’t be afraid at all,” said Hope, who has also catapulted herself into the NCAA’s elite in the event, ranking 15th in the NCAA with her leap of 13-feet, 9 1/4. -
Lansing looking for more home games for next fall
Indiana State’s men’s basketball team is looking for a few good games.
Home games that is.
The Sycamores have filled in most of the blanks in their nonconference schedule, but as ever, ISU coach Greg Lansing would like to visit the friendly confines of Hulman Center a bit more often. -
ISU baseball gets back into rhythm with victory
Baseball is a rhythm game. With contests every day or five times a week in the case of many college programs, you have the chance to build on success or wallow in a slump.
Mother Nature took that rhythm away from Indiana State’s team last week. After a 7-1 loss to Indiana on April 24, ISU was supposed to play a three-game series at Tennessee-Martin, but it was wiped out by rain.
So the rhythm was disturbed, but perhaps that wasn’t a bad thing.
ISU was in a five-game losing streak before its unintended vacation and the Sycamores made a move in the right direction Wednesday with a 7-0 win over DePauw at Bob Warn Field.
“It was a disappointing weekend. We went all the way down to Tennessee and didn’t get to play. We sat around in the hotel room. We came here and it was still raining. It was nice to get out and see some live pitching,” ISU center fielder Landon Curry said. -
Metro roundup: ISU hands out spring awards
The Indiana State University athletic community, along with family, friends and fans, paused Tuesday night to honor the spring sports teams at the Terre Haute Savings Bank Spring Sports Banquet.
Most of the ISU teams are still in competition with the baseball team having 13 games left of its regular-season schedule before beginning the Missouri Valley Conference tournament May 21, the softball team with just three games left of the docket this coming weekend against Southern Illinois and the track and field program with just one more meet before beginning its postseason events.
The ISU women’s golf team is the team that has ended at this time, with the group recording a sixth-place finish at the MVC championships one week ago. -
Indiana State loses 2 in MVC softball
Indiana State aspired to upset Illinois State to get at least a doubleheader split in Missouri Valley Conference softball Thursday at Price Field as the Sycamores opened an eight-game season-ending homestand.
Paige Schreiner hit a two-run blast over the left-field fence in the fifth inning and junior Shelby Wilson delivered a sizzling RBI triple down the right-field line in the sixth as ISU ended the day playing well against the league’s highest-scoring offense.
The result was still a 5-3 loss to the Redbirds (26-18, 11-6 Missouri Valley Conference) as freshman Halle Humphrey gave up four runs in the first two innings. Humphrey, called upon to pitch the opener as well — she’s the only full-time pitcher remaining on the team — gave up six runs and eight hits as the Sycamores dropped a 6-1 game to start the day. -
ISU, MVFC brace for change at FCS football level
It seemed so far-fetched.
Internet rumors circulated that Indiana State had been approached by the Sun Belt Conference to bring the Sycamores’ football team into the Sun Belt’s fold.
The Sun Belt is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision. Bowl football. Big boy football … and all it entails.
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ISU football in good spirits after healthy Spring Game
Was Saturday afternoon’s weather an omen for Indiana State football as the Sycamores wrapped up spring practice with the annual Blue-White Game at Memorial Stadium? After several practices conducted in less-than-perfect conditions, they’d like to think so.
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Loyola ready to take big step
Loyola University and the Missouri Valley Conference took their first steps together Friday and the MVC is hoping the Ramblers don’t have to take too many baby steps before they become a competitive part of the conference.
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Sanford wraps up first spring with ISU
The final day of Indiana State football’s first Mike Sanford experience is upon the Sycamores.
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Lansing excited about Etherington's signing with Sycamores
The spring signing period for men’s basketball is usually a time to use available scholarships to load up on junior college additions and transfers.
To find a diamond-in-the-rough at the high school level who can give you four years? That’s harder to come by. -
Creighton sweep puts ISU in thick of things
In a difficult early-season Missouri Valley Conference schedule, Indiana State took its lumps. Unenviable back-to-back trips to contenders Missouri State and Wichita State had ISU reeling with five straight MVC losses eight days ago.
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Second City in the Valley: Loyola joins the MVC
For the first time in its history, the Missouri Valley Conference will have a home in the Second City.
The Chicago Tribune confirmed Saturday via a Loyola University source that the Ramblers will replace Creighton as the MVC’s 10th team. Loyola — a member of the Horizon League — will join the MVC effective July 1.
Indiana State Director of Athletics Ron Prettyman — who was part of the MVC search committee that scouted potential replacements for Creighton — confirmed Sunday that the Ramblers were in the MVC loop. -
Sycamore baseball holds off Creighton rally
By his own estimation, Indiana State baseball coach Rick Heller has been involved in close to 2,000 baseball games. If anyone has seen it all on the field, he’d be as good a candidate as any.
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Devin Moore pitches gem in 6-1 victory over Creighton
A hip injury suffered by Indiana State ace starting pitcher Sean Manaea shuffled the Sycamores’ starting rotation for the second weekend running as it opened a Missouri Valley Conference home series against Creighton on Friday.
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Sanford gets 2nd look at Sycamores
In the immediate aftermath of a practice, game, or in Friday’s case for Indiana State, a scrimmage, most football coaches defer to the film to paint a true picture of what was and wasn’t done. ISU coach Mike Sanford is no different. With the flurry of activity on both sides of the ball, it’s hard to get a true evaluation of anything watching it live.
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ISU center FN Lutz glad to be back in the middle of things
For someone who missed an entire season due to a knee injury, Indiana State center FN Lutz has certainly kept himself visible since then.
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METRO ROUNDUP: ISU's Brandon Pounds the top collegian in Sea Ray relays
Indiana State senior Brandon Pounds was the top collegian in the men’s hammer throw and fellow senior Felisha Johnson opened up the Sycamores’ three-day competition at the University of Tennessee’s Sea Ray relays with a second-place finish in the women’s hammer throw.
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Stealing records: ISU softball’s offense gaining momentum
The Indiana State softball offense is no juggernaut, but the fog may be clearing on a program that has had a long history of struggles with few signs of consistent winning.
Explosive, dedicated athletes like Morgan Allee and Megan Stone are two reasons to believe this group of Sycamores can spark a turnaround.
The Sycamores are scoring an average of 3.1 runs per game while also ranking in the middle of the Missouri Valley Conference pack in hits and batting average. But the Sycamores are on pace to break the school record for on-base percentage as they lead the MVC in walks, hit-by-pitches, sacrifice bunts and stolen bases.
Allee, with 17 regular-season games to go, broke the school record for stolen bases in a season Tuesday against IUPUI and is among the 10 best in the NCAA. Her total of 30 makes up almost half of ISU’s 74.
“I’m so big [that] they think I won’t go. It works out well,” the stocky shortstop said. -
ISU’s QB battle
Quarterback battles come in all shapes and sizes, but one could forgive Indiana State’s Mike Perish, Robert Tonyan Jr. and Trent Lancaster if they feel a bit more beleaguered than your average signal-caller.
Not only is the trio fighting for the right to be named ISU’s starter by the Sycamores’ football opener Aug. 29 at Indiana University, but all three also are trying to learn a new offense, they’re acclimating themselves to new coach Mike Sanford’s different way of running things, and they’re trying to maintain harmony amongst each other, so whoever the ultimate winner is can effectively lead the team without angst.
All of it is playing out during ISU’s spring practice, and so far, none of the quarterback candidates have separated themselves from the pack. -
Sycamores wrap up season sweep of Purdue in baseball
Jordan Pearson went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and all nine position starters for the Indiana State baseball team recorded at least one hit, leading the Sycamores to a 10-5 victory and a season sweep of Purdue in front of 679 fans Tuesday at Bob Warn Field.
ISU claimed its second consecutive game and improved to 14-13 overall, while Purdue dropped to 11-19. The Sycamores are 4-1 against the Big Ten Conference this season after sweeping their two-game series with the Boilermakers and winning two out of three at Minnesota in mid-March.
ISU and Purdue combined for nine runs over the first three innings as the Sycamores took a 5-4 lead. Pearson (single), Mike Fitzgerald (single), Tyler Wampler (one-run single), Landon Curry (single) and Cody Zimmerman (two-run single) tallied five consecutive hits with one out in the bottom of the second inning as ISU scored four runs in the frame. - More Indiana State University Headlines
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