Talking Hoosier Baseball – 2026 Week 11 – Iowa

Carl, Cass, Zach, and Chris talk about a 1-3 week including a devastating series sweep at the hands of the Iowa Hawkeyes

By Carl James @jovian34 April 27th, 2026

It was a week of offensive breakthroughs and missed opportunities for Indiana baseball, as an explosion of offense in Muncie was followed by a painful home series sweep at the hands of Iowa. While the results have placed the Hoosiers’ active record Big Ten Tournament streak in serious jeopardy, the emergence of Big Ten Freshman of the Week Owen ten Oever provided a significant silver lining for the program.

The week began on a high note Tuesday with a 20-10 run-rule victory over Ball State. With the lineup shuffled due to illness, Owen ten Oever stepped into a major role and delivered a massive first-inning grand slam to help stake Indiana to an early lead. Hogan Denny also put on a power display with two home runs and seven RBIs, while Landen Fry added three hits of his own. Despite three defensive errors, the Hoosier offense was relentless, amassing 15 hits and 12 walks to put the game away in eight innings.

The momentum stalled as the Hoosiers returned home Friday, dropping the series opener to Iowa 12-2. Graduate lefty Tony Neubeck struggled with command, allowing seven earned runs over four innings. However, the night was etched in the history books when Caleb Koskie recorded an infield single in the fifth, officially setting a modern program record with a 22-game hitting streak. ten Oever continued his hot stretch, finishing 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, but the team overall stranded 11 runners on base.

Saturday’s 9-2 loss was a game of “what ifs,” as Indiana hitters frequently made superior contact only to see deep fly balls caught at the warning track or in the gaps. Sophomore Brayton Thomas labored through three innings, hampered by command issues. ten Oever provided the lone spark for the offense, crushing a solo home run in the seventh inning to account for Indiana’s first run. Unfortunately, the day also saw Caleb Koskie’s historic hitting streak come to an end as the Hoosiers were limited to just three hits total.

In Sunday’s finale, Indiana showed late-inning grit but fell 7-4 to complete the sweep. Making his first start of the year, Jackson Yarberry was victimized by defensive lapses early, including a dropped pop-up in the sun. Gavin Seebold kept the Hoosiers within striking distance with five brilliant innings of relief, striking out six. The offense rallied for 11 hits, led by ten Oever’s impressive three-hit day and a pinch-hit RBI double from Cal Gates. Despite the late surge, the Hoosiers stranded 10 runners, preventing the breakthrough hit needed to flip the result.

Now sitting at 19-25 overall and 6-15 in Big Ten play, the Hoosiers face a steep uphill climb to qualify for the conference tournament.