Missed chances, defensive miscues continue to haunt Hoosiers
By Zach Horwitz @HorwitzZach April 25th, 2026, photos by Carl James
“They took advantage of opportunities, and we didn’t.”
— Head Coach Jeff Mercer
Indiana Hoosiers 2, Iowa Hawkeyes 9
Inning by inning details in the Live Game Blog | Box Score
A gut-check loss on Friday night carried over into Saturday’s matinee, as Indiana beat itself in a 9–2 defeat to Iowa, dropping the series at Bart Kaufman Field.
The issues were familiar. Two errors, miscommunication up the middle that extended the first inning, and a handful of free passes immediately put the Hoosiers behind the eight ball.
Head coach Jeff Mercer didn’t shy away from it afterward, pointing to tempo and fundamentals.
“Good feet, good throws… we just didn’t do a good enough job of that,” Mercer said, noting the infield has been “a step slower as of late” in both anticipation and attacking the baseball.
That lack of sharpness showed right away.
Brayton Thomas struggled to command the zone in the opening frame, and Iowa capitalized with three runs before Indiana could settle in. Thomas lasted just three innings, allowing five runs on three hits as the Hawkeyes built a 5–0 lead through four.
From there, Indiana’s bullpen did its job. Ivan Mastalski, Reagan Rivera, and Kellen English combined to cover the final six innings, limiting further damage and giving the offense a chance to claw back.
Despite multiple well-struck balls, the Hoosiers managed just three hits on the afternoon. Hogan Denny and Brayden Ricketts each drove balls to the warning track, only to have them held up by a stiff wind blowing in.
“It’s a day where you hit balls hard, but you didn’t have production,” Mercer said. “They took advantage of opportunities, and we didn’t.”
The clearest example came in the eighth.
Down big but still with life, Indiana loaded the bases with nobody out. A walk brought in one run, but a popup and a double play immediately killed the rally, ending any chance of momentum heading into the finale.
Missed chances like that defined the day.
“We gave them free bases and opportunities, they capitalized,” Mercer said. “When they gave us free bases, we didn’t.”
With the loss, Caleb Koskie saw his 22-game hitting streak come to an end, though he still holds the program’s solo record.
Indiana will turn to a fresh group of arms on Sunday in an effort to salvage the series. Conner Linn, Jackson Yarberry, and Gavin Seebold are all in line to factor into the plan as the Hoosiers look to avoid a sweep.
First pitch is set for 1 p.m.