Bats squander multiple bases-loaded opportunities. Taylor homers.
By Carl James @jovian34 May 17th, 2025
“It was frustrating there in the middle where we had our shot and did a great job on the mound”
— Head Coach Jeff Mercer
Indiana Hoosiers 3, Michigan Wolverines 8
Inning by inning details in the Live Game Blog | Box Score
ANN ARBOR, MI – Indiana fell behind by five runs in the first two innings when Michigan bats were seeing lefty Deron Swanson really well. After the game, head coach Jeff Mercer said, “We didn’t walk anybody just hit us. They hit [Swanson] and that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
The pitchers immediately after Swanson did well, keeping Michigan at five runs into the seventh inning. “You know that we go, and we give up four zeros on the mound. Did a really good job and, you know, we were in a position you had [Aydan Decker-Petty] and [Gavin] Seebold.” Mercer did not use those two leverage arms and Indiana’s offense failed to break through despite three bases-loaded opportunities.
Lefty freshman Brayton Thomas looked really good in two innings of scoreless, hitless work. He allowed just one baserunner via a walk to settle thing for the Hoosiers in the fourth and fifth innings.
Devin Taylor and Andrew Wiggins accounted for half of Indiana’s hits and Taylor accounted for the only two Hoosier RBIs with a hard hit pulled single and an opposite field homer to lead off the seventh inning.
Senior Grant Holderfield gave up two hits and two runs in the seventh inning. Junior Will Eldridge came in and got the last out of that inning. Eldridge is capable of high velocity, but Mercer said they’ve been focusing on his off-speed. “We really flipped to that, though probably six weeks ago. That’s almost like the thing with them is just, you know, so we really just try to go really off speed in those in those mid weeks. And he had been landing. And almost kind of using the fastball as a as a secondary pitch to his off-speed and did a good job. He did exactly what we asked him.”
The loss itself had little consequence, as Maryland defeated Rutgers. While Michigan tied Indiana at 6th place in the standings, Indiana claimed the 6-seed in the B1G Tournament with the series win by having taken the games on Thursday and Friday. Indiana will face-off against 10-seed Rutgers at 2pm ET on B1G Network from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.
Mercer seemed confident in the Hoosiers pitching setup for the tournament. “We’ll have to see how those guys feel. But yeah, we should be in a in a pretty good spot. But you know, that was kind of the thing. If you have a chance to secure the 6 today with the win, then you’re going to go with your guys. And if you don’t, then you hold them ready to go on Tuesday. But yeah, you know, you have Krafty and Seebold and [Decker-Petty] we’ll see how well it feels. I would imagine they will probably.”