Hoosiers unleash offensive onslaught against a Friday night ace, shine with defensive web gems and timely pitching en route to 8-3 win over Scarlet Knights
By Zach Horwitz @HorwitzZach April 26th, 2024
“If I told you before the game today that Keyster was going to start and we’re going to give up three runs on a Friday… against that offense, I don’t know that anybody outside of our room, rightfully so, would believe.”
Indiana Hoosiers 8, Rutgers Scarlet Knights 3:
Inning by inning details in the Live Game Blog | Box Score | Postgame Media
Rutgers leads the Big Ten conference in many offensive statistics, most notably its .315 team batting average. Shortstop Josh Kuroda-Grauer ranks fourth in the country with his impressive .440 batting average but the Hoosiers pitching staff kept the bats in check tonight.
Brandon Keyster took the mound with a scowl on his face. The southpaw trusted in his stuff to set the tone early. “It was a good matchup for him and he executed the plan to perfection,” head coach Jeff Mercer said about Keyster’s first start. “By the second half of the lineup, you know they were going to make an adjustment.”
That led to the sixth-year skipper to bring the hook at the right time. After allowing two free passes and back-to-back RBIs, it was Julian Tonghini’s time at the helm. The Boston College transfer persevered. He entered with runners at the corners, tossed a wild pitch, and almost seemingly would allow runs to cross the plate to give Rutgers an early advantage.
The Indiana faithful has seen this situation many times, and rather often, it ends up in a snowball inning. “That’s a 5-6-7 run inning waiting to blow up and Julian came in and gave us probably the most critical inning of the game” Mercer stated. The right-hander struck out two and escaped the jam with a 6-4 putout behind him.
He finished with six punchouts, allowing a lone hit and zero runs in three innings of work.
“I just wanted to go in there and make competitive pitches. I fell behind on the first two guys but I made an adjustment and was able to attack,” Tonghini said postgame.
None of the success from the IU hurlers could just be seen on the stat sheet. The defense behind the staff was remarkable, flashing the leather all night long. Mercer alluded to the defense as a backbone. “If you go make some great plays and shrink the game, it gives your pitchers a lot of energy… it gives them the confidence to go and execute.”
Joey Brenczewski was the headline behind the web gems, and Jeff Mercer has high praise for his investment during the work week. “The best players allow you to coach them hard. Joey can be told the truth… you’re killing us defensively. The kid works, and works, and works. Enough time has gone where he wants to win and help the team. He obviously helps the team offensively a ton, but he was hurting us defensively.” The rookie has certainly turned things around with the glove.
Brenczewski’s day at the dish was astonishing yet again, joining fellow freshman Cal Sefcik and transfer Nick Mitchell as the pillar behind Indiana’s run production. The switch-hitting Brenczewski mashed a three-run shot in the first inning, while Mitchell and Sefcik hit two-run homers to combine for seven of the team’s eight runs scored.
The slugging first baseman notched his third career long ball from the right side of the plate. He doesn’t have a particular comfortability standpoint in the batter’s box, “I’ve been doing it now for so long. I was a natural lefty, so I might have needed to take more right-handed at-bats.”
“Work while you wait” is a motto that Jeff Mercer stands upon. Cal Sefcik drilled it in his mind and hasn’t given up since.
“There’s a lot of guys who work hard but nobody works harder than Cal.” Jeff Mercer referred to the young talent as “stubborn” but points it as a “good thing”. The Illinois native has been through much adversity, missing extended time with Tommy John surgery. Mercer continues to believe in him, “I just keep trying to stick him in situations that are the right matchup for him.” Today was that day. Sefcik belted a towering home run, 109 mph off the bat, that eclipsed nearly 430 feet in the air.
Indiana’s offense finally got to an opposing team’s ace during a series-opening contest. Left-hander Justin Sinibaldi entered the meeting with a .211 batting average against, and the second-best ERA amongst Big Ten pitchers. The funky arm angle and 6’5 frame call for a tough battle at the dish. Sinibaldi found his groove in the middle innings but the Hoosier made him pay late. The senior eventually left the mound after an injury in the seventh inning.
Brayden Risedorph was the latter of the pitching trio for Indiana. He faced 12 batters and allowed just four hits. Mercer referred to him as a Swiss army knife. “Rise did what Rise does, if you need him to start or close, he’ll pitch meaningful innings.”
Indiana played a near-flawless ballgame at Bart Kaufman Field to notch its eighth conference victory. They’ll turn to a reliable option in Ty Bothwell in hopes of clinching its fourth consecutive Big Ten weekend series. The first pitch between the Hoosiers and Scarlet Knights is slated for 2 p.m.