IU wins the rubber match as Yarberry paves the way on the mound
By Zach Horwitz @HorwitzZach April 19th, 2026, photos by Carl James
“…you want them to become more mature and more hardened… and we found a way to do that today.”
— Head Coach Jeff Mercer
Indiana Hoosiers 5, Abilene Christian Wildcats 4
Inning by inning details in the Live Game Blog | Box Score
Indiana was just 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position, left 11 runners on base, let a three-run lead slip away in the seventh, and still found a way to pull it out. Head coach Jeff Mercer described it as a “cultural win,” one rooted in maturity and toughness.
“It didn’t go our way, and it wasn’t easy,” Mercer said. “Your group, as they play, you want them to become more mature and more hardened… and we found a way to do that today.”
Caleb Koskie, who now ties Alex Dickerson’s program record for consecutive games with a hit, delivered the biggest swing of the afternoon. His two-hit day extended the streak to 21 games, and his go-ahead knock in the eighth proved to be the difference in a 5-4 win.
When Koskie stepped to the plate, Mercer felt it.
“My heart rate is a lot lower when he walks up there,” Mercer said. “You just always assume success. He puts himself in the right position, the right counts, and he’s able to adjust in real time. That’s what makes him special.”
Before that moment, Indiana had pieced together its offense in unconventional ways. Three early runs came via errors and a wild pitch, and Brayden Ricketts added an RBI double to help build a mid-game cushion.
On the mound, Jackson Yarberry delivered his best outing of the season, stabilizing the game with five shutout innings and eight strikeouts after entering in the first.
“I think it’s just being there mentally and taking it pitch by pitch,” Yarberry said. “I’m not trying to think too much out there, just executing and trusting the work I put in.”
After working out of early trouble, Yarberry settled in and dominated, retiring 13 straight at one point.
“It was just one pitch at a time, get out of that first inning,” he said. “After that, it was kind of a reset and just settling into the game.”
Gavin Seebold followed with 2.2 innings, navigating a high-leverage eighth inning to preserve the lead, before Reagan Rivera shut the door.
“That’s what he lives for,” Yarberry said of Seebold. “He’s a big-moment guy and he trusts his stuff.”
Despite being out-hit and struggling to capitalize offensively, Indiana leaned on clean defense, timely pitching, and a late hit to secure its first one-run win of the 2026 season.
“We finally won a close game, and that’s the best feeling you can have,” Yarberry said. “Hopefully we get used to that and just don’t let the game get too big.”
Indiana takes the series over Abilene Christian and builds momentum into a midweek matchup at Ball State before returning home for a weekend set against the Iowa Hawkeyes.