Carl, Cass, Zach, and Chris talk about a 4-1 non-conference week including a series win over Abilene Christian
By Carl James @jovian34 April 21st, 2026
It was a resurgent week for Indiana baseball, as the Hoosiers posted a 4-1 record across five non-conference matchups, highlighted by a high-scoring shootout and a resilient series win over Abilene Christian.
The week began with a wild 17-12 victory in Terre Haute against Indiana State. After Pete Haas surrendered three home runs in a five-run first inning, the Indiana offense responded with a barrage of their own, totaling five home runs from Cooper Malamazian, Will Moore, Cole Decker, Aydan Crouse, and Caleb Koskie. Anthony Gubitosi provided critical stability with two scoreless innings of relief, and Jacob Vogel escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh to preserve the lead. Both Crouse and Malamazian finished the night just a double shy of the cycle.
On Wednesday, the Hoosiers returned home to beat Evansville 8-6. Conner Linn was dominant, carrying a no-hitter into the fifth inning and at one point retiring eight consecutive batters. The offense backed him with home runs from Koskie, Jake Hanley, and Brayden Ricketts. Though a three-run ninth-inning homer by the Purple Aces tightened the score, Gavin Seebold entered to shut the door and secure the win.
The weekend series against Abilene Christian opened with a statement 13-3 run-rule victory on Friday. Hogan Denny made an electric return to the lineup, crushing back-to-back home runs in his first two plate appearances after missing time due to injury. Tony Neubeck labored through 4.1 innings to avoid a big inning, and freshman Kellen English was stellar in relief, striking out four in two innings of work. The night was capped by Cooper Malamazian joining the 100-hit club before a wild pitch ended the game in the seventh.
Saturday proved to be the week’s only setback in an 8-4 loss. Despite eight strikeouts from starter Brayton Thomas, free passes and hit batsmen eventually cost the Hoosiers. Indiana’s offense struggled with situational hitting, stranding the bases loaded in the first and fourth innings while also losing runners to a pick-off and a crucial double play.
In Sunday’s rubber match, Indiana displayed the grit that had been missing in earlier one-run losses, winning 5-4. With Conner Linn struggling on just three days’ rest, Jackson Yarberry became the hero, retiring 13 straight batters during an outstanding middle-relief appearance. Caleb Koskie extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth, and Reagan Rivera navigated a two-out threat in the ninth to earn Indiana’s first one-run victory of the season.
The Hoosiers now stand at 18-22 overall. Beyond the team success, the offense is clicking at the right time, headlined by Koskie’s 21-game hit streak and Jake Hanley extending his own streak to 10 games.
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