On the first beautiful spring day on 2026 the Indiana Hoosiers (6-7, 1-0) earned a 4-2 win over the Washington Huskies (3-10, 0-1) in front of 1,533 people at Bart Kaufman Field. The Hoosiers got a stellar start from Tony Nuebeck who went six innings allowing just two runs and five hits. Gavin Seebold pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth and Jackson Yarberry closed it out in the ninth.
The Hoosiers dented the plate first when Hogan Denny knocked in Ayden Crouse with an RBI double in the bottom of the first inning.
Washington would tie the score in the top of the second as Huskies designated hitter Jackson Hotchkiss doubled home Casen Taggart who singled to lead off the inning. Nuebeck would work out of trouble by striking out the final two batters after Daniel Porras laid a sacrifice bunt down for the first out.
Washington briefly took a 2-1 in the fourth inning lead on a Hotchkiss home run to center field. After that Nuebeck locked in and retired the next seven consecutive hitters.
Nuebeck finished with a career-high nine strikeouts including getting Hotchkiss looking to end his night.
The Hoosiers tied the game at two in the bottom of the fifth inning after Caleb Koskie singled and went to second on a throwing error and advanced to third on a T.J. Schuyler fly out to center field. Brayden Rickets doubled home Koskie for an unearned run.
Indiana’s offense would strike again in the bottom on the sixth as the Hoosiers used two hits and a lead off walk to plate two runs.
Jake Hanley led off with a walk before Cooper Malamazian struck out swinging. Then the Hoosiers got some timely hitting Landen Fry laced a double to left to score Hanley and Koskie brought Fry in with a single.
The Hoosiers would turn to the bullpen to close the game out. Seebold struck out four and did not allow a hit in two innings of work. Yarberry worked out of trouble when Hotchkiss and Ethan Swidler singled to set up first and third and one out. Yarberry would get the next two batters to end the game.
Game Notes (From IU)
• The Hoosiers picked up a win in the Big Ten opener for the first time since 2023. After dropping the first game of conference play in 2024 (vs. Illinois) and 2025 (at Penn State), IU got back on the board to begin the 2026 campaign. IU will go for the series win tomorrow afternoon. It also extends IU’s all-time record against Washington to 3-0.
• For the first time since head coach Jeff Mercer’s first season as the skipper, IU recorded at least 10 strikeouts and walked zero batters in a Big Ten game. The Hoosiers picked up 13 punchouts and walked zero batters in the win over Washington. The last time that happened was April 27, 2019, against Minnesota, with 16 strikeouts and zero walks.
• Graduate student pitcher Gavin Seebold was fantastic again in relief. He provided two scoreless frames and racked up four strikeouts. He still hasn’t given up a run in five appearances and 13.2 innings on the season. He’s tallied 15 strikeouts and walked just six batters. Opposing teams are hitting only .152 against him.
• Graduate student left-handed pitcher Tony Neubeck matched a career high with nine strikeouts. In his last two starts, he’s worked 11.1 innings and hasn’t walked a batter. It’s just the third time in his career – and first time since 2022 – that Neubeck has gone six-or-more innings in a start. In all three of those efforts, he’s allowed three-or-fewer earned runs.