In a mid-week bout with Indiana State, the Indiana Hoosiers (14-21) offense exploded for 17 runs for a 17-12 win. The Hoosiers scored nine of their runs off home runs and had 15 unanswered runs in the middle of the game.
Indiana State got out to an early 5-0 lead and looked in prime condition to beat the Hoosiers for the second time this season, but Indiana’s offense had other ideas. In the past matchup, Indiana gave up three eighth-inning runs, which ultimately decided the outcome of the Hoosiers’ 5-4 defeat. The only earned runs in the ball game were those eighth-inning runs, which all came from the bullpen. In this game, the Hoosiers’ bullpen slowed down Indiana State’s early offense, which was vital in allowing Indiana to take full control of all the game’s momentum. Indiana’s offense took over and never looked back after the first inning.
Indiana State had a trio of home runs in the first off the bats of Caden Miller, Nick Sutherlin and Caleb Niehaus, scoring five in the process. The Hoosiers pulled starting pitcher Pete Haas after the first inning.
In the second inning, Cooper Malamazian homered to center, followed by Will Moore’s two-run homer, driving in Cole Decker as well. In the third, Cole Decker’s solo dinger made the score 4-5, and then the equalizer was Ayden Crouse’s solo homer. Caleb Koskie then homered as the Hoosiers took their first lead, 6-5. Owen Ten Oever hit a two-RBI single, boosted by a center field throwing error, which allowed Cole Decker and Brayden Ricketts to score.
In the fifth, Koskie claimed his second homer of the day, with a three-run bomb to right, driving home Jake Hanley and Ayden Crouse. Crouse had an RBI triple in the sixth, scoring Landen Fry. Hanley hit a sacrifice line-out that scored Crouse. To round out the top of the sixth, Decker singled, which sent Koskie home.
The Hoosiers put Eli Walker on the mound after four scoreless innings. This was when some of Indiana’s demons started to take shape. Nick Sutherlin got the inning started with a solo shot to left center. Jeremy Martinez’s RBI single drove home Weston Fulk, making it 15-7. Colin Sander hit an RBI single to send Caleb Niehaus home. Carter Beck’s single made it 15-9 as it sent Jeremy Martinez home. Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer pulled Walker after four earned runs and put in Kaden Jacobi to get out of the bases-loaded two-out jam. With Jacobi’s first pitch, the Hoosiers avoided a complete meltdown as the Sycamore hitter Emil Estrella lined out to end the inning.
After avoiding disaster in the sixth, Koskie singled, scoring Crouse. In the bottom of the inning, Caleb Niehaus hit into a fielder’s choice, scoring Caden Miller.
The Hoosiers got another in the eighth with T.J. Schuyler’s double to right, driving home Malamazian. Indiana State responded with an Estrella RBI single, scoring Colin Sander and making it 17-11, advantage Hoosiers. In the ninth inning, Indiana State’s John Curl homers to left to make it 17-12.
Indiana got their revenge for their March 24, 4-5 loss in Bloomington, Indiana. The offense was on a heater all night long for both teams, but when Indiana experienced some past demons, they were not daunted and continued to hit the ball. The main difference in the game was the stretch from inning two till the top of the sixth, when Indiana’s bullpen shut down the hot Sycamore start, and Indiana’s bats took over, mainly with an onslaught of home runs.
Indiana moves to 15-21 and will return home tonight to avenge their loss earlier in the season to Evansville.
Hoosiers Notes to Know
• Sophomore outfielder Caleb Koskie went yard twice for his first career multi-home run game. In the process, he extended his hitting streak to 17-consecutive games. That’s the longest streak by an IU player in a single season since Sam Travis (17 – 2012) during his freshman campaign 14 years ago. Koskie also recorded his second multi-hit game in the proceedings.
• IU slugged six home runs in the win over Indiana State – hit by five different players. It’s the fifth time in the head coach Jeff Mercer era that his team has hit six-or-more home runs in a single game. It is the first such occurrence since Feb. 28, 2025 against Mount St. Mary’s. The Hoosiers also produced their seventh 20-plus hit performance under the eighth-year skipper – first since March 7, 2025 (at Penn State).
• The five-RBI effort for Koskie – sparked by the three-run home run – was the fifth of his career with four-or-more batted in. In fact, he has as many games in his career with four-plus RBIs (5) as he does with just one (5). Koskie has 11 multi-hit efforts this year and seven multi-hit performances.
• Freshman catcher Owen ten Oever pinch hit in a big spot on Tuesday with the bases loaded. He chopped a single up the middle to score a pair of runs. It’s his fifth hit in a pinch-hit opportunity this season. In fact, he’s hitting .555 (5-9) when coming in directly off the bench this year. Two of those occasions have produce multi-run hits.