Examining The Series:
The Indiana Hoosiers baseball program is scorching hot at the moment. They’ve gone 7-3 in their last 10 games and have won 5 of their last 6 games as well. Most recently, they put up 20 total runs against the Ball State Cardinals in Muncie, which you can read more about here – our very own Campbell Manahan did a great job covering the game in more detail.
Now, the Hoosiers take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in what might become the most pivotal series of the season thus far. Fortunately, the Hoosiers are hosting the three game series in Bloomington, but the Hawkeyes are a strong team and won’t go down easy. This series will be a fight – one that the Hoosiers need to win.
Looking at where both teams fall in the nation-wide rankings, we see the following:
Indiana: The Hoosiers now rank 91st in the country by RPI ranking and are now solidly in the top-100 again after their strong run of play recently. By ELO rankings, a more analytical ranking system, the Hoosiers land at 81st in the country, one of their highest rankings thus far in the 2026 season. Additionally, Indiana ranks 13th in the Big Ten standings as of this writing. The Big Ten Tournament accepts the top 12 teams, so the Hoosiers still have work to accomplish.
Iowa: The Hawkeyes rank very similarly to the Hoosiers, landing at 84th in the country by RPI rankings and 76th in the country by ELO. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games but have won 5 out of their last 6 games. Additionally, the Hawkeyes rank 10th in the Big Ten standings as of this writing. They will no doubt be looking to retain that spot and increase their chances of making the Big Ten Tournament.
Indiana Stats and Figures:
65% vs. 33%: Indiana plays much better at home compared to on the road. At home, Indiana has a win percentage of 65% thus far during the 2026 season, while only posting a 33% win percentage on the road. Part of this is due to Indiana facing tougher competition on the road compared to at home, but this will still be an interesting metric to track to see if the Hoosiers’ play on the road picks up.
9th: The Indiana Hoosiers now rank 9th in the Big Ten when it comes to team-wide OPS rankings. For so long this season, Indiana was nearly at the bottom of these rankings time and time again. The coaching staff and players deserve huge amounts of credit for working hard to turn this season around. Clear improvements have been made and it’s resulting in more hits, more runs, and, ultimately, more wins.
Prediction and Next Series:
The Hoosiers are on fire right now. I know the Hawkeyes are playing well too, but I simply can’t get over how hot Indiana’s bats are at the moment. Now coming back to Bloomington, I believe the home crowd will rally behind the team and bring an electric atmosphere to Bart Kaufman Field this weekend. I am predicting that the Hoosiers win two out of three during this weekend series as they continue their rise in the Big Ten standings.
After hosting the Hawkeyes, Indiana travels to Louisville to take on the Cardinals before facing off against Northwestern in Evanston next weekend. Be on the lookout for a preview and recap of those series next week!
Stay locked in with Hoosier Huddle for recaps of IU baseball games and series, along with previews examining each one ahead of time. Go Hoosiers!
All ranking metrics courtesy of warrennolan.com. All other metrics courtesy of baseball-reference.com