Indiana was looking to bounce back this weekend after a Frisco Classic frenzy that had them getting run ruled in games twice. Troy, an elite opponent coming to town, was no stranger to some of Indiana’s veteran leaders. Last time the two programs faced off was back in 2022 when Troy swept Indiana in a weekend series.
This time, Troy took two of three games from the Hoosiers in a high-scoring series. While Troy won in a blowout Saturday, the two teams split a back-and-forth doubleheader on Sunday. Troy outscored Indiana 30-22 over the weekend.
Head coach Jeff Mercer stresses to his team and others a lot about the importance of playing non-conference teams that are powerful and elite. He does it to make the program better and with goals that they will succeed on those higher levels in the future.
Troy fits the bill exactly with multiple highly ranked players and a regional qualifying team last year. The Hoosiers will travel to Nashville on Tuesday to play another compelling team, No. 9 ranked Vanderbilt.
The series started Saturday due to a weather delay on Friday. Indiana chose to stay with its Saturday duo, starter Connor Foley and reliever Ty Bothwell. This duo has been consistent and reliable all season, and had not lost a Saturday yet — until this game against Troy.
Foley had a jumpy start, as it took a few batters for him to settle into a rhythm. The cold weather looked to play a factor at times into his performance as the sophomore starter was seen blowing air into his hands multiple times just trying to get them warmed up.
He allowed two runs in four innings while striking out six. In all four of Foley's starts this year he has struck out at least six batters in each one making his grand total so far 27 strikeouts.
Bothwell pitched the next four innings, allowing just one run. While the pair was able to hold off the Trojans and only allow three runs, Indiana just could not get their bats going against Troy starter Luke Lyons. The right handed pitcher managed seven innings and only allowed one run. The lone run came from Nick Mitchell, whose first-inning home run gave Indiana an early lead.
Troy’s Will Butcher left quite the impression, hitting three home runs and collecting six RBIs. One of those came in Troy’s five-run ninth inning against Evan Whiteaker, which sealed the Trojans’ 8-1 win.
Sunday was a fresh start for Mercer and his team. Coach said “we've got to show up to be better than that,” describing a conversation had with his position players the night before. Mercer talked about how the players have been feeling frustrated lately especially after the weekend in Frisco, and they are just trying to get back to the team that they know and can be.
He did not think that their performance was strong enough on Saturday but that Sunday it started to turn around. One of the biggest things this team has been facing is regression on a defensive aspect, and Mercer said it is something they have been working on and figuring out a way to bring back.
In game one Sunday, now having a real time feel for the Troy batting lineup, it was a question as to how was Indiana going to attack that with their pitching staff. This is an area that has been subject to a lot of questions as of late.
Jack Moffitt entered the game after a couple of innings, controlling the Troy lineup like it was just any other opponent. Moffitt, facing 14 batters, struck out four and only allowed two hits and one run. Proud of his work Moffitt was seen coming off the mound a couple of times with high emotion and excitement. Mercer said after the game that “he gave us a big lift.”
Carter Mathison and Josh Pyne also had strong performances for Indiana. Mathison hit a two-run home run in the third inning that sent Troy's Shane Lewis over the fence and into the bullpen while attempting to catch the ball. Pyne, who had struggled to get a hit in the game on Saturday, found his stride and had four hits in five at-bats.
“Really needed to find my approach again, get out of my own way a little bit, and just get back to the basics,” Pyne said when asked about what the difference was.
Indiana escaped with a 10-7 win, the first time since the 1990s that Indiana has recorded a win over the Trojans. This set the stage for an exciting game two that had the potential to make a really big statement for Mercer and his team while clinching the weekend series.
Game two would be a battle until the end for both teams. Neither team wanted to go down, with hopes to be victorious. In an absolute slugfest of high scoring baseball, Indiana went out swinging. Troy scored in bunches, plating four runs in the second, six runs in the fifth and three runs in the sixth. Two runs in the ninth inning ensured the 15-11 win and let Troy get away with the series. The Hoosiers struggled with finding a reliable second baseman in this game, switching between Brandon Burckel, Hayden Carlson and ultimately landing with Jason Oliver.
Mathison and Mitchell had strong performances once again, combining for three hits and five RBIs. Mercer in the post game told the media that he was impressed with Mathison on Sunday and how he stepped up, like a ball player. He was able to compete with an edge that Mercer really appreciated.
While many stepped up this weekend for the Hoosiers and showed that they can play with a chip on their shoulder. It still leaves some questions for the pitching staff and defense. What is going to change and when can we expect to see the result?
