Time and time again, the success of Indiana baseball in 2026 is accredited to the contributions it gets from its sophomore class. On Friday, sophomores Jake Hanley and Cooper Malamazian led the charge for the Hoosiers, who defeated Minnesota 8-6 at Bart Kaufman Field.
Coming into the series opener, Minnesota’s pitching staff bolstered a 3.19 season ERA, good for third in the Big Ten. After Indiana’s eight-run performance, that number dropped to 3.43.
For Indiana (9-12, 2-5 Big Ten), the offense was forced to work from behind out of the gate, as the Golden Gophers chased graduate student RHP Reagan Rivera out of the game by scoring four runs in the top of the first. However, the Hoosiers quickly responded as Malamazian tripled in the bottom of the first, driving in Hanley as well as fellow sophomore Hogan Denny to cut the deficit in half.
After two more runs for Minnesota (15-7, 1-3) in the top of the second, Indiana was the only team to score the rest of the way. Hanley singled to drive in a run and Malamazian did the same as the Hoosiers plated three runs in the bottom of the third, their first of two three-run frames against the Golden Gophers.
Two innings later, Hanley launched a solo home run to center to tie the game at six, and Indiana took the lead for good as yet another sophomore, Caleb Koskie, scored from third on a wild pitch. Head coach Jeff Mercer had high praise for Hanley’s efforts postgame.
“Jake was phenomenal to all parts of the field,” Mercer said. “Jake’s our guy, and he carried us tonight. He was just tremendous.”
Hanley finished Friday’s game 4-for-5 with two RBIs and was a triple shy of the cycle. Following his 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year campaign, Hanley boasts a .357 batting average and has been a consistent force in the top third of the lineup for the Hoosiers.
Meanwhile, Malamazian finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and was a home run shy of the cycle. His three RBIs tied for his highest in a single game this season, and although he isn’t as strong a contributor offensively as Hanley, his efforts were crucial. The two were a huge reason why Indiana was able to slowly work its way back into the game.
The Hoosiers’ eight runs tied for the most Minnesota has allowed in a single game all season. Because Indiana used five arms, pitching is up in the air the rest of the weekend, especially as it relates to the bullpen. Offensive performances like the one the Hoosiers got Friday will go a long way.
Indiana will look to claim its first Big Ten series victory of the season as game two with the Golden Gophers is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Bart Kaufman Field.
