Coming off back-to-back midweek victories, Indiana baseball (17-21, 6-12 Big Ten) was back at Bart Kaufman Field on Friday night, welcoming Abilene Christian to Bloomington after the Hoosiers played the Wildcats on the road last season.
Jeff Mercer, fresh off his win No. 300 as IU’s head coach, and his squad completely dismantled the visitors, defeating the Wildcats 13-3 in seven innings. Caleb Koskie scored on a wild pitch in the home half of the seventh to finish it off.
Here are three key takeaways from IU’s victory:
A small ball masterclass helped Indiana methodically put the Wildcats away
At several points throughout the season, Jeff Mercer has mentioned the need for Indiana to play more small ball rather than consistently relying on instant offense. While Hogan Denny’s two home runs and Brayden Ricketts’ solo shot provided some of that instant offense, it was Indiana’s small ball masterclass that allowed the Hoosiers to head home early.
Abilene Christian pitchers handed the Hoosiers 10 free passes throughout the night, including a whopping four hit-by-pitches. Indiana stole five bases on the night, while scoring twice on wild pitches.
The Hoosiers’ strategy of moving runners one base at a time was executed to perfection. Caleb Koskie advanced from first to second on a fly ball to center field in the fifth, and then came around to score on a Cole Decker base hit. For the night, Indiana was 17-for-22 in advancement opportunities.
Tony Neubeck’s big-game experience has paid off in a big way for IU in 2026
The Missouri transfer has been everything the Indiana coaching staff could’ve ever asked for. Neubeck missed two years after suffering a brutal elbow injury in 2023. When Neubeck was healthy in 2022 and the second half of 2025, he showed no fear pitching against the dominant offenses that comprise the Southeastern Conference.
Neubeck has continued to be used in key matchups for Indiana this season, as he has been Mercer’s Friday start for the entire season. He has started all four of Indiana’s series openers at home, and is 4-0 with a 2.42 ERA in 22.1 innings pitched in those contests.
Neubeck continued his Friday night dominance against the Wildcats, tossing 4.1 innings of two-run ball while striking out six. The offense also gave him plenty of cushion to work with.
Unlike his first three home starts, Neubeck didn’t exactly dominate in his start. He handed out four free passes and gave up five hits. However, he worked his way out of trouble time and time again, delivering yet another rock solid performance.
Brayden Ricketts’ opposite field power is an absolute spectacle
The redshirt freshman’s power has been on full display throughout the 2026 season, beginning with a two-homer game against Western Kentucky back in March.
The most impressive thing about Ricketts’ power is his opposite field pop. Ricketts has hit four home runs at Bart Kaufman Field this season, and three of the four have gone to the opposite field.
This should not take away from Ricketts’ pull-side power, as in that aspect he is as good as anyone on the Indiana roster. However, his ability to protect the strike zone with two strikes and go to the opposite field has provided an underrated aspect in the Hoosiers’ offense.
Indiana’s 13-3 victory was its third straight. The Hoosiers will look to take the series Saturday, as the two teams are set to play at 4 p.m. Eastern.
