Indiana beat Purdue 5-1 on Saturday to clinch the rivalry series victory for a variety of reasons.
Aubree Hooks and Taylor Hess were spectacular in the circle, allowing just one run while the lineup generated 12 hits and five runs, with almost the entire group making an impact in the win.
In particular, though, Cassidy Kettleman stood out as a shining star.
Kettleman, the senior left fielder who hits ninth in the batting order, reached base in all three of her plate appearances on Saturday. By the end of the afternoon, she accounted for two hits, a run and an RBI.
Kettleman critically bats ninth in the order, meaning that she possesses the power to flip over the lineup card and bring some of the team’s best hitters up to the plate. She has planted herself on first base to later be driven in to score by Aly VanBrandt, Alex Cooper and Avery Parker at the top of the order on many occasions this season.
“I just know that I have to do my job,” Kettleman said after the game. “...You’ve just got to keep it rolling because everybody in our lineup can hit the ball right now, so my thought is just, ‘Get on base’ and I know that they’re going to hit me in.”
Based on the events of the second inning on Saturday, her trust in the top of the order is perfectly placed. Kettleman singled and advanced to second base due to an errant throw, and on the very next plate appearance, she safely dove into home plate when VanBrandt smashed a single into the outfield.
After the win on Saturday, Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton had kind words to say when asked about Kettleman’s impact.
“She’s done a phenomenal job for us,” Stanton said, “to get us to that top (of the order) with some juice.”
Kettleman may not blast home runs over the fence quite as often as some of her teammates, but she more than makes up for the lack of power by consistently delivering in meaningful moments. The sequence of Kettleman reaching first base on a single or a walk to both extend an inning and set the table for the top of the order to drive in runs is certainly not exclusive to Saturday’s second inning.
As a matter of fact, it’s been a staple of her identity for her entire college career.
In her freshman season in 2023, Indiana beat Louisville to advance to the Knoxville regional final in the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers rallied in the seventh inning, fueled in part by Kettleman’s single as the eighth batter in the order. The pivotal hit allowed her to score the tying run later in the inning and contributed to the top of the order’s ability to steal the lead late.
Since then, she has improved and evolved her game in a way that has impressed Stanton.
“She’s been at every training practice this year,” Stanton said after the game on Saturday. “...It has made a difference. I’m seeing it. I’m seeing the confidence at the plate, she’s very capable of turning that lineup over.”
In addition to turning the lineup card over and serving as the run that another batter knocks in, Kettleman is capable of sending runs home herself, as seen on Saturday. In the third inning, Kettleman stood her ground as Bri Fontenot hit her with a pitch with the bases loaded.
On offense, Kettleman’s impact is incremental. Little by little, though, her small ball deposits of positivity add up and equate to an important component of Indiana's success.
On defense, Kettleman’s impact in left field catches the eye much more distinctly. In the seventh inning on Saturday, Julia Gossett’s fly ball threatened to spark a Purdue comeback, but Kettleman laid out for an exceptional diving catch to end the game.
Whether it’s simply a single in a meaningful moment or an outstanding catch that serves as the exclamation point to a pivotal victory, Kettleman’s presence is valuable on both offense and defense.
Indiana has the opportunity to complete the sweep of its rival at 5 p.m. on Sunday, and if it does so, the success will likely occur at least in part because of Kettleman’s consistent and incremental contributions.
