What a weekend it was for Purdue this weekend at Alexander Field. Not only did the Boilermakers get a dramatic sweep of rival Indiana, they got a huge boost in their hopes for an NCAA Tournament bid.
Really though, Brandon Rogers was the story.
Rogers had missed the last month after breaking a bone in his hand on April 3rd against Illinois, but he more than made up for lost time. Rogers had a clutch game-tying hit Friday night and technically scored the winning run, then he had a three-run triple to
walk off Indiana on Saturday before the go ahead triple on Sunday, as he was almost personally responsible for all three wins.
Friday: Purdue 11, Indiana 9
Through three and a half innings Friday night a weep was the last thing on people’s minds. Purdue trailed 8-0 before finally getting on the board with a two-run single from Zach Zychowski. The Hoosiers led it 9-2 entering the bottom of the seventh when Zychowski added a third RBI with a triple before scoring on a sac fly. Down 9-4 entering the 8th, Purdue exploded for seven runs to notch an 11-9 win. Rogers’ two-run single tied it at 9-9 before Same Flores put Purdue in front with a long two-run home run.
Saturday: Purdue 5, Indiana 4
Saturday was another incredible comeback as the Boilers trailed 4-0 entering the ninth but rallied for a thrilling 5-4 victory. Once again, it was Rogers, as his two-out double down the right field line with the bases loaded allowed Purdue to steal a win afterthe offense was mostly quiet.
Sunday: Purdue 11, Indiana 8
This time Purdue was the team that jumped out in front before giving up the lead. The Boilers led 5-0 after three in the first and two in the second. Wes Moore had a two-run home run in the first and later had a solo shot in the fifth. Indiana wouldn’t be denied, as a five-run sixth gave them a brief 7-6 lead before Rogers drove in two with a triple in the bottom of the inning. Purdue was able to add three insruance runs in the seventh and was able to hold on thanks to Jake Kramer getting his ninth save of the season (and second of the weekend).
Rogers had an incredible weekend for Purdue. He was 4 for 10 at the plate with seven critical RBI, making him a leading candidate for Big Ten Player of the Week.
Though it was a tad rocky, the sweep did wonders for Purdue’s NCAA Tournament profile. We head into the final week of the regular season at 35-15 overall and an impressive 18-9 in Big Ten play. Purdue came out of last weekend with an RPI of 52, but after everything around the country this weekend Purdue has settled at 47. There were some moments where it was in the 43-45 range earlier today.
Purdue was listed among the “Last Four Out” of the NCAA Tournament by D1Baseball, On3, and Baseball America heading into the week, but this might be enough to shift them to the good side of the Bubble. Based on what D1Baseball had last week, this is what helped this weekend:
- Pitt falls – Pittsburgh has now dropped seven in a row as North Carolina easily swept them this weekend. All seven were against potential NCAA teams, and with the Tar Heels at No. 2 they missed a golden chance to boost their profile.
- UAB Drops Series – D1 Baseball had them in, but htey lost a series at Charlotte and their RPI dipped to 63.
- East Carolina Drops Home Series – ECU lost two of three at home to Rice (a team that beat Purdue in a one-off game back in February). They were also int he field according to D1.
- Virginia Tech Splits – The Hokies played out of conference against UNC-Greensboro and split two games. Since this was a team with an RPI in the triple digits, it didn’t help.
We’ll see how the projections look early this week, but Purdue is in very good shape headed into the last four games. I think a split of the four keeps Purdue on that “Last Team Out/First Team In” line. Taking three makes us even more secure, while winning all four wpuld mark a 10-game winning streak and might lock up a bid.
The next game is Tuesday in Muncie at Ball State.
