Midweek Stat Pack | Listen | |
Probable Pitching Matchup
Matt Frawley (So, RHP) vs. Valpo's Connor Kaucic (Fr, LHP)
Series History
All-Time: Purdue leads 65-18
Current Series Streak: Purdue has won 6 straight
All-Time in Valparaiso: Purdue leads 26-9
Purdue Under Doug Schreiber vs. Valpo: Purdue leads 14-3 (Since 1999)
First Meeting of 2015: Purdue 2, Valpo 0 (March 18 in West Lafayette)
Last Meeting in Northwest Indiana: Purdue 7, Valpo 2 (June 1, 2012 at NCAA Regional in Gary)
Last Meeting in Valparaiso: Purdue 7, Valpo 2 (May 2007)
Tuesday Weather Forecast for Valparaiso, Ind.
58 degrees, clear skies
MERRILLVILLE, Ind. -- Purdue baseball closes out its midweek schedule with a rematch with Valparaiso, a road game that marks the Boilermakers' first action in Northwest Indiana since hosting the 2012 NCAA Regional in Gary.
First pitch at Bauer Field is set for 4 p.m. ET Tuesday afternoon. The Boilermakers (17-34) will be playing at Valparaiso for the first time since May 2007.
Purdue is 6-4 in midweek play this season, posting its first midweek win of the year against the Crusaders, 2-0, in the March 18 home opener at Alexander Field. Shane Bryant (five), Joe Eichmann (two) and Kyle Wood (five) teamed up to strike out 12 batters in the victory, the Boilers' second-highest total of the season. It was the first of two shutout wins at Alexander Field this year. Bryant started both victories. However, Valpo (21-25) had its fair share of chances over the final four innings and the game ended on a line drive double play to Cody Strong at second base with runners on first and second.
Jack Picchiotti scored both of Purdue's runs in the first meeting with Valparaiso, connecting for a solo home run in the fifth inning and scored on Strong's two-out single in the seventh. Picchiotti, Strong and Wood each had two hits in the win.
The Crusaders close out their eight-game homestand Tuesday, compiling 4-3 record so far while playing all of their games at home this month. Valpo is 13-6 overall at Bauer Field this year and has compiled a 17-13 record since the first meeting with the Boilers.
After rallying to win their series at Nebraska, Purdue will be in search of its first three-game win streak of the season. Purdue has not won three straight true road games since sweeping Penn State in Central Pennsylvania in March 2013. That stood as the Boilers' last Big Ten series win until this past weekend. And the Nittany Lions are next up on the schedule for the final series of the season at Alexander Field.
With his two home runs in Lincoln and five over the last 12 games, Kyle Johnson has pulled even with Wood for the team lead in homers (six) and RBI (31). Wood has a sizeable lead in batting average (.333 to Johnson's .273) as he looks to claim the first team triple crown since Ryne White in 2007.
After earning his first collegiate save while closing out Sunday's 2-1 win at Nebraska, Matt Frawley is set to start on the mound Tuesday. He pitched in relief for the first time this year Sunday and retired five of the six batters he faced over two scoreless innings.
Schererville native Alec Olund is the only active member of the program who hails from Northwest Indiana. The freshman outfielder was a part of Lake Central High School's 2012 Class 4A ISHA state title team. Olund has started the last each of the last seven games and 18 of the last 26 dating back to March 28.