Midweek Stat Pack / / / Live Audio / Live Video
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Purdue (10-8) at Ball State (11-9)
Wednesday, March 22 at 3 p.m. ET
Ball Diamond / Muncie, Indiana
All-Time Series: Purdue leads 49-37-2 / All-Time Series in Muncie: Tied 17-17-1
2016 in Muncie: Ball State 9, Purdue 8 (March 22)
2016 in West Lafayette: Purdue 9, Ball State 2 (April 19)
Purdue's Last Win in Muncie: Purdue 15, Ball State 2 (April 2012)
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Jack Dellinger (Fr, RHP) vs. Ball State's Nick Floyd (So, RHP)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue baseball begins midweek play with its first game of the season in the Eastern Time Zone, visiting Ball State on Wednesday for the first of two meetings with the Cardinals.
First pitch at the Ball Diamond in Muncie is set for 3 p.m. ET. The Boilermakers will be in search of their first win in Muncie since 2012. Purdue and Ball State are scheduled to play a home-and-home midweek series for the third year in a row, with the Cardinals returning the trip to Alexander Field on April 18. The home team has won each of the last four meetings over the last two years.
After playing on natural grass fields in both series on their spring break trip in California, the Boilermakers are back on the artificial turf this week. Both the Ball Diamond in Muncie and Iowa's Duane Banks Field have full artificial turf surfaces, including the mound.
DELLINGER STARTS TWO WINS ON SPRING BREAK
- Purdue carries a winning record into its midweek opener for the first time since 2012 (16-4). The Boilermakers won their final five games of spring break (5-3), posting the program's longest win streak since taking the final five games of 2015. It also marked the first time since 2013 (4-3) Purdue had a winning record over spring break.
- Jack Dellinger is set to make his third start on the mound in a 10-day span. He started the series finale at Cal State Northridge and series opener Santa Clara on the spring break trip, becoming the first Boilermaker since Brett Haan in April 2014 to start consecutive games on the mound. Dellinger worked 5 2/3 innings of four-run ball over the two starts and Purdue went on to win both games.
- Evan Warden remains the national leader in hit by pitch (14). The program's single-season record is 19, set by Cameron Perkins in 2011. Nick Dalesandro (14 games) and Harry Shipley (10) are both riding reached base safely streaks that are now double figures in length. As a team, Purdue leads the Big Ten with 46 doubles after recording 26 on its eight-game spring break trip. The Boilermakers are tied for 10th nationally in two-baggers per game. Purdue is also tops in the conference in hit by pitch, sacrifice bunts and sac flies.
COMING TO THE END OF LONG ROAD STRETCH
- Highlighted by next week's home opener vs. Kent State (March 28), the Boilermakers have 11 midweek games on the schedule this year. They will also play Valparaiso (March 29, May 9), Indiana State (April 4 and 19) and Fort Wayne (April 26, May 16) twice as part of the midweek slate. Six of Purdue's 11 midweek dates are home games at Alexander Field.
- From April 4 to May 16, the Boilermakers play 22 of their 26 games inside the state of Indiana. Nineteen of those 22 games are slated to be played at Alexander Field. So while Purdue will have paid its dues with 22 consecutive true road games as well as seven straight road weekends to begin the season, the schedule turns home heavy soon.
QUICK LOOK AT BALL STATE
- Ball State has played seven of its 20 games against nationally ranked teams, opening the season with a neutral-site win against Big Ten preseason favorite Maryland. Five of the Cardinals' nine losses have come at the hands of Louisville (one) and Oregon State (four), teams that are both ranked No. 1 in a national poll this week. Ball State was swept in a four-game series in Corvalis, but is 7-2 in its other nine games this month.
- Projected starter Nick Floyd has pitched well in relief for the Cardinals, surrendering just five hits and two runs over 10 1/3 innings. He only pitched in three games as a freshman and is likely to surpass his 2016 innings total Wednesday. Matt Eppers leads the team in extra-base hits (7) and RBI (12) while being a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen bases. The Cardinals have a .969 fielding percentage but have surrendered 34 stolen bases in 42 attempts over their first 20 games.