Past Success Entering Finals Week: 2011 / 2017 /// Streaks and More at WarrenNolan.com
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Fresh off consecutive series sweeps in Big Ten play, Purdue baseball's roller coaster of a season is flying high again as the month of May and final exams week on campus greets the Boilermakers.
Purdue's eight-game win streak is the longest active run in the Big Ten and tied for third longest nationally as of April 30. The Boilermakers (24-16, 10-4 B1G) started the season 8-1 and also won six straight games from March 23 to April 6. Those two stretches coupled with the current eight-game streak have accounted for 22 of the team's 24 wins. In between, Purdue went 1-9 from March 4 to 23 and lost five straight from April 7 to 14.
After posting a pair of seven-game win streaks during their program-record 19-victory improvement in 2017, Purdue has registered a pair of win streaks of at least six games in consecutive seasons for the first time ever. Second-year head coach Mark Wasikowski has led the Boilermakers to a 53-43 record (.552) after the program was 60-149 (.287) from 2013 to 2016. However, a number of Purdue's key contributors the last two years were underclassmen in 2015 and 2016. The program has matured as they have.
Coincidentally, Purdue closed the month of April riding a win streak of at least seven games for the second year in a row. As was the case last year, Northwestern (13-24, 4-14 B1G) is the opponent when the break for final exams ends Friday. Because NU is on a quarters-based academic calendar, the Wildcats have five games on the schedule this week and don't take finals until late May. Northwestern not only snapped Purdue's seven-game win streak but also took the series at Alexander Field during the first weekend of May last year. It helped NU qualify for the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2010.
The Boilermakers have swept four weekend series this year, including three in Big Ten play for the first time. Those three B1G sweeps are one more than they had combined from 2013 to 2017. The 2012 Big Ten championship team swept six different weekends, although three were three-game tournaments, including the Big Ten Tournament.
Purdue has surged into third place in the Big Ten standings. With series remaining against Northwestern (4-14 B1G, 12th), Ohio State (9-6, 6th) and Michigan (12-2, 1st), the Boilermakers will likely have a big impact on the top of the standings. They have the advantage of playing the NU and Michigan series at home. The Wolverines are atop the standings thanks to a 20-game win streak that was snapped April 27 in Iowa City.
Purdue's nine-game homestand continues this weekend with games at 6 p.m. ET on Friday and Saturday as well as a Sunday matinee at 1 p.m. Star Wars night is set for Friday, there's a special craft beer ticket available for Saturday and the annual Bark at the Park dog day is on the schedule for Sunday.
If you haven't noticed, with their 9-1 run, and back-to-back sweeps, @PurdueBaseball is up to 58 in the RPI. That's just one spot below Michigan, whom they have as many top 50 and top 100 wins as, and finish the year hosting, May 17-19.
-- Chris Webb (@ChrisMWebb) April 30, 2018
TWO WINNING STREAKS OF AT LEAST 6 GAMES IN THE SAME SEASON
2018 -- 6 Straight Wins (3/23-4/6), 8 Straight Wins (4/20-Present)
2017 -- 7 Straight Wins (3/13-3/24), 7 Wins Straight (4/19-4/29)
2012 -- 10 Straight Wins (2/26-3/16), 10 Straight Wins (4/4-4/20)
2008 -- 6 Straight Wins (3/22-3/28), 6 Straight Wins (4/5-4/12), 7 Straight Wins (4/20-5/3)
2000 -- 7 Straight Wins (2/19-3/3), 7 Straight Wins (4/19-4/26)
1992 -- 9 Straight Wins (3/17-3/28), 6 Straight Wins (5/6-5/12)
1982 -- 8 Straight Wins (3/26-4/11), 6 Straight Wins (5/11-5/15)
PURDUE'S LONGEST SINGLE-SEASON WIN STREAKS
13 Straight Wins -- 2001, March 24 to April 14
13 Straight Wins -- 1993, March 10 to 27
12 Straight Wins -- 1991, March 16 to 31
11 Straight Wins -- 1989, April 23 to May 7
10 Straight Wins -- 2012, April 4 to 20
10 Straight Wins -- 2012, Feb. 26 to March 16
10 Straight Wins -- 1983, April 16 to 23
10 Straight Wins -- 1909, April 16 to May 22 (First 10 Games)
Won 16 straight games from May 15, 1908 through May 22, 1909
MORE 2018 NOTABLES
Purdue started the season 5-0 for the first time since 1991.
The Boilermakers' 8-1 start matched the 2012 team for the best one-loss start in the modern era of the program. However, the 2012 team was 14-1 before suffering its second loss. The 1909, 1929, 1949, 1956 and 1959 teams also won at least eight of their first nine games.
Purdue opened Big Ten play 4-0 for the first time since 1985.
The Boilermakers have won six straight Big Ten games, the program's longest streak since 2012 (7).
Purdue has not trailed for 48 consecutive innings dating back to April 22 at Maryland and has held the lead for 26 straight innings dating back to Friday's win vs. Rutgers. During the second seven-game win streak of 2017, the Boilermakers did not trail for 57 consecutive innings. Northwestern also snapped that streak with a four-run top of the first in the series opener.
BIG TEN SCHEDULE HISTORY
Prior to 1981: Big Ten play consisted primarily of weekend doubleheaders, often playing both travel partners (Michigan-Michigan State, Minnesota-Wisconsin, Iowa-Northwestern) on consecutive days.
4-game weekend series: 1981 to 2008 (much tougher to sweep a series, also fewer series in the 1980s)
1981 to 1987: Big Ten utilized East and West Divisions (Purdue was in East with IU, MICH, MSU, OSU)
3-game weekend series: 2009 to present
BIG TEN SWEEPS SINCE 2009 (ALL 3 GAMES)
2018 at Penn State, at Maryland, vs. Rutgers
2017 vs. Illinois
2013 at Penn State
2012 at Northwestern, vs. Illinois
2011 vs. Iowa
2010 vs. Penn State
BIG TEN SWEEPS FROM 1981 TO 2008
2008 vs. Minnesota (4)
2005 vs. Minnesota (4)
2001 at Northwestern (4), at Michigan State (3)
2000 vs. Illinois (4)
1997 vs. Indiana (4, Home & Away Series)
1993 at Michigan (4)
1992 vs. Indiana (4, Home & Away Series)
1989 vs. Indiana (4, Home & Away Series)
1987 vs. Ohio State (4), vs. Michigan State (4)
1985 vs. Michigan State (4)