Season Stat Pack
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A memorable second-half surge that featured a pair of 13-game win streaks and second-place finish in both the Big Ten standings and at Big Ten Tournament highlighted Purdue baseball's successful 2018 campaign.
The Boilermakers went from 16-16 on April 19 to 38-21 when their season came to a close at an NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill. The 38 victories ranked second in program history, behind only Purdue's 2012 Big Ten Championship team (45-14). The 2018 team (17-6, .739) actually had a better winning percentage in Big Ten play thanks to one fewer loss than the 2012 squad (17-7, 708).
Purdue won 13 consecutive games from April 20 to May 9 and its final 13 home games of the season. Both win streaks matched the longest single-season runs in the history of the program and were part of a 22-5 stretch to end the year. Head coach Mark Wasikowski's team won at least six consecutive games three times and swept six different weekend series, including five in Big Ten play.
Senior closer Ross Learnard was named a third team All-American by Collegiate Baseball after registering a Purdue-record 15 saves. He became the first player in program history to be a multi-year All-American. Learnard was one of four Boilermakers named third team All-Big Ten. A program-record six Purdue players were named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
All-Big Ten honorees Tanner Andrews (10th round, Marlins), Nick Dalesandro (10th round, Diamondbacks) and Jacson McGowan (11th round, Rays) were selected 33 picks apart in June's Major League Baseball draft. The Boilermakers had three players drafted in the first 11 rounds for the only the second time ever. Senior Alec Olund also signed a professional contract with the Traverse City Beach Bums of the independent Frontier League after the season.
Four-year starting shortstop Harry Shipley, Andrews, Learnard and Olund were among the seven graduating seniors to receive their diplomas from Purdue President Mitch Daniels at Alexander Field in a special pregame commencement ceremony before the May 15 win vs. Oral Roberts. Senior Evan Kennedy hit a pinch-hit home run that night, the first by a Boilermaker in six years to the day. The victory ignited a seven-game win streak that carried through the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, catapulting Purdue from a bubble team to a No. 2 seed via an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.
In just two seasons under Wasikowski, the Boilermakers have improved from 10-44 in 2016 to 38-21 in 2018. The 28-win improvement stands as one of the most remarkable two-year turnarounds in the history of Purdue Athletics.
The Boilermakers will have to bid adieu to their seven seniors and two junior draftees, but are scheduled to return a number of key contributors for the 2019 campaign.
COLLEGIATE BASEBALL ALL-AMERICAN
Ross Learnard – Third Team Relief Pitcher
ALL-BIG TEN
Tanner Andrews – Third Team Starting Pitcher
Nick Dalesandro – Third Team Catcher
Jacson McGowan – Third Team First Baseman
Ross Learnard – Third Team Relief Pitcher
MLB DRAFT PICKS
Tanner Andrews – 10th Round, Miami Marlins
Nick Dalesandro – 10th Round, Arizona Diamondbacks
Jacson McGowan – 11th Round, Tampa Bay Rays
COLLEGIATE BASEBALL FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN
Ben Nisle – Outfielder
BIG TEN ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Ben Nisle – Outfielder (Unanimous)
Trent Johnson – Starting Pitcher
BIG TEN ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Tanner Andrews – Starting Pitcher
Nick Dalesandro – Catcher
Jacson McGowan – First Base
Harry Shipley – Shortstop
Evan Warden – Third Base
Skyler Hunter – Outfielder
CHAPEL HILL REGIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Ben Nisle
BIG TEN SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREE
Tanner Andrews
NATIONAL WEEKLY AWARD
Ross Learnard – Perfect Game Pitcher of the Week, May 21
BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARDS
Jacson McGowan – Player of the Week, Feb. 19
Ross Learnard – Pitcher of the Week, April 23
Nick Dalesandro – Player of the Week, April 30
Bo Hofstra – Freshman of the Week, Feb. 26
TEAM AWARDS
MVP – Harry Shipley
Red Mackey Award (Excellence by a Senior) – Alec Olund
Offensive Player of the Year – Jacson McGowan
Defensive Player of the Year – Nick Dalesandro
Pitcher of the Year – Tanner Andrews
Clyde Lyle Award (Top Non-Scholarship Performers) – Evan Warden & Tyler Powers
Mr. Boilermaker Award (Attitude) – Ross Learnard
Newcomer of the Year – Ben Nisle
JOHNNY BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST
Nick Dalesandro
NCBWA STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Ross Learnard
ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN (3.0+ GPA)
Tanner Andrews
Andrew Bohm
Nick Evarts
Evan Kennedy
Mike Kornacker
Ross Learnard
Alec Olund
Dalton Parker
Harry Shipley
Patrick J. Smith
Gareth Stroh
Alec West-Guillen
Cameron Williams
BIG TEN DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS (3.7+ GPA)
Evan Kennedy
Ross Learnard
Alec Olund
STARTED EVERY GAME
Skyler Hunter
Jacson McGowan
Harry Shipley
Nick Dalesandro
Evan Warden
NOTABLE WIN STREAKS
13 Straight Overall – April 20 to May 9, Matching the program's longest in a single season
13 Straight at Home – April 24 to May 19 Home Finale, Matching the program's longest in a single season
9 Straight in Big Ten Play – April 20 to May 6
7 Straight Overall – May 15 to 26
6 Straight Overall – March 23 to April 6
5 Straight Overall – Feb. 17 to 23, Purdue opens season 5-0 for first time since 1991
SERIES SWEEPS
vs. Western Michigan – Feb. 17 to 18
at Penn State – March 30 to 31
at Maryland – April 20 to 22
vs. Rutgers – April 27 to 29
vs. Northwestern – May 4 to 6
vs. Michigan – May 17 to 19
WALK-OFF WINS
Feb. 23 – Purdue 5, Incarnate Word 4 in Bottom 10th (Game-Winning Single: Nick Dalesandro)
May 24 – Purdue 5, Michigan 4 in Bottom 9th (Game-Winning Single: Evan Warden)
MORE LAST AT-BAT WINS
Feb. 25 – Purdue 8, Notre Dame 7 (Boilermakers score 5 in Top 9th)
April 6 – Purdue 4, at Indiana 2 (Boilermakers score 2 in Top 9th)
April 17 – Purdue 3, at Indiana State 1 (Boilermakers score 2 in Top 10th)
April 21 – Purdue 4, at Maryland 3 (McGowan hits home runs in Top 9th & 11th)
May 4 – at Purdue 8, Northwestern 7 (Boilermakers score 3 in Bottom 8th)
May 9 – Purdue 10, at Ball State 8 (Boilermakers score 5 in Top 9th)
INDIVIDUAL & TEAM NOTABLES
• Feb. 17 – Purdue sweeps a season-opening doubleheader vs. Western Michigan. Tanner Andrews strikes out nine over 6 2/3 innings as only the second Boilermaker this century to start three straight season openers on the mound. Ben Nisle becomes the first freshman since 2010 to homer in a season opener. Jacson McGowan goes deep in both wins as the first Boilermaker to homer in both games of a doubleheader since March 2016.
• Feb. 17 to March 11 – Skyler Hunter hits safely in the first 13 games of the season, Purdue's longest hit streak of the year and the longest by a Boilermaker since 2011.
• Feb. 18 – Jacson McGowan homers again as Purdue sweeps a season-opening weekend for the first time since 2012 and a season-opening series of at least three games for the first time since 1941.
• Feb. 23 – Purdue defeats Saint Louis and Incarnate Word at the Alamo Irish Classic to to open a season 5-0 for the first time since 1991. The Boilermakers rally for a walk-off win vs. UIW after being down by a run with two outs and the bases empty in the ninth inning. It marked the first time since the opening day of the 2012 season Purdue defeated two different teams in one day. Bo Hofstra retires all 11 batters to come to the plate against him to close out the SLU victory en route to retiring 18 straight to begin his college career.
• Feb. 25 – Down by four entering the ninth inning, the Boilermakers rally for five in the frame to defeat No. 30 Notre Dame 8-7 and win the Alamo Irish Classic. It was Purdue's largest last at-bat rally since a May 2012 win at No. 14 UCLA. The Boilermakers also ended a 41-game losing streak against nationally ranked opponents, which also dated back to 2012.
• Feb. 25 to May 13 – Ross Learnard pitches 24 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings after having a streak of 35 2/3 scoreless innings in 2017.
• March 31 – Purdue wins both ends of a doubleheader at Penn State to sweep its conference-opening series for the first time since 1985. The Boilermakers swept a Big Ten doubleheader for the first time since 2012 and did it on the road for the first time since May 2005. Trent Johnson works five innings of one-hit ball in his Big Ten debut.
• March 31 to May 9 – Harry Shipley reaches base safely in a career-high 23 straight games. During the streak he hit safely in 12 consecutive Big Ten games, the longest streak by a Boilermaker in conference play since 2011.
• April 6 – Purdue wins its series opener at No. 10 Indiana for its six straight victory, opening Big Ten play at 4-0 for the first time since 1985. It was the Boilermakers' first win vs. a team ranked among the top 10 nationally since March 2006 and their first win in Bloomington since 2010.
• April 8 to May 11 – Nick Dalesandro reaches base safely in 20 consecutive games
• April 10 to May 27 – Skyler Hunter reaches base safely in 24 consecutive games, the longest career run for any Boilermaker active in 2018. It was the longest streak by a Purdue player since 2014.
• April 14 – Ben Nisle homers twice in the Big Ten home opener vs. Minnesota, posting only the third multi-home run game by a Purdue player at Alexander Field. Overall, it was the first multi-homer game by a Boilermaker since March 2016.
• April 17 – Purdue scores two in the top of the 10th to defeat Indiana State 3-1, winning an extra-innings game on the road for the first time since April 2014.
• April 21 – Jacson McGowan hits solo homers to left field in the ninth and 11th innings that account for the game-tying and game-winning runs at Maryland. He hit the first go-ahead or game-tying home run in the ninth inning since 2014 and the first in a victory since 2012. His second long ball was the first home run by a Purdue player in extra innings since 2009. The Boilermakers won in extra innings on the road twice in the same season for the first since 2010.
• April 22 – Purdue scores five in the seventh inning to rally for an 8-6 victory to sweep the series at Maryland. The Boilermakers would not trail for 50 consecutive innings through the second inning of their May 4 win vs. Northwestern, posting a 50-inning streak for the second year in a row.
• April 25 – Before the ESPNU-televised win vs. Indiana, Landyn Griffith and his family is recognized on the field. An 11-year-old ball player from Lafayette diagnosed with cancer in January, #TeamLandyn becomes a rallying point for the remainder of the season. The Boilermakers learn two days later that Landyn passed away. His Junior Bronchos jersey hangs in the Purdue dugout for every game the rest of the season.
• April 27 to 29 – The Boilermakers hold the lead for 26 of the 27 innings in a series sweep of Rutgers, riding an eight-game win streak into final exams week on campus.
• May 4 – Bryce Bonner's pinch-hit, game-tying single highlights a three-run eighth inning as Purdue rallies to defeat Northwestern 8-7 in the series opener.
• May 8 – The Boilermakers complete a sweep of their nine-game homestand with a 27-3 thrashing of Fort Wayne, matching their highest run total this century. Purdue draws 15 walks, its most since at least the start of the 2005 campaign.
• May 9 – Harry Shipley's inside-the-park home run in the ninth inning ties the game up at 8-8 and Ben Nisle delivers a two-run, go-ahead single later in the frame. The Boilermakers rally for a 10-8 victory at Ball State to extend their win streak to 13.
• May 15 – Evan Kennedy's first collegiate home run doubles as the first pinch-hit homer by a Purdue player in six years to the day. The two-run shot in the eighth inning also proves to be the difference in a 7-6 win vs. Oral Roberts after the Summit League champion scores two in the ninth. The Boilermakers win their 10th straight at home and begin their big final week at Alexander with a quality victory.
• May 17 – Tanner Andrews works 7 1/3 shutout innings in a 3-0 win vs. Michigan in his final outing at Alexander Field. The senior was bestowed with a curtain call while joining Stanford's Tristan Beck as the only pitchers to shut out Michigan in 2018.
• May 19 – Purdue records 30 outs vs. Michigan to complete its first series sweep of U-M since 1993, clinching second place in the Big Ten standings. Ross Learnard goes through the top of the lineup to finish off game 2 of the series after it was suspended due to rain in the eighth inning Friday. Owen Jansen's two-run double was the difference in the 2-1 series finale. The Boilermakers win their final 13 games at home, building what will rank as the third-longest active home win streak in the country entering 2019.
• May 23 – Tanner Andrews goes the distance on the mound and Purdue scores eight unanswered runs to defeat Ohio State 8-2 in its Big Ten Tournament opener. Andrews pitches the first complete game by a Boilermaker at the Big Ten Tournament since 2010.
• May 24 – With the game tied 4-4 in the ninth inning, Milo Beam draws a one-out walk in his first plate appearance of the Big Ten Tournament. He then reaches third base before the next batter even comes to the plate. The Wolverines walk the bases loaded and Evan Warden delivers a game-winning single up the middle to give the Boilermakers their first walk-off win at the Big Ten Tournament since 2005.
• May 25 – Purdue overcomes an early 4-1 deficit to defeat Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. The Boilermakers outscore the Illini 10-1 over the final six innings thanks to a pair of four-run frames, advancing to the Big Ten Tournament title game for the first time since 2012.
• May 26 – Purdue holds leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3 but Minnesota scores the game's final three runs to take the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament. A program-record six Boilermakers represent the program on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
• June 2 – After a sluggish start, the Boilermakers score 12 unanswered runs to defeat North Carolina A&T 14-4 at an NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill. Dalton Parker works four scoreless innings of relief to finish his sophomore season having pitched 12 consecutive scoreless frames. Purdue posts just its second NCAA Tournament win in program history.
• June 3 – Jacson McGowan and Ben Nisle connect for consecutive home runs in the fifth inning, the first set of back-to-back jacks for the Boilermakers since April 2010. But Houston scores eight unanswered runs to rally past Purdue for the second time at the Chapel Hill Regional. The Boilermakers finish their season at 38-21, posting the second most wins in program history. They finish the season winners of 22 of their final 27 games.
GAMES AGAINST NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1-3 vs. Saint Louis
0-1 vs. Stetson
2-2 vs. Indiana
0-3 vs. Minnesota
2-2 vs. Ohio State
1-0 vs. Oral Roberts
0-2 vs. Houston
1-0 vs. North Carolina A&T
7-13 Overall
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A memorable second-half surge that featured a pair of 13-game win streaks and second-place finish in both the Big Ten standings and at Big Ten Tournament highlighted Purdue baseball's successful 2018 campaign.
The Boilermakers went from 16-16 on April 19 to 38-21 when their season came to a close at an NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill. The 38 victories ranked second in program history, behind only Purdue's 2012 Big Ten Championship team (45-14). The 2018 team (17-6, .739) actually had a better winning percentage in Big Ten play thanks to one fewer loss than the 2012 squad (17-7, 708).
Purdue won 13 consecutive games from April 20 to May 9 and its final 13 home games of the season. Both win streaks matched the longest single-season runs in the history of the program and were part of a 22-5 stretch to end the year. Head coach Mark Wasikowski's team won at least six consecutive games three times and swept six different weekend series, including five in Big Ten play.
Senior closer Ross Learnard was named a third team All-American by Collegiate Baseball after registering a Purdue-record 15 saves. He became the first player in program history to be a multi-year All-American. Learnard was one of four Boilermakers named third team All-Big Ten. A program-record six Purdue players were named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
All-Big Ten honorees Tanner Andrews (10th round, Marlins), Nick Dalesandro (10th round, Diamondbacks) and Jacson McGowan (11th round, Rays) were selected 33 picks apart in June's Major League Baseball draft. The Boilermakers had three players drafted in the first 11 rounds for the only the second time ever. Senior Alec Olund also signed a professional contract with the Traverse City Beach Bums of the independent Frontier League after the season.
Four-year starting shortstop Harry Shipley, Andrews, Learnard and Olund were among the seven graduating seniors to receive their diplomas from Purdue President Mitch Daniels at Alexander Field in a special pregame commencement ceremony before the May 15 win vs. Oral Roberts. Senior Evan Kennedy hit a pinch-hit home run that night, the first by a Boilermaker in six years to the day. The victory ignited a seven-game win streak that carried through the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, catapulting Purdue from a bubble team to a No. 2 seed via an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.
In just two seasons under Wasikowski, the Boilermakers have improved from 10-44 in 2016 to 38-21 in 2018. The 28-win improvement stands as one of the most remarkable two-year turnarounds in the history of Purdue Athletics.
The Boilermakers will have to bid adieu to their seven seniors and two junior draftees, but are scheduled to return a number of key contributors for the 2019 campaign.
COLLEGIATE BASEBALL ALL-AMERICAN
Ross Learnard – Third Team Relief Pitcher
ALL-BIG TEN
Tanner Andrews – Third Team Starting Pitcher
Nick Dalesandro – Third Team Catcher
Jacson McGowan – Third Team First Baseman
Ross Learnard – Third Team Relief Pitcher
MLB DRAFT PICKS
Tanner Andrews – 10th Round, Miami Marlins
Nick Dalesandro – 10th Round, Arizona Diamondbacks
Jacson McGowan – 11th Round, Tampa Bay Rays
COLLEGIATE BASEBALL FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN
Ben Nisle – Outfielder
BIG TEN ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Ben Nisle – Outfielder (Unanimous)
Trent Johnson – Starting Pitcher
BIG TEN ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Tanner Andrews – Starting Pitcher
Nick Dalesandro – Catcher
Jacson McGowan – First Base
Harry Shipley – Shortstop
Evan Warden – Third Base
Skyler Hunter – Outfielder
CHAPEL HILL REGIONAL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Ben Nisle
BIG TEN SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREE
Tanner Andrews
NATIONAL WEEKLY AWARD
Ross Learnard – Perfect Game Pitcher of the Week, May 21
BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARDS
Jacson McGowan – Player of the Week, Feb. 19
Ross Learnard – Pitcher of the Week, April 23
Nick Dalesandro – Player of the Week, April 30
Bo Hofstra – Freshman of the Week, Feb. 26
TEAM AWARDS
MVP – Harry Shipley
Red Mackey Award (Excellence by a Senior) – Alec Olund
Offensive Player of the Year – Jacson McGowan
Defensive Player of the Year – Nick Dalesandro
Pitcher of the Year – Tanner Andrews
Clyde Lyle Award (Top Non-Scholarship Performers) – Evan Warden & Tyler Powers
Mr. Boilermaker Award (Attitude) – Ross Learnard
Newcomer of the Year – Ben Nisle
JOHNNY BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST
Nick Dalesandro
NCBWA STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Ross Learnard
ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN (3.0+ GPA)
Tanner Andrews
Andrew Bohm
Nick Evarts
Evan Kennedy
Mike Kornacker
Ross Learnard
Alec Olund
Dalton Parker
Harry Shipley
Patrick J. Smith
Gareth Stroh
Alec West-Guillen
Cameron Williams
BIG TEN DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS (3.7+ GPA)
Evan Kennedy
Ross Learnard
Alec Olund
STARTED EVERY GAME
Skyler Hunter
Jacson McGowan
Harry Shipley
Nick Dalesandro
Evan Warden
NOTABLE WIN STREAKS
13 Straight Overall – April 20 to May 9, Matching the program's longest in a single season
13 Straight at Home – April 24 to May 19 Home Finale, Matching the program's longest in a single season
9 Straight in Big Ten Play – April 20 to May 6
7 Straight Overall – May 15 to 26
6 Straight Overall – March 23 to April 6
5 Straight Overall – Feb. 17 to 23, Purdue opens season 5-0 for first time since 1991
SERIES SWEEPS
vs. Western Michigan – Feb. 17 to 18
at Penn State – March 30 to 31
at Maryland – April 20 to 22
vs. Rutgers – April 27 to 29
vs. Northwestern – May 4 to 6
vs. Michigan – May 17 to 19
WALK-OFF WINS
Feb. 23 – Purdue 5, Incarnate Word 4 in Bottom 10th (Game-Winning Single: Nick Dalesandro)
May 24 – Purdue 5, Michigan 4 in Bottom 9th (Game-Winning Single: Evan Warden)
MORE LAST AT-BAT WINS
Feb. 25 – Purdue 8, Notre Dame 7 (Boilermakers score 5 in Top 9th)
April 6 – Purdue 4, at Indiana 2 (Boilermakers score 2 in Top 9th)
April 17 – Purdue 3, at Indiana State 1 (Boilermakers score 2 in Top 10th)
April 21 – Purdue 4, at Maryland 3 (McGowan hits home runs in Top 9th & 11th)
May 4 – at Purdue 8, Northwestern 7 (Boilermakers score 3 in Bottom 8th)
May 9 – Purdue 10, at Ball State 8 (Boilermakers score 5 in Top 9th)
INDIVIDUAL & TEAM NOTABLES
• Feb. 17 – Purdue sweeps a season-opening doubleheader vs. Western Michigan. Tanner Andrews strikes out nine over 6 2/3 innings as only the second Boilermaker this century to start three straight season openers on the mound. Ben Nisle becomes the first freshman since 2010 to homer in a season opener. Jacson McGowan goes deep in both wins as the first Boilermaker to homer in both games of a doubleheader since March 2016.
• Feb. 17 to March 11 – Skyler Hunter hits safely in the first 13 games of the season, Purdue's longest hit streak of the year and the longest by a Boilermaker since 2011.
• Feb. 18 – Jacson McGowan homers again as Purdue sweeps a season-opening weekend for the first time since 2012 and a season-opening series of at least three games for the first time since 1941.
• Feb. 23 – Purdue defeats Saint Louis and Incarnate Word at the Alamo Irish Classic to to open a season 5-0 for the first time since 1991. The Boilermakers rally for a walk-off win vs. UIW after being down by a run with two outs and the bases empty in the ninth inning. It marked the first time since the opening day of the 2012 season Purdue defeated two different teams in one day. Bo Hofstra retires all 11 batters to come to the plate against him to close out the SLU victory en route to retiring 18 straight to begin his college career.
• Feb. 25 – Down by four entering the ninth inning, the Boilermakers rally for five in the frame to defeat No. 30 Notre Dame 8-7 and win the Alamo Irish Classic. It was Purdue's largest last at-bat rally since a May 2012 win at No. 14 UCLA. The Boilermakers also ended a 41-game losing streak against nationally ranked opponents, which also dated back to 2012.
• Feb. 25 to May 13 – Ross Learnard pitches 24 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings after having a streak of 35 2/3 scoreless innings in 2017.
• March 31 – Purdue wins both ends of a doubleheader at Penn State to sweep its conference-opening series for the first time since 1985. The Boilermakers swept a Big Ten doubleheader for the first time since 2012 and did it on the road for the first time since May 2005. Trent Johnson works five innings of one-hit ball in his Big Ten debut.
• March 31 to May 9 – Harry Shipley reaches base safely in a career-high 23 straight games. During the streak he hit safely in 12 consecutive Big Ten games, the longest streak by a Boilermaker in conference play since 2011.
• April 6 – Purdue wins its series opener at No. 10 Indiana for its six straight victory, opening Big Ten play at 4-0 for the first time since 1985. It was the Boilermakers' first win vs. a team ranked among the top 10 nationally since March 2006 and their first win in Bloomington since 2010.
• April 8 to May 11 – Nick Dalesandro reaches base safely in 20 consecutive games
• April 10 to May 27 – Skyler Hunter reaches base safely in 24 consecutive games, the longest career run for any Boilermaker active in 2018. It was the longest streak by a Purdue player since 2014.
• April 14 – Ben Nisle homers twice in the Big Ten home opener vs. Minnesota, posting only the third multi-home run game by a Purdue player at Alexander Field. Overall, it was the first multi-homer game by a Boilermaker since March 2016.
• April 17 – Purdue scores two in the top of the 10th to defeat Indiana State 3-1, winning an extra-innings game on the road for the first time since April 2014.
• April 21 – Jacson McGowan hits solo homers to left field in the ninth and 11th innings that account for the game-tying and game-winning runs at Maryland. He hit the first go-ahead or game-tying home run in the ninth inning since 2014 and the first in a victory since 2012. His second long ball was the first home run by a Purdue player in extra innings since 2009. The Boilermakers won in extra innings on the road twice in the same season for the first since 2010.
• April 22 – Purdue scores five in the seventh inning to rally for an 8-6 victory to sweep the series at Maryland. The Boilermakers would not trail for 50 consecutive innings through the second inning of their May 4 win vs. Northwestern, posting a 50-inning streak for the second year in a row.
• April 25 – Before the ESPNU-televised win vs. Indiana, Landyn Griffith and his family is recognized on the field. An 11-year-old ball player from Lafayette diagnosed with cancer in January, #TeamLandyn becomes a rallying point for the remainder of the season. The Boilermakers learn two days later that Landyn passed away. His Junior Bronchos jersey hangs in the Purdue dugout for every game the rest of the season.
• April 27 to 29 – The Boilermakers hold the lead for 26 of the 27 innings in a series sweep of Rutgers, riding an eight-game win streak into final exams week on campus.
• May 4 – Bryce Bonner's pinch-hit, game-tying single highlights a three-run eighth inning as Purdue rallies to defeat Northwestern 8-7 in the series opener.
• May 8 – The Boilermakers complete a sweep of their nine-game homestand with a 27-3 thrashing of Fort Wayne, matching their highest run total this century. Purdue draws 15 walks, its most since at least the start of the 2005 campaign.
• May 9 – Harry Shipley's inside-the-park home run in the ninth inning ties the game up at 8-8 and Ben Nisle delivers a two-run, go-ahead single later in the frame. The Boilermakers rally for a 10-8 victory at Ball State to extend their win streak to 13.
• May 15 – Evan Kennedy's first collegiate home run doubles as the first pinch-hit homer by a Purdue player in six years to the day. The two-run shot in the eighth inning also proves to be the difference in a 7-6 win vs. Oral Roberts after the Summit League champion scores two in the ninth. The Boilermakers win their 10th straight at home and begin their big final week at Alexander with a quality victory.
• May 17 – Tanner Andrews works 7 1/3 shutout innings in a 3-0 win vs. Michigan in his final outing at Alexander Field. The senior was bestowed with a curtain call while joining Stanford's Tristan Beck as the only pitchers to shut out Michigan in 2018.
• May 19 – Purdue records 30 outs vs. Michigan to complete its first series sweep of U-M since 1993, clinching second place in the Big Ten standings. Ross Learnard goes through the top of the lineup to finish off game 2 of the series after it was suspended due to rain in the eighth inning Friday. Owen Jansen's two-run double was the difference in the 2-1 series finale. The Boilermakers win their final 13 games at home, building what will rank as the third-longest active home win streak in the country entering 2019.
• May 23 – Tanner Andrews goes the distance on the mound and Purdue scores eight unanswered runs to defeat Ohio State 8-2 in its Big Ten Tournament opener. Andrews pitches the first complete game by a Boilermaker at the Big Ten Tournament since 2010.
• May 24 – With the game tied 4-4 in the ninth inning, Milo Beam draws a one-out walk in his first plate appearance of the Big Ten Tournament. He then reaches third base before the next batter even comes to the plate. The Wolverines walk the bases loaded and Evan Warden delivers a game-winning single up the middle to give the Boilermakers their first walk-off win at the Big Ten Tournament since 2005.
• May 25 – Purdue overcomes an early 4-1 deficit to defeat Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. The Boilermakers outscore the Illini 10-1 over the final six innings thanks to a pair of four-run frames, advancing to the Big Ten Tournament title game for the first time since 2012.
• May 26 – Purdue holds leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3 but Minnesota scores the game's final three runs to take the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament. A program-record six Boilermakers represent the program on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
• June 2 – After a sluggish start, the Boilermakers score 12 unanswered runs to defeat North Carolina A&T 14-4 at an NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill. Dalton Parker works four scoreless innings of relief to finish his sophomore season having pitched 12 consecutive scoreless frames. Purdue posts just its second NCAA Tournament win in program history.
• June 3 – Jacson McGowan and Ben Nisle connect for consecutive home runs in the fifth inning, the first set of back-to-back jacks for the Boilermakers since April 2010. But Houston scores eight unanswered runs to rally past Purdue for the second time at the Chapel Hill Regional. The Boilermakers finish their season at 38-21, posting the second most wins in program history. They finish the season winners of 22 of their final 27 games.
GAMES AGAINST NCAA TOURNAMENT TEAMS
1-3 vs. Saint Louis
0-1 vs. Stetson
2-2 vs. Indiana
0-3 vs. Minnesota
2-2 vs. Ohio State
1-0 vs. Oral Roberts
0-2 vs. Houston
1-0 vs. North Carolina A&T
7-13 Overall