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Weekend Update (7 p.m. on Feb. 15): Purdue's flight from Midway to Dallas was canceled along many other flights out of Chicago on Thursday. The Boilermakers' series at Baylor has also been canceled. The Purdue coaching staff is in the process of searching for replace games this weekend.
WEEKEND SERIES INFORMATION -- SERIES CANCELED
Purdue (29-27 in 2017) at Baylor (34-23 in 2017)
Friday to Sunday, Feb. 16 to 18 at 7:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 1 p.m. ET
Baylor Ballpark / Waco, Texas
All Time Series: Baylor leads 3-0 / All-Time in Waco: Baylor leads 3-0
Last Meetings: Baylor swept a three-game series
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Tanner Andrews (Sr, RHP) vs. BU's Cody Bradford (So, LHP)
Saturday: Gareth Stroh (Jr, LHP) vs. BU's Kyle Hill (Jr, RHP)
Sunday: Ryan Beard (Jr, LHP) vs. BU's Hayden Kettler (So, RHP)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue baseball begins its new season in the Lone Star State for the second year in a row, visiting Baylor for a weekend series against a team coached by Mark Wasikowski's former college teammate.
First pitch at Baylor Ballpark in Waco is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. A decade ago, the Boilermakers also opened their new season with a three-game series Baylor. Purdue dropped three one-run games to the Bears, but went on to finish second in the Big Ten that season.
The Boilermakers enjoyed a program-record 19-win improvement in Wasikowski's first season a year ago. Wasikowski and Baylor's Steve Rodriguez were both starting infielders on Pepperdine's 1992 College World Series championship team. Wasikowski (third base) and Rodriguez (second base) were both involved in memorable plays in the 1992 championship game against Cal State Fullerton, which the Waves won 3-2. Wasikowski was called out after a collision at the plate, which produced an iconic image and rule changes about required slides at home plate at the college level. Rodriguez made a late-inning defensive gem to help preserve the one-run lead and was named the second baseman on the All-Tournament Team.
After leading Pepperdine to eight NCAA Regionals in his 12 seasons as head coach from 2004 to 2015, Rodriguez now begins his third year at Baylor. He was named the Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year last season after guiding the Bears to their first Regional appearance since 2012.
As we get ready to begin our journey to the Lone Star State, Coach @Waz4412 provides some projections for what you might see early this season. #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/k2qjCJqTCy
-- Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) February 15, 2018
ROAD WINS PROVIDE A PATH TO A SUCCESSFUL SEASON
- The Boilermakers posted 19 of their 29 victories last season away from Alexander Field. They won 15 more true road games than 2016, beginning with take the first two games of their season-opening series at Texas State. Purdue won its first two games of a new season for the first time since 2012.
- Tanner Andrews led the way on the mound as the Boilermakers won five of their first six Friday games last season, all on the road. His season-opening start at Texas State was arguably his most impressive outing of the season. He claimed Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors after working seven innings of one-run ball. He faced only two batters from the stretch, both in the seventh inning. He worked five 1-2-3 innings and the base runner he allowed through six was a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth.
- Andrews is set to make his third straight season-opening start, joining all-time strikeouts leader Matt Bischoff (2008-10) as the only Purdue pitchers to accomplish the feat this century.
NATIVE TEXANS RETURN HOME
- The Boilermakers have four Texas natives on their roster this season. They'll be playing in their home state each of the first two weekends, as Purdue is also traveling to San Antonio next weekend for Notre Dame's Irish Alamo Classic.
- Catcher Bryce Bonner (Allen) and reliever Cameron Williams (Seabrook) were both key contributors to last year's 19-win turnaround as newcomers. Junior college transfers Trevor Cheaney (Muenster) and Nick Evarts (Colleyville) are both projected to be regular contributors early this season. Cheaney possesses good velocity on the mound and will help the bullpen. Evarts is the likely opening day starter at second base, with returning starter Evan Warden moving to third.
- Bonner (4-for-5, 3B, 4 RBI, 3 BB) put together eight productive plate appearances in his nine trips to the dish over the final two games of the Texas State series a year ago. Skyler Hunter (7-for-15, 4 RBI) and Warden (5-for-12, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 5 R) also were very productive at the plate in their debut weekends as Boilermakers.
MORE 2017 HIGHLIGHTS
- Jacson McGowan became the first Boilermaker since 2001 to lead the team in doubles (15), triples (3), home runs (8) and RBI (50). He improved his batting average from .218 on April 1 to .292 by season's end and was the first Boilermaker with 50 RBI since 2012.
- Nick Dalesandro ranked second on the team in batting average (.297), hits (63), RBI (42) and stolen bases (13). He has played in every game since the start of 2016.
- Skyler Hunter became the first freshman to lead the team in batting average (.323) since future big leaguer Kevin Plawecki in 2010.
- Harry Shipley's 24 stolen bases were the most by a Boilermaker since 2005. He needed less than three seasons to eclipse the program record for hit by pitch. Despite getting plunked 58 times in his career, the shortstop has missed just one game as a Boilermaker.
- Evan Warden led the team in OPS (.863) even tough he batted leadoff a team-high 32 times. He led the nation with 30 hit by pitch and led Purdue with 15 doubles and 50 runs scored.
- Gareth Stroh led the team in innings pitched (90 1/3), becoming just the ninth Boilermaker to reach the 90-innings mark. He struggled with his command early in the season but transformed himself into Purdue's most consistent starter in conference play, joining Tanner Andrews as the only pitchers to start a game in all 15 weekends.
- Evan Kennedy reached base safely in 11 of the 12 games he started at designated hitter in March, helping Purdue post an 8-4 record. He's projected to be back at DH this season after missing the final two months with a wrist injury.
- Senior Alec Olund has 10 career outfield assists, two career walk-off hits and is the only active Boilermaker with a multi-homer game.
QUICK LOOK AT BAYLOR
- Like Purdue, the Bears were also 12-12 in conference play last season. Baylor opened the season 10-0 and 14-1, posting the best 15-game start in program history. That early season stretch was highlighted by a three-game home sweep of Regional qualifier South Alabama as well as wins against Mississippi and Texas A&M at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The hot start allowed Baylor to still qualify for the NCAA Tournament despite going 19-21 from St. Patrick's Day through the end of the season.
- Sophomore Shea Langeliers is D1Baseball.com's top-ranked catcher in the nation entering the new season. He batted .313 with 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 38 RBI as a Freshman All-American in 2017. Richard Cunningham (.306, 15 doubles) and Davis Wendzel (.301, 8 homers) are also back after batting over .300 last year. Wendzel also had more walks (30) than strikeouts (22).
- Cody Bradford was part of the weekend rotation as a freshman and now the left-hander takes over as Baylor's Friday starter to begin the new season. He was second on the team in innings (73 1/3), but gave up a team-high 13 home runs while primarily pitching to contact (43 strikeouts, 20 walks). Right-handers Kyle Hill and Hayden Kettler make the move to the weekend rotation after excelling in relief. Hill recorded 54 strikeouts while surrendering just 36 hits in 42 1/3 innings in 2017. Troy Montemayor earned 12 saves last season as a traditional closer, working 25 2/3 innings in 25 appearances. He's on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year preseason watch list along with Purdue's Ross Learnard.