Hunter, Nisle, Fascia on B1G Preseason Honors List

Full Big Ten Release

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Purdue baseball's potential 3-4-5 combination in Friday's opening day lineup – Skyler Hunter, Ben Nisle and Zac Fascia – were the trio to represent the program on the Big Ten's preseason honors list.

Purdue was also selected sixth in the preseason coaches poll, sharing that spot with Nebraska. The Big Ten annually reveals only the top six teams in the preseason poll. This year marks the first time the Boilermakers have been picked among the top six since their 2012 Big Ten championship campaign. Purdue (38-21, 17-6 in 2018) finished second in the final standings last year and was also the runner-up at the Big Ten Tournament.

The college baseball season opens Friday nationwide. The Boilermakers visit defending Conference USA champion Southern Miss for a three-game series.

Numerous other publications and websites have tabbed Purdue between eighth and 10th in the Big Ten in their preseason predictions. A year ago, the Boilermakers fed off a perceived lack of respect. A 28-win improvement from 2016 through 2018 has produced a 67-48 record in two years under head coach Mark Wasikowski, helping generate a bit more respect among the conference rivals. Purdue did experience some roster turnover, headlined by the departure of nine notable players. The Boilermakers lost their catcher, first baseman, shortstop, third baseman, right fielder, left-handed designated hitter, top two starting pitchers and closer from last year's 38-win team.

BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL (TOP 6)
1.) Minnesota
2.) Michigan
3.) Illinois
4.) Indiana
5.) Ohio State
T-6.) Purdue
T-6.) Nebraska

PURDUE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Wasikowski and his players remain confident that they'll be able to continue winning. The return of Hunter and Nisle in the outfield is one reason to remain optimistic. They represent the team's top returning hitters. Both batted over .300 with at least 17 extra-base hits a year ago.

Fascia was selected by the New York Mets in the 2018 MLB Draft after his sophomore season at Indian Hills College in Iowa. He is a left-handed hitting catcher that also excels defensively. He'll likely DH when Bryce Bonner gets starts behind the plate. Bonner was a Freshman All-American in 2017, but did not have as many opportunities during the second half of 2018 as Nick Dalesandro took over as the full-time catcher before getting drafted in the 10th round in June.

Cole McKenzie, Johnny Sage and Fascia represent a trio of junior college transfers projected to make an early impact for Purdue this season. McKenzie and Sage were both NJCAA All-Americans at Yakima Valley College in Washington. Fascia was a two-time NJCAA Region XI Defensive Player of the Year at Indian Hills. All three newcomers are left-handed hitters. Even with Hunter being a switch-hitter in the middle of the order, Purdue's lineup was very right-handed dominant for much of 2018.



Hunter has started 106 consecutive games in center field dating back to the start of the 2017 spring break trip. He has posted a reached base safely streak of at least 20 games each of his first two seasons and been on base in 43 of the 47 (91 percent) Big Ten games. He already has over 40 career multi-hit games and if he maintains his underclassman pace (143), should make a run at the program's all-time hits record (279) as a senior. After helping the Wareham Gatemen win the prestigious Cape Cod League title last summer, Hunter's teams in 2018 were a combined 69-38-2 (.642).

Nisle was one of four players that were unanimous selections to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2018. He led the team with a .344 average and 18 RBI in Big Ten play, producing matching numbers in all games over the final month of the regular season as Purdue surged from 16-16 on April 19 to 34-18 entering the Big Ten Tournament. Nisle bounced back from a tough week at the Big Ten Tournament by earning a spot on the Chapel Hill Regional All-Tournament Team, finishing the weekend 7-for-11 with three extra-base hits, five RBI and no strikeouts. His seven home runs were the most by a freshman in the BBCOR bat era (2011-present). He had three home runs vs. just four strikeouts in Big Ten play.

The pitching staff is headlined by returnees Ryan Beard, Andrew Bohm, Trevor Cheaney, Bo Hofstra, Trent Johnson, Matt Moore, Dalton Parker and Patrick J. Smith. Together they pitched a combined 272 1/3 innings over 142 appearances. Even with the two-year Friday-Saturday combination of Tanner Andrews and Gareth Stroh gone, those eight returning Boilermakers accounted for 76 percent of the 357 1/3 innings not pitched by Andrews and Stroh in 2018.

Parker, Beard and Bohm were announced as Purdue's starting rotation for the season-opening weekend.

The first pitch of Friday's season opener at No. 21 Southern Miss is slated for 5 p.m. ET.