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Update: Friday's series finale has been moved up to a noon first pitch due to rain in the forecast.
WEEKEND SERIES INFORMATION
Purdue (12-23, 5-6 B1G) at Rutgers (13-20, 5-4 B1G)
Friday, April 19 to Sunday, April 21 at Noon, 1 p.m. and 11 a.m. ET / BTN Plus on BTN2Go
Bainton Field / Piscataway, New Jersey
All-Time Series: Purdue leads 6-5 / All-Time in Piscataway: Rutgers leads 2-1
2018: Purdue swept a 3-game series (April 27-29 in West Lafayette)
Last Series in Piscataway: Rutgers won 2 of 3 (April 2017)
First Meeting: Purdue 15, Rutgers 9 (March 1999 in Boca Raton, Fla.)
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Andrew Bohm (R-So, RHP) vs. RU's Harry Rutkowski (So, LHP)
Saturday: TBA for Purdue vs. RU's Tommy Genuario (Jr, RHP)
Sunday: TBA for Purdue vs. RU's Tevin Murray (Jr, LHP)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball opens the second half of its Big Ten schedule with its final road trip of April, making its second trip to New Jersey for a three-game series at Rutgers.
Bainton Field in Piscataway is one of two remaining Big Ten ballparks that does not feature lights, along with Northwestern. So it's three day games this weekend in the Garden State. First pitch is set for noon Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Easter Sunday. The Boilermakers also played at Rutgers for Easter Weekend in April 2017.
Purdue was dealt a fairly favorable Big Ten schedule this year, with the second half of the slate featuring last-place Michigan State plus three other teams battling the Boilermakers (5-6 B1G) in the Big Ten Tournament chase. The upcoming series vs. Rutgers (5-4 B1G), Illinois (3-6) and Ohio State (4-5) should all be in significant in the race to make it to Omaha.
Rutgers' sweep of Michigan State last weekend in Piscataway was its first in Big Ten play since joining the league in 2015. The Scarlet Knights are 7-3 at Bainton Field and 7-17 away from home. Purdue has similar home (6-4) and road (6-19) records this season. Rutgers closes out a seven-game homestand this weekend and plays three of its final four series on the road, visiting Michigan (April 26-28), Penn State (May 3-5) and Indiana (May 16-18).
BIG TEN WEEKEND SERIES // APRIL 19-21
• Purdue (5-6) at Rutgers (5-4)
• Nebraska (10-2) at Iowa (7-5)
• Northwestern (5-4) at Michigan (5-3)
• Ohio State (4-5) at Maryland (5-4)
• Indiana (7-2) at Michigan State (0-8)
• Illinios (3-6) at Penn State (1-10)
• Non-Conference: Oklahoma at Minnesota (7-5)
The Boilermakers have some uncertainty in their weekend rotation for the first time this season. They lost Ryan Beard to a knee injury in the eighth inning of Saturday's rubber game vs. Iowa, but are expected to welcome back opening day starter Dalton Parker this weekend. Parker has not pitched since March 1 at Oral Roberts. He may not start this weekend but could be used in relief, a role in which he excelled as an underclassman. Andrew Bohm is the only confirmed starter on the mound for the weekend. James Kulak, Trent Johnson, Patrick J. Smith and Austin Peterson would be the other top candidates to start games in New Jersey.
Meanwhile, the Scarlet Knights have surrendered only 12 runs in their first six Big Ten home games this season. Their series with Ohio State featured 35 innings after games 1 and 3 both went extras. Carmen Sclafani and Tevin Murray have earned Big Ten Player and Pitcher of the Week honors over the last two weeks. Sclafani had four extra-base hits and 12 RBI over the first week of the month. As RU's Sunday starter, Murray pitched six innings of one-hit ball in a shutout win vs. Michigan State.
Skyler Hunter (5-for-12, 3B, 2 RBI) and Bryce Bonner (3-for-10, 2 2B) both hit safely in all three games of Purdue's 2017 series at Rutgers. Hunter has a hit in all six of his career games vs. the Scarlet Knights. The junior has hit safely in every game of a weekend (minimum three games) 18 times in his career. Rutgers is the only Big Ten team he's done it against twice.
In the Boilermakers' series-opening win two years ago, Dalton Parker made his return from a two-week absence. He retired seven of the first nine batters he faced over 2 1/3 innings of relief to help Purdue close out a 7-6 victory. But the Scarlet Knights overcame an early 4-1 deficit Saturday to even the series and then raced out to an early 8-0 lead to take the rubber game. The Boilermakers committed nine errors in the series.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2018 SWEEP OF RUTGERS
• Purdue closed out April last season with a three-game sweep of Rutgers at Alexander Field, posting a pair of shutout wins. The Boilermakers held the lead for 26 of the 27 innings, all but the first inning of game 1. That weekend accounted for more than half of a streak of 50 consecutive innings in which Purdue did not trail from April 22 to May 4.
• Trent Johnson worked five-plus innings of two-hit ball in the series finale, leading the Boilermakers to a 1-0 win. It was the second of two shutouts in Big Ten series finales in which Johnson earned the win. He retired 15 of 19 batters faced. Bo Hofstra also contributed to the shutout with two innings of hitless relief as the first man out of the bullpen.
• All three members of Rutgers' current weekend rotation pitched in game 2 of the series. Ben Nisle stole home against lefty Harry Rutkowski, who is now Rutgers' Friday starter. Dalton Parker struck out RU's 2-3-4 hitters in order in the ninth inning to close out the win.
• Tyler Powers executed a 2-run squeeze bunt in the series-opening win. On Powers' bunt up the first base line, Alec Olund scored from second base on a designed play.
• Skyler Hunter threw out a runner at home from center field on a two-out single in the fourth inning of game 1.
• The sweep of the Scarlet Knights was also weekend No. 2 of the Boilermakers' program-record 13-game win streak, which stretched from April 20 to May 9. They also won 13 straight games at home from April 24 to May 19.
HUNTER 15 HITS AWAY FROM 200
• Skyler Hunter enters the weekend with 185 career hits and seems poised to become the 23rd member of Purdue's 200-hit club by mid-May, if not sooner. However, he'll be just the sixth Boilermaker to reach that milestone as a junior. Four of the other five, everyone but all-time hits leader Daryl Hallada, moved on to pro ball after their junior seasons. Hunter will have an opportunity to eclipse Hallada's record (279) should he return for his senior season in 2020.
• PurdueSports.com will have a more in-depth look at the year-by-year hits totals of all members of the 200-hit club as Hunter continues to approach the milestone.
Update: Friday's series finale has been moved up to a noon first pitch due to rain in the forecast.
WEEKEND SERIES INFORMATION
Purdue (12-23, 5-6 B1G) at Rutgers (13-20, 5-4 B1G)
Friday, April 19 to Sunday, April 21 at Noon, 1 p.m. and 11 a.m. ET / BTN Plus on BTN2Go
Bainton Field / Piscataway, New Jersey
All-Time Series: Purdue leads 6-5 / All-Time in Piscataway: Rutgers leads 2-1
2018: Purdue swept a 3-game series (April 27-29 in West Lafayette)
Last Series in Piscataway: Rutgers won 2 of 3 (April 2017)
First Meeting: Purdue 15, Rutgers 9 (March 1999 in Boca Raton, Fla.)
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Andrew Bohm (R-So, RHP) vs. RU's Harry Rutkowski (So, LHP)
Saturday: TBA for Purdue vs. RU's Tommy Genuario (Jr, RHP)
Sunday: TBA for Purdue vs. RU's Tevin Murray (Jr, LHP)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball opens the second half of its Big Ten schedule with its final road trip of April, making its second trip to New Jersey for a three-game series at Rutgers.
Bainton Field in Piscataway is one of two remaining Big Ten ballparks that does not feature lights, along with Northwestern. So it's three day games this weekend in the Garden State. First pitch is set for noon Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Easter Sunday. The Boilermakers also played at Rutgers for Easter Weekend in April 2017.
Purdue was dealt a fairly favorable Big Ten schedule this year, with the second half of the slate featuring last-place Michigan State plus three other teams battling the Boilermakers (5-6 B1G) in the Big Ten Tournament chase. The upcoming series vs. Rutgers (5-4 B1G), Illinois (3-6) and Ohio State (4-5) should all be in significant in the race to make it to Omaha.
Rutgers' sweep of Michigan State last weekend in Piscataway was its first in Big Ten play since joining the league in 2015. The Scarlet Knights are 7-3 at Bainton Field and 7-17 away from home. Purdue has similar home (6-4) and road (6-19) records this season. Rutgers closes out a seven-game homestand this weekend and plays three of its final four series on the road, visiting Michigan (April 26-28), Penn State (May 3-5) and Indiana (May 16-18).
BIG TEN WEEKEND SERIES // APRIL 19-21
• Purdue (5-6) at Rutgers (5-4)
• Nebraska (10-2) at Iowa (7-5)
• Northwestern (5-4) at Michigan (5-3)
• Ohio State (4-5) at Maryland (5-4)
• Indiana (7-2) at Michigan State (0-8)
• Illinios (3-6) at Penn State (1-10)
• Non-Conference: Oklahoma at Minnesota (7-5)
The Boilermakers have some uncertainty in their weekend rotation for the first time this season. They lost Ryan Beard to a knee injury in the eighth inning of Saturday's rubber game vs. Iowa, but are expected to welcome back opening day starter Dalton Parker this weekend. Parker has not pitched since March 1 at Oral Roberts. He may not start this weekend but could be used in relief, a role in which he excelled as an underclassman. Andrew Bohm is the only confirmed starter on the mound for the weekend. James Kulak, Trent Johnson, Patrick J. Smith and Austin Peterson would be the other top candidates to start games in New Jersey.
Meanwhile, the Scarlet Knights have surrendered only 12 runs in their first six Big Ten home games this season. Their series with Ohio State featured 35 innings after games 1 and 3 both went extras. Carmen Sclafani and Tevin Murray have earned Big Ten Player and Pitcher of the Week honors over the last two weeks. Sclafani had four extra-base hits and 12 RBI over the first week of the month. As RU's Sunday starter, Murray pitched six innings of one-hit ball in a shutout win vs. Michigan State.
Skyler Hunter (5-for-12, 3B, 2 RBI) and Bryce Bonner (3-for-10, 2 2B) both hit safely in all three games of Purdue's 2017 series at Rutgers. Hunter has a hit in all six of his career games vs. the Scarlet Knights. The junior has hit safely in every game of a weekend (minimum three games) 18 times in his career. Rutgers is the only Big Ten team he's done it against twice.
In the Boilermakers' series-opening win two years ago, Dalton Parker made his return from a two-week absence. He retired seven of the first nine batters he faced over 2 1/3 innings of relief to help Purdue close out a 7-6 victory. But the Scarlet Knights overcame an early 4-1 deficit Saturday to even the series and then raced out to an early 8-0 lead to take the rubber game. The Boilermakers committed nine errors in the series.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2018 SWEEP OF RUTGERS
• Purdue closed out April last season with a three-game sweep of Rutgers at Alexander Field, posting a pair of shutout wins. The Boilermakers held the lead for 26 of the 27 innings, all but the first inning of game 1. That weekend accounted for more than half of a streak of 50 consecutive innings in which Purdue did not trail from April 22 to May 4.
• Trent Johnson worked five-plus innings of two-hit ball in the series finale, leading the Boilermakers to a 1-0 win. It was the second of two shutouts in Big Ten series finales in which Johnson earned the win. He retired 15 of 19 batters faced. Bo Hofstra also contributed to the shutout with two innings of hitless relief as the first man out of the bullpen.
• All three members of Rutgers' current weekend rotation pitched in game 2 of the series. Ben Nisle stole home against lefty Harry Rutkowski, who is now Rutgers' Friday starter. Dalton Parker struck out RU's 2-3-4 hitters in order in the ninth inning to close out the win.
• Tyler Powers executed a 2-run squeeze bunt in the series-opening win. On Powers' bunt up the first base line, Alec Olund scored from second base on a designed play.
• Skyler Hunter threw out a runner at home from center field on a two-out single in the fourth inning of game 1.
• The sweep of the Scarlet Knights was also weekend No. 2 of the Boilermakers' program-record 13-game win streak, which stretched from April 20 to May 9. They also won 13 straight games at home from April 24 to May 19.
HUNTER 15 HITS AWAY FROM 200
• Skyler Hunter enters the weekend with 185 career hits and seems poised to become the 23rd member of Purdue's 200-hit club by mid-May, if not sooner. However, he'll be just the sixth Boilermaker to reach that milestone as a junior. Four of the other five, everyone but all-time hits leader Daryl Hallada, moved on to pro ball after their junior seasons. Hunter will have an opportunity to eclipse Hallada's record (279) should he return for his senior season in 2020.
• PurdueSports.com will have a more in-depth look at the year-by-year hits totals of all members of the 200-hit club as Hunter continues to approach the milestone.
| REACHED 200-CAREER HIT MILESTONE AS A JUNIOR | ||||||
| Boilermaker | Years at Purdue | Freshman | Sophomore | Junior | End of Junior Year | Career |
| Cameron Perkins | 2010-12 | 74 | 81 | 86 | 241 | 241 |
| Ryne White | 2006-08 | 69 | 90 | 70 | 229 | 229 |
| Mitch Hilligoss | 2004-06 | 49 | 92 | 88 | 229 | 229 |
| Daryl Hallada | 1997-00 | 68 | 78 | 79 | 225 | 279 |
| Kevin Plawecki | 2010-12 | 70 | 72 | 80 | 222 | 222 |
| Skyler Hunter | 2017-Pr | 65 | 78 | 42 | TBD | 185 |