Season Stat Pack
Season Recaps: 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball eclipsed a trio of team records for strikeouts and led the Big Ten in triples through the end of the regular season, but could not capitalize on another 4-1 start in conference play during a campaign that ultimately proved to be a rebuilding season.
The Boilermakers (20-34, 7-16 B1G) went 13-10 at Alexander Field to post just their second winning season at home since the ballpark opened in 2013. However, Purdue was 5-23 in true road games, with that win total representing the program's second fewest this century. Twenty-one of those 28 road games, and 19 of the losses, were against teams that either qualified for an NCAA Regional in 2018 or 2019.
The Boilermakers were at their best as both March and April came to a close. Purdue won six of its final seven games in March, jumping out to a 4-1 start in Big Ten play for the second year in a row thanks to a series win at Northwestern and a two-game sweep in a weather-shortened series vs. Penn State. But the Boilermakers did not win a conference series the rest of the season, losing 15 of their final 18 Big Ten games.
Having won five of their first six games during a season-long nine-game homestand from April 23 to May 7, Purdue was still in great shape in the Big Ten Tournament chase after Zac Fascia's two-run homer in the seventh inning was the difference in a 2-0 series-opening win vs. Michigan State on May 3. The Boilermakers were 7-8 in league play at the end of the night, but did not win a conference game the rest of the season.
Purdue was swept five times in 2019 after it had lost all three games of a series only twice in its first two seasons under head coach Mark Wasikowski. In two of those series – their first and final road series of the year against Regional qualifiers Southern Miss and Illinois – the Boilermakers held the lead at one point in all three games. They dropped both of those series openers in extra innings en route to posting a 1-4 mark in games longer than nine innings.
Purdue won three weekend rubber games in a season for the first time since 2011, but rubber-game losses to Iowa, Rutgers and Michigan State helped keep the Boilermakers out of the eight-team Big Ten Tournament. The April 28 rubber-game win vs. Southeast Missouri State was oddly Purdue's first rubber-game victory at home since the 2009 regular-season finale.
The pitching staff racked up 10-plus strikeouts in a game 24 times, which is believed to be a program record and confirmed to be the most since at least 2001. The team's 477 strikeouts and 9.10 strikeouts per nine innings both eclipsed program benchmarks established in 2010 (435, 7.76 K/9). Trent Johnson (73 K in 60 1/3 IP), Andrew Bohm (73 in 65), Patrick J. Smith (70 in 60), Austin Peterson (49 in 48), Bo Hofstra (47 in 39), Matt Moore (35 in 28) and James Kulak (27 in 25 2/3) all had more strikeouts than innings pitched while working at least 25 innings.
However, even while leading the Big Ten in triples (17) and posting the team's highest total since the 2012 Big Ten championship season, Purdue finished the year with a slash line of .239/.331/.313 and 90 extra-base hits. In the BBCOR bat era (2011-present), only the 2014 team struggled more offensively (.235/.316/.305, 87 XBH) while also playing four fewer games. The Boilermakers were shut out seven times, matching the 2016 team for the most this decade.
The injury bug was also an issue this season. Purdue had five important returning letterwinners miss significant time. While already having to replace nine key players from 2018's 38-win team – the Boilermakers' catcher, first baseman, shortstop, third baseman, right fielder, designated hitter, top two starting pitchers and closer – those additional missed games proved lethal to Purdue's postseason prospects. Those injuries included…
• Ben Nisle – Sidelined from March 13 to May 7
• Dalton Parker – Sidelined from March 9 to April 16
• Nick Evarts – Suffered an injury April 7; unable to start again until May 7
• Ryan Beard – Suffered a season-ending injury April 13
• Trevor Cheaney – Sidelined for the entire season, redshirting due to a preseason injury
With only three seniors on the active roster this year, the Boilermakers could potentially return over 25 letterwinners for the 2020 campaign.
ALL-BIG TEN
Bo Hofstra – Third Team Relief Pitcher
Cole McKenzie – Third Team At-Large
MLB DRAFT PICK
Patrick J. Smith – 33rd Round, Kansas City Royals
BUSTER POSEY AWARD WATCH LIST
Zac Fascia
BIG TEN SPORTSMANSHIP
Bryce Bonner
WALK-OFF WINS
Mach 9 – Purdue 9, NJIT 8 in Bottom 9th (Game-Winning Walk: Cole McKenzie)
March 31 – Purdue 2, Penn State 1 in Bottom 10th (Game-Winning Sac Fly: Cole McKenzie)
MORE LAST AT-BAT WINS
Feb. 23 – Purdue 4, No. 14 Texas 0 (Boilermakers score 4 in Top 9th)
March 10 – Purdue 3, NJIT 2 (Boilermakers score 2 in Bottom 8th)
April 16 – Purdue 5, Butler 3 (Boilermakers score 2 in Bottom 8th)
May 14 – Purdue 4, Xavier 3 (Boilermakers score 1 in Bottom 8th)
PURDUE STRIKEOUT RECORDS
Single-Game Team Total: 18 (April 10 at Indiana)
Single-Season Team Total: 477
Strikeouts Per 9 Innings: 9.10
Trent Johnson Strikeouts Per 9 Innings: 10.89 (Record for minimum 60 innings)
STATISTICAL MILESTONES
Trent Johnson – 100th Career Strikeout, May 3 vs. Michigan State (7th Boilermaker to Reach 100 as a Sophomore)
Skyler Hunter – 200th Career Hit, May 11 at Illinois (6th Boilermaker to Reach 200 as a Junior)
Andrew Bohm – 100th Career Strikeout, May 18 vs. Ohio State (8th Boilermaker to Reach 100 as a Sophomore)
Trent Johnson – 10 Strikeouts (vs. 15 Batters Faced) as a Reliever, March 23 at Northwestern
LED THE BIG TEN THROUGH THE END OF REGULAR SEASON
Skyler Hunter – 6 Triples
Zac Fascia – 18 Base Stealers Thrown Out
Evan Albrecht – 9 Sacrifice Bunts
Trent Johnson – .163 Batting Average Against in Big Ten Play
NOTABLE STREAKS
Zac Fascia – 15-Game Hit Streak (April 20-May 14)
Skyler Hunter – 14-Game Hit Streak (March 24-April 19)
Ryan Howe – 11-Game Hit Streak in Big Ten Play (April 13-May 12)
Milo Beam – 6-Game RBI Streak (April 21-28)
Skyler Hunter – Reached Base Safely in 24 Consecutive Games (March 20-April 28)
Cole McKenzie – Reached Base Safely Multiple Times in 12 Straight Games (April 13-May 3)
Cole McKenzie – Reached Base Safely in 22 Consecutive Games (April 13-End of 2019)
Trent Johnson – 14 2/3 Consecutive Scoreless Innings in Big Ten Play (April 7-May 3)
Cory Brooks – 11 Consecutive Scoreless Innings to Begin His College Career (April 16-May 12)
Zac Fascia – 79 Consecutive Innings Behind the Plate (March 19-April 5)
TEAM AWARDS
MVP – Cole McKenzie
Red Mackey Award (Excellence by a Senior) – Patrick J. Smith
Offensive Player of the Year – Zac Fascia
Defensive Player of the Year – Ryan Howe
Pitchers of the Year – Trent Johnson and Bo Hofstra
Clyde Lyle Award (Top Non-Scholarship Performer) – Kyle Wade
Mr. Boilermaker Award (Attitude) – Bryce Bonner
Newcomer of the Year – Cole McKenzie
ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN (3.0+ GPA)
Nick Evarts
Bo Hofstra
Owen Jansen
Trent Johnson
Ben Nisle
Dalton Parker
Johnny Sage
Patrick J. Smith
GAMES AGAINST 2019 NCAA REGIONAL TEAMS (18)
3 vs. Southern Miss
2 vs. Indiana State
3 vs. Jacksonville State
3 vs. Nebraska
1 vs. Indiana
3 vs. Illinois
3 vs. Ohio State
Season Recaps: 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball eclipsed a trio of team records for strikeouts and led the Big Ten in triples through the end of the regular season, but could not capitalize on another 4-1 start in conference play during a campaign that ultimately proved to be a rebuilding season.
The Boilermakers (20-34, 7-16 B1G) went 13-10 at Alexander Field to post just their second winning season at home since the ballpark opened in 2013. However, Purdue was 5-23 in true road games, with that win total representing the program's second fewest this century. Twenty-one of those 28 road games, and 19 of the losses, were against teams that either qualified for an NCAA Regional in 2018 or 2019.
The Boilermakers were at their best as both March and April came to a close. Purdue won six of its final seven games in March, jumping out to a 4-1 start in Big Ten play for the second year in a row thanks to a series win at Northwestern and a two-game sweep in a weather-shortened series vs. Penn State. But the Boilermakers did not win a conference series the rest of the season, losing 15 of their final 18 Big Ten games.
Having won five of their first six games during a season-long nine-game homestand from April 23 to May 7, Purdue was still in great shape in the Big Ten Tournament chase after Zac Fascia's two-run homer in the seventh inning was the difference in a 2-0 series-opening win vs. Michigan State on May 3. The Boilermakers were 7-8 in league play at the end of the night, but did not win a conference game the rest of the season.
Purdue was swept five times in 2019 after it had lost all three games of a series only twice in its first two seasons under head coach Mark Wasikowski. In two of those series – their first and final road series of the year against Regional qualifiers Southern Miss and Illinois – the Boilermakers held the lead at one point in all three games. They dropped both of those series openers in extra innings en route to posting a 1-4 mark in games longer than nine innings.
Purdue won three weekend rubber games in a season for the first time since 2011, but rubber-game losses to Iowa, Rutgers and Michigan State helped keep the Boilermakers out of the eight-team Big Ten Tournament. The April 28 rubber-game win vs. Southeast Missouri State was oddly Purdue's first rubber-game victory at home since the 2009 regular-season finale.
The pitching staff racked up 10-plus strikeouts in a game 24 times, which is believed to be a program record and confirmed to be the most since at least 2001. The team's 477 strikeouts and 9.10 strikeouts per nine innings both eclipsed program benchmarks established in 2010 (435, 7.76 K/9). Trent Johnson (73 K in 60 1/3 IP), Andrew Bohm (73 in 65), Patrick J. Smith (70 in 60), Austin Peterson (49 in 48), Bo Hofstra (47 in 39), Matt Moore (35 in 28) and James Kulak (27 in 25 2/3) all had more strikeouts than innings pitched while working at least 25 innings.
However, even while leading the Big Ten in triples (17) and posting the team's highest total since the 2012 Big Ten championship season, Purdue finished the year with a slash line of .239/.331/.313 and 90 extra-base hits. In the BBCOR bat era (2011-present), only the 2014 team struggled more offensively (.235/.316/.305, 87 XBH) while also playing four fewer games. The Boilermakers were shut out seven times, matching the 2016 team for the most this decade.
The injury bug was also an issue this season. Purdue had five important returning letterwinners miss significant time. While already having to replace nine key players from 2018's 38-win team – the Boilermakers' catcher, first baseman, shortstop, third baseman, right fielder, designated hitter, top two starting pitchers and closer – those additional missed games proved lethal to Purdue's postseason prospects. Those injuries included…
• Ben Nisle – Sidelined from March 13 to May 7
• Dalton Parker – Sidelined from March 9 to April 16
• Nick Evarts – Suffered an injury April 7; unable to start again until May 7
• Ryan Beard – Suffered a season-ending injury April 13
• Trevor Cheaney – Sidelined for the entire season, redshirting due to a preseason injury
With only three seniors on the active roster this year, the Boilermakers could potentially return over 25 letterwinners for the 2020 campaign.
ALL-BIG TEN
Bo Hofstra – Third Team Relief Pitcher
Cole McKenzie – Third Team At-Large
MLB DRAFT PICK
Patrick J. Smith – 33rd Round, Kansas City Royals
BUSTER POSEY AWARD WATCH LIST
Zac Fascia
BIG TEN SPORTSMANSHIP
Bryce Bonner
WALK-OFF WINS
Mach 9 – Purdue 9, NJIT 8 in Bottom 9th (Game-Winning Walk: Cole McKenzie)
March 31 – Purdue 2, Penn State 1 in Bottom 10th (Game-Winning Sac Fly: Cole McKenzie)
MORE LAST AT-BAT WINS
Feb. 23 – Purdue 4, No. 14 Texas 0 (Boilermakers score 4 in Top 9th)
March 10 – Purdue 3, NJIT 2 (Boilermakers score 2 in Bottom 8th)
April 16 – Purdue 5, Butler 3 (Boilermakers score 2 in Bottom 8th)
May 14 – Purdue 4, Xavier 3 (Boilermakers score 1 in Bottom 8th)
PURDUE STRIKEOUT RECORDS
Single-Game Team Total: 18 (April 10 at Indiana)
Single-Season Team Total: 477
Strikeouts Per 9 Innings: 9.10
Trent Johnson Strikeouts Per 9 Innings: 10.89 (Record for minimum 60 innings)
STATISTICAL MILESTONES
Trent Johnson – 100th Career Strikeout, May 3 vs. Michigan State (7th Boilermaker to Reach 100 as a Sophomore)
Skyler Hunter – 200th Career Hit, May 11 at Illinois (6th Boilermaker to Reach 200 as a Junior)
Andrew Bohm – 100th Career Strikeout, May 18 vs. Ohio State (8th Boilermaker to Reach 100 as a Sophomore)
Trent Johnson – 10 Strikeouts (vs. 15 Batters Faced) as a Reliever, March 23 at Northwestern
LED THE BIG TEN THROUGH THE END OF REGULAR SEASON
Skyler Hunter – 6 Triples
Zac Fascia – 18 Base Stealers Thrown Out
Evan Albrecht – 9 Sacrifice Bunts
Trent Johnson – .163 Batting Average Against in Big Ten Play
NOTABLE STREAKS
Zac Fascia – 15-Game Hit Streak (April 20-May 14)
Skyler Hunter – 14-Game Hit Streak (March 24-April 19)
Ryan Howe – 11-Game Hit Streak in Big Ten Play (April 13-May 12)
Milo Beam – 6-Game RBI Streak (April 21-28)
Skyler Hunter – Reached Base Safely in 24 Consecutive Games (March 20-April 28)
Cole McKenzie – Reached Base Safely Multiple Times in 12 Straight Games (April 13-May 3)
Cole McKenzie – Reached Base Safely in 22 Consecutive Games (April 13-End of 2019)
Trent Johnson – 14 2/3 Consecutive Scoreless Innings in Big Ten Play (April 7-May 3)
Cory Brooks – 11 Consecutive Scoreless Innings to Begin His College Career (April 16-May 12)
Zac Fascia – 79 Consecutive Innings Behind the Plate (March 19-April 5)
TEAM AWARDS
MVP – Cole McKenzie
Red Mackey Award (Excellence by a Senior) – Patrick J. Smith
Offensive Player of the Year – Zac Fascia
Defensive Player of the Year – Ryan Howe
Pitchers of the Year – Trent Johnson and Bo Hofstra
Clyde Lyle Award (Top Non-Scholarship Performer) – Kyle Wade
Mr. Boilermaker Award (Attitude) – Bryce Bonner
Newcomer of the Year – Cole McKenzie
ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN (3.0+ GPA)
Nick Evarts
Bo Hofstra
Owen Jansen
Trent Johnson
Ben Nisle
Dalton Parker
Johnny Sage
Patrick J. Smith
GAMES AGAINST 2019 NCAA REGIONAL TEAMS (18)
3 vs. Southern Miss
2 vs. Indiana State
3 vs. Jacksonville State
3 vs. Nebraska
1 vs. Indiana
3 vs. Illinois
3 vs. Ohio State