MyKBOStats.com / Boilermakers in Pro Ball
SEOUL, South Korea – Purdue baseball alumnus Josh Lindblom punctuated his career year in the Korea Baseball Organization by helping lead his Doosan Bears team to a championship via a four-game sweep in the Korean Series.
Lindblom (2007-08) worked five innings of one-run ball in Doosan's series-opening win. As his team's ace, he took the ball in the opener of the Korean Series for the second year in a row. But this year the Bears were able to complete a championship campaign, pairing the Korean Series sweep of the Kiwoom Heroes with the best regular-season record (88-55-1) in the 10-team KBO.
Lindblom won 20 games for Doosan this season. He was 20-3 with a 2.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP while recording 189 strikeouts vs. 29 walks in 194 2/3 innings pitched. All of those statistics represented career bests for the right-hander, who has now pitched 4 ½ seasons in the KBO. He won the Choi Dong-won Award (Cy Young equivalent) and a Golden Glove (all-pro honor) in 2018 after going 15-4 with a 2.88 ERA and 1.07 WHIP.
As the KBO leader in wins, WHIP, strikeouts and innings this season, Lindblom is an MVP candidate as well as the favorite to win the Choi Dong-won Award again. He has represented Doosan at the KBO All-Star Game each of the last two years.
Three of Doosan's four victories in the Korean Series came in thrilling fashion. The Bears won each of the first two games on ninth-inning walk-offs, scoring three times in the ninth inning of game 2. In game 4 Saturday, Doosan overcame an early 8-3 deficit, scoring twice in the top of the 10th after Kiwoom sent the game to extras with a two-out run in the bottom of the ninth.
Lindblom surrendered a two-out RBI single in the first inning of the series opener, but responded with four scoreless frames. He struck out five and retired seven consecutive batters after giving up the RBI single. Kiwoom load the bases against him with no outs in the fourth inning, but Lindblom escaped the jam thanks in part to an inning-ending ground ball double play.
The KBO's playoff format awards the regular-season champion with an automatic bid into the Korean Series. The other four playoff qualifiers battle it out in a ladder format. Kiwoom was the No. 3 seed and upset SK Wyverns in the semifinal round. SK Wyverns finished the regular season with the same record (88-55-1) as Doosan, but the Bears won the tiebreaker for the additional bye in the postseason. Last year, Doosan was unable to overcome the long layoff as the top seed and lost in six games to No. 2 seed SK Wyverns. Lindblom started games 1 and 4, and also pitched in relief in game 6 – which went 13 innings.
MORE POSTSEASON SUCCESS FOR BOILERMAKERS IN 2019
• Current Boilermakers Bo Hofstra, Matt Moore and Kyle LaPlante were also part of championship teams this year. Hofstra and Moore helped the Cotuit Kettleers win the Cape Cod League title. LaPlante was also a summer league champion with the Niagara Power of the New York Collegiate League.
• In Minor League Baseball, alumni Tanner Andrews (2015-18) and Patrick J. Smith (2018-19) helped their teams reach the championship series in their leagues. Nick Dalesandro (2016-18) and Jacson McGowan (2016-18) were also part of MiLB playoff qualifiers.
• Andrews struck out eight over six innings of one-run ball in his playoff start for the Clinton LumerKings (Miami Marlins) of the Midwest League. He was the scheduled starter for game 4 of the championship series, but Clinton was swept in three games by South Bend. Andrews finished his first full year of pro ball with a 3.50 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, registering 110 strikeouts in 128 innings.
• Smith worked three innings of one-hit relief to earn the win for the Burlington Royals in a 17-inning thriller in the decisive game of an Appalachian League Division Series.
WITTGREN ENJOYS CAREER YEAR, MINCH AN ALL-STAR IN AFL
• Nick Wittgren (2011-12) was one of the most consistent relief pitchers for the Cleveland Indians in 2019, enjoying a career year at the big-league level. Purdue's all-time saves leader was 5-1 with four saves and 12 holds in 55 appearances for Cleveland. He recorded 60 strikeouts vs. 47 hits allowed in 57 2/3 innings. The Indians' 93 wins were the most of any MLB team that did not qualify for the postseason this year.
• Jordan Minch (2013-14) was selected to pitch in the prestigious Arizona Fall League in September and October. In eight relief appearances for the Mesa Solar Sox (Chicago Cubs), the lefty racked up 14 strikeouts vs. only one walk. He was selected for and pitched in the AFL's Fall Stars Game on Oct. 12.
SEOUL, South Korea – Purdue baseball alumnus Josh Lindblom punctuated his career year in the Korea Baseball Organization by helping lead his Doosan Bears team to a championship via a four-game sweep in the Korean Series.
Lindblom (2007-08) worked five innings of one-run ball in Doosan's series-opening win. As his team's ace, he took the ball in the opener of the Korean Series for the second year in a row. But this year the Bears were able to complete a championship campaign, pairing the Korean Series sweep of the Kiwoom Heroes with the best regular-season record (88-55-1) in the 10-team KBO.
Lindblom won 20 games for Doosan this season. He was 20-3 with a 2.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP while recording 189 strikeouts vs. 29 walks in 194 2/3 innings pitched. All of those statistics represented career bests for the right-hander, who has now pitched 4 ½ seasons in the KBO. He won the Choi Dong-won Award (Cy Young equivalent) and a Golden Glove (all-pro honor) in 2018 after going 15-4 with a 2.88 ERA and 1.07 WHIP.
As the KBO leader in wins, WHIP, strikeouts and innings this season, Lindblom is an MVP candidate as well as the favorite to win the Choi Dong-won Award again. He has represented Doosan at the KBO All-Star Game each of the last two years.
Three of Doosan's four victories in the Korean Series came in thrilling fashion. The Bears won each of the first two games on ninth-inning walk-offs, scoring three times in the ninth inning of game 2. In game 4 Saturday, Doosan overcame an early 8-3 deficit, scoring twice in the top of the 10th after Kiwoom sent the game to extras with a two-out run in the bottom of the ninth.
Lindblom surrendered a two-out RBI single in the first inning of the series opener, but responded with four scoreless frames. He struck out five and retired seven consecutive batters after giving up the RBI single. Kiwoom load the bases against him with no outs in the fourth inning, but Lindblom escaped the jam thanks in part to an inning-ending ground ball double play.
The KBO's playoff format awards the regular-season champion with an automatic bid into the Korean Series. The other four playoff qualifiers battle it out in a ladder format. Kiwoom was the No. 3 seed and upset SK Wyverns in the semifinal round. SK Wyverns finished the regular season with the same record (88-55-1) as Doosan, but the Bears won the tiebreaker for the additional bye in the postseason. Last year, Doosan was unable to overcome the long layoff as the top seed and lost in six games to No. 2 seed SK Wyverns. Lindblom started games 1 and 4, and also pitched in relief in game 6 – which went 13 innings.
MORE POSTSEASON SUCCESS FOR BOILERMAKERS IN 2019
• Current Boilermakers Bo Hofstra, Matt Moore and Kyle LaPlante were also part of championship teams this year. Hofstra and Moore helped the Cotuit Kettleers win the Cape Cod League title. LaPlante was also a summer league champion with the Niagara Power of the New York Collegiate League.
• In Minor League Baseball, alumni Tanner Andrews (2015-18) and Patrick J. Smith (2018-19) helped their teams reach the championship series in their leagues. Nick Dalesandro (2016-18) and Jacson McGowan (2016-18) were also part of MiLB playoff qualifiers.
• Andrews struck out eight over six innings of one-run ball in his playoff start for the Clinton LumerKings (Miami Marlins) of the Midwest League. He was the scheduled starter for game 4 of the championship series, but Clinton was swept in three games by South Bend. Andrews finished his first full year of pro ball with a 3.50 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, registering 110 strikeouts in 128 innings.
• Smith worked three innings of one-hit relief to earn the win for the Burlington Royals in a 17-inning thriller in the decisive game of an Appalachian League Division Series.
WITTGREN ENJOYS CAREER YEAR, MINCH AN ALL-STAR IN AFL
• Nick Wittgren (2011-12) was one of the most consistent relief pitchers for the Cleveland Indians in 2019, enjoying a career year at the big-league level. Purdue's all-time saves leader was 5-1 with four saves and 12 holds in 55 appearances for Cleveland. He recorded 60 strikeouts vs. 47 hits allowed in 57 2/3 innings. The Indians' 93 wins were the most of any MLB team that did not qualify for the postseason this year.
• Jordan Minch (2013-14) was selected to pitch in the prestigious Arizona Fall League in September and October. In eight relief appearances for the Mesa Solar Sox (Chicago Cubs), the lefty racked up 14 strikeouts vs. only one walk. He was selected for and pitched in the AFL's Fall Stars Game on Oct. 12.