ROSEMONT, Ill. – As three of Purdue baseball's most experienced performers and key parts of the program's last NCAA Regional appearance in 2018, Skyler Hunter, Ben Nisle and Trent Johnson were selected to represent the Boilermakers on the Big Ten's preseason honors list.
Hunter and Nisle were both featured on the preseason list for the second time in their careers. They'll likely be among the top three in the first lineup of the season for Friday's season opener vs. Nebraska. Johnson has pitched on Opening Day three years in a row, but Purdue's weekend rotation for this weekend is still pending.
Hunter and Nisle each batted over .300 during last year's abbreviated 14-game campaign. Hunter utilized the NCAA's eligibility extension to return as a fifth-year senior. The four-year starter in center field continues to chase Purdue's all-time hits record (279), held by Daryl Hallada (1997-00). In 2019, Hunter became just the sixth Boilermaker to register his 200th career hit as a junior. After collecting a team-high 17 knocks in the 14 games last season, he enters the 44-game campaign with 221 as a Boilermaker. Purdue's leadoff man also has an opportunity to eclipse the program record in triples (13), entering the season with 11 thanks in part to leading the Big Ten with six in 2019.
Historically speaking, Johnson has been one of the stingiest pitchers in program history. The right-hander has surrendered only 75 hits in 116 career innings, good for a 5.82 hits per nine innings mark that stands as program record (minimum 75 innings). He's also top five in team history in strikeouts per nine (9.70, 2nd), ERA (2.56, 4th) and WHIP (1.15, 5th).
Johnson was an All-Big Ten Freshman Team starting pitcher in 2018, but it was Nisle that was the true breakout star of the freshman class that year. His run production in the 5-hole led to him leading the team in batting average (.344) and RBI (18) in Big Ten play, which in turn made him a unanimous selection for the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. He was off to a fine start over the first month as a sophomore when a back injury flared up and sidelined him until the penultimate weekend of the season. With a .320 average and team-high 16 runs scored over the 14 games last season, he proved he was healthy and productive again. He's projected to open the season as Purdue's 3-hole hitter again.
Hunter and Nisle headline a lineup that could featured a returning starter at every position if second-year head coach Greg Goff chose to do so. Miles Simington and Zac Fascia are the key left-handed bats that should balance out the middle of the order. Evan Albrecht is also back after producing a .364 average (16-for-44) with a team-high 14 RBI in the small sample size.
Johnson, Cory Brooks and Jett Jackson are all back on the mound after accounting for 10 of the 14 starts in 2020. Juniors James Kulak and Kyle Wade are also back and now upperclassmen. Purdue has added four junior college transfers – Calvin Schapira, Calvin Starnes, Nolan Daniel and Landon Weins – plus St. John's transfer Avery Cook (a redshirt freshman) to the pitching staff. They are all projected to take on various roles either in the rotation or bullpen.
After not qualifying for the eight-team Big Ten Tournament in 2019 coupled with the coaching change that summer, Purdue was somewhat predictably not picked among the top six in the conference's preseason poll. The top six is comprised of entirely of teams that did qualify for the 2019 Big Ten Tournament. Michigan is once again the preseason favorite after reaching the championship series of the College World Series in 2019.
One positive of the league's 44-game conference-only schedule is it will produce a true Big Ten champion thanks to all 13 teams playing each during the regular season. Since the Big Ten expanded to 13 teams in time for the 2015 baseball season, the league schedule has broken down into groups of four – home, away and don't play – as part of the 24-game slate and eight conference weekends. During Purdue's 2012 Big Ten championship season, the Boilermakers did not play second-place Indiana until the conference tournament. When Purdue returned to the Big Ten Tournament again in 2017, its first two opponents – Nebraska and Maryland – were teams it did not play in the regular season. Three years ago, the Boilermakers did not play fourth-place Illinois at any point until the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
Purdue opens its campaign with a four-game series vs. Nebraska at Dell Diamond, a Triple-A stadium in Round Rock, Texas. The Boilermakers and Huskers have only played four games against each other since April 2016.
BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL (TOP 6)
1.) Michigan
2.) Indiana
3.) Ohio State
4.) Iowa
5.) Maryland
6.) Illinois
Hunter and Nisle were both featured on the preseason list for the second time in their careers. They'll likely be among the top three in the first lineup of the season for Friday's season opener vs. Nebraska. Johnson has pitched on Opening Day three years in a row, but Purdue's weekend rotation for this weekend is still pending.
Hunter and Nisle each batted over .300 during last year's abbreviated 14-game campaign. Hunter utilized the NCAA's eligibility extension to return as a fifth-year senior. The four-year starter in center field continues to chase Purdue's all-time hits record (279), held by Daryl Hallada (1997-00). In 2019, Hunter became just the sixth Boilermaker to register his 200th career hit as a junior. After collecting a team-high 17 knocks in the 14 games last season, he enters the 44-game campaign with 221 as a Boilermaker. Purdue's leadoff man also has an opportunity to eclipse the program record in triples (13), entering the season with 11 thanks in part to leading the Big Ten with six in 2019.
Historically speaking, Johnson has been one of the stingiest pitchers in program history. The right-hander has surrendered only 75 hits in 116 career innings, good for a 5.82 hits per nine innings mark that stands as program record (minimum 75 innings). He's also top five in team history in strikeouts per nine (9.70, 2nd), ERA (2.56, 4th) and WHIP (1.15, 5th).
Johnson was an All-Big Ten Freshman Team starting pitcher in 2018, but it was Nisle that was the true breakout star of the freshman class that year. His run production in the 5-hole led to him leading the team in batting average (.344) and RBI (18) in Big Ten play, which in turn made him a unanimous selection for the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. He was off to a fine start over the first month as a sophomore when a back injury flared up and sidelined him until the penultimate weekend of the season. With a .320 average and team-high 16 runs scored over the 14 games last season, he proved he was healthy and productive again. He's projected to open the season as Purdue's 3-hole hitter again.
Hunter and Nisle headline a lineup that could featured a returning starter at every position if second-year head coach Greg Goff chose to do so. Miles Simington and Zac Fascia are the key left-handed bats that should balance out the middle of the order. Evan Albrecht is also back after producing a .364 average (16-for-44) with a team-high 14 RBI in the small sample size.
Johnson, Cory Brooks and Jett Jackson are all back on the mound after accounting for 10 of the 14 starts in 2020. Juniors James Kulak and Kyle Wade are also back and now upperclassmen. Purdue has added four junior college transfers – Calvin Schapira, Calvin Starnes, Nolan Daniel and Landon Weins – plus St. John's transfer Avery Cook (a redshirt freshman) to the pitching staff. They are all projected to take on various roles either in the rotation or bullpen.
After not qualifying for the eight-team Big Ten Tournament in 2019 coupled with the coaching change that summer, Purdue was somewhat predictably not picked among the top six in the conference's preseason poll. The top six is comprised of entirely of teams that did qualify for the 2019 Big Ten Tournament. Michigan is once again the preseason favorite after reaching the championship series of the College World Series in 2019.
One positive of the league's 44-game conference-only schedule is it will produce a true Big Ten champion thanks to all 13 teams playing each during the regular season. Since the Big Ten expanded to 13 teams in time for the 2015 baseball season, the league schedule has broken down into groups of four – home, away and don't play – as part of the 24-game slate and eight conference weekends. During Purdue's 2012 Big Ten championship season, the Boilermakers did not play second-place Indiana until the conference tournament. When Purdue returned to the Big Ten Tournament again in 2017, its first two opponents – Nebraska and Maryland – were teams it did not play in the regular season. Three years ago, the Boilermakers did not play fourth-place Illinois at any point until the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
Purdue opens its campaign with a four-game series vs. Nebraska at Dell Diamond, a Triple-A stadium in Round Rock, Texas. The Boilermakers and Huskers have only played four games against each other since April 2016.
BIG TEN PRESEASON POLL (TOP 6)
1.) Michigan
2.) Indiana
3.) Ohio State
4.) Iowa
5.) Maryland
6.) Illinois