Season Recap: Unique Campaign Filled with Plenty of High Points, OdditiesSeason Recap: Unique Campaign Filled with Plenty of High Points, Oddities

Season Recap: Unique Campaign Filled with Plenty of High Points, Oddities

Purdue baseball's 2021 season was filled with a unique blend of accomplishments and oddities, which proved fitting within the context of the unprecedented conference-only schedule the Boilermakers and their Big Ten comrades were required to play.

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball's 2021 season was filled with a unique blend of accomplishments and oddities, which proved fitting within the context of the unprecedented conference-only schedule the Boilermakers and their Big Ten comrades were required to play.

Purdue's campaign was both unusual and exciting. Among the unique elements, it featured…
A walk-off win on Opening Day vs. Nebraska in Round Rock, Texas.
A seven-run ninth inning vs. Rutgers during the home-opening weekend, a rally punctuated by the program's first walk-off home run since 2006.
A perfect 4-0 weekend in Champaign, Illinois, where the Boilermakers had won only one game in the last 10 years.
A 31-run slugfest win at Ohio State in which Purdue hit two sets of back-to-back home runs.
A season finale vs. Minnesota in which the team overcame a 6-1 deficit to send the seniors out a winner.
Two Monday games – Purdue had only played six Monday games since 2010 – but no games on Wednesday, the only day of the week in which it did not play.

The Boilermakers won five of their final seven games to finish strong. In mid-April, they also became the first Big Ten team to sweep one of the league's three-team pods, beating Michigan State and Illinois twice apiece in Champaign to flip the script after a 1-11 stretch at Illinois Field from 2013 to 2019. League champion Nebraska was the only other team to sweep a three-team pod during the season and there were 11 pods contested over the course of the year.

Season Recaps: 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019

By the time Purdue took the field for its March 26 home opener, it had already played the toughest schedule over the first three weekends of the season – drawing Nebraska, Michigan and Indiana for its first three opponents. That trio finished the season with a combined 84-47 record. That March 26 game was the first at Alexander Field in 678 days after the 2020 campaign was shut down due to the pandemic on March 12 before the Boilermakers could play their home opener. Around the league, only Northwestern (9) played fewer home games than Purdue's 13 this season. Dating back to Valentine's Day 2020, through no fault of their own, the Boilermakers have played 43 of their last 56 games away from Alexander.

Four different Purdue players hit a grand slam. Dating back to 2017, the Boilermakers had hit just two slams. Purdue hit three sets of back-to-back home runs, including the first set in the history of Alexander Field. Dating back to 2011, the Boilermakers had gone back-to-back only once.

Purdue's 4-0 weekend in Champaign was bookended by two vastly different games – a 2-1 victory in 11 innings vs. MSU and a 20-7 blowout of the Illini two days later. The MSU win was the Boilermakers' third of the season in walk-off fashion, each of the three coming in a different stadium. Evan Albrecht drove in the game-tying run in the ninth and game-winning tally two innings later. Jeremy Schork's grand slam Monday helped Purdue reach the 20-run mark in a Big Ten game for the first time since 2006. On Sunday of that weekend, the Boilermakers beat two different teams on the same day for only the sixth time since 1993.

The 13 ninth-inning runs Purdue scored in Champaign were a big reason why the team scored 41 runs in the ninth this season, the program's best total since at least 2001 even while batting in the ninth only 36 times.

The Boilermakers fielded one of their best outfields in recent history. Ben Nisle and Miles Simington were both named All-Big Ten while starting every game in the corners, giving Purdue a pair of all-conference honorees in the outfield for the first time since 2011 and sixth time ever. Five-year starter in center field Skyler Hunter closed out his career third on the program's all-time hits list with 268, most among active players in the Big Ten as the season came to an end.

Senior Trent Johnson joined alumnus and big leaguer Jay Buente (2003-06) as the only Boilermakers to pitch on Opening Day four years in a row. He was Purdue's Opening Day starter for the second year in a row, finishing his career with the best strikeouts per nine innings marks in program history for all games (minimum 125 innings) and Big Ten play (minimum 80 innings).

The Boilermakers are bidding adieu to eight seniors, an important group that helped lead the program through the uncertainty and adversity of the last two years, but are slated to return a number of experienced players for the 2022 campaign.

ALL-BIG TEN
Ben Nisle – Third Team Outfielder
Miles Simington – Third Team Outfielder
Mike Bolton Jr. – Third Team DH

ABCA/RAWLINGS ALL-MIDWEST REGION
Ben Nisle – Second Team Outfielder

BUSTER POSEY AWARD WATCH LIST
Zac Fascia

BRADY COMEBACK SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
Jackson Smeltz

BIG TEN SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Trent Johnson

WALK-OFF WINS / WATCH
March 5 in Round Rock, Texas – Purdue 6, Nebraska 5 (Game-Winning Sac Fly: Zac Fascia)
March 27 at Alexander Field – Purdue 7, Rutgers 4 (Game-Winning Home Run: Mason Gavre)
April 17 in Champaign, Ill. – Purdue 2, Michigan State 1 (Game-Winning Sac Fly: Evan Albrecht)
…Ben Nisle scored the game-winning run & Jackson Smeltz was the winning pitcher in all 3 games

GRAND SLAMS / WATCH
March 26 at Alexander Field – Cam Thompson (1st Collegiate Home Run)
April 19 in Champaign, Ill. – Jeremy Schork (1st Collegiate Home Run)
May 20 in Minneapolis – Jake Parr (1st Collegiate Home Run)
May 21 in Minneapolis – Miles Simington (2nd Slam as a Boilermaker)

BACK-TO-BACK HOME RUNS
April 23 at Alexander Field – Kyle LaPlante & Ryan Howe (1st Set in History of Alexander Field) / WATCH
May 2 in Columbus, Ohio – Miles Simington & Ben Nisle / WATCH
May 2 in Columbus, Ohio – Ben Nisle & Zac Fascia (1st Time Since 2003 Purdue did it Twice in Same Game) / WATCH

INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM RECORDS
Trent Johnson – Career strikeouts per nine innings (9.297, minimum 125 IP), Career strikeouts per nine innings in Big Ten play (9.265, minimum 80 IP), Season strikeouts in Big Ten play (63), Season innings pitched in Big Ten play (66)
Skyler Hunter – Career triples in Big Ten play (6), Career at-bats in Big Ten play (444), Season at-bats in Big Ten play (165)
Miles Simington – Season doubles in Big Ten play (14)
Mike Bolton Jr. – Season stolen bases in Big Ten play (17), Season hit by pitch in Big Ten play (13)
Ben Nisle – Season total bases in Big Ten play (91)
Calvin Schapira – Season games started in Big Ten play (12)

STATISTICAL MILESTONES & NOTABLES
Skyler Hunter moved into third place in program history with 268 career hits
Ben Nisle (.318/.421/.580, 1.001) became 2nd Boilermaker of BBCOR bat era (since 2011) with a 1.000 OPS
Mike Bolton Jr. matched the most stolen bases (17-for-17) in a perfect season since 2001
Ben Nisle became the first Boilermaker since at least the start of 2001 to homer in 5 consecutive weekends
Cory Brooks worked scoreless innings April 25 vs. Illinois, becoming the first Boilermaker since 2017 and just the 17th since 2001 to pitch eight scoreless innings in an outing.
Trent Johnson matched his career high with 10 strikeouts April 11, becoming the first Boilermaker with two double-figure strikeout games in his career since 2012
Jett Jackson struck out 10 of 20 batters faced in his season-opening start vs. league champion Nebraska, becoming just the seventh Boilermaker since 2005 to punch out at least half the batters faced while registering a minimum five Ks
Purdue racked up 46 strikeouts over 32 innings in the season-opening series vs. Nebraska, its most ever in a four-game series.
The Boilermakers surrendered only 24 hits in 38 innings (5.68 H/9) while winning all four of their games in the Champaign pod, registering their fewest hits allowed per nine innings in a four-game weekend since 2006.
April 23 vs. Illinois, the Boilermakers hit three home runs in an inning (9th) for the first time since February 2017 and only the fourth time since 2001. Ben Nisle, Kyle LaPlante and Ryan Howe all went deep in the frame.

OFFENSIVE OUTBURSTS
April 19 in Champaign, Ill. – Purdue 20, Illinois 6 (First 20-run game in Big Ten play since 2006)
May 2 in Columbus – Purdue 16, Ohio State 15 (Most combined runs in a game since 2010)
May 22 in Minneapolis – Purdue 17, Minnesota 4 (Most runs in Minneapolis)

NOTABLE STREAKS
Ben Nisle – 13-Game Hit Streak (April 30-May 30)
Miles Simington – 21-Game On-Base Streak (March 26-May 11)
Tyler Powers – 15-Game On-Base Streak (March 12-April 12)
Ben Nisle – 16-Game On-Base Streak (March 26-April 24)
Ben Nisle – 14-Game On-Base Streak (April 30-End of Season)
Skyler Hunter – 12-Game On-Base Streak (March 27-April 19)
Mason Gavre – 10-Game On-Base Streak (March 26-April 19)
Ben Nisle – 7-Game RBI Streak (May 15-27)
Miles Simington – 51 Consecutive Plate Appearances without Striking Out (March 19-April 11)
Miles Simington – 2 Hits in 4 Consecutive Games (March 26-April 2)
Miles Simington – Double in 5 Consecutive Games (March 27-April 4)
Mike Bolton Jr. – Reached Base Safely at Least Twice in 9 Consecutive Starts (April 17-May 11)

HIT SAFELY IN ALL 4 GAMES OF A WEEKEND
Ben Nisle

• vs Michigan: 6-for-15, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, HBP, 3 R, 0 K
• at Champaign Pod: 4-for-15, HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB, HBP, 5 R, Sac Fly, 2 SB
• at Minnesota: 6-for-13, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 3 HBP, 3 R, Sac Fly, SB
Miles Simington
• vs Nebraska: 5-for-11, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, 2 HBP, R, Sac Fly
• vs Michigan: 5-for-14, 2 BB, 2 R, SB
• at Champaign Pod: 7-for-20, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI, BB, 3 R, SB, 0 K
Zac Fascia
• vs Nebraska: 4-for-12, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB, HBP, 2 R, Sac Fly
• at East Lansing Pod: 6-for-12, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 R, Sac Fly, 0 K
Evan Albrecht
• vs Michigan: 4-for-15, 2B, RBI, BB, R, SB
Skyler Hunter
• at Champaign Pod: 8-for-19, 2B, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 7 R, SB
Jake Parr
• at Minnesota: 6-for-15, HR, 6 RBI, BB, HBP, 5 R, Sac Fly
Tyler Powers
• at East Lansing Pod: 5-for-17, 2 2B, RBI, HBP, 3 R, Sac Bunt

MORE OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE WEEKENDS
Miles Simington

• Rutgers: 6-for-12, 2 2B, 2 RBI, HBP, 3 R, Sac Fly, .500 OBP – 2 hits in all 3 games
• Iowa: 5-for-14, 4 2B, 2 RBI, HBP, 2 R, 0 K, .400 OBP
• at Champaign Pod: 7-for-20, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI, BB, 3 R, 0 K, SB
• at Minnesota: 6-for-15, 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 5 BB, 5 R, Sac Fly, .524 OBP
Tyler Powers
• at Indiana: 5-for-8, 2B, HBP, R, 0 K, .667 OBP
• at Minnesota: 5-for-6, 2B, 5 BB, 4 R, Sac Bunt, .909 OBP
• West Lafayette Pod: 5-for-9, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 R, 2 Sac Bunts, 3 SB
Mike Bolton Jr.
• at Champaign Pod: 5-for-10, 5 BB, HBP, 4 R, Sac Bunt, 3 SB, .688 OBP
• at Minnesota: 4-for-19, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, 4 HBP, 9 R, 5 SB, .526 OBP
Skyler Hunter
• at Champaign Pod: 8-for-19, 2B, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 7 R, SB, .500 OBP
• West Lafayette Pod: 8-for-14, 2 3B, 4 RI, 2 R, SB, .573 OBP
Ryan Howe
• at Champaign Pod: 5-for-11, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 R, 2 SB, .538 OBP
• at Minnesota: 6-for-9, 2B, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 3 R, Sac Fly, SB, .714 OBP
Ben Nisle
• at Ohio State: 5-for-10, 2 2B, 2 HR, 3 RIB, 3 BB, HBP, 4 R, SB, .643 OBP
• at Maryland: 6-for-11, 3 2B, 3 RBI, BB, .583 OBP
Zac Fascia
• at Ohio State: 6-for-13, HR, 3 RBI, BB, R, .500 OBP
Cam Thompson
• Iowa: 5-for-7, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 2 HBP, 3 R, .778 OBP

BIG TEN DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS (3.7+ GPA)
Tanner Haston
Jackson Smeltz

ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN (3.0+ GPA)
Ricky Castro
Avery Cook
Jack Firestone
Mason Gavre
Tanner Haston
Eric Hildebrand
Ryan Howe
Jett Jackson
Trent Johnson
James Kulak
Kyle LaPlante
Ben Nisle
Tyler Powers
Miles Simington
Jackson Smeltz
Cam Thompson

TEAM AWARDS
MVP – Ben Nisle
Pitcher of the Year – Trent Johnson
Offensive Player of the Year – Miles Simington
Defensive Player of the Year – Skyler Hunter
Red Mackey Award (Excellence by a Senior) – Ben Nisle
Clyde Lyle Award (Top Non-Scholarship Performer) – Tyler Powers
Mr. Boilermaker Award (Attitude) – Zac Fascia
Newcomer of the Year – Calvin Schapira