HOME & HOME WEEKEND SERIES INFORMATION
No. 19 Purdue (15-0) vs. Illinois State (6-6)
March 17 & 18 at ISU / March 19 & 20 at Purdue
Thursday at 6 p.m. ET & Friday at 3 p.m. ET / Watch on ESPN+
Duffy Bass Field / Normal, Illinois
Saturday & Sunday at 1 p.m. ET / Watch on B1G+
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Purdue leads 18-15
All-Time in Normal: Tied 8-8
All-Time in West Lafayette: Purdue leads 10-5
Last Meeting: ISU 10, Purdue 2 (April 2016 in Normal)
Last Meeting in West Lafayette: Purdue 9, ISU 6 (April 2015 in West Lafayette)
Last Season with Multiple Meetings: 2010 – Road Team Won Both Games
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1: Jackson Smeltz (R-Jr, LHP) vs. ISU's Derek Salata (Jr, RHP)
Game 2: TBA for Purdue vs. ISU's Justin Foy (Jr, RHP)
Game 3: TBA for Both Teams
Game 4: Troy Wansing (Fr, LHP) vs. ISU's Sean Sinisko (R-So, LHP)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – No. 19 Purdue baseball continues its stretch of 21 consecutive games played in the states of Illinois and Indiana with a four-game, home-and-home weekend series vs. an Illinois State team coached by a pair of former Purdue assistants.
The first two games of the series – Thursday at 6 p.m. ET and Friday at 3 p.m. ET – are set for ISU's Duffy Bass Field in Normal. Both teams then travel east to Alexander Field for Saturday and Sunday matinees at 1 p.m. ET. The Boilermakers have not played the same team in two different cities in the same weekend since taking on Bradley, the Redbirds' Missouri Valley Conference rival, in Peoria and West Lafayette in March 2011.
As the final undefeated team nationally, Purdue has won its first three home games for the first time since opening its 2012 home season 4-0. That was the final year at Lambert Field and also the last time the Boilermakers earned a national ranking in March.
Illinois State is led by former Purdue assistants Steve Holm (2017-18) and Wally Crancer (2014-18). They made the move west to Bloomington-Normal in the summer of 2018 after helping the Boilermakers qualify for an NCAA Regional as the runner-up in the conference standings and at the Big Ten Tournament. Purdue head coach Greg Goff was the third assistant coach for that memorable season, which featured a 21-2 hot stretch during the second half. Meanwhile, both teams' operations directions have also worked at both schools. After breaking Purdue's single-season saves record under Holm's guidance, Ross Learnard joined the ISU staff for two seasons before returning to West Lafayette in the summer of 2021. Ryan Henry currently handles operations for ISU after serving three years (2017-19) as a team manager while earning his bachelor's degree from Purdue.
LONGEST STREAKS IN THE LAST 20 YEARS
• Cam Thompson's 8 Consecutive Games with an RBI
• Jackson Smeltz's 3 Consecutive Starts with 10+ Strikeouts
LEADING THE BIG TEN (AS OF MARCH 15)
• Jackson Smeltz – Wins (4) & Strikeouts (38)
• Mike Bolton Jr. – Triples (2) & Stolen Bases (10)
• Cam Thompson – RBI (24) & HBP (8)
• Troy Viola – Doubles (9)
VIOLA GETTING COMFORTABLE AT PURDUE
• Last 5 Games: 10-for-18, 5 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 3 Sac Flies
• Since 0-for-9 Start (in first D-I action since March 2020): .396/.429/.771, 9 2B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 10 R
BOILERMAKERS ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY THIS CENTURY
• 2019: Lost 3-0 at Jacksonville State
• 2018: Lost 15-1 & 11-9 at Saint Louis
• 2017: Won 3-0 at Santa Clara
• 2015: Lost 5-3 at Louisville
• 2014: Lost 6-5 at San Diego State (10 Innings)
• 2012: Lost 8-2 & 5-3 at Wichita State
• 2010: Won 4-3 at Eastern Kentucky
• 2009: Lost 15-5 at Illinois-Chicago
• 2007: Lost 11-7 at Samford
• 2006: Won 7-1 at Saint Louis
• 2004: Lost 18-16 at Georgia Tech
• 2003: Won 4-2 at Belmont
• 2002: Won 4-0 at Coastal Carolina
• 2001: Lost 8-6 at Cal State Northridge
• 2000: Lost 7-4 at East Carolina
No. 19 Purdue (15-0) vs. Illinois State (6-6)
March 17 & 18 at ISU / March 19 & 20 at Purdue
Thursday at 6 p.m. ET & Friday at 3 p.m. ET / Watch on ESPN+
Duffy Bass Field / Normal, Illinois
Saturday & Sunday at 1 p.m. ET / Watch on B1G+
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Purdue leads 18-15
All-Time in Normal: Tied 8-8
All-Time in West Lafayette: Purdue leads 10-5
Last Meeting: ISU 10, Purdue 2 (April 2016 in Normal)
Last Meeting in West Lafayette: Purdue 9, ISU 6 (April 2015 in West Lafayette)
Last Season with Multiple Meetings: 2010 – Road Team Won Both Games
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1: Jackson Smeltz (R-Jr, LHP) vs. ISU's Derek Salata (Jr, RHP)
Game 2: TBA for Purdue vs. ISU's Justin Foy (Jr, RHP)
Game 3: TBA for Both Teams
Game 4: Troy Wansing (Fr, LHP) vs. ISU's Sean Sinisko (R-So, LHP)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – No. 19 Purdue baseball continues its stretch of 21 consecutive games played in the states of Illinois and Indiana with a four-game, home-and-home weekend series vs. an Illinois State team coached by a pair of former Purdue assistants.
The first two games of the series – Thursday at 6 p.m. ET and Friday at 3 p.m. ET – are set for ISU's Duffy Bass Field in Normal. Both teams then travel east to Alexander Field for Saturday and Sunday matinees at 1 p.m. ET. The Boilermakers have not played the same team in two different cities in the same weekend since taking on Bradley, the Redbirds' Missouri Valley Conference rival, in Peoria and West Lafayette in March 2011.
As the final undefeated team nationally, Purdue has won its first three home games for the first time since opening its 2012 home season 4-0. That was the final year at Lambert Field and also the last time the Boilermakers earned a national ranking in March.
Illinois State is led by former Purdue assistants Steve Holm (2017-18) and Wally Crancer (2014-18). They made the move west to Bloomington-Normal in the summer of 2018 after helping the Boilermakers qualify for an NCAA Regional as the runner-up in the conference standings and at the Big Ten Tournament. Purdue head coach Greg Goff was the third assistant coach for that memorable season, which featured a 21-2 hot stretch during the second half. Meanwhile, both teams' operations directions have also worked at both schools. After breaking Purdue's single-season saves record under Holm's guidance, Ross Learnard joined the ISU staff for two seasons before returning to West Lafayette in the summer of 2021. Ryan Henry currently handles operations for ISU after serving three years (2017-19) as a team manager while earning his bachelor's degree from Purdue.
| RECENT FORMER PURDUE ASSISTANTS TO BECOME D-I HEAD COACHES | |||
| Coach | Years as Purdue Asst. | Head Coach at | Years |
| Steve Holm | 2017-18 | Illinois State | 2019-Pr |
| Jeff Duncan | 2010-13 | Kent State | 2014-Pr |
| Spencer Allen | 2008-09 | Northwestern | 2016-21 |
| Rob Smith | 1999, 2001-06 | Ohio | 2013-20 |
| Gary Adcock | 1999-00 | Cal Baptist | 2004-Pr |
| FORMER PURDUE HEAD COACHES AT CURRENT JOBS | |||
| Coach | Years at Purdue | Current Head Coach at | Years |
| Doug Schreiber | 1999-2016 | Purdue Fort Wayne | 2020-Pr |
| Mark Wasikowski | 2017-19 | Oregon | 2020-Pr |
LONGEST STREAKS IN THE LAST 20 YEARS
• Cam Thompson's 8 Consecutive Games with an RBI
• Jackson Smeltz's 3 Consecutive Starts with 10+ Strikeouts
LEADING THE BIG TEN (AS OF MARCH 15)
• Jackson Smeltz – Wins (4) & Strikeouts (38)
• Mike Bolton Jr. – Triples (2) & Stolen Bases (10)
• Cam Thompson – RBI (24) & HBP (8)
• Troy Viola – Doubles (9)
VIOLA GETTING COMFORTABLE AT PURDUE
• Last 5 Games: 10-for-18, 5 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 3 Sac Flies
• Since 0-for-9 Start (in first D-I action since March 2020): .396/.429/.771, 9 2B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 10 R
| BIG INNING BOILERMAKERS – LONGEST RALLIES THE LAST 2 SEASONS | ||||
| Date | Runs | Inning | Opponent | Game Result |
| 3/15/22 | 8 | B-4th | Dayton | W, 11-2 |
| 2/19/22 | 8 | B-7th | vs South Dakota St. | W, 14-3 |
| 3/10/22 | 7 | B-1st | Bellarmine | W, 8-4 |
| 2/20/22 | 7 | B-1st | vs South Dakota St. | W, 10-7 |
| 5/21/21 | 7 | T-3rd | at Minnesota | W, 12-5 |
| 3/27/21 | 7 | B-9th | Rutgers | W, 7-4 |
| 4/19/21 | 6 | T-9th | at Illinois | W, 20-6 |
| 4/03/21 | 6 | B-6th | Iowa | W, 10-8 |
| 2/25/22 | 5 | B-7th | vs Princeton | W, 9-3 |
| 5/30/21 | 5 | B-6th | Minnesota | W, 7-6 |
| 4/23/21 | 5 | B-9th | Illinois | L, 6-5 |
| 4/19/21 | 5 | T-2nd | at Illinois | W, 20-6 |
| RECENT FRESHMEN TO SERVE PRIMARILY AS STARTING PITCHERS | ||||
| Year | Freshman | LHP/RHP | Primary Role | Stats |
| 2022 | Troy Wansing | LHP | Weekend Starter | 4 GS, 16 IP, 18 K, 1.69 ERA, .182 B/Avg |
| 2020 | Jett Jackson | RHP | Sunday Starter | 4 GS, 19 IP, 13 K, 1.89 ERA, .182 B/Avg |
| 2018 | Trent Johnson | RHP | Sunday Starter | 9 GS, 41 IP, 39 K, 1.76 ERA, .156 B/Avg |
| 2017 | Jack Dellinger | RHP | Midweek Starter | 9 GS, 44 IP, 26 K, 4.91 ERA, .287 B/Avg |
| 2015 | Mike Kornacker | RHP | Weekend Starter Before April Injury | 6 GS. 27 IP, 10 K, 3.00 ERA, .284 B/Avg |
| 2013 | Jordan Minch | LHP | Friday/Saturday Starter | 14 GS, 81.1 IP, 63 K, 4.98 ERA, .288 B/Avg |
| 2013 | Kyle Wood | LHP | Weekend Starter Slowed by Injury | 7 GS, 27 IP, 17 K, 5.00 ERA, .308 B/Avg |
| 2012 | Connor Podkul | RHP | Sunday Starter Before May Injury | 9 GS, 44.2 IP, 28 K, 4.84 ERA, .251 B/Avg |
| 2008 | Kyle Cook | LHP | Weekend Starter | 8 GS, 50.1 IP, 22 K, 4.65 ERA, .284 B/Avg |
| 2007 | Matt Bischoff | RHP | Weekend Starter | 6 GS, 60 IP, 61 K, 2.85 ERA, .243 B/Avg |
BOILERMAKERS ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY THIS CENTURY
• 2019: Lost 3-0 at Jacksonville State
• 2018: Lost 15-1 & 11-9 at Saint Louis
• 2017: Won 3-0 at Santa Clara
• 2015: Lost 5-3 at Louisville
• 2014: Lost 6-5 at San Diego State (10 Innings)
• 2012: Lost 8-2 & 5-3 at Wichita State
• 2010: Won 4-3 at Eastern Kentucky
• 2009: Lost 15-5 at Illinois-Chicago
• 2007: Lost 11-7 at Samford
• 2006: Won 7-1 at Saint Louis
• 2004: Lost 18-16 at Georgia Tech
• 2003: Won 4-2 at Belmont
• 2002: Won 4-0 at Coastal Carolina
• 2001: Lost 8-6 at Cal State Northridge
• 2000: Lost 7-4 at East Carolina
| BEST STARTS IN PROGRAM HISTORY | ||||
| Year | Undefeated Start | Date of 1st Loss | 1-Loss Start | Date of 2nd Loss |
| 2022 | 15-0 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2020 | 1-0 | Feb. 15 | 6-1 | Feb. 28 |
| 2018 | 5-0 | Feb. 24 | 8-1 | March 4 |
| 2012 | 4-0 | Feb. 25 | 14-1 | March 17 |
| 2000 | NA | Feb. 18 | 7-1 | March 7 |
| 1959 | 7-0 | April 7 | 12-1 | April 18 |
| 1956 | NA | March 30 | 9-1 | April 27 |
| 1955 | 7-0-1 | April 23 | 7-1-1 | April 23 |
| 1949 | 7-0 | April 29 | 11-1-1 | May 14 |
| 1929 | NA | April 3 | 9-1 | April 27 |
| 1909 | 10-0 | May 29 | 10-1 | June 2 |
| 1904 | 7-0 | April 28 | 7-1 | May 3 |
| PURDUE WIN STREAKS OF 10+ GAMES | |||
| Year | Win Streak | Dates | Final Record |
| 1908-09 | 16 | May 15, '08-May 22, '09 | 1909: 11-2 |
| 2021-22 | 16 | May 30-TBD in 2022 | 2022: TBD |
| 2018 | 13 | April 20-May 9 | 38-21 |
| 2001 | 13 | March 24-April 14 | 32-24 |
| 1993 | 13 | March 10-27 | 36-22 |
| 1991 | 12 | March 16-31 | 35-21 |
| 1989 | 11 | April 23-May 7 | 34-25 |
| 2012 | 10 | Feb. 26-March 16 | 45-14 |
| 2012 | 10 | April 4-20 | 45-14 |
| 1983 | 10 | April 16-23 | 22-33-2 |
| 1948-49 | 10 | May 25-April 23 | 1949: 14-9-2 |
| INDIVIDUAL DOUBLE-FIGURE STRIKEOUT GAMES (SINCE 2001) | |||||||
| Season | Pitcher | Opponent | Strikeouts | Batters Faced | Innings | K/9 | Result |
| 2022 | Jackson Smeltz | Bellarmine | 10 | 24 | 5 | 18.0 | W, 8-4 |
| 2022 | Jackson Smeltz | vs Longwood | 10 | 22 | 7 | 12.86 | W, 6-1 |
| 2022 | Jackson Smeltz | vs Princeton | 11 | 21 | 5 1/3 | 18.56 | W, 9-3 |
| 2021 | Trent Johnson | vs Penn State | 10 | 26 | 6 | 15.0 | W, 8-5 |
| 2021 | Jett Jackson | vs Nebraska | 10 | 20 | 4 1/3 | 20.78 | L, 4-0 |
| 2019 | Trent Johnson | at Northwestern | 10 | 15 | 4 1/3 | 20.78 | L, 2-1 |
| 2017 | Tanner Andrews | at Santa Clara | 10 | 27 | 7 2/3 | 11.74 | W, 3-0 |
| 2012 | Lance Breedlove | at Ohio State | 10 | 34 | 9 | 10.0 | W, 8-1 |
| 2012 | Lance Breedlove | vs Cincinnati | 11 | 24 | 7 | 14.14 | W, 6-0 |
| 2011 | Matt Morgan | at Lipscomb | 10 | 32 | 9 | 10.0 | W, 1-0 |
| 2010 | Matt Bischoff | Northwestern | 10 | 33 | 8 | 11.25 | W, 2-1 |
| 2010 | Matt Bischoff | Penn State | 10 | 26 | 6 | 15.0 | W, 18-7 |
| 2010 | Matt Bischoff | Minnesota | 10 | 32 | 9 | 10.0 | W, 3-2 |
| 2010 | Matt Morgan | at Ohio | 14 | 31 | 7 2/3 | 16.43 | W, 6-2 |
| 2010 | Matt Bischoff | vs Le Moyne | 11 | 28 | 8 | 12.38 | W, 3-0 |
| 2009 | Matt Bischoff | vs Miss Valley State | 12 | 28 | 8 | 13.5 | W, 4-1 |
| 2009 | Matt Bischoff | at Northwestern | 10 | 38 | 9 | 10.0 | W, 4-3 |
| 2009 | Matt Jansen | at Evansville | 11 | 34 | 8 2/3 | 11.42 | W, 3-1 |
| 2009 | Matt Morgan | Iowa | 10 | 32 | 7 1/3 | 12.27 | W, 10-9 |
| 2008 | Matt Bischoff | at Kentucky | 10 | 24 | 6 | 15.0 | L, 2-3 |
| 2007 | Matt Bischoff | at Alabama-Birmingham | 11 | 26 | 7 | 14.14 | W, 14-4 |
| 2006 | Jay Buente | at Louisiana-Lafayette | 11 | 32 | 8 | 12.38 | W, 5-1 |
| 2006 | Jay Buente | Northwestern | 10 | 21 | 5 | 18.0 | W, 3-0 |
| 2006 | Dan Sattler | Chicago State | 10 | 26 | 6 | 15.0 | W, 16-6 |
| 2006 | Dan Sattler | Northwestern | 12 | 34 | 8 | 13.5 | W, 11-3 |
| 2004 | Dan Sattler | vs Ohio State | 10 | 25 | 7 | 12.86 | L, 6-4 |
| 2004 | Scott Byrnes | Indiana | 11 | 26 | 6 1/3 | 15.63 | L, 9-3 |
| 2004 | Scott Byrnes | Michigan State | 11 | 32 | 8 1/3 | 11.88 | W, 3-2 |
| 2004 | Scott Byrnes | at Jacksonville State | 10 | 24 | 7 | 12.86 | W, 6-0 |
| 2002 | Chadd Blasko | Iowa | 12 | 32 | 8 2/3 | 12.46 | W, 4-2 |
| 2002 | Chadd Blasko | at Illinois | 10 | 32 | 9 | 10.0 | W, 6-2 |
| 2002 | Chadd Blasko | Miami (Ohio) | 15 | 30 | 8 | 16.88 | W, 12-2 |
| 2001 | David Gassner | Penn State | 10 | 33 | 7 | 12.86 | L, 3-1 |
| 2001 | Ben Quick | vs Troy | 10 | 32 | 8 | 11.25 | L, 2-1 |