TUCSON, Ariz. – With 13 strikeouts over eight innings of one-hit ball Saturday vs. Indiana, Jackson Smeltz put together the most dominant outing in the history of Alexander Field and was recognized for the performance with a spot on Collegiate Baseball's list of the National Players of the Week
Smeltz struck out 13 of the 27 batters he faced while leading the Boilermakers' to their first shutout win since March 2019 and their first against their rivals from Bloomington since the 2012 Big Ten Tournament. His 13 punchouts matched the most ever by a Purdue lefthander while also ranking third overall in team history.
The memorable performance featured a stretch of five consecutive strikeouts while fanning five of the first nine and 10 of the first 18 batters he faced. Smeltz also finished strong by punching out the final two batters he faced in the eighth inning on a day in which he threw a season-high 121 pitches. He posted a game score of 90, the top mark by a Purdue pitcher in the last decade. It was also his second game score of 75-plus this season.
The southpaw did it in the same week that Alexander Field yielded a combined 108 runs over the five games played at which is traditionally considered a pitcher-friendly stadium.
Smeltz is the first Boilermaker to claim a national weekly honor since Ross Learnard was recognized as Perfect Game's National Pitcher of the Week in May 2018. Big Ten Player and Pitcher of the Week honors will be announced later this week by the league office.
Smeltz struck out 13 of the 27 batters he faced while leading the Boilermakers' to their first shutout win since March 2019 and their first against their rivals from Bloomington since the 2012 Big Ten Tournament. His 13 punchouts matched the most ever by a Purdue lefthander while also ranking third overall in team history.
The memorable performance featured a stretch of five consecutive strikeouts while fanning five of the first nine and 10 of the first 18 batters he faced. Smeltz also finished strong by punching out the final two batters he faced in the eighth inning on a day in which he threw a season-high 121 pitches. He posted a game score of 90, the top mark by a Purdue pitcher in the last decade. It was also his second game score of 75-plus this season.
The southpaw did it in the same week that Alexander Field yielded a combined 108 runs over the five games played at which is traditionally considered a pitcher-friendly stadium.
Smeltz is the first Boilermaker to claim a national weekly honor since Ross Learnard was recognized as Perfect Game's National Pitcher of the Week in May 2018. Big Ten Player and Pitcher of the Week honors will be announced later this week by the league office.
| GAME SCORES FOR PURDUE'S TOP-5 STRIKEOUT PERFORMANCES | ||||
| Year | Pitcher | Game Score | Strikeouts | Opponent |
| 2022 | Jackson Smeltz | 90 | 13 | Indiana |
| 2002 | Chadd Blasko | 85 | 15 | Miami (Ohio) |
| 2009 | Matt Bischoff | 84 | 12 | vs Miss. Valley State |
| 2002 | Chadd Blasko | 80 | 12 | Iowa |
| 2010 | Matt Morgan | 78 | 14 | at Ohio |
| 2006 | Dan Sattler | 76 | 12 | Northwestern |
| 1999 | Russ Morgan | 73 | 12 | vs Wright State |
| 2000 | Ben Quick | 70 | 12 | Illinois |
| 1999 | David Gassner | 65 | 13 | vs Wright State |
| 8+ SHUTOUT INNINGS IN AN OUTING (Since 2001) | ||||
| Date | Pitcher | Opponent | Scoreless Innings | Game Result |
| 4/09/2022 | Jackson Smeltz | Indiana | 8 | W, 17-0 |
| 4/25/2021 | Cory Brooks | Illinois | 8 | L, 1-0 |
| 4/22/2017 | Gareth Stroh | Illinois | 8 2/3 | W, 4-1 |
| 3/03/2017 | Tanner Andrews | at SE Missouri | 9 | W, 5-0 |
| 5/20/2016 | Matt Frawley | Cal State Northridge | 8 1/3 | W, 1-0 (10) |
| 5/19/2016 | Gavin Downs | Cal State Northridge | 9 | W, 5-0 |
| 4/22/2015 | Shane Bryant | Ball State | 8 | W, 6-0 |
| 5/11/2012 | Joe Haase | Michigan | 9 | W, 4-0 |
| 4/06/2012 | Joe Haase | at Northwestern | 9 | W, 7-0 |
| 3/31/2012 | Lance Breedlove | Penn State | 9 | W, 2-0 |
| 3/24/2012 | Lance Breedlove | at Ohio State | 8 2/3 | W, 8-1 |
| 4/02/2011 | Joe Haase | at Minnesota | 9 | W, 7-0 |
| 3/04/2011 | Matt Morgan | at Lipscomb | 9 | W, 1-0 |
| 4/24/2010 | Matt Bischoff | Northwestern | 8 | W, 2-1 |
| 3/12/2010 | Matt Bischoff | Le Moyne | 8 | W, 3-0 |
| 3/15/2009 | Matt Morgan | vs Purdue Fort Wayne | 8 2/3 | L, 1-0 |
| 3/14/2009 | Matt Jansen | at Evansville | 8 2/3 | W, 3-1 |
| 4/18/2007 | Matt Bischoff | at Notre Dame | 9 | L, 1-0 |
| 3/24/2007 | Ricky Heines | at Western Illinois | 9 | W, 7-0 |
| 2/24/2007 | Ricky Heines | at Georgia | 9 | W, 5-0 |
| 5/19/2006 | Dan Sattler | Northwestern | 8 | W, 11-3 |
| 4/21/2006 | Andrew Groves* | Michigan | 8 | L, 4-3 |
| 3/10/2006 | Jay Buente | at Missouri | 8 | W, 7-0 |
| 5/20/2005 | Scott Byrnes | at Indiana | 8 1/3 | W, 5-1 |
| 4/23/2004 | Scott Byrnes | Michigan State | 8 1/3 | W, 3-2 |
| 3/24/2002 | Mitch Pruemer | at Miami (Ohio) | 9 | W, 8-0 |
| 3/17/2002 | Mitch Pruemer | at Coastal Carolina | 9 | W, 4-0 |
| *Relief Outing | ||||
| PURDUE'S GAME SCORES OF 75+ (Since 2012) | |||
| Year | Pitcher | Game Score | Opponent |
| 2022 | Jackson Smeltz | 90 | Indiana |
| 2012 | Lance Breedlove | 88 | Penn State |
| 2017 | Gareth Stroh | 87 | Illinois |
| 2017 | Tanner Andrews | 87 | at SE Missouri State |
| 2016 | Matt Frawley | 86 | Cal State Northridge |
| 2012 | Joe Haase | 86 | Michigan |
| 2012 | Joe Haase | 86 | at Northwestern |
| 2012 | Lance Breedlove | 84 | vs Cincinnati |
| 2015 | Shane Bryant | 81 | Ball State |
| 2012 | Lance Breedlove | 81 | Michigan |
| 2017 | Tanner Andrews | 80 | at Santa Clara |
| 2013 | Robert Ramer | 80 | Iowa |
| 2021 | Calvin Schapira | 78 | vs Michigan State |
| 2017 | Tanner Andrews | 77 | at Texas State |
| 2022 | Jackson Smeltz | 76 | vs Longwood |
| 2021 | Cory Brooks | 76 | Illinois |
| 2019 | Patrick J. Smith | 76 | Penn State |
| 2019 | Trent Johnson | 76 | at Rutgers |
| 2016 | Gavin Downs | 76 | Cal State Northridge |