WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball enjoyed a historic undefeated start and returned to the national rankings during a successful 2022 campaign, which will also be remembered for the return to normalcy it provided after the unprecedented events of the previous two school years.
It was another exciting season, featuring a host of big innings, six walk-off wins and team records for strikeouts and stolen bases. During its 15-0 start, Purdue played its earliest home opener ever (March 10) and went on to win its first six home games for the first time at Alexander Field.
The Boilermakers entered the national rankings on March 7 and climbed as high as No. 16 in the nation's oldest weekly poll maintained by Collegiate Baseball. After winning at home on March 13 to move to 14-0, they went to bed that night as the last of the undefeated nationally. By the time the season ended in June, Purdue was one of 10 team nationally to win at least 15 consecutive games. With Rutgers also accomplishing the feat, the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference were the only leagues to have two teams do it.
Most Memorable Games Archive: 2021 / 2019 / 2018 / 2017 / 2015 / 2014 / 2013 / 2012 / 2011
The Boilermakers battled through a rough patch in April to finish strong and return to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since being a finalist in 2018. Beginning with a walk-off win vs. Valparaiso followed by a series victory vs. Michigan the week of April 25 to May 1, Purdue found its mojo again and enjoyed a 7-4 stretch even while playing six games on the road and being without staff ace and future MLB draft pick Jackson Smeltz.
The Boilermakers' six extra-innings games were their most since 2014 (eight), winning four of them. Four of their six walk-off wins – two coming in the bottom of the ninth – took place at Ting Park in Holly Springs, North Carolina. Purdue has plans in place to make that stadium an early-season home away from home frequently in the seasons to come. Lots of fond memories were certainly made there in year one.
Looking back at the entire 50-game campaign reveals that some games are always more memorable than others. This annual list is a compilation of Purdue's most memorable games of 2022 as selected by the communications staff.
HONORABLE MENTION (CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)
Feb. 18 – Purdue 5, South Dakota State 4: The Boilermakers won on Opening Day for the fifth time in six seasons dating back to 2017, scoring three times in the bottom of the third and plating the go-ahead run with two outs in the seventh. In his team debut, Curtis Washington Jr. scored from second base on an infield hit and later knocked in the go-ahead run. Paul Toetz homered in his first at-bat as a Boilermaker. Landon Weins and Griffin Lohman teamed up to strike out 11 of the 20 batters they faced over 6 1/3 innings. Full Recap / Box Score / Photo Gallery
Feb. 26 – Purdue 4, Princeton 3 & Purdue 5, Princeton 4: The Boilermakers swept a four-game series for the second weekend in a row, improving to 8-0 during their program-best start. As the home team at Ting Park in Holly Springs, North Carolina, Purdue won both games of the Saturday doubleheader on ninth-inning walk-offs – claiming victory in its last at-bat twice on the same day for the first time since February 2015. Troy Wansing and CJ Backer teamed up for nine innings of two-run ball as the starting pitchers. Curtis Washington Jr. scored the game-winning run in both games – racing around from first base on CJ Valdez's two-out double in game 1 and later having the luxury of trotting home from third on Cam Thompson's walk-off single in the nightcap. Full Recap / Game 1 Box / Game 2 Box / Photo Gallery
March 10 – at No. 21 Purdue 8, Bellarmine 4: The Boilermakers' earliest home opener ever started off with a bang – a seven-run first inning, during which the first eight batters reached base safely. Jackson Smeltz and Landon Weins teamed up for 15 strikeouts as Purdue improved to 13-0. Smeltz struck out the side in order on 10 pitches in the second inning and went on to become the only Boilermaker in the last 20 years to record 10-plus strikeouts in three consecutive starts. Jake Jarvis delivered a two-run single in his first at-bat at Alexander and Paul Toetz doubled twice in his first home game as a Boilermaker. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights / Photo Gallery
April 15 – Purdue 11, at Penn State 5: RBI doubles from Troy Viola and Pablo Lanzarote allowed the Boilermakers to punish PSU for consecutive errors by the second baseman in a five-run first inning. With Jackson Smeltz on the mound, Purdue was in control for much of the night as the lefty improved to 6-0 by Jackie Robinson Day. Eric Hildebrand delivered more key late-inning outs, including consecutive 1-2-3 frames, while striking out five of the game's final eight batters. Curtis Washington Jr. and Mike Bolton Jr. both stole their 20th bases of the season in the fifth inning and Cam Thompson extended his on-base streak to 30 consecutive games. Full Recap / Box Score
April 26 – at Purdue 6, Valparaiso 5 (10 Innings): After struggling through a 1-6 stretch following their series win vs. rival Indiana, the Boilermakers began to right the ship with their sixth and final walk-off win of the season. Purdue rallied back from a pair of two-run deficits and won it in the 10th on Troy Viola's game-winning hit into center field after Valpo went to a five-man infield formation. CJ Valdez singled to open the 10th, extending his on-base streak to 32 consecutive games. His pinch runner, Jack Firestone, made sure he didn't get doubled off at third base on a line drive to the Valpo third baseman. Evan Albrecht collected all three of his RBI with two outs, including a game-tying double in the seventh. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights / Photo Gallery
May 27 – Iowa 5, Purdue 4: The back-and-forth battle on day 2 of the Big Ten Tournament was befitting of the urgency related to the first elimination game of the championship event. Troy Viola made the most of what proved to be his final college game, connecting for a long home run in his first at-bat and earning the top spot on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays that night with a leaping catch on the tarp in the ninth inning. Purdue rallied for two runs with two outs in the sixth inning to tie the game, but the breaks did not go in the Boilermakers favor the following frame. Landon Weins punched out a pair in the eighth to strand the go-ahead run at third base, accounting for the team's record-breaking 478th strikeout of the season in the process. But Iowa's fifth-year senior Izaya Fullard delivered the big hit with two outs in the ninth to give the Hawkeyes the victory. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights / Photo Gallery
THE TOP 10
10.) March 20 – at No. 19 Purdue 7, Illinois State 6 (10 Innings): Evan Albrecht's walk-off single sent the Boilermakers home happy as they improved to 5-0 at home for the first time since 2008 while sweeping a home doubleheader for the first time since 2012. The shortstop had prevented the go-ahead run from scoring with a diving stop behind the second base bag in the top of the 10th. Down a run entering the ninth inning, Mike Bolton Jr. provided the spark with a triple over the center fielder's head to open the frame. Purdue used eight pitchers in the game. Logan Danzeisen's two big outs in the 10th inning came in front of and after an intentional walk to slugger Jake McCaw hitting in the 3-hole. Troy Wansing struck out seven of the 21 batters he faced and earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after conceding just one earned run over 9 1/3 innings in his two starts at Alexander. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights / Dave Wegiel Gallery
8.) April 10 – at Purdue 16, Indiana 15: The Boilermakers' first Big Ten rubber game win at home since 2009 punctuated a wild week at Alexander Field that featured a combined 108 runs over five games, easily the highest-scoring stretch in the 10-year history of the ballpark. Both teams scored nine unanswered runs at one point. Purdue led 9-3 entering the fourth inning but needed a four-run sixth to overcome a 14-12 deficit, scoring all four runs with two outs. Eric Hildebrand gave the Boilermakers nine big outs late in the game and Griffin Lohman battled back from 2-0 count with the bases loaded to end the game with a clutch strikeout. Cam Thompson's three-run homer in the first inning allowed Purdue to match IU's fast start and made him the only Boilermaker in the last 20 years to homer in six consecutive weekends while also reaching 40 RBI faster (by April 10) than any Purdue player in that same timeframe. The Boilermakers won their sixth straight home series vs. IU dating back to 2004. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights / Photo Gallery
5.) March 6 – Purdue 6, Longwood 5 (11 Innings): A team can't go 15-0 without winning 12 in a row first. And in the finale of an eight-game, 11-day road trip in North Carolina, the Boilermakers' bats finally came alive late after being shut out for the first seven frames. Before a four-run ninth-inning rally and Cam Thompson's walk-off homer stole the headlines, it was Wyatt Wendell who was Purdue's most impressive performer. He struck out nine over 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball – the lone run he was charged with scored on a two-out single in the top of the seventh after he left the mound. In the ninth, a leadoff walk to Mike Bolton Jr. and singles from Tyler Powers and CJ Valdez allowed Purdue to bring the tying run to the plate with one out. Cam Thompson kept the line moving with an RBI single, Sam Franco followed with a sac fly and Troy Viola delivered the clutch swing with a two-run double to left field. Khal Stephen retired six of seven in the extra frames and the lineup rolled over to Thompson again in the bottom of the 11th. He blasted off to left center for Purdue's second walk-off home run in as many seasons after the program had gone without one prior to last year since 2006. Full Recap / Box Score / Photo Gallery
4.) April 29 – at Purdue 18, Michigan 4: Even with ace Jackson Smeltz sidelined for the first time by what proved to be a season-ending injury, the Boilermakers received a quality pitching performance from CJ Backer. But it was the lineup that earned the spotlight via season highs in runs and hits, with Purdue pounding out 20 hits (17 singles) for the first time since March 2017. Troy Viola homered to left field twice as part of a five-RBI night, accounting for just the fourth multi-homer game at Alexander Field since the ballpark opened in 2013. In his spot start, Backer struck out a season-high eight over five innings of one-run ball. He punched out the side in the first and third innings and limited a U-M lineup that proved its explosiveness while winning the Big Ten Tournament a month later to just three hits. Viola was one of five Boilermakers with three hits, a quintet that was a combined 15-for-26. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
It was another exciting season, featuring a host of big innings, six walk-off wins and team records for strikeouts and stolen bases. During its 15-0 start, Purdue played its earliest home opener ever (March 10) and went on to win its first six home games for the first time at Alexander Field.
The Boilermakers entered the national rankings on March 7 and climbed as high as No. 16 in the nation's oldest weekly poll maintained by Collegiate Baseball. After winning at home on March 13 to move to 14-0, they went to bed that night as the last of the undefeated nationally. By the time the season ended in June, Purdue was one of 10 team nationally to win at least 15 consecutive games. With Rutgers also accomplishing the feat, the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference were the only leagues to have two teams do it.
Most Memorable Games Archive: 2021 / 2019 / 2018 / 2017 / 2015 / 2014 / 2013 / 2012 / 2011
The Boilermakers battled through a rough patch in April to finish strong and return to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since being a finalist in 2018. Beginning with a walk-off win vs. Valparaiso followed by a series victory vs. Michigan the week of April 25 to May 1, Purdue found its mojo again and enjoyed a 7-4 stretch even while playing six games on the road and being without staff ace and future MLB draft pick Jackson Smeltz.
The Boilermakers' six extra-innings games were their most since 2014 (eight), winning four of them. Four of their six walk-off wins – two coming in the bottom of the ninth – took place at Ting Park in Holly Springs, North Carolina. Purdue has plans in place to make that stadium an early-season home away from home frequently in the seasons to come. Lots of fond memories were certainly made there in year one.
Looking back at the entire 50-game campaign reveals that some games are always more memorable than others. This annual list is a compilation of Purdue's most memorable games of 2022 as selected by the communications staff.
HONORABLE MENTION (CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)
Feb. 18 – Purdue 5, South Dakota State 4: The Boilermakers won on Opening Day for the fifth time in six seasons dating back to 2017, scoring three times in the bottom of the third and plating the go-ahead run with two outs in the seventh. In his team debut, Curtis Washington Jr. scored from second base on an infield hit and later knocked in the go-ahead run. Paul Toetz homered in his first at-bat as a Boilermaker. Landon Weins and Griffin Lohman teamed up to strike out 11 of the 20 batters they faced over 6 1/3 innings. Full Recap / Box Score / Photo Gallery
Feb. 26 – Purdue 4, Princeton 3 & Purdue 5, Princeton 4: The Boilermakers swept a four-game series for the second weekend in a row, improving to 8-0 during their program-best start. As the home team at Ting Park in Holly Springs, North Carolina, Purdue won both games of the Saturday doubleheader on ninth-inning walk-offs – claiming victory in its last at-bat twice on the same day for the first time since February 2015. Troy Wansing and CJ Backer teamed up for nine innings of two-run ball as the starting pitchers. Curtis Washington Jr. scored the game-winning run in both games – racing around from first base on CJ Valdez's two-out double in game 1 and later having the luxury of trotting home from third on Cam Thompson's walk-off single in the nightcap. Full Recap / Game 1 Box / Game 2 Box / Photo Gallery
March 10 – at No. 21 Purdue 8, Bellarmine 4: The Boilermakers' earliest home opener ever started off with a bang – a seven-run first inning, during which the first eight batters reached base safely. Jackson Smeltz and Landon Weins teamed up for 15 strikeouts as Purdue improved to 13-0. Smeltz struck out the side in order on 10 pitches in the second inning and went on to become the only Boilermaker in the last 20 years to record 10-plus strikeouts in three consecutive starts. Jake Jarvis delivered a two-run single in his first at-bat at Alexander and Paul Toetz doubled twice in his first home game as a Boilermaker. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights / Photo Gallery
March 17 – at Illinois State 4, No. 19 Purdue 3 (11 Innings): It took until St. Patrick's Day for the nation's final unbeaten team to finally suffer its first loss. And the Boilermakers did not go quietly, even on a night when they recorded just three hits. Purdue scored twice in the ninth inning to extend the game, marking the third time in 16 games the team had rallied in its final at-bat to equalize. Evan Albrecht's leadoff double in the ninth ignited a rally, teaming up with the top of the lineup to pull the Boilermakers even from a 3-1 deficit. Khal Stephen retired the first seven batters he faced over 2 2/3 innings of relief, but a single on an 0-2 pitch followed by a pair of walks on full-count offerings loaded the bases for the Redbirds in the 11th. The home team won moments later on a wild pitch. Full Recap / Box ScoreSome celebration shots from @PurdueBaseball 13th straight win to stay a perfect 13-0. pic.twitter.com/5CGSQxUfTV
— Andrew Stein (@purduestein) March 11, 2022
April 15 – Purdue 11, at Penn State 5: RBI doubles from Troy Viola and Pablo Lanzarote allowed the Boilermakers to punish PSU for consecutive errors by the second baseman in a five-run first inning. With Jackson Smeltz on the mound, Purdue was in control for much of the night as the lefty improved to 6-0 by Jackie Robinson Day. Eric Hildebrand delivered more key late-inning outs, including consecutive 1-2-3 frames, while striking out five of the game's final eight batters. Curtis Washington Jr. and Mike Bolton Jr. both stole their 20th bases of the season in the fifth inning and Cam Thompson extended his on-base streak to 30 consecutive games. Full Recap / Box Score
April 26 – at Purdue 6, Valparaiso 5 (10 Innings): After struggling through a 1-6 stretch following their series win vs. rival Indiana, the Boilermakers began to right the ship with their sixth and final walk-off win of the season. Purdue rallied back from a pair of two-run deficits and won it in the 10th on Troy Viola's game-winning hit into center field after Valpo went to a five-man infield formation. CJ Valdez singled to open the 10th, extending his on-base streak to 32 consecutive games. His pinch runner, Jack Firestone, made sure he didn't get doubled off at third base on a line drive to the Valpo third baseman. Evan Albrecht collected all three of his RBI with two outs, including a game-tying double in the seventh. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights / Photo Gallery
May 1 – at Purdue 12, Michigan 4: A Saturday rainout did little to squash the Boilermakers' momentum after an 18-run, 20-hit outburst in the series opener with the Wolverines. The bats stayed hot as Purdue pounded out 17 more hits, punctuating a stretch in which it scored in five consecutive innings with a six-run frame in the sixth. Troy Viola continued his big week with a four-hit game. Paul Toetz connected for a pair of RBI doubles and CJ Valdez barreled up for his first home run at Alexander. But it was Wyatt Wendell who really shined, racking up eight strikeouts vs. no walks over six innings of two-run ball, keeping U-M off the scoreboard until the top of the fifth. Wendell struck out five of the first 10 batters he faced, solidifying his spot in the rotation after battling an injury for the first half of the Big Ten season. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights / Photo GalleryThanks to @Ryan_Long_01 & @PurdueStein for Tuesday's images from Alexander. #BoilerUp
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 27, 2022
📸 Full Gallery: https://t.co/lGeQLjcH0Y
⚾️ #PurdueDayofGiving: https://t.co/IT5V8i1gYl https://t.co/1Tydzkpndq pic.twitter.com/LxdBnKVOTl
May 10 – at Purdue 11, Butler 6: On the night university president Mitch Daniels was on hand to present diplomas to the program's eight graduating seniors, the fans were also treated to an entertaining back-and-forth battle in the midweek finale at Alexander. Down 6-3 entering the sixth inning, Purdue rallied for a seven-run frame to take control of the game. Graduates Ryan Howe and Steve Ramirez delivered consecutive singles to help ignite the rally. Jake Jarvis was pressed into action early due to an injury and connected for the first big hit of the night – a two-out, two-run single in his first at-bat. Landon Weins struck out five of the first six batters in his first start as a Boilermaker and Khal Stephen later punched out five of the six batters he faced. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights / Photo GalleryElite outing for @WyattWendell13, his best since another dominant performance in game 1 of a doubleheader at Alexander (March 20 vs ISU). #BoilerUp 💪
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) May 1, 2022
➡️ Wyatt's Line: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 8 K
⚾️ @Landon_Milo takes over on the mound pic.twitter.com/IofBEANM5S
May 13 – Purdue 14, at Northwestern 8: The Boilermakers needed a series win in Evanston to remain in the driver's seat for a Big Ten Tournament berth. A 17-hit attack helped produce 14 runs, both season highs away from Alexander Field, in a key series-opening win. After loading the bases against the NU starter in the fourth inning as he finished his second trip through the lineup, Purdue proceeded to pound the Wildcats' bullpen. Troy Viola posted his second five-RBI game of the season. Steve Ramirez opened his big weekend with two hits, two walks and three runs from the 9-hole; he was one of four Boilermakers to reach base safely four times. Cam Thompson's 11th home run gave him his 50th RBI of the season. CJ Backer quickly regrouped to prevent NU from posting a big number in the first inning and the bullpen backed him up before the home team finally made some noise in the ninth. Full Recap / Box ScoreThis right here is truly what it is all about. 🎓#NCAABaseball x 📸 @PurdueBaseball pic.twitter.com/KOI8gaXRAg
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) May 13, 2022
May 27 – Iowa 5, Purdue 4: The back-and-forth battle on day 2 of the Big Ten Tournament was befitting of the urgency related to the first elimination game of the championship event. Troy Viola made the most of what proved to be his final college game, connecting for a long home run in his first at-bat and earning the top spot on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays that night with a leaping catch on the tarp in the ninth inning. Purdue rallied for two runs with two outs in the sixth inning to tie the game, but the breaks did not go in the Boilermakers favor the following frame. Landon Weins punched out a pair in the eighth to strand the go-ahead run at third base, accounting for the team's record-breaking 478th strikeout of the season in the process. But Iowa's fifth-year senior Izaya Fullard delivered the big hit with two outs in the ninth to give the Hawkeyes the victory. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights / Photo Gallery
ICYMI: @PurdueBaseball's @Troy_Viola08 earned the top play on @SportsCenter last night! #SCTop10 x #B1GBaseball pic.twitter.com/mAHfRaPdug
— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) May 28, 2022
THE TOP 10
10.) March 20 – at No. 19 Purdue 7, Illinois State 6 (10 Innings): Evan Albrecht's walk-off single sent the Boilermakers home happy as they improved to 5-0 at home for the first time since 2008 while sweeping a home doubleheader for the first time since 2012. The shortstop had prevented the go-ahead run from scoring with a diving stop behind the second base bag in the top of the 10th. Down a run entering the ninth inning, Mike Bolton Jr. provided the spark with a triple over the center fielder's head to open the frame. Purdue used eight pitchers in the game. Logan Danzeisen's two big outs in the 10th inning came in front of and after an intentional walk to slugger Jake McCaw hitting in the 3-hole. Troy Wansing struck out seven of the 21 batters he faced and earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after conceding just one earned run over 9 1/3 innings in his two starts at Alexander. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights / Dave Wegiel Gallery
9.) March 5 – Purdue 6, Longwood 5 (13 Innings): Even though he was not in the starting lineup, Jake Stadler still played a starring role in the Boilermakers' longest game of the season. He helped extend the contest in the 12th inning, connecting for a one-out double and scoring the tying run after three straight free passes. Tyler Powers was plunked to force home the tying run with two down. Stadler came up again with runners on the corners in the 13th and barreled up again for a shot to the wall that plated Jake Jarvis from third as the winning run. Purdue trailed 3-0 in the fifth inning when Troy Viola and Pablo Lanzarote connected for back-to-back home runs. After taking the lead on a two-out RBI single from Cam Thompson in the eighth, the Boilermakers were unable to close it out it in the ninth. Khal Stephen went six-up, six-down across the 10th and the 11th innings, highlighting a breakout road trip in which he worked 7 1/3 innings of two-hit relief. At 11-0, Purdue eclipsed its 1909 Big Ten championship team for the best unbeaten start in program history. Full Recap / Box Score / Photo Gallery#4faves from the walkoff celebration for @PurdueBaseball tonight. pic.twitter.com/ReLhIZU5sy
— Dave Wegiel Photo (@pinolaphoto) March 21, 2022
8.) April 10 – at Purdue 16, Indiana 15: The Boilermakers' first Big Ten rubber game win at home since 2009 punctuated a wild week at Alexander Field that featured a combined 108 runs over five games, easily the highest-scoring stretch in the 10-year history of the ballpark. Both teams scored nine unanswered runs at one point. Purdue led 9-3 entering the fourth inning but needed a four-run sixth to overcome a 14-12 deficit, scoring all four runs with two outs. Eric Hildebrand gave the Boilermakers nine big outs late in the game and Griffin Lohman battled back from 2-0 count with the bases loaded to end the game with a clutch strikeout. Cam Thompson's three-run homer in the first inning allowed Purdue to match IU's fast start and made him the only Boilermaker in the last 20 years to homer in six consecutive weekends while also reaching 40 RBI faster (by April 10) than any Purdue player in that same timeframe. The Boilermakers won their sixth straight home series vs. IU dating back to 2004. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights / Photo Gallery
7.) March 25 – at No. 17 Purdue 7, Ohio State 5: Both teams started a dynamic lefthander in the Big Ten opener at Alexander Field, but it was righthander Landon Weins who led the Boilermakers to victory with 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Curtis Washington Jr. and Cam Thompson hit two-run homers to left field just eight pitches apart in the third inning, powering a momentum swing as Purdue quickly made up a 4-0 deficit. Weins retired 13 of the 15 batters he faced, including the final 11 in a row, to lower his ERA to 0.79 over his first 22 2/3 innings of the season. Thompson also connected for a long triple to center field and it led to the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth. He finished a double shy of the cycle while extending his RBI streak to 12 consecutive games and his on-base streak to 19 games. The Boilermakers won their Big Ten opener for the fifth season in a row and improved to 18-1, including 6-0 at home. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights / Dave Wegiel GalleryWin Together & Celebrate it Together
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 11, 2022
🙌 #BoilerUp x #AllAboard 🚂 pic.twitter.com/SGY9t7q0VE
6.) March 2 – Purdue 6, Charlotte 2: The Boilermakers' first big win of the season featured a fast start and seven scoreless innings from the bullpen. Purdue rolled into the Queen City for its midweek opener at 8-0 and looking to make a statement against a Charlotte team that had won 40 games and been a No. 2 seed at an NCAA Regional in 2021. A two-run single from Cam Thompson followed by an RBI double from Troy Viola led to a three-run first inning and chased the 49ers' starter with just one out in the game. Purdue did not score again until CJ Valdez singled home Curtis Washington Jr. in the eighth, but it was a moot point after six bullpen arms teamed up for the dynamic relief work. Griffin Lohman was extended to 53 pitches and nearly closed out the game for a three-inning save. He gave Purdue eight big outs, going 1-2-3 through the top of the order with two men aboard and the visitors leading 3-2 in the seventh inning. Jake Jarvis led off the ninth with a pinch-hit home run. Full Recap / Box Score / Photo GalleryNo doubter from @cameront4224!#NCAABaseball x 🎥 @PurdueBaseball pic.twitter.com/OoKJtNLnVO
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) March 25, 2022
5.) March 6 – Purdue 6, Longwood 5 (11 Innings): A team can't go 15-0 without winning 12 in a row first. And in the finale of an eight-game, 11-day road trip in North Carolina, the Boilermakers' bats finally came alive late after being shut out for the first seven frames. Before a four-run ninth-inning rally and Cam Thompson's walk-off homer stole the headlines, it was Wyatt Wendell who was Purdue's most impressive performer. He struck out nine over 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball – the lone run he was charged with scored on a two-out single in the top of the seventh after he left the mound. In the ninth, a leadoff walk to Mike Bolton Jr. and singles from Tyler Powers and CJ Valdez allowed Purdue to bring the tying run to the plate with one out. Cam Thompson kept the line moving with an RBI single, Sam Franco followed with a sac fly and Troy Viola delivered the clutch swing with a two-run double to left field. Khal Stephen retired six of seven in the extra frames and the lineup rolled over to Thompson again in the bottom of the 11th. He blasted off to left center for Purdue's second walk-off home run in as many seasons after the program had gone without one prior to last year since 2006. Full Recap / Box Score / Photo Gallery
4.) April 29 – at Purdue 18, Michigan 4: Even with ace Jackson Smeltz sidelined for the first time by what proved to be a season-ending injury, the Boilermakers received a quality pitching performance from CJ Backer. But it was the lineup that earned the spotlight via season highs in runs and hits, with Purdue pounding out 20 hits (17 singles) for the first time since March 2017. Troy Viola homered to left field twice as part of a five-RBI night, accounting for just the fourth multi-homer game at Alexander Field since the ballpark opened in 2013. In his spot start, Backer struck out a season-high eight over five innings of one-run ball. He punched out the side in the first and third innings and limited a U-M lineup that proved its explosiveness while winning the Big Ten Tournament a month later to just three hits. Viola was one of five Boilermakers with three hits, a quintet that was a combined 15-for-26. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights
3.) May 7 – Purdue 10, at Iowa 6: In a game that was moved up to an 11 a.m. first pitch in Iowa City for TV coverage on the Big Ten Network, it was the visitors that came out swinging to race out to a 6-0 lead. CJ Valdez registered his second five-RBI game of the season, Paul Toetz barreled up for a long home run off the scoreboard and Khal Stephen shined in the spotlight after the Hawkeyes got back in the game. Purdue scored in five different innings and pounded out 13 hits against an Iowa pitching staff that entered the weekend leading the Big Ten in ERA and batting average against. Iowa had trimmed the visitors' lead to 6-4 and had runners on second and third base in the sixth inning when Stephen struck out three in a row to give the Boilermakers the momentum back. Purdue scored the next four runs and closed out the series-evening win. Wyatt Wendell began the game with four consecutive zeros as his teammates were building the 6-0 advantage. He did it by pitching to contact, recording just one strikeout over his five frames. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights🔥 Good Afternoon
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 29, 2022
🔥 Good Evening
🔥 & Good Night@_CJbacker comes out smoking & strikes out the side on 14 pitches. #BoilerUp ⛽️#Purdue coming up vs Michigan pic.twitter.com/byH29gHVCw
2.) April 9 – at Purdue 17, Indiana 0: With the rivals from Bloomington making just their second appearance at Alexander Field for a weekend series, it was always going to be a spotlight three-game set on the Boilermakers' schedule. Then the Purdue football spring game was scheduled for Saturday, setting up a football-baseball doubleheader on campus. The large crowd on hand witnessed the most dominant pitching performance in the 10-year history of Alexander. Jackson Smeltz struck out a career-high 13 over eight innings of one-hit ball, frustrating the Hoosiers with his pace and dominating their lineup with a lethal combination of velocity, command and movement on his slider. He matched the most strikeouts ever by a Purdue lefty and posted the highest game score (90) in the history of Alexander. Greg Goff opted to leave him in the game following a one-out walk and mound visit in the eighth inning. Smeltz responded by striking out the next two batters, leaving the mound to a huge ovation and Purdue leading 7-0. The Boilermakers proceeded to score 10 in the bottom half of frame, posting their first 10-run inning since 2013 and matching the largest margin of victory in the history of the rivalry series. Full Recap / Box Score / Highlights / Photo GalleryPaulie went out & got it. And didn't miss it. Boom goes the video board in Iowa City. #BoilerUp @Paul_Toetz pic.twitter.com/g3dmulh9sr
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) May 7, 2022
1.) May 15 – Purdue 7, at Northwestern 2: If the Boilermakers wanted to return to Omaha for the Big Ten Tournament, this rubber game in Evanston to cap the penultimate weekend of the regular season was essentially a must win. After Purdue's speed, athleticism and multi-faceted ability to score runs exposed the Wildcats' infield and bullpen a bit in Friday's victory, a complete-game performance from NU's veteran pitcher Saturday proved anything could happen with two freshmen taking the ball for the rubber game. Troy Wansing answered the bell with his finest outing of the season, surrendering just three singles over 5 2/3 scoreless innings while successfully navigating his way through the dangerous 1-6 portion of the Northwestern lineup three times. He pitched with the lead throughout after Purdue scored in each of the first two innings. Curtis Washington Jr.'s 30th stolen base not only led to the game's first run but was also the team's 107th of the season to eclipse a team record that had stood since 2000. Evan Albrecht and Steve Ramirez connected for RBI doubles, with Jake Jarvis and Cam Thompson both scoring from first base with less than two outs. Landon Weins backed up Wansing with a three-inning save, striking out seven of the 13 batters he faced. Weins worked 7 1/3 innings over three appearances the week of May 10 to 15, including 4 1/3 innings of two-run ball in the pivotal series in Chicagoland. Full Recap / Box Score💪 A lefty who carved 'em up all day long
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 10, 2022
🇻🇪 A catcher who lived & died with every pitch
🏟️ And a crowd that loved every minute of it
Smeltzy's final pitch Saturday was a magical moment at Alexander. #BoilerUp 🧙♂️ pic.twitter.com/ZFbN0GGhYO
🚂💨 @Swaggyc5's 30th steal is the record setter. Curtis swipes 3rd in the 1st inning to become just the 3rd #Boilermaker (& first since 1991) with 3⃣0⃣. #BoilerUp#Purdue Record 1⃣0⃣7⃣ Stolen Bases pic.twitter.com/Nkigzb4UTb
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) May 15, 2022