GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Akron (3-4, 15-41 in 2022) vs. Purdue (5-3, 29-21 in 2022)
4-Game Series / Friday to Sunday, March 3 to 5
Ting Stadium / Holly Springs, N.C.
Series Opener: Friday, March 3 at 1 p.m. ET
Doubleheader: Saturday, March 4 1 p.m.
Series Finale: Sunday, March 5 at 1 p.m. ET
All-Time Series: Akron leads 1-0
Previous Meeting: Akron 4, Purdue 3 (March 1997 in Jacksonville, Fla.)
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Khal Stephen (So, RHP) vs. Akron's Sammy Tortorella (Jr, LHP)
Saturday Game 1: Jonathan Blackwell (Jr, LHP) vs. Akron's Spencer Atkins (Jr, RHP)
Saturday Game 2: Kyle Iwinski (Jr, RHP) vs. TBA for Akron's Anthony Fett (Jr, LHP)
Sunday: TBA for Purdue vs. Akron's Joe Roth (Fr, RHP)
HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. – Purdue baseball closes out is stretch of three consecutive four-game series to open the season with a return to the Carolinas for another full weekend, hosting Akron at Ting Stadium.
First pitch Friday has been moved up to 1 p.m. ET due storms in the forecast for the late afternoon and evening. That makes three 1 p.m. starts this weekend, including Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's series finale. Admission is free for all three days of action in Ting Park.
After splitting its four-game series with NJIT in Holly Springs last weekend, the Boilermakers are 9-2 at Ting Stadium since last year. Five of those victories have come in walk-off fashion.
Purdue is giving Kyle Iwinski an opportunity to move into the starting rotation this weekend. The newcomer from Northwest Indiana has pitched 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball over his first three appearances as a Boilermaker, registering eight strikeouts vs. six hits and two walks. He gave Purdue a chance to rally in the series finale vs. NJIT with four innings of one-run work. Iwinski was a workhorse in the rotation during his final two seasons at Kankakee Community College, pitching 71 1/3 innings in 2021 and 67 innings in 2022.
Purdue's bullpen pitched well at Ting Stadium last weekend but was tasked with covering 21 of the series' 36 innings.
HIGH & LOWS OF THE NJIT SERIES
• Purdue with RISP: .316 (12-for-38)
• Purdue with a Runner on 3rd & Less than 2 Outs: Scored the run in 7 of 9 opportunities
• Successfully Advanced a Base Runner in a Plate Appearance: 49%
• 2-Out RBI: 9 – including 5 from Evan Albrecht
• Purdue racked up 41 strikeouts in 36 innings (10.25 K/9, nearly doubling the 5.18 mark vs Holy Cross)
• Strikeout-to-Walk ratio improved drastically from 1.06 vs Holy Cross to 2.56 vs NJIT
• Purdue pitchers squashed potential big innings – NJIT with runners on: .197, with RISP: .167, with runner on 3rd & less than 2 outs: scored run in 2 of 9 opportunities, with 2 outs: .179, 2-out RBI: 3
• Purdue's bullpen excelled: 2.57 ERA, .215 B/Avg, 24 strikeouts vs. 8 walks in 21 innings
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• Purdue was 4-for-37 vs. lefthanded pitching
• Purdue starting pitchers were on the mound for only 15 of the 36 innings
• NJIT had a 15-8 advantage in XBH and .504 to .344 edge in slugging percentage
• Purdue committed 8 errors
FAMILIAR FACE IN FIRESTONE
• Similar to NJIT, Akron is also playing its first 11 games of the season in the North Carolina. The Zips split a four-game series at Western Carolina during the opening weekend and remained in the state after dropping two of three at Elon to close out February.
• Zionsville native and former Boilermaker Jack Firestone homered in each of the first three games of the season for Akron as part of a 7-for-11 start at the plate. He made a pair of starts in the outfield during Purdue's eight-game road trip in North Carolina early last season. Since 2020, Firestone is set to become the third former Boilermaker to take the field against Purdue after opting to transfer. That's a situation likely to become more commonplace across college baseball in the coming years as player movement has increased with the relaxed regulations on transfers.
STRIKEOUTS SPIKE IN WEEKEND #2
• After registering just 19 punchouts in 33 innings during the season-opening series vs. Holy Cross, Purdue's pitching staff returned to the form that led to team records for strikeouts (479) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.57) last year. The Boilermakers had 15 strikeouts Sunday, 28 over the final two games of the series and 41 Ks in 36 innings in the series. Purdue reached the 40-K mark in a four-game series for just the fifth time since 2001.
• Sunday, Carter Doorn struck out five of the 10 batters he faced, joining Calvin Schapira and Iwinski with five Ks in the game. Doorn joined Khal Stephen (twice) and CJ Backer as active Boilermakers to record at least five strikeouts while punching out at least half the batters he faced. However, Purdue has accomplished that feat a dozen times since the opening weekend of the 2021 campaign.
Akron (3-4, 15-41 in 2022) vs. Purdue (5-3, 29-21 in 2022)
4-Game Series / Friday to Sunday, March 3 to 5
Ting Stadium / Holly Springs, N.C.
Series Opener: Friday, March 3 at 1 p.m. ET
Doubleheader: Saturday, March 4 1 p.m.
Series Finale: Sunday, March 5 at 1 p.m. ET
All-Time Series: Akron leads 1-0
Previous Meeting: Akron 4, Purdue 3 (March 1997 in Jacksonville, Fla.)
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Khal Stephen (So, RHP) vs. Akron's Sammy Tortorella (Jr, LHP)
Saturday Game 1: Jonathan Blackwell (Jr, LHP) vs. Akron's Spencer Atkins (Jr, RHP)
Saturday Game 2: Kyle Iwinski (Jr, RHP) vs. TBA for Akron's Anthony Fett (Jr, LHP)
Sunday: TBA for Purdue vs. Akron's Joe Roth (Fr, RHP)
HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. – Purdue baseball closes out is stretch of three consecutive four-game series to open the season with a return to the Carolinas for another full weekend, hosting Akron at Ting Stadium.
First pitch Friday has been moved up to 1 p.m. ET due storms in the forecast for the late afternoon and evening. That makes three 1 p.m. starts this weekend, including Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's series finale. Admission is free for all three days of action in Ting Park.
After splitting its four-game series with NJIT in Holly Springs last weekend, the Boilermakers are 9-2 at Ting Stadium since last year. Five of those victories have come in walk-off fashion.
Purdue is giving Kyle Iwinski an opportunity to move into the starting rotation this weekend. The newcomer from Northwest Indiana has pitched 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball over his first three appearances as a Boilermaker, registering eight strikeouts vs. six hits and two walks. He gave Purdue a chance to rally in the series finale vs. NJIT with four innings of one-run work. Iwinski was a workhorse in the rotation during his final two seasons at Kankakee Community College, pitching 71 1/3 innings in 2021 and 67 innings in 2022.
Purdue's bullpen pitched well at Ting Stadium last weekend but was tasked with covering 21 of the series' 36 innings.
HIGH & LOWS OF THE NJIT SERIES
• Purdue with RISP: .316 (12-for-38)
• Purdue with a Runner on 3rd & Less than 2 Outs: Scored the run in 7 of 9 opportunities
• Successfully Advanced a Base Runner in a Plate Appearance: 49%
• 2-Out RBI: 9 – including 5 from Evan Albrecht
• Purdue racked up 41 strikeouts in 36 innings (10.25 K/9, nearly doubling the 5.18 mark vs Holy Cross)
• Strikeout-to-Walk ratio improved drastically from 1.06 vs Holy Cross to 2.56 vs NJIT
• Purdue pitchers squashed potential big innings – NJIT with runners on: .197, with RISP: .167, with runner on 3rd & less than 2 outs: scored run in 2 of 9 opportunities, with 2 outs: .179, 2-out RBI: 3
• Purdue's bullpen excelled: 2.57 ERA, .215 B/Avg, 24 strikeouts vs. 8 walks in 21 innings
---
• Purdue was 4-for-37 vs. lefthanded pitching
• Purdue starting pitchers were on the mound for only 15 of the 36 innings
• NJIT had a 15-8 advantage in XBH and .504 to .344 edge in slugging percentage
• Purdue committed 8 errors
FAMILIAR FACE IN FIRESTONE
• Similar to NJIT, Akron is also playing its first 11 games of the season in the North Carolina. The Zips split a four-game series at Western Carolina during the opening weekend and remained in the state after dropping two of three at Elon to close out February.
• Zionsville native and former Boilermaker Jack Firestone homered in each of the first three games of the season for Akron as part of a 7-for-11 start at the plate. He made a pair of starts in the outfield during Purdue's eight-game road trip in North Carolina early last season. Since 2020, Firestone is set to become the third former Boilermaker to take the field against Purdue after opting to transfer. That's a situation likely to become more commonplace across college baseball in the coming years as player movement has increased with the relaxed regulations on transfers.
| FORMER BOILERMAKERS PURDUE HAS PLAYED AGAINST IN RECENT YEARS | |||
| Former Boilermaker | Year(s) with Purdue | New Team | Game Date(s) vs Purdue |
| Mike Madej | 2017 | North Carolina | 3/1/2020 |
| Seth Gergely | 2019 | Indiana State | 4/6/2022 |
| Jack Firestone | 2020-22 | Akron | 3/3-3/5/2023 |
| RECENT BOILERMAKERS TO PLAY AGAINST THEIR FORMER TEAMS | |||
| Boilermaker | Year(s) with Purdue | Former Team | Game Dates vs Old Team |
| Paul Toetz | 2022-Pr | Indiana | 4/9-4/10/2022 |
| Justin Walker Jr. | 2020-21 | Indiana | 3/19-21/2022 |
STRIKEOUTS SPIKE IN WEEKEND #2
• After registering just 19 punchouts in 33 innings during the season-opening series vs. Holy Cross, Purdue's pitching staff returned to the form that led to team records for strikeouts (479) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.57) last year. The Boilermakers had 15 strikeouts Sunday, 28 over the final two games of the series and 41 Ks in 36 innings in the series. Purdue reached the 40-K mark in a four-game series for just the fifth time since 2001.
• Sunday, Carter Doorn struck out five of the 10 batters he faced, joining Calvin Schapira and Iwinski with five Ks in the game. Doorn joined Khal Stephen (twice) and CJ Backer as active Boilermakers to record at least five strikeouts while punching out at least half the batters he faced. However, Purdue has accomplished that feat a dozen times since the opening weekend of the 2021 campaign.
| PURDUE'S TOP SINGLE-GAME STRIKEOUT TOTALS | ||||||
| Date | Strikeouts | Innings | Opponent | Pitchers Used | Pitcher High | Result |
| 3/29/2022 | 19 | 9 | UIC | 7 | 6 - Troy Wansing | L, 10-9 |
| 4/10/2019 | 18 | 9 1/3 | at Indiana | 6 | 6 - James Kulak | L, 7-6 (10) |
| 3/23/2002 | 17 | 9 | Miami (Ohio) | 2 | 15 - Chadd Blasko | W, 12-2 |
| 3/09/2019 | 16 | 9 | NJIT | 2 | 9 - Austin Peterson | W, 9-8 |
| 3/20/2010 | 16 | 9 | at Ohio | 2 | 14 - Matt Morgan | W, 6-2 |
| 2/26/2023 | 15 | 9 | vs NJIT | 4 | 5 - 3 Tied with | L, 7-5 |
| 3/10/2022 | 15 | 9 | Bellarmine | 2 | 10 - Jackson Smeltz | W, 8-4 |
| 3/06/2022 | 15 | 11 | vs Longwood | 4 | 9 - Wyatt Wendell | W, 6-5 (11) |
| 3/19/2021 | 15 | 9 | at Indiana | 4 | 7 - Calvin Schapira | W, 8-5 |
| 5/01/2016 | 15 | 9 | Ohio State | 6 | 9 - Shane Bryant | L, 5-1 |
| 2/14/2015 | 15 | 9 | at Western Carolina | 3 | 7 - Kyle Wood | W, 9-5 |
| 5/21/2004 | 15 | 9 | Indiana | 3 | 11 - Scott Byrnes | L, 9-3 |
| 3/07/1999 | 15 | 8 | at Louisville | 5 | 5 - Heath Uppencamp | L, 16-4 |
| MOST STRIKEOUTS IN A 4-GAME SERIES/WEEKEND (Since 2001) | |||||
| Year | Opponent(s) | Strikeouts | Innings | K/9 | Results |
| 2021 | vs Nebraska | 46 | 32 | 12.94 | Lost 3 of 4 |
| 2022 | vs South Dakota St. | 44 | 36 | 11.00 | Won All 4 |
| 2006 | Northwestern | 41 | 32 | 11.53 | Split 2-2 |
| 2022 | vs Princeton | 43 | 36 | 10.75 | Won All 4 |
| 2023 | vs NJIT | 41 | 36 | 10.25 | Split 2-2 |
| 2021 | vs PSU / at MSU | 39 | 35 | 10.03 | Split 2-2 |
| 2017 | at Santa Clara | 35 | 36 | 8.75 | Won All 4 |
| 2021 | vs MSU / at ILL | 33 | 38 | 7.82 | Won All 4 |
| 2017 | at Texas State | 33 | 34 2/3 | 8.57 | Split 2-2 |
| 2011 | at Morehead State | 32 | 35 2/3 | 8.07 | Won 3 of 4 |
| 2020 | vs Hofstra | 31 | 36 | 7.75 | Won 3 of 4 |
| 2019 | at Texas | 31 | 33 | 8.45 | Lost 3 of 4 |
| 2004 | Michigan State | 31 | 32 | 8.72 | Won 3 of 4 |
| 2007 | Iowa | 30 | 32 | 8.44 | Split 2-2 |
| FANNED AT LEAST 5 & 50% OF BATTERS FACED (Since 2005) | |||||
| Year | Pitcher | Opponent | Strikeouts | Batters Faced | Percent |
| 2022 | Khal Stephen | Butler | 5 | 6 | 83 |
| 2012 | Pat Gannon | vs Anderson | 5 | 7 | 71 |
| 2011 | Nick Wittgren | Iowa | 5 | 7 | 71 |
| 2008 | Josh Lindblom | at Iowa | 5 | 7 | 71 |
| 2019 | Trent Johnson | at Northwestern | 10 | 15 | 67 |
| 2014 | Joe Eichman | at Butler | 5 | 8 | 63 |
| 2022 | Nolan Daniel | at Iowa | 5 | 9 | 56 |
| 2022 | CJ Backer | UIC | 5 | 9 | 56 |
| 2007 | Allan Donato | at Western Kentucky | 5 | 9 | 56 |
| 2011 | Nick Wittgren | Michigan | 6 | 11 | 55 |
| 2022 | Landon Weins | at Northwestern | 7 | 13 | 54 |
| 2021 | Ricky Castro | at Maryland | 8 | 15 | 53 |
| 2022 | Jackson Smeltz* | vs Princeton | 11 | 21 | 52 |
| 2022 | Khal Stephen | at Iowa | 6 | 12 | 50 |
| 2023 | Carter Doorn | vs NJIT | 5 | 10 | 50 |
| 2022 | Eric Hildebrand | at Penn State | 5 | 10 | 50 |
| 2022 | Landon Weins | vs South Dakota State | 7 | 14 | 50 |
| 2022 | Troy Wansing* | vs South Dakota State | 5 | 10 | 50 |
| 2021 | Jett Jackson* | vs Nebraska | 10 | 20 | 50 |
| * – Started Game | |||||
| NEUTRAL SITE WALK-OFFS (Since 2019) | |||||
| Date | Opponent | Location | Score (Innings) | GW RBI | GW Run |
| 2/24/2023 | NJIT | Holly Springs, N.C. | 6-5 (9) | Jake Parr | Paul Toetz |
| 3/06/2022 | Longwood | Holly Springs, N.C. | 6-5 (11) | Cam Thompson | Cam Thompson |
| 3/05/2022 | Longwood | Holly Springs, N.C. | 6-5 (13) | Jake Stadler | Jake Jarvis |
| 2/26/2022 | Princeton (G2) | Holly Springs, N.C. | 5-4 (9) | Cam Thompson | Curtis Washington Jr. |
| 2/26/2022 | Princeton (G1) | Holly Springs, N.C. | 4-3 (9) | CJ Valdez | Curtis Washington Jr. |
| 4/18/2021 | Michigan State | Champaign, Ill. | 2-1 (11) | Evan Albrecht | Ben Nisle |
| 3/05/2021 | Nebraska | Round Rock, Texas | 6-5 (9) | Zac Fascia | Ben Nisle |
| 3/09/2019 | NJIT | Marion, N.C. | 9-8 (9) | Cole McKenzie | Tyler Powers |