Purdue Begins 2nd Half of Season in the Twin CitiesPurdue Begins 2nd Half of Season in the Twin Cities

Purdue Begins 2nd Half of Season in the Twin Cities

Purdue baseball begins the second half of the regular season with another trip north, visiting the Twin Cities for the third time in the last four years for a three-game series at Minnesota.

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GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Purdue (12-15, 3-3 B1G) at Minnesota (7-20, 2-1 B1G)

Friday to Sunday, April 7-9 / Watch B1G+
Siebert Field / Minneapolis, Minn.
Series Opener: Friday, April 7 at 4 p.m. ET
Middle Game: Saturday, April 8 at 3 p.m. ET
Series Finale: Sunday, April 9 at 2 p.m. ET

SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Minnesota leads 118-58-2
All-Time in Minneapolis: Minnesota leads 67-27
Last Meetings: Split a Doubleheader (May 30, 2021 in West Lafayette)
Last Series: Purdue won 3 of 4 (May 20-23, 2021 in Minneapolis)
First Meeting: Minnesota 14, Purdue 9 (April 1901 in West Lafayette)

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Khal Stephen (So, RHP) vs. MINN's Tucker Novotny (So, LHP)
Saturday: Jonathan Blackwell (Jr, LHP) vs. MINN's Ben Shepard (R-Sr, RHP)
Sunday: Kyle Iwinski (Jr, RHP) vs. MINN's Richie Holetz (R-Sr, RHP)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue baseball begins the second half of the regular season with another trip north, visiting the Twin Cities for the third time in the last four years for a three-game series at Minnesota.

First pitch at Siebert Field is slated for 4 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday (all ET). Friday's first pitch was moved up Wednesday evening to maximize daylight.

The Boilermakers have won five of their last seven games at Siebert Field – taking two of three to end the 2017 regular season and three of four in the penultimate weekend of the 2021 campaign. Prior to 2017, Purdue had gone without a series win in Minneapolis since 2000. The Boilermakers also played at Minnesota's six-team Cambria College Classic inside U.S. Bank Stadium two weeks before the shutdown in 2020.

Purdue scored 46 runs over the four games at Siebert Field two years ago. Jake Parr hit the first of his two career grand slams, Cam Thompson connected for a three-run homer and Mike Bolton Jr.'s .526 on-base percentage led to five stolen bases and nine runs scored. Parr finished the series 6-for-15.

Three of Purdue's first six Big Ten games this season have been one-run affairs, with the Boilermakers managing to win a pair of them. Khal Stephen and Aaron Suval have teamed up to lead Purdue to consecutive series-opening wins over the first two weekends of conference play, combining for 22 strikeouts over 20 2/3 innings. The Boilermakers rallied for their Friday victories – overcoming a 4-0 deficit entering the fourth inning at Michigan State and a 2-1 deficit entering the seventh inning vs. Northwestern.

Jonathan Blackwell (11 2/3 IP, 12 H, 4 R, BB, 8 K) and Kyle Iwinski (10 1/3 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, BB, 6 K) have very similar stat lines over their first two Big Ten starts, highlighted by a combined 14 strikeouts vs. two walks over 22 innings.

Purdue Starting Pitching Over the First 2 Weekends of Big Ten Play
35 IP, 34 H, 15 R, 6 BB, 29 K, 3.60 ERA, .258 B/Avg

WEEKEND #3 OF BIG TEN PLAY
Illinois at Northwestern
Purdue at Minnesota
Nebraska at Michigan
Iowa at Indiana
Ohio State at Michigan State
Rutgers at Maryland
Delaware State at Penn State

Similar to Northwestern, Minnesota is battled test after playing a tough non-conference slate that featured games against UC Santa Barbara, Oregon State, New Mexico, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Gonzaga, Houston and others. It showed last weekend when the Gophers won two of three at Ohio State to open Big Ten play. Minnesota surrendered only 10 runs in the series and overcame a 2-0 deficit in the ninth inning to win Friday.

The Gophers have played each of their first 11 home games indoors at the Minnesota Vikings' U.S. Bank Stadium. Their first two home dates outdoors at Siebert Field were postponed/canceled this week due to poor weather. Since Siebert Field reopened in 2013, Minnesota has played its Big Ten schedule outdoors at the on-campus facility.

The Gophers have the youngest roster in the Big Ten with an average age of 19.95. But they also have the league's longest-tenured head coach, John Anderson, who is the winningest coach in Big Ten history with 1354 victories in as the leader of Minnesota's storied program since the 1982 season.

The Gophers have a pair of lefties atop their rotation in Tucker Novotny and George Klassen. Klassen was scratched Friday morning in favor of righthander Ben Shepard. Purdue is 3-5 against lefthanded starting pitchers this season after winning two of their last three assignments. Similar to the Boilermakers with Kyle Iwinski, Sunday starter Richie Holetz has the best overall numbers (2.50 ERA, 31 strikeouts, 0 HR allowed in 36 innings) in the rotation.

ACTIVE STREAKS
Jo Stevens – 10-game on-base streak
Connor Caskenette – 6-game on-base, 5-game hit streaks; 6-game on-base streak in Big Ten play

TOP 10 IN THE BIG TEN ENTERING THE WEEKEND
Kyle Iwinski – 2nd in ERA (2.48), 7th in B/Avg (.203)
Couper Cornblum – 2nd in Steals (15)
Mike Bolton Jr. – T-2nd in Sac Bunts (4), T-4th in HBP (8), T-5th in Triples (2), T-3rd in Steals (12)
Cam Thompson – T-3rd in Sac Flies (3), T-7th in Sac Bunts (3)
Paul Toetz – T-4th in HR (8), T-5th in Triples (2), 3rd in RBI (37), 8th in Slugging (.670), 8th in OPS (1.155)
Evan Albrecht – T-5th in Steals (11)
Jake Parr – T-5th in Triples (2)
Jake Jarvis – T-6th in OBP (.484), 9th in OPS (1.127), 10th in Slugging (.643)
Jonathan Blackwell – 6th in Innings (37 1/3)

THREE CONSECUTIVE SEASONS WITH 10+ STEALS (Since 1970)
Dave Scheitlin – 12 in 1989, 26 in 1990, 30 in 1991 /// 3-Year Total: 68
Mike Bolton Jr. – 17 in 2021, 28 in 2022, 12 in 2023 // 3-Year Total: 57
Chris Walker – 20 in 1998, 21 in 1999, 15 in 2000 /// 3-Year Total: 56
Stephen Talbott – 17 in 2011, 15 in 2012, 18 in 2013 /// 3-Year Total: 50
Jermaine Allensworth – 16 in 1991, 14 in 1992, 18 in 1993 /// 3-Year Total: 48
Eric Charles – 15 in 2010, 11 in 2011, 16 in 2012 /// 3-Year Total: 42
Daniel Underwood – 13 in 2000, 11 in 2001, 13 in 2002 /// 3-Year Total: 37

PURDUE'S ALL-TIME LEADERS IN STOLEN BASES
1.) Dave Scheitlin (1988-91) – 70
2.) Jeff Allison (1984-87) – 69
3.) Chris Walker (1997-00) – 60
4.) Mike Bolton Jr. (2000-Pr) – 58
5.) Chris Detrick (1978-81) – 57
6.) Stephen Talbott (2010-13) – 55
7.) Harry Shipley (2015-18) – 51
8.) Craig Robertshaw (1988-91) – 50
T-9.) Eric Charles (2008-12) – 49
T-9.) Mitch Hilligoss (2004-06) – 49
11.) Jermaine Allensworth (1991-93) – 48
12.) Mark Tomsyck (1995-98) – 46
13.) Daniel Underwood (2000-03) – 45
14.) Evan Albrecht (2019-Pr) – 43
 
BIG INNING BOILERMAKERS – PROLIFIC RALLIES THE LAST 3 SEASONS
Date Runs Inning Opponent Game Result
3/05/23 13 B-4th vs Akron W, 23-4
4/09/22 10 B-8th Indiana W, 17-0
3/04/23 9 B-3rd vs Akron W, 17-9
4/04/23 8 B-2nd Evansville L, 12-10
3/04/23 8 B-1st vs Akron W, 13-0
3/15/22 8 B-4th Dayton W, 11-2
2/19/22 8 B-7th vs South Dakota St. W, 14-3
5/10/22 7 B-6th Butler W, 11-6
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
5/01/22 6 B-6th Michigan W, 12-4
4/29/22 6 B-8th Michigan W, 18-4
4/10/22 6 B-3rd Indiana W, 16-15
4/19/21 6 T-9th at Illinois W, 20-6
4/03/21 6 B-6th Iowa W, 10-8
3/15/23 5 B-7th Northern Illinois W, 14-5
3/15/23 5 B-4th Northern Illinois W, 14-5
3/05/23 5 B-2nd vs Akron W, 23-4
5/13/22 5 T-4th at Northwestern W, 14-8
4/15/22 5 T-1st at Penn State W, 11-5
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
Scoring Breakdown – 13: 1, 10: 1, 9: 1, 8: 4, 7: 5, 6: 5, 5: 9
 
REACHED 40 RBI BEFORE MAY 1 (Since 2001)
Year Boilermaker Date of 40th RBI Season Total
2022 Cam Thompson April 9 56
2012 Cameron Perkins April 17 61
2001 Nate Sickler April 18 54
2018 Jacson McGowan April 24 59
2009 Dan Black April 28 51
2017 Jacson McGowan April 28 50
2001 Nick McIntyre April 29 48
2023 Paul Toetz TBD 37 (as of April 6)