GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Northern Illinois (5-11) at Purdue (12-4)
Wednesday, March 13 at 4 p.m. ET / Watch B1G+
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana
Midweek Deal: $3 GA Tickets, Hot Dogs, Popcorn, Nachos & Beers
Probable Starting Pitchers: Cole Van Assen (Fr, RHP) vs. TBA for NIU
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Purdue leads 7-1
All-Time in West Lafayette: Purdue leads 5-0
2023: Purdue 14, NIU 5 (March 15 Home Opener at Alexander Field)
First Meeting: Purdue 2, NIU 0 (March 1999 at Lambert Field)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Baseball continues its season-long 13-game homestand and nine-game stretch against opponents with canine mascots as the Northern Illinois Huskies visit Alexander Field for midweek action for the third consecutive season.
First pitch is set for 4 p.m. as part of the $3 midweek matchup promotion. General admission tickets, hot dogs, popcorn, nachos and domestic canned beers are specially priced at $3 for all Tuesday and Wednesday games at Alexander.
The Boilermakers are looking to build upon their 12-4 start and first four-game sweep at home since April 2008 vs. Minnesota. Purdue racked up 45 runs in 29 innings against UAlbany and has now scored 10-plus runs in eight of its 12 wins this season.
The Boilermakers have scored a combined 31 runs in their victories against NIU the last two years. They had three big innings in last season's home-opening win, scoring five in the fourth and seventh as well as four in the bottom of the second.
The 2022 Purdue-NIU game at Alexander Field was a midweek slugfest, featuring a combined 31 runs on 29 hits and eight errors on a rainy day in early April. It remains the highest-scoring game in the history of Alexander, a benchmark that was matched later that week in a 16-15 win vs. Indiana. There were 108 combined runs scored over five games from April 5-10, still easily the highest scoring week since Alexander opened in 2013.
Northern Illinois is under the guidance of first-year head coach Ryan Copeland, formerly the skipper at Division II Illinois-Springfield. He also coached at Alexander Field as the pitching coach at Illinois State, his alma mater, from 2014-15. The Huskies opened Mid-American Conference play with a series win at Ohio over the weekend.
For Purdue, freshman Cole Van Assen is set to make his first collegiate start, facing an opponent from his home state. Van Assen has worked 6 2/3 innings of effective relief over his first two appearances, allowing just one unearned run, which scored after he left the mound in his Feb. 18 collegiate debut. The righthander has surrendered only five hits (all singles) and two walks while inducing three ground ball double plays and eight ground balls outs total.
The Boilermakers are in the midst of a stretch in which they are scheduled to play 15 consecutive games in the state of Indiana. The Samford Bulldogs make their first-ever appearance at Alexander Field this weekend for a four-game series. The 13-game homestand is in line to match the longest of the program's Alexander era (2013-present).
ACTIVE STREAKS
• Connor Caskenette – 21-game on-base streak at Home (since 3/31/23)
• Couper Cornblum – 17-game on-base at Home (since 4/15/23)
• Logan Sutter – 16-game on-base streak (every game of 2024)
• Camden Gasser – 14-game on-base streak (every game he's played in 2024); 7-game hit streak
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 7-game hit streak
TOP 10 IN THE BIG TEN ENTERING THE WEEKEND
• Luke Gaffney – 1st in Batting Avg (.466), 1st in Slugging (.776), 1st in OPS (1.299), 1st in hits (27), T-1st in Triples (2), 2nd in RBI (21), 2nd in Runs (20), 3rd in Doubles (8), 3rd in OBP (.523)
• Logan Sutter – 1st in Doubles (11), 2nd in Slugging (.774), 2nd in OPS (1.282), T-5th in RBI (14), 7th in Batting Avg (.396), 7th in OBP (.508), T-10th in Hits (21)
• Jackson Dannelley – 1st in Saves (4)
• Couper Cornblum – T-1st in Triples (2)
• Camden Gasser – 2nd in OBP (.533), T-2nd in Steals (9), 5th in Batting Avg (.413), T-6th in Walks (13)
• Jordan Morales – T-2nd in Wins (3), 4th in Innings (23 1/3)
• Luke Wagner – T-2nd in Wins (3), 7th in ERA (2.70)
• Connor Caskenette – T-3rd in RBI (21),T-5th in HBP (7)
• Mike Bolton Jr. – T-6th in Steals (8)
• Jo Stevens – T-9th in Steals (4)
• Keenan Spence – T-10th in Runs (16)
Northern Illinois (5-11) at Purdue (12-4)
Wednesday, March 13 at 4 p.m. ET / Watch B1G+
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana
Midweek Deal: $3 GA Tickets, Hot Dogs, Popcorn, Nachos & Beers
Probable Starting Pitchers: Cole Van Assen (Fr, RHP) vs. TBA for NIU
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Purdue leads 7-1
All-Time in West Lafayette: Purdue leads 5-0
2023: Purdue 14, NIU 5 (March 15 Home Opener at Alexander Field)
First Meeting: Purdue 2, NIU 0 (March 1999 at Lambert Field)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Baseball continues its season-long 13-game homestand and nine-game stretch against opponents with canine mascots as the Northern Illinois Huskies visit Alexander Field for midweek action for the third consecutive season.
First pitch is set for 4 p.m. as part of the $3 midweek matchup promotion. General admission tickets, hot dogs, popcorn, nachos and domestic canned beers are specially priced at $3 for all Tuesday and Wednesday games at Alexander.
The Boilermakers are looking to build upon their 12-4 start and first four-game sweep at home since April 2008 vs. Minnesota. Purdue racked up 45 runs in 29 innings against UAlbany and has now scored 10-plus runs in eight of its 12 wins this season.
The Boilermakers have scored a combined 31 runs in their victories against NIU the last two years. They had three big innings in last season's home-opening win, scoring five in the fourth and seventh as well as four in the bottom of the second.
The 2022 Purdue-NIU game at Alexander Field was a midweek slugfest, featuring a combined 31 runs on 29 hits and eight errors on a rainy day in early April. It remains the highest-scoring game in the history of Alexander, a benchmark that was matched later that week in a 16-15 win vs. Indiana. There were 108 combined runs scored over five games from April 5-10, still easily the highest scoring week since Alexander opened in 2013.
Northern Illinois is under the guidance of first-year head coach Ryan Copeland, formerly the skipper at Division II Illinois-Springfield. He also coached at Alexander Field as the pitching coach at Illinois State, his alma mater, from 2014-15. The Huskies opened Mid-American Conference play with a series win at Ohio over the weekend.
For Purdue, freshman Cole Van Assen is set to make his first collegiate start, facing an opponent from his home state. Van Assen has worked 6 2/3 innings of effective relief over his first two appearances, allowing just one unearned run, which scored after he left the mound in his Feb. 18 collegiate debut. The righthander has surrendered only five hits (all singles) and two walks while inducing three ground ball double plays and eight ground balls outs total.
The Boilermakers are in the midst of a stretch in which they are scheduled to play 15 consecutive games in the state of Indiana. The Samford Bulldogs make their first-ever appearance at Alexander Field this weekend for a four-game series. The 13-game homestand is in line to match the longest of the program's Alexander era (2013-present).
ACTIVE STREAKS
• Connor Caskenette – 21-game on-base streak at Home (since 3/31/23)
• Couper Cornblum – 17-game on-base at Home (since 4/15/23)
• Logan Sutter – 16-game on-base streak (every game of 2024)
• Camden Gasser – 14-game on-base streak (every game he's played in 2024); 7-game hit streak
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 7-game hit streak
TOP 10 IN THE BIG TEN ENTERING THE WEEKEND
• Luke Gaffney – 1st in Batting Avg (.466), 1st in Slugging (.776), 1st in OPS (1.299), 1st in hits (27), T-1st in Triples (2), 2nd in RBI (21), 2nd in Runs (20), 3rd in Doubles (8), 3rd in OBP (.523)
• Logan Sutter – 1st in Doubles (11), 2nd in Slugging (.774), 2nd in OPS (1.282), T-5th in RBI (14), 7th in Batting Avg (.396), 7th in OBP (.508), T-10th in Hits (21)
• Jackson Dannelley – 1st in Saves (4)
• Couper Cornblum – T-1st in Triples (2)
• Camden Gasser – 2nd in OBP (.533), T-2nd in Steals (9), 5th in Batting Avg (.413), T-6th in Walks (13)
• Jordan Morales – T-2nd in Wins (3), 4th in Innings (23 1/3)
• Luke Wagner – T-2nd in Wins (3), 7th in ERA (2.70)
• Connor Caskenette – T-3rd in RBI (21),T-5th in HBP (7)
• Mike Bolton Jr. – T-6th in Steals (8)
• Jo Stevens – T-9th in Steals (4)
• Keenan Spence – T-10th in Runs (16)
| HIGHEST SCORING GAMES AT ALEXANDER FIELD (Since 2013) | |||
| Date | Combined Runs | Opponent | Result |
| 4/10/22 | 31 | Indiana | W, 16-15 |
| 4/05/22 | 31 | Northern Illinois | W, 17-14 |
| 5/08/18 | 30 | Purdue Fort Wayne | W, 27-3 |
| 4/13/18 | 29 | Minnesota | L, 22-7 |
| 4/14/18 | 26 | Minnesota | L, 18-8 |
| 4/20/16 | 26 | Indiana State | L, 22-4 |
| 4/19/23 | 25 | Butler | W, 16-9 |
| 5/20/22 | 25 | Maryland | L, 18-7 |
| 5/18/19 | 24 | Ohio State | L, 13-11 |
| 4/09/17 | 23 | Indiana | L, 14-9 |
| 3/10/24 | 22 | UAlbany | W, 16-6 |
| 4/04/22 | 22 | Evansville | L, 12-10 |
| 4/29/22 | 22 | Michigan | W, 18-4 |
| 5/17/14 | 22 | Iowa | L, 17-5 |
| 5/14/13 | 22 | Eastern Michigan | L, 20-2 |
| HIGHEST SCORING WEEKENDS AT ALEXANDER FIELD (Since 2013) | ||||
| Dates | Games | Combined Runs | Opponent | Results |
| 4/09-10/22 | 3 | 61 | Indiana | 2 Wins, 1 Loss 17-0, 3-10, 16-15 |
| 3/09-10/24 | 4 | 56 | UAlbany | 4 Wins 11-3, 6-1, 16-6, 12-1 |
| 4/13-14/18 | 2 | 55 | Minnesota | 2 Losses 22-7, 18-8 |
| 4/29-5/01/22 | 3 | 53 | Michigan | 2 Wins, 1 Loss 18-4, 12-4, 2-13 |
| 4/05-07/13 | 3 | 50 | Northwestern | 1 Loss, 2 Wins 13-4, 6-10, 4-13 |
| 3/25-27/16 | 3 | 48 | Nebraska | 3 Losses 9-5, 11-6, 9-8 |
| 5/19-20/22 | 2 | 46 | Maryland | 2 Losses 14-7, 18-7 |
| 5/15-17/14 | 3 | 45 | Iowa | 1 Win, 2 Losses 3-10, 6-4, 5-17 |
| 4/07-09/17 | 3 | 44 | Indiana | 2 Wins, 1 Loss 6-5, 7-3, 9-14 |
| FASTEST TO 10 DOUBLES (Since 2001) | |||
| Year | Boilermaker | Date of 10th Double | Season Total |
| 2024 | Logan Sutter | March 10 | 11 |
| 2012 | Kevin Plawecki | March 24 | 20 |
| 2001 | Nate Sickler | March 24 | 21 |
| 2011 | Tyler Spillner | March 29 | 17 |
| 2003 | Simon Klink | March 29 | 21 |
| 2010 | Cameron Perkins | April 2 | 17 |
| 2004 | Mike Coles | April 4 | 17 |
| 2022 | Troy Viola | April 5 | 19 |
| 2024 | Luke Gaffney | TBD | 8 |
| FASTEST TO 20 RBI (Since 2001) | |||
| Year | Boilermaker | Date of 20th RBI | Season Total |
| 2023 | Paul Toetz | March 5 | 53 |
| 2024 | Luke Gaffney | March 10 | 21 |
| 2024 | Connor Caskenette | March 10 | 20 |
| 2022 | Cam Thompson | March 10 | 56 |
| 2018 | Jacson McGowan | March 11 | 59 |
| 2012 | Cameron Perkins | March 13 | 61 |
| 2017 | Jacson McGowan | March 18 | 50 |
| 2009 | Dan Black | March 21 | 51 |
| FASTEST TO 30 RBI (Since 2001) | |||
| Year | Boilermaker | Date of 30th RBI | Season Total |
| 2023 | Paul Toetz | March 21 | 53 |
| 2022 | Cam Thompson | March 25 | 56 |
| 2018 | Jacson McGowan | March 31 | 59 |
| 2009 | Dan Black | April 4 | 51 |
| 2017 | Jacson McGowan | April 8 | 50 |
| 2012 | Cameron Perkins | April 8 | 61 |
| 2001 | Nate Sickler | April 11 | 54 |
| BIG INNING BOILERMAKERS – PROLIFIC RALLIES OF NOTE SINCE 2021 | ||||
| Date | Runs | Inning | Opponent | Game Result |
| 3/05/23 | 13 | B-4th | vs Akron | W, 23-4 |
| 3/03/24 | 10 | T-1st | vs Cal State Fullerton | W, 11-3 |
| 2/25/24 | 10 | B-5th | vs George Mason | W, 11-1 |
| 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 |
| 3/10/24 | 7 | B-3rd | UAlbany | W, 16-6 |
| 3/10/24 | 7 | B-1st | UAlbany | W, 16-6 |
| 4/19/23 | 7 | B-3rd | Butler | W, 16-9 |
| 4/08/23 | 7 | T-9th | at Minnesota | W, 15-3 |
| 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 |
| 3/09/24 | 6 | B-1st | UAlbany | W, 11-3 |
| 3/10/24 | 5 | B-4th | UAlbany | W, 12-1 |
| 3/10/24 | 5 | B-3rd | UAlbany | W, 12-1 |
| 2/18/24 | 5 | B-6th | vs Stony Brook | W, 13-6 |
| 2/17/24 | 5 | B-6th | vs Stony Brook | W, 12-8 |
| Full 4-Year Scoring Breakdown – 13: 1, 10: 3, 9: 1, 8: 4, 7: 9, 6: 7, 5: 14 | ||||