Final Week of Homestand Begins with 1st of 2 Meetings vs. UICFinal Week of Homestand Begins with 1st of 2 Meetings vs. UIC

Final Week of Homestand Begins with 1st of 2 Meetings vs. UIC

The final week of Purdue Baseball's season-long 13-game homestand begins with the first of two meetings with UIC as the Flames visit Alexander Field on Wednesday afternoon for another $3 midweek matchup.

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GAMEDAY INFORMATION
UIC (12-6) at Purdue (15-6)

Wednesday, March 20 at 4 p.m. ET / Watch B1G+
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana
Probable Starting Pitchers: Cole Van Assen (Fr, RHP) vs. UIC's Vincent Trapani (R-So, RHP)
$3 Midweek Deals on GA Tickets, Beers, Hot Dogs, Popcorn & Nachos

SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Purdue leads 13-11
All-Time in West Lafayette: Purdue leads 8-3
2023 in West Lafayette: UIC 6, Purdue 4 (March 21)
2023 in Chicago: UIC 7, Purdue 3 (May 10)
Purdue's Last Win in the Series: Purdue 5, UIC 3 (April 2014 in West Lafayette)
First Meetings: Purdue swept a doubleheader 5-0 & 14-4 (May 1982 in West Lafayette)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The final week of Purdue Baseball's season-long 13-game homestand begins with the first of two meetings with UIC as the Flames visit Alexander Field on Wednesday afternoon for another $3 midweek matchup.

First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. ET. General admission tickets, beer, hot dogs, popcorn and nachos are specially priced at $3 at all Tuesday and Wednesday home games.

The Boilermakers are 7-2 during their current homestand, scoring 86 runs in the nine games thanks to two of the highest-scoring weekends in the history of Alexander Field. Purdue has compiled a .323/.437/.545 team slash line over the last nine games and connected for 11 home runs in the five games last week. The pitching staff has also racked up 43 strikeouts in each of the last two weekends, averaging 10.96 Ks per nine innings over the course of the homestand.

Cole Van Assen gets another start Wednesday against a team from his home state. He worked six innings of one-run ball over two appearances last week, sharing the team lead in innings while helping Purdue win both games in which he took the mound. He excelled in a stadium that surrendered a combined 71 runs over 46 innings in the five games.

Van Assen was the most effective pitcher in Saturday's 13-12 10-inning slugfest with Samford, giving Purdue eight outs in relief to set the stage for the walk-off win. He got the call with the game on the line in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and one out. He retired the 1-hole & 3-hole hitters in the SU lineup (around an intentional walk to the 2-hole hitter after a sac fly). The freshman then posted zeros in the ninth and 10th innings. He also gave Purdue 10 outs as the starter in the midweek win vs. Northern Illinois. Both runs Van Assen has been charged with this season scored after he left the mound (over 12 2/3 innings pitched).

In the walk-off win vs. Samford, the Boilermakers survived an eight-run inning. It was the biggest inning for an opponent in a Purdue win since Hofstra also posted a snowman in the finale of the 2020 season-opening series.

Senior Jo Stevens was arguably the team MVP last week, hitting safely in all five games last while playing elite defense at third base. He reached base safely a team-high 14 times, posting a .609 on-base percentage thanks to eight hits and six free passes (five walks, HBP). Stevens scored the game-winning run in Saturday's walk-off win after igniting the rally with a single. He hit a two-run homer in Sunday's game and collected five of his six RBI for the week in the Samford series.

ACTIVE STREAKS
Connor Caskenette – 25-game on-base streak at Home (since 3/31/23); 9-game on-base streak in all games
Camden Gasser – 19-game on-base streak (every game he's played in 2024); 12-game hit streak
Jo Stevens – 7-game hit streak

Purdue and UIC are playing an in-season home-and-home midweek series for the third consecutive year. The Flames have stifled the Boilermakers each of the last two years, sweeping all four meetings thanks in part to a pair of comeback wins at Alexander Field. UIC overcame a 9-0 deficit entering the seventh inning in 2022, rallying for an improbable 10-9 win. A four-run ninth inning last year turned a two-run deficit into a 6-4 win for the Flames.

CJ Backer has been Purdue's top performer vs. UIC the last two years, racking up 17 strikeouts vs. 13 1/3 innings of two-run ball over three appearances. He conceded just five hits and two walks vs. a combined 47 batters faced.

Meanwhile, after making his first plate appearance as a Boilermaker on Sunday, Breck Nowik is set to face his former team Wednesday. The Chicagoland native spent his first three years at UIC and was a Freshman All-American as a redshirt freshman during his debut season in 2022. He's returning from a broken hamate bone suffered on Groundhog Day, with the injury opening the door for Luke Gaffney's hot start (.436/.511/.718, 14 XBH, 24 RBI) after taking over for Nowik at first base. Headlined by a two-out, two-run single in the eighth inning, Nowik had two hits and three RBI as the third baseman for the Flames in their 2022 comeback win at Alexander.

Shortstop Camden Gasser will also go up against his former team later this season when Purdue visits Michigan for the penultimate weekend of Big Ten play, making its first trip to Ann Arbor since April 2015.

 
BEST STARTS AT HOME (SINCE 1975)
Season Home Opener Undefeated Home Start 1st Home Loss 2nd Home Loss Final Home Record
2024 March 9 5-0 March 15 March 17 TBD
2022 March 10 6-0 March 29 April 6 13-9
2012 March 27 4-0 April 1 April 29 13-3
2011 March 22 NA March 22 April 10 14-4
2008 March 22 6-0 March 29 April 13 18-5
2002 March 20 7-0 April 14 April 20 10-11
2000 March 22 4-0 March 26 April 15 15-6
1999 March 24 5-0 April 3 April 3 14-5
1998 March 18 8-0 April 11 April 11 9-11
1993 March 18 7-0 March 27 March 28 14-9
1992 March 16 1-0 March 16 March 28 17-11
1991 March 16 NA March 16 March 31 17-7
1987 April 1 14-0-1 April 25 April 30 19-3-1
Purdue's record for home wins is 22 by the 1982 team (22-6)


 
MOST STRIKEOUTS IN A 4-GAME SERIES/WEEKEND (Since 2001)
Season Opponent(s) Strikeouts Innings K/9 Results
2021 vs Nebraska 46 32 12.94 Lost 3 of 4
2024 UAlbany 43 32 12.09 Won All 4
2006 Northwestern 41 32 11.53 Split 2-2
2022 vs South Dakota St. 44 36 11.00 Won All 4
2022 vs Princeton 43 36 10.75 Won All 4
2024 Samford 43 37 10.46 Split 2-2
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


PURDUE'S WALK-OFF WINS…
Since the Start of 2022: 10
Under head coach Greg Goff: 13
At Alexander Field: 1 in 2024, 6 Since 2021

 
WALK-OFF WINS UNDER GREG GOFF (Since 2020)
Date Opponent Location Score (Innings) GW RBI GW Run
3/16/2024 Samford Alexander Field 13-12 (10) Ty Gill Jo Stevens
5/07/2023 South Dakota St. Alexander Field 3-2 (9) Jake Parr Couper Cornblum
4/02/2023 Northwestern Alexander Field 4-3 (10) Lukas Cook Lukas Cook
2/24/2023 NJIT Holly Springs, NC 6-5 (9) Jake Parr Paul Toetz
4/26/2022 Valparaiso Alexander Field 6-5 (10) Troy Viola Jack Firestone
3/20/2022 Illinois State Alexander Field 7-6 (10) Evan Albrecht Troy Viola
3/06/2022 Longwood Holly Springs, NC 6-5 (11) Cam Thompson Cam Thompson
3/05/2022 Longwood Holly Springs, NC 6-5 (13) Jake Stadler Jake Jarvis
2/26/2022 Princeton (G2) Holly Springs, NC 5-4 (9) Cam Thompson Curtis Washington Jr.
2/26/2022 Princeton (G1) Holly Springs, NC 4-3 (9) CJ Valdez Curtis Washington Jr.
3/27/2021 Rutgers Alexander Field 7-4 (9) Mason Gavre Ben Nisle
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


 
WALK-OFF WINS AT ALEXANDER FIELD (Since 2013)
Date Opponent Score (Innings) GW RBI GW Run
3/16/2024 Samford 13-12 (10) Ty Gill Jo Stevens
5/07/2023 South Dakota State 3-2 (9) Jake Parr Couper Cornblum
4/02/2023 Northwestern 4-3 (10) Lukas Cook Lukas Cook
4/26/2022 Valparaiso 6-5 (10) Troy Viola Jack Firestone
3/20/2022 Illinois State 7-6 (10) Evan Albrecht Troy Viola
3/27/2021 Rutgers 7-4 (9) Mason Gavre Ben Nisle
3/31/2019 Penn State 2-1 (10) Cole McKenzie Seth Gergely
5/06/2018 Northwestern 2-1 (12) Alec Olund Hayden Grant
4/29/2018 Saint Louis 4-3 (9) Harry Shipley Milo Beam
4/23/2018 Illinois 2-1 (9) NA (E5) Milo Beam
5/20/2017 Cal State Northridge 1-0 (10) Nick Dalesandro Kyle Johnson
4/25/2014 Ohio State 4-3 (13) Kyle Wood Cody Strong
4/15/2014 Butler 5-4 (10) Brandon Krieg Jeff Evak


 
HIGHEST SCORING WEEKENDS AT ALEXANDER FIELD (Since 2013)
Dates Games Combined Runs Opponent Results
4/09-10/2022 3 61 Indiana 2 Wins, 1 Loss
17-0, 3-10, 16-15
3/15-17/2024 4 59 Samford 2 Wins, 2 Losses
1-5, 6-1, 13-12, 10-11
3/09-10/2024 4 56 UAlbany 4 Wins
11-3, 6-1, 16-6, 12-1
4/13-14/2018 2 55 Minnesota 2 Losses
22-7, 18-8
4/29-5/01/2022 3 53 Michigan 2 Wins, 1 Loss
18-4, 12-4, 2-13
4/05-07/2013 3 50 Northwestern 1 Loss, 2 Wins
13-4, 6-10, 4-13
3/25-27/2016 3 48 Nebraska 3 Losses
9-5, 11-6, 9-8
5/19-20/2022 2 46 Maryland 2 Losses
14-7, 18-7
5/15-17/2014 3 45 Iowa 1 Win, 2 Losses
3-10, 6-4, 5-17
4/07-09/2017 3 44 Indiana 2 Wins, 1 Loss
6-5, 7-3, 9-14


 
FASTEST TO 20 RBI (Since 2001)
Season Boilermaker Date of 20th RBI Season Total
2023 Paul Toetz March 5 53
2024 Connor Caskenette March 10 26
2024 Luke Gaffney March 10 24
2022 Cam Thompson March 10 56
2018 Jacson McGowan March 11 59
2024 Logan Sutter March 13 25
2012 Cameron Perkins March 13 61
2017 Jacson McGowan March 18 50
2009 Dan Black March 21 51
FASTEST TO 30 RBI (Since 2001)
Season 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
 
FASTEST TO 10 DOUBLES (Since 2001)
Season Boilermaker Date of 10th Double Season Total
2024 Logan Sutter March 10 12
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 9


 
BIG INNING BOILERMAKERS – PROLIFIC RALLIES OF NOTE SINCE 2021
Date Runs Inning Opponent Game Result
3/05/2023 13 B-4th vs Akron W, 23-4
3/03/2024 10 T-1st vs Cal State Fullerton W, 11-3
2/25/2024 10 B-5th vs George Mason W, 11-1
4/09/2022 10 B-8th Indiana W, 17-0
3/04/2023 9 B-3rd vs Akron W, 17-9
4/04/2023 8 B-2nd Evansville L, 12-10
3/04/2023 8 B-1st vs Akron W, 13-0
3/15/2022 8 B-4th Dayton W, 11-2
2/19/2022 8 B-7th vs South Dakota St. W, 14-3
3/10/2024 7 B-3rd UAlbany W, 16-6
3/10/2024 7 B-1st UAlbany W, 16-6
4/19/2023 7 B-3rd Butler W, 16-9
4/08/2023 7 T-9th at Minnesota W, 15-3
5/10/2022 7 B-6th Butler W, 11-6
3/10/2022 7 B-1st Bellarmine W, 8-4
2/20/2022 7 B-1st vs South Dakota St. W, 10-7
5/21/2021 7 T-3rd at Minnesota W, 12-5
3/27/2021 7 B-9th Rutgers W, 7-4
3/09/2024 6 B-1st UAlbany W, 11-3
3/16/2024 5 B-1st Samford W, 13-12 (10)
3/13/2024 5 B-6th Northern Illinois W, 11-1
3/10/2024 5 B-4th UAlbany W, 12-1
3/10/2024 5 B-3rd UAlbany W, 12-1
2/18/2024 5 B-6th vs Stony Brook W, 13-6
2/17/2024 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: 16


 
PURDUE'S LONGEST HOMESTANDS (Since 1983)
Season Length of Homestand Dates Record
1983 14-Game April 13-26 11-3
2024 13-Game March 9-24 7-2 as of March 19
2017 13-Game April 21-May 14 7-6
1990 12-Game March 17-April 1 8-4
1988 12-Game April 30-May 15 7-5
1984 11-Game May 7-13 4-6-1
1995 10-Game April 8-18 7-3
1990 10-Game April 27-May 10 3-6-1
2024 9-Game April 9-23 TBD
2019 9-Game April 23-May 7 6-3
2018 9-Game April 24-May 8 9-0
2008 9-Game March 22-30 8-1
1997 9-Game April 25-May 3 8-1
1996 9-Game March 29-April 7 4-5
1987 9-Game April 18-25 8-1


 
YEARLY HIGHS FOR RUNNERS LEFT ON BASE (Since 2001)
Date LOB Hits BB + HBP Runs Opponent Result
3/17/2024 15 10 14 10 Samford L, 11-10
3/12/2023 14 9 7 1 at Ole Miss L, 6-1
4/24/2022 17 16 8 6 Belmont L, 8-6
4/19/2021 14 16 16 20 at Illinois W, 20-6
3/08/2020 12 20 9 19 at WKU W, 19-1
3/24/2019 15 11 15 9 at N'western W, 9-7
3/10/2018 16 19 11 12 at Tulane W, 12-8
3/10/2017
3/22/2017
12
12
14
21
7
11
8
16
at CSUN
at Ball St.
L, 16-8
W, 16-4
2/21/2016 15 13 8 5 at Georgia St. W, 5-3
3/22/2015
4/11/2015
12
12
6
13
8
3
2
5
Rutgers
at Illinois
L, 5-2
L, 10-5
4/15/2014
4/29/2014
13
13
10
13
10
8
5
8
Butler
at Illinois St.
W, 5-4 (10)
W, 8-6
3/12/2013
3/30/2013
5/11/2013
13
13
13
12
11
8
9
8
11
7
5
6
at Cincinnati
at Penn St.
at Michigan
W, 7-4
W, 5-4 (10)
L, 10-6
3/11/2012
4/08/2012
15
15
17
14
7
8
13
8
at Murray St.
at N'western
W, 13-2
W, 8-4
3/20/2011 16 19 12 12 at Tenn. Tech W, 12-4
3/07/2010 17 10 11 2 at Southern Ill. L, 6-2
5/21/2009 15 15 13 12 vs Michigan St W, 12-9
3/26/2008 13 20 6 15 Valparaiso W, 15-0
3/13/2007 15 17 5 8 at UAB L, 15-8
3/25/2006
4/09/2006
4/26/2006
14
14
14
19
12
17
6
5
11
16
4
13
Chicago St.
Michigan St.
Valparaiso
W, 16-6
W, 4-3
W, 13-4
4/20/2005 15 17 6 7 at Notre Dame L, 9-7 (12)
5/12/2004 15 8 9 1 at Xavier L, 3-1
3/16/2003
4/02/2003
12
12
19
18
6
10
14
14
at MTSU
at Ball St.
W, 14-3
L, 17-14
3/02/2002
3/23/2002
12
12
10
17
11
7
7
12
vs UNLV
Miami (Ohio)
L, 11-7
W, 12-2
4/24/2001
4/29/2001
15
15
16
18
11
4
13
7
at Valparaiso
at Indiana
W, 13-6
L, 14-7