Purdue Adds Wednesday Home Game vs Oakland City

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Oakland City (20-6) at Purdue (12-6)
Wednesday, March 18 at 4 p.m. ET / Free Admission
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana
Series History: First Meeting

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After Tuesday’s game at Butler was canceled due to temperatures in the mid-20s, Purdue Baseball has added a home game for Wednesday vs. Oakland City, a top-25 NAIA opponent, as a midweek makeup.

First pitch is set for 4 p.m. ET at Alexander Field. As a late addition to the home schedule, admission will be free for all fans. The concession stand will be open but the $3 midweek deals on beers, hot dogs and popcorn will not be offered.

Based in Indiana’s southwest corner in a city that bears the same name as the university, Oakland City is 20-6 this season and was ranked 25th nationally in the March 4 NAIA coaches poll. A new edition of the poll is slated to be released Wednesday. The Might Oaks play in the River States Conference with the likes of IU Kokomo, IU Southeast and IU Columbus.

Oakland City is coached by Andy Lasher, who was hired as head coach in April 2020. He played against Purdue in March 2013 while he was a student-athlete at the University of Evansville, starting the final two games of the series at UE’s Braun Stadium in left field.

The Boilermakers have won three of their last four and are 12-6 overall this season. Games against non-NCAA Division I opponents are included in player and team stats, but do count towards a team’s win total or RPI as it relates to NCAA Tournament contention. Player reps are the main focal point as Purdue aims to play at least one midweek non-conference game every week – as weather permits – between its Big Ten series on the weekends.

Oakland City will become the fourth first-time visitor to Alexander Field on the schedule this season, joining Oregon (March 6-8), Bradley (April 7) and Southern Indiana (April 29).

Free live audio will be offered Wednesday but the availability of a video stream via B1G+ is still pending.