Rogers Lays Out for Captivating Catch in Game 1 Win vs Illinois

April 4 Update: Saturday's game 2 of the series moved to a 6 p.m. first pitch due to rain.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Brandon Rogers  sacrificed his body while making a run-saving catch at the wall in center field to end the top of the sixth, helping Cole Van Assen take a no-hitter into the seventh inning as Purdue Baseball defeated Illinois 6-1 Friday at Alexander Field.

The Boilermakers (20-9, 8-5 Big Ten) registered their 20th win of the season while winning for the seventh time in their last eight home games. April 3 represents the third-earliest date on the calendar that Purdue has reached the 20-win mark. Only the 2025 (March 25) and 2012 (March 31) teams achieved the benchmark earlier in a year.

The Boilermakers scored in the first inning and led throughout on a day in which Van Assen posted six consecutive zeros to begin the game. A leadoff single from Illinois (14-14, 6-7 Big Ten) cleanup hitter AJ Putty in the top of the seventh ended Van Assen’s no-hit bid.

Rogers’ fearlessness while making a diving catch in sixth inning had the greatest impact on the game. With runners on second and third and two outs, Rogers ran down a rocket off the bat of Jack Zebig. He dove into the bottom of the center field wall, with his head and shoulder hitting the unpadded bottom of the fence. Rogers remarkably held onto the ball while being injured on the play. After receiving medical attention from athletic trainer Kayla Wincko along with a wellness check from the Purdue coaching staff and his teammates, Rogers was able to get to his feet and eventually walk-off the field under his own power. He was lifted in favor of a pinch hitter when his spot in the lineup came up in the bottom half of the frame. After being examined for a concussion, Rogers was able to remain in the dugout for the remainder of the game.

Avery Moore (3-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI) and Sam Flores (3-for-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R) continued their hot hitting while combining for five of the Boilermakers’ six RBI. Moore delivered a two-out RBI single in the first inning and a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the fifth to put Purdue in front 5-0. Flores doubled in front of Moore’s RBI single in the first inning, improved to 12-for-17 with runners in scoring in Big Ten play with an RBI single in the fifth, and hit his team-leading eighth home run of the season to lead off the bottom of the seventh.

Moore is 7-for-19 with four extra-base hits and eight RBI over the last four games since returning to the starting lineup.

STREAKS EXTENDED
• Sam Flores – 8-game hit; 5-game hit in Big Ten play
• Aaron Manias – 8-game on-base; 5-game on-base in Big Ten play
• Westin Boyle – 9-game on-base at home
• Dylan Drake – 8-game hit at home
• Eli Anderson – 8-game hit at home
• Avery Moore – 5-game on-base in Big Ten play

An RBI ground out with the bases loaded in the ninth inning denied Purdue of its first shutout in Big Ten play since May 2024 at Michigan. Thomas Howard backed up Van Assen yet again as the first man out of the bullpen on a Friday. Howard induced an inning-ending double play ball to Flores at third base to escape a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning. The Illini’s first two batters reached base safely the following frame, but Howard regrouped and retired the 2-3-4 batters in order.

Van Assen gave up just the one hit vs. 22 batters faced. Purdue’s ace enjoyed a quality start for the second Friday in a row, working six scoreless innings for the second time in his collegiate career. He retired 13 of 14 batters during his finest stretch, working all three of his 1-2-3 innings during that stretch.

Dylan Drake and Westin Boyle teamed up to turn a nifty inning-ending 4-6-3 double play in the first inning, with Boyle executing a 360-degree spin while serving as the keystone at the second base bag.

Illinois had a runner at third with no outs in the third inning, but Van Assen pitched over the leadoff walk and throwing error on a failed pickoff. A strikeout and a foul pop up allowed Purdue to return its infield to normal depth and Boyle made a nice pick on an in-between hop on a sharp grounder to shortstop. Van Assen went on to retire nine in a row.

Purdue’s first four batters of the fourth inning all put the first pitch of their at-bats in play. Aaron Manias and Avery Moore connected for consecutive singles. CJ Richmond was initially called out at first on a 4-6-3 double play, but the ruling at first was overturned by a video review. Jackson Bessette made the extra out count when he executed a squeeze bunt to score Manias on the first pitch of his at-bat.

Manias was 2-for-2 with two hit by pitch to raise hit team-leading on-base percentage to .519.

Rogers’ career-best 21-game on-base streak came to an end when he had to leave the game due to injury. Rogers was robbed of a hit on a diving play by Illinois third baseman Kyle Schupmann in the first inning. In what proved to be his final plate appearance, Rogers bunted with Eli Anderson at first base. Flores followed with his RBI single up the middle.

Purdue ended a six-game home losing streak vs. Illinois that dated back to April 2021.

The series continues Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. The start time was moved back from the originally scheduled 2 p.m. due to rain in the forecast.