Early Deficit Dooms Baseball on Day 1 of Big Ten Tournament

OMAHA, Neb. – An early 7-0 deficit after two innings put Purdue Baseball in a hole it could not overcome this time, falling to Michigan State 8-4 Tuesday in the opening game of the Big Ten Tournament.

The Boilermakers (35-19) play another morning game Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET vs. Illinois in the first elimination contest of the six-day event.

Purdue scored four times over the final two innings but was unable to overcome a 8-0 deficit entering the bottom of the eighth. The Boilermakers have rallied back from seven runs down twice this season, including March 28 at Michigan State (23-31). But on this day, the game ended with the potential tying run standing on deck.

The Spartans sent 16 men to the plate over the first two innings while building their 7-0 lead. Michigan State took advantage of a leadoff walk and a fielding error on a potential double play ball, which occurred on consecutive pitches before the game was five minutes old. A squeeze bunt followed and Khamaree Thomas was called safe on a close play at first base to give MSU yet another extra out. Four of the bottom five batters in the Spartans’ lineup also reached base safely before Purdue finally got an out at the plate to end the four-run first inning.

Four hits and a sacrifice fly made it 7-0 Michigan State as the top of the second came to a close.

Cole Van Assen eventually settled in and pitched into the eighth inning for the second time as a Boilermaker. The only hit he surrendered from the third though seventh innings was a two-out solo home run by Parker Picot in the top of the fourth. One of the few consolations to the Purdue dugout Tuesday was that at least Van Assen (6-5) successfully saved the bullpen from extended work on the opening day of the tournament.

Aidan Donovan (6-3) did the same while posting a quality start for Michigan State. The sophomore took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and a shutout into the eighth. He faced the minimum through the first 16 batters he faced before Dylan Drake’s single with one out in the bottom of the sixth.

Brandon Rogers beat the shift with a two-out, two-run single through the right side to get Purdue on the board in the eighth inning. The Boilermakers sent seven men to the plate the following frame, forcing MSU to go to veteran reliever Nolan Higgins for the final two outs.

Sam Flores and Jackson Bessette connected for consecutive doubles to open the ninth inning. Thomas made the key defensive play of the frame, a sprawling catch on the warning track with his back to home plate. That gem was sandwiched in between a pair of hit batsmen and turned into a sac fly for Drake instead of a likely two-run triple.

Purdue has not played Illinois at the Big Ten Tournament since the 2018 semifinals.

STREAKS EXTENDED
• Aaron Manias: 15-game on-base; 11-game hit vs Big Ten teams; 7-game hit overall
• Dylan Drake: 11-game on-base; 10-game on-base vs Big Ten teams
• Jackson Bessette: 11-game on-base; 7-game on-base vs Big Ten teams
• Avery Moore: 10-game hit; 8-game hit vs Big Ten teams
• Brandon Rogers: 7-game hit (all vs Big Ten teams)
• Trey Swiderski: 6-game on-base (all vs Big Ten teams)