Boilers Host IU to Close Home Slate for First Time Since 2004

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Indiana (21-27, 7-17 Big Ten) at Purdue (32-17, 15-9 Big Ten)
May 8-10 / Stream B1G+
Series Opener: Friday, May 8 at 6 p.m. ET
Middle Game: Saturday, May 9 at 2 p.m. ET
Series Finale: Sunday, May 10 at 1 p.m. ET
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: Cole Van Assen (Jr, RHP) vs. IU’s Tony Neubeck (Grad, LHP)
Saturday: Zach Erdman (Sr, LHP) vs. IU’s Brayton Thomas (So, LHP)
Sunday: Austin Klug (Sr, RHP) vs. TBA for Indiana

WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
Friday: Alexander Commencement Ceremony at 1:15 p.m.; Carnival Night with balloon artist, face painting & more
Saturday: Coach Keady throws out first pitch; “Upside Down” at Alexander – special poster giveaway; trading cards set #4 giveaway & postgame autographs from the seniors
Sunday: Senior Day ceremony at 12:30 p.m.; salute to Mom’s on Mother’s Day; margarita glass giveaway

SERIES HISTORY
All-Time: Indiana leads 164-139-2
All-Time in West Lafayette: Purdue leads 77-67-1
Purdue Under Greg Goff vs. IU: Indiana leads 13-5 (Since 2020)
2025: Indiana won 2 of 3 (May 9-11 in Bloomington)
Last Series in West Lafayette: Indiana won 2 of 3 (May 2024)
Purdue’s Last Series Win vs. IU: Purdue won 2 of 3 (April 2022)
First Meeting: Purdue 3, Indiana 2 (May 1888 in Bloomington)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Baseball closes out its home schedule by playing at Alexander Field as part of Mother’s Day Weekend for the first time since 2017 and hosting rival Indiana to close the home season for the first time since 2004.

First pitch at Alexander Field is set for 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. The weekend begins with the annual commencement ceremony at Alexander on Friday at 1:15 p.m., which is open to the public. Sixteen players and potentially as many as six team managers will receive their degrees while representing the program’s graduating Class of 2026. Those same Boilermakers will be recognized Sunday at 12:30 p.m. as part of the annual Senior Day ceremony.

Purdue’s senior class has played in a combined 712 games for the Boilermakers, accounting for 448 starts. They’ve led the program to one of its finest seasons of the Alexander Field era (since 2013), headlined by 10 winning weekends and a 17-6 record at home.

PURDUE’S CLASS OF 2026
• Eli Anderson • Jackson Bessette • Gavin Beuter • Sergio DeCello • Zach Erdman • Jarvis Evans • Sam Flores • Austin Klug	• Graham Kollen • Nick Kolze • Jake Kramer • Aaron Manias • Avery Moore • CJ Richmond • Brandon Rogers • Barron Sawyer
Earning Graduate Certificates on Friday: Kollen, Richmond

When Purdue hosted IU for the first weekend of May two years ago, all three games drew crowds of 2,200-plus fans and the Alexander Field attendance record (2,619) was set on Saturday of the series. The rivals now play each other every season again – which was not the case in Big Ten play from 2012-19 – and thus make biennial appearances on the opposition’s home field. But since Alexander Field and Bart Kaufman Field both opened in 2013, 20 of the 31 meetings in the series have been played in Bloomington.

The Boilermakers’ season-long homestand became a seven-game run after rain washed out the May 5 game vs. Ball State. With a series win this weekend, Purdue would still finish with its most home wins this century, surpassing the 2008 team’s 18. The Boilermakers also have an opportunity to win five consecutive home series for the first time in the Alexander Field era.

Purdue has a clinched a Big Ten Tournament berth with its 15 conference wins and remains in pursuit of a top-4 seed (and bye into the single-elimination quarterfinals) while continuing to strengthen its NCAA Tournament résumé. There are three series around the league this weekend featuring two teams among the top half of the conference standings – Oregon at UCLA, Iowa at Nebraska and Michigan at Minnesota. On tap for next weekend (Thursday-Saturday) are Purdue at Iowa (in Des Moines), USC at Oregon, Ohio State at Michigan and Nebraska at Minnesota.

WEEKEND #10 OF BIG TEN PLAY
• Indiana (7-17) at Purdue* (15-9)
• Michigan* (15-9) at Minnesota (10-14)
• Iowa (12-12) at Nebraska* (17-7)
• Oregon* (17-7) at UCLA* (24-0)
• Michigan State (10-17) at Ohio State (13-11)
• Northwestern (7-17) at Illinois (10-14)
• Washington (10-14) at Penn State (6-18)
• Maryland (6-18) at Rutgers (9-15)
• Nevada at USC* (19-8) – Non-Conference
* = Clinched a Big Ten Tournament berth

The Hoosiers have qualified for the Big Ten Tournament every season it has been held since 2012, the year they lost twice to top-seeded Purdue, including the rivals’ only matchup ever in the championship game. But they have work to do over the final two weekends to extend the conference’s longest active streak of Big Ten Tournament berths. Indiana is two games behind 12th-place Rutgers for the final spot in the field while holding a potential head-to-head tiebreaker vs. the Scarlet Knights. Additionally, Michigan State and IU are tied in the loss column (17) as MSU closes out its Big Ten schedule this weekend at Ohio State.

Purdue’s annual batting practice jersey auction last weekend helped raise $5,693 for Riley Children’s Health.

The Boilermakers have not trailed after a full inning in a weekend game at home in 61 consecutive innings dating back to April 5.

ACTIVE STREAKS
• Eli Anderson: 20-game hit at home; 5-game hit overall; scored a run in 6 straight games
• Quincy Malbrough: 18-game on-base; 15-game on-base at home; 11-game on-base in Big Ten play
• CJ Richmond: 13-game on-base; 10-game on-base at home; 7-game on-base in Big Ten play
• Westin Boyle: 11-game on-base at home
• Aaron Manias: 8-game on-base; 5-game on-base at home
• Sam Flores: 8-game on-base at home; 5-game on-base overall
• Zach Zychowski: 8-game on-base at home
• Jackson Bessette: 7-game hit at home
• Cole Van Assen: 17 consecutive innings without a walk
• Jake Kramer: 14 consecutive scoreless innings at home

BOILERMAKERS AMONG THE TOP 10 IN THE BIG TEN
• Trevor Kester-Johnson: T-1st in Appearances (19); Also T-1st Nationally
• Aaron Manias: 1st in OBP (.488), 4th in HBP (19)
• Eli Anderson: 1st in Steals (21)
• Cole Van Assen: 4th in Fewest Walks per 9 Innings (1.96), T-5th in Victories (6), 8th in Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio (3.79)
• Jake Kramer: T-5th in Appearances (23), T-7th in Saves (6)
• Austin Klug: T-5th in Victories (6)
• Zach Erdman: 6th in Fewest Walks per 9 Innings (2.11), 6th in Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio (3.85)
• Sam Flores: 8th in RBI (50)

3 CONSECUTIVE 30-WIN SEASONS IN TEAM HISTORY
• 2010-2012 – Combined Record: 115-58 (.665)
• 1985-1987 – Combined Record: 106-76-1 (.582)
• 1991-1993 – Combined Record: 101-67 (.601)
• 2024-2026 – Combined Record as of May 7: 96-62 (.608)

RECENT SUCCESS IN EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS
Year	Overall Record	Big Ten Record (Finish)	Notables
2026	32-15 as of May 7	15-9 (T-5th) as of May 7	Most home wins at Alexander, won 6 straight Big Ten series, 10 winning weekends so far
2024	33-24	13-11 (6th)	11-game Big Ten win streak, alone in 1st place on May 3, Big Ten Tournament qualifier
2022	29-21	9-12 (7th)	Started season 15-0 as last undefeated team nationally, won 8 weekend series, Big Ten Tournament qualifier
2018	38-21	17-6 (2nd)	13-game win streaks overall & at home, Big Ten Tournament finalist, NCAA Regional qualifier
2012	45-14	17-7 (1st)	Started season 14-1, first place in Big Ten wire-to-wire, Big Ten Tournament champ, NCAA Regional host

 

PURDUE’S MOST HOME WINS
Year	Home Record / Win %	Home Games	Overall Record	% of Overall Wins at Home
1982	22-6 / .786	28	36-23	61%
1987	19-3-1 / .813	23	36-24-1	53%
1990	19-14-1 / .574	34	27-30-1	70%
2008	18-5 / .783	23	32-26	56%
1997	18-5 / .783	23	30-25	60%
1988	18-14 / .563	32	26-34	69%
2026	17-6 / .739 Most at Alexander Field	23 as of May 7	32-15 as of May 7	53%
1986	17-8 / .680	25	37-27	46%
1981	17-7 / .708	24	30-30-1	57%
1992	17-11 / .607	28	30-24	57%
1991	17-7 / .708	24	35-21	49%
2024	16-13 / .552	29	33-24	48%

 

MULTIPLE GRAND SLAMS IN A SEASON IN THE BBCOR BAT ERA (Since 2011)
Season	Boilermakers	Opponents	Locations	Innings	Game Results
2026	Westin Boyle Brandon Rogers CJ Richmond Avery Moore Brandon Rogers Dylan Drake Sergio DeCello	Murray State at Michigan St. at Michigan St. at Michigan St. UIC at Maryland vs Marist	Alexander Field East Lansing East Lansing East Lansing Alexander Field College Park Holly Springs, NC	B-2nd T-3rd T-8th T-5th B-1st T-8th B-6th	W, 17-8 W, 11-4 W, 16-13 W, 16-13 W, 18-13 W, 16-5 W, 18-1
2025	Aaron Manias Logan Sutter Aaron Manias Breck Nowik Brandon Anderson	Ball State UIC at Minnesota vs Akron vs Niagara	Alexander Field Alexander Field Minneapolis Holly Springs, NC Holly Springs, NC	B-4th B-8th T-7th B-1st B-5th	W, 14-4 W, 9-3 W, 11-6 W, 14-4 W, 16-4
2024	Logan Sutter Luke Gaffney Connor Caskenette Connor Caskenette	DePauw ETSU Ball State vs Stony Brook	Alexander Field Alexander Field Alexander Field Sugar Land	B-3rd B-4th B-7th B-6th	W, 15-0 W, 17-7 W, 13-3 W, 13-6
2021	Miles Simington Jake Parr Jeremy Schork Cam Thompson	at Minnesota at Minnesota at Illinois Rutgers	Minneapolis Minneapolis Champaign Alexander Field	T-3rd T-5th T-9th B-9th	W, 12-5 W, 9-3 W, 20-6 L, 9-5
2023	Jake Jarvis Jake Jarvis Jake Parr	at Minnesota Northern Illinois vs Akron	Minneapolis Alexander Field Holly Springs, NC	T-9th B-7th B-1st	W, 15-3 W, 14-5 W, 13-0
2016	Kyle Wood Kyle Johnson Kyle Johnson	Louisville at Ball State at ETSU	Alexander Field Muncie Johnson City	B-6th T-2nd T-7th	L, 9-4 L, 9-8 W, 19-6
2015	Jack Picchiotti Ted Snidanko	Rutgers vs Northern Ill.	Alexander Field Westfield, IN	B-7th B-6th	W, 9-5 W, 23-5
2012	Barrett Serrato Cameron Perkins	Michigan St. vs Notre Dame	Lambert Field St. Petersburg, FL	B-4th T-6th	W, 6-2 W, 15-8