Coming into this weekend’s sequence with Iowa, Indiana baseball was 6-12 in Huge Ten play and thirteenth within the convention standings, only one place exterior of the highest 12 which is the cutoff for the Huge Ten event in Might. In the meantime, the Hawkeyes got here in 7-11, only one sport forward of the Hoosiers.
The outcome? A large three-game sweep within the guests’ favor, as Indiana now sits at 19-24 total and 6-15 in Huge Ten play, good for second-to-last within the convention standings. Iowa, in the meantime, moved to 26-16 total and 10-11 in Huge Ten play, comfortably into Huge Ten Match competition.
Sunday’s sequence finale, a 7-4 win for the Hawkeyes, obtained away from the Hoosiers pretty rapidly. It was practically a carbon copy of the primary two video games of the weekend till Indiana fought again with 4 unanswered runs between the fifth and sixth innings. In the end, the 7-0 lead Iowa jumped out to was an excessive amount of for the Hoosiers to beat, and it’s a weekend-long concern Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer alluded to postgame.
“We didn’t execute properly early on the mountain, or defensively,” Mercer stated. “After which we weren’t capable of actually break via from an offensive standpoint, and put ourselves ready in all three video games, to have a lead after which play with the lead and attempt to lengthen it.”
Junior RHP Jackson Yarberry made the Sunday begin for the Hoosiers, and the 14th-ranked offense within the nation wasted no time in opposition to him. Within the high of the primary, senior utilityman Caleb Wulf singled to left to place the Hawkeyes on the board. One inning later, Iowa plated two extra on a two-RBI triple by senior infielder Gable Mitchell.
The Hawkeyes scored two extra runs in opposition to Yarberry within the high of the fourth. Redshirt junior infielder Ben Swails launched a solo dwelling run to left, and senior outfielder Miles Risley made it 5-0 with an RBI double to proper middle. Yarberry allowed 4 earned runs on seven hits in his 4 innings pitched whereas strolling two and putting out two.
Gavin Seebold delivers a pitch throughout Indiana’s loss to Iowa on April 26, 2026. (HN picture/Olivia Smith)
Graduate scholar RHP Gavin Seebold entered within the fifth in aid of Yarberry, pitching the remainder of the best way for Indiana whereas permitting zero earned runs in his 5 innings pitched. Iowa’s ultimate two runs of the sport had been scored through two separate Hoosier errors on the identical play, as redshirt freshman catcher Brayden Ricketts sailed a throw over second base attempting to catch a runner stealing, and sophomore outfielder Cole Decker made an errant throw attempting to throw out the identical runner at third.
Indiana lastly broke via within the backside of the fifth as sophomore infielder Will Moore scored on a floor ball double-play with the bases loaded by sophomore outfielder Hogan Denny. The Hoosiers scored three extra runs within the backside of the sixth, with RBIs from sophomore infielders Jake Hanley and Cooper Malamazian, in addition to freshman outfielder Cal Gates.
Nevertheless, Indiana stranded the bases loaded to finish the inning for the second time, limiting any likelihood it needed to work its approach again into the sport. After a disastrous weekend during which the Hoosiers had been outscored 28-8, Mercer maintained that the workforce’s mindset stays the identical getting into the ultimate weeks of the season.
“You simply have to choose your self up and go get again to work,” Mercer stated. “We’ve got a possibility to get again up and get higher and play good baseball the final three weeks. And in order that’s what you need to do.”
Indiana will look to do exactly that, as the ultimate stretch of the season begins this Tuesday with the Hoosiers occurring the street to face the Louisville Cardinals at 6 p.m.
Extra