Baseball Travels to Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - - Belmont (10-7) travels to the Hoosier State, for a three-game series against Indiana (9-8). Belmont embarks on their second road series of the year, following a five-game homestand. The Hoosiers, who were previously ranked in the D1baseball Top 25 rankings, have dropped two midweek contests this week against #5 Vanderbilt and Illinois State.
 
GAME INFORMATION
 
Friday, March 15 | 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT
Live Stats | Listen | Watch | Tickets
 
Saturday, March | 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT
Live Stats | Listen | Watch | Tickets
 
Sunday, March 17 | 1 p.m. / 12 p.m. CT
Live Stats | Listen | Watch | Tickets
 
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday
Belmont: Will Pryor (So. / RHP): 1-1, 3 GS, 22 IP, 4.09 ERA, 26 SO, 8 BB
Last Start (3/8 vs. UAB): 6.2 IP, 1-1, 6 H, 3 34, 4 K, 3 BB
Indiana: Jack Moffitt (Sr. / RHP): 1-0, 5 G, 9.1 IP, 1.93 ERA, 11 K, 2 BB
Last appearance (3/10 vs. Troy): W, 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 K, 1 BB
 
Saturday
Belmont: Dominic Baratta (Rs - Sr. / LHP): 1-1, 5 G, 1 GS, 15.1 IP, 3.52 ERA, 11 K, 8 BB
Last start (3/9 vs. UAB): W, 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 3 K, 1 BB
Indiana: Connor Foley (So. / RHP): 1-1, 4 GS, 18.1 IP, 2.95 ERA, 27 K, 14 BB
Last Start (3/9 vs. Troy): L, 4 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 6 K, 4 BB
 
Sunday
Belmont: Joe Ruzicka (So. / RHP): 2-1, 4 GS, 21 IP, 3.43 ERA, 16 K, 9 BB
Last start (3/10 vs. UAB): L, 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 6 K, 3 BB
Indiana: TBD
 
GAME RECAP VS. UT MARTIN

• Belmont defeated UT Martin 3-2.
• Cade Granzow moves to 1-1 on the season. He recorded career highs in innings pitched (6) and strikeouts (6). It was Granzow's most efficient outing of the season, as he allowed a season-low two earned runs on four hits.
• Sam Slaughter hit a game-high 2-for-3, with a pair of RBIs. This was Slaughter's third multi-RBI game in the last four games. He's recorded an RBI in five of his last six games.
• Jack Rando recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly.
• Bill Dudy notched his second save of the season. The graduate transfer went 1.2 hitless innings with one strikeout.
• Jordan Zuger tosses 1.1 scoreless innings.
• Michael Lareau and Max Blessinger recorded stolen bases.

 
MATCHUP HISTORY

• Belmont is 2-0 all-time against Indiana. Both wins came when Belmont was in the NAIA.  
• The Bruins have shut out the Hoosiers in both meetings.
• Belmont won the first matchup 8-0 on March 17, 1983. The Bruins won the second meeting 2-0 back on March 8, 1995.

VS. BIG TEN OPPONENTS

• Belmont is 11-3 against Big Ten opponents since their inaugural NCAA season in 1998.
• The last time the Bruins faced a Big Ten opponent was Purdue in 2022. The Bruins swept the Boilermakers in Lafayette during a three-game series (April 22-24).

BRUINS IN THE MVC RANKINGS
Hitting

• Max Blessinger: T-3rd in triples (2)
• Brodey Heaton: T-5th in home runs (5)
• Sam Slaughter: T-6th in steals (5)

Pitching

• Joe Ruzicka: 9^th in ERA (3.43), 2^nd in opponent batting average (.176), T-8^th in innings pitched (21)
• Will Pryor: 2^nd in strikeouts (26), T-4^th in innings pitched (22)
• Bill Duby: T-2^nd in saves (2)
• Hank Liss: T-4^th in wins (2)

FOLLOW BRODEY
Brodey Heaton continues to lead the Bruins in multiple hitting categories: hits (17), doubles (3), home runs (5), RBIs (11), and total bases (35). Heaton is third on the team in batting average (.283). He held a team-high 11-game hit streak from February 17 to March 3. 
 
HOT BATS
Sam Slaughter: Slaughter has been on a tear for the last two weeks. He's currently on a six-game hit streak, with multi-hit performances in the last three games. The outfielder has eight RBIs during the stretch, and has increased his season batting average to a team-high .349.
 
Jack Rando lost a five-game hit streak against UT Martin on Wednesday. After his pinch-hit RBI-double on March 3 against Little Rock, Rando has started in the last five games. He's had three multi-hit games, with a season-high three RBIs on March 9 vs. UAB.
 
DUBY IS DEALING
Bill Duby: picked up two saves this week against UAB and UT Martin. Duby sealed the 9-6 win over the Blazers on March 8, with a strikeout. He earned the save against the Skyhawks in 1.2 innings of work with a strikeout. In his last four outings, Duby has thrown 6 hitless innings. The only time that Duby allowed earned runs was March 1, against Little Rock. He leads the team with a 1.80 ERA.
 
SCOUTING REPORT: INDIANA HOOSIERS

• The Hoosiers spent two weeks in the D1Baseball Top 25. They were ranked as high as #20, but fell out in the Week 4 rankings.
• Indiana is 3-4 at home this season.
• Indiana is 2-3 against ranked opponents this season. Their two wins came against #18 Coastal Carolina and #25 Dallas Baptist.
• Devin Taylor is fifth in the Big Ten with a .386 batting average.
• Carter Mathison is tied for second in the conference with five home runs.
• Brock Tibbitts is riding a six-game hitting streak and has 12 hits in his past six contests.
• Sophomores Devin Taylor (27) and Tyler Cerny (26) are both top-five in the conference in hits.

ON DECK
Belmont will face #5 Vanderbilt on Tuesday, March 19, in the All 4 Lou Showdown. First pitch from First Horizon Park is slated for 6 p.m. CT. Tickets can be purchased through a link at belmontbruins.com.
 
Follow Belmont baseball on social media - @BelmontBaseball on Twitter and @belmontbaseball on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.