The Indiana baseball team closes out the season against Illinois this week.
Oregon’s Jax Gimenez, left, dives to first ahead of the tag by Indiana’s Jake Hanley at PK Park in Eugene March 13, 2026. | Chris Pietsch/The Register Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images It's been a rough season for the Indiana baseball team, but the Hoosiers have one more shot to finish the season on a high note against Illinois this week.
Indiana has lost five straight contests and failed to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament after finishing outside the top 12 in the Big Ten, meaning Saturday's game against the Illini will be the Hoosiers' last. And that may very well be the biggest surprise in all of the Big Ten, considering IU won 33+ games each of the last two years and finished above .500 in Big Ten play each of the last three seasons.
Indiana's disappointing season is almost over after getting swept by in-state rival Purdue over the weekend. IU has lost four straight Big Ten series and hasn't won a series in nearly a month. Regardless of who is playing well and who's not, don't be surprised if the majority of the seniors get to play this weekend.
That probably wouldn't be the case if Indiana were still able to qualify for the Big Ten Tourney, but with that out of the equation, expect to see the guys who might not ever play another competitive game of baseball get to see the field one last time. The Hoosiers' best pitcher is southpaw Tony Neubeck, who leads the team in wins, starts, innings pitched, and strikeouts.
Neubeck has recorded back-to-back quality starts and could very well hear his name called in this June's MLB Draft. Offensively, the Hoosiers have proven they can score some runs, and despite getting swept last week, scored 21 runs against Purdue. IU's top hitter is Jake Hanley, who leads Indiana's offense in at-bats, hits, home runs, RBIs, total bases, and walks.
Unlike Indiana, no matter what happens this week for Illinois, the Illini are automatically a lock for the Big Ten Tournament. Illinois might rest some of its everyday players who have played a lot and have some of its top arms on pitch counts, but outside of that, expect the Illini to play this series like it's their last.
Illinois still has a chance to move up a spot in the Big Ten, and there's no denying the fact that seeding matters. Illinois has won five in a row but has struggled on the road this season, especially in Big Ten play. Still, though, Illinois has a couple of solid relievers -- Sam Mommer and Sam Reed -- and has an ace in Aidan Flinn.
Offensively, the Illini are inconsistent but did manage to score 26 runs in three games against Northwestern and have a couple of power hitters in AJ Putty and Collin Jennings. Saturday, May 16th Add us as a preferred source onPublished
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