Today was a tough loss for Purdue as the Boilers scrapped back from a 6-3 deficit to tie the game at 6-6, but Northwestern scored four runs all with two outs in the top of the ninth to beat Purdue 10-6. That dropped Purdue to 11-17 overall and 4-4 in the Big Ten as they continue to struggle to replace all the talent lost from last year's great team.
There is some promise, however, as a number of freshmen are playing big roles. There is also the brand new Alexander Field. I got my first in-person look at it in person and the athletic department did it right. The new place is gorgeous and puts the old Lambert Field to shame. Today's crowd would have been overflowing at the old digs, so it was likely the biggest home crowd in Purdue baseball history. All the luxury suites (Yes! We have luxury suites for baseball!) were full and there had to be at least 1,000 in the stands.
With this kind of support the turnaround from last season is sure to be much shorter. It won't be another 103 years before the Boilers win the Big Ten. If you get a chance to get out to Alexander Field I highly recommend it.