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It has been a rough two seasons Since Purdue won the Big Ten and hosted an NCAA regional back in 2012. Since then, the boilers have gone 30-71 after going 45-14 in 2012 alone. The Boilers have certainly taken their lumps, but the freshmen that got kicked around are now juniors and a big turn-around could be in store for 2015. Today the schedule was released, featuring 22 home games at beautiful Alexander Field:
| 02/13/15 | at Western Carolina | Cullowhee, N.C. | TBA |
| 02/14/15 | at Western Carolina | Cullowhee, N.C. | TBA |
| 02/15/15 | at Western Carolina | Cullowhee, N.C. | TBA |
| Kleberg Bank College Classic | |||
| 02/20/15 | at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | Corpus Christi, Texas | 8:00 p.m. |
| 02/21/15 | vs. Sam Houston State | Corpus Christi, Texas | 12:00 p.m. |
| vs. Sam Houston State | Corpus Christi, Texas | 4:00 p.m. | |
| 02/22/15 | vs. Missouri | Corpus Christi, Texas | 12:00 p.m. |
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| 03/06/15 | at Oklahoma | Norman, Okla. | TBA |
| 03/07/15 | at Oklahoma | Norman, Okla. | TBA |
| 03/08/15 | at Oklahoma | Norman, Okla. | TBA |
| 03/13/15 | vs. Northern Illinois | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 03/14/15 | vs. Northern Illinois | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 03/15/15 | vs. Northern Illinois | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 03/17/15 | at Louisville | Louisville, Ky. | TBA |
| 03/18/15 | vs. Valparaiso | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 03/20/15 | vs. Rutgers * | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 03/21/15 | vs. Rutgers * | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 03/22/15 | vs. Rutgers * | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 03/25/15 | at Ball State | Muncie, Ind. | TBA |
| 03/27/15 | vs. Butler | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 03/28/15 | vs. Butler | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 03/29/15 | at Butler | Indianapolis, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/01/15 | vs. IPFW | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/03/15 | vs. Iowa * | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/04/15 | vs. Iowa * | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/05/15 | vs. Iowa * | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/07/15 | at Indiana State | Terre Haute, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/10/15 | at Illinois * | Champaign, Ill. | TBA |
| 04/11/15 | at Illinois * | Champaign, Ill. | TBA |
| 04/12/15 | at Illinois * | Champaign, Ill. | TBA |
| 04/15/15 | at IPFW | Fort Wayne, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/17/15 | at Michigan * | Ann Arbor, Mich. | 4:00 p.m. |
| 04/18/15 | at Michigan * | Ann Arbor, Mich. | 2:00 p.m. |
| 04/19/15 | at Michigan * | Ann Arbor, Mich. | 1:00 p.m. |
| 04/21/15 | vs. Indiana State | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/22/15 | vs. Ball State | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/24/15 | vs. Maryland * | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/25/15 | vs. Maryland * | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/26/15 | vs. Maryland * | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 04/28/15 | vs. Illinois State | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 05/01/15 | at Michigan State * | East Lansing, Mich. | TBA |
| 05/02/15 | at Michigan State * | East Lansing, Mich. | TBA |
| 05/03/15 | at Michigan State * | East Lansing, Mich. | TBA |
| 05/09/15 | at Nebraska * | Lincoln, Neb. | TBA |
| 05/10/15 | at Nebraska * | Lincoln, Neb. | TBA |
| 05/11/15 | at Nebraska * | Lincoln, Neb. | TBA |
| 05/12/15 | at Valparaiso | Valparaiso, Ind. | TBA |
| 05/14/15 | vs. Penn State * | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 05/15/15 | vs. Penn State * | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| 05/16/15 | vs. Penn State * | West Lafayette, Ind. | TBA |
| Big Ten Tournament (Target Field) | |||
| 05/20/15 | vs. First Round | Minneapolis, Minn. | TBA |
| 05/21/15 | vs. Second Round | Minneapolis, Minn. | TBA |
| 05/22/15 | vs. Semifinals | Minneapolis, Minn. | TBA |
| 05/23/15 | vs. Bracket Final | Minneapolis, Minn. | TBA |
| 05/24/15 | vs. Championship Game | Minneapolis, Minn. | TBA |
You'll notice there is a two-week break there between the opening series at Western Carolina and the fourth weekend of the year at Oklahoma. When asked about it by the excellent Stitch Head blog it was addressed by the official Purdue baseball Twitter:
@Stitch_Head @ChrisMWebb CBSi web provider auto pub sked under 2014-15 tab but user has to click thru to find it. TAMCC & ASU 4 open weeknds
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) September 23, 2014
I am assuming ASU means Arizona State, one of ht strongest programs in college baseball history. Texas A&M Corpus Christi is also not an awful trip. It also could be a tournament with Missouri and Sam Houston State according to this one:
@ChrisMWebb was supposed to be a tourney last I heard. So maybe we're 4th team, maybe Schreibs found another option.
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) September 23, 2014
Either way, this is a tricky schedule. Oklahoma did not make the tournament last season but is always a quality Big 12 program. Arizona State was an NCAA Tournament team, as was Sam Houston State, who won a pair of games in their regional. Louisville not only won a regional, but a Super Regional and was in the College World Series. Purdue also has two midweek games against NCAA team Indiana State, while in conference play Maryland reached the tournament for the first time in decades and won the Columbia, South Carolina regional in stunning fashion. Nebraska was also an NCAA Tournament team.
Assuming that Arizona State is the ASU in question that means the Boilers have three weekend series, one at home, against 2014 NCAA Tournament teams. It also has those three midweek games against Indiana State (2) and Louisville(1). Michigan State and Illinois have also been pretty good in league play of late and made the NCAAs.
This is a tough enough schedule that should give Purdue a boost back to the NCAAs if there is going to be a big turnaround.
Finally, a conspicuous absence is Indiana. The Hoosiers were off the schedule for two seasons in 2012 and 2013. IU swept Purdue in Bloomington last season, but they are back off the schedule yet again. They have, of course, won consecutive Big Ten titles, hosted consecutive regionals, and have been the only Big Ten team in the last 30 years to reach the College World Series.
UPDATE: Purdue has now added a 3-game home series against Northern Illinois on March 13-15. That gives a record 22 home games now for the new Alexander Field.