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While the weather in West Lafayette today is more akin to submarine training, Purdue is set to host Oakland this week in a midweek two-game series. Both games are scheduled for 6pm Tuesday and Wednesday, but today’s storms could cancel tonight’s game or move things to a doubleheader tomorrow.
MIDWEEK SERIES INFORMATION
Oakland (6-18, 4-5 Horizon) at Purdue (14-10, 3-0 Big Ten)
Tuesday and Wednesday, April 3 and 4 at 6 p.m. ET / BTN Plus on BTN2Go
Alexander Field / West Lafayette, Indiana
All-Time Series: First Meetings
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Tuesday: Ryan Beard (Jr, LHP) vs. TBA for Oakland
Wednesday: TBA for both teams
Purdue enters having won five in a row after losing its previous seven games, so we’re on an up and down swing. The Boilers swept Penn State to start Big Ten play 3-0 this weekend and beat Valparaiso last week. Oakland has struggled, beating only Old Dominion, VMI, Wright State, Illinois-Chicago, and Milwaukee (twice). Both teams were swept at St. Louis and the Golden Grizzlies lost an early season game to Iowa down in Florida.,
Ryan beard is scheduled for the first game for Purdue and he grabbed his first win last week with six hitless innings against Valparaiso. It was by far his best outing of the season and he should have more success against an Oakland team that is batting just .235 on the season. Mario Camelletti leads them with a .315 average and 2 home runs, but he is the lone hitter over .300. The Oakland pitching has also struggled with a 7.42 ERA on the season.
The second game starter is up in the air, as midweek games are often a chance for younger pitchers to get work and audition for future roles as weekend starters in conference games. Trent Johnson seems to have nailed down the No. 3 spot for now, and Beard is the top weekday guy. Mick Wojtysiak has a start on the season and could get a look. Mike Kornacker also has 14 career starts, including 8 last year.
Purdue should be able to win both of these games and head to Indiana with a 16-10 overall record. Facing the Hoosiers will very likely be Purdue’s toughest test of the season. Indiana is currently 20-5 and at No. 17 in the RPI. they are ranked 10th nationally according to D1Baseball.com and were 16th in last week’s ESPN coaches poll.