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We knew it was going to be a challenge for Purdue baseball to start the 2019 season with three straight weekend series at teams that were in last year’s NCAA Tournament. Today it got about as bad as it gets. This weekend Purdue had a rough outing in Tulsa as Oral Roberts earned a three-game sweep of Purdue.
Friday Game 1: Oral Roberts 5, Purdue 1
Oral Roberts starter Josh McMinn scattered 6 hits and gave up just one run as the Golden Eagles were in control throughout. They scored a run in the third and three in the fifth with Isaac Coffey providing a huge three-run homer. Coffey drove in four runs and a solo homer from Trevor McCutchin provided the fifth run.
Ryan Howe drove in a run with a single in the seventh, but Purdue was already down 5-0 at hte time and could not mount a rally. Johnny Sage had two of Purdue’s six hits.
Friday Game 2: Oral Roberts 10, Purdue 4
The Golden Eagles punced on Andrew Bohm early, scoring four in the first and two in the second to lead 6-0 before the Boilers got a run in the third. Coffey continued to torture Purdue with a two-run double in the first and he later homered in the 7th to finish the doubleheader with 7 RBI.
Once again, Purdue’s offense was limited and the defense did no favors. The Boilers had just six hits and committed four errors. Justin Fuggit and Tyler Powers each had two hits.
Saturday: Oral Roberts 3, Purdue 2
Oral Roberts got two runs in the first, but Purdue was able to tie it with a pair in the second. Ben Nisle connected on Purdue’s first home run of the season in the second and Powers drove home Sage on a single in the second, but once again Purdue was limited to six hits. This one settled into a pitcher’s duel until Oral Roberts got the go ahead run in the eighth on an RBI single.
Bryce Bonner then led off the ninth with a walk to give Purdue a shot at the tying run, but a strikeout preceded pinch runner Milo Beam getting caught stealing and that killed the rally.
Needless to say, this is not the start Purdue had in mind. Coach Waz said as much after the series:
Coach Waz after Saturday's loss at Oral Roberts: "Through the first 10 games, our make up & mentality is not what we need it to look like. It's not what it has been at Purdue since I've been the coach here. The coaching staff will own that & get it fixed." pic.twitter.com/S2qnbFPAt7
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) March 2, 2019
That is telling when he took over a program that had 10 wins in 2016 and he coached them to 27, then 38 wins and an NCAA berth. I really like Coach Waz ebcause he is a no nonsense guy that gets the best out of his guys. What he was able to do in his first two years is a near miracle, so I trust him to right things.
Purdue will play next weekend’s series at Creighton at TD Ameritrade Park, home of the Big Ten Tournament and College World Series. Creighton started the year 5-0, but has lost its last three games.