The Purdue Boilermakers are now halfway to their first Big Ten baseball championship since 1909. The Boilermakers, rated No. 18 nationally in the ESPN/USAToday Coaches Poll continue their magical season this weekend with a sweep of Illinois to move to an impressive 28-5 overall. more importantly, at 10-2 in the Big Ten Purdue has a comfortable lead in the Big Ten halfway through their conference season.
The addition of Nebraska has forced a staggered Big Ten season with one team playing out of conference each weekend (Wisconsin does not have a baseball program, giving the league 11 teams), but Purdue has now played 12 of their scheduled 24 league games. Minnesota sits in second place at 6-3, while Nebraska, Purdue's next opponent, is 7-5 after sweeping Ohio State in a double-header today. Indiana is four games back at 6-6. Purdue will be out of conference in three weeks when they play a three-game series at UCLA, which could have national seed implications.
The Boilermaker pitching duo of Joe Haase and Lance Breedlove were once again dominant. Purdue moved to 9-0 in games started by Haase as he earned his sixth win of the year Friday 3-0. Haase went 7 2/3, and that followed his complete game 7-0 shutout of Northwestern last week that saw him earn Big Ten Pitcher of the Week.
Saturday's game was rained out, forcing a doubleheader on Sunday. Breedlove equaled Haase's effort with a 7 2/3 of scoreless ball of his own in a 4-1 win, while Nick Wittgren earned his seventh save of the year. Two eighth inning runs in game three gave Blake Mascarello his sixth win of the year in relief as Purdue finished the sweep 5-3.
In the Missouri Valley Conference the Indiana St. Sycamores moved within a game and a half of first place by taking two of three from Bradley. Indiana State is in the at large NCAA discussion at 28-9 overall, and they host an excellent Dallas Baptist team next week.
The Louisville Cardinals dropped two of three at Seton Hall to fall off the pace in the Big East, and they trail South Florida by two games for the conference lead. Louisville, like Purdue has been steadily ranked for most of the season, and is now 25-11 on the year.
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