OMAHA, Neb. – There was no extra motivation for the Indiana Baseball team (33-24-1) despite being one of the last four teams in the NCAA Baseball Tournament. The Hoosiers knew they belonged. They proved that on Friday (May 31) afternoon, riding seven combined RBIs from senior outfielder Morgan Colopy and junior first baseman Brock Tibbitts to a 10-4 win over second-seeded Southern Miss in Knoxville.
IU bookended a dominant offensive display with a first inning home run from Tibbitts and a ninth-inning blast from Colopy. The Hoosiers compiled 17 hits on the day, chasing the Southern Miss starter after just 3.2 innings of work. IU’s 17 base knocks are the most in an NCAA Tournament game in program history, topping the previous best of 15 which was done twice.
Every starter in the IU lineup recorded a hit by the fifth inning with Tibbitts, redshirt junior catcher Jake Stadler and sophomore designated hitter Devin Taylor all tallying three-hit contests. The Hoosiers totaled 10 runs, the 23rd game with 10-or-more runs this season. Tibbitts now has 197 hits on his career, three from becoming the 25th member of the 200-hit club at IU.
On the mound, IU was just as phenomenal, riding veterans Ty Bothwell (W, 7-3) and Drew Buhr (SV, 1) for the complete nine innings. Bothwell, who loves pitching in the postseason, punched out nine across 5.2 innings of work. He’s now got 240 career strikeouts, moving him into fifth in program history. After the game, to make the day sweeter, he proposed on the field to his long-time girlfriend.
This is the eighth-straight regional that IU has made and won at least one game. The Hoosiers won their opening two games last season in Lexington. Head coach Jeff Mercer’s team will face the winner of No. 1 Tennessee and Northern Kentucky tomorrow at 6:00 PM ET.
Scoring Recap
Top First
Brock Tibbitts got the party started, smashing a two-strike fastball into the seating in left field to hand the Hoosiers an early lead.
Indiana 2, Southern Miss 0
Top Second
Morgan Colopy roped a ball down the left field line, scoring Carter Mathison on the double. Josh Pyne came through clutch later in the inning, singling through the left side as Jake Stadler and Colopy came around to add on to the lead.
Indiana 5, Southern Miss 0
Top Fourth
Again, it was Tibbitts to the rescue. He smashed a ball into the corner in left field to score both Nick Mitchell and Devin Taylor.
Indiana 7, Southern Miss 0
Top Fifth
Taylor took a ball the other way, lining a single over the shortstop’s head to bring home Jasen Oliver.
Indiana 8, Southern Miss 0
Bottom Sixth
Southern Miss dug into the lead in the sixth inning. Nick Monistere hit a two-run home run on a ball that seemed to keep carrying into the wind in right field. Later in the inning, Dalton McIntyre smashed a ball towards Oliver. The freshman second baseman fumbled the ball, allowing an unearned run to score.
Indiana 8, Southern Miss 3
Top Ninth
Colopy got those runs back in the ninth. After falling short of a home run earlier in game, he took care of a first-pitch breaking ball. He smashed a two-run home run, 110 miles per hour off the bat, into left field.
Indiana 10, Southern Miss 3
Bottom Ninth
Davis Gillespie got a consolation run in the ninth, doubling to right field to score McIntyre.
Indiana 10, Southern Miss 4
Top Hoosier Performers
#9 Tibbitts, Brock
3-5, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 2B
#10 Colopy, Morgan
2-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI
#41 Bothwell, Ty
5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 9 K
Notes to Know
• Brock Tibbitts was outstanding as the Hoosiers picked up a win to open their stay in Knoxville. He smashed three hits, taking his career tally to 197. He just needs three more to become the 25th member of the 200-hit club in program history.
• Ty Bothwell continues to thrive in postseason play and today was no different. He struck out nine batters to move his career total to 240. He now sits No. 5 in program history after passing Kyle Hart (237, 2012-16) over the course of his Friday outing.
• IU tallied 17 hits on Friday afternoon, the most in an NCAA Tournament game in program history. Three players had three-hit days as every starter in the order recorded at least one. The previous best for hits in a single NCAA Tournament game was 15, done twice.
• This IU offense continues to move up the ranks as one of the best in program history. Both Tibbitts and Colopy doubled as the Hoosiers took the season tally to 136. IU needs just three more to break the single-season doubles record. This is the fifth season in program history hitting at least 80 home runs after Colopy and Tibbitts’ long balls against Southern Miss.