“Anytime that you’re running through an offense like that where multiple guys are on base consistently, someone is going to do damage,” Mercer added. “Solo home runs don’t typically win and lose games. It’s the three-run homers and five-run innings.”
Now, Indiana turns its attention to a Southern Miss team it beat on Friday night.
Indiana set a program record in the NCAA Tournament with 17 hits, something they’ll try to emulate once again.
And, despite the poor pitching performance on Saturday, Mercer was pleased with the offensive production once again.
“I was really pleased offensively. I didn’t think that we got discouraged. I didn’t think that we gave any at-bats away,” Mercer said. “Their pitching staff is really good, really competitive and tough. Put balls in play, using the whole field, and so I thought we did a good job overall.”
Indiana took down Southern Miss on the back of its bats, 10-4. But as Jeff Mercer knows, just because you had success one night, doesn’t mean you’ll be able to replicate and duplicate it just 48 hours later.
“I think it can go both ways,” Mercer said. “They’ve seen your hitters, and so they have an ability to matchup. Their shifts I’m sure will be better, and they’ll adjust on their defensive shifts. It does help us to be able to know an opponent a little bit, but they also know you.”
At the end of the day, all of that is thrown out the window. Talent, records, head-to-head. None of that matters.
Indiana baseball will get back to work and do what it’s done all year — compete.
“We’ll show up and compete, whether we’re successful or not. I don’t worry about the group being ready to go on a short turnaround. That’s a mature group that’s been through the battles, been through the pacing of these things.”
First pitch is set for around Noon ET with the winner advancing to play No. 1 Tennessee on Sunday night.
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