The Indiana baseball program is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and is ready to make some noise.
The Hoosiers enter as the 3-seed in the Lexington Region and will face off against West Virginia in the opener. The other teams in the region are 1-seed Kentucky and then 4-seed Ball State.
While Indiana isn’t the favorite to come out of the region, it is a program that could sneak its way out.
According to 247Sports, the Indiana baseball program is one of the underdogs in NCAA Regional play.
“Yes, Indiana is the clear third-best team in this Regional. Yes, the Big Ten isn’t any good. But the Hoosiers are 41-18, played the best teams on their schedule competitively and are a tough No. 3 seed here behind No. 1 Kentucky and No. 2 West Virginia,” Robbie Weinstein wrote. “Iowa might be the more obvious Big Ten team to take, as the Hawkeyes got a favorable draw in a Terre Haute Regional that could go any direction between the top three seeds. That fact, however, means that Iowa isn’t a true underdog. Indiana is, and it’s one that has a chance to advance.”
It will be tough to get out of the region, however. In its only matchup with Kentucky this season, Indiana lost 12-2. Against Ball State, Indiana was 2-0 this season but only won by a combined four runs.
Indiana played seven other NCAA Tournament teams in the regular season and combined 6-11 against those programs.
The Hoosiers’ 41 wins were the most in the regular season since 2013 and the most in any season (regular + postseason) since 2018.
Right now, the odds for the Indiana baseball program to come out of the Lexington Region are at +390. Kentucky is the favorite playing as the home team and 1-seed.
The Lexington Regional takes place from June 2-5.
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