‘You can play with emotion but you can’t play emotionally’: Jeff Mercer and battle-tested Indiana baseball ready for challenge of NCAA Tournament

The mood in Bloomington was a bit uneasy for Jeff Mercer and the rest of the IU baseball program on Monday ahead of the NCAA Tournament reveal. Making the NCAA Tournament isn’t new for the Indiana baseball program, making it five of the last seven seasons. But, it was the way they finished the season that left a little bit of doubt in the mind of the team as it waited to hear its name called.

“After the game was over against Nebraska, I was a little concerned,” Mercer said in an interview with BTN. “Once I saw the metrics, the strengths of schedule, the quad 1 and 2 wins, the league RPI, you look at how well we played the last six or eight weeks and all the teams we played and started to feel a lot better. Especially when some of the bid stealers didn’t happen that could have across the country.”

Indiana went into last week’s Big Ten Tournament needing a deep run — at a minimum. There was no promise that the Hoosiers would end up in the NCAA Tournament field as an at-large bid. Jeff Mercer knew that.

After a deep run gave Indiana some momentum, it bowed out in the semifinals after a disappointing weekend finish.

Then Monday came. And, luckily for the entire program — the wait to hear its name called was short. They were in.

“It was pure joy,” Mercer said. “Watching those guys jumping up and down … there is a lot of joy and satisfaction and gratification.”

Indiana (32-24-1) now heads to the Knoxville Regional where it will face Southern Miss (41-18) — one of the most consistent programs in the entire country. Southern Miss holds the longest-current streak for 40+ wins in a season at eight straight years. It is also the eighth season in a row with an NCAA Tournament berth.

“Incredibly tough, very fundamental, high batting average, a lot of doubles,” Mercer said of Southern Miss. “The starter they are going to throw is excellent who has a great changeup. They are just tough. A lot of people think toughness is hollering and yelling. Toughness is executing your plan in the game and staying committed to it and not coming off of it. They are talented, they are very well coached. Their success speaks for itself and will be prepared to kick your butt.”

As Mercer noted, everyone still playing at this point in the season has talent. Indiana, however, is very battle tested. They had 26 games against quad 1 or 2 opponents this season.

So, this won’t be new to the Hoosiers — who themselves are extremely talented. Probably more talented than the record even shows.

Indiana baseball brings in one of the hottest offenses in the country, scoring 10+ runs 12 times since the beginning of April. On the season, it finished in the top-10 nationally in both home runs (78) and doubles (134). That’s due in part to its balance. Seven players have at least 50 hits, seven have 10+ doubles, five have 40+ RBIs and then there are four players who have double-digit home runs.

Whether it’s Devin Taylor, back-to-back First-Team All-Big Ten, Tyler Cerny — an All-Big Ten Third Team selection, Carter Mathison — top-10 in home runs Indiana baseball program history, Josh Pyne — currently reached base in 30 consecutive games, or Brock Tibbitts — one of the most consistent and durable players in program history — Indiana baseball is ready for the challenge.

“You also look at the talent of the team,” Mercer said when asked about criteria for a team making the tournament. “Do you have a legitimate opportunity, talent wise, to go in and compete in the regional, win a regional and advance. And we do. We have those caliber of players. so I did think going into it we had a real shot.”

While the bats have carried Indiana for the majority of the season, it has been the pitching — specifically the bullpen — that has been the backbone of the success at the end of the season.

10 of the 13 games in May, Indiana’s pitching staff kept opponents to five or less runs.

“The last month or six weeks, every game was essentially a playoff game so you have to go to the next guy as fast as you need him,” Mercer said of his pitching staff. “So when you look at your starters — as soon as you’re out of gas you have to go to the next guy. That’s helped us with our bullpen, ‘hey man we just need you to finish this inning and once you’re out of gas, you’re out of gas and we’ll go to the next one’.

“We have firepower, real stuff with guys mid to upper 90s coming out of the pen. So when you have those guys and feel good about them, trust them, we just need you to give us — just give us three to five innings in the start and as soon as you start to lose it we’re going to the next guy and you chop games up like that. It also allows you to get those guys back up again (on quick turnaround).”

While the bullpen has been the strength of late, Indiana will be going with some experience to start. None more than Friday’s probable starter in Ty Bothwell — someone with 196.1 innings pitched across five seasons. The likely starter in game two this weekend is no slouch. It’s Connor Foley who has a 4-1 record this year (8-3 across two years) and an opponent batting average of just .155 this season.

“We would like Bothwell and Foley to give us length but if not, no problem … you’ve got guys who can come in and put fires out and finish the inning and give us the chance of staying in ballgames,” Mercer added. “We’re really fortunate to have the bullpen that we do and it’s really carried us over the last six weeks ago.”

So as Indiana baseball takes the diamond on Friday afternoon, Mercer’s gameplan is clear and concise. He also knows talent is not enough to win in the postseason.

“You won’t go in and just out talent these teams … you have to go in and compete to the game and stay to your plan and execute your plan at a high level or they will run you off the field,” Mercer said. “That’s the message to the guys.

” … You have to stay emotionally under control. You can play with emotion but you can’t play emotionally.”

First pitch is set for 1:00 pm ET on Friday afternoon.

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