Team to face Xavier

IU is looking to move it's record above .500 for the first time this year when it plays Xavier 3 p.m. today at Sembower field for the third of what might be a six-game home stand. \nThe Hoosiers have a schedule of 62 games. The NCAA limit is 56, so every year IU over-schedules in the case of cancellations. This year has been an exception, with IU playing every game it has scheduled until its University of Illinois at Chicago series last weekend. The third game of the Chicago series was canceled because of a chance of cold weather. \nIU has to cancel five more games to reach the NCAA limit, and because conference games will not be a casualty of the cuts, today's match-up with Xavier might get canceled because of a chance for cold weather.\n"Hopefully, the weather will change for us," head coach Bob Morgan said. "We'd like to win a couple games before we head to Florida (during spring break)." \nDespite the possibility of cancellation, the Hoosiers plan to take the field against the Musketeers (4-5). IU has an 11-1 record against Xavier, losing to them once in 1988. \n"We're looking forward to playing well as a team," junior Gibran Hamdan said. "We need to get jump-started for the Florida trip."\nDespite the Musketeers' record, Hamdan said he doesn't view them as an easy opponent.\n"We don't have any warm-up games on our schedule," Hamdan said. "We recognize that it really doesn't matter who shows up. It's time for us to play up to our capabilities and play good baseball."\nMorgan agreed and said he is focused on the Hoosiers' quality of play.\n"We need to play well, we need to play better and start putting the game together where we have some pitches, some defense and some offense," he said. \nThe Hoosiers have two games left before they head to Homestead, Fla., where they will play seven games in eight days. IU is looking to be prepared by playing its best baseball this week, starting with Xavier.\n"Playing mid-week games (gets) you prepared for the weekend," junior Eric Blakeley said. \nBlakeley is batting .311 and is second on the team with 12 RBIs.\nStarting pitching has been a weak point for the Hoosiers, posting a 7.20 ERA allowing 76 earned runs in 95 innings pitched, putting increased pressure on the IU defense. \n"It's just as important (to play defense when the score is) 12-10 as it is 2-0. It's a lot of pressure out there," sophomore John Bestler said. "Hitting-wise, we didn't put up the runs we had in previous games, but it's going to be just as important this game"