Hoosiers take on Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State

The Hoosiers (23-17, 7-9) face off against Ohio State (19-17, 9-7) in a four-game weekend series at home this weekend. The Buckeyes arrive in Bloomington tied for third place in the Big Ten conference, along with Purdue and Penn State. \nIU is coming off a four-game series split at Illinois that put the Hoosiers one game out of sixth place in the conference behind Michigan State. \nThe Hoosiers have been hot at the plate lately, leading the Big Ten in team batting average, hitting .326 in conference play and .314 overall. Leading the way for IU are seniors Ryan Donley and Seth Bynum. Bynum was recently named to the midseason All-American team, with an overall batting average of .416, ranking him first in the Big Ten. \nDonley leads all hitters in the conference, hitting a robust .434 in 16 conference games. The senior slugger says this is a big series since the end of the Big Ten regular season is coming to an end. \n"This is a big series at home, and we have to win three out of four against them (Ohio State)," Donley said. "We need to put ourselves back in the hunt in conference play. This is the time when we need to step it up."\nThough Donley leads the league in hitting, he is not concerned about his personal stats. He says he just wants to contribute in any way possible. \n"I just want to do whatever I can to help the team win, whether it is a game-winning hit or a bunt to move a guy over," Donley said.\nAs the offense continues to produce, the Hoosiers will also need solid pitching performances to win the series against the Buckeyes. \nOn the mound in the first game will be senior Nick Vitielliss, who is 4-2 on the year with a 4.72 ERA. In the second game, sophomore Josh Lewis will take the mound. Lewis is 3-5 on the year with a 5.19 ERA. \nThough the 6-foot-1 player has been struggling a little this year, he remains confident he can come out and give his team a chance to win this weekend. \n"I have struggled a bit so far, but I just need to throw my first pitch for strikes more. I have been throwing a lot of fastballs and guys at this level can hit those," Lewis said. "This is a big series though, and hopefully, I can provide a jump start for us."\nIU coach Bob Morgan agrees with his players that this series is pivotal for their standings in the Big Ten. After this weekend the Hoosiers have only three weekend series left with conference opponents. \n"This is definitely a big series, playing at home and against a Big Ten powerhouse we will have our hands full," Morgan said. "But I like our chances, and I am looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity to beat a good team."\nThe Hoosiers and Buckeyes met for the first time in 1902. Since then, Ohio State has compiled a season series lead of 137-97 over IU. \nThe first game is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday at Sembower Field. \n-- Contact staff writer Alex Witteveld at pawittev@indiana.edu.