Hoosiers end 11-game road trip at Xavier University

Since conference play started, the mid-week non-conference games have been a struggle for the IU baseball team. Two weeks into the Big Ten schedule, the Hoosiers have lost both weekday games and have gone on to drop three of four games to conference opponents that weekend.\nLast weekend the Hoosiers (9-18, 2-6 Big Ten) dropped three of four games at Northwestern after losing their mid-week game at Evansville. \n"Our past few mid-week games haven't been good and that might be carrying into the weekend," senior first baseman Ryan Parker said. "We need to come out and make plays and get hits."\nIU, which has lost eight of its last 10, will try to stop that trend and gain momentum for the weekend series against Purdue today in the final game of an 11-game road trip at Xavier (10-22) in Cincinnati. \nAfter back-to-back conference series losses, IU coach Tracy Smith said he sees the mid-week games as the keys for straightening out the defensive and mental mistakes that have been made on the weekend. \n"My disappointment is we don't give ourselves a chance because we make so many mental mistakes," Smith said. "Our goal is to make us look like we've had a baseball practice."\nMental lapses and defensive mistakes have plagued IU in its early-season schedule, but the usually potent bats were held down last weekend at Northwestern. The Wildcats held the IU offense to just two runs per game -- three runs lower than its season average. \nThe Xavier game offers a chance for IU to gain some momentum both at the plate and in the field before returning to the comforts of Sembower Field for a 10-game home stand beginning this weekend. Big Ten and in-state rival Purdue will be the first team the Hoosiers play on their home stand.\n"We'll just have to make plays to get ready for the home stand we have coming up here," sophomore pitcher Chris McCombs said. \nFreshman Chris Hervey (0-0, 3.18 ERA) will make his second start of the season today. He will face Steve Sakosits (0-1, 4.68), who is making his 15th appearance of the season, but only his third start. \nThe Musketeers pitching staff has struggled, allowing opponents to hit at a .306 clip against them on the season with a 5.85 team ERA. \nFreshman Adam Pasono leads the Xavier offense, batting .333 in limited action. Senior infielder Sean Brewer has provided the bulk of the production, leading the team with 18 RBIs to go along with a .301 average.\nThe Hoosier offense will look to rebound after last weekend's struggles behind the hot bat of freshman Cameron Satterwhite, who is hitting .455 in only nine starts and 11 games played. \nThe first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. today at Hayden Field on the Xavier campus.