Redshirt sophomore outfielder Korbyn Dickerson stepped up to the plate for his second at-bat of the game and subsequently crushed a monster two-run home run that sailed into the evening sky and over the wall at Bart Kaufman Field.
That moonshot would kickstart a five-run third inning from the Indiana baseball that would propel it to a 7-5 win over Ball State University on Tuesday.
Despite the dominant stretch, the game did not start off ideally for Indiana as Ball State jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the conclusion of the first inning. It seemed like struggles from the pitching rotation could potentially doom Indiana again—just like it did in games against USC, UCLA, and Penn State. However, then came Dickerson’s home run that knotted the game at two.
Dickerson only had one hit in the game as he ended up going 1 for 4, but he made his impact felt offensively once again. Freshman infielder Cooper Malamazian put his stamp on the game shortly afterward, as his two-RBI single gave Indiana its first lead of the game at 4-2.
Fellow freshman infielder Will Moore got in on the action when he scored off a wild pitch to increase the Hoosiers’ lead to 5-2. From there, Indiana put up two more runs, and the defense did its part to give Indiana its 19th win so far in 2025.
Malamazian had one of his best games of the season, as he went 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Junior outfielder Devin Taylor, again, had an excellent performance offensively. He went 2 for 3 with a run and a critical two-RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning that stretched the Hoosiers’ lead out even further following the productive third inning.
Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer was quick to praise the offensive production from Dickerson, Taylor, and Hanley.
“I’m just glad they’re on our team,” Mercer said postgame. “No, but they’re very similar, Devin and Jake both being from Cincinnati. But they’re similar in mentality. They’re all really intelligent, they’re very hard workers, they’re good students, they’re serious kids. Men, at this point. But they’re very similar personality styles. The game never gets too far away from them, they’re always an adjustment away."
Indiana didn’t have a lot of hits this game, but the Hoosiers’ offense was efficient and effective, putting up seven runs on just seven hits. Ball State, on the other hand, put up only five runs on nine hits.
There was a brief scare for the Hoosiers when the Cardinals put up three runs in the top of the ninth inning and cut the lead down to two, but senior left-hander Tyler Kraft closed the deal and ensured the Indiana offense’s efforts would be rewarded with a win.
Indiana’s pitching staff had an excellent effort in the contest, as they struck out 12 Ball State batters. Starter Jackson Yarberry only lasted one inning, but senior left-hander Deron Swanson came in and pitched four shutout innings. He struck out three batters and gave up no earned runs.
“I’m just ready when my name’s called,” Swanson said. “The confidence stays the same, whether I’m on the bench or I’m in the game, so, you know, just being ready when my number’s called and going out there and balling out for the team.”
The next two Indiana pitchers who entered the game each retired three Cardinals hitters. Kraft entered as the closer and struck out two more Ball State batters to close out the victory for the Hoosiers.
Indiana’s productive third inning and the performance from its pitching rotation went a long way toward its win over the Cardinals on Tuesday. The Hoosiers improved to 19-14 overall while Ball State fell to 23-11 on the season.
Indiana will be back in action at 7 p.m. Friday when it begins a three-game series against Illinois at Illinois Field in Champaign, Illinois. All three contests can be streamed on Big Ten+.
