Tyler Cerny flung his bat into the air in celebration. Near third base, Devin Taylor grinned and held both arms above his head.
Indiana baseball’s dugout hollered as Cerny removed his batting gloves and leg guard.
In the fourth inning of Indiana’s 7-5 victory over Ball State University on Tuesday night at Bart Kaufman Field, Cerny was hit by a pitch for the 39th time in his career, breaking a program record set by Chris Hervey in 2009.
“Kudos to him for being more about the team than his body,” head coach Jeff Mercer said postgame with a chuckle.
A highly touted prospect out of Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Ind., Cerny quickly broke out as a freshman. He earned a spot on the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2023 and a year later finished in the top five in the conference in hits, runs, doubles and RBIs.
The junior shortstop has always had a knack for drawing contact from pitches. He was plunked 13 times as a freshman and 12 times as a sophomore, and with over a month left in this regular season, he’s already been hit by 14 pitches.
After he was struck on the left thigh Tuesday night on an erratic pitch from Ball State junior righty Zach Leduc, the Hoosiers’ dugout pleaded for the home plate umpire to pass the ball.
“We were talking about it before the game, so it was pretty cool,” Indiana redshirt sophomore Joey Brenczewski said. “Everyone in the dugout was pretty much yelling for the ball.”
Cerny made sure to let Mercer know of his record after the inning. He was hoping for an announcement to be made over the PA system — “And there’s a school record for hit by pitches,” Mercer imitated in a classic radio voice — but no such declaration was made.
“I don’t know if they’re going to give you the Rickey Henderson stolen base treatment,” Mercer said he told Cerny.
Cerny’s 39th hit by pitch matched his career walk total. It’s a testament to his ability to stand firm in the batter's box and embrace pitches. In Monday’s doubleheader against Michigan State, Cerny was plunked three times.
One hit him sharply on the spine.
“A lesser man would have asked to come out of the game,” Mercer said. “He got drilled. But he’s gritty and tough and competitive and fiery.”
Cerny was hit four times in the Hoosiers’ first five games of the season, and he’s added another four to his tally in just the last three contests. Mercer said his hit by pitch numbers have become a running joke within the team.
His bat has been strong — Cerny’s hitting .289 with seven homers and 26 RBIs — but his penchant for inducing plunks has become a viable way of getting on base.
Following a three-game sweep in which Indiana outscored Michigan State 38-8, the Hoosiers extended their winning streak to four with Tuesday’s victory. As Mercer’s squad aims to continue its mid-season revitalization, consistent pitching and defending will be crucial.
And if recent results are any indication, so too will Cerny being hit by pitches.
