- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,194,995
- Reaction score
- 59
WEST LAFAYETTE — Greg Goff is perched in the corner, atop the bench of Alexander Field's home dugout, head buried in his hands.
The Purdue baseball head coach is visibly frustrated after his team just spent four hours trying to give more than 2,200 fans a Boilermaker victory to celebrate.
Miami's two runs in the top of the 11th assured that didn't happen, but these disappointments have been few and far between. Everything up to that point exemplified why Purdue sits where it does in a season many outside the Boilermaker clubhouse never saw coming.
Goff had to turn his roster over yet again this season, then lost four of his most relied upon contributors to injuries. And as devastating as that 11-inning loss was on Tuesday night, it was just the 11th in 36 games for Purdue, which is the Big Ten's surprise team so far.
"Just having the mindset of proving everyone else wrong has been huge and just going out there and playing for something," pitcher Trevor Kester-Johnson said.
What Goff deals with is a stark contrast from the world he came from nine years ago when he first arrived in West Lafayette. Goff coached at Alabama in a conference where many baseball programs have College World Series expectations.
At Purdue, baseball isn't high on the athletic department's pecking order. To compete, roster construction creativity is a must. In recent years, any individual breakout season almost assures that player is transferring from Purdue to a bigger name — and bigger budgeted — program.
The 2026 Boilermakers feature 23 newcomers, with a bunch of players several power conference baseball programs looked right past. In all, 26 Purdue rostered players began their careers elsewhere, including 17 junior college transfers.
More: Can team chemistry lead Purdue baseball to a Big Ten title?
"We're a blue-collar program," freshman shortstop Westin Boyle said. "We're not going to let anybody feel like they're above us in any way. We're going to go at them and we're not going to give them any chance to breathe."
In a game defined by numbers, Goff sought qualities that defied them.
What he found was a group that became unified last fall over a series of grueling workouts. They rallied around their unlikely paths to Purdue.
"We're a bunch of JuCo guys, transfers, we've got guys from all over," senior outfielder Avery Moore said. "We've got to get along and we've got to be tough."
The pitching statistics certainly don't fall in line with a 25-11 team. The cumulative earned run average going into Tuesday's first of a five-game homestand was 4.99. But put those pitchers in a tough spot and see them tightrope disaster.
Three relievers combined to hold a 23-12 Redhawks team with six of its nine starters hitting at least .310 to eight consecutive scoreless innings on Tuesday. Boyle admits had the defense, which had two errors that contributed to Miami runs in the second and third innings, done its part, the end result would've been different.
Purdue's offense has offset what, at times, has been pitching woes, led by senior third baseman Sam Flores, who ranks in the top 11 in the Big Ten in four offensive categories (hits, doubles, runs batted in, batting average). Two of the Big Ten's top 10 hitters — Brandon Rogers and league OBP leader Aaron Manias — are currently nursing injuries, but others have filled voids.
The Boilermakers rank in the top five in the Big Ten in hits, doubles, runs batted in, on base percentage, slugging and OPS. In conference play, Purdue has found ways to win pitching duels and slugfests.
But the key component is winning. Purdue has dropped consecutive games only once this season, 5-2 at Rice on Feb. 18 and 5-4 vs. No. 20 Southern Miss on Feb. 20 in Round Rock, Texas. Purdue dropped to 2-3 at that point — then promptly won its next six games, including an upset of Oregon State, currently ranked sixth and fresh off a College World Series appearance last season.
Purdue opened conference play losing two of three to Oregon, coached by Goff's Boilermaker predecessor Mark Wasikowski. Had a play or two gone differently in an 8-7 loss in the league opener, perhaps that series favors Purdue, who has since won five straight Big Ten series.
The Boilermakers are fourth in the conference standings. Top-ranked UCLA has set an unreachable bar, still without a loss. Behind the Bruins is a jumbled mess jockeying for a top-four finish that is pivotal for postseason play.
The Big Ten Tournament this season will have a double elimination bracket for the fifth through 12th seeds that will determine four qualifiers for an eight-team single elimination tournament, joining the league's top four teams.
A three-game series with Ohio State, which is trying to ascend into that top four, begins at 6 p.m. Friday.
"We've got to win at home," Moore said. "Nobody comes to our field and takes games away. That's the message. We can't give anything away."
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue baseball is Big Ten's surprise team
Continue reading...
The Purdue baseball head coach is visibly frustrated after his team just spent four hours trying to give more than 2,200 fans a Boilermaker victory to celebrate.
Miami's two runs in the top of the 11th assured that didn't happen, but these disappointments have been few and far between. Everything up to that point exemplified why Purdue sits where it does in a season many outside the Boilermaker clubhouse never saw coming.
Goff had to turn his roster over yet again this season, then lost four of his most relied upon contributors to injuries. And as devastating as that 11-inning loss was on Tuesday night, it was just the 11th in 36 games for Purdue, which is the Big Ten's surprise team so far.
"Just having the mindset of proving everyone else wrong has been huge and just going out there and playing for something," pitcher Trevor Kester-Johnson said.
What Goff deals with is a stark contrast from the world he came from nine years ago when he first arrived in West Lafayette. Goff coached at Alabama in a conference where many baseball programs have College World Series expectations.
At Purdue, baseball isn't high on the athletic department's pecking order. To compete, roster construction creativity is a must. In recent years, any individual breakout season almost assures that player is transferring from Purdue to a bigger name — and bigger budgeted — program.
The 2026 Boilermakers feature 23 newcomers, with a bunch of players several power conference baseball programs looked right past. In all, 26 Purdue rostered players began their careers elsewhere, including 17 junior college transfers.
More: Can team chemistry lead Purdue baseball to a Big Ten title?
"We're a blue-collar program," freshman shortstop Westin Boyle said. "We're not going to let anybody feel like they're above us in any way. We're going to go at them and we're not going to give them any chance to breathe."
In a game defined by numbers, Goff sought qualities that defied them.
What he found was a group that became unified last fall over a series of grueling workouts. They rallied around their unlikely paths to Purdue.
"We're a bunch of JuCo guys, transfers, we've got guys from all over," senior outfielder Avery Moore said. "We've got to get along and we've got to be tough."
You must be registered for see images attach
The pitching statistics certainly don't fall in line with a 25-11 team. The cumulative earned run average going into Tuesday's first of a five-game homestand was 4.99. But put those pitchers in a tough spot and see them tightrope disaster.
Three relievers combined to hold a 23-12 Redhawks team with six of its nine starters hitting at least .310 to eight consecutive scoreless innings on Tuesday. Boyle admits had the defense, which had two errors that contributed to Miami runs in the second and third innings, done its part, the end result would've been different.
Purdue's offense has offset what, at times, has been pitching woes, led by senior third baseman Sam Flores, who ranks in the top 11 in the Big Ten in four offensive categories (hits, doubles, runs batted in, batting average). Two of the Big Ten's top 10 hitters — Brandon Rogers and league OBP leader Aaron Manias — are currently nursing injuries, but others have filled voids.
The Boilermakers rank in the top five in the Big Ten in hits, doubles, runs batted in, on base percentage, slugging and OPS. In conference play, Purdue has found ways to win pitching duels and slugfests.
But the key component is winning. Purdue has dropped consecutive games only once this season, 5-2 at Rice on Feb. 18 and 5-4 vs. No. 20 Southern Miss on Feb. 20 in Round Rock, Texas. Purdue dropped to 2-3 at that point — then promptly won its next six games, including an upset of Oregon State, currently ranked sixth and fresh off a College World Series appearance last season.
Purdue opened conference play losing two of three to Oregon, coached by Goff's Boilermaker predecessor Mark Wasikowski. Had a play or two gone differently in an 8-7 loss in the league opener, perhaps that series favors Purdue, who has since won five straight Big Ten series.
The Boilermakers are fourth in the conference standings. Top-ranked UCLA has set an unreachable bar, still without a loss. Behind the Bruins is a jumbled mess jockeying for a top-four finish that is pivotal for postseason play.
The Big Ten Tournament this season will have a double elimination bracket for the fifth through 12th seeds that will determine four qualifiers for an eight-team single elimination tournament, joining the league's top four teams.
A three-game series with Ohio State, which is trying to ascend into that top four, begins at 6 p.m. Friday.
"We've got to win at home," Moore said. "Nobody comes to our field and takes games away. That's the message. We can't give anything away."
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue baseball is Big Ten's surprise team
Continue reading...
