Purdue Sports Update April 11
EDEY SWEEPS NATIONAL AWARDS … AGAIN
–Zach Edey was named the Wooden Award recipient, capping off an award season that saw him win all six major National Player of the Year honors, becoming the first player in over 50 years to win unanimous National Player of the Year accolades in consecutive seasons.
Edey has now won The Sporting News, the Associated Press, the Oscar Robertson Trophy, the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award honors in consecutive seasons, the first time since Bill Walton won the four major awards (at the time) in 1972 and 1973 that a player has swept the major National Player of the Year awards.
He technically becomes the sixth two-time National Player of the Year, joining Ralph Sampson (1981, 1982, 1983), Bill Walton (1971, 1972, 1973), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1967, 1969), Jerry Lucas (1961, 1962) and Oscar Robertson (1958, 1959, 1960) as multiple NPOY recipients.
BASEBALL SWEEPS RUTGERS, FALLS TO SYCAMORES
Jordan Morales conceded just three hits over seven shutout innings and Aaron Suval induced a game-saving double play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, starring on the mound in Purdue’s 5-3 victory in 10 innings Friday at Rutgers.
The Boilermakers (18-12, 3-4 Big Ten) scored twice in the top of the 10th despite putting the ball in play just twice and not hitting the ball out of the infield until an inning-ending fly out. They won an extra-innings game on the road in Big Ten play for the first time since April 2018 at Maryland.
In his return to the East Coast, Morales (Souderton, Pa.) rolled through a trio of 1-2-3 innings and struck out five in his finest outing as a Boilermaker, limiting the Big Ten’s league leader in batting average to five base runners. The lefty retired 11 in a row early in the game and later the final six batters he faced.
Connor Caskenette connected for a three-run homer in the ninth inning as part of a five-RBI day, powering Purdue to an 8-6 series-clinching victory at Rutgers on Saturday.
The Boilermakers (19-12, 4-4 Big Ten) rallied back from deficits of 3-0, 5-3 and 6-5 while claiming their first series victory in Jersey in three trips to the East Coast.
Couper Cornblum and Luke Gaffney singled in front of Caskenette’s team-leading seventh home run of the season. Purdue’s catcher worked his way into a 3-1 count and crushed a belt-high fastball from Rutgers closer Ben Gorski over the left field wall for the game-changing home run.
The Boilermakers (20-12, 5-4 Big Ten) swept a Big Ten series on the road for the first time since April 2018 at Maryland. They also became the first visiting team to sweep a three-game Big Ten series in Piscataway since Maryland in April 2017.
Aaron Suval backed up Blackwell with a nine-out save, closing out a victory for the second time on the weekend. Suval worked 4 2/3 innings of one-run relief in the series.
Blackwell (2-2) induced nine ground ball outs and retired 10 consecutive batters from the final out of the bottom of the third through the sixth inning. He escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning thanks to a 6-3 double play turned by shortstop Camden Gasser. For the weekend, Purdue induced 38 ground ball outs (of 84 total outs) and turned five double plays.
Indiana State scored seven times over the final two innings to break a 2-2 stalemate, defeating Purdue 9-3 in a midweek rematch Tuesday at Alexander Field.
The Sycamores (24-7) loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the eighth and Mike Sears delivered the big hit, a two-run double to the wall in center field. A sacrifice fly followed. The Boilermakers (20-13) used four pitchers in the inning and eight total on the night.
The Boilermakers’ nine-game homestand continues with Friday’s series opener vs. Michigan State. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES EUROPEAN TRIP
Head coach Katie Gearlds announced plans for the Purdue women’s basketball to head to Europe for an international tour in early August, splitting time between Spain and Portugal.
The Boilermakers will depart for Europe on Aug. 5 on a flight from Chicago to Barcelona. Purdue will visit Barcelona (Aug. 6-10), Porto (Aug. 10-12) and Lisbon, Portugal (Aug. 12-15).
The Boilermakers will play three games with opponents and dates to be announced later.
Gearlds will finished her professional playing career in Portugal and Spain.
GILLIS, MORTON IN PORTAL
With a Covid year of eligibility left, Mason Gillis and Ethan Morton entered the transfer portal on April 10. Both players had gone through Senior Day at Purdue, and had never planned to play an additional year with the Boilermakers. Purdue had no scholarship availability for them to return to the squad for 2024-25.
Gillis leaves Purdue averaging 6.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and shooting better than 40 percent from beyond the ark and his five-year stint with the Boilermakers.
Morton played four seasons with the Boilermakers, mostly as a reserve player. In 2022-23, Morton started 29 of 37 games.
However, he came off the bench this past season, going from 25.1 minutes per game to just 10. As a starter, Morton averaged 3.8 points per game, 2.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, shot 44.1% from the floor and 27.7% from three-point range.
SOFTBALL RUNS WIN STREAK TO SIX
The softball squad secured the series sweep versus Iowa with a 4-0 shutout and 2-1 comeback victory. With the wins, Purdue not only earned is second straight Big Ten series win, but improved its winning streak to five consecutive games, the Boilermakers longest winning streak in Big Ten play since 1997..
Receiving the victory in Purdue’s 4-0 shutout was Kendall Klochack (4-3) while Julia Gossett (7-6) earns the victory in the final game of the series.
Purdue 4, Iowa 0
Purdue registered three runs in the second inning, scored on a pair of doubles by Moriah Polar (two RBI) and Khloe Banks.
In total, Purdue out-hit Iowa 7-5, led by Sage Scarmardo and Banks each producing two hits in the game. Meanwhile, Polar secured a team-leading two RBI and six putouts.
Madi Elish started the day in the circle, allowing no runs, striking out one batter and allowing three hits and two walks over the first 1.1 innings. Klochack entered to toss the remaining 5.2 innings, where she struck out three batters and allowed two hits.
Purdue 2, Iowa 1
After Iowa took the lead in the second inning on a walk with the bases loaded, Purdue came back to post two runs in the sixth inning for the comeback victory. Purdue scored its game-tying run as Polar scored on a passed ball. Meanwhile, the game-winner came on an RBI single by Ashlynn Campbell, scoring Banks from third.
Olivia Cainey started in the circle, pitching 5.1 innings, allowing one run, two hits and three walks. Gossett, who earned the series-opening victory last night, entered in relief. The freshman struck out three Hawkeyes and allowed three hits.
The Boilermakers were out-hit 4-5 in the outing and committed no errors.
BOILERMAKERS PLAY WELL AT CALUSA PINES FOR RUNNER-UP FINISH
The Purdue men’s golf team posted the second-best round of the day for the second straight round and finished as the Calusa Cup runner-up at Calusa Pines Golf Club.
The Boilermakers totaled a 54-hole score of 3-over par 867 (289-291-287) on the difficult Calusa Pines layout to finish six shots behind No. 16-ranked Florida (-3; 861). Purdue topped No. 34-ranked Wake Forest by two shots and 16 shots over No. 15-ranked Georgia Tech, which finished fourth. No. 20-ranked Georgia was fifth at 20-over par, 17 shots behind the Boilermakers.
Purdue had strong performances up-and-down the lineup with three players finishing in the top seven and another in the top 20.
Freshman Sam Easterbrook recorded one of the best finishes of his career, finishing tied for fifth at 1-under par 215 (72-72-71) with all three rounds at even-par or better. Easterbrook didn’t record a double-bogey (or worse) all week and played the par-3’s in a tournament-best 3-under par.
Herman Sekne continued his assault on the Purdue record books, also finishing tied for fifth at 1-under par 215 (70-74-71). Sekne recorded his fourth top-5 finish of the season and his 17th career top-10 finish, good for fourth on the list, despite playing just 35 tournaments.
The Boilermakers will wrap up the regular season on April 19 to 21 at the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate, hosted by Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
PAIR OF TOP-10 DECATHLON MARKS HIGHLIGHT WEEKEND IN ARIZONA
Two Purdue track & field decathletes earned top-10 marks in the decathlon at the Jim Click Shootout on Saturday in Tucson, Arizona.
Freshman Andreas Hantson and senior Logan Sandlin both entered the record books in the decathlon at the two-day meet at Arizona’s Drachman Stadium. Hantson, making his collegiate decathlon debut, etched his name at No. 4 all-time and Sandlin posted the sixth-best score in team history.
Sandlin’s personal-best point total came with seven PRs in the 10 events. Hantson notched four collegiate bests, and the other six events he was competing in for the first time outdoors as a college athlete.
All event groups are back in action next weekend, at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainesville, Florida, from April 12-13, and the Gary Wieneke Memorial in Champaign, Illinois, on April 13.
BOILERMAKERS DOMINATE IN SINGLES TO DEFEAT NEBRASKA
The No. 61 Purdue women’s tennis team defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers 4-1 after refusing to drop a singles set.
At No. 2, doubles pair Kennedy Gibbs/Csilla Fodor claimed a dominant 6-3 win over Nebraska’s Anfisa Danilchenko/Ana Zamburek. Ultimately, the Cornhuskers won the doubles point, earning a 1-0 lead going into singles play.
The Boilermakers came in hot for singles play. Every Boilermaker won their first set in singles. The first point for Purdue was earned by Carmen Gallardo Guevara at No. 1. The junior defeated Nebraska’s Raphaelle Lacasse in two straight sets. Giving the Boilermakers a 2-1 lead was senior Csilla Fodor at No. 2. In her last home singles match, she went 6-1, 6-3 against Anfisa Danilchenko.
Adding another point for Purdue, Kennedy Gibbs beat Isabel Adrover Gallego in two sets. At No. 3, the sophomore went 6-2, 6-4. Finalizing the win for the Boilermakers, Tara Katarina Milic bested the Cornhuskers’ Lucy Loy in two sets. At No. 5, Milic finished the match with a 7-6(3) tiebreak. This is Purdue’s fourth conference win of the season.
Up Next
Purdue women’s tennis will travel to Evanston, Ill. to battle No. 37 Northwestern. The match is set for Friday, Apr. 12 at 5:30 p.m. EST.
THREE COMEBACKS HALTED IN ANN ARBOR
Three singles matches were abandoned as the Boilermakers dropped a 0-4 dual at No. 36 Michigan on Sunday.
At the No. 1 singles position, Stefan Simeunovic was stripped of a chance to earn his second consecutive win over a ranked opponent. After defeating No. 41 Ronald Hohmann on Saturday, Simeunovic pushed No. 17 Gavin Young to a third set after coming back to win 6-4 in the second. His match was abandoned in the final set at 0-1.
Henrik Villanger and Mujtaba Ali-Khan were also chasing comeback victories before the Wolverines clinched the dual. Villanger was knotted at five games looking to force a third set before his match was abandoned. Ali-Khan was in the same position as Simeunovic trailing 0-1 in his final set after flipping a 3-6 loss in the first set to a 6-3 set win in the second.
Since the start of Big Ten play, the Boilers have had at least one singles match go unfinished or defaulted in three of the last four conference duals.
Up Next
The Boilers close out the 2024 home slate against Wisconsin and Nebraska on April 12 and 14.
ANDERSON SELECTED FOR U21 WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM
Setter Taylor Anderson was selected by USA Volleyball for the 2024 U21 Women’s National Team.
Anderson is one of 20 players in the nation to be tapped for the honor, including one of three setters, to train in Anaheim, California on June 14-22. During that time, 12 of the 20 athletes will be selected to represent the United States at the 2024 U21 Women’s NORCECA Continental Championship on June 23-July 1 in Toronto, Canada.
It is the third consecutive year a Boilermaker has earned this opportunity, with Eva Hudson and Chloe Chicoine members of the 12-woman roster a year ago, while Raven Colvin and Chicoine played on the team in 2022.
