Weekend Schedule (EST)
4/1: Butler at Indiana State – 6:30 PM
4/2: Butler at Indiana State – 2:00 PM
4/3: Indiana State at Butler – 1:00 PM

Projected Starters
Friday: RHP Brock Balderson
Saturday: LHP Nick Morton
Sunday: LHP Jeff Schank

INDIANAPOLIS – The Bulldogs will take on Indiana State this weekend in a unique three-game series that will feature games one and two being played in Terre Haute, followed by the third and final game which will be played at Bulldog Park.

About Butler (8-16)
The Bulldogs moved to 8-16 on Wednesday afternoon after taking an 8-3 loss at Northern Kentucky. Four different BU players came up with multiple hits, but the top of the NKU order overpowered the Butler bullpen to earn the victory.

Butler shook-up their defense putting Michael Hartnagel at shortstop, Garrett Christman at third base and Connor Dall at second base. Nick Bartolone also got the starting nod in centerfield. Hartnagel appeared at the top of the batting order as well, going 2-for-5 from the plate with a run scored. Joining Hartnagel with two hits was Chris Marras, Jordan Lucio, and Connor Dall.

Hartnagel is now batting .295 on the year, the second-highest average on the team trailing only Tyler Houston who remains sidelined with an injury. Chris Marras continues to swing a hot bat for BU. He has moved his average up to .265 on the year with five doubles and a triple.

The infield isn't the only unit that is changing places during this time of the season. The weekend rotation will also be moved around with Brock Balderson getting the start on Friday, Nick Morton staying put for Saturday's game and Jeff Schank will now throw on Sunday.

Balderson was impressive during his last outing in which he earned his first win of the year by tossing six full innings against Western Michigan. The freshman right-hander may have gone deeper into the contest but a 30-minute lightning delay forced him off the hill.

Morton has the best ERA on the team at 3.09. The BU Saturday starter will be making his seventh start of the season against ISU. Schank will move from Friday to Sunday this weekend for the first time this year. Sitting at 0-5 in six starts, Schank will look to lower his 4.14 ERA and get some run support when the team returns to Bulldog Park for the final game of the series.

Scouting Indiana State (15-11)
The Sycamores are a talented team with a 15-11 overall record. They have lost three of their last five contests, but all five contests came against Big Ten opponents. Indiana State lost at home to Nebraska, then took one of three in a series against Indiana. Their most recent matchup was a 5-4 win over Illinois.

The ISU non-conference schedule has been tough with games against Iowa, Boston College, nationally-ranked Oklahoma State and North Carolina State. The club has gotten off to a nice start to the year by posting a .280 batting average to go along with a 3.70 team ERA.

Hunter Owen and Kaden Moore headline the batting order while Dan Peterson, Justin Hill and Ryan Keaffaber highlight action on the mound. Owen is a monster at the dish with his .374 batting average that includes 10 doubles, a triple, and two home runs generating 24 RBIs. Moore is another every day starter that holds a .326 BA. He has eight doubles on the year and give the Sycamores a second player with 20+ RBIs.

Peterson and Hill are two of the top arms in the weekend rotation. Each student-athlete is 4-1 on the year with over 30 innings pitched. Peterson has a nice ERA at 1.93 while Hill's is a touch higher at 3.18. Peterson leads the team in strikeouts with 35, but Hill isn't too far behind with 28. Out of the bullpen, Indiana State has a weapon in Jeremy McKinney. The closer has three saves on the year and a team-low 1.47 ERA.

Recent Matchups
Indiana State has held the upper hand against Butler in recent meetings. The Sycamores have won nine-straight ranging from 2015-2004. Butler's most recent win came at the start of the 2004 season when they knocked off Indiana State 10-3 at home.

BIG EAST Standings
1) Creighton, 16-5 Overall
2) Seton Hall, 17-8 Overall
3) St. John's, 12-9-1 Overall
4) Georgetown, 12-14 Overall
5) Villanova, 9-17 Overall
6) Butler, 8-16 Overall
7) Xavier, 8-17 Overall

BIG EAST Rankings
- Jordan Lucio leads the BIG EAST in doubles with nine
- Drew Small ranks fifth in the BIG EAST with 17 runs scored
- Jeff Schank is tied for third in the conference with 37 innings pitched
- Danny Pobereyko is tied for fifth in strikeouts with 28
- Zach Barnes is tied for fourth in the league with three saves
- As a team, Butler is in a three-way tie for first place with 40 doubles
- BU ranks third in triples with seven

National Rankings
As a team, Butler ranks 77th in the NCAA in double plays (20) and 70th in triples (7). Individually, Connor Dall ranks 50th in sacrifice flies while Zach Barnes comes in at 98th with his three saves.

Team Leaders
BA: Tyler Houston (.349), Hits: Drew Small (25), RBI: Tyler Houston (12)
ERA: Nick Morton (3.09), Wins: Zach Barnes (2), Strikeouts: Danny Pobereyko (28)

Extra Innings
Butler is 2-0 this year in games that reach extra innings. Their first win of the season was a 4-3 victory at Charleston Southern that ended in the 11th inning. The second victory came against BIG TEN foe Northwestern as the Bulldogs knocked off the Wildcats in 10 innings.

Grand Slam 2x
The Bulldogs won in style this year in the 2016 home opener vs. Marian. Playing at nearby Grand Park due to field and weather conditions at Bulldog Park, Butler posted 15 runs off 13 hits to earn the lopsided victory. The first grand slam of the game came in the third inning when Chris Maranto sent a ball over the fence in leftfield. The 'Dawgs didn't stop there as Michael DiViesti came to the plate in the fifth to deliver the second grand slam of the game. The hit was the first of the year for DiViesti, who got the start at catcher while Chris Marras played as the DH. 

Not So Fast
The Bulldogs lead the BIG EAST Conference in runners picked off. Through the first 24 games of the season, Butler has picked off nine baserunners. Danny Pobereyko and Zach Barnes share the team lead with two each.

Spring Break
Butler played six games in Port Charlotte Florida over spring break (March 5 – 12) against tough competition. The 'Dawgs won two of their first three games on the trip, but ended by falling in each of their last three contests. The field included Northwestern, Indiana, Boston College, Central Michigan, Michigan State and Illinois State.

Signature Win
Butler defeated an ACC team for the first time in 20 years with a 12-10 win over Boston College on March 7. The last time BU came out on top vs. an ACC team was in 1996 when the 'Dawgs won 3-1 at North Carolina.

Up Next
The Bulldogs will return to action on Tuesday, April 5 with a single road game to be played at Dayton. First pitch is slated for 4 PM.