GBI Magazine

id innings in the second game had the Boilers up 3-1 going to the eighth, but the bullpen allowed nine runs in the final two frames. And the Cornhuskers scored in each of the last four innings. The sweep was the second in a row, after the Boilers allowed 40 runs on a windy weekend against Illinois in Champaign. "It's been a lot of the same," said Schreiber, whose team was swept in three of its first five Big Ten series. "All three games (vs. Nebraska) the bullpen didn't come through. All three games, we might have showed a little bit offensively in one inning and maybe made it close, but if you get shut down 8-of-9 inI had to pitch well against live hitters," he said. "I did well there, so I knew I'd have a chance to be a weekend starter. "(And being the No. 1 pitcher) is a big accomplishment for me. I've been trying to be the Friday night guy — I'm a competitor — they've been pretty good aside from the Illinois start. There's some pressure to it, obviously you want to start the weekend off with a win, but it's pretty much the same as starting any other time." Although this is Minch's first season in West Lafayette, he's felt part of the program much longer. Minch committed shortly following his sophomore season at Highland, relatively early for collegiate baseball, but he felt a fit with the Boilermakers. "Everything was right," he said. "The new stadium was right and we have a good program here. Obviously this year isn't going too well, but I love the coaches. "It was my first offer, and I wanted to stay close to home." Minch had some kinks he had to work out once he arrived at Purdue. Earlier this season, Schreiber said Minch was the kind of pitcher who could strike out 15 but walk eight — probably exaggerating only slightly — in high school and still lead his team to victory. But that wouldn't work in the Big Ten, where walks generally lead to runs. But at Purdue, Minch has largely been in command of his pitches. In his 55 innings through late April, he allowed 25 walks. Minch says he'd changed his mental approach; rather than just firing his fastball to overwhelm batters, as he did in high school, he's had to locate his pitches. nings and you only get five hits on the day, you're not going to put a lot of pressure on them." The Boilermakers have little choice but to move on, hoping to turn their season back positive in the final month. "It's frustrating yet we must meet adversity head on. At some point pride has to take over and guys have got to step up," Schreiber said. "They've got to make sure they're getting their jobs done. I don't think we're asking too much of anybody. "We're just looking for anybody who can give us a spark." — Kyle Charters "He understands about being down in the zone and has made an adjustment, which I think mechanically sometimes is hard for guys," Schreiber said. "He's done a great job; He's a competitor, so he was going to figure it out. "… He's really the complete package. You're talking about a freshman who is kind of leading us. It says a lot, because it's tough in this league to pitch as a freshman. You don't see a lot of freshman come in and dominate — not that he's dominated — but he'd have a better record if we could get him a little more run support or be able to hang on to some leads we've lost for him as well." But Minch continues to battle. Against the Cornhuskers, on an evening in which Purdue both celebrated the return of several baseball alums and the opening of the new ballpark, Minch was the catalyst that spurred the Boilermakers over the first seven innings. He's energetic, a quality that Purdue could use more of in this difficult season, working quickly and pumping his fists on the mound when he records a big out. "I'm a competitor," he said. "Everything starts with you on the mound, so I feel like you've got to bring the energy. When you get big outs in big situations, it pumps you up." Picchiotti says the attitude rubs off on teammates and will do so for years to come. "They know we've got a kid on the mound who is going to battle as long as he can for us," Picchiotti said, "and come out and pitch well." j Gold & Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 5

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