SAN MARCOS, Texas - Tanner Andrews surrendered just two hits while striking out a career-high nine over seven innings, looking the part of a Friday night ace while leading Purdue baseball to a 9-3 season-opening win at Texas State.
The Boilermakers were victorious in their first game under new head coach Mark Wasikowski, who earned his first official win after 20 years as an assistant coach. Purdue won its season opener for the first time since 2013.
The Boilermakers blew the game open early, scoring three times in the first inning and four more runs in the fourth en route to an 8-0 lead. Jacson McGowan delivered a run-scoring hit in each of his first three at-bats, finishing the night with two doubles and a career-high four RBI.
Every batter in the starting lineup reached base safely at least once for Purdue. The Boilermakers' 4-5-6 six hitters -- McGowan, Alec Olund and Skyler Hunter -- were a combined 7-for-14 with six RBI. Mike Madej, Evan Warden, Logan Poisall and Hunter all recorded their first hits as Boilermakers.
Andrews worked five 1-2-3 innings, retiring the first 10 batters he faced and 21 of the first 22. Sixty of the 91 pitches he threw were strikes. The junior struck out five of the first seven batters he faced and finished his outing by striking out the side, working around a two-out single and his only walk of the night in the process.
Madej earned the start at designated hitter, batting second in the lineup in his collegiate debut. In his first three plate appearances, he drew a four-pitch walk, doubled and executed a sacrifice bunt. Purdue scored in all three innings.
McGowan delivered opposite-field doubles in the first and fourth innings, driving in three runs with those two big swings. He also singled home Madej with two outs in the top of the third.
The bottom third of the lineup ignited the four-run inning. All seven batters to come to the plate in the top of the fourth had a productive plate appearance. Harry Shipley came through with an RBI single with the bases loaded. Nick Dalesandro plated another runner via an RBI ground out and McGowan followed with his second double, chasing Texas State starter Connor Reich.
In his first appearance on the mound since March 2015, Mike Kornacker worked a scoreless ninth inning to close out the win. He struck out a pair, allowing him to work around a leadoff single and a walk. Senior Adam Dressler had the honor of being the first man out of the bullpen this season. Newcomer Nick Wojtysiak stranded a pair of runners on base by striking out the Bobcats' cleanup hitter to end the eighth inning.
Andrews accounted for Purdue's best season-opening start since Matt Morgan beat No. 9 Connecticut in the 2011 season opener, working 5 2/3 shutout innings that night in Florida. A Boilermaker had not worked seven innings in an opening day start since Jay Buente (eight) in 2006 at Louisana-Lafayette. Andrews also worked seven innings in a pair of outings last season.
Wasikowski is the first Purdue skipper since Bob Shepheard in 1998 to win his first game as head coach.
The season-opening series continues Saturday with a 2 p.m. ET doubleheader.