| WEEKEND STREAMING GUIDE (all times ET) |
| Baseball |
| Friday / 6:30 p.m. / at Penn State / BTN Plus |
| Saturday / 1 p.m. / at Penn State / BTN Plus |
| Softball |
| Friday / 4 p.m. / at Michigan / BTN |
| Sunday / 1 p.m. / at Michigan / BTN |
| Women's Tennis |
| Saturday / Noon / Nebraska / PurdueSports.com |
| Sunday / Noon / Iowa / PurdueSports.com |
| Track & Field |
| Friday / 12:10 p.m. / Florida Relays / SEC Network + |
| Friday / Noon / Stanford Invitational / FloTrack |
| Saturday / Noon / Stanford Invitational / FloTrack |
| Saturday / 2:30 p.m. / Florida Relays / SEC Network + |
By Tom Schott
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - USA Today ranked Purdue as having the seventh-best combined football and men's basketball seasons for 2017-18. Only two other Big Ten Conference were listed among the top 10 - Michigan State (second) and Ohio State (fourth).
Women's Tennis Rebuild
Laura Glitz is rebuilding the women's tennis program.
The restoration is coming along nicely for the 11th-year head coach of the Boilermakers. With an 8-8 overall record and a 1-3 Big Ten Conference mark, the Boilermakers have surpassed last season's total of six victories and equaled their league tally. They have done so with an eight-player roster made up of two juniors (one a transfer), three sophomores (also one a transfer) and three freshmen.
Purdue hosts two Big Ten foes this weekend - Nebraska (13-4, 2-2) on Saturday and Iowa (9-8, 1-3) on Sunday - at the Schwartz Tennis Center. Both matches get underway at noon ET. Admission is free, and there will be a racquet bag giveaway Saturday.
Under Glitz, the Boilermakers made four consecutive NCAA Championships appearances from 2012 to 2015 and were nationally ranked in 102 consecutive polls from 2010 to 2016.
Johnson Wins National Championship, Men's Swimming & Diving 19th at NCAAs
Redshirt junior Steele Johnson repeated as the 3-meter diving national champion, propelling Purdue to 19th place at the NCAA Championships, which concluded March 24 in Minneapolis.
Johnson, who won his fifth national title overall, was runner-up on 1-meter to earn All-American recognition and an honorable mention All-American in platform after finishing second in the consolation final. He has finished among the top 10 in all nine of his career events at NCAAs, claiming All-American honors every time. Johnson was named Big Ten Track Diver of the Year for the third time.
Sophomore Brandon Loschiavo won the platform consolation final and was an honorable mention All-American, as was junior Joe Cifelli on 1-meter.
V. Edwards to Play in 3-on-3 Tournament
Men's basketball senior forward Vincent Edwards has been selected to participate in the inaugural 3X3U National Championship this weekend in San Antonio. The event will pit 32 four-man teams consisting of players from every Division I conference against each other in a three-day, 3-on-3 tournament.
The teams, comprised of seniors who have exhausted their collegiate eligibility, will compete for a $100,000 prize pool from Friday through Sunday at Bill Greehey Arena on the campus of St. Mary's University. The games will be viewable live on Twitter and ESPN2.
Edwards is one of four players selected from the Big Ten Conference, joining Indiana's Robert Johnson, Minnesota's Nate Mason and Ohio State's Jae'Sean Tate.
Edwards earned second-team All-Big Ten honors after averaging 14.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this season. He became merely the third collegiate player in the last 25 years with 1,600 career points, 750 rebounds, 400 assists and 150 three-point field goals.
On Purdue's career lists, Edwards ranks eighth in rebounds (779), 11th in three-pointers (173), 10th in free throw percentage (.820), 11th in assists (403) and 15th in points (1,638).
C. Edwards to Test NBA Draft Process
Men's basketball sophomore guard Carsen Edwards announced his intention to declare for the 2018 NBA Draft but will not hire an agent, maintaining his amateurism.
Edwards will put his name into the NBA Draft, making him eligible to be selected on draft night June 21. He will be able to start attending workouts scheduled by NBA teams April 24 and is eligible to compete in the NBA Draft Combine, if selected, from May 16 to 20 in Chicago. He then has 10 days (May 30 deadline) to weigh his options and keep his name in or withdrawal for the draft. Withdrawing his name will maintain his eligibility in intercollegiate athletics.
Edwards was named a second-team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and a third-team honoree by the Associated Press and The Sporting News after averaging 18.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this season. He set the Purdue record for points scored by a sophomore (686), a total that ranks as the 10th-highest mark in school history. Edwards earned NCAA East Region All-Tournament team honors and is one of five finalists for the Jerry West Award, given to the nation's top shooting guard.
The Boilermakers finished the season with a 30-7 record, setting the school record for wins.
Road Trips
Baseball, softball, men's tennis, and track & field are on the road this weekend.
Baseball (11-10) opens Big Ten Conference play with a three-game series at Penn State (7-12, 1-2 B1G) on Friday and Saturday. Purdue beat Valparaiso 4-1 on March 28 at home on the strength of a home run and four RBI by junior first baseman Jacson McGowan. He tops the team with seven homers and 26 RBI for the season. McGowan (No. 24 first baseman) and junior Nick Dalesandro (No. 12 catcher) are ranked among the top 25 in D1Baseball.com's updated national position rankings through the first six weeks of the season. Dalesandro is the Big Ten's top-ranked catcher, while McGowan is the No. 2 first baseman in the conference.
Softball (8-24, 1-2 B1G) visits No. 17 Michigan (25-7, 1-1) for conference games Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Boilermakers are coming off an impressive 4-1 win at Notre Dame on March 28. Redshirt freshman pitcher Sydney Bates twirled a complete game, allowing just two hits and a walk. She threw merely 64 pitches. Sophomore catcher Alexa Binckes has 10 hits in her last 19 at-bats, a nifty .526 batting average.
Men's tennis (8-9, 0-2 B1G) travels to Michigan State (7-11, 0-3) on Saturday and Michigan (12-3, 2-1) on Sunday.
Track & field is competing at the Florida Relays in Gainesville, with 100 men's and women's teams in attendance. Events got underway Thursday and continue through Saturday. The Purdue women are ranked No. 13 in the country. Sophomore distance runners Jaret Carpenter and Emma Benner are at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, California, on Friday and Saturday.
Football Spring Game Details
The football Spring Game is April 7 at Ross-Ade Stadium.
It will begin at noon ET. There is no admission charge. The game will be televised live by BTN.
Fans can park in the R Lot north of Ross-Ade for free, and the stadium gates will open at 11 a.m. The Clear Bag Policy will be in effect.
For more information, click here.
All Aboard for the Golden Petes
All Purdue fans are invited to the sixth-annual Golden Pete Awards show.
The artful blend of accomplishment and fun, which celebrates the achievements of Boilermaker student-athletes for the past 12 months, is Monday, April 23, beginning at 6:30 p.m., at Holloway Gymnasium on campus.
It is one of the most-anticipated and talked-about events of the year for Purdue Athletics.
In addition to presenting traditional honors like the Big Ten Medal of Honor, Distinguished Scholar Athlete Award, Varsity Walk Award, Wooden Leadership Institute Certificate of Achievement and BLAST Certificate of Achievement, Golden Petes will be presented in the following nine categories: Male Breakout of the Year, Female Breakout of the Year; Coach of the Year; Male Individual Performance, Single Event; Female Individual Performance, Single Event; Male Performance of the Year; Female Performance of the Year; Team Performance, Single Event; and Team of the Year. A countdown of the top 10 plays of the year will be highlighted throughout the festivities.
The Golden Pete Awards show also serves as a senior sendoff to Purdue student-athletes and those students who are involved in behind-the-scenes roles.
New this year will be dinner catered by the Beef House.
Fans can purchase tickets for $40 each (a table of 10 costs $300) by calling 765.494.3248 or by clicking here.
Etcetera
Senior women's golfer Marta Martin had the best showing of her career at the Clemson Invitational from March 23 to 25. She fired a five-under-par 211 to tie for 10th place. Martin played all three rounds of the tournament under par. The No. 25 Boilermakers finished seventh among 15 teams. They next play April 8 to 10 at the Silverado Showdown in Napa, California ... Men's basketball senior center Isaac Haas earned honorable mention All-American recognition from the Associated Press. Senior guard Dakota Mathias advanced to the semifinals of the State Farm 3-point Championships in San Antonio on March 29 ... Congratulations to Wally Becker and his wife, Megan, on the birth of their daughter, Kali ... Former baseball player Kevin Plawecki (2010-12) was the opening-day catcher for the New York Mets on March 30. He was the first Boilermaker to start an opener since Jermaine Allensworth was the Pittsburgh Pirates' center fielder in 1998 ... Former football player Scott Campbell (1980-83), a member of the Cradle of Quarterbacks, has been selected honorary chair of the 2018 Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association Big 33 Football Classic. The "Super Bowl of high school football" will take place June 16 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania ... Guests on this week's Purdue Athletics Podcast are football senior D.J. Knox and head women's tennis coach Laura Glitz ... Tracking the Boilermakers will return April 13 ... Happy Easter.