WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A national-best 15-0 start, program records for strikeouts and stolen bases, and a return to the Big Ten Tournament highlighted Purdue baseball's resurgent and successful 2022 season.
The Boilermakers raced out the best start in program history and recovered from a rough patch in April to return to the conference tournament in Omaha for the first time since reaching the championship game in 2018. They played one of toughest Big Ten schedules in the league and were the only qualifier among the eight-team tournament field to play at least six of the other seven squads in Omaha. Purdue navigated a challenging back half of the league schedule without staff ace and All-Big Ten performer Jackson Smeltz, who missed the final month due to injury.
Season Recaps: 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2021
Cam Thompson enjoyed a well-rounded offensive campaign that established many standards in the program's BBCOR bat era (2011-present). He reached base safely in the first 44 games, enjoyed a 13-game RBI streak while reaching 40 RBI faster (by April 9) than any Boilermaker in the last 20 years, connected for 13 homers, and posted the best OPS (1.031) by a Purdue player since the bats changed. Thompson's versatility defensively made him the only Boilermaker to start 10-plus games at two different positions – first base (37) and right field (13).
Newcomers played a significant role throughout the season, accounting for a combined 286 starts (excluding redshirt freshmen). Among that group, CJ Valdez was a first-team All-Big Ten at designated hitter, becoming the first Boilermaker to be a first-team all-conference performer since 2012. Valdez played through nagging hamstring injury for much of the season and was a true DH who did not take the field defensively at any point. Fellow newcomers Troy Viola, Curtis Washington Jr. and Paul Toetz started every game, Viola (3B) and Washington Jr. (CF) doing so at the same position while providing elite defense.
Newcomers carried the pitching staff's starting rotation after Smeltz went down. Wyatt Wendell (56 2/3), CJ Backer (54 2/3) and Troy Wansing (51 1/3) all pitched over 50 innings while combining for 173 strikeouts. Wendell became the first newcomer since future big leaguer Josh Lindblom in 2007 to start the season opener. Smeltz (79 Ks in 57 1/3 IP) eclipsed a strikeouts per nine innings team record (minimum 30 IP) that had stood since 1965. With senior relief ace Landon Weins also reaching the 50-K mark, that quintet teamed up for 303 of the team-record 479 Ks (63%).
Purdue eclipsed its program benchmark in steals behind the first trio of Boilermakers ever with 20-plus steals each. Washington (31), Mike Bolton Jr. (28) and Evan Albrecht (22) teamed up to account for 81 of the 116 stolen bases (70%) as Purdue led the Big Ten and ranked sixth nationally in steals per game.
The Boilermakers were the last unbeaten team remaining nationally at the end of the day on Sunday, March 13. They improved to 15-0 48 hours later and did not suffer their first defeat until St. Patrick's Day, in an 11-inning thriller at Illinois State. After winning its Big Ten opener a week later, Purdue was 18-1. But inclement weather had an unfortunate impact on the schedule, leading to eight cancellations. The 50 games were the fewest in a traditional season (non-pandemic impacted) since 2014, a year in which the program did not qualify for the Big Ten Tournament.
Purdue enjoyed a 13-win improvement from 2021 while improving its winning percentage from .381 to .580 (+.199). Both marks are top five in program history and best since 2017 (10-44 to 29-27).
The Boilermakers are bidding adieu to 11 seniors, an important group that helped lead the program through the uncertainty and adversity of the pandemic-impact seasons, but are slated to return a number of experienced players for the 2023 campaign.
ALL-BIG TEN
• CJ Valdez – First Team DH
• Jackson Smeltz – Third Team Starting Pitcher
• Troy Wansing – All-Freshman Team Starting Pitcher
ABCA/RAWLINGS ALL-MIDWEST REGION
• Evan Albrecht – Second Team Shortstop
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA & ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
• Jackson Smeltz – Third Team Pitcher (All-America)
MLB DRAFT PICKS
• Jackson Smeltz – San Diego Padres (10th Round)
• Curtis Washington Jr. – Seattle Mariners (19th Round)
COLLEGIATE BASEBALL NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Jackson Smeltz – April 11
BIG TEN WEEKLY HONORS
• Jackson Smeltz – Pitcher of the Week, April 11
• Troy Wansing – Freshman of the Week, March 21
BROOKS WALLACE AWARD WATCH LIST (Nation's Top Shortstop)
• Evan Albrecht
BIG TEN SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
• Tanner Haston
WALK-OFF WINS
• Feb. 26 in Holly Springs, N.C. – Won 4-3 vs. Princeton (GW Double: CJ Valdez, GW Run: Curtis Washington Jr.)
• Feb. 26 in Holly Springs, N.C. – Won 5-4 vs. Princeton (GW Single: Cam Thompson, GW Run: Curtis Washington Jr.)
• March 5 in Holly Springs, N.C. – Won 6-5 vs. Longwood in 13 Innings (GW Single: Jake Stadler, GW Run: Jake Jarvis)
• March 6 in Holly Springs, N.C. – Won 6-5 vs. Longwood in 11 Innings (GW Home Run: Cam Thompson)
• March 20 at Alexander Field – Won 7-6 vs. Illinois State in 10 Innings (GW Single: Evan Albrecht, GW Run: Troy Viola)
• April 26 at Alexander Field – Won 6-5 vs. Valparaiso in 10 Innings (GW Single: Troy Viola, GW Run: Jack Firestone)
BACK-TO-BACK HOME RUNS
• March 5 in Holly Springs N.C. – Troy Viola & Pablo Lanzarote
PROGRAM RECORDS
• Stolen Bases – 116 of 135, eclipsing a record (106) that had stood since 2000 while playing 8 fewer games
• Strikeouts (Game) – 19 on March 29 vs. UIC, eclipsing a mark (18) from 2019; record in a 9-inning game was 17 (in 2002)
• Strikeouts (Season) – 479, eclipsing a record (477) from 2019 while playing 4 fewer games
• Strikeouts Per 9 Innings – 9.57, eclipsing a record (9.10) from 2019
• Runs Per Game – 7.44, eclipsing a record (7.21) from 2010
• Jackson Smeltz – 12.40 strikeouts per 9 innings in 57 1/3 IP, eclipsing a 30-inning record that had stood since 1965
• Jackson Smeltz – 11.29 strikeouts per 9 innings in 87 2/3 career IP, eclipsing a 75-inning record
• Jackson Smeltz – 13 strikeouts April 9 vs. Indiana, matching the most ever by a Purdue lefthanded pitcher
• Hit By Pitch – 112, most in a season since HBP totals available beginning in 1982
NOTABLE STREAKS
• Cam Thompson: 13-game RBI streak (longest by a Boilermaker in the last 20 years)
• Cam Thompson: 44-game on-base (3rd longest since 2001, 2nd longest to open a season)
• CJ Valdez: 34-game on-base (5th longest since 2001, 3rd longest to open a season)
• Curtis Washington Jr.: 29-game on-base (6th longest since 2001)
• Evan Albrecht: 25-game on-base, 12-game hit in Big Ten play
• Troy Viola: 23-game on-base, 10-game hit
• Mike Bolton Jr.: 21-game on-base
• Cam Thompson: Homered in 6 consecutive weekends (March 6-April 10), the longest streak by a Boilermaker in the last 20 years
STATISTICAL MILESTONES & NOTABLES – TEAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Purdue opened the season 15-0 and 18-1 as part of the best start in program history. The Boilermakers were the last undefeated team remaining nationally until suffering their first loss on St. Patrick's Day at Illinois State (in 11 innings).
• After also winning its final game of the 2021 season, Purdue enjoyed a 16-game win streak that matched a program record from 1908-1909. The 15-0 start also was the best single-season win streak in team history.
• By winning the nightcap of its April 10 doubleheader with Indiana, Purdue won a traditional Big Ten rubber game at home for the first time since the final day of the 2009 regular season. The Boilermakers are 6-2 vs. Indiana at Alexander Field (since 2013) and 17-5 against their rivals in games played away from Bloomington since 2007.
• Purdue scored 10 runs in the eighth inning of its April 9 win vs. Indiana, posting a double-figure total in a frame for the first time since 2013. The Boilermakers also had a pair of eight-run innings – vs. South Dakota State and Dayton – during their 15-0 start.
STATISTICAL MILESTONES & NOTABLES – PITCHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• The Boilermakers racked up 44 strikeouts over 36 innings in the season-opening sweep of South Dakota State. Purdue had 43 Ks in 36 innings the following weekend in another four-game sweep (of Princeton). Both Ks per nine inning totals (11.0, 10.75) rank among the top five by a Purdue team in a four-game set since 2001.
• Jackson Smeltz worked eight scoreless innings April 9 vs. Indiana, marking the second year in a row a Boilermaker accomplished the feat at Alexander Field but just the 18th time overall (since 2001) to pitch eight scoreless innings in an outing. With 13 strikeouts in his one-hit shutout, Smeltz posted a game score of 90 – the best ever at Alexander and the top game score ever by a Boilermaker with 12-plus Ks.
• Smeltz (4) and Wyatt Wendell combined for five double-figure strikeout performances, matching the 2010 team for Purdue's most in the last 20 years. Smeltz's four such outings were also the most by a Boilermaker since 2010.
• While breaking the team record for strikeouts, Purdue pitchers had nine outings in which a Boilermaker struck out at least five batters while fanning at least half the batters they faced. Khal Stephen and Landon Weins both accomplished the feat twice. Stephen fanned five of the six batters he faced in the May 10 win vs. Butler, with his 83% clip being the the best by any Boilermaker since the start of the 2005 season. Nolan Daniel, CJ Backer, Landon Weins, Eric Hildebrand, Troy Wansing and Smeltz also accomplished the feat.
STATISTICAL MILESTONES & NOTABLES – OFFENSIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Cam Thompson homered in both games of the March 20 doubleheader vs. Illinois State and also went deep in the March 25 Big Ten opener vs. Ohio State. He became the first Boilermaker since 2018 to homer in both games of a doubleheader and go deep in three consecutive games.
• Thompson's 13-game RBI streak helped him reach the 40-RBI mark by April 9, making him the fastest to reach the benchmark in the last 20 years. He hit his 10th home run the following day, making him the third fastest in the same timeframe to post a double-figure total. Thompson's 13 home runs matched the most by a Boilermaker in the BBCOR bat era (2011-present).
• CJ Valdez and Troy Viola both registered a two-homer game and a pair of five-RBI efforts. Not surprisingly, those big nights overlapped – Valdez went deep twice in a five-RBI night at UIC on April 19 and Viola did likewise vs. Michigan on April 30. They joined a short list of six Boilermakers in the last 20 years to have a pair of five-RBI games in the same season. It marked the first time that two players had done it in the same year. Viola also posted just the fourth multi-homer game by a Boilermaker at Alexander Field (since 2013).
• Purdue posted its first 20-hit game since March 2017 in an April 30 series-opening win, crushing Michigan 18-4. The Boilermakers rolled past U-M with an effective base-hit approach, pounding out 17 singles.
• Curtis Washington Jr. (31-35), Mike Bolton Jr. (28-34) and Evan Albrecht (22-24) led the way as Purdue eclipsed the team record for stolen bases. Washington became just the third Boilermaker to steal 30 bases and first since 1991. Bolton has 46 stolen bases in 93 career games (11th all-time). Together they became the first set of teammates to each steal 20 bases and their combined 81 steals were the most by any trio. Purdue ranked sixth nationally in stolen bases per game.
• Albrecht led the way with a .365 batting average, Purdue's highest since 2009. He had 11 three-hit games, becoming just the fourth Boilermaker since 2001 with a double-figure total of games with three-plus hits.
• Thompson posted Purdue's highest OPS (1.031) of the BBCOR bat era (2011-present). With 29 extra-base hits in 50 games, Thompson's per-game average (.580) ranked fourth best by a Boilermaker since 2001.
OFFENSIVE OUTBURSTS
• April 5 at Alexander Field – Purdue 17, Northern Illinois 14 (Highest-scoring game at Alexander Field)
• April 9 at Alexander Field – Purdue 17, Indiana 0 (Matched largest margin of victory in the rivalry series)
• April 10 at Alexander Field – Purdue 16, Indiana 15 (Boilers part of 2 30-run games in a season for first time since 2010)
ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN (3.0+ GPA)
• Ricky Castro
• Pat Clohisy
• Avery Cook
• Logan Danzeisen
• Jack Firestone
• Weston Gingerich
• Tanner Haston
• Eric Hildebrand
• Ryan Howe
• Pablo Lanzarote
• Griffin Lohman
• Tyler Powers
• Jackson Smeltz
• Jake Stadler
• Cam Thompson
• Paul Toetz
• CJ Valdez
• Troy Viola
• Wyatt Wendell
TEAM AWARDS
• MVP – Cam Thompson
• Red Mackey Award (Excellence by a Senior) – Ryan Howe
• Offensive Player of the Year – CJ Valdez
• Defensive Player of the Year – Troy Viola
• Pitcher of the Year – Jackson Smeltz
• Clyde Lyle Award (Top Non-Scholarship Performer) – Jake Jarvis
• Mr. Boilermaker Award (Attitude) – Evan Albrecht
• Newcomer of the Year – Curtis Washington Jr.
BIG TEN DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS (3.7+ GPA)
• Tanner Haston
• Tyler Powers
• Jackson Smeltz
• Troy Viola
The Boilermakers raced out the best start in program history and recovered from a rough patch in April to return to the conference tournament in Omaha for the first time since reaching the championship game in 2018. They played one of toughest Big Ten schedules in the league and were the only qualifier among the eight-team tournament field to play at least six of the other seven squads in Omaha. Purdue navigated a challenging back half of the league schedule without staff ace and All-Big Ten performer Jackson Smeltz, who missed the final month due to injury.
Season Recaps: 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / 2021
Cam Thompson enjoyed a well-rounded offensive campaign that established many standards in the program's BBCOR bat era (2011-present). He reached base safely in the first 44 games, enjoyed a 13-game RBI streak while reaching 40 RBI faster (by April 9) than any Boilermaker in the last 20 years, connected for 13 homers, and posted the best OPS (1.031) by a Purdue player since the bats changed. Thompson's versatility defensively made him the only Boilermaker to start 10-plus games at two different positions – first base (37) and right field (13).
Newcomers played a significant role throughout the season, accounting for a combined 286 starts (excluding redshirt freshmen). Among that group, CJ Valdez was a first-team All-Big Ten at designated hitter, becoming the first Boilermaker to be a first-team all-conference performer since 2012. Valdez played through nagging hamstring injury for much of the season and was a true DH who did not take the field defensively at any point. Fellow newcomers Troy Viola, Curtis Washington Jr. and Paul Toetz started every game, Viola (3B) and Washington Jr. (CF) doing so at the same position while providing elite defense.
Newcomers carried the pitching staff's starting rotation after Smeltz went down. Wyatt Wendell (56 2/3), CJ Backer (54 2/3) and Troy Wansing (51 1/3) all pitched over 50 innings while combining for 173 strikeouts. Wendell became the first newcomer since future big leaguer Josh Lindblom in 2007 to start the season opener. Smeltz (79 Ks in 57 1/3 IP) eclipsed a strikeouts per nine innings team record (minimum 30 IP) that had stood since 1965. With senior relief ace Landon Weins also reaching the 50-K mark, that quintet teamed up for 303 of the team-record 479 Ks (63%).
Purdue eclipsed its program benchmark in steals behind the first trio of Boilermakers ever with 20-plus steals each. Washington (31), Mike Bolton Jr. (28) and Evan Albrecht (22) teamed up to account for 81 of the 116 stolen bases (70%) as Purdue led the Big Ten and ranked sixth nationally in steals per game.
The Boilermakers were the last unbeaten team remaining nationally at the end of the day on Sunday, March 13. They improved to 15-0 48 hours later and did not suffer their first defeat until St. Patrick's Day, in an 11-inning thriller at Illinois State. After winning its Big Ten opener a week later, Purdue was 18-1. But inclement weather had an unfortunate impact on the schedule, leading to eight cancellations. The 50 games were the fewest in a traditional season (non-pandemic impacted) since 2014, a year in which the program did not qualify for the Big Ten Tournament.
Purdue enjoyed a 13-win improvement from 2021 while improving its winning percentage from .381 to .580 (+.199). Both marks are top five in program history and best since 2017 (10-44 to 29-27).
| PURDUE'S TOP YEARLY WIN IMPROVEMENTS (Since 1970) | ||||
| Seasons | Records | Win Improvement | Winning %s | % Improvement |
| 2016 & 2017 | 10-44 to 29-27 | +19 | .185 to .518 | +.333 |
| 1979 & 1980 | 13-30 to 27-24 | +14 | .302 to .529 | +.227 |
| 2021 & 2022 | 16-26 to 29-21 | +13 | .381 to .580 | +.199 |
| 1975 & 1976 | 7-24 to 19-20 | +12 | .226 to .487 | +.261 |
| 1999 & 2000 | 24-30 to 35-23 | +11 | .444 to .603 | +.159 |
| 1994 & 1995 | 16-39 to 27-30 | +11 | .291 to .474 | +.183 |
The Boilermakers are bidding adieu to 11 seniors, an important group that helped lead the program through the uncertainty and adversity of the pandemic-impact seasons, but are slated to return a number of experienced players for the 2023 campaign.
ALL-BIG TEN
• CJ Valdez – First Team DH
• Jackson Smeltz – Third Team Starting Pitcher
• Troy Wansing – All-Freshman Team Starting Pitcher
ABCA/RAWLINGS ALL-MIDWEST REGION
• Evan Albrecht – Second Team Shortstop
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA & ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
• Jackson Smeltz – Third Team Pitcher (All-America)
MLB DRAFT PICKS
• Jackson Smeltz – San Diego Padres (10th Round)
• Curtis Washington Jr. – Seattle Mariners (19th Round)
COLLEGIATE BASEBALL NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Jackson Smeltz – April 11
BIG TEN WEEKLY HONORS
• Jackson Smeltz – Pitcher of the Week, April 11
• Troy Wansing – Freshman of the Week, March 21
BROOKS WALLACE AWARD WATCH LIST (Nation's Top Shortstop)
• Evan Albrecht
BIG TEN SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
• Tanner Haston
WALK-OFF WINS
• Feb. 26 in Holly Springs, N.C. – Won 4-3 vs. Princeton (GW Double: CJ Valdez, GW Run: Curtis Washington Jr.)
• Feb. 26 in Holly Springs, N.C. – Won 5-4 vs. Princeton (GW Single: Cam Thompson, GW Run: Curtis Washington Jr.)
• March 5 in Holly Springs, N.C. – Won 6-5 vs. Longwood in 13 Innings (GW Single: Jake Stadler, GW Run: Jake Jarvis)
• March 6 in Holly Springs, N.C. – Won 6-5 vs. Longwood in 11 Innings (GW Home Run: Cam Thompson)
• March 20 at Alexander Field – Won 7-6 vs. Illinois State in 10 Innings (GW Single: Evan Albrecht, GW Run: Troy Viola)
• April 26 at Alexander Field – Won 6-5 vs. Valparaiso in 10 Innings (GW Single: Troy Viola, GW Run: Jack Firestone)
BACK-TO-BACK HOME RUNS
• March 5 in Holly Springs N.C. – Troy Viola & Pablo Lanzarote
PROGRAM RECORDS
• Stolen Bases – 116 of 135, eclipsing a record (106) that had stood since 2000 while playing 8 fewer games
• Strikeouts (Game) – 19 on March 29 vs. UIC, eclipsing a mark (18) from 2019; record in a 9-inning game was 17 (in 2002)
• Strikeouts (Season) – 479, eclipsing a record (477) from 2019 while playing 4 fewer games
• Strikeouts Per 9 Innings – 9.57, eclipsing a record (9.10) from 2019
• Runs Per Game – 7.44, eclipsing a record (7.21) from 2010
• Jackson Smeltz – 12.40 strikeouts per 9 innings in 57 1/3 IP, eclipsing a 30-inning record that had stood since 1965
• Jackson Smeltz – 11.29 strikeouts per 9 innings in 87 2/3 career IP, eclipsing a 75-inning record
• Jackson Smeltz – 13 strikeouts April 9 vs. Indiana, matching the most ever by a Purdue lefthanded pitcher
• Hit By Pitch – 112, most in a season since HBP totals available beginning in 1982
NOTABLE STREAKS
• Cam Thompson: 13-game RBI streak (longest by a Boilermaker in the last 20 years)
• Cam Thompson: 44-game on-base (3rd longest since 2001, 2nd longest to open a season)
• CJ Valdez: 34-game on-base (5th longest since 2001, 3rd longest to open a season)
• Curtis Washington Jr.: 29-game on-base (6th longest since 2001)
• Evan Albrecht: 25-game on-base, 12-game hit in Big Ten play
• Troy Viola: 23-game on-base, 10-game hit
• Mike Bolton Jr.: 21-game on-base
• Cam Thompson: Homered in 6 consecutive weekends (March 6-April 10), the longest streak by a Boilermaker in the last 20 years
STATISTICAL MILESTONES & NOTABLES – TEAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Purdue opened the season 15-0 and 18-1 as part of the best start in program history. The Boilermakers were the last undefeated team remaining nationally until suffering their first loss on St. Patrick's Day at Illinois State (in 11 innings).
• After also winning its final game of the 2021 season, Purdue enjoyed a 16-game win streak that matched a program record from 1908-1909. The 15-0 start also was the best single-season win streak in team history.
• By winning the nightcap of its April 10 doubleheader with Indiana, Purdue won a traditional Big Ten rubber game at home for the first time since the final day of the 2009 regular season. The Boilermakers are 6-2 vs. Indiana at Alexander Field (since 2013) and 17-5 against their rivals in games played away from Bloomington since 2007.
• Purdue scored 10 runs in the eighth inning of its April 9 win vs. Indiana, posting a double-figure total in a frame for the first time since 2013. The Boilermakers also had a pair of eight-run innings – vs. South Dakota State and Dayton – during their 15-0 start.
STATISTICAL MILESTONES & NOTABLES – PITCHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• The Boilermakers racked up 44 strikeouts over 36 innings in the season-opening sweep of South Dakota State. Purdue had 43 Ks in 36 innings the following weekend in another four-game sweep (of Princeton). Both Ks per nine inning totals (11.0, 10.75) rank among the top five by a Purdue team in a four-game set since 2001.
• Jackson Smeltz worked eight scoreless innings April 9 vs. Indiana, marking the second year in a row a Boilermaker accomplished the feat at Alexander Field but just the 18th time overall (since 2001) to pitch eight scoreless innings in an outing. With 13 strikeouts in his one-hit shutout, Smeltz posted a game score of 90 – the best ever at Alexander and the top game score ever by a Boilermaker with 12-plus Ks.
• Smeltz (4) and Wyatt Wendell combined for five double-figure strikeout performances, matching the 2010 team for Purdue's most in the last 20 years. Smeltz's four such outings were also the most by a Boilermaker since 2010.
• While breaking the team record for strikeouts, Purdue pitchers had nine outings in which a Boilermaker struck out at least five batters while fanning at least half the batters they faced. Khal Stephen and Landon Weins both accomplished the feat twice. Stephen fanned five of the six batters he faced in the May 10 win vs. Butler, with his 83% clip being the the best by any Boilermaker since the start of the 2005 season. Nolan Daniel, CJ Backer, Landon Weins, Eric Hildebrand, Troy Wansing and Smeltz also accomplished the feat.
STATISTICAL MILESTONES & NOTABLES – OFFENSIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Cam Thompson homered in both games of the March 20 doubleheader vs. Illinois State and also went deep in the March 25 Big Ten opener vs. Ohio State. He became the first Boilermaker since 2018 to homer in both games of a doubleheader and go deep in three consecutive games.
• Thompson's 13-game RBI streak helped him reach the 40-RBI mark by April 9, making him the fastest to reach the benchmark in the last 20 years. He hit his 10th home run the following day, making him the third fastest in the same timeframe to post a double-figure total. Thompson's 13 home runs matched the most by a Boilermaker in the BBCOR bat era (2011-present).
• CJ Valdez and Troy Viola both registered a two-homer game and a pair of five-RBI efforts. Not surprisingly, those big nights overlapped – Valdez went deep twice in a five-RBI night at UIC on April 19 and Viola did likewise vs. Michigan on April 30. They joined a short list of six Boilermakers in the last 20 years to have a pair of five-RBI games in the same season. It marked the first time that two players had done it in the same year. Viola also posted just the fourth multi-homer game by a Boilermaker at Alexander Field (since 2013).
• Purdue posted its first 20-hit game since March 2017 in an April 30 series-opening win, crushing Michigan 18-4. The Boilermakers rolled past U-M with an effective base-hit approach, pounding out 17 singles.
• Curtis Washington Jr. (31-35), Mike Bolton Jr. (28-34) and Evan Albrecht (22-24) led the way as Purdue eclipsed the team record for stolen bases. Washington became just the third Boilermaker to steal 30 bases and first since 1991. Bolton has 46 stolen bases in 93 career games (11th all-time). Together they became the first set of teammates to each steal 20 bases and their combined 81 steals were the most by any trio. Purdue ranked sixth nationally in stolen bases per game.
• Albrecht led the way with a .365 batting average, Purdue's highest since 2009. He had 11 three-hit games, becoming just the fourth Boilermaker since 2001 with a double-figure total of games with three-plus hits.
• Thompson posted Purdue's highest OPS (1.031) of the BBCOR bat era (2011-present). With 29 extra-base hits in 50 games, Thompson's per-game average (.580) ranked fourth best by a Boilermaker since 2001.
OFFENSIVE OUTBURSTS
• April 5 at Alexander Field – Purdue 17, Northern Illinois 14 (Highest-scoring game at Alexander Field)
• April 9 at Alexander Field – Purdue 17, Indiana 0 (Matched largest margin of victory in the rivalry series)
• April 10 at Alexander Field – Purdue 16, Indiana 15 (Boilers part of 2 30-run games in a season for first time since 2010)
ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN (3.0+ GPA)
• Ricky Castro
• Pat Clohisy
• Avery Cook
• Logan Danzeisen
• Jack Firestone
• Weston Gingerich
• Tanner Haston
• Eric Hildebrand
• Ryan Howe
• Pablo Lanzarote
• Griffin Lohman
• Tyler Powers
• Jackson Smeltz
• Jake Stadler
• Cam Thompson
• Paul Toetz
• CJ Valdez
• Troy Viola
• Wyatt Wendell
TEAM AWARDS
• MVP – Cam Thompson
• Red Mackey Award (Excellence by a Senior) – Ryan Howe
• Offensive Player of the Year – CJ Valdez
• Defensive Player of the Year – Troy Viola
• Pitcher of the Year – Jackson Smeltz
• Clyde Lyle Award (Top Non-Scholarship Performer) – Jake Jarvis
• Mr. Boilermaker Award (Attitude) – Evan Albrecht
• Newcomer of the Year – Curtis Washington Jr.
BIG TEN DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS (3.7+ GPA)
• Tanner Haston
• Tyler Powers
• Jackson Smeltz
• Troy Viola