EVANSTON, Ill. – Connor Caskenette connected for a pair of home runs as part of his second seven-RBI effort in the last 13 days, powering Purdue Baseball to an 11-3 victory at Northwestern as the Boilermakers completed a series sweep in wire-to-wire fashion to move into first place in the Big Ten Conference standings.
Purdue (29-15, 11-4 Big Ten) won its 10th consecutive Big Ten game to tie the 2001 team's program record. The Boilermakers swept all three of their conference series in April, finishing the month with a 12-3 record overall. They have not trailed in Big Ten play in 63 consecutive innings, a streak that dates back to the start of the April 7 victory at Rutgers – win No. 4 of the 10-game surge.
Purdue will enter the month of May in first place in the Big Ten for the first time since winning the league in 2012. The Boilermakers will be in the spotlight in a big way over the final three weekends of the regular season while taking on three of the other conference title contenders – May 3-5 vs. Indiana (10-5 Big Ten), May 10-12 at Michigan (10-5) and May 16-18 vs. Illinois (11-4). The Fighting Illini dropped two of three at Maryland this weekend to relinquish sole possession of first place Sunday.
Jo Stevens homered for the second day in a row, joining Caskenette with three home runs in the series as Purdue hit nine long balls in the two wins in Evanston. Stevens and Caskenette became the first teammates since Kyle Johnson and Kyle Wood (in March 2016) to post multi-homer performances in consecutive games.
Caskenette is the first Boilermaker in program history with seven or more RBI in two different games in a season. John Hunter (2003-06) is the only other Purdue player to do it twice in his career. Caskenette homered in the fifth and seventh innings and drove in a run in four consecutive at-bats. He joined Luke Gaffney with 11 home runs this season, giving Purdue two players with at least 10 bombs for the second year in a row. Before Jake Jarvis and Paul Toetz accomplished the feat last season, the Boilermakers had not done it since 2008.
Purdue's first three hitters in the lineup keyed Sunday's win. Mike Bolton Jr. (3-for-3, 2B, BB, 4 R) and Camden Gasser (2-for-2, 2 BB, RBI, 2 R) teamed with Caskenette (3-for-5, 2 HR, 7 RBI) for a combined 8-for-10 day while scoring nine of the 10 runs. Bolton reached base safely to begin a game in all four games as the Boilers scored in the first inning in all four games this week. He's opened the game with a hit in five of the last six games, including Sunday. Gasser reached base safely 10 times in the sweep, posting a .700 on-base percentage for the second weekend in a row.
On the mound, Kyle Iwinski induced 10 ground balls vs. 18 batters faced, needing only 53 pitches to make it through the lineup twice in his first start of the season. He faced the minimum over the first three innings and surrendered just two hits.
Avery Cook and Couper Cornblum teamed up for the biggest out of the day, retiring Northwestern's best hitter, Owen McElfatrick on a fly ball to the warning track in center field with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning. The Boilermakers led 7-2 at the time.
In his first appearance since April 9, Jackson Dannelley needed just one pitch to induce an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play off the bat of NU's leadoff hitter in the bottom of the seventh. He stranded a pair of inherited runners in the process and still has not allowed an inherited runner to score this season.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 23-game on-base streak; 21-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 4/29/23); 9-game hit streak in Big Ten play
• Jo Stevens – 12-game hit streak in Big Ten play; 18-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 5/18/23)
• Connor Caskenette – 13-game on-base streak in Big Ten play; 8-game hit streak in Big Ten play
• Camden Gasser – Reached base safely multiple times in 10 consecutive games, 8-game hit streak
• Jackson Dannelley – 17 consecutive inherited runners stranded (since 5/20/23)
• Couper Cornblum – 96 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)
Cook (1-1) worked 3 2/3 innings of one-run relief over two appearances in the series, striking out six. He's pitched in six of the last games dating back to April 16.
Purdue has swept two road series in Big Ten play for the third time in program history – joining the 2001 and 2018 teams. The Boilermakers had a Big Ten win streak of at least nine straight games all three years.
Purdue is back in action Wednesday for its final midweek home game, hosting DePauw for the first time since 1985. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. and the $3 midweek deals on general admission tickets, hot dogs, beer, popcorn and nachos will be available at Alexander Field.
Purdue (29-15, 11-4 Big Ten) won its 10th consecutive Big Ten game to tie the 2001 team's program record. The Boilermakers swept all three of their conference series in April, finishing the month with a 12-3 record overall. They have not trailed in Big Ten play in 63 consecutive innings, a streak that dates back to the start of the April 7 victory at Rutgers – win No. 4 of the 10-game surge.
Purdue will enter the month of May in first place in the Big Ten for the first time since winning the league in 2012. The Boilermakers will be in the spotlight in a big way over the final three weekends of the regular season while taking on three of the other conference title contenders – May 3-5 vs. Indiana (10-5 Big Ten), May 10-12 at Michigan (10-5) and May 16-18 vs. Illinois (11-4). The Fighting Illini dropped two of three at Maryland this weekend to relinquish sole possession of first place Sunday.
Jo Stevens homered for the second day in a row, joining Caskenette with three home runs in the series as Purdue hit nine long balls in the two wins in Evanston. Stevens and Caskenette became the first teammates since Kyle Johnson and Kyle Wood (in March 2016) to post multi-homer performances in consecutive games.
Caskenette is the first Boilermaker in program history with seven or more RBI in two different games in a season. John Hunter (2003-06) is the only other Purdue player to do it twice in his career. Caskenette homered in the fifth and seventh innings and drove in a run in four consecutive at-bats. He joined Luke Gaffney with 11 home runs this season, giving Purdue two players with at least 10 bombs for the second year in a row. Before Jake Jarvis and Paul Toetz accomplished the feat last season, the Boilermakers had not done it since 2008.
Purdue's first three hitters in the lineup keyed Sunday's win. Mike Bolton Jr. (3-for-3, 2B, BB, 4 R) and Camden Gasser (2-for-2, 2 BB, RBI, 2 R) teamed with Caskenette (3-for-5, 2 HR, 7 RBI) for a combined 8-for-10 day while scoring nine of the 10 runs. Bolton reached base safely to begin a game in all four games as the Boilers scored in the first inning in all four games this week. He's opened the game with a hit in five of the last six games, including Sunday. Gasser reached base safely 10 times in the sweep, posting a .700 on-base percentage for the second weekend in a row.
Purdue put a three-spot on the board in the third, fifth and seventh innings to pull away from the Wildcats (13-26, 2-13 Big Ten) on a foggy day near the Lake Michigan shoreline.1st Place always feels fantastic. An Amazing April has set the stage for a Marvelous May. #BoilerUp
— Purdue Baseball (@PurdueBaseball) April 29, 2024
📸 @Haley_Toetz pic.twitter.com/GJu8mO8hhY
On the mound, Kyle Iwinski induced 10 ground balls vs. 18 batters faced, needing only 53 pitches to make it through the lineup twice in his first start of the season. He faced the minimum over the first three innings and surrendered just two hits.
Avery Cook and Couper Cornblum teamed up for the biggest out of the day, retiring Northwestern's best hitter, Owen McElfatrick on a fly ball to the warning track in center field with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning. The Boilermakers led 7-2 at the time.
In his first appearance since April 9, Jackson Dannelley needed just one pitch to induce an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play off the bat of NU's leadoff hitter in the bottom of the seventh. He stranded a pair of inherited runners in the process and still has not allowed an inherited runner to score this season.
STREAKS EXTENDED
• Mike Bolton Jr. – 23-game on-base streak; 21-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 4/29/23); 9-game hit streak in Big Ten play
• Jo Stevens – 12-game hit streak in Big Ten play; 18-game on-base streak in Big Ten play (since 5/18/23)
• Connor Caskenette – 13-game on-base streak in Big Ten play; 8-game hit streak in Big Ten play
• Camden Gasser – Reached base safely multiple times in 10 consecutive games, 8-game hit streak
• Jackson Dannelley – 17 consecutive inherited runners stranded (since 5/20/23)
• Couper Cornblum – 96 consecutive games started (since start of 2023)
Cook (1-1) worked 3 2/3 innings of one-run relief over two appearances in the series, striking out six. He's pitched in six of the last games dating back to April 16.
Purdue has swept two road series in Big Ten play for the third time in program history – joining the 2001 and 2018 teams. The Boilermakers had a Big Ten win streak of at least nine straight games all three years.
Purdue is back in action Wednesday for its final midweek home game, hosting DePauw for the first time since 1985. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. and the $3 midweek deals on general admission tickets, hot dogs, beer, popcorn and nachos will be available at Alexander Field.