Playing a Texas Team in Sugar Land: Purdue Opens with 4 vs SFA

GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Stephen F. Austin (10-44, 5-22 WAC in 2024) vs. Purdue (33-24, 13-11 Big Ten in 2024)
4-Game Series / Friday to Sunday, Feb. 14 to Feb. 16
Constellation Field / Sugar Land, Texas
Doubleheader: Friday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. ET
Middle Day: Saturday, Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. ET
Series Finale: Sunday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. ET
All-Time Series: First Meetings

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1 Friday: Carter Doorn (Sr, RHP) vs. SFA's Dylan Mulchay (So, RHP)
Game 2 Friday: Cole Van Assen (So, RHP) vs. SFA's Cody Templeton (Jr, LHP)
Saturday: Easton Storey (So, LHP) vs. SFA's Trent Nickerson (Sr, LHP)
Sunday: TBA for Both Teams

SUGAR LAND, Texas – As Purdue Baseball opens its new season at the Triple-A stadium in Sugar Land for the fourth year in a row, it's an in-state opponent from Texas in the other dugout this season as the Boilermakers take on Stephen F. Austin.

It's a four-game series with a season-opening doubleheader Friday as the Boilermakers take on a Southland Conference opponent for weekend series for the first time since the 2005 spring break trip at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Purdue has played current SLC members Incarnate Word (2018), Nicholls (2018), Southeastern Louisiana (2018, 2024) and A&M-CC (2015) for single games in the years since.

After schedule changes this week due to a threat of thunderstorms Saturday, first pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET on Friday, 4 p.m. ET (or potentially later) Saturday and 2 p.m. ET on Sunday. Purdue is slated to play a season-opening doubleheader for the first time since 2018 as part of a three-game sweep of Western Michigan in Emerson, Georgia.

Constellation Field is the home of the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, the Houston Astros Triple-A affiliate in the Pacific Coast League. Purdue has compiled a 10-2 record at Constellation Field since 2022, sweeping South Dakota State in 2022 and winning three of four vs. Holy Cross and Stony Brook the last two years.

The Boilermakers are 5-0 in season openers under sixth-year head coach Greg Goff. They've also won seven of their last eight openers since 2017. Purdue is opening its season in the same location for four straight years for the first time since 2009-13, when the Big East/Big Ten Challenge was an annual event in the Clearwater-St. Petersburg area of Florida's Gulf Coast.

Purdue's 35-man travel roster for the opening weekend features 15 returnees and 20 true newcomers. Of the 20 newcomers, 13 have prior Division I experience.

Pitchers Carter Doorn, Cole Van Assen and Easton Storey are all slated to make the first weekend starts of their collegiate careers. Van Assen's road to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team last season began in Sugar Land when he worked 3 2/3 innings of two-hit relief to earn the victory in Sunday's game. He needed only 42 pitches to give Purdue 11 outs and would have retired all 12 batters he faced over four scoreless frames had it not been for a two-out error in the top of the seventh.

Senior Ty Gill and Doorn both made their collegiate debuts at Constellation Field in 2022, with Gill hitting a home run in his first at-bat as a Boilermaker. Four years later, Doorn has earned the right to be the Opening Day starter on the mound. He'll become Purdue's first four-year senior since 2013 to make his first career Opening Day start on day 1 of his final collegiate campaign.

Located in Nacogdoches, Texas – about 160 miles from Sugar Land – Stephen F. Austin played its last three seasons as a member of the Western Athletic Conference before returning to the Southland for this school year. SFA was previously part of the SLC from 1988-2021, though the university did not field a baseball program from 1995-2006.

The Lumberjacks are led by first-year coach Matt Vanderburg, who won over 500 games as the head coach at West Texas A&M from 2009-24. He rebooted more than 80% of the SFA roster, with the only returnees being on the mound.

D1BASEBALL.COM'S BOILERMAKERS TO WATCH
• Top First Basemen: CJ Richmond (No. 21)
• Top Shortstops Nationally: Camden Gasser (No. 21)
• Star Power: Albert Choi
• Picks to Click: Keenan Spence, Cole Van Assen
• Top Prospect, 2025 MLB Draft: CJ Richmond
• Top Prospect, 2026 MLB Draft: Easton Storey
• Top Newcomer: Barron Sawyer
• Impact Freshman: Joe Trenerry
• Top 50 D-I Transfer Hitters: CJ Richmond (No. 42)
• Top 50 JUCO Transfers: Barron Sawyer, Gavin Beuter, Maclane Finley, Nick Kolze, Avery Moore

PURDUE'S LEADERS IN SUGAR LAND
Among Active Boilermakers

2024 VERSUS STONY BROOK
• Logan Sutter: 9-for-17, 6 2B, HR, 7 RBI, BB, HBP, 5 R, SB
• Keenan Spence: 2-Run HR, 3 BB, 3 R, SB
• Camden Gasser: 3-for-7, BB, SB
• Brody Chrisman: 3-for-12, HBP, 2 R
• Cole Van Assen: Win, 3 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
• Brayden Olson: 2 2/3 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 4 K

MULTI-YEAR COMBINED TOTALS
• Ty Gill: 3-for-16, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, HBP, 3 R, Sac Fly, Sac Bunt
• Carter Doorn: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K
• Avery Cook: 1 1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, K

PROGRAM RECORDS SET IN 2024
• Big Ten Win Streak – 11 (March 31-May 3), longest by a Big Ten team since 2018
• Home Runs – 6 on April 27 at Northwestern, matching a single-game mark (also hit 6 in 2006 game at IU)
• Home Runs – 75, eclipsing a mark (73) that had stood since 1987
• Runs Scored – 457, eclipsing a mark (454) that had stood since 1986
• Runs Per Game – 8.02, breaking the record for the second time in three years (7.44 in 2022)
• RBI – 427, eclipsing a mark (397) that had stood since 1986
• On-Base Pct. – .406, eclipsing a mark (.405) that had stood since 2009
• Hit By Pitch – 113, breaking the record for the second time in three years (112 in 2022)
• Carter Doorn – 0.65 WHIP & 4.05 hits per 9 innings were both records in Big Ten play (minimum 15 IP)

MORE 2024 STREAKS OF NOTE
• Carter Doorn – 19 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings in Big Ten play (March 24-May 16);
• Camden Gasser – 24-game on-base streak (Feb. 17-March 26); 12-game hit streak (March 2-17)
• Logan Sutter – 17-game on-base streak (Feb. 16-March 13)
• Purdue: 9-game road win streak (March 31-May 10) – team's longest since 2001

NOTABLES FROM THE POWER HITTERS
1.000+ OPS Seasons
• Logan Sutter – .453 OBP + .618 SLUG = 1.071 OPS
• Keenan Spence – .399 OBP + .629 SLUG = 1.028 OPS
Back-to-Back Home Runs
• March 13 – Luke Gaffney & Logan Sutter vs. Northern Illinois
• March 16 – Connor Caskenette & Logan Sutter vs. Samford
• April 12 – Jo Stevens & Keenan Spence vs. Michigan State
• May 18 – Keenan Spence & Thomas Green vs. Illinois
Multi-Homer Games
• May 10 – Keenan Spence at Michigan
• May 21 – Keenan Spence vs. Indiana at Big Ten Tournament

 

2025 ROSTER BREAKDOWN Opening Weekend Travel Roster
RETURNING STARTERS (4)
Boilermaker (Year)	Position(s)	Hometown	Notables
Camden Gasser (R-Jr)	SS	Huntingburg, Ind.	Led the Big Ten in Walks & OBP in 2024
From the Countdown: Gasser reached base safely in 46 of his 51 games in 2024 as Purdue's only lineup regular with more walks than strikeouts. He joined the great Dan Black as the only Boilermakers with 50 walks & a .500 OBP in a season while also earning the team's Defensive Player of the Year award for his glove work at shortstop.
Logan Sutter (Sr)	3B/1B/DH	Loomis, Calif.	Led the team with 16 Doubles in 2024 while posting a 1.071 OPS
From the Countdown: Sutter roared out of the gates last season to live up to the 2023 Appalachian League Player of the Year honors he brought to campus, hitting .324/.453/.618 in year 1 at Purdue. He was the fastest Boilermaker ever to reach 10 doubles and also homered in the first 3 weekends plus 4 of the first 5.
Keenan Spence (Sr)	OF	Caroline Springs, Australia
From the Countdown: Spence's power bat played in a big way in his debut season at Purdue, but he also made a couple spectacular catches at the outfield wall. He shared the team lead with 13 homers in 2024, hitting 5 in May as part of 2 multi-homer games – at Michigan and vs. Indiana at the Big Ten Tournament – in which he also robbed a HR.
Ty Gill (Sr)	2B	Valparaiso, Ind.	Homered at Constellation Field in first collegiate at-bat.
From the Countdown: From the Region to the West Side, Gill has proven himself a loyal 4-year Boilermaker and earned more opportunities every year, including starts on Opening Day & at Wrigley as a junior. He batted .321/.412/.589 with 8 XBH at Alexander last season & was one of just two Boilers with 4 doubles, 3 triples & 3 HR.
TOP RETURNING PITCHERS (3)
Boilermaker (Year)	RHP/LHP	Hometown	Notables
Carter Doorn (Sr)	RHP	Schererville, Ind.	Set team records for WHIP (0.65) and fewest hits per 9 (4.05) in Big Ten play last season
From the Countdown: A 4-year Boilermaker from the Region, Doorn did not give up a run in Big Ten play as a junior until the regular-season finale, compiling a 0.45 ERA & .136 B/Avg over 20 innings in the biggest games of the season. He worked 12 scoreless frames during the 11-game Big Ten win streak.
Cole Van Assen (So)	RHP	Tinley Park, Ill.	2024 Big Ten All-Freshman Team
From the Countdown: A pure strike-thrower who immediately proved himself wise beyond his years on the mound, Van Assen made an instant impact as a true freshman. The 2023 Chicago Catholic League Pitcher of the Year issued only 15 walks in 39 innings & posted a 2.77 ERA in April to help Purdue go 12-3.
Avery Cook (5th)	RHP	Utica, N.Y.	Converted to sidearm in the fall of 2023 & led Purdue in appearances last season
From the Countdown: Avery Cook has been closing games for the Boilers since 2021. He's come all the way back from Tommy John & pitched in a team-high 26 games last season, making 2 appearances in each of the final 5 series. Avery's a Purdue grad & 4-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
RETURNEES READY FOR MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN 2025 (8)
Boilermaker (Year)	Position(s)	Hometown	Year at Purdue
Will Briggs (R-Fr)	C	Shakopee, Minn.	2nd
From the Countdown: A backstop with a stellar all-around skillset, Briggs has put in the work in his first 18 months at Purdue to make an impact in his debut season. He was Minnesota's #No. 1-ranked catcher in his class by Perfect Game & an Academic All-State honoree while playing for Boilermaker Mike Rothstein at Academy of Holy Angels.
Brody Chrisman (R-So)	OF	Zionsville, Ind.	3rd
From the Countdown: Chrisman started Purdue's season & Big Ten openers in his debut campaign (2024). He's a well-rounded outfielder, program ambassador and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. Chrisman also played in a team-high 24 games off the bench last season after an all-star summer of 2023 (.385/.472/.564, 23 XBH, 55 RBI) for the Cape Catfish of the Prospect League.
Lukas Cook (R-Sr)	SS	Knoxville, Tenn.	3rd
From the Countdown: Purdue's most versatile infielder is back in the mix after a redshirt season in 2024. Cook hit the most heroic homer of 2023, connecting for the first walk-off HR in extra innings in the history of Alexander Field. He did it in a Big Ten rubber game vs. Northwestern. Cook also started at all 4 infield positions in a span of 8 games.
Enas Hayden (Sr)	RHP	Indianapolis, Ind.	2nd
From the Countdown: An Academic All-Big Ten honoree and the son of a pair of Purdue alumni, Enas Hayden has represented his home state well on mounds from Indy to Fort Wayne to West Lafayette – making Purdue's bullpen better. He was a Prospect League All-Star for the Danville Dans in 2023 and enjoyed another strong summer in the Northwoods League last year.
Corbin Malott (R-So)	OF	New Castle, Ind.	3rd
From the Countdown: Malott carved out a role in his debut season in 2024 with his plus wheels and great baseball instincts. He scored crucial runs as a pinch runner in thrillers vs IU, UIC and Rutgers. He was our Mr. Boilermaker Award recipient for his positive attitude.
Breck Nowik (R-Sr)	1B	Lake Forest, Ill.	2nd
From the Countdown: Nowik would've been Purdue's Opening Day starter at first base last season if not for a broken hamate bone in his wrist on Groundhog Day. He was back by March 9, starting wins vs. IU, ETSU, Northwestern and UIC. As a two-year starter at UIC, Nowik won the team triple crown in 2022 while posting a 1.000 OPS to earn Freshman All-American honors.
Brayden Olson (So)	RHP	St. Croix Falls, Wis.	2nd
From the Countdown: Olson's profile as a two-time Wisconsin D3 Player of the Year & three-time All-State honoree coupled with his early opportunities as a true freshman make him a Breakout Boilermaker candidate on the mound this spring. He got the ball in each of the first 2 weekends & first 2 home series of 2024.
Easton Storey (So)	LHP	Brighton, Mich.	2nd
From the Countdown: A lefty on the staff set to make the Sophomore Leap, look no further than Easton Storey. Michigan's No. 1-ranked LHP in his class by Perfect Game was All-State & the County Player of the Year at Brighton HS. He posted a 1.62 ERA & 27 K in 16 innings for the Danville Dans over the summer.
NEWCOMERS WITH DI EXPERIENCE (13)
Boilermaker (Year)	Position(s)	Hometown	Transferred From / Played D-I At
Brandon Anderson (Sr)	3B	Richmond, Ky.	Louisville
From the Countdown: Anderson impressed with his all-around excellence in fall practice as it was clear his lefty bat and steady glove at third base would play. He earned plenty of ABs and his degree in 3 years at Louisville, where he was the Opening Day third baseman in 2023 & made multiple starts at third, first, DH over the last 2 seasons. Anderson was a First Team All-State SS as a senior at Madison Central HS.
Albert Choi (Grad)	OF	Downingtown, Pa.	NJIT
From the Countdown: A grad transfer with 5 seasons of D-I experience (3 full, 2 abbrev), racking up 77 XBH and a school-record 82 Steals in 179 GP as a two-time 1st Team All-Conference leadoff man/center fielder at NJIT. In a 2023 series vs Purdue he was 9-for-16 with 3 triples, 3 SB & a 5-hit game.
Sergio DeCello (R-Jr)	C/IF	Hamilton, Ohio	Arizona Western / Charleston Southern
From the Countdown: Lots to love about DeCello's game. The switch-hitting catcher has proven himself as a super utility man, also playing third, third & the outfield in college/summer ball. He posted a .954 OPS with 22 XBH & 16 steals in his lone season (2024) at Arizona Western.
Chris Gallagher (Sr)	RHP	Indianapolis, Ind.	Wright State
From the Countdown: An experienced sidearmer with a unique release point and arm angle from Indianapolis Cathedral High School, Gallagher averaged 9.8 K/9 over 61 career appearances at Wright State. He was a two-way standout in his prep days in Indy.
Justin Guiliano (Grad)	LHP	Ellenville, N.Y.	Canisius
From the Countdown: Guiliano is a formidable matchup as a funky lefty with 128 strikeouts in 115 career D-I innings. He averaged 13.9 K/9 in 2023 to set a Canisius record, earning a promotion to the weekend rotation for his senior season.
Nick Kolze (Jr)	RHP	Romeoville, Ill.	Heartland JC / Xavier
From the Countdown: A starter for Heartland College's 40-win NJCAA D-II World Series qualifier, Nick Kolze averaged 10.8 K/9 in 56 innings & made 3 postseason starts in his lone JUCO season. With prior D-I experience at Xavier, he's another elite addition to the pitching staff.
Lance Lauve (Sr)	RHP	Madisonville, La.	Southeastern Louisiana
From the Countdown: Purdue faced him last season and now Lauve wears the Black & Gold. It's a changes in latitude season for Lance as he's swapped the northside of Lake Pontchartrain for the westside of the Wabash. He pitched 74 innings over 45 appearances in 3 years at Southeastern Louisiana, averaging 12.1 K/9 in 2024 & striking out 6 over 3.2 IP of one-run ball in a 2022 NCAA Regional game at Auburn.
Aaron Manias (R-Jr)	2B	Uxbridge, Ontario	Nebraska
From the Countdown: After a redshirt year at the D-I level last spring, Aaron Manias proved he was healthy in the Coastal Plain League over the summer. He's Purdue's latest impact import from north of the border. He hit .375/.446/.690 with 37 doubles, 24 HR & 130 RBI in 106 games over 2 years as a teammate of Keenan Spence at Howard College in Texas.
Isaac Milburn (Sr)	LHP	Lexington, Ky.	Eastern Kentucky
From the Countdown: A veteran Lefty from Lexington with 165 D-I innings in 65 career app at EKU, Milburn is a valuable and versatile addition to our staff. His K/9 improved every year, he was part of the weekend rotation in league play as a sophomore, & finished strong in 2024 with 11 consecutive scoreless innings in May.
CJ Richmond (Sr)	1B/DH	Indianapolis, Ind.	Western Michigan
From the Countdown: An impact bat in the powerful hands of an Indy native. We can't wait to watch CJ Richmond rake in the middle of our lineup. It would surprise no one if he was our Newcomer of the Year and/or Offensive Player of the Year. CJ was All-MAC & All-Region in 2024 at WMU (1.146 OPS, 33 XBH, 67 RBI), All-State in 2021 at Park Tudor HS (.515, 10 HR).
Brandon Rogers (Jr)	OF	Chicago, Ill.	Arizona
From the Countdown: Rogers possesses an elite blend power, speed, range and arm strength. He quickly emerged as Purdue's top defensive outfielder and likely one of the best of the program's Alexander Field era (2013-present). Rogers started all four Pac-12 Tournament games for an Arizona team that won it as the No. 1 seed. He batted .382/.480/.720 with 13 HR, 59 RBI & 18 SB as an honorable mention NJCAA All-American at Iowa Western in 2023.
Houston Russell (R-Jr)	C	Midwest City, Okla.	Oklahoma
From the Countdown: A well-rounded warrior behind the plate, Russell is an Oklahoma Class 5A Player of the Year & most recently the Catcher of the Tournament at the National Baseball Congress World Series while leading his Hays Larks team to the championship. He batted .391/.531/.624 with 15 doubles & 46 RBI in 2023 at Seminole State JC.
Barron Sawyer (Jr)	RHP	Abbeville, La.	Northeast Texas JC / Nicholls
From the Countdown: Barron Sawyer has the ability to headline a rotation. He's built to start every weekend. After racking up 67 Ks vs 26 hits allowed in 48 innings at Northeast Texas JC, he was 9th on D1Baseball.com's list of Impact JUCO Transfer Pitchers.
MORE TRANSFERS (6)
Boilermaker (Year)	Position(s)	Hometown	Transferred From
Eli Anderson (Jr)	OF	Fairmont, Minn.	North Iowa Area JC
From the Countdown: Excited about Eli Anderson's combination of elite speed and lefthanded bat, making him a perfect match for Purdue's aggressive style as a fit for the 9-1-2 portion of the lineup. He stole 59 bases in 102 games at North Iowa Area. The 3-sport standout set Fairmont HS records for yards & INTs in football and career points in hockey – punctuating his prep career as an MSHSL state champion on the diamond.
Gavin Beuter (Jr)	RHP	Three Rivers, Mich.	Kellogg JC
From the Countdown: Beuter was another big winner as a two-year starting pitcher in JUCO ball, helping Kellogg CC earn a trip to the 2024 NJCAA DII World Series. The 2-time All-MCCAA performer averaged 10.2 K/9 & 8.1 H/9 over 145 innings, earning 15 wins.
Maclane Finley (Jr)	RHP	Topeka, Kan.	Kansas City Kansas JC
From the Countdown: Maclane Finley proved himself a winner and a workhorse as an All-Region starting pitcher for KCKCC. He had 18 wins in 30 career starts and enjoyed a big year in 2024 – 2.03 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 84 innings, later winning silver with the NJCAA All-Stars at a WBSC Tournament in the Netherlands over the summer.
Avery Moore (Jr)	OF	Omaha, Neb.	Southeast JC
From the Countdown: Moore is an NJCAA All-American & Nebraska state champion, who projects active as active base stealer & plus-defender in the outfield. He had an 1.100+ OPS, 30 XBH & 60 RBI both years at Southeast Community College in Nebraska after batting .411 as an All-State honoree on Millard West HS's state title team.
Michael Vallone (Grad)	LHP	Lake Forest, Ill.	DePauw
From the Countdown: As an All-American & Region Pitcher of the Year, Vallone proved himself as one of the finest in all of D-III over 4 years at DePauw. He compiled a 3.45 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 12.2 K/9 in 224 career innings, racking up 10-plus strikeouts in 12 of his 37 starts.
Matthew Tarr (Jr)	RHP	North Aurora, Ill.	John A. Logan JC
From the Countdown: Tarr is another big arm with big upside who helps fortify the bullpen. He's a converted catcher/infielder & former all-state linebacker learning the art of pitching. He averaged 10.4 K/9 in 27 appearances at John A. Logan College.
TRUE FRESHMAN (1)
Boilermaker	Position(s)	Hometown	High School
Joe Trenerry	RHP	Granger, Ind.	Penn
From the Countdown: A 2-time IHSAA state champ at Penn HS, Trenerry had the finest fall of any of true freshmen and looked poised to contribute in year 1. He had 15 wins, a 1.95 ERA & 12.9 K/9 in 104 innings as a 4-year letterwinner at PHS, returning to form as an all-conference pitcher in 2024 (1.90 ERA, 51 Ks) after his junior season was cut short by UCL surgery.