Tracking the Boilermakers

By Tom Schott

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - With the induction ceremony for its 2018 Hall of Fame class as the cornerstone, Purdue Athletics has a full week of activities planned for the Indianapolis area from May 7 to 12.

The Hall of Fame dinner and festivities are May 10 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom (140 West Washington Street), beginning at 6:30 p.m. This year's class consists of Jermaine Allensworth (baseball, 1991-93), Gregg Bingham (football, 1970-72), Clifford Furnas (track & field, 1919-22), Stephanie (Lynch) Harpenau (volleyball, 2005-08), Maria Hernandez (golf, 2006-09), Ryan Kerrigan (football, 2007-10) and Kara (Patterson) Winger (track & field, 2005-09).

On May 8, head football coach Jeff Brohm and head men's basketball coach Matt Painter will visit a number of businesses and sponsors, including Dow AgroSciences; Eli Lilly and Company; MainGate, Inc.; Roche Diagnostics; and Rolls-Royce, to visit with employees. The Boilermaker Special, Purdue Pete and the Purdue Football Legends mascots will accompany the coaches.

That evening beginning at 5:30, Brohm and Painter will be joined by athletics director Mike Bobinski, head volleyball coach Dave Shondell and head women's basketball coach Sharon Versyp for an alumni/donor/fan event at Topgolf (9200 East 116th Street) in Fishers. The event is sold out.

Purdue's Indianapolis radio affiliate (WNDE 1260 AM, 97.5 FM) will broadcast its daily Query & Schultz Show from 3 to 6:10 p.m. from Topgolf.

On Wednesday, several Boilermaker student-athletes will participate in community service initiatives.

Purdue Athletics will participate in Food Truck Friday on Georgia Street on May 11 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., handing out promotional items and ticket information.

On May 12, the Boilermakers will have a booth set up at the Carmel Farmers Market from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Fans can take their picture with the Old Oaken Bucket, 2017 Foster Farms Bowl championship trophy and 2017 Big Ten men's basketball championship trophy. Brohm will be in attendance (approximate time 10 to 11 a.m.).

At noon, Brohm will visit Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent's.

Also that day, Purdue Athletics will be on hand at the 500 Festival Kids' Day at Monument Circle from noon to 4 p.m., distributing giveaway items.

Streaking Baseball Continues Homestand

Riding an eight-game winning streak - and with victories in nine of its last 10 contests - baseball (24-16, 10-4 B1G) continues a nine-game homestand with three games against Northwestern (14-25, 4-14). Game times are 6 p.m. ET on Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Purdue is 5-0 on the homestand, which concludes May 8 against Fort Wayne.

Star Wars Night is set for Friday, there is a special craft beer ticket available for Saturday and the annual Bark at the Park dog day is on the schedule for Sunday. For more information, click here.

The Boilermakers are in third place in the Big Ten standings, just one game behind second-place Minnesota and two games behind front-running Michigan.

Junior catcher Nick Dalesandro earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors April 30 after batting a robust .556 (10-for-18) in five games. He had a pair of three-hit contests, reached base in 14 of 22 plate appearances, caught a pair of shutouts and was behind the plate for 43 of 45 innings. Dalesandro is the first catcher so recognized by the Big Ten this season.

Under second-year head coach Mark Wasikowski, the Boilermakers boast a 53-43 record (.552 winning percentage) after the program was 60-149 (.287) from 2013 to 2016.

Men's Golf NCAA Regional Bound

Men's golf earned the No. 7 seed in the Kissimmee (Florida) Regional, which will be played May 14 to 16. The top five teams (among 14) advance to the NCAA Championships, along with the low individual finisher at each of the six regionals (not on an advancing team).

The Boilermakers have qualified for the NCAA Regionals each of the last five seasons under head coach Rob Bradley - the second-longest streak in school history.

Purdue has advanced to the NCAA Championships on 29 occasions, the third-most among northern schools (Ohio State 46 and BYU 30) and the second-most among Big Ten schools.

On May 1, senior Brian Carlson was voted a unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection.

The Boilermakers finished eighth at the Big Ten Championships on April 22.

Drake Relay Champions

Buoyed by winning eight events, No. 11 women's track & field won the Drake Relays for the first time in school history April 28. The 4x400-meter relay team of sophomore Chloe Abbott and seniors Brionna Thomas, Symone Black and Jahneya Mitchell clinched the title over Ohio State with a school-record and meet-record time of 3:28.42.

Thomas, who also was part of the victorious 4x200-meter relay team that finished with a school-record time of 1:32.24 and won the 200 meters in a season-best 22.99 seconds, subsequently earned Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week honors for the second time this season.

No. 26 men's track & field won three events and placed fifth.

The Boilermakers swept the men's and women's high hurdles, high jump and 4x200 relay.

The Big Ten Championships are May 11 to 13 in Bloomington, Indiana.

Football NFL Draft Streak Reaches 21

Football's streak of at least one player being selected in the NFL Draft reached 21 consecutive years when linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley was taken by the New England Patriots in the fifth round (No. 143 overall) April 28.

Forty-eight Boilermakers have been drafted since the streak began in 1998.

Bentley is the first Purdue linebacker chosen since Stanford Keglar by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round of the 2006 draft and the first Boilermaker selected by the Patriots since offensive tackle Matt Light in the second round in 2001.

A four-year starter and the only three-time team captain in Purdue history, Bentley recorded 272 career tackles, including 22.5 for loss, with six pass breakups, three fumble recoveries, two fumbles forced and two interceptions in 38 games.

Seven other Boilermakers hooked up with NFL clubs after the draft: linebacker Danny Ezechukwu (Philadelphia Eagles), linebacker Garrett Hudson (Chicago Bears), defensive end Austin Larkin (Dallas Cowboys), wide receiver Anthony Mahoungou (Philadelphia), linebacker T.J. McCollum (Chicago), offensive tackle David Steinmetz (Miami Dolphins) and defensive tackle Eddy Wilson (Seattle Seahawks).

Boilermakers on the Road

Registration is open for Boilermakers on the Road events in Louisville on May 29 and West Lafayette on May 31.

Hear from athletics director Mike Bobinski, head football coach Jeff Brohm, head men's basketball coach Matt Painter, head volleyball coach Dave Shondell and head women's basketball coach Sharon Versyp.

The Louisville event will take place at Kye's (500 Missouri Avenue) in Jeffersonville, Indiana, beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET. For more information and to order tickets ($35 each for dinner and program; $15 for ages 6 to 10), click here or call 765.494.3248 by May 22.

The West Lafayette event will take place at a Purdue Athletics venue to be determined beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET. For more information and to order tickets ($35 each for dinner and program; $15 for ages 6 to 10), click here or call 765.494.3248 by May 22.

The final two Boilermakers on the Road events are June 12 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and July 22 in Chicago. Details will be forthcoming.

Etcetera

Senior men's tennis player Gergely Madarasz and freshman women's tennis player Silvia Ambrosio earned first team All-Big Ten honors ... No. 6 seed women's golf begins play in the NCAA Madison (Wisconsin) Regional on May 7. The top six teams (among 18) in the three-day tournament advance to the NCAA Championships ... Softball (13-39, 4-15 B1G) wraps up the regular season with a three-game weekend series at Iowa (20-28, 6-13). The Boilermakers are in a dog fight with Rutgers for the final spot in the Big Ten Tournament, which begins May 10 in Madison, Wisconsin ... Purdue leads the Governor's Cup competition with Indiana by a 9.5-8.5 margin with the final two points to be awarded at the Big Ten Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships from May 11 to 13 ... Guests on this week's Purdue Athletics Podcast are Hall of Fame Class of 2018 inductee (and supervisor of volleyball operations) Stephanie Harpenau and baseball junior Gareth Stroh ... May the Fourth be with you.