Indiana Hoosiers: 2026 Season Preview
Jeff Mercer has turned Indiana into a program that expects to compete for NCAA Tournament bids, not hope for them. The Hoosiers went 32-24 in 2025 with a 16-14 Big Ten mark, and Year 8 of the Mercer era begins with enough returning talent to push for a top-four conference finish.
The Program
2025 Season Results
Season Highlights
Made the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in six years under Mercer
Won a road series at Michigan and took two of three at Maryland
Led the Big Ten in stolen bases among traditional conference members (78)
Brock Tibbitts earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors — .321 average with 12 home runs
Pitching staff held opponents to a .252 batting average, fifth-best in the Big Ten
2026 Roster Breakdown
Key returnees and transfer portal additions
Key Returnees
Brock Tibbitts
INF · Sr.Crown Point native. Indiana's best hitter and the Big Ten's most underrated offensive player. Switch-hitter with power from both sides.
Devin Taylor
OF · Jr.Indianapolis product. Dynamic outfielder who combines speed and contact. 28 stolen bases led the team in 2025.
Tyler Cerny
C · Sr.Fort Wayne product. Veteran catcher with a strong arm and pitch-framing skills. Controls the running game at an above-average rate.
Brayden Risedorph
RHP · Jr.Fishers product. Friday night arm with a fastball that sits 92-94 and a sharp slider. Pitched 81 innings as a sophomore — staff workhorse.
Luke Sinnard
LHP · Jr.Columbus, IN product. Crafty left-hander who mixes four pitches and pitches backward. Smart pitcher who can navigate a lineup multiple times.
Reese Sharp
RHP · Sr.Terre Haute native. Veteran closer who has saved games in three consecutive seasons. Fastball-slider combination that is at its best in the ninth.
Transfer Portal Additions
Cam Cratic
INF · Jr.ACC infielder with offensive versatility. Can play second base or shortstop. Adds middle-infield depth and a bat that can play in the top six.
Drew Bowser
OF · R-Sr.SEC outfielder who adds experience and defensive reliability. Has played in high-pressure SEC environments. Veteran presence.
Jake Rucker
RHP · Jr.In-state transfer from the rival Boilermakers. Knows the Big Ten hitters. Sunday starter candidate or high-leverage reliever.
Noah Murdock
LHP · Jr.Left-handed reliever who adds depth to the bullpen. Can work multiple innings and neutralize left-handed hitters.
Pitching Staff Analysis
The Headline
Brayden Risedorph (3.54 ERA, 89 K) and Reese Sharp (2.67 ERA, 9 saves) give Indiana a defined beginning and end to every game. Risedorph is a workhorse who can go seven innings, and Sharp is a proven closer who has saved games at every level of Big Ten play. That combination — starter who eats innings and closer who does not crack — is what wins conference series.
The Rotation
Risedorph on Fridays, Luke Sinnard (3.89 ERA, 72 K) on Saturdays, and Jake Rucker (from Purdue) as the Sunday candidate. Sinnard is the kind of lefty who makes hitters uncomfortable — changes speeds, pitches backward, never gives in. Rucker adds in-state familiarity and a competitive arm for Sundays.
The Depth
Sharp closes. Noah Murdock (from West Virginia) adds left-handed depth to a pen that was right-handed heavy in 2025. The returning middle-relief arms posted a collective 4.10 ERA — adequate but not dominant. Indiana needs one or two of the younger arms to take a step forward in the bridge innings for this to be a true postseason bullpen.
Lineup Analysis
The Engine
Brock Tibbitts (.321/.412/.518, 12 HR) is the engine and the identity. He switch-hits with power from both sides of the plate, rarely gives away at-bats, and has improved every year at Indiana. Tibbitts is the kind of hitter who makes the entire lineup better because pitchers cannot pitch around him without consequences.
The Middle
Devin Taylor (.295/.381/.446, 7 HR, 28 SB) and Cam Cratic (from Georgia Tech, .284/.374/.461, 9 HR) form the complementary core. Taylor is a speed-contact combination that puts constant pressure on the defense. Cratic adds the middle-infield bat Indiana needed — a player who can slot into the five or six hole and produce consistently.
The Supporting Cast
Drew Bowser (from Vanderbilt) adds SEC experience in the outfield. Tyler Cerny (.258/.342/.389) catches and leads the pitching staff. The bottom third is where Indiana needs development — if the young bats produce, the lineup goes seven deep. If not, Tibbitts and Taylor carry too much of the burden.
2026 Schedule Highlights
Scouting Verdict
20–80 scouting scale
BSI Projection
Indiana under Mercer has become a program that consistently puts itself in position to make the NCAA Tournament. The Hoosiers are not going to overpower anyone, but they play clean baseball, run the bases well, and pitch competitively in every series. Tibbitts is a legitimate All-American candidate, and Risedorph gives them a starter who can go toe-to-toe with anyone on a Friday night. The question is depth — can the lineup produce beyond Tibbitts and Taylor, and can the middle relief hold? If both answers are yes, Indiana is a tournament team. If one breaks down, they are on the wrong side of the bubble. Mercer has earned the benefit of the doubt. His teams find a way to be in the conversation every May.