Luke Sinnard Leads Indiana Pitching Staff Into NCAA Tournament; Ryan Kraft Working To Return
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Luke Sinnard knew he needed a fresh start.
The 6-foot-8 right-handed pitcher gleamed with potential, but uncertainty swirled after a shaky freshman season. What would entering the transfer portal mean for a pitcher with a 7.18 ERA in one season at Western Kentucky?
Turns out, it meant being Indiana's workhorse ace during a 41-18 campaign, leading to the Hoosiers' first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019 and first 40-win regular season since 2013. Sinnard and his teammates knew they'd see "Indiana" pop up on the TV screen during the NCAA Tournament selection show on Monday, but that didn't take away from the moment's impact.
For Sinnard, the day encapsulated his up-and-down journey through two seasons of college baseball.
"It's been a roller coaster of emotions, really," Sinnard said Monday. "I didn't really know what I was going to get going into the portal, coming out of Western [Kentucky]. It was all downhill as soon as I got there, really, and going into the portal, coming here was the best decision I ever had. It's only been up."
Coming out of the transfer portal, Sinnard chose Indiana over San Jacinto, a powerhouse community college in Texas. He slimmed down during the fall, and his offseason work payed immediate dividends in his first year as a Hoosier.
Sinnard made his first start at Auburn Feb. 19. Against the eventual No. 12 overall seed's lineup, Sinnard allowed one run and five hits in five innings of work. He toed the rubber at Texas for his second start, facing a Longhorns squad that tied for the Big 12 regular season title and earned a No. 2 seed in the Coral Gables Regional. Sinnard struck out seven batters in five innings, while allowing two runs on five hits.
It was a significant step forward for Sinnard, who allowed 20 earned runs in his final 19.2 innings at Western Kentucky. He built upon solid outings against Auburn and Texas, premier college baseball programs, to post a 3.33 ERA with 39 strikeouts across 27 innings of nonconference action for the Hoosiers.
And as Big Ten play carried on, Sinnard firmly established himself as Indiana's No. 1 starter. He tossed six-plus inning shutouts against Iowa and Northwestern during the regular season, and most recently allowed zero earned runs in six innings against the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Tournament. Sinnard earned second-team All-Big Ten honors this year, logging a 4.16 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and a 6-3 record in 84.1 innings with 109 strikeouts.
Coming off one of his best starts of the season, coach Jeff Mercer anticipates Sinnard taking the mound to begin Indiana's NCAA Tournament run. Following a matchup between No. 1 Kentucky and No. 4 Ball State on Friday at 1 p.m. ET, the Hoosiers are scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET first pitch on Friday at Kentucky Proud Park against No. 2 seed West Virginia.
The Mountaineers finished in a three-way tie for the Big 12 regular season title, but they enter the NCAA Tournament on a five-game losing streak. Second baseman JJ Wetherholt, the 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year, leads the West Virginia lineup with a .443 batting average, 15 home runs, 56 RBI, 35 stolen bases and a 1.290 OPS in 52 games. Four Mountaineers belted at least 10 home runs this season, and four boast a batting average above .300.
It'll be a challenge for Sinnard, but he's relying on what has put him in this position.
"I try to think in my mind going into any team that it doesn't matter who we face," Sinnard. "I'm always going to pitch to my strengths. I'm not going to look at the other team and be scared. I'm just going to do what I do well, and it's been working the whole season."
A rowdy crowd is expected at Kentucky Proud Park, a state-of-the-art facility opened in 2019 with capacity over 7,000. It'll be the biggest start of Sinnard's young pitching career, which is cause for excitement.
"I love big crowds," Sinnard said. "I love all of it. It just gets my adrenaline going, makes me even more focused, makes me want to win even more. I usually get more focused with bigger crowds. It's just a lot more fun and a lot more exciting."
In the double-elimination Lexington Regional, a strong start from Sinnard could go a long way for a largely inconsistent Indiana pitching staff. The Hoosiers have a 5.16 team ERA, which ranks 77th in the country and fourth in the Big Ten. Holding onto late leads has been an issue, highlighted during the Big Ten Tournament.
After six innings and one unearned run with Sinnard on the mound against Iowa, the Indiana bullpen allowed four runs in the seventh and four more in the ninth en route to a 9-4 loss. Michigan racked up 13 runs to knock Indiana out of the Big Ten Tournament, as three Hoosiers allowed three earned runs apiece.
The bullpen remains a concern heading into the weekend, but fortunately for Indiana, Mercer sounded optimistic about first-team All-Big Ten relief pitcher Ryan Kraft rejoining the staff after an injury.
"Actually, really good, and I can say that with a straight face," Mercer said of Kraft's status. "He threw the last couple days, supposed to throw a bullpen [Monday]. I talked to him [Sunday] night, and said he felt really good."
Kraft was unavailable for the Big Ten Tournament with what Mercer described as forearm tightness that flared up during his appearance on May 18 at Michigan State. Kraft allowed three runs in 1.1 innings of work that day, as Indiana squandered an early lead in the 8-6 loss.
"I even talked with the umpire after the [Michigan State] game because the umpire could just tell [Kraft] wasn't right," Mercer said. "So we got him out of there as fast as we could and didn't want to push it this weekend."
It was an uncharacteristic outing for the 6-foot-4 sophomore lefty, who enters the NCAA Tournament with a 2.51 ERA across 57.1 innings.
The Hoosiers' chances of advancing through the regional start with Sinnard on Friday – they depend on the lineup's production and clean defense all weekend, too – but Kraft's potential return could give Indiana what it needs to make a run.
"[Kraft returning] would be a big shot in the arm for our bullpen, no pun intended, but it would be nice," Mercer said. "Having him back would be big, but we won't push him. Obviously, he has a long career, but if he's healthy we would like to get him back out there."
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