Everything came together for the Valparaiso University baseball team on Sunday afternoon at Emory G. Bauer Field.
 
A team that lost five one-run games during a stretch of 20 straight on the road to start the season has enjoyed good pitching days and good hitting days over the course of the year, but Sunday was perhaps the best example yet of all phases of the game getting it done together in a 10-1 drubbing of visiting Indiana State. This marked Valpo's first home win over the Sycamores since 1972, ending a 12-game drought and setting up a Monday rubber match with Valpo hoping to notch its first-ever three-game series victory over Indiana State.
 
How It Happened

• Valpo starting pitcher Connor Lockwood (Libertyville, Ill. / Libertyville) started a strong performance by striking out a pair in the first. The lone hit he permitted was quickly erased as catcher Eli Riley (Zanesville, Ind. / Norwell) recorded a caught stealing.
• The Sycamore starter walked the bases loaded to give Valpo a prime chance in the bottom of the first, and the Beacons cashed in thanks to a two-run single by Thomas Cooper (Brentwood, Tenn. / Ravenwood). After Brayden Pleau (Appleton, Wis. / Kimberly) drove in a run with a fielder's choice bouncer, the Beacons added two more on a two-out single through the left side by Michael Kuska (Pontiac, Ill. / Pontiac Township) that made it 5-0.
• After being victimized by a lack of run support at times this season, Lockwood looked as comfortable as ever pitching with a five-run lead. With Lockwood dealing on the mound, Valpo tacked on to the lead when Case Sullivan (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) lifted a sac fly to center in the fourth. Kuska added a run-scoring single in the sixth to make it 7-0.
• Lockwood still had not permitted a run with two outs and the bases clear in the seventh, but a solo shot got the Sycamores on the board.
• Valpo responded with its first home run of the weekend in the bottom of the inning, as Cooper's two-run blow made it 9-1. Then, George Betevis (Hanover Park, Ill. / Bartlett) crushed one that traveled over 400 feet for the second Valpo home run of the inning, a solo shot to make it 10-1.
• Lockwood left after seven strong, and Ryan Kruse (Detroit, Mich. / U of D Jesuit) faced the minimum over two innings of relief to seal the deal. The only baserunner he allowed was erased on a game-ending, around-the-horn double play.

Inside the Game

• Cooper's home run was his fourth of the season, moving him into a tie with Javin Gauthier for the team lead. All four of his home runs have come in the last eight games after he had none in the first 12. Cooper has matched his home run total from last season and increased his career accumulation to eight.
• Betevis cracked his second home run of the season and the 25^th total in his collegiate career.
• Lockwood picked up the win – his third of the season – thanks to seven innings of one-run ball while scattering six hits, walking two and striking out six.
• Lockwood moved up to seventh in program history in career innings pitched, now at 283 2/3, the most by any Valpo pitcher since Dalton Lundeen finished his career in 2016.
• Lockwood lifted his career strikeout total to 223, moving into ninth in program history.
• Valpo improved to 2-23 against Indiana State since joining the Missouri Valley Conference and beat the Trees at home for the first time since a 2-0 victory on May 16, 1972, abolishing a 12-game home skid in the series.
• This marked the sixth time this season that the Valpo bats posted a double-figure run total.
• Cooper, Kuska and Riley had two hits apiece. Cooper drove in four runs, while Kuska chased home three. Cooper tied his career high in the RBI department that was set on April 29, 2025 at Western Michigan.

Up Next
The Beacons (7-15, 1-4 MVC) will look to secure the series win on Monday at 1 p.m. at Emory G. Bauer Field. The game will air on ESPN+. A link to live video and stats will be available on ValpoAthletics.com.