The sixth-seeded Indiana State baseball team begins play in the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Tuesday, May 21, facing the Creighton Bluejays, the tournament's third seed, at 10:00 a.m. (ET) from Duffy Bass Field in Normal, Ill.

Every Sycamore baseball game during the MVC Tournament can be heard live on the Nelligan Sports Marketing Radio Network as Brian Fritz calls all the action on the diamond. Indiana State's early tournament games will be carried on WPRS AM 1440 with an online audio stream also available through GoSycamores.com. Live video will be provided by the Missouri Valley Conference on ESPN3.com. Follow @IndStBaseball on Twitter for updates on your mobile device.

Indiana State's (24-23, 9-11 MVC) four-team bracket consists of #2 Wichita State (34-25, 15-6 MVC), #3 Creighton (30-16, 13-8 MVC) and #7 Southern Illinois (24-31, 6-15 MVC). The winner of that four-team bracket will face the winner of the #1 Illinois State (36-18, 16-5 MVC), #4 Missouri State (30-21, 12-9 MVC), #5 Evansville (22-32, 10-10 MVC) and #8 Bradley (17-30, 2-19 MVC) for the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The tournament's championship game will take place on Saturday, May 22, at 8:07 p.m. (ET).

A Little History -- MVC Tournament
This week's MVC Tournament will be the 29th league tournament for Indiana State, dating back to the 1977 season. Indiana State holds a 61-49 all-time record in the MVC Tournament, including six tournament championships. The Sycamores last won the MVC Tournament in 1995, also the last time that ISU played in a conference tournament in the state of Illinois. Under fourth-year head coach Rick Heller, Indiana State is 5-6 in the conference tournament.

Game-By-Game -- MVC Tournament
Below is a quick look at the games for ISU in the MVC Tournament under head coach Heller.

May 23, 2012 vs. Evansville -- L, 5-8                         May 24, 2011 vs. Illinois State -- W, 5-2
May 22, 2012 vs. Creighton -- L. 0-5                          May 27, 2010 vs. Illinois State -- L, 4-9
May 27, 2011 vs. Wichita State -- L, 0-9                     May 27, 2010 vs. Creighton -- W, 9-7
May 26, 2011 vs. Wichita State -- W, 7-6                   May 26, 2010 vs. Illinois State -- L, 5-10
May 26, 2011 vs. Illinois State -- W, 7-6                     May 25, 2010 vs. Creighton -- W, 8-7 (10 inn.)
May 25, 2011 vs. Wichita State -- L, 3-7

Against The Field
Below is a quick look at ISU's MVC Tournament record against the field.

#1 Illinois State -- ISU, 9-3                                       #5 Evansville -- series tied, 6-6
#2 Wichita State -- WSU, 21-8                                  #7 Southern Illinois -- ISU, 9-4
#3 Creighton -- ISU, 13-10                                       #8 Bradley -- ISU, 8-0
#4 Missouri State -- ISU, 6-3

On The Road Under Head Coach Rick Heller
Under head coach Rick Heller, Indiana State is 61-60 (.504) in road and neutral site games since the start of the 2010 season. In MVC action, the Sycamores are 18-23 (.439) away from Terre Haute. This season, Indiana State is 7-16 on the road and at neutral sites.

Bright And Early
Indiana State will be playing in the early bracket for the fourth consecutive season, as well as playing in the opening game of the tournament for the third time in the last four seasons. The Sycamores have seen success bright and early at the MVC Tournament, going 4-1 in the 10:00 a.m. (ET) game since 2010.

Ort Breaks Career RBI Record At Indiana State
Senior Robby Ort hit a three-run home run in the regular season finale against Bradley on May 18, becoming the career RBI leader at Indiana State following his five-RBI performance on Senior Day. Below is quick look at the Top 10 for RBIs in school history.

1. Robby Ort (2010-present) – 201                      6. Mike Eberle (1984-87) – 174
2. Boi Rodriguez (1985-87) – 200                              7. Bob Zeihen (1985-88) – 159
3. Chad McDonald (1988-90) – 198                            8. Mike Lexa (1984-86) – 154
4. Dan Frye (1989-92) – 186                                     9. Dan Olson (1994-96) – 153
5. John LaMar (1989-92) – 175                                  10. Kevin Egli (2000-03) – 151

Kudrecki, Manaea Battling For Single-Season ERA Record
Juniors Kurt Kudrecki and Sean Manaea have been stellar for Indiana State this season, combining to allow just 17 earned runs over 114.1 innings on the mound. Kudrecki, a native on Dyer, Ind., leads the team with 27 appearances and three saves while totaling a 1.10 ERA over 41 innings. Manaea, a product of Wanatah, Ind., has posted a 1.47 ERA over 12 starts and 73.1 innings pitched. Below is quick look at the single-season ERA leaders at Indiana State.

1. Kurt Kudrecki (2013) – 1.10 ERA                     6. Craig Kozlowski (1986) – 2.15 ERA
2. Sean Manaea (2013) – 1.47 ERA                      7. Jim Ridenour (1977) – 2.30 ERA
3. Brian Omogrosso (2002) – 1.51 ERA                      8. Dakota Bacus (2012) – 2.37 ERA
4. Joe Thatcher (2002) – 1.73 ERA                             9. Dave Thomas (1977) – 2.49 ERA
5. Paul Quizner (1983) – 2.05 ERA                             10. Tim Barrett (1982) – 2.51 ERA

Manaea Ranks Third In ISU History In Strikeouts
Junior Sean Manaea struck out five batters last Thursday against Bradley, continuing his climb up the career rankings at Indiana State. Manaea totaled 115 Ks in his sophomore season, ranking in a tie for third in school history for single-season strikeouts. The Sycamore southpaw enters the MVC Tournament with 93 strikeouts and an average of 11.4 per nine innings, good for fourth in the nation. Below is a quick look at the Top 10 in career strikeouts at Indiana State.

1. Casey Whitten (1991-93) – 299                             6. Mitch Stetter (2000-03) – 254
2. Mike Gardiner (1984-87) – 296                              7. Mike Farrell (1988-91) – 248
3. Sean Manaea (2011-present) – 290                T8. John Howes (1982-86) – 217
4. Brad Finken (1994-97) – 275                                 T8. Tom Browning (1993-96) – 217
5. Blaise Ilsley (1983-85) – 274                                 10. Paul Quizner (1983-86) – 214

Ort Stands Alone In Program History
Senior Robby Ort ranks first in career runs batted in (201) and fourth in career hits (273) at Indiana State, becoming the first Sycamore in program history to rank in the top five in both categories. The Newburgh, Ind., native is a two-time First Team All-MVC selection and holds a career .318 batting average with 16 triples, 26 home runs and 32 stolen bases.

Run Production
Senior Robby Ort has led the team in runs batted in following each of his first three seasons at Indiana State, totaling 157 RBIs in his freshman through junior seasons. In 2012, Ort became the first Sycamore in program history to lead the team in runs batted in for three consecutive seasons. The Newburgh, Ind., native enters the MVC Tournament with a team-leading 44 RBIs in 2013.

Hitting Streak For Hannahs Ends In Regular Season Finale
Redshirt sophomore Derek Hannahs saw his 17-game hitting streak come to an end on the final day of the regular season, as the Robinson, Ill., native went 0-for-4 with two runs scored. Hannahs' hitting streak began at Wichita State on April 5, with the Ohio State University transfer hitting 22-for-58 (.379) during the streak with 15 runs and a .449 on-base percentage. Clint Barmes (2000) and Demetrius Dowler (1993) hold the record for consecutive games with a hit at 30 games. Below is a quick look at the best hitting streaks for Indiana State under fourth-year head coach Rick Heller.

1. Ryan Strausborger (2010) -- 22 games                   5. Kyle Burnam (2012) -- 12 games
2. Koby Kraemer (2011) -- 18 games                         T6. Jeremy Lucas (2011) -- 11 games
3. Derek Hannahs (2013) -- 17 games                T6. Robby Ort (2011) -- 11 games
4. Kyle Burnam (2010) -- 13 games                           T6. Rob Ort (2012) -- 11 games

Manaea Tabbed On 60-Man Golden Spikes Award Watch List
Junior Sean Manaea was named to the Midseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List, an award presented by USA Baseball at the end of the season to the top amateur baseball player in the country. Manaea is one of 60 student-athletes from around the nation to earn selection to the list and one of 31 that appeared on both the preseason and midseason lists.

Manaea has posted a 5-4 record and a 1.47 ERA this season, fanning 93 batters in 73.1 innings on the mound while allowing just 49 hits, 27 walks and 12 earned runs in 12 starts. The ISU junior has struck out at least eight batters in eight of his 12 outings, including a season-high of 11 Ks against Alcorn State on May 10.

Manaea Named To Three Preseason All-America Teams
Junior Sean Manaea earned selection to a trio of Preseason All-America teams heading into the season, as Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Perfect Game each selected the Indiana State southpaw as a First Team All-American. Below is a quick look at the last All-America selections for the Indiana State baseball team:

ABCA: OF Dan Olson, 1996                                       Collegiate Baseball: DH Todd Tatlock, 1995
Baseball America: SP Casey Whitten, 1993                 Sporting News: 3B Chad McDonald, 1990

Steady At Short
Junior Tyler Wampler has been a mainstay on defense for the Sycamores, starting 139 games at shortstop over his three seasons. Wampler has tallied 455 fielding assists (140 as a freshman in 2011, 184 as a sophomore in 2012, 131 in 2013) in his time at Indiana State, a total that puts the West Terre Haute, Ind., native on pace to break Dan Frye's school record of 541. Wampler enters the week with a career fielding percentage of .962 (27 errors in 157 games).

Off And Running
Sophomore Landon Curry led Indiana State with 16 stolen bases last season as a true freshman, ranking in a tie for sixth in the MVC overall. Curry became the first freshman since Bob Zeihen in 1985 to lead the Sycamores in steals as a rookie. The Uniondale, Ind., native has been active on the bases again in 2013, ranking fourth in the conference with 19 stolen bases this season. For his career, Curry is 35-for-42 in stolen base attempts.

All About Defense: Part I
The Sycamores ranked 52nd in the country in fielding percentage heading into last weekend, as the Sycamores check in with a .973 fielding percentage. Under head coach Rick Heller, Indiana State is 60-22 (.732) when they do not make an error in a game, including an 11-7 record this season. When the Sycamores have made a fielding miscue in Heller's four seasons, the team sits just above the .500 mark at 69-67.

All About Defense: Part II
Indiana State has ranked in the Top 35 in fielding percentage from 2010-12 under head coach Rick Heller, one of only nine teams in the nation to do so over each of the previous three seasons. Three of the nine from around the nation are from the Missouri Valley Conference, as Evansville and Creighton are also in the select group. CU (12th), ISU (52nd) and UE (90th) are all in the Top 100 in fielding percentage this season.

Getting To The Seventh
Under head coach Rick Heller, ISU is 96-14 (.873) in games that they hold a lead heading into the seventh inning. When the Sycamores have trailed after the sixth inning, ISU is 18-66 (.214). This season, Indiana State is 19-0 when leading after six innings of play.

Allowing Big Innings
Under head coach Rick Heller, the Sycamores are 85-28 (.752) when the team does not allow a three-run inning during a game. When Indiana State does allow their opponent to score at least three runs in one inning, Indiana State holds a 44-61 (.419) record.

Three Runs Or Less
The three-run plateau has been the breaking point for the Sycamores under head coach Rick Heller the last four seasons. When ISU has allowed three runs or less to their opponents, the team is 75-13 (.852) over the past four seasons. When opponents score four runs or more, ISU holds a 53-76 (.411) record.

Scoring First
The Sycamores have scored the first run in each of their last eight of their last nine games, dating back to their road game at SIU Edwardsville on May 7. Indiana State is 20-7 (.741) this season when scoring the first run of the ballgame compared to just 4-16 (.200) when their opponent scores first.

Close Games
In Indiana State's four seasons under head coach Rick Heller, the Sycamores are 71-58 (.546) in games decided by three runs or less. In games decided by four or more runs since 2010, the Sycamores carry a 58-30 (.659) record. This season, Indiana State is 11-15 in close games and 1-4 in extra innings.

Nationally-Ranked Opponents
Indiana State is 4-2 against nationally-ranked opponents this season, sweeping three games from No. 30 Creighton and splitting a pair of games with No. 28 Mercer.

Heating Up In May
Since turning the calendar to the month of May, Indiana State has posted a .295 team average at the plate and a 2.75 team ERA on the mound over 12 games. Redshirt sophomore Derek Hannahs (.390, 16-for-41, 13 runs), junior Mike Fitzgerald (.389, 14-for-36, 12 walks) and senior Robby Ort (.365, 19-for-52, 18 RBIs) have led the way at the plate while juniors Kurt Kudrecki (0 ER, 13 IP, 0.00 ERA) and Sean Manaea (2 ER, 16 IP, 1.12 ERA) have been strong on the mound.

Winning Ways
Indiana State posted their fourth straight winning season in 2012 and third straight under head coach Rick Heller. ISU's last run of four consecutive winning seasons came from 2000-03, while the last time that Indiana State posted five winning seasons in a row came during a 17-year run from 1977-1993. During Indiana State's 17-year run from 1977 to 1993, the Sycamores posted a 675-354-7 record and made six NCAA appearances.

Manaea, Moore Combine For Three MVC Pitcher Of The Week Awards
Junior Sean Manaea and senior Devin Moore have combined for three MVC Pitcher of the Week awards, highlighting a pitching staff that carries a 3.53 ERA this season. Manaea was selected on Feb. 22 following his six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against College of Charleston and on March 18 after fanning nine batters in a six-hitter at Minnesota. Moore earned the award on March 25 following his outing against Southern Illinois where he allowed just two hits over nine shutout innings in ISU's 1-0 win in 11 innings.

Kraemer's Grand Slam Highlights Series Win At Minnesota
Redshirt senior Koby Kraemer hit a grand slam in the sixth inning inside the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, sending the Sycamores to a 9-4 win in the rubber match on Sunday, March 17. Indiana State earned a 2-1 victory on Friday night against the Golden Gophers as junior Sean Manaea pitched his first complete game at Indiana State with nine strikeouts and made a game-saving tag at home plate to end the game. Kraemer's grand slam against the Golden Gophers was the first for the Sycamores since Landon Curry cleared the bases against Ball State last season on March 28.

Three Sycamores Earn MVC Scholar-Athlete Of The Week Awards
Redshirt senior Koby Kraemer (April 10 / April 17), senior Devin Moore (March 27) and sophomore Landon Curry (March 20 / April 24) have all been named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week this season. After the fall semester, the baseball team led all men's athletic teams at Indiana State with a combined 3.42 grade point average.

Seven Former Sycamores In The Show Or Triple-A
Led by shortstop Clint Barmes (Pittsburgh Pirates), left-handed pitcher Joe Thatcher (San Diego Padres) and right-handed pitcher Brian Omogrosso (Chicago White Sox), seven former Sycamores are currently either in Triple-A or on Major League Baseball rosters. Former Sycamore pitcher Blaise Ilsley is also working in the Majors, serving as the bullpen coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. Since 2009, 14 members of the Indiana State baseball team have been drafted or signed as a free agent with MLB teams.

4-2 Against The Big Ten Conference This Season
Indiana State is 4-2 against the Big Ten Conference this season with five of those six games coming on the road. The Sycamores took two out of three games inside the Metrodome against Minnesota in mid-March before sweeping a home-and-home midweek series with Purdue over a six-day span in early April. Indiana State closed out their B1G schedule on April 24, falling 8-1 on the road at No. 17 Indiana.

Weather Problems In 2013
The Sycamores have lost nine games this season due to poor spring weather. Included in those nine games have been two entire weekends that have been cancelled, March 1-3 at Eastern Kentucky and April 26-28 at UT Martin.

On To The Next One...
The 2013 NCAA Tournament begins on Friday, May 31, at 16 regional sites.