By Keith Thomas
Staff Writer

As the Purdue baseball team opens its Big Ten season this afternoon against Michigan State, no one can be more excited than center fielder Nate Sickler.

In conference play last season, Sickler led the Boilers in batting average (.367), hits (33), runs (21), home runs (5), doubles (7), total bases (55), slugging percentage (.611) and on-base percentage (.436). In addition, the Hinkley, Minn., native was second in RBIs (16) and third in fielding percentage (.983).

Sickler attributes those numbers, as well as this season’s productive start, to hard work as well as some assistance.

"Coach (Todd) Murphy has really worked with me a lot on seeing the ball better and swinging at good pitches," Sickler said.

Leading all those offensive categories for Purdue (10-6) last season came while Sickler was just a sophomore. Coach Doug Schreiber said that because Sickler had a productive year last season, he might have higher expectations of himself but not necessarily higher pressure.

"To me, pressure is when others’ expectations are higher than your own," Schreiber said, "but, I think his expectations for himself are pretty high."

Sickler, who led the team in overall home runs last season with 11, is on pace to equal that. Last season, prior to the Big Ten opener, Sickler had six homeruns, which is the same number he has at this point.

At only 5-foot-10 and170 pounds, Sickler, a right-handed hitter, is not as big as the prototypical home run hitter, but he is aggressive. He led two dubious categories — strikeouts (21) and hits-by-pitch (6) — that illustrate his aggressiveness at the plate.

As aggressive as he is on the field, Sickler is cautious off it. He never steps on a crack in the sidewalk. That's just one of the little quirks he has. Sickler also has the same routine as he trots onto the field — making sure he never steps on the chalk line by stepping, instead, on third base. One pre-game ritual he has adopted this year, due to the less than desirable weather, is drinking two cups of hot chocolate before each game. Just two; no more, no less.

Along with his superstitions, Sickler is also modest. He said he tries not to think too much about personal accomplishments.

"I would trade in leading those categories last season for a few more wins," said Sickler. "Making it to the Big Ten Tournament would have made it all worth it."

Though modest, Sickler does not lack confidence. He feels he can always come through in the big games for his team.

"I play pretty good in important games," said Sickler.

As aggressive as Sickler has been this early at the plate, Schreiber said he hopes the rest of the lineup can produce some more timely hits as well.

"I wish they would all be a little more aggressive at the plate and maybe have a little higher expectations," said Schreiber.

Sickler’s run production might suffer a little compared to earlier in the season due to an injury to a teammate. An early season injury to leadoff hitter Chris Walker has forced Schreiber to put Sickler in the leadoff spot. Schreiber said that Sickler’s power provides a different type of lead-off hitter.

"What he provides us is a guy that can get on second base right now without having to steal a base," said Schreiber. "He can hit a double as well as anybody."

Talking about the Boilers successful start this season, Sickler said it is nice, but now is the time for the Boilers to put together some wins.

"We like our record and the wins are important," said Sickler "but, what’s really important is the Big Ten record."

• The Boilers begin the first of a four-game weekend series against Michigan State this afternoon at 3 p.m. The Boilers and Spartans play two games on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. Then, the teams wrap up the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.