Following the final weekend of play in the Big Ten Conference, Nebraska has earned the #5 seed in this week’s post-season tournament. This year’s event is being held at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, all times listed are Mountain.
THURSDAY, MAY 30
#2 Michigan 5, #3 Illinois 4 (Illinois eliminated)
Jordan Nwogu drilled a two-run double with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to push Michigan past Illinois 5-4 on Thursday in the Big Ten Tournament.
Ako Thomas also had a pair of RBIs for Michigan (39-17), which rallied from a 3-0 hole to solidify its at-large NCAA Tournament hopes.
Michigan tied it at 3-all on a two-RBI double by Thomas in the bottom of the seventh. The Wolverine pitchers couldn’t hold it, walking three batters — including a go-ahead run — in the top of the eighth.
But Garrett Acton (2-3), the national leader with 19 saves, allowed runners to reach first and third — and Nwogu drilled a walk-off double to the left field gap.
Kellen Sarver had a pair of RBIs for Illinois (36-19), the first team to be sent home from Omaha.
#4 Minnesota 9, #1 Indiana 4
Jordan Kozicky and Eli Wilson each drove in two runs and Minnesota upset top-seeded Indiana 9-4 on Thursday, knocking the Hoosiers out of the Big Ten Tournament with back-to-back losses.
Kozicky and Wilson helped power Minnesota’s three-run fifth inning by driving in runs. Wilson made it 7-4 by driving a home run over the left field fence. Wilson finished with three hits for the fourth time this season.
Riley Smith pushed Minnesota’s (27-26) lead to 9-4 with a two-run triple to the right field wall in the ninth.
Indiana (36-21), one of the steadiest fielding teams all season in the Big Ten, committed three errors and gave up the most runs it had all season against a league opponent.
Nick Lackney (2-3) pitched six innings of one-hit relief for the Gophers.
#6 Maryland vs #7 Ohio State – Suspended in 8th inning (rain)
The Ohio State-Maryland game at the Big Ten Tournament will resume Friday morning after being suspended because of inclement weather in the eighth inning Thursday night. Ohio State led 3-2 with Maryland batting with one out and a man on second base in the bottom of the eighth. The start of the game was delayed 95 minutes because of rain. The Buckeyes took the lead in the top of the eighth on Zach Dezenzo’s sacrifice fly.
#8 Iowa vs #5 Nebraska – Postponed to Friday, one hour following conclusion of Maryland-Ohio State
WEDNESDAY, MAY 29
#5 Nebraska 8, #4 Minnesota 2
Spencer Schwellenbach’s bases-loaded double highlighted Nebraska’s five-run third inning, and the fifth-seeded Cornhuskers went on to beat No. 4 seed Minnesota 8-2 in the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday night.
Matt Waldron (6-3) scattered six singles, walked none and struck out nine in 7 1/3 innings as the Cornhuskers (29-20) won for the fifth time in six games. They’ll play eighth-seeded Iowa on Thursday night.
Angelo Altavilla tripled in two runs to help Nebraska get out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and Schwellenbach broke open the game in the third.
The Gophers loaded the bases loaded with one out in the eighth, but reliever Robbie Palkert got Eli Wilson to line out and struck out Cole McDevitt.
Minnesota starter Patrick Fredrickson (2-4) allowed eight runs, six earned, in 2 2/3 innings. The defending tournament champion Gophers (26-26) play top-seeded Indiana in an elimination game Thursday.
#6 Maryland 6, #3 Illinois 2
Maxwell Costes and Justin Vought each hit two-run homers in the eighth inning and Maryland beat third-seeded Illinois 6-2 on Wednesday in the opener of the Big Ten Tournament.
Michael Massey pulled the Fighting Illini into a 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the fifth inning before Maryland took the lead in the eighth. Costes and Vought drilled homers to left off of reliever Sean Leland (6-3), who took the loss for Illinois (36-19) after allowing four runs in just 21 pitches.
Hunter Parsons (10-3) let up one run and four hits in 7 1/3 innings for the sixth-seeded Terps (29-27). Parsons threw 123 pitches in the win, potentially limiting his availability should Maryland continue to advance.
#7 Ohio State 2, #2 Michigan 1
Dillon Dingler broke open a tie game with an RBI single in the eighth inning and Ohio State beat Michigan 2-1 on Wednesday in the Big Ten Tournament.
Three pitchers combined to toss a one-hitter for the Buckeyes (32-24).
Michigan (38-17) took a 1-0 lead into the eighth inning, but freshman Zach Dezenzo scored on Matt Carpenter’s grounder to tie it. Dingler gave the Buckeyes the lead, and Andrew Magno pitched two scoreless innings of relief for his 11th save.
Redshirt freshman Seth Lonsway struck out six in 5 1/3 innings for Ohio State, and Will Pfenning (2-3) got the win after retiring five batters.
Karl Kauffmann (8-6) took the loss despite letting up just three hits in eight innings.
#8 Iowa 4, #1 Indiana 2
Cole McDonald allowed five hits and struck out nine in eight innings, and bottom seed Iowa knocked off regular-season champion Indiana 4-2 in the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday night.
The Hawkeyes (31-22), swept by Indiana in a three-game series in March and losers of five straight entering the tournament, play Thursday night against the winner of the late game between Nebraska and Minnesota. The Hoosiers (36-20) play the Nebraska-Minnesota loser.
The Hawkeyes broke through against Indiana starter Pauly Milto (8-6) in the seventh. Ben Norman scored on a play at the plate and, after Tanner Wetrich’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly, Izaya Fullard hit a two-out RBI single off Connor Manous for a 3-1 lead.
Indiana managed two singles and a walk against McDonald (6-3) before scoring in the sixth when Matt Gorski followed Drew Ashley’s triple with a base hit.
Grant Leonard worked the ninth for his school-record 14th save.
8:00 pm – #4 Minnesota vs. #5 Nebraska