University of Maryland Baseball - Chris Lyons/Maryland Terrapins Athletics
The Big Ten baseball regular season is officially over. With that, comes the Big Ten Tournament. Eight teams will face off in order to be crowned the champions of this college baseball conference. The tournament will kick off on May 23rd and last until the 28th. All the games will be played in Omaha Nebraska. Here is a look at the first set of games and what to expect.
Big Ten Baseball Matchups
3 Iowa vs 6 Michigan
The first game will be between Iowa and Michigan on May 23rd at 10 am. Iowa are the favorites to win, as they rank 3rd in the Big Ten. Iowa ended the regular season with a 15-8 conference record while Michigan ended with a 13-11 regular season record. The two teams did not face each other in the regular season, making this the first time the two will face this year.
2 Indiana vs 7 Illinois
The next matchup will be between Indiana and Illinois. The Hoosiers are the favorites to win after coming in second in the Big Ten. The game will also take place on May 23rd but at 2 pm. Indiana ended the season with a 16-8 record while Illinois ended with a 12-12 conference record. These two Big Ten baseball teams did face in the regular season this year. Indiana won the series 2-1. While the Hoosiers may have won the entire series, they did lose a game. This gives Illinois a fighting chance going into the tournament.
1 Maryland vs 8 Michigan State
The number one seed Maryland will face Michigan State on May 23rd at 6 pm. Maryland is the clear favorite after having a dominating 2023 season. Maryland’s regular season ended with a 17-7 conference record while Michigan State ended with a 12-12 record. The two teams did not face in the regular season, but Maryland is still expected to take the win.
4 Nebraska vs 5 Rutgers
By far the closest matchup will be between the number four Nebraska and number five Rutgers. The game will take place May 24th at 2 pm The two teams ended with very similar records, but Nebraska ended with one more win. Nebraska ended the regular season with a 15-9 conference record and Rutgers ended with a 14-10 record. The two teams never faced each other in the regular season, but this game can go either way. Nebraska has a slight edge with its record, as well as the tournament being held in Nebraska.
Big Ten Baseball Matchup to Watch
All of the games should be watched by Big Ten fans, but the one to mark down is Nebraska vs Rutgers. Yes, the two teams are clearly even in their rankings, but they really are an equal matchup. These two raced for the fourth seed at the end of the season. The fact that these two did not face each other during the season makes it an even better game. Be sure to mark this Big Ten baseball game on your calendar.
