Iowa Hawkeyes Baseball - Brian Ray/Iowa Athletics
The 2023 baseball Big Ten Tournament is officially here. Now that the first day is over, it is time to look at what happened, and what is next for Big Ten college baseball. The bracket moves quickly, already beginning round two just hours after the final game of round one. Here is a brief recap of day one followed by the dates, times, and what to expect in round two.
Big Ten Tournament Round 1 Recap
3 Iowa vs 6 Michigan
The first game of the tournament was between Iowa and Michigan. The Hawkeyes had a big 13-3 win over the Wolverines. Two of Michigan’s runs came from Tito Flores and one from Joey Velazquez. As for Iowa, Michael Seegers takes the top-scoring spot with three runs. It was not all bad for Michigan as pitcher, Connor O’Halloran pitched seven strikeouts, according to the NCAA. Iowa can expect a big push in this tournament if they keep it up.
2 Indiana vs 7 Illinois
As expected, the number two seed Indiana defeated Illinois, 4-3. It was a much closer game than the first one though. Illinois had just five strikeouts, according to the NCAA. Evan Whiteaker himself had six strikeouts for Indiana. This was closer than expected and both teams will want to do better moving forward.
1 Maryland vs 8 Michigan State
This may be the most entertaining game of all that has occurred so far. This game was predicted to go one way but ended up being closer than expected. At the end of the seventh inning, a tied score was making it look like the game could go either way. Maryland ended up taking the win with a 3-2 score. In the Bottom of the 8th, Luke Shliger put the team on his back with a big hit to get the winning score.
4 Nebraska vs 5 Rutgers
This game has not yet been played. It will be the first game of day two, as well as the final game in round one. For more about what to expect, read here.
What’s Next in the Big Ten Tournament
7 Illinois vs 6 Michigan
The first game that will take place is between Indiana and Michigan. The game will be on May 24th at 8 pm Eastern. This game can go either way based on round one. Illinois may be the lower-ranked team, but they kept their round one game much closer than Michigan. The two teams have faced each other already this year. Michigan took the series 2-1 and could get another win here.
3 Iowa vs 2 Indiana
The second game of round two will be a fun one. Number three Iowa will be facing number two Indiana. This will be a big game between two top-ranked teams. The game will take place on May 25th, giving both teams a day’s rest as well. The two teams have played each other in the 2023 season with Indiana winning the series 2-1. This will be a must-watch game for baseball fans.
The final two games will be determined following the round one matchup of Nebraska vs Rutgers. Either way, both of the two games will be played on May 25th. The winner of the Rutgers-Nebraska game will face the top team, Maryland. The loser of the two will face Michigan State. It is an awkward situation as neither will want to face the top dog, Maryland, but will want to show they can win every game to win the tournament.
The loser of the game that will face Michigan State will be the favorite to win still. Michigan State is ranked at eight while both Rutgers and Nebraska are four and five. Be sure to watch the game between Rutgers and Nebraska to learn what the next matchups will be.
The Big Ten Tournament is already a fun one with closer matchups than expected.
