Big Ten baseball teams went 17-21 over the weekend with Indiana, Iowa, Northwestern and Penn State going winless. The winless weekends had to be disappointing, but in most cases the competition was decent. Not great, but decent.
It's going to take a while for us to get accustomed to Big Ten baseball, but this isn't a league that's going to win a lot of early season non-conference games unless they're against fluff and that's not what we need the conference playing (as if I'm not beating that into your heads).
I apologize for this again being a little late, but real life has interrupted a lot lately. I hope to get these out on Monday at the latest from now on. Also - as I get more familiar with the names, the reviews will get better. Hell, it might take a year... but they will get better.
|
Illinois |
2-2 |
Gonzaga 13, Illinois 3 Gonzaga 7, Illinois 3 Illinois 9, Lamar 2 Illinois 9, Lamar 8 |
|
Look at those Gonzaga Bulldogs, feasting on Big Ten baseball teams! They're 7-0, with five of those wins coming against Nebraska and Illinois. In the 13-3 loss, Illinois used seven pitchers and allowed 20 hits. Ouch! Not a way to start a weekend! After seven games, the Illini find themselves with a team ERA of 6.24 and ranked ninth in the conference. |
||
|
Indiana |
0-3 |
Tulane 3, Indiana 2 Tulane 9, Indiana 8 (12 innings) Tulane 6, Indiana 2 |
|
It wasn't as if it were a bad 0-3 weekend. Indiana gave up three runs in the first inning in Friday's loss, then lost Saturday in 12 innings when Tulane hit a single with two outs and the bases loaded. Sunday they battled hard, but gave up five runs in the final two innings. Not bad, just no wins. |
||
|
Iowa |
0-3 |
Coastal Carolina 1, Iowa 0 George Mason 12, Iowa 3 Virginia Tech 4, Iowa 3 |
|
Iowa plays a pitcher's duel against Coastal Carolina where Hawkeye senior LHP Jarred Hippen threw 7.1 innings, giving up only three hits and one run. In a "WTF happened?", the Hawks get hammered by George Mason as junior LHP Matt Dermody gave up seven runs in only 3.1 innings. Sunday saw freshman LHP Sasha Kuebel throw 7.1 innings, giving up three hits and one run. The Hawkeyes just can't generate offense - six runs in three games, and hitting .244 as a team. |
||
|
Michigan |
3-1 |
Michigan 9, Iona 6 Michigan 11, Iona 2 Iona 3, Michigan 1 Michigan 6, Iona 5 |
|
Iona isn't much in the competition department, and the Wolverines mostly took care of business. Get this - right now Michigan has the top three stolen base leaders in the conference. Collectively, they're 23-of-27 in SBs. The next two highest teams are Purdue and Nebraska at 8-10 and 8-12, respectively. |
||
|
Michigan State |
3-1 |
MSU 4, Furman 2 MSU 13, Miami (OH) 4 MSU 6, Furman 2 Miami (OH) 1, MSU 0 |
|
Michigan State mostly took care of business, but in the second game against Miami ran up against senior LHP Shawn Marquardt who threw a complete game, giving up only three hits. The game was delayed 1:44 because of a scheduling error that left both teams on the field with no umpires. Figure that. Otherwise, the Spartans did well - in the first game against Miami they chased the starting pitcher in 2.1 innings with 11 hits and nine runs, eight of them earned. |
||
|
Minnesota |
2-2 |
Minnesota 1, Milwaukee 0 Minnesota 5, Milwaukee 3 Milwaukee 3, Minnesota 1 (10 innings) Milwaukee 6, Minnesota 1 |
|
If you thought Iowa has a problem on offense, up steps Minnesota. First, they shouldn't be scheduling a team like Milwaukee, and second, EIGHT runs in four games? No excuses about not playing outside or playing a warm-weather school here. The Gophers are second in team pitching with a 3.00 ERA, but they're collectively batting .199 (and they're not last in the conference). |
||
|
Nebraska |
4-0 |
Nebraska 5, Utah 2 Nebraska 15, Utah 0 Nebraska 7, Texas A&M -CC 1 Nebraska 8, UNLV 7 |
|
This weekend was as good as the opening weekend was bad. The Husker offense scored 35 runs over four games and looked good in the process. Sunday's game against UNLV had the Huskers coming back to win late in the game - something that hadn't happened at Nebraska in quite a while. |
||
|
Northwestern |
0-3 |
Cal-State Northridge 4, NU 3 (7 innings) Cal-State Northridge 8, NU 7 (11 innings) Cal-State Northridge 8, NU 7 |
|
NU had four games scheduled, one cancelled due to travel issues. Rather than looking at this that NU couldn't pull out a win, take it from the viewpoint that they need to play these games to get better. Like Indiana, not bad, just no wins. Three losses by one run each - man, that has to suck. |
||
|
Ohio State |
1-2 |
Georgia Tech 12, OSU 4 OSU 7, Georgia Tech 3 Georgia Tech 13, OSU 4 |
|
The Buckeyes took one against highly ranked Georgia Tech, which isn't too bad. Josh Dezse tied a single-game OSU record hitting three home runs in Friday's loss. I'd tell you more about the team, but they haven't updated their stats yet from last weekend. Guess OSU can't afford someone who does that on their web site. |
||
|
Penn State |
0-3 |
UNC Greensboro 10, PSU 7 UNC Greensboro 8, PSU 3 UNC Greensboro 6, PSU 0 |
|
Penn State, like Iowa and Northwestern, sits at 1-5 on the season after this weekend. PSU sits at .197 in team batting average, with only one guy, Jordan Steranka, batting over .300 at .385. After six games, he has only three runs and two RBIs - the dude needs some help! More proof? After six games, PSU has 19 total runs. Tyler Spillner of Purdue has 12 by hisself. Ouchie! |
||
|
Purdue |
2-1 |
Purdue 6, East Carolina 4 Maryland 11, Purdue 1 Purdue 14, Western Carolina 7 |
|
Purdue sits at 5-1, tops the Big Ten in team batting average at .335, and fifth in team pitching with a 4.10 ERA. The 11-1 loss against Maryland was a ball of suck, though, as the Boilermakers committed five errors and gave up 15 hits between three pitchers. Terrapin David Carroll went seven innings, giving up four hits and one run. |
||
Co-Player of the Week
Michael O'Neill, Michigan
OF - So. - Powell, Ohio - Olentangy Liberty
- Hit .533 with an OPS of 1.430 as Michigan went 3-1 against Iona over the weekend
- Recorded two hits in each of his four games, combining for five doubles in the series
- Went 5-for-5 on the base paths, scored two runs and drove in three
- Earns his first career Player of the Week award
- Last Michigan Player of the Week: Patrick Biondi (April 19, 2010)
Eric Charles, Purdue
2B - Sr. - Zionsville, Ind. - Zionsville
- Went 8-for-12 at the plate (.667) and combined for an OPS of 1.525 as Purdue went 2-1 at the ECU Keith LeClair Classic over the weekend
- Recorded multiple hits in all three games, including three-hit performances in wins over East Carolina and Western Carolina
- Combined to score four runs and drive in three over three games
- Collects his first weekly accolade
- Last Purdue Player of the Week: Cameron Perkins (April 11, 2011)
Pitcher of the Week
TJ Oakes, Minnesota
RHP - Jr. - Jordan, Minn. - Jordan
- Threw seven scoreless innings to lead Minnesota to a 1-0 win over Milwaukee on Friday
- Gave up just two hits in the game, holding the Panthers to an .095 average in the contest
- Struck out four and allowed just one walk
- Picks up his second career accolade and first this season, having also been honored as a freshman in 2010
- Last Minnesota Pitcher of the Week: TJ Oakes (May 17, 2010)
Co-Freshman of the Week
Chris Sujka, Indiana
OF - Oak Forest, Ill. - Mount Carmel
- Hit .500 (6-for-12) and slugged .917, combining for an OPS of 1.417 in Indiana's three games at Tulane
- Recorded multiple hits in two of the three games, including a three-hit performance in Game 2
- Hit two doubles and a home run in the series, also scoring two runs and driving in four
- Earns his first career weekly honor
- Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Dustin DeMuth (May 16, 2011)
Sasha Kuebel, Iowa
LHP - St. Louis, Mo. - St. Louis University High
- Allowed just one run in 7.1 innings of work against Virginia Tech in the Caravelle Resort Baseball at the Beach Tournament
- Struck out three in his second collegiate start
- Allowed just three hits and a walk in the quality start
- Collects his first weekly award
- Last Iowa Freshman of the Week: N/A