Big Ten Baseball Tournament Recap: Day 4

Game 9 — Quality Start, Quality Swings

#7 Ohio State 5

#2 Nebraska 12

Nostradamus most likely could not predict how things would transpire over the course of a nine-inning baseball game based on how Mason McConnaughey handled the first three Ohio State batters, but a betting man would easily lay down some money that Nebraska would not surrender twelve walks to the Buckeyes like they were gifted yesterday by Indiana. Big Mac came out firing strikes, getting swinging K’s from the first two batters he faced, and over the course of six innings, he recorded a season high eleven. The knuckle-curve was nasty, and his fast ball was hitting spots.

Another good bet would have been that Nebraska would score more than the two runs they had Tuesday night. You would collect on that bet in the bottom of the first inning when Gabe Swansen smacked a three-run dinger to put the Big Red up 3-0! You could have doubled your money on Gabe as he had a total of six RBI on his four hit day.

Despite the final score, Ohio State was in this one, scratching out runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. McConnaughey kept them from stringing together hits though, and thus they did not get that big inning.

When Nebraska put three on the board in the seventh, it seemed like everyone on the Cornhusker train could finally breathe a little bit. Then in the eighth, the Big Red was a hit away from returning the favor to the Buckeyes and sending them on their way with the 10-run rule.

Gabe Swansen and Mason McConnaughey had huge games today, but this was one of those team wins where everyone contributed. Jalen Worthley was deadly until he had to spend a long time on the bench in the eighth inning when Nebraska was putting runs on the board and Ohio State was changing pitchers. He even trotted down to the bullpen to try to stay warm. It also didn’t help that the umpire started squeezing the zone a bit.

With this 12-5 win today, we saw the kind of Cornhusker team that we have expected all season. We’ve seen it before a few times, but hopefully the timing of a win like this bodes well for the regional tournament. Yes, I feel comfortable now saying that our boys will be playing somewhere next weekend. Hopefully not too far down the road!

Aaron will provide more details and description in his game summary, so make sure to read that and find us again tomorrow as we continue to cover the tournament.

Two final notes about this game come from the press conference afterward. It was a great feeling listening to interaction between Will Bolt and a reporter from Ohio State about the baseball culture that has extended to the fan base at Nebraska. He was very complimentary, and being one of those fans that used to sit in those bleachers at Buck Beltzer, it felt really good! The other thing is what a wonderful interview Buckeye head coach Bill Mosiello is. If you watched the broadcast and have seen his in-game interviews you know what I’m talking about. In the press room he is outstanding. Both Aaron and I are conflicted because we like him a lot, but are definitely not Ohio State fans!

Game 10 — Almost a no-no

#4 Michigan 4

#1 Illinois 2

With the number two seed Nebraska advancing to the weekend after their first round loss, would number one seed Illinois stick around as well? In the second win-or-go-home game of the day, the Fighting Illini and Michigan faced off for the first time this season, and the stakes could not be higher.

One would think that Illinois having claimed the regular season title has already punched its regional ticket, though nothing is a guarantee when it comes to Big Ten teams getting a regional bid. The Illini RPI sits at 40 going into this game and that is not a definite lock. At least one more win would enhance their resume.

Michigan only gets to the regional if they win the tournament and tonight they hope to keep that opportunity alive by putting the best two-way player in the conference on the mound. In Michigan’s first two games, Will Rogers squatted behind the plate calling pitches. Tonight he got to stretch his legs and throw the pitches rather than catch them. And, he was certainly up to the task.

Rogers, an Arizona State transfer a year ago, held Illinois hitless through seven innings, striking out a career high nine batters. He was also a six-pitch walk away from being perfect. The offensive firepower that put Illinois on top of the conference this season was not able to find its groove vs. the right-hander until Ryan Moerman singled sharply to start off the Illinois eighth. As fate would have it, he was doubled up 4-6-3 on a Jacob Schroeder ground ball.

Michigan took the lead in the top of the third inning as nine-hole batter Brock Leitgeb got a lead-off walk and scored on a single by Stephen Hrustich, the big hitter’s first hit of the tournament. They scored their second run in the fifth when Mitch Voit tripled off the wall in deep center, and Hrustich then popped a bloop double to shallow left field to score him. At the games halfway point, Michigan held a 2-0 lead.

Michigan put their third run up in the top of the eighth when Cole Caruso led off with a double, and then the pitcher/designated hitter throwing a no-hitter, brought him home with a double of his own. Mitch Voit added a solo home run in the top of the ninth.

In the vast majority of no-hitters, there is at least one outstanding defensive play. While there wasn’t a no-no tonight, there was one of those incredible plays made by Will Rogers himself. In the sixth inning on a ball sharply hit right back at him by Cal Hejaz, he basically did a hockey kick-save directing the ball over toward the first baseline. It was fielded by Collin Priest, who slapped on the tag for the third out of the inning.

Illinois finally got on the board in the bottom of the ninth against a laboring Will Rogers. Connor Milton walked for the second time in the game and scored on a triple buy catcher Camden Janik. He then gave up an RBI single to Drake Westcott. At that point Head Coach Tracy Smith pulled Rogers who came oh so close to making history tonight. Dylan Vigue came on an got the final out for a 4-2 Michigan victory.

Michigan survives and advances, while regular season B1G champion Illinois will head home to wait and see if they have done enough to get a regional nod.

Tomorrow could be the longest day of the tournament depending on the outcome of the first two games. Nebraska takes on Indiana in Game 11 at 9:00. Grab a breakfast burrito and head on out to the ballpark! If Nebraska wins, they play again at 5:00. Michigan then plays Penn State, with first pitch tentatively scheduled for 1:00. If Michigan wins, then they will play again at either 5:00 (if Indiana wins) or 9:00 (if Nebraska wins). We’ll see who has the most pitching!