Indiana Wins 2009 Big Ten Tournament

Indiana Wins 2009 Big Ten Tournament

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Saturday Conference Results (So Far)

IOWA 6
OHIO ST. 8

Buckeye reliever Drew Rucinski improves to 9-2 after giving up 2 runs on 2 hits in 2 innings of work. Closer Jake Hale also picked up his 15th save of the season after pitching a scoreless 9th inning and striking out one batter. Hawkeye reliever Mike Schurz drops to 1-2 after giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits in just one inning of work. Offensively the Buckeyes were led by 3B Justin Miller who finished 3-3 with 1 HR, 2 runs, and 2 RBI. The black and yellow were led by 1B Sean Flanagan who finished 2-4 with 2 runs, 1 HR, and 2 RBI. With the win, the Buckeye's title hopes are still alive (will clinch with a Minnesota loss). They improve to 39-15 (18-6) on the season. With the loss, the Hawkeyes finish the season with a record of 16-35 (4-19).

MICHIGAN 6
NORHTWESTERN 10 (Game 1)

Northwestern hurler Eric Jokisch gave up 6 runs on 9 hits and struckout 4 Wolverines in his 8-inning winning performance which moved him to 4-7 on the season. Wolverine reliever Tyler Burgoon drops to 4-2 after giving up 4 runs on 4 hits in just 0.2 innings of work. Offensively the Wildcats were led by 3B Chris Lashmet who finished 2-4 with 2 RBI. 1B Tony Vercelli also added a HR, and finished the day 1-5 with 3 runs and 3 RBI. The Wolverines were led by LF Kenny Fellows who finished the day 3-5 with a run and 2 RBI. Ryan LaMarre and Mike Dufek each added a HR for the blue and maize. With the win, Northwestern improved to 13-35 (4-17), while Michigan dropped to 30-24 (9-14), which eliminates them from the Big Ten Tournament.

ILLINOIS 8
PURDUE 12

Purdue starter Matt Morgan improves to 6-4 on the season after giving up 3 earned runs on 10 hits in 6.1 innings of work. Illini starter Bryan Roberts drops to 5-4 on the year after giving up 4 runs on 7 hits in just 2.1 innings pitched. Offensively, the Boilermakers were led by LF Alex Jaffee, who finished a perfect 4-4 with 1 HR, 2 runs, and 3 RBI. 2B Eric Charles also finished an impressive 4-5 with 4 runs, and Cummins and Haveman each added 3 hits of their own. Illinois was led by RF Pete Cappetta who finished 4-5 with 1 HR, 2 runs, and 2 RBI. SS Brandon Wikoff also collected three hits, and finished 3-5 with a run. With the win, Purdue secures the sixth and final spot in the Big Ten Tournament, and improves to 24-24 (11-12). The loss drops the Illini to 33-18 (16-8).

MICHIGAN ST. 7
INDIANA 3

Spartan starter Tony Bucciferro imrpoves to 5-2 on the year after giving up 3 runs on 7 hits and striking out 9 Hoosier hitters in 7.1 innings. Spartan reliver Max Miller picked up his first save of the season after pitching 1.2 scoreless innings. Hoosier reliever Igel recieves the loss and drops to 1-1 after giving up 3 runs on 6 hits in 4 innings of work. Offensively the Spartans were led by DH Eric Roof, who finished 2-4 with a homerun, 2 runs, and 2 RBI. LF Johnny Lee and 1B Jeff Holm also finished with two hits a piece for the green and white. Indiana was led offensively by SS Jake Dunning who finished 1-3 with a HR and 1 RBI. With the win, Michigan State improves to 23-29 (13-11), while the Hoosiers drop to 28-25 (16-7).

MINNESOTA 8
PENN ST. 5 bottom of 4, rain delay


With Minnesota and Penn State in a rain delay, the Big Ten crown has not yet been decided. With Illinois and Indiana losses, they are eliminated from 1st place contention. Ohio State's win keeps them alive, but they need a loss from Minnesota to be named conference champions. Minnesota, on the other hand, will win the conference if they win, or the game gets rained out. If Minnesota loses, the crown goes to the Buckeyes.

Stay tuned for the results of the Minnesota vs. Penn State game..... it can also be seen on the Big Ten Network if you have that channel in your cable package.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Minnesota's McCallum Named Semi-Finalist for Dick Howser Trophy

Minnesota Golden Gopher second baseman Derek McCallum was named as one of the sixteen semifinalists for the Dick Howser trophy, which is given to the top collegiate baseball player each season. Coming into this weekend, McCallum led the Big Ten in batting average, RBI, and HR. Congratulations to McCallum, it is a great recognition for him, the University of Minnesota, and Big Ten baseball.

Friday's Conference Results

ILLINOIS 6
PURDUE 3

Illinois' Will Strack improves to 6-0 after giving up 3 runs and striking out 4 in 6.1 innings of work. Lee Zerusen picks up his second save of the season for the Fighting Illini. Purdue's Matt Jansen drops to 4-6 after giving up 3 runs on 6 hits in 2.1 innings pitched. Offensively the Illini were led by 3B Dominic Altobelli who finished 4-5 with 2 R and 1 RBI. DH Willie Argo was also 3-4 with 4 RBI. Wikoff and Bonadonna also each added a pair of hits. The Boilers were led by CF Brandon Haveman, who finished 3-5 with a run. Cummins and Overmeyer each added a pair of hits as well. With the win Illinois improves to 33-17 (16-7), while the Boilermakers drop to 23-24 (10-12).

MICHIGAN
NORTHWESTERN postponed to Saturday

MICHIGAN ST. 1
INDIANA 6

Indiana's Matt Bashore improves to 6-4 after pitching 8 scoreless innings, giving up just three hits, walking just one batter, and striking out 10 Spartans along the way. Michigan State's A.J. Achter drops to 3-5 after giving up 3 runs on 6 hits and walking 4 in 6 innings pitched. Offensively the Hoosiers were led by SS Jake Dunning who finished 2-2 with 2 runs, 2 RBI, and 2 BB. Dickerson and Sabourin also collected two hits each for Indiana. The Spartans were held to just 5 hits on the game, 2 of which came from LF Bo Felt. With the win, Indiana improves to 28-24 (18-6) while Michigan State drops to 22-29 (12-11).

IOWA 4
OHIO ST. 5

Ohio State's Dean Wolosiansky improves to 11-1 after giving up 3 runs on 6 hits and striking out 5 in 7 innings of work. Iowa's Steve Turnbull drops to 1-3 after giving up 2 runs on 3 hits in 2 innings pitched. Offensively the Buckeyes were led by DH Ryan Dew who finished 2-5 with 2 runs, and 1 RBI. Hurley, Burkhart, and Miller each collected 2 hits of their own as well. Iowa was led by 2B Mike McQuilan, who finished 3-5 with 1 run and 1 RBI. 3B Wes Freie was also 1-3 with 1 HR and an RBI. With the win, the Buckeyes improve to 38-16 (17-6), while the Hawkeyes drop to 16-34 (4-18).

MINNESOTA 4
PENN ST. 2

Minnesota starter Seth Rosin picks up the win and moves to 6-1 after giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and striking out 7 in 7 innings of work. Rosin also made a terrific defensive play which was featured on ESPN Sportscenter's "Top Ten Plays". Good to see the Big Ten getting some national media attention. Penn State's Mike Lorenston drops to 1-7 after giving up 3 runs on 7 hits in 7.2 innings of work. Minnesota's Scott Matyas pitched 2 perfect innings to pick up his second save in as many days, and his 13th on the season. Offensively the Golden Gophers were led by 2B Derek McCallum, who finished 2-4 with 2 RBI. CF Eric Decker also collected two hits, one of which was a HR and finished 2-3 with 1 RBI. Penn State was led offensively by RF Rick Marlin, who finished 2-3 with 1 HR and 2 RBI. With the win, Minnesota improves to 35-14 (17-5), while Penn State drops to 24-26 (7-16).


With Minnesota, Ohio State, Illinois, and Indiana wins, the race for first place is still undecided with one game left to play. Should be an interesting and exciting finish! Stay posted for tomorrow's results and weekend wrap-up.

Thursday's Conference Results

MICHIGAN ST. 4
INDIANA 6

Hoosier reliever Chris Squires picked up the win and improved to 2-2 on the year after pitching 2 scoreless innings and striking out 3 Spartan hitters. Squires combined with Matt Carr to pitch the last 6 innings without a run, lifting Indiana to victory. Michigan St. reliever AJ Dunn recieves the loss and drops to 2-3 on the year after giving up 3 runs on 2 hits in 2 innings pitched. Spartan starter Nolan Moody gave up 3 runs on 7 hits in 6.2 innings of work. Offensively the Hoosiers were led by C Josh Phegley who finished 2-3 with 1 R, 1 HR, and 2 RBI. 3B Vince Gonzalez also added 2 hits of his own, finishing 2-4 with 1 run, 1 HR, and 1 RBI. 1B Jerrud Sabourin also went yard and finished 1-4 on the night. The green and whtie were led by C Eric Roof who finished 2-4 with a run. 3B AJ Shindler collected a HR and 2 RBI and finished 1-5 on the evening. With the win, the Hoosiers improved to 27-24 overall, and 15 -6 in conference play, while the Spartans dropped to 22-28 (12-10).

ILLINOIS 5
PURDUE 12

Boilermaker starter Matt Bischoff improves to 4-4 after giving up 3 runs on 7 hits and striking out 3 in 6 innings of work. Illinois starter Phil Haig drops to 6-3 after giving up 6 runs on 11 hits in 5 innings pitched. Purdue reliever Drew Wurdack recieved his 2nd save on the season after pitching 3 innings and giving up 2 runs on 3 hits. Offensively the Boilermakers were led by 3B Dan Black who finished 3-4 on the night with 1 HR, 2 runs, and 5 RBI. DH Drew Madia hit a grand slam and finished 1-2 with 1 run and 4 RBI. RF Alex Jaffee and SS Nick Overmeyer also went yard for the Boilermakers. For the Illini, 2B Josh Parr led the way going 3-4 with 1 run. DH Willie Argo also went 2-2 with 2 runs and 2 BB. With the win, the Boilermakers improve to 23-23 (10-11) while Illinois drops to 32-17 (15-7).


MICHIGAN 16
NORTHWESTERN 6

Wolverine starter Chris Fetter improves to 7-3 after giving up 6 runs on 10 hits and striking out nine Wildcats in 6.2 innings pitched. Northwestern reliever David Jensen falls to 2-4 after giving up 5 runs on 1 hit and 4 walks in just 0.1 innings of work. Offensively the Wolverines were led by 1B Mike Dufek who finished 2-4 with 2 HR, 3 R, and 4 RBI. DH Jake McClouth also had a HR, and finished 2-4 with 3 R and 1 RBI. Fellows, Toth, LaMarre, and Oaks all added a pair of hits for the blue and maize. The Wildcats were led by DH Jake Wilson, who finished 2-4 with a run and 2 RBI. CF Kenneth Avilla also finished 1-3 with 2 RBI. With the win, the Wolverines improve to 30-23 (9-13) while the Wildcats drop to 12-35-1 (3-17).

MINNESOTA 7
PENN ST. 6

Gopher reliever Austin Lubinsky improves to 3-0 on the season after pitching 3 innings and giving up just 1 run on 1 hit. Minnesota closer Scott Matyas picked up his 12th save after pitching a perfect ninth inning and striking out two hitters. Penn St. reliever David Lutz gave up 1 run on 1 hit and took the loss to drop to 4-2 after his 1 inning appearance. Offensively the maroon and gold were led by C Kyle Knudson who finished 2-4 with 1 R and 2 RBI. RF Michael Kvasnicka and 3B Kyle Geason also each added a pair of hits. The Nittany Lions were led by CF Blake Lynd, who finished 2-5. 3B Jordan Steranka added a solo HR and finished 1-4 on the night. With the win, the Gophers improve to 34-14 (16-5) while Penn St. drops to 24-25 (7-15).

IOWA 4
OHIO ST. 13

Buckeyes starter Alex Wimmers continues his impressive pitching and improves to 9-1 after pitching 6 scoreless innings and striking out 12 Hawkeye hitters. Hawkeyes starter Nick Brown drops to 2-4 after giving up 5 runs on 5 hits in just one inning of work. Offensively Ohio St. was led by CF Michael Stephens who went 2-4 with 2 runs, 1 HR, and 3 RBI. LF Zach Hurley collected three hits, and finished 3-4 with 2 RBI. The Hawkeyes were led by CF Kurtis Muller who hit a grandslam and finished 1-4 with 4 RBI. With the win, the Buckeyes improve to 37-15 (16-6), while the Hawkeyes drop to 16-33 (4-17).


With Minnesota's win, they remain in sole possession of first place. Ohio State's win over the Hawkeyes keeps them right in the mix just 1/2 game back. Illinois' loss and Indiana's win puts them a bit behind, but they are not out of the race yet. Stay tuned for tomorrow's action!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Final Big Ten Weekend Preview

As we enter the final weekend of conference play, the Big Ten Standings are real tight, with Minnesota leading the way with a record of 15-5, and Ohio State and Illinois trailing the Gophers by just 1/2 game, and the Hoosiers of Indiana trailing the Gophers by just 1 full game.

Not only is there a tight race for first place, but also for the last spot in the Big Ten Tournament. Right now, Purdue is sitting pretty at 6th place with a record of 9-11, with Michigan trailing behind them at 8-13, and Penn St. still in the hunt at 7-14.

This being said, here is a quick overview of this weekend's matchups:

MICHIGAN ST. @
INDIANA

Michigan State enters this weekend sitting comfortably in 5th place at 12-8, while the Hoosiers are sitting at 4th place at 14-6 just 1 game back of first place. Look for the Hoosiers to make a strong push for a Big Ten Title at home this weekend, but that is no easy task against the Spartans, who have been the Big Ten's hottest team in the second half of the conference schedule.

ILLINOIS @
PURDUE

Illinois enters the weekend in a 2nd place tie with the Buckeyes at 15-6, just 1/2 of a game back of the league leading Golden Gophers. Purdue sits in the driver's seat of the sixth and last spot in the Big Ten Tournament at 9-11, but they must be careful as the Wolverines and Nittany Lions are nipping at their heals to get into that coveted final post-season spot.

MICHIGAN @
NORTHWESTERN

Michigan enters the weekend at 8-13 and in 7th place in the conference, looking to make a surge into the sixth and final Big Ten Tournament spot. Northwestern enters the weekend at 3-16, with nothing to play for this weekend except pride.

MINNESOTA @
PENN ST.

Minnesota enters this weekend at 15-5, and leading the Big Ten by just 1/2 game. The Nittany Lions enter the weekend at 7-14, and are looking to snag the final spot in the Big Ten tournament from Purdue or Michigan.

IOWA @
OHIO ST.

Iowa enters the weekend at 3-16 and similar to Northwestern, has nothing to play for except pride. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, come into this weekend sitting in a tie for 2nd place at 15-6, trailing the Golden Gophers by just 1/2 game.

More updates and results to come as the games take course.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Tuesday's Big Ten Non-Conference Results

Here are the scores from the Big Ten non-conference action tonight:

MICHIGAN ST. 8
C. Michigan 9 (10 innings)

Ball State 5
MICHIGAN 8

Ball State 2
MICHIGAN 5

PENN ST. 5
Villanova 10

INDIANA 10
Evansville 8 (10 innings)

Monday, May 11, 2009

All-Weekend Performers Team

Here is my all-weekend performers team for this past weekend in the Big Ten:

C: Dan Burkhart, OSU
1B: Corey Wine, PSU
2B: Derek McCallum, MINN and Trevor Stevens, NW
SS: Jonathan Roof, MSU
3B: Wes Freie, IOWA
OF: Evan Crawford, IND
OF: Michael Kvasnicka, MINN
OF: Joe Bonnadonna, ILL
DH: Ryan Dew, OSU

P: Eric Arnett, IND
P: Matt Bashore, IND
P: Alex Wimmers, OSU

Big Ten Top Weekend Performer: Indiana pitcher ERIC ARNETT earns the honors this week after improving to an impressive 11-1 on the season after giving up just 2 runs and striking out 8 batters in a complete game effort against Northwestern this weekend.

Sunday's Conference Results

Long story short, I had a delayed flight and just got back, so I will skip the summaries and just provide you with the nitty gritty details of Sunday's Big Ten action.

NORTHWESTERN 2
INDIANA 10

PURDUE 9
MICHIGAN ST. 8

MINNESOTA 4
MICHIGAN 10

PENN ST. 3
IOWA 5

OHIO STATE 12
ILLINOIS 7

After this weekend's games, the Big Ten standings are as follows:

MINNESOTA 15-5
OHIO STATE 15-6
ILLINOIS 15-6
INDIANA 14-6
MICHIGAN ST. 12-8
PURDUE 8-11
MICHIGAN 8-13
PENN STATE 7-14
IOWA 4-16
NORTHWESTERN 3-16

After Minnesota took 2 of 3 at Ann Arbor, they claimed sole possession of first place by 1/2 game. The Buckeyes took 2 of 3 from Illinois and moved into a second place tie with the Illini, who are just 1/2 game back of the Gophers. Indiana took all 3 games against Northwestern, and currently sit at 4th place just 1 game out of first place. Michigan State split with Purdue in two games, which puts them in fifth place and mathematically in the Big Ten tournament. The sixth and final spot for the tournament will be a battle between Purdue, Michigan, and Penn State. Iowa and Northwestern are mathematically eliminated from conference post-season play. It should be an interesting race for the Big Ten regular season crown as Minnesota travels to Penn State next weekend, while Ohio State squares off with Iowa, Illinois travels to Purdue, and Indiana hosts Michigan State.

Stay tuned for this weekend's All-Weekend Performers and the Top Big Ten Performer, as well as midweek action and a preview of the final conference weekend.