The mad scramble for the eight-team B1G tournament...

[ptrich]

We have three weekends left of B1G play in the regular season and it's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out. Illinois and Purdue have just two B1G series left with a non-conference series left on their schedule. Only Minnesota, Ohio State, and Northwestern are pretty much out of it as far as making the tournament. Illinois has an 8-10 conference record with six league games left, so they are probably going to need some help to squeeze into it, and it doesn't look good for them right now. Iowa and PSU had their last game of their series this past weekend canceled and not postponed as they split two games, and how those teams playing one less game on the conference schedule plays out in the final standings remains to be seen. If the season ended today, Rutgers would be the last team in the tournament with an 8-7 record.

Maryland leads the pack with 4 losses, MSU has 5 losses, and there are four teams including IU with 6 losses, one with 7 losses, and two with 8 losses. Of the teams with 6 or fewer losses, here are the remaining series.

MD (11-4): Neb, Minn, @ PSU

MSU (10-5): @ IL, @ IA, IU

IU (9-6): @ NW, Purdue, @ MSU

Neb (9-6): @ MD, PSU, @ Purdue

Mich (9-6): @ MN, NW, @ OSU

Iowa (8-6): OSU, MSU, @NW

Other teams in the mix are Purdue (10-8), Rutgers (8-7), IL (8-10), and PSU (6-8).

This is one week where I wished IU had a midweek game to get back into sync after being taken to the cleaners over the weekend, but we will have to go on the road with the bad taste of that series still in our mouth. FWIW, Northwestern's three B1G wins were a win against Purdue and two wins against Illinois. We need to sweep this team and should do that, but the Wildcats are not just going to lay over for us.

 

[kraft cheese+macaroni]

We have three weekends left of B1G play in the regular season and it's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out. Illinois and Purdue have just two B1G series left with a non-conference series left on their schedule. Only Minnesota, Ohio State, and Northwestern are pretty much out of it as far as making the tournament. Illinois has an 8-10 conference record with six league games left, so they are probably going to need some help to squeeze into it, and it doesn't look good for them right now. Iowa and PSU had their last game of their series this past weekend canceled and not postponed as they split two games, and how those teams playing one less game on the conference schedule plays out in the final standings remains to be seen. If the season ended today, Rutgers would be the last team in the tournament with an 8-7 record.

Maryland leads the pack with 4 losses, MSU has 5 losses, and there are four teams including IU with 6 losses, one with 7 losses, and two with 8 losses. Of the teams with 6 or fewer losses, here are the remaining series.

MD (11-4): Neb, Minn, @ PSU

MSU (10-5): @ IL, @ IA, IU

IU (9-6): @ NW, Purdue, @ MSU

Neb (9-6): @ MD, PSU, @ Purdue

Mich (9-6): @ MN, NW, @ OSU

Iowa (8-6): OSU, MSU, @NW

Other teams in the mix are Purdue (10-8), Rutgers (8-7), IL (8-10), and PSU (6-8).

This is one week where I wished IU had a midweek game to get back into sync after being taken to the cleaners over the weekend, but we will have to go on the road with the bad taste of that series still in our mouth. FWIW, Northwestern's three B1G wins were a win against Purdue and two wins against Illinois. We need to sweep this team and should do that, but the Wildcats are not just going to lay over for us.

It's Maryland and Michigan battling for the title IMO

 

[ptrich]

It's Maryland and Michigan battling for the title IMO

I would agree with you on that in just looking at how things stand right now and who is left on the schedule. Coach Smith and the Wolverines have three series left against the bottom feeders that are unlikely to come close to making the conference tourney. Minnesota is playing a little better this season and could possibly steal a game against U-M, but that's about it in looking at the schedule.

Btw, you really don't know who has the advantage on scheduling until about this time in the season given the impact of the draft and the portal transfers, but it looks like Michigan was the big winner when it comes to the easier schedule on the season. No Maryland, no IU, and no Iowa. They did drop 2 of 3 to Nebraska at home.

 

[ptrich]

There's still three conference weekend series left for all but two teams in the B1G and we don't know what it will look like after that last weekend, but let's revisit where the B1G coaches saw IU before the season began. They didn't give the actual voting on this, but the Terps were the favorite and I would be surprised if it wasn't unanimous, and they looked very much like that this past weekend. Here's part of that release:

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Maryland is the favorite to repeat as Big Ten baseball champions, according to the coaches’ preseason poll announced Thursday. Conference coaches also selected three student-athletes from their respective squads to comprise the 39-player Preseason Honors List.

In addition to Maryland, the top-six poll includes Rutgers in second place, followed by No. 3 Iowa, No. 4 Illinois, No. 5 Nebraska and No. 6 Indiana.

In national preseason polls, Maryland is ranked 13th by D1Baseball, 15th by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and 16th by Baseball America. The Terrapins finished 48-14 (18-5 Big Ten) last season, reaching a regional final on their home field.

The Big Ten baseball season commences Friday with Big Ten games beginning March 24.

Big Ten Preseason Poll:
1. Maryland
2. Rutgers
3. Iowa
4. Illinois
5. Nebraska
6. Indiana

 

[TomEric4756]

We have three weekends left of B1G play in the regular season and it's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out. Illinois and Purdue have just two B1G series left with a non-conference series left on their schedule. Only Minnesota, Ohio State, and Northwestern are pretty much out of it as far as making the tournament. Illinois has an 8-10 conference record with six league games left, so they are probably going to need some help to squeeze into it, and it doesn't look good for them right now. Iowa and PSU had their last game of their series this past weekend canceled and not postponed as they split two games, and how those teams playing one less game on the conference schedule plays out in the final standings remains to be seen. If the season ended today, Rutgers would be the last team in the tournament with an 8-7 record.

Maryland leads the pack with 4 losses, MSU has 5 losses, and there are four teams including IU with 6 losses, one with 7 losses, and two with 8 losses. Of the teams with 6 or fewer losses, here are the remaining series.

MD (11-4): Neb, Minn, @ PSU

MSU (10-5): @ IL, @ IA, IU

IU (9-6): @ NW, Purdue, @ MSU

Neb (9-6): @ MD, PSU, @ Purdue

Mich (9-6): @ MN, NW, @ OSU

Iowa (8-6): OSU, MSU, @NW

Other teams in the mix are Purdue (10-8), Rutgers (8-7), IL (8-10), and PSU (6-8).

This is one week where I wished IU had a midweek game to get back into sync after being taken to the cleaners over the weekend, but we will have to go on the road with the bad taste of that series still in our mouth. FWIW, Northwestern's three B1G wins were a win against Purdue and two wins against Illinois. We need to sweep this team and should do that, but the Wildcats are not just going to lay over for us.

Finals week rules.

 

[ptrich]

Some midweek scores from Tues:

Indiana St. 5 Illinois 4

Wright St. 3 OSU 1

Iowa 7 Illinois St. 4

Maryland/Mount St. Mary's (Canx)

Northwestern 17 Ill. Chicago 7 (tune-up game for IU)

 

[dconifer]

Some midweek scores from Tues:

Indiana St. 5 Illinois 4

Wright St. 3 OSU 1

Iowa 7 Illinois St. 4

Maryland/Mount St. Mary's (Canx)

Northwestern 17 Ill. Chicago 7 (tune-up game for IU)

FYI, Maryland cancelled the home game against sub-200 RPI Mt. St Mary's yesterday, and replaced it with an away game today at #107 Delaware...

 

[kraft cheese+macaroni]

FYI, Maryland cancelled the home game against sub-200 RPI Mt. St Mary's yesterday, and replaced it with an away game today at #107 Delaware...

LOL Irony. We just did the same thing with USI ---> Xavier

 

[Dude Where Is My Car]

LOL Irony. We just did the same thing with USI ---> Xavier

As much as I criticize Mercer this might be the smartest thing he has ever done as a coach. This literally could be the difference between an at-large bid and not. Losing to Xavier will hurt you about as much as beat Southern Indiana would have helped you.