BTN Communications, March 19, 2014

CHICAGO - BTN will offer its most extensive baseball and softball coverage ever, with over 240 events airing on BTN, BTN2Go and the Big Ten Digital Network (BTDN) for the 2014 season.

BTN?s television coverage of Big Ten baseball begins with the third game of a three-game series between Indiana and Michigan. Coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday from Bloomington. Last season, Indiana won both the Big Ten Championship and Tournament, and advanced to the College World Series, becoming the first Big Ten squad to reach Omaha since Michigan in 1984.

BTN?s television coverage of Big Ten softball begins with Nebraska hosting Creighton on Wednesday, April 2. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET from Lincoln. Last season, Michigan captured a conference-record sixth straight Big Ten Championship, its 16th in the last 22 seasons. Four Big Ten teams participated in the NCAA Softball Championship, with the Wolverines and Huskers advancing to the Women?s College World Series, marking the first time since 2001 that two Big Ten teams appeared in the event.

Highlights and coverage of Big Ten baseball and softball will be featured on This Week in the Big Ten, a new studio show which airs Sunday nights, beginning April 6. Hosts Rick Pizzo, Mike Hall and various analysts will discuss Big Ten matchups and breakout performances from the weekend?s games. The Diamond Report will return with nightly airings during the baseball and softball tournaments.

Below is a preliminary schedule. Additional games will be added at a later date. The BTDN streaming schedule can be viewed at video.btn.com.

BTN & BTN2Go BASEBALL SCHEDULE: (All times Eastern)

DATE

TIME

MATCH-UP

LOCATION

Sunday, March 23 1 PM Michigan @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Sunday, March 30 2 PM UNLV @ Nebraska Lincoln, NE
Thursday, April 3 7 PM Michigan State @ Lansing Lugnuts Lansing, MI
Friday, April 4 6:30 PM Penn State @ Purdue West Lafayette, IN
Sunday, April 6 NOON Penn State @ Purdue West Lafayette, IN
Sunday, April 6 3 PM Illinois @ Northwestern Evanston, IL
Sunday, April 13 3:00 PM Nebraska @ Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
Tuesday, April 15 7:30 PM Kansas State @ Nebraska Lincoln, NE
Friday, April 18 8 PM Northwestern @ Nebraska Lincoln, NE
Sunday, April 20 NOON Illinois @ Penn State University Park, PA
Saturday, May 3 2:00 PM Purdue @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Sunday, May 4 NOON Purdue @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Sunday, May 4 3:00 PM Iowa @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Monday, May 5 7 PM Iowa @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Sunday, May 11 NOON Ohio State @ Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
Sunday, May 11 3 PM Nebraska @ Michigan State East Lansing, MI
Monday, May 12 1 PM Nebraska @ Michigan State East Lansing, MI
Thursday, May 15 5 PM Northwestern @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Thursday, May 15 8 PM Minnesota @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Friday, May 16 5 PM Northwestern @ Ohio State Columbus, IN
Friday, May 16 8 PM Minnesota @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Saturday, May 17 NOON Northwestern @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Saturday, May 17 3 PM Minnesota @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Wednesday, May 21 TBD Big Ten Baseball Tournament, Seed 1 vs. Seed 8 Omaha, NE
Wednesday, May 21 TBD Big Ten Baseball Tournament, Seed 4 vs. Seed 5 Omaha, NE
Thursday, May 22 TBD Big Ten Baseball Tournament, Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner Omaha, NE
Thursday, May 22 TBD Big Ten Baseball Tournament, Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner Omaha, NE
Friday, May 23 TBD Big Ten Baseball Tournament, Game 5 Winner vs. Game 7 Loser Omaha, NE
Friday, May 23 TBD Big Ten Baseball Tournament, Game 6 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser Omaha, NE
Saturday, May 24 TBD Big Ten Baseball Tournament, Game 7 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner Omaha, NE
Saturday, May 24 TBD Big Ten Baseball Tournament, Game 8 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner Omaha, NE
Saturday, May 24 TBD Big Ten Baseball Tournament, Game 13 (if necessary) Omaha, NE
Saturday, May 24 TBD Big Ten Baseball Tournament, Game 14 (if necessary) Omaha, NE
Sunday, May 25 TBD Big Ten Tournament Championship  Game Omaha, NE

***

BTN & BTN2Go SOFTBALL SCHEDULE: (All times Eastern)

DATE

TIME

MATCH-UP

LOCATION

Wednesday, April 2 7 PM Creighton @ Nebraska Lincoln, NE
Tuesday, April 8 4 PM Minnesota @ Iowa Iowa City, IA
Tuesday, April 8 6:30 PM Minnesota @ Iowa Iowa City, IA
Wednesday, April 9 4 PM Michigan State @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Wednesday, April 9 6:30 PM Michigan State @ Indiana Bloomington, IN
Sunday, April 13 Noon Michigan @ Michigan State East Lansing, MI
Saturday, April 19 Noon Wisconsin @ Penn State University Park, PA
Saturday, April 19 2:30 PM Wisconsin @ Penn State University Park, PA
Saturday, April 19 TBD Illinois @ Purdue West Lafayette, IN
Saturday, April 19 7 PM Minnesota @ Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
Sunday, April 20 3 PM Minnesota @ Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
Tuesday, April 22 5 PM Northwestern @ Illinois Champaign, IL
Tuesday, April 22 7:30 PM Northwestern @ Illinois Champaign, IL
Wednesday, April 23 4 PM Penn State @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Wednesday, April 23 6:30 PM Penn State @ Ohio State Columbus, OH
Friday, April 25 8 PM Michigan @ Illinois Champaign, IL
Sunday, April 27 NOON Nebraska @ Michigan State East Lansing, MI
Wednesday, April 30 4 PM Nebraska @ Wisconsin Madison, WI
Wednesday, April 30 6:30 PM Nebraska @ Wisconsin Madison, WI
Saturday, May 3 TBD Wildcard @ Wildcard TBD
Friday, May 9 TBD Big Ten Softball Tournament, Seed 4 vs. Game 1 Winner Evanston, IL
Friday, May 9 TBD Big Ten Softball Tournament, Seed 1 vs. Game 2 Winner Evanston, IL
Friday, May 9 TBD Big Ten Softball Tournament, Seed 3 vs. Game 3 Winner Evanston, IL
Friday, May 9 TBD Big Ten Softball Tournament, Seed 2 vs. Game 4 Winner Evanston, IL
Saturday, May 10 TBD Big Ten Softball Tournament, Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner Evanston, IL
Saturday, May 10 TBD Big Ten Softball Tournament, Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner Evanston, IL
Saturday, May 10 TBD Big Ten Tournament Championship  Game Evanston, IL

About BTN: A joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Networks, BTN is the first internationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With more than 800 events, all in HD, the 24/7 network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. BTN2Go is the 24/7 simulcast of BTN that delivers live and on-demand programming via the internet, smartphones and tablets to customers of participating video providers. Events include football, men?s and women?s basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Olympic sports and championship events; studio shows; and classic games. The network televises and streams more Olympic sporting events and women?s sports than has ever been aired on any other network. Original programming highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation?s finest universities. The groundbreaking Student U initiative provides real-world experience for students interested in careers in sports television. The network is in more than 52 million homes across the United States and Canada, including carriage by all the major video distributors, such as DIRECTV, DISH, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Charter Communications, Comcast Xfinity, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Mediacom, RCN, WOW!, Rogers Cable, Shaw and Shaw Direct (Canada) and approximately 300 additional video providers across North America. For additional information, go to www.BTN.com.