BTN.com staff, May 20, 2014
The 2014 Big Ten Baseball Tournament gets underway Wednesday morning at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. Before your team opens the double-elmination tourney get out Day 1 preview. Reminder: this year's field includes eight teams, two more than it has had in each of the last 14 seasons.
[ MORE: View the tourney bracket | Tourney central | BTN announces tourney coverage ]
Here's a look at the eight teams:
1. Indiana
Record: 21-3 (38-13)
Day 1 opponent: No. 8 Iowa
Probable Day 1 starter: Joey DeNato – 11-3, 1.83 ERA
Tidbit: The Hoosiers put eight players on the All-Big Ten first team, in addition to claiming three of the conference's four superlative honors.
2. Nebraska
Record: 18-6 (37-18)
Day 1 opponent: No. 7 Ohio State
Probable Day 1 starter: Chance Sinclair – 9-1, 1.88 ERA
Tidbit: The Huskers have won nine of their last 10, a span in which they have allowed just 2.5 runs per game.
3. Illinois
Record: 17-7 (31-19)
Day 1 opponent: No. 6 Michigan State
Probable Day 1 starter: Drasen Johnson – 5-6, 3.03 ERA
Tidbit: The Illini notched a school-record four Big Ten sweeps en route to its third-place finish.
Get FightingIllini.com's preview.
4. Minnesota
Record: 13-11 (27-22)
Day 1 opponent: No. 5 Michigan
Probable Day 1 starter: Alec Crawford – 4-1, 3.76 ERA
Tidbit: The Gophers' nine Big Ten tourney titles lead all Big Ten teams, just ahead of Michigan and Ohio State (8).
Get GopherSports.com's preview.
5. Michigan
Record: 13-11 (28-27-1)
Day 1 opponent: No. 4 Minnesota
Probable Day 1 starter: Trent Szkutnik – 1-6, 3,35 ERA
Tidbit: After losing four of five games from April 19-26, the Wolverines won 10 of their final 13.
6. Michigan State
Record: 11-13 (29-24)
Day 1 opponent: No. 3 Illinois
Probable Day 1 starter: Mick VanVossen – 7-3, 2.82 ERA
Tidbit: The Spartans either swept (Northwestern, Penn State) or were swept (Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska) in each of their final five Big Ten series.
Get MSUSpartans.com's preview.
7. Ohio State
Record: 10-14 (30-26)
Day 1 opponent: No. 2 Nebraska
Probable Day 1 starter: Tanner Tully – 6-3, 2.08 ERA
Tidbit: The Buckeyes are in the tourney for the fourth consecutive season, the longest current streak.
Get OhioStateBuckeyes.com's preview.
8. Iowa
Record: 10-14 (29-21)
Day 1 opponent: No. 1 Indiana
Probable Day 1 starter: Sasha Kuebel, 6-4, 4.43 ERA
Tidbit: The Hawkeyes, along with Northwestern, entered the season with the Big Ten's longest tourney-less streak (2010).
Get HawkeyeSports.com's preview.
2014 BIG TEN BASEBALL TOURNAMENT (ALL TIMES CT) | HOW TO WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS |
Wednesday, May 21 |
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Game 1: No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Michigan State | None | Gametracker |
Game 2: No. 2 Nebraska vs. No. 7 Ohio State 1 p.m. | None | Gametracker |
Game 3: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 8 Iowa 5 p.m. | BTN TV & BTN2Go | Gametracker |
Game 4: No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Michigan 9 p.m. | BTN TV & BTN2Go | Gametracker |
Thursday, May 22 |
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Game 5: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser 9 a.m. | None | Coming soon |
Game 6: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser 1 p.m. | BTN TV & BTN2Go | Coming soon |
Game 7: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner 5 p.m. | BTN TV & BTN2Go | Coming soon |
Game 8: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner 9 p.m. | BTN TV & BTN2Go | Coming soon |
Friday, May 23 |
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Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 7 Loser 3:30 p.m. | BTN TV & BTN2Go | Coming soon |
Game 10: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser 7:30 p.m. | BTN TV & BTN2Go | Coming soon |
Saturday, May 24 |
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Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner 9 a.m. | BTN TV & BTN2Go | Coming soon |
Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner 1 p.m. | BTN TV & BTN2Go | Coming soon |
Game 13 (If Necessary): Game 11 Winner vs. Game 11 Loser 5 p.m. | BTN TV & BTN2Go | Coming soon |
Game 14 (If Necessary): Game 12 Winner vs. Game 12 Loser 9 p.m. | BTN TV & BTN2Go | Coming soon |
Sunday, May 25 |
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Championship Game: Game 11/13 Winner vs. Game 12/14 Winner 1 p.m. | BTN TV & BTN2Go | Coming soon |