Analysis

Big Ten Baseball Week 11 Update

Rutgers met Penn State for a four game set, and earned the series win over the Scarlet Knights. Penn State opened game one with a solo home run by Justin Williams in the second inning. Jay Harry followed up by bringing two more home with a double later in the inning. He later scored on a single by Tayven Kelley. Matt Wood added on later in the inning with a single to right center, bringing another run home. Rutgers responded in the fourth, bringing a run home on a single by Chris Brito. Richie Schikofer added on in the fifth, scoring one on a groundout. Chris Brito brought another home in the sixth, this time on a groundout. Penn State added to their lead in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run by Josh Spiegel. He later earned his second RBI of the day with a double in the eighth inning, securing the 7-3 victory for Penn State. Bailey Dees rose to 4-3 on the year with the win as Harry Rutkowski fell to 2-3. Penn State rose to 14-20 while Rutgers fell to a losing record of 17-18.

PSU secured at least a series split on Saturday, taking game two 4-3. They struck early, scoring one on a single by Justin Williams. Josh Spiegel added on later in the inning, bringing two home on a triple. Rutgers finally responded in the seventh inning, scoring one on a single by Chris Brito. Mike Nyisztor followed up in the eighth, tying the game with a two-run single. Curtis Robison secured the victory for the Nittany Lions in the bottom of the eighth with a bases-loaded walk. Tyler Shingledecker broke even at 2-2 with the win while Nate McLain fell to 0-2. Rutgers fell to 17-19 as Penn State rose to 15-20.

Rutgers got one back on Sunday, winning 5-0 over Penn State. They struck early, scoring one on a single by Chris Brito. Danny DiGeorgio added on later in the inning with a bases-loaded walk. In the second inning, Richie Schiekofer added some insurance with an RBI single. He scored later in the game in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly by Chris Brito. Rutgers secured the victory in the ninth on the same play, a sacrifice fly by Brito that brought Schiekofer home. Justin Sinibaldi earned his first victory for the Scarlet Knights while Kyle Virbitsky fell to 3-4. Rutgers advanced to 18-19 on the season as Penn State fell to 15-21.

PSU secured the series victory Monday afternoon with an 8-6 win over Rutgers. Mike Nyisztor struck first for the Scarlet Knights with an RBI single in the first inning. In the fourth, Danny DiGeorgio added on with an RBI triple to left center, and later scored on a passed ball. Penn State had a big inning in the sixth, taking a quick lead on a grand slam by Justin Williams. Curtis Robison added on with an RBI single, and later scored on a two-run triple by Cole Bartles. Jay Harry closed out the big inning with an RBI single up the middle. Rutgers began a comeback in the ninth, scoring one on a single by Chris Brito. Evan Sleight added on later in the inning with an RBI single of his own. The Scarlet Knights got within two after another RBI single by Sleight in the ninth, but Penn State held them off for the victory. Ralph Gambino earned his first win of the season while Nate McLain fell to 0-3. Rutgers sits at 18-20 after the series loss while Penn State hopes to keep the momentum going at 16-21. Series MVP: Justin Williams

Michigan met Indiana for a high scoring series, taking two of three from the Hoosiers. The Wolverines opened game one with a solo home run by Ted Burton in the second inning. Indiana responded in the third, taking the lead on a two-run single by Cole Barr. Griffin Mazur tied it up for Michigan with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning. Benjamin Sems added on later in the inning with another RBI single. He was advanced on an RBI single by Ted Burton, and scored on a two-run single by Tito Flores. Griffin Mazur continued his strong day in the fourth inning with a three-run home run. Indiana got one back in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Grant Richardson, but it was not enough. Michigan secured the 10-3 victory with a solo home run by Clark Elliott in the eighth. Steve Hajjar rose to 4-0 on the year while Tommy Sommer fell to 5-3. #21 ranked Indiana fell to 23-11 as Michigan rose to 24-12.

Indiana tied the series on Saturday, beating Michigan 13-8. Drew Ashley struck first for the Hoosiers, scoring on a throwing error. Cole Barr added on later in the inning with an RBI single to center field. Kip Fougerousse added to the lead with a two-run triple. The bats then fell silent until the seventh inning when Grant Richardson hit a three-run home run. In the bottom of the inning, Michigan earned their first run of the day on a double by Tito Flores. Christian Molfetta added on with an RBI single, and advanced to second on an RBI single by Clark Elliott. Jimmy Obertop got the Wolverines within two with a two-run single later in the inning. Indiana earned some much needed insurance runs in the eighth, scoring three on back-to-back-to-back bases-loaded walks. Cole Barr added on later in the inning with an RBI single, and Kip Fougerousse tacked on two more with a single down the middle. In the bottom of the inning, Michigan scored again on a double by Christian Molfetta. Clark Elliott brought another run home with an RBI single later in the inning. Jimmy Obertop got the Wolverines a bit closer with an RBI single, but Indiana was able to close out the victory. McCade Brown rose to 5-2 on the season while Cameron Weston fell to 5-3. Indiana advanced to 24-11 as Michigan fell to 24-13.

Michigan earned the series victory after taking Sunday’s finale 6-1. Griffin Mazur opened it up for the Wolverines with a sacrifice fly in the second inning. Tito Flores added on later in the inning with a double to left field. Ted Burton added an insurance run in the fourth, scoring on a wild pitch. Indiana got one back in the fifth with a solo home run by Morgan Colopy. Tito Flores earned his second RBI of the day in the eighth, bringing one home on a double to center field. Ted Burton closed out the victory for the Wolverines by scoring on an error later in the inning. Jacob Denner rose to 4-3 on the year as Gabe Bierman fell to 5-3. Indiana sits at 24-12 after the series loss while Michigan looks to build on 25-13. Series MVP: Tito Flores

Michigan State met Ohio State for three over the weekend, earning the series victory over the Buckeyes. MSU opened game one in the second inning, scoring one on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Morrow. Dillon Kark added on with a three-run home run later in the inning. Ohio State responded in the fourth with a solo home run by Conner Pohl. Sam Wilson added on with an RBI single. Zaid Walker added some insurance for MSU in the fifth inning with an RBI double to right center. He later scored on a fielder’s choice. In the seventh, Trent Farquhar added on by scoring on a wild pitch. Bryce Kelley added two more with a two-RBI single to right, and later scored on a single by Andrew Morrow. Ohio State began a comeback in the eighth, scoring one on a single by Brent Todys. Colton Bauer added on with an RBI single up the middle. In the ninth, Kade Kern added on with a an RBI single, and later scored on a groundout by Todys. Colton Bauer got the Buckeyes within three with an RBI double, but MSU closed out the 10-7 victory. Mason Erla rose to 4-5 on the year as Seth Lonsway fell to 3-5. MSU rose to 14-22 while OSU fell to 18-15.

The Spartans secured the series victory on Saturday, beating Ohio State 2-0. Just one hit made the difference in the game, and that was a two-run home run by Adam Proctor in the fifth inning. Burrell Jones earned the easy victory for Michigan State, rising to 2-0 while Isaiah Coupet fell to 0-2. Michigan State advanced to 15-22 as Ohio State fell to 18-16.

Ohio State prevented a sweep in the finale, beating MSU 7-3. The Spartans struck first in the second inning, scoring one on a single by Brock Vradenburg. Ohio State responded in the bottom of the inning, tying the game on an RBI single by Nick Erwin. Adam Proctor gave Michigan State their lead back in the third inning with a solo home run. Trent Farquhar added on with an RBI single in the fifth inning. OSU tied it up in the bottom of the inning, scoring two on a single by Kade Kern. Brent Todys gave the Buckeyes the lead in the seventh with an RBI single. In the eighth, Marcus Ernst added some insurance by scoring on a fielder’s choice. Kade Kern earned his third RBI of the day later in the inning with a single, bringing one home. To close out the victory, Conner Pohl brought a run home on a groundout. Jack Neely broke even at 2-2 after the win while Sam Benschoter fell to 3-4. Ohio State sits comfortably at 19-16 after the weekend as Michigan State hopes to improve upon their 15-23 record. Series MVP: Adam Proctor

Purdue met Maryland for a three game set, dropping all three to the Terrapins. Matthew Shaw opened game one for Maryland, bringing one home on a sacrifice fly. Justin Vought broke it wide open later in the inning, hitting a grand slam and stretching the lead to five. Benjamin Cowles added on in the second inning, bringing one home on a single. Matthew Shaw opened the fourth inning the same way he opened the first, with a sacrifice fly. Tommy Gardiner added on later in the inning with an RBI single to left. Shaw earned his third RBI of the day in the fifth, bringing one home on a double. Gardiner followed up in the sixth with an RBI single. Benjamin Cowles secured the 11-0 win for the Terrapins in the seventh inning, hitting a solo home run to center field. Nick Dean rose to 3-1 on the year while Calvin Schapira fell to 0-6. Maryland advanced to 22-14 after the big win as Purdue fell to 11-22.

Maryland earned the series win on Saturday, beating Purdue 6-1 in game two. Purdue struck first this time, scoring one on an RBI single by Ben Nisle. Bobby Zmarzlak tied it up for the Terrapins in the second inning by scoring on an error. Tucker Flint gave them the lead later in the inning, bringing one home on a groundout. Chris Alleyne added on in the fifth with a solo home run, and was followed by another solo shot by Benjamin Cowles. Bobby Zmarzlak added on with a solo home run of his own in the sixth. Tucker Flint closed it out by scoring on a wild pitch in the seventh. Jason Savacool rose to a commanding 7-1 on the year while Trent Johnson fell to 2-5. Purdue fell to 11-23 after the loss as Maryland rose to 23-14.

Maryland finished out the sweep on Sunday with a 7-2 victory over the Boilermakers. Purdue struck first once again, scoring one on a groundout by Ben Nisle. Matthew Shaw tied it up in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run. Tommy Gardiner gave the Terrapins the lead later in that inning with a two-run triple to center field. Luke Shliger added on with an RBI single. Troy Schreffler added two more in the fifth inning with a double to left field. Ben Nisle continued his strong weekend for the Boilermakers with an RBI double in the sixth inning. Matt Orlando closed it out for the Terrapins in the bottom of the inning, bringing one home on a single. Sean Burke broke even at 3-3 with the victory as Cory Brooks fell to 2-3. Purdue hopes to improve upon 11-24 after the weekend’s sweep while Maryland sits at a strong 24-14. Series MVP: Matthew Shaw

Illinois met Iowa for three, taking two from the Hawkeyes. Iowa struck first in the opener, scoring one on a sacrifice fly by Dylan Nedved in the second inning. Illinois responded in the fifth, tying the game on a solo home run by Nathan Aide. Iowa got their lead back in the bottom of the inning, scoring one on a single by Austin Martin. Kellen Sarver tied it up again for the Illini in the eighth with an RBI double to right. Cam McDonald added on with a two-run single later in the inning. Iowa came back in the bottom of the inning, scoring one on a double by Matthew Sosa. He later scored on a double by Brayden Frazier who then scored the game winning run on a triple by Ben Norman. Iowa took the opener 5-4 over the Illini. Dylan Nedved rose to 4-0 on the season as Cole Kirschsieper fell to 3-4. Illinois fell to 16-19 after the loss as Iowa rose to 22-14.

Illinois earned a big win on Saturday, beating Iowa 14-1. Kellen Sarver opened it up for the Illini with an RBI groundout in the second. Jackson Raper added on in the third with an RBI single to center. Branden Comia added on with a sacrifice fly later in the inning. After getting the bases loaded, Kellen Sarver walked, adding on another run. Jacob Campbell contributed a two-run single to center, and Nathan Aide closed out the inning by bringing Sarver home with a single. Iowa earned their only run of the day in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Zeb Adreon. Kellen Sarver’s strong weekend continued in the seventh inning when he brought a run home on a double. After getting the bases loaded once again, Illinois was issued back-to-back walks and a hit-by-pitch to add three more runs. Justin Janas closed out the inning with a sacrifice fly to left field. In the ninth, Connor Milton scored on an error, and Nathan Aide secured the big win with another bases-loaded walk. Nathan Lavender rose to 6-2 on the year while Duncan Davitt fell to 4-2. Illinois advanced to 17-19 on the season as Iowa fell to 22-15.

Illinois secured the series victory on Sunday with a 6-2 win over the Hawkeyes. Nathan Aide opened it up for the Illini with an RBI double in the second inning. Justin Janas added on in the third, bringing one home on a single. Izaya Fullard tied it up for the Hawkeyes in the bottom of the inning with a two-run single to center field. Ryan Hampe gave the Illini the lead back in the fifth with a two-run home run. Taylor Jackson secured the win later in that inning with a two-run single to left. Riley Gowens rose to 2-3 on the year while Cam Baumann fell to 4-5. Illinois sits at 18-19 after the series while Iowa hopes to build upon 22-16. Series MVP: Nathan Aide

Nebraska took on Northwestern for two games over the weekend, winning both. Brice Matthews opened game one with an RBI double in the second inning. Griffin Everitt added on the fifth, bringing one home on a single. He then scored later in the inning on a fielder’s choice. To continue his strong day, Everitt brought another run home in the sixth inning on a single to right field. He later scored on a two-run single by Joe Acker. The Cornhuskers carried their momentum into the seventh, scoring one on a groundout by Cam Chick. Brice Matthews added on with an RBI single to left field. Griffin Everitt continued to dominate as he hit a two-run home run later in the inning. Luke Sartori closed out the inning with an RBI single to left. Northwestern’s first run came in the ninth inning on a single by pinch hitter Tommy D’Alise. David Dunn closed it out for the Wildcats with an RBI single to right field. Cade Povich rose to 5-1 after the 12-2 Nebraska victory as Mike Doherty fell to 1-3. Northwestern fell to 12-17 on the year as Nebraska rose to 24-11.

Nebraska secured the two game sweep with an 11-5 victory on Saturday. Northwestern struck first this time, scoring one on a single by Leo Kaplan in the second inning. He later scored on a groundout by Jay Beshears. Shawn Goosenberg added to the lead by scoring on an error in the third. Nebraska responded in the fifth inning with a two-run home run by Spencer Schwellenbac. Northwestern added to their lead in the sixth with a solo home run by Charlie Bourbon. Anthony Calarco added another with a solo home run of his own in the seventh. Nebraska had a strong half of the inning, starting it off with an RBI single by Luke Roskam. Max Anderson added on with a double to right center, and Logan Foster tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Joe Acker gave the Cornhuskers the lead with a two-run single, and Jaxon Hallmark added on with a bases-loaded walk. They carried that momentum into the eighth inning, scoring another on a solo home run by Luke Roskam. Max Anderson scored later in the inning on a fielder’s choice, and Griffin Everitt closed out the victory with an RBI single. Max Schrieber broke even at 2-2 while Jack Pagliarini suffered his first loss. Northwestern sits at 12-18 after the two game set while Nebraska hopes to remain strong at 25-11. The two did not play the series finale on Sunday due to health and safety protocols at Northwestern. Series MVP: Griffin Everitt


Minnesota’s series with Rutgers was cancelled due to health concerns within the Minnesota program.

Photo: iuhoosiers.com

Madelyn Hipp

Madelyn is currently a student in Aviation Management at Purdue University. She is a huge Cleveland and Big Ten baseball fan, among other sports such as hockey, golf, NASCAR, and air racing. She can be found @baseballcontext on Twitter.

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