Around the Big Ten (Baseball): March 22
It’s been a fun year within the Big Ten so far. Some teams are burning hot and others are still trying to find their footing. Let’s take a look at the recent action from around the Big Ten.
The Iowa Hawkeyes have continued their fun start to the season as they sit at 15-3. They are winners of their last five straight games and could go on an even longer run with the next few series looking favorable.
After a few canceled games, Penn State finally got to play a home series against Georgetown, which they would go on to win. With a dominant 15-1 win over Binghamton, the 12-5 Nittany Lions will finally get to see an inter-conference opponent with the Michigan Wolverines coming up on the schedule at Ann Arbor.
The Indiana Hoosiers had a great offensive series against Morehead State, scoring 34 runs over three games. They also had a single-game series against Indiana State and handled business convincingly as well.
Ohio State strung together several wins, but finally suffered a loss to Wright State earlier in the week. Interconference play is right around the corner for the Buckeyes as the Hoosiers creep closer each night.
Nebraska has been on a bit of a skid recently with its two-game losing streak but can get back on track against Illinois, a team not too far behind the Cornhuskers in the standings.
The Maryland Terrapins have seen a lot of success recently, but have a difficult stretch upcoming with UCF and Iowa on the slate.
Illinois has been struggling to find a consistent winning streak recently as the team has been very back and forth. With a rivalry upcoming against Nebraska, it could be the fuel the Fighting Illini need to get something going.
Rutgers has had a lot of success recently and looks to get a few more non-conference wins before the real test arrives against the inter-conference rivals.
The Michigan State Spartans have won six straight, disregarding the canceled and postponed games. They’ll get the chance to build an even bigger streak with a struggling Purdue team just on the horizon.
The Michigan Wolverines have also been on the downside of things with their two-game losing streak. Aiming to get back on track is one thing, but having to face a hot Penn State team in the process is another.
With a 4-18 record, it might be hard to think of a positive situation right now for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. They’ve played a few ranked opponents that didn’t quite go their way. They won their previous game against Illinois State, so it’s nice to see something work out if you’re a Gophers fan.
Northwestern is 1-13. Will things get better? Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell.
Anthony Desher is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acd5698@psu.edu.
