Ohio State Defeats Minnesota to Win 2005 Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament Title - BIG TEN CONFERENCE Official Athletic Site

Ohio State Defeats Minnesota to Win 2005 Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament Title

Buckeyes claim conferences automatic berth into NCAA Tournament with win

	Ohio State won its seventh Big Ten tournament title on Sunday with a 14-6 win over Minnesota.

May 29, 2005

Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS - After coming within one strike of winning the 2005 Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament on Saturday (May 28), Ohio State made sure there was no margin for error here Sunday in the final game of the 2005 conference tournament at Illinois Field on the campus of the University of Illinois.

After giving up a two-out, two-strike, two-run walk-off homer to the Gophers in the first championship game of the double-elimination tournament to fall 4-3, the Buckeyes posted a 14-6 defeat of Minnesota to claim the tournament crown and the Big Ten's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The win was OSU's second over UM in the double-elimination tournament.

The tournament title is the Buckeyes seventh overall and first since they won back-to-back conference summits in 2002 and 2003, while the win improves their record to 39-18 on the year. The Scarlet and Grey will also be making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2003 when they were eliminated by Southwest Missouri State in the super-regional. The Golden Gophers see their season end with a record of 33-29.

Ohio State threatened to bust the game open in the bottom of the first with the bases loaded and nobody out. Minnesota starter Cole DeVries got Ronnie Bourquin to ground into a 6-3 double play for the first two outs. Matt Angle scored on the play to make it a 1-0 game. Jason Zoeller then stepped up and singled up the middle to score Mike Rabin and make it a 2-0 OSU advantage early in the championship contest.

The bottom of the second would see the Bucks crack the game open. After an Angle triple scored Jedidiah Stephen from second, DeVries plunked Rabin to put two runners on with the hot-hitting Steve Caravati stepping to the plate. The senior belted a three-run shot over the left-center field fence for his fifth round-tripper of the season to make it a 6-0 game after two innings.

The reason Sunday's game was necessary was because of Joe Maceij's game-winner on Saturday. The freshman was also responsible for Minnesota's first run of the game with a solo-shot off the top of the fence in right field for his third homer of the season and second in his last two at bats, making it a 6-1 game.

The Bucks would score again in the bottom of the third when Wes Schirtzinger came in all the way from first on a Stephen double into the right field corner to make it a 7-1 game.

Ohio State would score for the fourth consecutive inning, putting up a four-spot in the bottom of the fourth inning. A Shirtzinger fielders' choice scored Rabin to make it 8-1 while Stephen followed with a double to left-center that scored Caravati and Shirtzinger to bring the OSU lead to nine at 10-1. Farinacci then knocked in Stephen on a single to score the 11^th run of the game for the Bucks.

Singles by Matt Fornasiere and Jake Elder plated two runs for Minnesota in the top of the fifth to bring the OSU lead down to single digits at 11-3 after four and half innings of play.

In the bottom of the fifth, a Caravati drive to deep right field bounced off the top of the wall and back into play. Rabin came all the way around from first to score on the near homer by Caravati, who wound up with a triple. Ohio State now led 12-3 with game becoming official after five innings of play.

Minnesota would add another run in the top of the seventh on a solo homerun by Fornasiere. The Gophers had runners on first and second with two outs in the inning but were not able to knock either runner in as Kevin Carlson flied out to center to end the frame with the score at 12-4 Ohio State.

Ohio State would add two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, while Minnesota would tack on one in the eighth and one in the ninth to make the final score 14-6.

At the conclusion of the tournament the following individuals were named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team as voted on by members of the media in attendance: Jim Brauer, Pitcher, Michigan; Dan DeLucia, Pitcher, Ohio State; Matt Loberg, Pitcher, Minnesota; Jake Elder, Catcher, Minnesota; Eric Wolfe, First Base, Purdue; Andy Hunter, First Base, Minnesota; Chris Getz, Second Base, Michigan; Joe Maciej, Second Base, Minnesota; Shawn Roof, Third Base, Illinois; Mitch Hilligoss, Shortstop, Purdue; Steve Caravati, Outfield, Ohio State; Matt Angle, Outfield, Ohio State; Mike Mee, Outfield, Minnesota; Wes Schirtzinger, Designated Hitter, Ohio State. Caravati was also honored as the Player of the Tournament, also selected by the media.