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Big Ten Baseball NCAA Regional Preview Release
June 1, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format Michigan NCAA Championship History Ohio State NCAA Championship History NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES The last Conference team to reach the College World Series was Michigan in 1984. The last Big Ten squad to reach a super regional was Ohio State in 2003. Ohio State has now made 11 trips to the NCAA Championship since 1990, as Minnesota ranks second over that time span with 10 appearances. The eight other Big Ten teams have made eight combined appearances since 1990. Minnesota tops all Conference teams with 27 NCAA Championship bids, followed by Michigan (18) and Ohio State (17). Michigan leads all Big Ten schools with 55 NCAA Championship wins and a .618 winning percentage (55-34). Minnesota and Ohio State rate second and third among League schools in NCAA Championship wins with 49 and 38, respectively. 2005 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE Georgia Tech Regional Friday, June 3 Saturday, June 4 Sunday, June 5 Monday, June 6 Oregon State Regional Friday, June 3 Saturday, June 4 Sunday, June 5 Monday, June 6 2005 BIG TEN TOURNAMENT REVIEW Ohio State became the lowest-seeded team to win the Big Ten Tournament in an amazing week that featured upsets in eight of 11 games, two extra-inning contests (including the longest game in the event's history) and a walk-off home run to force a second championship tilt. The Buckeyes finally prevailed over sixth-seeded Minnesota on Sunday to secure the League's automatic berth into the NCAA Championship, as Ohio State earned its seventh Big Ten Tournament title and third in the last four seasons. The 2005 Big Ten Tournament was played from May 25-29 in Champaign, as top-seeded Illinois and second-seeded Purdue earned first-round byes. The first game on Wednesday set the tone for the Tournament, as Ohio State and No. 4 Michigan went 13 innings before deciding a winner, breaking the previous record of 12 innings played (most recently in 2000). The Buckeyes eventually pulled off the 7-3 victory, followed by Minnesota knocking off No. 3 Iowa, 14-7. The upsets continued on Thursday, as the Wolverines sent the Hawkeyes home with an 8-6 triumph. The top two seeds were also upset in their opening games, as OSU defeated the Boilermakers, 6-2, while the Gophers knocked off the host Illini, 11-8. After five straight upsets, Purdue became the first higher seed to win a game as the No. 2 seed eliminated Michigan with a 9-7 victory on Friday. The Boilermakers followed up with another upset, knocking out top-seeded Illinois, 4-3, in 11 innings. In the winner's bracket, Ohio State picked up a 15-6 victory over Minnesota to remain unbeaten on the week. The Gophers bounced back on Saturday with a 9-7 triumph over Purdue to set up a Minnesota-Ohio State championship game for the fourth straight season. The Buckeyes built a 3-2 lead in the game and looked to close out the Tournament, before Minnesota' Joe Maciej connected on a two-out, two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth to force a second title game on Sunday. Ohio State jumped out to an early lead in that contest and eventually earned a 14-6 victory and the Big Ten Tournament crown. OSU outfielder Steve Caravati was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament after setting a tourney record with 14 hits, including a three-for-three effort with four RBI in Sunday's final contest. He was joined on the All-Tournament team by three other Buckeyes, as the complete list appears to the right. NOTING BIG TEN BASEBALL Four Big Ten Academic All-Americans: The Big Ten placed four student-athletes on the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America team announced on Tuesday, May 31, as Michigan was one of only five schools to place multiple players on the three teams. Indiana's Ryan Parker was a First Team All-America selection in the infield, Michigan's Kyle Bohm was a Second Team pick in the infield while Wolverines' outfielder Matthew Butler and Minnesota infielder Andy Hunter were Third Team selections. Michigan joined College of Charleston, Bowling Green, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Wichita State as the only schools with two honorees. Six Big Ten baseball student-athletes were named to the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District teams earlier in the year in two different districts. The honored players include Michigan's Bohm and Butler and Ohio State's Cody Caughenbaugh in District IV and Illinois' Drew Davidson, Indiana's Parker and Minnesota's Hunter from District V. All six student-athletes were First Team selections and were eligible for Academic All-America honors, as their names were added to the national ballot. To be nominated for Academic All-District honors, a student-athlete must be a starter or key reserve and carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher. Team members are selected by a vote of members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) within the district. Leaders at the Plate . . . : With the Big Ten season concluded, Illinois' Dusty Bensko became just the fifth player in school history to lead the Conference in home runs and runs batted in while Michigan State's Troy Krider became the first Spartan since 1988 to top all players in batting average. Bensko boosted the Illini to their first Big Ten Championship since 1998 by ranking first among all League standouts with nine home runs and 40 RBI, as the last Illinois player to lead the way in those categories was Josh Klimek with 12 long balls and 42 RBI in 1996. Bensko joins Klimek as only the second player in Conference annals to drive in 40 or more runs. Krider batted .405 in Big Ten play to lead all players, as the last MSU standout to top the League in batting average was Mike Davidson in 1988 (.440). . . . and on the Mound: Iowa reliever Tim Gudex became the first Hawkeyes hurler since at least 1954 to lead the Conference in victories and ERA, while Penn State starter Alan Stidfole narrowly edged his twin brother Sean Stidfole to top the Big Ten in strikeouts. Gudex, who also tied for the League lead with six saves, produced a record of 7-1 and an ERA of 1.11 in 19 appearances to lead the way in both categories, as no other Iowa pitcher has accomplished that feat since ERA was first recorded in 1954. His 1.11 ERA is the lowest for any Big Ten hurler since Minnesota's Mike Pavelka produced a 1.08 ERA in 1987, as only two other Hawkeyes have boasted the League's lowest ERA -- Jim Koering in 1967 (0.69) and Bob Schauenberg in 1965 (0.28). The last Iowa hurler to top the Conference in victories was John DeJarld with a 6-1 mark in 1990. Alan Stidfole recorded 54 strikeouts in 51 innings pitched, as teammate Sean ranked second with 49 K's in 53 innings of work. Alan Stidfole becomes just the second Nittany Lion hurler to top the League in strikeouts, as former PSU standout Nate Bump ranked first in K's in 1996 (with 48) and 1998 (74).
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