First Round
No. 7 Michigan State (33-25, 7-9 Big Ten) vs. No. 2 Northwestern (43-10, 15-3), Today, 4 p.m.
The Wildcats, ranked No. 6 nationally, swept the Spartans in a doubleheader on April 1. Michigan State has improved since then, upsetting No. 10 Michigan 7-0 last weekend. Michigan State has a solid offense, hitting .299 this year, but NU’s pitching is the difference.
Daily Pick: NU
No. 8 Penn State (26-22, 5-9) vs. No. 1 Ohio State (35-16, 14-2), Today, 6:30 p.m.
No. 25 Ohio State earned the right to host the Big Ten tournament by sweeping Penn State in the final weekend of the season. The Nittany Lions played competitively with the Buckeyes, falling 4-2 on Saturday and 4-0 on Sunday, with the Buckeyes scoring all four runs in the final inning for the second victory.
Penn State will be able to keep it close, but the home field and better pitching allows the top seed to advance.
Daily Pick: Ohio State
No. 6 Illinois (30-24, 7-8) vs. No. 3 Michigan (42-10, 12-4), Friday, 11 a.m.
Michigan split its games with home run-happy Illinois, winning 5-0 and losing a 5-3 decision in eight innings. The Fighting Illini, who lead the conference in home runs and runs scored, is a team that lives and dies by the long ball.
The Wolverines are a more seasoned and consistent team. This is a tricky game if Illinois’ offense shows up in full force. But the Illini don’t have strong enough pitching to contain the team with the best batting average in the Big Ten.
Daily Pick: Michigan
No. 5 Purdue (32-31, 10-9) vs. No. 4 Iowa (37-20, 10-7), Friday, 1:30 p.m.
The Hawkeyes swept the Boilermakers in the beginning of the season, taking the final game 4-3 in nine innings. Iowa has the third-best pitching staff in the Big Ten with a 1.95 ERA. Purdue hasn’t fared well in conference at the plate, hitting .258 in the Big Ten. The pitching is the difference in a game with pretty even offenses. Iowa has that edge.
Daily Pick: Iowa
Semifinals
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 2 NU, Friday, 4 p.m.
Whenever these two rivals meet, it is always competitive. This year the two teams have two of the best offenses by batting average and the two best pitching staffs in the Big Ten. Expect senior pitchers Lorrilyn Wilson (Michigan) and Eileen Canney (NU) to be pitted against each other in this duel. NU’s offense will need to continue its recent hot play and cannot squander any chances to score if the team wants to reach its second consecutive Big Ten tournament final. The question is whether Michigan can quickly turn around and face NU after dealing with Illinois earlier in the day. Wilson and freshman pitcher Nikki Nemmitz are more than capable. But if both have to pitch innings in their opening-round game, there may be too much offense for them to handle in a single day.
Daily Pick: NU
No. 4 Iowa vs. No. 1 Ohio State, Friday, 6:30 p.m.
Ohio State and Iowa split their season series. The Hawkeyes took a 7-3 comeback win in the teams’ first meeting. This should be a low-scoring game with Iowa’s struggles on offense and solid pitching on both sides. The Buckeyes should be able to generate some more offense, despite struggling against Iowa in Iowa City.
Daily Pick: Ohio State
Finals
No. 2 NU vs. No. 1 Ohio State, Saturday, noon
It seems like a different NU team faced Ohio State just four weeks ago. But things have changed dramatically since the Cats split a weekend series with the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions. Since losing to the Buckeyes 5-3 in nine innings April 13, the Cats are 12-2. The stretch includes three shutouts, two games ended by the run rule and a no-hitter by freshman pitcher Lauren Delaney.
Ohio State has given NU problems in the past, taking the extra-inning game on a ninth inning home run and sweeping NU in Columbus last season. But the Cats came back with a 4-0 victory in the Big Ten tournament. NU is playing its best softball of the season and is focused on making a deep postseason run.
Daily Pick: NU
– COMPILED BY PHILIP ROSSMAN-REICH
