Heading into their three-game weekend series against Illinois, the Scarlet Knights (30-18, 11-7) are two games behind Maryland (33-17, 13-5) for the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Conference. Rutgers baseball is riding a five-game winning streak and is 8-2 in their last ten games as they look to capture the number one seed for the Big Ten Tournament.
The 41st Big Ten Tournament starts on May 24th, with four teams battling for the number one seed. The Terps hold a two-game lead in the conference, with Indiana (34-14, 12-6) a game behind. Iowa (34-12, 10-7) is a half a game back from the Scarlet Knights, with Rutgers holding one more conference win than the Hawkeyes.
Maryland
Each of the four teams has six conference games left to play until the conclusion of the regular season. The Terps have the easiest path to the number one seed, with matchups against two below-average teams, Minnesota (14-31, 7-11) and Penn State (24-18, 6-11).
[lawrence-related id=26618]
Indiana
The Hoosiers have a difficult path to the No. 1 seed, with matchups against two teams with winning conference records, Purdue (23-23, 10-8) and Michigan State (28-16, 10-8). Indiana is only a game behind the Terps but will need to finish strong if they want to capture the number-one spot.
Rutgers
As for the Scarlet Knights, they need to continue to win and hope for some help from their Big Ten rivals. Rutgers will head into a weekend home series against Illinois (22-22, 11-10) and then hit the road to take on Minnesota.
The Scarlet Knights are HOT 🔥
In our last 18 games…
– 15-3 overall
– 7-2 on the road
– 10-3 in the Big Ten
– Improved from 15-15 to 30-18#TCD pic.twitter.com/ln7xQHWG6i— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) May 10, 2023
The Scarlet Knights have been dominant at home, holding a 14-3 (6-3 Big Ten) record. It has been a different story on the road for the Scarlet Knights, holding a 15-13 (5-4 Big Ten) record.
Iowa
The Hawkeyes are preparing for a three-game series matchup against Michigan State this weekend, knowing they are three games behind the Terps in the win column. Iowa finishes its regular season schedule with a three-game series against Northwestern (8-35, 3-15).
These last six remaining conference games will determine which team will capture the No. 1 spot for the Big Ten Tournament.
[lawrence-related id=26663]
[mm-video type=video id=01h05s9mtwfwn38y97jc playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01h05s9mtwfwn38y97jc/01h05s9mtwfwn38y97jc-4efccec34eeebbb4dde42f9887a4be7c.jpg].