Some losses early in the season could be troublesome for Rutgers baseball’s postseason outlook. So says Big Ten Network analyst and insider Michael Huff.
Now, where do things stand with Rutgers baseball this season? Overall, it has been a good season.
Rutgers is currently 30-18 (11-7 Big Ten), with this past weekend’s sweep of Penn State a big boost to their standing in the conference.
The series sweep, along with some help throughout the conference, helped Rutgers move up to third in the Big Ten over the weekend. Good, but is it enough?
It is a tight race for a top-three spot in the conference, with the top nine teams all separated by two or fewer games. But if Rutgers can again finish in the top three of the Big Ten and then make another run through the conference tournament, they could have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament.
Nothing is guaranteed, however. Last year, Rutgers showed consistency in finishing second in the Big Ten regular season and then the Big Ten Tournament and still got snubbed from the postseason.
“For Rutgers, too many close loses to teams they should have beaten early in the season, add to that the 0-3 weekends against UNC Greensboro and UConn -all six were close games,” Huff told Rutgers Wire over the weekend.
“Think if they could have won all six of these games. You would be 34-12 with an RPI in the 20s or 30s. Unless they win the Big Ten Tournament, they will be staying home again.”
Maryland is currently atop the Big Ten standings (33-16, 13-5 Big Big Ten).
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A standout for Northwestern, Huff is a former MLB standout who played in the league for seven seasons. He now works for the Chicago White Six organization as well as the Big Ten Network.
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