Tag: Northwestern Wildcats

Ohio State softball gets blasted by Northwestern

Back at it tomorrow. #GoBucks

The Northwestern softball team flexed its muscle against Ohio State on Friday night, winning going away by a score of 10-0.

After a scoreless first inning, the Wildcats got on the board first in the top of the second inning with a solo home run to make it 1-0. Northwestern would add to the lead with a two-run RBI single in the fourth to extend the lead to 3-0, then tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning on a two-run homer for a 5-0 lead.

The dam broke in the top of the seventh inning when the Wildcats tacked on five unearned runs for the final score of 10-0.

Ohio State collected just four hits thanks to dominance on the mound by pitcher Ashley Miller. Allison Smith started in the circle for OSU, going four innings while giving up three earned runs on six hits.

The Buckeyes will get another crack at the Wildcats on Saturday when the play host at 2 p.m. ET.

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2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament Tracker: Full schedule, all results, updated bracket

Our Big Ten women’s basketball tournament tracker is live with updated matchups, TV times, betting odds, bracket and more.

The Big Ten women’s basketball tournament is now set with the conclusion of the regular season now behind us. Ohio State claimed the top spot in the final Big Ten standings and will own the top seed in the women’s basketball tournament while Iowa and Caitlin Clark are looking to capture a third consecutive Big Ten tournament championship in a final push for a no. 1 seed in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

This year’s Big Ten women’s basketball tournament will take place in the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota for a second straight year (the same venue will host next week’s Big Ten men’s basketball tournament as well). Games throughout the tournament will be aired on the Peacock streaming platform, Big Ten Network or CBS and Paramount+.

Here is a look at the full bracket.

We will be keeping track of the results and updated betting lines as the tournament plays out with our Big Ten women’s basketball tournament tracker. This will be updated throughout the Big Ten tournament so be sure to bookmark this link for future reference.

All times are Eastern.

Big Ten men’s basketball tournament if the season ended today

Northwestern and Minnesota drop in the Big Ten seeding, while Michigan State makes a big move up. Here is the updated Big Ten tournament seeding outlook.

The college basketball regular season is beginning to wind down, which means seeding in the Big Ten men’s basketball conference tournament is beginning to fall into place. Purdue continues to be on pace to lock up the top seed in this year’s conference tournament but the jockeying for position to grab a coveted double-bye is still active, as is the battle for a first-round bye.

The bottom four teams in the Big Ten will be paired up in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. The no. 5 through no. 9 seeds will begin play in the second round of the Big Ten tournament. The top four seeds will get a double bye and begin competing in the Big Ten tournament in the quarterfinals.

This year’s Big Ten men’s basketball tournament will be held in the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN. Games will air on Peacock, Big Ten Network, or CBS and Paramount+.

We’ll be keeping track of the Big Ten tournament picture from now until the end of the regular season by updating this Big Ten tournament outlook on a daily basis.

This outlook was last updated on the morning of March 36

Social media reacts as Iowa basketball captures resume-enhancing win at Northwestern

No beer! Social media reacted as Iowa basketball collected a massive 87-80 win at Northwestern to enhance its NCAA Tournament resume.

Led by a terrific tag-team effort from sophomore guard Josh Dix and junior forward Payton Sandfort, the Iowa Hawkeyes went into Welsh-Ryan Arena and collected a massive 87-80 win over Northwestern.

Dix led Iowa with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-5 from downtown. Sandfort added 23 for the Hawkeyes, connecting on 7-of-14 from the field and 4-of-8 from 3-point range.

Iowa saw double-figure performances from graduate forward Ben Krikke with 12 points and senior guard Tony Perkins with 10.

It was a fantastic day from the floor for the Hawkeyes as Iowa shot 55.0% from the field and 50% from 3-point distance.

In the process, Iowa collected an all-important Quad 1 victory to enhance its NCAA Tournament resume.

As they should be, Hawkeye fans were overjoyed on social media with the triumph.

Duke baseball completes Northwestern sweep behind late offensive surge

The Blue Devils scored 14 runs in the fifth and sixth innings en route to a 20-run win over the Wildcats on Sunday.

The Duke Blue Devils remained undefeated for the 2024 season with a Sunday win over Northwestern, a dominant 20-9 offensive display powered by 14 runs between the fifth and sixth innings.

Freshman Kyle Johnson continued a remarkable freshman season with three scoreless innings on the mound. The Wildcats took an early lead with a two-run shot in the bottom of the first, and Duke clung to a 4-3 lead when Johnson took over on the mound.

The first-year prospect struck out the first two batters he faced and surrendered just one hit in his three innings on the hill. He ended the afternoon with five strikeouts despite facing just 10 batters, and the Virginia native has yet to give up an earned run in eight innings pitched.

The sterling outing on the mound came just one day after he notched his first RBI of the season, a triple into the right-field corner against Northwestern yesterday. He’s batting .286 with two extra-base hits through Duke’s first seven games of the year.

Johnson halting the Northwestern charge gave Duke’s offense enough time to wake up, and wake up it did. The Blue Devils scored four runs in the bottom of the second, three of them on a bases-loaded single from Ben Miller compounded by a fielding error.  In the following inning, freshman designated hitter Macon Winslow launched his first collegiate home run to left-center to increase the lead to three runs.

Duke really broke the game open in the fifth. A single and two walks in the first three at-bats gave the Blue Devils loaded bases with no outs, a situation nearly impossible to escape from given Duke’s offensive form of late.

A walk on Wallace Clark provided the inning’s first run before Zac Morris singled two more home. Catcher Alex Stone then whacked one out of the ballpark for three more runs, and the offensive track meet was on.

Centerfielder Devin Obee did his share of damage in the fifth and sixth innings, too. He stepped to the plate with two outs and reeled in Duke’s last two runs of the fifth with a two-run double. One inning later (because Duke had already batted around the order by then), he laced a single with the bases loaded for his third RBI of the game.

After one last single and a wild pitch, Duke ended the sixth inning with a 20-3 lead, and Northwestern’s hopes of stealing a game in the series had pretty much evaporated. The Wildcats put up an admirable fight, scoring six more runs in the top of the ninth, but the Blue Devils got their third out well before the game got within reach.

Now 7-0 on the young season, Duke takes the home diamond again on Tuesday against Davidson.

Duke baseball blows past Northwestern after five-run first inning on Saturday

The Blue Devils blew past Northwestern for a series-clinching win on Saturday afternoon after a five-run first inning.

Duke baseball won its sixth straight game to open the 2024 season and its second straight game over Northwestern, clinching the weekend series with an 8-2 win on Saturday night.

The Wildcats put a run on the board in the opening inning, working Duke starter Andrew Healy for a double and a single before the third out was recorded.

The Blue Devils responded with a five-run opening inning of their own.

Second baseman Zac Morris singled to center field to lead the inning off, then he stole second base to put himself in scoring position. When Ben Miller laced a base hit into the outfield just a few pitches later, Morris made his way around for Duke’s first run.

After another single from Alex Stone and watching Logan Bravo get hit by a pitch, freshman AJ Gracia brought in another run with a sacrifice fly. Centerfielder Devin Obee chased Northwestern starter Matt McClure from the mound with a one-run single in the next at-bat to give Duke a 3-0 lead.

McClure only recorded one out on the mound, surrendering four hits and earning all five of Duke’s first-inning runs.

After another sacrifice fly from catcher Macon Winslow, freshman Kyle Johnson added the final run of the first when he somehow threaded the first-base foul line to send a ball into the right-field corner. He ended up on third base with a triple, bringing Obee around to score.

The first-year Blue Devil is off to a scorching start in his Duke career, with the extra-base hit bringing home his first RBI of the season on top of five innings without an earned run on the mound.

Winslow kept his momentum in his second at-bat when he blasted a line driver over the left fielder’s head for an RBI double.

The Duke catcher ended the day with two hits and two RBIs on three at-bats, his first two runs batted in so far this season.

Shortstop Wallace Clark added one of the last exclamation points of the day at the plate, launching a solo moonshot off the right-field scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth to stretch the lead to six runs.

Healy also settled in on the mound after the opening inning, allowing just two more hits over the next three innings and ending his afternoon with three strikeouts. The Blue Devils turned to four different relievers in the final five innings, and the quartet only surrendered three hits and a walk the rest of the way.

The series may already be clinched, but Duke gets the chance to try for the series sweep over the Wildcats on Sunday at noon.

Duke baseball wins defensive battle over Northwestern

The Blue Devils only scored two runs against the Wildcats on Thursday night, but it proved to be all they needed after a team shoutout on the mound.

Duke baseball only managed two runs against Northwestern on Friday night, but it proved to be all the Blue Devils needed after a masterful pitching display.

The Blue Devils (5-0) defeated the Wildcats (1-3) by a score of 2-0 to open the weekend series.

The Duke offense struck early to surge ahead by doing what they’ve done best all season. Through the first four games of the season, Duke racked up 16 home runs, including a staggering 11 in a single game against George Mason.

It seemed the Blue Devils would pick up right where they left off on Friday. Third baseman Ben Miller pounded a solo home run, his third of the year, in the bottom of the opening inning.

It proved to be the only long ball of the game, however. Shortstop Wallace Clark drove in another run in the second inning, a two-out single that brought home teammate Devin Obee. After that, however, the Blue Devils only managed two hits for the rest of the game, not scoring another run.

Two runs proved to be more than enough for Blue Devils ace Jonathan Santucci, however.

The preseason All-American dealt six scoreless innings, only allowing five hits and working himself out of jams comfortably.

He allowed a baserunner in each of the first two innings, but he ended each side with a harmless fly ball. The Wildcats again threatened, or tried to, in the top of the third. The first two batters reached base on a walk and a single, giving Northwestern the go-ahead run at the plate with nobody out. Santucci promptly forced a ground ball before back-to-back strikeouts left the Wildcats hanging again.

Two singles from the first three batters in the fourth put runners on the corners with one out, but Santucci mowed down the next batter on a swinging third strike before he forced a groundout. Another rally halted.

Santucci’s final two innings went much more comfortably, with a single in the fifth and a walk in the sixth, and no runner advanced past second base.

Through his first 11 innings of 2024, Santucci has given up nine hits and five walks while striking out 17 batters. He has yet to allow a run.

Sophomore Owen Proksch took over in the seventh and added two scoreless frames of his own. He retired the first five batters he faced, let up one single in the eighth, and then retired the next batter to end the inning.

Proksch trotted out again in the ninth, but after an opening walk, Duke coach Chris Pollard opted for his ringer. Charlie Beilenson, who already converted his first three save opportunities so far in 2024, took the game ball with the game-tying runner at the plate. He struck out the first batter he faced before a single gave the Wildcats a glimmer of hope.

Beilenson struck out the next two batters in seven pitches.

The graduate student’s fourth save of the year gave the Blue Devils their fifth straight win to open the season and their first of a three-game weekend series against the Wildcats. Duke and Northwestern play again on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.

Report: Ohio State set to play Northwestern in historic Wrigley Field

Play ball, err football

New broke last year that Northwestern was going to build a new stadium, have since broken ground on it and that will impact where the Wildcats will play while construction is on-going.

One of those teams set to play the Wildcats during that time is Ohio State, and on Wednesday it has been reported by Rivals Louie Vaccher that the two teams most likely will face-off at the home of the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field.

Northwestern is no stranger to playing on the baseball field, as they have done some many times previously, but under different circumstances. The Buckeyes have never played a game in such a setting.

As a Chicagoan, I have never attended a football game in Wrigley, but know the stadium well due to being a Cubs fan. This will surely be a game that I will attend and it looks like Buckeye Nation will be invading Wrigleyville in 2024.

Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.

Women’s basketball dominates Northwestern in 75-50 win

The Huskers hosted Northwestern Tuesday night for their second to last home game of the season.

The Huskers hosted Northwestern Tuesday night for their second to last home game of the season. Nebraska dominated the Wildcats throughout, resulting in a massive 75-50 win.

The Huskers controlled the game from the start, blowing past the Wildcats and ending the first quarter up 20-6. Nebraska continued its surge until the end.

Freshman Natalie Potts finished the night as Nebraska’s top scorer, dropping 18 points. She also hauled in 10 rebounds to make it her fourth double-double of the season and led the team in steals with three.

Annika Stewart finished second in scoring for the Huskers, tallying up 13 points in the win. Freshman Logan Nissley dropped 12 points and led Nebraska in assists with six.

Alexis Markowski delivered 12 points for Nebraska while also earning ten rebounds for her 15th double-double of the season. Markowski is now second in school history for career double-doubles with 37 and tied her career-high for double-doubles in a season.

Nebraska improves to 18-9 on the season and 10-6 in conference play. They will remain home to play Minnesota on Saturday for Senior Night. Tipoff is set for 4:00 p.m. and can be viewed on B1G+.

How the Big Ten stacks up in Joe Lunardi’s latest ESPN bracketology update after Purdue’s weekend upset

After a big loss this weekend by Purdue, how does the Big Ten look in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology update?

We are now less than a month away from Selection Sunday, with March 17 being the day every No. 1 seed or bubble team will know its fate. At this point in the season there is little movement among the top four seed lines, but when conference tournaments start in the next few weeks is where things can get interesting.

ESPN bracketologist Jor Lunardi released his latest bracket Tuesday morning, and the Big Ten was well represented with six teams in the 68-team bracket, which includes the First Four teams.

Lunardi also released his conference breakdowns, which highlight the teams he considered for one of the 68 slots and teams looking from the outside in at the bubble.

Most Big Ten teams only have five games left before the regular season ends on March 10, and then the conference tournament starts in Minneapolis on March 14.

Zach Edey and Purdue led over Illinois is down to 1.5 games after the Boilermakers were upset this past weekend by the Ohio State Buckeyes. The loss also took the No. 1 overall seed away from Purdue. The slim conference lead makes the two schools’ March 5 matchup in Champaign all the more exciting.

In Lunardi’s new bracket, six Big Ten teams are in the fold for the tournament: Purdue, Illinois, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan State, and Nebraska. There has been a little movement since last Tuesday, most notably Michigan State jumping from a nine seed to a seven seed after wins against Penn State and Michigan.

Iowa, Ohio State, and Rutgers are three teams that Lunardi considered for the bracket, but they would need a big showing in Minneapolis to make the field.

Let’s take a look at where Lunardi puts the six Big Ten teams in this edition of his 2024 bracket.