(updated Sunday, May 25 at 2:00 a.m. ET)
The Big Ten Baseball Tournament is back. Bigger than ever and with a new format, too.
The 2025 Big Ten Tournament features 12 teams – a record – and that has required a format change for the tournament at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb.
Coming 2025 #B1GBaseball Tournament Presented by https://t.co/RuhsuLh7a3
— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) May 18, 2025
https://t.co/SorQINHWuK pic.twitter.com/kul6iSHDqY
Instead of a double-elimination format – the traditional way college baseball tournaments are conducted and the way the Big Ten Tournament worked through the 2024 tournament – the 2025 Big Ten Tournament will feature pool play and single-elimination semifinals and championship game.
There are four three-team pools. Each team plays the others in their pool starting on Tuesday.
Indiana, for example, will play Rutgers at 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday in Pool C. The Hoosiers will then be idle for two days before they play Iowa at 3 p.m. on Friday.
The teams with the best record in each pool advance to the single-elimination semifinals. Since only three teams are in a pool, two wins are enough to advance.
However, unlike a double-elimination format, one loss does not guarantee continued survival. The only way a tiebreaker comes into play is if all three teams in the pool finish 1-1. In that case, the highest-seeded team goes through.
That might create some strange anomalies. For example, Indiana could lose to Rutgers on Tuesday, beat best-seeded Pool C team Iowa on Friday and still be eliminated if Iowa had beaten Rutgers. In this scenario, the Friday game is meaningless.
This format also creates some long waits for teams. Indiana will play Tuesday and Friday. Rutgers does not play a pool game after Wednesday. None of the Pool C teams play on Thursday.
How this will affect pitching choices remains to be seen. It’s likely teams that know they’ve clinched will not use some of their pitchers. It’s possible some teams that know they’re eliminated won’t risk arm injuries for their best hurlers.
Oregon and UCLA are Big Ten co-champions, and the Big Ten’s new West Coast schools finished in four of the top five spots.
Big Ten schools that didn’t make the field were Northwestern, Maryland, Purdue, Minnesota and Ohio State.
Here's the full schedule, all times Eastern. All games in the Big Ten Tournament will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
Pools
Pool A – No. 1 Oregon (41-13, 22-8), No. 8 Nebraska (28-27, 15-15), No. 12 Michigan State (28-25, 13-17).
Pool B – No. 2 UCLA (39-15, 22-8), No. 7 Michigan (33-21, 16-14), No. 11 Illinois (29-23, 14-16).
Pool C – No. 3 Iowa (32-20-1, 21-9), No. 6 Indiana (31-23, 16-14), No. 10 Rutgers (28-27, 15-15).
Pool D – No. 4 USC (34-20, 18-12), No. 5 Washington (29-26, 17-13), No. 9 Penn State (31-22, 15-15).
Big Ten Tounament (all games broadcast on Big Ten Network)
Charles Schwab Field, Omaha, Neb.
Tuesday, May 20
• Game 1: Illinois 6, Michigan 5, 10 inn.
• Game 2: Rutgers 5, Indiana 2.
• Game 3: Nebraska 5, Michigan State 4, 10 inn.
Wednesday, May 21
• Game 4: UCLA 8, Illinois 6
• Game 5: Penn State 5, Washington 3.
• Game 6: Iowa 4, Rutgers 3.
Thursday, May 22
• Game 7: UCLA 7, Michigan 5. UCLA wins Pool B.
• Game 8: Penn State 2, USC 1. Penn State wins Pool D.
• Game 9: Oregon 4, Michigan State 2.
• Game 10: Indiana 5, Iowa 0. Iowa wins Pool C based on tiebreaker.
Friday, May 23
• Game 10: USC 6, Washington 5.
• Game 12: Nebraska vs. Oregon, 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 24 (single-elimination semifinals)
• Game 12: Nebraska 7, Oregon 3.
• Game 14: UCLA 9, Iowa 3.
• Game 13: Nebraska 6, Penn State 3.
Sunday, May 25 (championship game)
• Game 15: Championship game: UCLA vs. Nebraska, 3 p.m.
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