OMAHA, Neb. — Michigan's Jordan Nwogu hit a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the ninth to walk off the No. 20 Illinois baseball team, 5-4, Thursday at TD Ameritrade Park. Illinois was eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament and awaits its NCAA Tournament destination, which will be announced Monday at 11 a.m. CT on ESPNU.
"Obviously a tough loss for us," said head coach Dan Hartleb. "Takes us out of the tournament and you always want to play for a championship. We had a lot of guys do things well today, I thought we played to win, but ultimately we just made too many mistakes."
Illinois (36-19) was within a strike of beating Michigan (39-17), 4-3, before Ako Thomas drew a two-out walk from Illini closer Garrett Acton to put runners on the corners. Nwogu was the next batter and split the left center gap with a line drive to score the two runners without a play.
Illinois held a 3-0 lead in the seventh inning and looked like it would take the shutout bid to the eighth, before a call on what would have been an inning-ending double play was reversed to plate a Michigan run. The next hitter was Thomas, who doubled down the left field line to score a pair and tie the ballgame.
The Illini fought back to take another lead on a bases-loaded walk to Kellen Sarver in the eighth, but stranded the three runners to keep the score 4-3. Grant Van Scoy singled in the ninth for his third hit before a double play ball ended the top half and set up Nwogu, who handed Illinois its second straight loss for the first time since April 15-16.
Acton (2-3) took the loss, while Jack Weisenburger (2-0) was the winner after throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings for Michigan. Ty Weber started on the mound for Illinois and was sharp through the first six innings, but was charged three runs in the seventh after Sean Leland allowed three inherited runners to score.
Sarver ripped an RBI double in the fourth inning as part of a two-hit, two-RBI day to lead Illinois and Cam McDonald added two singles. Jack Yalowitz delivered a run on a squeeze bunt in the seventh and Van Scoy followed with an RBI double.
Illinois is confident it will be an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament, which would be its first NCAA appearance since 2015 and 12th overall.
"We will work on a lot of the little things over the next three or four days," said Hartleb. "Just to get refocused and realize how important the little things are."
The live RPI lists the Illini at No. 29 in the nation and Illinois' resume includes an impressive 11-6 mark against the RPI top 50.
"In the NCAA Tournament we're going to play good teams like we played today," said Van Scoy. "If we keep fighting and battling, I think we are going to come out on the other side."
Illinois Baseball NCAA Tournament Resume
• No. 29 in the RPI, the best in the Big Ten
• 11-6 vs. the RPI top 50
• 18-15 vs. RPI top 100
• No. 8 in the nation in top 50 winning percentage among teams with 10+ games (.647)
• t-19th in the nation in top 50 wins (t-8th outside the SEC)
• Nonconference RPI No. 6
• Nonconference strength of schedule No. 20
• Overall strength of schedule No. 56
• Six straight Big Ten series wins to end the regular season (at Minnesota, Penn State, at Nebraska, Indiana, Purdue, at Michigan State).
• Series wins against every top-five Big Ten team played (at Minnesota, at Nebraska, Indiana).
• Series win over Big Ten champion Indiana (RPI 32)
• Series sweep over MVC co-champion Illinois State (RPI 26)
• Series win at Nebraska (RPI 35)
• Series sweep at Conference USA champion FAU (RPI 39)
• Big Ten conference games fielding percentage record (.987)
• No. 2 in the Big Ten in batting average and ERA during the regular season
• No. 1 in the Big Ten in fielding percentage during the regular season
