University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota to Host Indiana in Final Regular Season Series
5/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Minnesota enters the weekend with a 13-14 Big Ten record, which puts them in fourth by a half a game over Illinois and Purdue who are tied at 13-15 in fifth place. Iowa and Penn State are one and a half games back in a two-way tie for seventh place at 12-16. Michigan State and Indiana are tied for ninth at 11-17. Michigan and Northwestern lead the Big Ten at 19-9 heading into the final week, while Ohio State is in third at 16-11. Northwestern would own the tiebreaker over Michigan if they both finished with the same record. Whoever wins the Big Ten will host the tournament starting Wednesday, May 24. The top six teams will play in the tournament with the winner having a chance to receive the Big Ten’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Every team in the conference is still mathematically alive for the Big Ten Tournament heading into the final week of play. Michigan, Northwestern and Ohio State have all clinched berths in the Big Ten Tournament heading into the final weekend. The final three spots are up for grabs. If Minnesota were to win three games this weekend it would control its own destiny for making the Big Ten Tournament. Any of the teams in seventh place or below would have to win all four games of their series, if the Golden Gophers claimed two games this week.
In between game one and two of the doubleheader against Indiana on May 20, the Golden Gophers will honor the 1956 College World Series Championship team. Minnesota will present 50th anniversary championship rings to the members of that team among other festivities to honor the first of three Golden Gopher College World Series championship teams led by Dick Siebert.
