No. 12 Michigan State 8, No. 5 Purdue 4 – The Michigan State Spartans jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and held on to win the Big Ten tournament opener, thumping the fifth-seeded Purdue Boilermakers behind 7 2/3 dominant innings from starter Aidan Donovan, who allowed just five hits, walked one and struck out six, allowing just two runs in his final 2/3 of an inning.
The win was Michigan State’s first win at the Big Ten tournament since 2021 and made them the first team in Big Ten tournament history to win a game.
Randy Seymour had a two-run single in the first and added another RBI single in the second that put the Spartans ahead 6-0. Isaac Sturgess, World Baseball Network’s Player to Watch for Michigan State, contributed an RBI double in the second as well.
Purdue battled back, getting a pair of runs of Donovan in the eighth on a single by Brandon Rogers, and then two more in the ninth, the first on a double to center field by Jackson Bessette that scored Sam Flores, and then Dylan Drake’s sac fly scored Bessette to make it 8-4.
The Boilermakers got the tying run to the on-deck circle in the ninth when Zach Zykowski was hit by a pitch with a 3-2 count and two outs, but Rogers struck out swinging to end the rally and the game.
With the win, the Spartans advance to face the winner of today’s afternoon game between eighth-seeded Iowa and ninth-seeded Illinois on Wednesday evening, while Purdue will face the losing team from the Iowa/Illinois game in an elimination game tomorrow morning.
Currently ranked No. 53 in the Rating Percentage Index, an early exit from the Big Ten tournament for Purdue could drop them lower in that ranking, possibly costing them a bid to the NCAA Tournament, depending upon the outcome of some of the mid-major conference tournaments.
Where to Watch – The entire 2026 Big Ten Baseball Championship will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network and the games will also be available on the FOX Sports App.
2026 Big Ten Tournament Schedule
All times Eastern Daylight Time
All games played at Charles Schwab Field, Omaha, Nebraska
Tuesday, May 19
No. 12 Michigan State 8, No. 5 Purdue 4 – Game 1
3 p.m. – No. 8 Iowa vs. No. 9 Illinois – Game 2
7 p.m. – No. 7 Michigan vs. No. 10 Rutgers – Game 3
10 p.m. – No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Washington – Game 4
Wednesday, May 20
10 a.m. – Purdue vs. Game 2 Losing Team (Iowa/Illinois) – Game 5
3 p.m. – Game 3 Losing Team (Michigan/Rutgers) vs. Game 4 Losing Team (Ohio State/Washington) – Game 6
7 p.m. – Game 1 Winning Team (Purdue/Michigan State) vs. Game 2 Winning Team (Iowa/Illinois) – Game 7
10 p.m. – Game 3 Winning Team (Michigan/Rutgers) vs. Game 4 Winning Team (Ohio State/Washington) – Game 8
Thursday, May 21
3 p.m. – Game 5 Winning Team vs. Game 7 Losing Team – Game 9
7 p.m. – Game 6 Winning Team vs. Game 8 Losing Team – Game 10
Friday, May 22
10 a.m. – Game 7 Winning Team vs. No. 4 Southern California – Game 11
3 p.m. – Game 9 Winning Team vs. No. 1 UCLA – Game 12
7 p.m. – Game 10 Winning Team vs. No. 2 Nebraska – Game 13
10 p.m. – Game 8 Winning Team vs. No. 3 Oregon – Game 14
Saturday, May 23
3 p.m. – Game 11 Winning Team vs. Game 12 Winning Team – Semifinal 1 – Game 15
7 p.m. – Game 13 Winning Team vs. Game 14 Winning Team – Semifinal 2 – Game 16
Sunday, May 24
3 p.m. EDT – Championship Game
Photo: Picture of Michigan State’s Aidan Donovan pitching against Purdue on Tuesday (Photo courtesy of MSU Baseball on X)
