The second day of the 2025 Big Ten Tournament at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, featured wins from UCLA and Penn State, while Iowa held off a late Rutgers rally to stay unbeaten in Pool C.
This year’s tournament is the second to use a 12-team, pool-play format. The field is split into four pools of three teams each. Only the winner of each pool will advance to the semifinals on May 24. The championship game will be played Sunday, May 25.
The tournament is being broadcast on Big Ten Network and the Fox Sports App. Oregon and UCLA shared the Big Ten regular-season title, with Oregon earning the No. 1 seed via tiebreaker. Nebraska won the tournament last year.
Iowa, UCLA, Penn State Win On Second Day Of Big Ten Tournament Pool Play
The second day of the 2025 Big Ten Tournament at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, featured victories from UCLA and Penn State, while the University of Iowa Hawkeyes fended off the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights in a close finish to remain unbeaten in Pool C.
This year’s tournament features 12 teams and uses a pool-play format, with the field divided into four pools of three teams each. The winner of each pool advances to the semifinals on May 24. The championship game will be played Sunday, May 25.
All games are televised on Big Ten Network and the Fox Sports App. The University of Oregon and UCLA shared the Big Ten regular-season title, with Oregon earning the No. 1 seed via tiebreaker. The University of Nebraska won last year’s tournament.
Game 4 – No. 2 UCLA 8, No. 11 Illinois 6 – Pool B
The University of California, Los Angeles Bruins opened their tournament with an 8-6 win over the University of Illinois Fighting Illini. The Bruins used a five-run third inning to take early control, highlighted by a two-RBI double from center fielder Brady Brennan and a run-scoring walk by right fielder Chris Salgado.
Illinois designated hitter Drake Westcott homered and drove in a pair of runs, and second baseman Branden Quagliano collected two hits and two RBI for the Illini, who scored in five different innings but were undone by a shaky third frame and missed opportunities late.
UCLA’s Mike O’Connor earned the win in relief, and Cody Hawk recorded the save. Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky homered in the eighth to give UCLA breathing room. The Bruins improved to 40-15 and will face the University of Michigan on Thursday.
Game 5 – No. 9 Penn State 5, No. 5 Washington 3 – Pool D
The Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions scored four runs across the sixth and seventh innings and held off a late surge to defeat the University of Washington Huskies 5-3.
Starter Ryan DeSanto threw 5.2 scoreless innings before the bullpen carried Penn State the rest of the way. The Lions broke open the game with a two-run sac fly from third baseman Brenden Molinaro, followed by a solo home run from shortstop Sean Weingartner. Right fielder Carlos Mercado chipped in with an RBI single in the seventh.
Washington left fielder Alberto Guerrero was responsible for all three Husky runs, including a two-run homer in the eighth. The Huskies out-hit Penn State 8-6 but stranded nine runners.
Penn State moved to 32-22 and will face the University of Southern California on Thursday in Pool D.
Game 6 – No. 3 Iowa 4, No. 10 Rutgers 3 – Pool C
The University of Iowa Hawkeyes held off a late ninth-inning charge to defeat the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights 4-3 and move to 33-20-1.
Iowa left-hander Cade Obermueller was electric, tossing seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and allowing only four hits. The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on RBI singles from second baseman Sam Wulf, center fielder Ben Risley, and right fielder Brayden Strohmeyer. Risley added another RBI single in the fourth.
Rutgers made it interesting late. Yoldi Carreras hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth to plate Brennan Hyde, and Ty Doucette delivered a two-run single in the ninth to bring the Knights within one. Trevor Cohen had three hits, while Hyde doubled and singled.
Nate Hackett, Jared Wright, and Brody Hogue combined to close it out for Iowa, with Hogue earning the save.
Rutgers dropped to 29-28. On Tuesday, the Scarlet Knights defeated Indiana University 5-2 behind six shutout innings from Landon Mack and home runs from Sweeney, Doucette, and Hyde.
The Scarlet Knights dropped to 29-28. On Tuesday, they opened pool play with a 5-2 win over Indiana behind Landon Mack’s six shutout innings and home runs from Jack Sweeney, Ty Doucette, and Brennan Hyde.
Iowa improved to 33-20-1 and will face Indiana on Friday. A win would send the Hawkeyes to the semifinals.
Tiebreaking procedures and seeding rules are available here. According to the Big Ten, “The 12-team tournament will determine the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Oregon and UCLA clinched a share of the Big Ten Championship on the last day of the season Saturday, with Oregon earning the No. 1 seed based on a tiebreaker.”
This year’s format features four pools of three teams each. If pool play ends in a tie, the highest-seeded team advances. Pool winners move on to the single-elimination semifinals May 24. The title game will be held May 25.
The NCAA Tournament Selection Monday Show airs May 26 at noon EDT on ESPNU.
Nebraska won the 2024 Big Ten Tournament, defeating Penn State 2-1 as the No. 2 seed. Last year’s field featured eight teams; this year’s field expanded to 12.
Michigan, Ohio State, and Minnesota each have 10 Big Ten Tournament championships. Indiana and Illinois have four apiece.
In the latest D1Baseball.com Top 25 rankings published May 19, Oregon is ranked No. 4 and UCLA is ranked No. 13.
2025 Big Ten Regular Season Standings
Oregon (41-13, 22-8 Big Ten)
UCLA (39-15, 22-8 Big Ten)
Iowa (32-20-1, 21-9 Big Ten)
USC (34-20, 18-12 Big Ten)
Washington (29-26, 17-13 Big Ten)
Indiana (31-23, 16-14 Big Ten)
Michigan (33-21, 16-14 Big Ten)
Nebraska (28-27, 15-15 Big Ten)
Penn State (31-22, 15-15 Big Ten)
Rutgers (28-27, 15-15 Big Ten)
Illinois (29-23, 14-16 Big Ten)
Michigan State (28-25, 13-17 Big Ten)
Wednesday, May 21 – Pool Play
Game 4 – No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 11 Illinois – 11 a.m. – Pool B
Game 5 – No. 9 Penn State vs. No. 5 Washington – 3 p.m. – Pool D
Game 6 – No. 3 Iowa vs. No. 10 Rutgers – 7 p.m. – Pool C
Thursday, May 22 – Pool Play
Game 7 – No. 7 Michigan vs. No. 2 UCLA – 11 a.m. – Pool B
Game 8 – No. 4 USC vs. No. 9 Penn State – 3 p.m. – Pool D
Game 9 – No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 12 Michigan State – 7 p.m. – Pool A
Friday, May 23 – Pool Play
Game 10 – No. 5 Washington vs. No. 4 USC – 11 a.m. – Pool D
Game 11 – No. 6 Indiana vs. No. 3 Iowa – 3 p.m. – Pool C
Game 12 – No. 8 Nebraska vs. No. 1 Oregon – 7 p.m. – Pool A
Saturday, May 24 – Semifinals
Game 13 – Pool A Winner vs. Pool D Winner – 3 p.m.
Game 14 – Pool B Winner vs. Pool C Winner – 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 25 – Championship Game
Game 15 – Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner – 3 p.m.
Big Ten Conference MLBPipeline.com Top 150 Draft Prospects
No. 23 – OF – Devin Taylor – Indiana
No. 62 – OF – Mason Neville – Oregon
No. 63 – LHP – Cade Obermueller – Iowa
No. 70 – LHP – Joseph Dzierwa – Michigan State
No. 76 – OF – Korbyn Dickerson – Indiana
No. 121 – LHP – Caden Hunter – Southern California
No. 143 – OF – Paxton Kling – Penn State
