Big Ten Baseball Tournament 2015: Schedule, TV Info and Predictions – Bleacher Report

The Big Ten is no longer an afterthought on the diamond, and its top eight teams will look to prove it at the 2015 Big Ten baseball tournament.

Dreams of Omaha and College World Series glory start at the conference tournament at Target Field in Minneapolis, as the event’s winner earns an automatic spot in the NCAA tournament. D1Baseball.com projected six Big Ten squads in its 64-team NCAA field, but strong performances in Minneapolis would help solidify those spots and improve overall seeding.

Ryan Ginn of Scout.com added more evidence that the Big Ten is stronger than usual this season with so many teams projected for tournament spots:

.@OhioState_BASE is the Big Ten Tournament No. 7 seed for the second year in a row. 2014 RPI was 119. Current RPI is 31. B1G is improving.

— Ryan Ginn (@RyanGinnBSB) May 19, 2015

With that in mind, here is a look at the complete schedule and broadcast information (per Sporting News) for the 2015 Big Ten tournament. The event has a double-elimination format on the way to Sunday’s title game.

Predicted Big Ten Championship Game Matchup: Illinois vs. Indiana

It’s not exactly going out on a limb to put Illinois in the conference title game.

The Fighting Illini enter the Big Ten tournament with a head-turning 26-game winning streak and the No. 1 seed. They are the regular-season conference champions thanks to a 21-1 Big Ten record and the clear favorite to take home the trophy.

As for Indiana, it may be the No. 6 seed, but the Hoosiers are also red-hot. They won nine of 10 to end the season after losing eight of 10 in mid-April and have plenty of momentum heading to Minneapolis.

Indiana is also the two-time defending champion, and that experience will pay off in the postseason. The Hoosiers are a battle-tested bunch, even without former star Kyle Schwarber, and should have the confidence that naturally comes with winning titles.

Indiana also boasts ace Kyle Hart, who has a sparkling 4-0 record with a 1.85 ERA. Don’t be surprised if Hart makes a second appearance later in the tournament on short rest as the best pitcher on Indiana’s staff.

Coach Chris Lemonis discussed his team’s overall season, per Zach Osterman of the Indianapolis Star: “When the NCAA says at the beginning of the year, these are the things you have to do—go on the road, play good people, beat good people, finish strong—I think we’ve done a lot of those types of things.”

Fortunately for Lemonis, his team won’t necessarily have to beat Illinois to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. However, it would go a long way for seeding purposes because the Fighting Illini are the best team in the Big Ten.

Illinois’ pitching staff is incredibly deep and boasts three starters with an ERA of 2.35 or better in Kevin Duchene (1.19), Drasen Johnson (2.34) and Rob McDonnell (2.35). If that group gives the Fighting Illini the lead through eight innings, closer Tyler Jay will certainly shut the door with his 0.67 ERA.

Opponents must beat Illinois in eight innings, which makes the task all the more difficult.

Throw in a lineup that led the Big Ten in batting average with David Kerian (.383, 13 homers and 45 RBI) as the anchor, and the Fighting Illini are a complete threat in this tournament and the NCAAs. Nobody in the Big Ten will stand in their way.

Predicted Champion: Illinois

While Indiana is playing its best baseball of the season, it will not beat Illinois.

Big Ten Network analyst Danan Hughes believes this season’s Fighting Illini are more talented than the past two Hoosiers teams that won the Big Ten tournament, per Brent Yarina of BTN.com:

True. Although Indiana had the ability to change the game with the power of the Bash Brothers (Kyle Schwarber and Sam Travis), this Illinois team to me has some of that, too, plus deep pitching. To know that you have the luxury of having enough strength to just be ahead into the seventh inning of any game, then pass the ball to a closer like Tyler Jay is a benefit that puts them over the top for me.

The pitching and offensive combination from Illinois will simply be too much for Indiana and the rest of the conference. Yes, Indiana has Hart, but the Fighting Illini have a number of pitchers they can throw at the Hoosiers and everyone else in this league.

That is the formula for a championship.