Thursday's college baseball: Wolverines stay alive in Big Ten tournament

Omaha, Neb. — Jordan Nwogu drilled a two-run double with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to push Michigan past Illinois, 5-4, on Thursday in the Big Ten Tournament.

Ako Thomas also had a pair of RBIs for Michigan (39-17), which rallied from a 3-0 hole to solidify its at-large NCAA Tournament hopes.

Michigan tied it at 3-all on a two-RBI double by Thomas in the bottom of the seventh. The Wolverine pitchers couldn’t hold it, walking three batters – including a go-ahead run – in the top of the eighth.

But Garrett Acton (2-3), the national leader with 19 saves, allowed runners to reach first and third — and Nwogu drilled a walk-off double to the left field gap.

Kellen Sarver had a pair of RBIs for Illinois (36-19), the first team to be sent home from Omaha.

Michigan will face the loser in Thursday’s game between Maryland/Ohio State at 4:30 p.m today.

More Big Ten

Minnesota 9, Indiana 4: Jordan Kozicky and Eli Wilson each drove in two runs and Minnesota knocked out the No. 1 seed Hoosiers out of the Big Ten Tournament with back-to-back losses.

Kozicky and Wilson helped power Minnesota’s three-run fifth inning by driving in runs. Wilson made it 7-4 by driving a home run over the left field fence. Wilson finished with three hits for the fourth time this season.

Riley Smith pushed Minnesota’s (27-26) lead to 9-4 with a two-run triple to the right field wall in the ninth.

Indiana (36-21), one of the steadiest fielding teams all season in the Big Ten, committed three errors and gave up the most runs it had all season against a league opponent.

Nick Lackney (2-3) pitched six innings of one-hit relief for the Gophers.

Mid-American Conference

Central Michigan 18, Ohio 7: At Avon, Ohio, Zavier Warren went 4-for-5, including a home run, and drove in two, and Griffin Lockwood-Powell with 4-for-4 and three RBIs for Central Michigan (44-12) in its first game of the Mid-American Conference tournament.

Central faces the winner of Thursday’s game between Northern Illinois/Ball State at 6 p.m. today.

Big Ten tournament

At TD Ameritrade Park, Omaha, Neb.

All games on Big Ten Network

Wednesday 

Game 1: No. 6 Maryland 6, No. 3 Illinois 2

Game 2: No. 7 Ohio State 2, No. 2 Michigan 1

Game 3: No. 8 Iowa 4, No. 1 Indiana 2

Game 4: No. 5 Nebraska 8, No. 4 Minnesota 2

Thursday

Game 5: Michigan 5, Illinois 4, Illinois eliminated

Game 6: Minnesota 9, Indiana 4 

Game 7: Maryland vs. Ohio State, suspended

Game 8: Iowa vs. Nebraska, postponed 

Friday

► Maryland vs. Ohio State, resumes with OSU leading 3-2 in eighth inning, 11 a.m.; Iowa vs. Nebraska to follow.

Game 9: Michigan vs. G7 loser, 4:30 

Game 10: Minnesota vs. G8 loser, 8:30 

Saturday

Game 11: G8 winner vs. G9 winner, 10 a.m.

Game 12: G7 winner vs. G10 winner, 2 

x-Game 13: G11 winner vs. G11 loser, 6

x-Game 14: G12 winner vs. G12 loser, 10 

Sunday

Game 15: Championship, 2 

x-If necessary