“I haven’t seen it this close in all my years around here,” Stevens said. “There’s been some close races, but I don’t think anything is like what we’re seeing this year.”

With one more weekend left in the Big Ten season, and first and last place separated by just five games, all 10 teams in the conference have a chance to finish in the top six and qualify for the Big Ten tournament. But only Minnesota has clinched a spot.

More significantly, every team other than Illinois and Penn State has a chance to be at least co-champions for the regular season.

Every series in the conference this weekend will consist of three games Thursday through Saturday. It likely will take until Saturday, when all games are in the books, for the outlook on the Big Ten Tournament to be a little clearer. But even then, things still might be hazy, as none of the four teams currently tied for fifth place play each other and could remain tied.

The first tiebreaker is head-to-head results but if several other tiebreakers don’t solve the mess, it could come down to a coin flip.

MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said he isn’t exactly sure what has to happen for his team to reach the tournament or win the regular season crown, but he guessed the Spartans would have to win the final two series of the season to have a chance at either accomplishment. MSU completed the first goal, winning two of three against Indiana and moving into the tie at fifth place last weekend.

Still, Boss said he is unsure of the specifics of the standings and tiebreakers, and only is focused on his team.

“You just try to win every game,” Boss said. “There’s a lot of different scenarios out there, but we just have to concern ourselves with the next game.”

For Boss and the Spartans, that next game — and series — is against Stevens and Northwestern.

Heading into the weekend, the Wildcats (22-29 overall, 11-10 Big Ten) sit in fourth place in the conference, right in front of MSU (33-17, 10-11).

Some of the Spartans said they were aware of the implications of the next three games, but followed Boss’ lead when it came to talking about the rest of the standings.

“Coach updates us a little, but I know we’re tied for fifth and that’s about all I know,” junior pitcher A.J. Achter said. “I know there’s a lot of teams that are really close so we just have to go out there and play our game.”

Achter is projected to be the starter on the mound for MSU in game one of the series, which starts at 4 p.m. Thursday at Rocky Miller Park in Evanston, Ill.

To beat the Wildcats, Boss said his team just needs to do what it has been doing the past five games, in which the Spartans have put 55 runs on the board compared to giving up 41. He added that he hasn’t changed the way he’s managed games while MSU is in the midst of the Big Ten race.

However, he said that might change if he knows his team needs a win in the last game of the series Saturday.

“You try not to overthink, you just try and go out and win the next one,” Boss said. “In that last game, though, if it all comes down to it, then it’s all hands on deck and you play like it’s the last one you’re going to play.”

With only three guaranteed games left in senior designated hitter Chris Roberts’ college career, he wants to end on a high note by beating Northwestern and extending his time in the Green and White.

“You never want it to end,” Roberts said. “I just want to get past Northwestern and keep playing.”