Junior shortstop Justin Scanlon walks past Illinois players as they celebrate their win Saturday at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio. Scanlon’s fly ball was caught, giving MSU their third out and ending the Big Ten Tournament Championship game with a final score of 9-1.
The curtain has closed on a historic season for the MSU baseball team.
As Illinois mobbed the pitcher’s mound in an act of triumph and exuberance Saturday at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio, the Spartans (36-21 overall, 17-11 Big Ten) were forced to stand aside quietly to watch their co-Big Ten champion celebrate.
The win guaranteed the Fighting Illini a spot in the NCAA Tournament — the No. 4 seed in the Fullerton Regional in Fullerton, Calif. — and ended a promising season, as MSU was sent packing.
“I’m really happy for (Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb); he certainly deserves it,” MSU head coach Jake Boss Jr. said. “You won’t meet a finer and classier staff than you would at Illinois. Kudos to them, obviously.”
The No. 2-seeded Spartans started the tournament on a good note Thursday, as senior pitcher Kurt Wunderlich dominated the Purdue lineup before and after a two-hour-and-15-minute rain delay to give MSU the 7-1 win and a date with No. 1-seeded Illinois. Although Wunderlich was brilliant, scattering just six hits and striking out five, his 121 pitches rendered him useless for the remainder of the tournament.
In a matchup of the top two seeds on Friday, the Spartans could have reserved an automatic bid to the championship game with a win.
However, Illinois pitcher John Anderson limited the Spartans to just six hits through seven and a third innings as he picked up the 4-1 victory. The loss meant MSU would have to fight out of the loser’s bracket against Minnesota to have another shot at the Illini.
“We all understood it was either win or go home,” senior outfielder Brandon Eckerle said. “It’s tough playing a doubleheader, but with the importance of this game, we were all ready for it.”
After a 6-3 comeback victory against Minnesota in the first game on Saturday, the Spartans would have needed two victories against Illinois to take home the tournament crown.
With MSU trailing 1-0 in the third inning, Illinois first baseman Matt Dittman belted a grand slam over the right field wall at Huntington Park, deflating the Spartan spirit and ending the threat of winning their first ever Big Ten Tournament.
Since last appearing in the NCAA Tournament in 1979, the Spartans have lost in the Big Ten Tournament championship game twice (1988 and 1992).
“It’s tough not getting an automatic bid, but there’s so many positives we can take away from this year,” senior first baseman Jeff Holm said on Saturday. “This group of guys, I’ll be here forever with them, and they’ll be forever with me — I’ll always remember this entire year.”
“When I look down at my hand and see that (Big Ten regular season championship) ring, it’ll make it all worthwhile.”
Although the Spartans lose its Big Ten Player of the Year in Holm, with their career hits (261) and single-season hits (96) leader in Eckerle and Big Ten Pitcher of the Year in Wunderlich, the future looks bright for the MSU baseball program.
“From day one, our goal was to win a Big Ten championship,” Eckerle said. “Obviously, losing is not great, but to win a Big Ten championship in my final season with this group of guys is a great experience.”
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
