[7] Illini Eliminated from Big Ten Tournament

OMAHA, Neb. — [7] Fighting Illini baseball (25-27) was eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament after a 6-3 defeat to [6] Michigan (27-27) on Wednesday night at Charles Schwab Field Omaha.

The Wolverines opened the scoring in the ballgame by scoring five runs on five hits in the bottom of the third to take a 5-0 lead.

Illinois got back into the contest by putting up a three-spot in the top of the sixth. Cam McDonald, Drake Westcott and Camden Janik started the frame with three-straight singles to load the bases with nobody out. Ryan Moerman picked up an RBI with a groundout to first to get the Illini on the board. Jacob Schroeder followed with a line-drive single back up the middle to score Westcott and put runners on the corners. Brody Harding then dropped in a bunt single to score Janik and cut the Michigan lead to two.

Jack Crowder kept Illinois in the ballgame by keeping the Wolverines off the board in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Crowder picked up five strikeouts along the way, including big punchouts to end the sixth and seventh.

Michigan would tack on another run in the eighth to make it 6-3 and Illinois would go down in order in the ninth to end the game.

The Fighting Illini finish the season with a 25-27 record and went 12-12 during Big Ten play.

GAME NOTES

» Cam McDonald went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

    » Finishes his Illini career among program leaders in games played (220, T-7th), games started (219, 5th) hits (255, 8th) and RBI (163, 9th).

» Drake Westcott went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

    » Ends season on a five-game hitting streak…went 8-for-19 (.421) with one home run and two RBI…had three-multi hit games during that span.

» Branden Comia finishes his Illini career among program leaders in hits (249, 9th), RBI (156, 11th), doubles (54, 2nd), hit by pitch (44, 2nd) and has the second-longest on-base streak (60 games).

» Jack Crowder turned in 4.0 strong innings in relief, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out five and issuing no walks.

» Korey Bunselmeyer tossed 1.1 scoreless innings and did not allow a hit…struck out one.

» Seven of the nine Illini starters reached base safely in the contest.

» Illinois went 3-for-9 (.333) with…