Michigan
Rutgers
Michigan to Enter Big Ten Tournament as Seven Seed, Will Open Against Rutgers
5/17/2026 12:25:00 PM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team (32-22) heads to the Big Ten Tournament for the 12th straight season, earning the No. 7 seed. The Wolverines will open play against No. 10-seed Rutgers (26-28) on Tuesday (May 19) at 5 p.m. CT, before facing either No. 6-seed Ohio State (29-23) or No. 11-seed Washington (23-31) on Wednesday. All games will be played at Charles Schwab Field and aired live on the Big Ten Network.
Notes
• The Big Ten Tournament features a new format this season after one year of pool play. Seeds 5 through 12 will compete in a double-elimination bracket from Tuesday through Thursday, with four teams advancing to face the top four seeds in a single-elimination bracket beginning Friday. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday.
• Michigan enters the tournament on a four-game losing streak after being swept by Ohio State in its final regular-season series and dropping a midweek contest to Kent State. Prior to that stretch, the Wolverines had won eight of their previous 10 games.
• Brayden Jefferis hit .500 in the Ohio State series with two home runs, doubling his career total. The sophomore ranks third in the Big Ten with a .394 conference batting average and is tied for the league lead with 43 hits in conference play.
• Kurt Barr has started every weekend series for Michigan and leads the team in innings pitched and strikeouts. He owns a 4.40 ERA with a career-high 95 strikeouts in 73.2 innings. The senior ranks eighth all-time in program history with 246 career strikeouts and is five shy of tying Tommy Henry for seventh.
• Colby Turner leads the Wolverines in several offensive categories, including a .377 batting average and .656 slugging percentage. He has a team-best 141 total bases, highlighted by 18 doubles and 14 home runs. The junior ranks second in the Big Ten in batting average and is 43rd nationally, while also sitting third in the conference and 24th nationally in hits.
• David Lally Jr. turned in a strong relief outing in Saturday's finale against Ohio State, allowing one run over five innings with six strikeouts. He leads the team with a 4.20 ERA and has struck out 58 batters in 64.1 innings. In conference play, Lally holds a 3.18 ERA across nine appearances (six starts), including a complete game against Northwestern.
• Matthew Ossenfort has heated up at the plate, ranking third on the team in batting average over the last 20 games while adding six runs scored. The junior is hitting .313 in conference play with 15 hits and has appeared in 52 of Michigan's 54 games this season.
• Cade Montgomery transitioned to the bullpen after beginning the season in the rotation and has been dominant, allowing just five hits over 10.2 innings in April and May while striking out 13 and posting a 1.69 ERA. He has recorded a decision in each of his last six outings, going 1-0 with five saves.
• Michigan is making its 12th straight Big Ten Tournament appearance, the longest active streak in the conference, and is the No. 7 seed for the second consecutive season. Last year marked the program's first time as the No. 7 seed, with U-M going 0-2.
• Rutgers enters at 26-28 and is coming off a series win over Northwestern. The teams met earlier this season, with the Scarlet Knights taking the opener before Michigan won the final two games to claim the series. U-M is 18-11 all-time against Rutgers, including a win in the 2022 Big Ten Tournament championship game, the only previous postseason meeting between the teams.
