ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — This time, Ohio State’s baseball team figures it got things right.
A week after watching Michigan win the Big Ten regular-season championship on the same field, the Buckeyes turned the tables and topped the Wolverines 8-5 to win the conference tournament championship Saturday.
Tourney MVP Mike Lockwood drove in three runs with four hits for Ohio State (42-16), which went 3-0 in the double-elimination tournament and earned the Big Ten’s automatic berth into NCAA regional play.
The win came exactly seven days after Michigan won the regular-season title and earned home field for the playoffs with a 4-3 win over Ohio State. “It didn’t ever seem like we left,” Lockwood said. “Everyone wanted this, and we came through.”
The Buckeyes (42-16) earned their fourth conference playoff title and will make their sixth NCAA appearance in Coach Bob Todd’s 10 seasons.
“Ohio State beat us and deserved what they got,” Michigan coach Geoff Zahn said. “They won the tournament championship, and I wish them all the best in the regional tournament.”
Michigan (36-22), which lost 9-2 to Ohio State on Friday, earned a rematch with a 7-5 win earlier Saturday over Illinois.
The Wolverines would’ve needed to beat Ohio State twice to win the tourney title but didn’t have enough left to do the job.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our men on this club,” Zahn said. “They have come a long way and worked hard, and to me they deserve an at-large bid (to an NCAA regional).”