Big Ten Announces Neutral Site for 2009 Conference Tournament
12/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- The University of Michigan baseball team will defend its 2008 Big Ten Tournament title in Columbus, Ohio, as the conference office and Greater Columbus Sports Commission announced today (Thursday, Dec.18) that Huntington Park, the home of the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, will serve as the host site for the 2009 Big Ten Baseball Tournament. The event will mark the Big Ten's first neutral-site baseball tournament since 1994.
"We are excited to announce that the 2009 Big Ten Baseball Tournament will be held at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio," said Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany. "Moving the baseball tournament to a neutral site will allow the conference office and the local organizing committee to promote this event throughout the season. In addition, playing at an outstanding facility like Huntington Park will enhance the experience for our student-athletes, coaches and fans. We're looking forward to the first pitch of the tournament in May."
Huntington Park will open on April 18 as the home of the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The 2009 Big Ten Baseball Tournament will be held May 20-24 and will be the first special event held in the ballpark, which is located in the Arena District, adjacent to Nationwide Arena home of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets.
"Huntington Park is an outstanding venue and I am sure the people of Columbus and the Big Ten Conference will put on a stellar tournament," Maloney said. "Personally, I didn't feel that I could support Columbus as a neutral site, but the other coaches unanimously agreed to make that move and we look forward to competing there."
Since the inception of the Big Ten Baseball Tournament in 1981, the event has been played at the site of the regular-season champion or the champion from a pre-selected division, with the exception of 1993 and 1994 when it was held in Battle Creek, Mich. From 1981-99, the tournament field consisted of the conference's top four teams. In 2000, the field expanded to include six squads.
Five different teams have been named Big Ten Tournament champion in the event's 28 years, with Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State owning the most titles with eight each. Having won the last three regular-season championships, Michigan has hosted the last three tournaments, while the event was last held in Columbus in 2001. The 2009 tournament will be the sixth overall played in the city of Columbus.
The Big Ten Baseball Tournament is a double-elimination event with the top two seeds earning first-round byes. The full schedule can be found below.
2009 BIG TEN BASEBALL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
| Time | Game |
| Wednesday, May 20 | |
| 12:05 p.m. | No. 4 Seed vs. No. 5 Seed |
| 3:35 p.m. | No. 3 Seed vs. No. 6 Seed |
| Thursday, May 21 | |
| 12:05 p.m. | Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 |
| 3:35 p.m. | Highest Seed of Games 1 & 2 Winners vs. No. 2 Seed |
| 7:05 p.m. | Lowest Seed of Games 1 & 2 Winners vs. No. 1 Seed |
| Friday, May 22 | |
| 12:05 p.m. | Winner Game 3 vs. Lowest Seed of Games 4 & 5 Losers |
| 3:35 p.m. | Winner Game 6 vs. Highest Seed of Games 4 & 5 Losers |
| 7:05 p.m. | Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 4 |
| Saturday, May 23 | |
| 3:35 p.m. | Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 |
| 7:05 p.m. | Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9 (Championship Game) |
| Sunday, May 24 (If Necessary)* | |
| 12:05 p.m. | Winner Game 10 vs. Loser Game 10 (Second Championship Game) |
All times Eastern
Contact: Matt Fancett (734) 763-4423
