Rogers' Gem Propels U-M over Top-Seeded Illinois, into B1G Semis

Friday, May 24

Omaha, Neb.

7:00 PM CT

Michigan

32-27

Illinois

34-19

Michigan

Illinois

Will Rogers (Michigan Photography)

Rogers' Gem Propels U-M over Top-Seeded Illinois, into B1G Semis

5/24/2024 11:44:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Conor Stemme

» Michigan defeated Illinois, 4-2, to advance to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals.
» Will Rogers pitched a career-high 8.2 innings and struck out nine batters.
» Stephen Hrustich tallied two hits and two RBIs.
» Mitch Voit scored twice with a triple and an eighth inning home run.

Omaha, Neb. -- With Will Rogers on the mound, the University of Michigan baseball team defeated top-seeded Illinois in an elimination game of the Big Ten Tournament, 4-2, on Friday (May 24) at Charles Schwab Field.

Rogers threw a career-high 8.2 innings for Michigan (32-27) and tallied a career-high nine strikeouts. He did not allow a baserunner through 2.2 innings and did not allow a hit until the eighth inning. He allowed just five baserunners -- three hits and two walks -- that amounted to two runs in the ninth.

Stephen Hrustich led Michigan at the plate with two RBI hits while Mitch Voit added a triple and a home run in the contest scoring twice.

Both teams were scoreless through two innings before U-M took the lead in the third. Brock Leitgeb led off the inning with a walk and with two outs, Hrustich singled to right field to give U-M a 1-0 lead. After retiring the first eight batters he faced, Rogers walked the ninth batter for Illinois on a full count.

Rogers was unshaken by the walk and retired the next 13 batters he faced. U-M added a run in the top of the fifth after Voit tripled with one out. Hrustich followed up with his second hit of the day, this time a blooper double to right field.

In the top of the eighth, Cole Caruso and Rogers doubled back-to-back to open the frame, with Caruso scoring on the play as U-M led, 3-0. Rogers surrendered his first hit of the night in the top of the eighth but still faced just three batters in the inning after a 4-6-3 double play retired the first two.

Voit added an insurance run in the top of the ninth with his second home run of the tournament. Illinois tried to rally and after a flyout opened the inning, Rogers walked the nine-hitter again. Another flyout recorded the second out, but a triple and single for the Fighting Illini plated two. Dylan Vigue took the mound to face the next batter and forced a groundout to record his first career save.

Michigan will now face eighth-seeded Penn State in a rematch on Saturday (May 25) at Charles Schwab Field with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. CT. The game will air live on Big Ten Network. If the Wolverines win, they will face Penn State again later in the day.