OMAHA, NEB. — The postseason got off to a rough start for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Tuesday afternoon in Omaha, as No. 7 Rutgers was run-ruled by No. 10 Michigan, 10-0, at Charles Schwab Field Omaha, the home of the College World Series.
Rutgers struggled to generate any offense in its Big Ten Tournament opener, recording just one hit across 21 at-bats while being shut out by a dominant Wolverines pitching staff. Meanwhile, Michigan’s bats came alive early and never cooled off, finishing with 12 hits in 31 at-bats, including three home runs in the lopsided victory.
The Wolverines wasted little time setting the tone, opening the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead.
Rutgers handed the ball to Vincent Borghese in its tournament opener, but Michigan’s lineup found success early against the right-hander. Borghese surrendered seven hits and four earned runs over 5.1 innings of work while recording two strikeouts.
Michigan continued to apply pressure throughout the evening, adding an RBI single in the third before a two-run single in the fourth stretched the lead to 4-0.
From there, Rutgers never found an answer offensively.
Michigan delivered the knockout blow in the seventh inning, blasting back-to-back home runs to extend the lead to 7-0 before piling on with a bases-loaded walk and a two-run single to complete the 10-run-rule victory.
Six different Michigan hitters recorded RBIs in the win, with three players driving in multiple runs as the Wolverines showcased one of their most complete offensive performances of the season.
Rutgers, meanwhile, could not find any rhythm at the plate. The Scarlet Knights entered postseason play after finishing the regular season 26-29 overall and 13-17 in Big Ten conference play, but their offense never got going in the tournament opener.
With the loss, Rutgers drops into an elimination bracket. The Scarlet Knights will take on No. 6 Ohio State at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The Buckeyes fell to the Washington Huskies. The Buckeyes enter the matchup with a 29-24 overall record and a 18-12 mark in conference play.
For both RU and OSU, the stakes are simple: win or the season ends.
Under the Big Ten’s new double-elimination tournament format introduced this season, Rutgers still has a path forward despite the opening-round loss. If the Scarlet Knights defeat Ohio State and then beat the loser of the Michigan-Washington matchup, they would secure the fourth qualifying spot and keep their tournament hopes alive.
