2025 Big Ten Baseball Season Preview

College baseball is officially back with games getting underway a week from today. The Big Ten is coming off of a season where they sent three teams to the NCAA Tournament, with all three registering a win. It’s a new era for the conference, with Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington joining the conference. Those four programs have combined for 85 NCAA Tournaments appearances and 28 College World Series trips. Normally a conference that doesn’t get a lot of respect, the addition of the former Pac 12 schools will be a much-needed boost.

HawkeyeReport takes a brief look at all 17 teams, looking at key non-conference matchups, returners, transfers and finally giving a quick outlook on their season. All players mentioned in the article have a direct link to their respective roster page.

My Projected Big Ten Tournament Field (alphatbetical)

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, UCLA, USC

Illinois Fighting Illini (35-21) (18-6)

Non-Conference Notes – The big weekend in non-conference play for the Illini is the Las Vegas Baseball Classic against Texas Tech, Washington and Texas. They also have a midweek home-and-home with an Indiana State program that’s made back-to-back tournaments.

Illini Outlook – Illinois had one of, if not the most dangerous offense in the Big Ten last season, averaging 8.25 runs per nine innings. They return a decent bit of power, with 1B Drake Westcott, C Jacob Schroeder and OF Vytas Valincius combining for 42 home runs last season. 3B Coltin Quagliano is back after finishing third on the team in hits (65), while All-MAAC Niagara transfer Nick Groves could be a top of the lineup bat. The pitching staff was massively helped by the offense last season, ranking 142nd in ERA, and now they bring back just two of seven that had below a 6.00 ERA. RHP Ben Plumbley figures to be one of the staff’s top arms, while DIII UW-La Crosse transfer Tyler Schmitt could make an immediate impact. The Illini have some returning experience with a few other arms, but will need them to improve their numbers.

Similar to last season, offensive production should not be a concern. They will be a threat to put up runs against everyone, but they might not be quite as potent as last season. If that is the case, the pitching staff will have to be better and there’s some questions to be answered there.

Indiana Hoosiers (33-26-1) (15-9)

Non-Conference Notes – The Hoosiers open the season at the Sanderson Ford College Classic in Arizona against UNLV, Xavier and Oregon State.Their geographical location helps them, with home-and-home midweeks scheduled against Louisville, Indiana State and Evansville. They also get Stetson for two games down in DeLand.

Hoosier Outlook – If you remember one name from this entire article, remember outfielder Devin Taylor. He’s the favorite to win Big Ten Player of the Year and earn All-American honors after a spectacular sophomore season. The Hoosiers return six starters, led by the middle of the field that includes C Jake Stadler, SS Jasen Oliver and 2B Tyler Cerny. The outfield should be strong around Taylor, with Xavier transfer Tyler Demartino, Louisville transfer Korbyn Dickerson and sophomore Andrew Wiggins. It’s been a while since Indiana has had a set three-man starting rotation and it doesn’t appear they have one this year, although Southern Indiana transfer RHP Gavin Seebold should start. Veterans Drew Buhr and Ryan Kraft both return, as does Jacob Vogel who had a stellar redshirt freshman season. After those three, they will rely on several transfer additions and a couple of highly-touted freshmen. 

There’s a ton to like on the position player side, both with what they return and what they added in the outfield. The pitching staff doesn’t have a true ace, with Luke Sinnard gone, but they have plenty of solid pieces. If the transfer haul proves to be a good one, the Hoosiers could have a real good ballclub.

Iowa Hawkeyes (31-23) (14-10)

Non-Conference Notes – The Hawkeyes open the year with a road series at South Florida, while they’ll face Washington State and Oregon State in neutral location series’. They get Notre Dame, Stetson and UMBC at the Stetson Tournament the second weekend.

Hawkeye Outlook – Pitching was a major focus over the offseason and first year pitching coach Sean Kenny will try to turn the tides with a staff that struggled a year ago. LHP Cade Obermueller is the preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, while Anthony Watts, Aaron Savary and Houston transfer Bryson Walker will battle to fill out the rotation. The bullpen has some returning pieces, including LHP Ben DeTaeye, but was the weakness of the team last season. On the position player side, OF Andy Nelson, C Reese Moore and INF Gable Mitchell will be asked to lead the way. An intriguing group of transfer bats is led by All-Horizon NKU transfer 3B Mitch Wood and Kirkwood transfer OF Miles Risley.

After last season didn’t live up to the lofty preseason expectations, this squad will be back in a familiar spot that Rick Heller has historically done well in. Under the radar. 

Maryland Terrapins (34-22) (10-14)

Non-Conference Notes – Maryland doesn’t have a super strong non-conference slate, but they will face Wake Forest for two in Winston-Salem and will travel to South Florida for a three-game series. A midweek home-and-home with James Madison offers intrigue, as does a midweek home game against Virginia.

Terps Outlook – The Hacopian brothers, Eddie and Chris, will spearhead the Terps lineup after both earned All-Big Ten honors last season. Elijah Lambros returns in the outfield, but the real excitement comes with some of the transfer additions. JUCO transfer Hollis Porter hit 20 home runs last season, while Northwestern transfer Alex Calarco and VCU transfer Aden Hill should earn significant roles. The pitching staff gets sophomore lefty Kyle McCoy back from injury, while starters Joey McMannis and Logan Koester are both back. Omar Melendez and Andrew Johnson figure to be top relievers, with Merrimack transfer Brayden Ryan joining the mix.

It was quite the shock to see the Terps miss the Big Ten Tournament last season after winning it in 2023, but they should return to a more normal form this season. Just how good they are will depend on how much the pitching staff improves on last year’s 5.79 team ERA.

Michigan Wolverines (32-28) (14-10)

Non-Conference Notes – The first two weeks will be tough, as Michigan will go to the inaugural Puerto Rico Challenge to face Virginia, Rice, Villanova and Stetson, before facing TCU, Kansas State and Arkansas at the College Baseball Series in Arlington. They also travel to Long Beach State for a three-game series in early March.

Wolverines Outlook – Third-year head coach Tracy Smith has really hit the portal hard in his time in Ann Arbor, but does have some veterans to lead his 2025 team. Two-way player Mitch Voit returns, while 3B Cole Caruso and CF Jonathan Kim are back as well, but transfers could fill out the majority of the lineup. All-MW San Jose State transfer OF Robert Hamchuk and Ohio transfer OF AJ Rausch were the most notable additions. The starting pitching has a lot of upside, with sophomore Dylan Vigue, Notre Dame transfer David Lally and Ohio State transfer Gavin DeVooght. Michigan always seems to have that go-to bullpen arm, and it could be veteran Kurt Barr or USC transfer Cade Connolly, who combined for 52 appearances last season at their respective schools. Brandon Mann also returns after a solid sophomore season.

It feels like this Michigan team should be better than last season, but it felt the same way last season and they only improved their Big Ten record by one game. Outside of Hamchuk, the offensive transfers are good, but not great. If they make a big impact, the Wolverines could make some noise with what they have on the pitching side.

Michigan State Spartans (24-27) (11-13)

Non-Conference Notes – Not a ton stands out on the Spartans non-conf slate, but they will face Washington State, A&M Corpus-Christi and UCLA at the Kleberg Bank Classic.They will also travel to Notre Dame for a midweek contest, and have a midweek home-and-home with Western Michigan.

Spartans Outlook – There was no news that was bigger than the announcement that ace Joseph Dzierwa was going to return to East Lansing after initially committing to transfer to Vanderbilt. Dzierwa will headline the staff, but there’s a lot of questions for a group that was 188th in ERA last season. Offensively, outfielder Nick Williams will lead the charge, with Illinois State transfer JT Sokolove bringing experience and production. There’s other returners with experience like INF Ryan McKay, INF Randy Seymour, 1B Sam Busch and OF Jake Dresselhouse, but they will all be asked to do more than they did a year ago.

Getting Dzierwa back will ensure that the Spartans have a chance to win every Friday night, but there are questions for both the position players and pitching staff. It feels like the ceiling for MSU would be making a push to qualify for the 12-team Big Ten Tournament.

Minnesota Golden Gophers (24-23) (11-13) 

Non-Conference Notes – Minnesota will rep the Big Ten at the Karbach Round Rock Classic, going up against Oklahoma, Virginia and Oregon State. The Gophers will go to Tempe for a three-game series with Arizona State, while they’re set to host NCAA Tournament participant High Point for three in Minneapolis.

Gophers Outlook – For the first time in nearly 45 years, the Gophers have a new head coach. Ty McDevitt takes over a Minnesota program that hasn’t made the NCAAT since 2018. They have a few returning offensive pieces, led by OF Josh Fitzgerald, C Weber Neels and 3B Jake Perry, who combined for 35.2% of the team’s hits last season. Big Ten All-Freshman selection SS Jack Spanier and St Louis transfer 2B Easton Richter will be an intriguing middle infield duo. On the pitching side, Texas transfer Cole Selvig is expected to contribute right away as a starter, while Kyle Remington and Justin Thorsteinson both had big roles in the bullpen last year. Flame thrower Seth Clausen will be used as a top bullpen arm once again.

The Gophers won three Big Ten Titles from 2010-2018, but are 33-76 against Big Ten teams over the last four seasons. Coach Ty McDevitt has some talent on the roster, but probably not enough to make the Big Ten Tournament in year one.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (40-22) (16-8)

Non-Conference Notes – Maybe the toughest non-conference slate in the Big Ten, the Huskers open the year against UC Irvine, Vanderbilt and San Diego State at the MLB Desert Invitational, while they will face Sam Houston, LSU and Kansas State at the Frisco Classic. They travel to Louisiana-Lafayette for a series, while they host Oregon State for three and then get Kansas State, Creighton and Kansas for midweek home-and-home sets. Absolutely loaded.

Huskers Outlook – The Huskers won the Big Ten Tournament last season and have the talent to contend for this season’s regular season crown, starting on the mound. Right-hander Mason McConnaughey will be the staff ace, while veterans Drew Christo and Will Walsh could fill out the rotation. Relievers Jackson Brockett and Jalen Worthley are both back, while they added NJCAA All-Star righty Luke Broderick from Iowa Western. Offensively, Nebraska had 12 players start at least 25 games and eight of them return, led by 2B Rhett Stokes, SS Dylan Carey, OF Gabe Swansen and CF Riley Silva. They added Summit League POY outfielder Cael Frost from South Dakota State, as well as Creighton transfer catcher Hogan Helligso.

It took head coach Will Bolt a couple of seasons to get rolling, but the Huskers are in line to make to back-to-back NCAA Regionals for the first time since 2016 and 2017. This is a preseason top 25 worthy ballclub. 

Northwestern Wildcats (18-34) (4-20)

Non-Conference Notes – The Wildcats don’t get much in the way of big home games, although they will host Notre Dame in a midweek game. Northwestern’s biggest games will come on the road, as they will play three-game sets at Long Beach State and Duke.

‘Cats Outlook – It was a tough year for the ‘Cats last season, ranking last in the conference in several categories, including batting average, runs scored and team ERA. Offensively, they do get back their top five hits leaders from last season, including C Bennett Markinson, 3B Owen McElfatrick and sophomore outfielder Jackson Freeman. The pitching staff has a lot of turnover, but will be led by righty Garrett Shearer who appeared in 21 games as a freshman last year. They did add Vanderbilt transfer righty Sam Hliboki and Wake Forest lefty Crawford Wade, with both earning some experience at the highest level of college baseball.

Northwestern is easily one of, if not the toughest job amongst the power conferences and head coach Ben Greenspan will not turn it around in one season. The ‘Cats do have some returning pieces and will be looking to make some progress after going 4-20 in Big Ten play last season.

Ohio State Buckeyes (29-26) (12-12)

Non-Conference Notes – The Buckeyes will start the year with a couple of tough round robin tournaments. They’ll face Auburn, Baylor and Oregon State at the College Baseball Series in Arlington, while they get NC State, Coastal Carolina and Alabama at the Jax Baseball Classic.

Buckeyes Outlook – The Buckeyes have new leadership with head coach Justin Haire coming over from Campbell University. At the plate, Ohio State will have a good mix of returners and transfers. The outfield will have plenty of speed, with Trey Lipsey and Nick Giamarusti back, while they added Horizon All-Freshman team selection Reggie Bussey from Oakland. The infield will be led by C Matthew Graveline, 3B Tyler Pettorini and 1B Ryan Miller. There’s a lot excitement around the addition of Mississippi Gulf Coast CC infielder Marc Stephens who hit over .400 and totaled 70 hits last season. On the pitching side, righty Blaine Wynk is a preseason All-American, while righty Chase Herrell is back after appearing in 19 games as a freshman. Many of the significant roles will be filled by new faces, including a whole host of transfers, led by Youngstown State transfer righty Chris Domke.

The Buckeyes offense should be a solid bunch, but how good this team ends up being will be determined by what happens with the pitching staff. Head coach Justin Haire made the NCAA Tournament five times in nine seasons at Campbell, so he knows what it takes to build a successful team.

Oregon Ducks (40-20)

Non-Conference Notes – Oregon doesn’t have a super treacherous non-conference slate, but will host Columbia and Oregon State for three-game weekends. They will also host the Grand Canyon for a pair of midweek games and have a midweek home-and-home with Portland.

Ducks Outlook – Offensively, the Ducks return nine of 12 players that started at least 20 games last season and that group was one of the best in the Pac 12. 1B Jacob Walsh, SS Maddox Molony and OF Mason Neville return after combining for 44 home runs last season, while hits leader 2B Drew Smith is also back. In total, Oregon brings back six of their top eight hits leaders from last season. On top of that, they added All-MVC Indiana State OF Parker Stinson and Texas State DH Daylan Pena from the portal. On the mound, lefty ace Grayson Grinsell is a preseason All-American and could be followed up by JUCO transfer Santi Garcia from Central Arizona. The bullpen lost its top two, but righty Ryan Featherston is back, while the staff added three top 100 freshmen right-handers, led by Will Sanford.

The addition of all the former Pac 12 schools will be a huge boost to the conference, but Oregon has the coach and the roster to win the Big Ten and host an NCAA Regional. The Ducks could be a sneaky Omaha pick if some of the talent on the pitching staff pans out. 

Penn State Nittany Lions (29-24) (12-12)

Non-Conference Notes – The Nittany Lions open the year at the inaugural Puerto Rico Challenge facing Missouri, Stetson and UConn. The midweek slate includes home-and-home sets with Pittsburgh and West Virginia, plus trips to VCU and Georgetown.

Nittany Lions Outlook – Last season, the Nittany Lions, under former BC head coach Mike Gambino, made a magical run to the Big Ten Tournament Championship game that nobody expected. One of the most dangerous offenses in the conference a year ago, returns star 3B Bryce Molinaro, along with C Matt Maloney and 1B Joe Jaconski. Overall, just three of their top ten hits leaders are back, but All-A10 St Joe’s middle infield transfer Ryan Wiengartner should be a plug, play and produce player. They also added LSU OF transfer Paxton Kling and Hartford CC infielder Jessie Jaconski. PSU made their postseason run despite the way their pitching staff struggles, but their top two relievers, Mason Horwat and Anthony Steele both return. St Joe’s LHP transfer Ryan DeSanto and Iowa Western LHP transfer Logan Olson could both be in the weekend rotation.

It’s hard to argue with the results that Mike Gambino had, getting them within a win of the NCAA Tournament, in year one. That’s as close as they’ve been since they made a super regional run back in 2000. The Nittany Lions lost a lot of offense, but brought in some nice pieces and should have improved pitching.

Purdue Boilermakers (32-24) (13-11)

Non-Conference Notes – There’s not a ton to be excited about on the non-conference schedule, with the Boilermakers opening in Sugar Land, Texas against Stephen F Austin for a four-game series. They get Arizona State and Notre Dame for midweeks in West Lafayette, while they have a midweek home-and-home with Indiana State.

Boilers Outlook – It was a short stay in Omaha at the Big Ten Tournament for the Boilers last season, but they’ll be looking to make it three appearances in four years this season. It’s a veteran middle infield led by returning upperclassmen Camden Gasser and Logan Sutter, while senior Keenan Spence is back in the outfield after tying for the team lead in home runs a year ago. All-MAC Western Michigan transfer 1B CJ Richmond and All-America East NJIT transfer OF Albert Choi will both plug right into the lineup. The pitching staff is replacing it’s whole starting rotation, but they do return RHP Cole Van Assen who started eight games as a freshman last season. Right-handers Avery Cook and Carter Doorn both return to the bullpen after combining for 47 appearances. The coaching staff brought in three JUCO transfers, led by Northeast Texas transfer righty Barron Sawyer.

The Boilermakers had their fair share of departures, but they return some veterans on the mound and in the field. If some of their key transfers can come in and contribute, Purdue will be in the Big Ten Tournament for the third time in four years.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (28-25) (6-18)

Non-Conference Notes – Not usually known for their strenuous non-conference schedules, Rutgers will go on weekend trips to Kennesaw State, Grand Canyon and Coastal Carolina. They also take road trips to Oregon State and UConn in midweek action. 

Scarlet Knights Outlook – Big Ten Player of the Year Josh Kuroda-Grauer and home run leader Tony Santa Maria both depart, as do six of their top nine in total hits from last season. Trevor Cohen and RJ Johnson return in the outfield, while All-CAA Freshman Team Campbell transfer Peyton Bonds will fill out the group. 1B Ty Doucette will lead the charge in the infield after putting together a really solid freshman season at the plate. On the mound, Rutgers loses their two main starters and five of their top six in terms of appearances. LHP Joe Mazza led the team with 24 appearances, while right-handers Jordan Falco and Zack Konstantinovsky each started eight games. Niagara transfer left-hander Preston Prince was the ace for the Purple Eagles and should replace either Sinibaldi or Coppola in the rotation.

The Scarlet Knights were majorly snubbed from the NCAA Tournament in 2022, fell to 5th in the Big Ten in 2023 and missed the Big Ten Tournament altogether last season. They missed out with a couple of talented rosters, and now have to replace several big pieces.

UCLA Bruins (19-33)

Non-Conference Notes – Hosting Vanderbilt, UConn and USC for the Southern California College Classic is the big weekend for the Bruins, while they’ll also host San Diego for a three-game series. Their midweek slate is loaded up, including home-and-homes with UC Irvine and Long Beach State, as well as matchups with Arizona State, Oregon State and Michigan.

Bruins Outlook – Bruins baseball has been known as one of the top programs in the country, including a national title in 2013, but have fallen off the last two seasons, finishing 19-33 last season. They do lose quite a bit on the offensive end, returning just four of 11 players that started 20+ games. The good news is that three of their top four hits leaders are back, led by sophomore 3B Roch Cholowsky and OF AJ Salgado, while sophomore infielder Roman Martin gives the Bruins a talented duo on the dirt. On the mound, UCLA is young, with sophomore’s Justin Lee, Landon Stump and Luke Rodriguez combining for 64 appearances and 21 starts. Shutdown reliever Cody Delviccho is back and they added California transfer lefty Ian May who has experience both as a starter and reliever.

It’s hard to get a gauge on this team, as many of their top returning players were solid freshman contributors and could be due for a sizable jump in year two with the program. It’s also hard to ignore their 19-33 record and the fact that they lost a lot of experienced players. However, it’s UCLA so the talent is there. 

USC Trojans (31-28)

Non-Conference Notes – The Trojans will participate in the Southern California College Classic, with UConn, Vanderbilt and UCLA, but much like the Bruins, the midweek slate is where they’ll get their toughest tests. They have midweek home-and-homes with UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine, while they will travel to Arizona State and Long Beach State for single games. 

Trojans Outlook – USC is the most storied program amongst the newcomers from the Pac 12, with 21 College World Series appearances, but they’ve made just one regional appearance in the last 18 years. The Trojans offense was not good last season, ranking 239th in on-base percentage and they lost their top three in hits, but do return some other solid contributors. The infield will be respectable, with 1B Dean Carpentier, 2B Kevin Takeuchi, 3B Ethan Hedges and LBSU transfer SS Adrian Lopez. In the outfield they have sophomore Brayden Dowd back, while they added UNLV OF Kade Higgins in the portal. On the pitching side, USC was above average last season and return ace right-hander Caden Aoki. Their top two bullpen arms are gone, but Michael Ebner, Brodie Purcell, Fisher Johnson and Mason Edwards combined for 77 appearances.

Again, outside of Oregon, it’s really hard to gauge how the former Pac 12 schools will fare against the Big Ten. It feels like the Trojans level of success will be determined by what happens offensively, but they’ll be in the conference tournament. Last year they made the Pac 12 title game in a format that’s similar to the Big Ten’s new pool play system.

Washington Huskies (19-31-1)

Non-Conference Notes – The Huskies open the season in Conway, SC for a four-game weekend, including games against Kansas State and host Coastal Carolina, while they get two against St Joe’s. The Las Vegas Classic against Texas, Illinois and Texas Tech is their big weekend, while they host Gonzaga and travel to Stanford.

Huskies Outlook – First year head coach Eddie Smith takes over the program after three years as head coach at Utah Valley. The Huskies lost their top offensive player to the portal, but All-Pac 12 OF AJ Guerrero returns, as does catcher Colin Blanchard. They used the portal to add some fresh faces, including UCLA transfer Malakhi Knight and Washington State Casen Taggart in the outfield. Another name to know is freshman outfielder Jackson Hotchkiss who comes to Seattle after passing on the Diamondbacks who drafted him in the 18th Round. The pitching staff has a ton of turnover, with a number of transfer additions, including JUCO transfer Max Banks. Right-hander Isaac Yeager and sophomore righty Jase Evangelista are the top returners, totaling 34 appearances last season.

It feels like the Huskies still have some work to do and this looks to be a bit of a rebuilding year if the first year under Eddie Smith. Some of the offensive transfers are intriguing and will make them a competitive bunch even if they don’t make the Big Ten Tournament.