Will Rogers’ three-hit, 8.2 inning showing propels Michigan over Illinois in Big Ten Tournament elimination game, 4-2

OMAHA, Neb. — The pressure of all 58 games that the Michigan baseball team has played in 2024 culminated in one game: the dreaded elimination game.

With both teams facing elimination in the Big Ten Tournament, the Wolverines (32-27 overall, 14-10 Big Ten) rode junior right-hander Will Rogers’ three-hit, 26-out performance in a 4-2 victory over Illinois (34-19, 16-8).

The Fighting Illini would find themselves in a good position to make an NCAA Tournament regional regardless of the outcome of its bout against Michigan. The Wolverines, however, don’t have that same luxury, requiring the automatic bid that comes with a conference-tournament championship. Illinois was playing for pride, Michigan was playing for its season.

After his best hitting performance of his season just 24 hours prior, Rogers got the start on the mound for the Wolverines. Despite catching in the previous two games of the tournament, Michigan coach Tracy Smith decided that Rogers’ services were better served on the mound than behind the dish.

Rogers set the tone early against the best offense in the Big Ten, striking out four of the first six batters. The power-hitting Illini took their normal massive hacks but flailed, missing the ball and looking out at the mound in confusion. His devastating curveball mixed with his mid-nineties fastball had the Illinois hitters fooled, sending them back to the dugout shaking their heads.

In the top of the third inning, the Wolverines gifted Rogers his first semblance of run-support as two walks and a graduate right fielder Stephen Hrustich single brought in the first run of the game, putting Michigan on top early, 1-0.

Despite having the lead, Rogers didn’t allow his focus to wane. He induced a lazy infield pop-up, and struck out his fifth batter of his young outing. Rogers lost his perfect-game bid after four straight borderline strike calls didn’t go his way in an 0-2 count, but he easily collected the third out of the inning to complete three innings of no-hit baseball.

But Rogers wasn’t content with just three innings of dominance. In the fourth inning, he both tied and broke his career-high in strikes with his sixth and seventh, easily navigating the heart of the explosive Illini offense.

The Wolverines’ offense gave Rogers a slightly larger cushion in the fifth inning. Sophomore left fielder Mitch Voit rocketed a triple off of the center-field wall, and Hrustich promptly brought him home with a lazy bloop double that dropped right between the second baseman and right fielder, pushing the lead to 2-0.

The fifth, sixth and seventh innings of Rogers’ outing went just as the first four did. As Rogers continued painting the corners with his fastball and pulling the string with his off-speed stuff, the Illinois offense continued to sulk back to their third-base dugout. 

Seven innings completed, and the outcome that everyone in Charles Schwab Field thought was a pipe-dream was slowly creeping toward reality: Rogers had a no-hitter through seven.

He wasn’t just a pitcher in the game, though. Rogers also slotted into the six-hole as the designated hitter. He already singled in the sixth inning, but up to bat once again in the eighth, Rogers helped himself. Launching a ball just below the yellow line on the left-center field wall, Rogers missed a home run by inches, but settled for an RBI double to give himself one more run to work with on the mound.

The stadium held its collective breath as Rogers stepped onto the mound to start the eighth inning. The fans could taste history — it was just six outs away. But on the first pitch, Illinois right fielder Ryan Moerman punched the first hit of his team’s night through the hole on the left side of the infield. 

Rogers’ no-hit bid was over, but no damage came from the single, as Michigan’s middle-infield turned their nation-leading 62nd double play. Nonetheless, Rogers finished the eighth inning and turned the ball back over to his offense.

To add to the Wolverines’ domination, Voit launched a laser over the left-center field wall to extend Michigan’s lead to 4-0.

Smith sent Rogers back onto the mound in the ninth inning to finish what he had started. But after allowing a walk, an RBI triple and an RBI single, Rogers couldn’t collect his 27th out of the night. But freshman right-hander Dylan Vigue finished the job, inducing a ground ball to shortstop.

Every game that Michigan played in 2024 came down to one night. With all of the pressure on his shoulders, Rogers willed his squad to a victory in dominant fashion, and secured at least one more day in Omaha.

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