Horizon League Baseball Championship Still Up for Grabs in Final Weekend of Regular Season

May 19, 2005

Entering the final weekend of the collegiate baseball regular-season, two teams are vying for the right to be called the "2005 Horizon League Baseball Regular-Season Champions."


The University of Illinois at Chicago (34-18-1), the three-time defending regular-season champion, currently owns the top spot with a 14-6 League record after finishing its conference schedule last weekend with a four-game sweep of then-League leading Youngstown State University.


Second-place University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (21-26), however, controls its own destiny with an 11-5 League mark heading into a four-game weekend set at Youngstown State. The Panthers and Penguins will play a single game Friday, a doubleheader Saturday and another single game Sunday at Eastwood Field in Niles. A Panthers sweep would garner UWM the outright regular-season title. Three wins would result in a co-championship with UW-Milwaukee earning the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Horizon League Championship by virtue of a 3-1 record versus Wright State University, compared to UIC's 1-3 mark against the Raiders.


The Flames, who will conclude the regular season Thursday with a non-conference home game against Indiana University-Purdue University/Fort Wayne (IPFW), can finish no worse than second and have clinched a bye in the first round of the tournament.


Youngstown State (25-24, 7-5), the defending League tournament champion, currently owns a percentage-points lead over Wright State (22-29, 11-9) for third place with the Raiders already having finished their League slate. With three or more victories this weekend over UW-Milwaukee, the Penguins would pass the Panthers for second place and earn a first-round tournament bye. Wright State has four remaining non-League games against Ball State University with single games at Dayton Thursday and Friday, followed by a doubleheader at Muncie Saturday.


Rounding out the Horizon League standings entering the final weekend are Butler University (18-30, 3-9) and Cleveland State University (10-33, 2-14), who will play a four-game series at Forest Hill Park in East Cleveland Thursday through Saturday. The Vikings can surpass the Bulldogs for the fifth seed with three victories by virtue of winning the season series.


The 2005 Horizon League Baseball Championship will be held May 25-28 in downtown Indianapolis at Victory Field (501 W. Maryland St.), the home of the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians. First pitch each day is 11 a.m. Central Time. Single-day tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for senior citizens and youth. All-tournament passes are $20 and $12, respectively. For additional ticket information, contact the Butler athletic ticket office at (317) 940-9390.