Big Ten: Michigan Baseball Coach Erik Bakich Says 'Nobody Wanted' Conference-Only Schedule
Michigan baseball head coach Erik Bakich believed the Wolverines deserved to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. On Monday, the 64 teams competing were announced, and it included three Big Ten programs.
Joining Nebraska and Maryland, Michigan snuck itself in as one of the final four teams considered. The Wolverines finished the season with a 27-17 record, which ranked third in the conference.
"I felt like we, from a talent standpoint, were one of the best 64 teams in the country," Bakich said to reporters on Monday. "But one of the uncrollables is not knowing what is valued by the committee, especially with RPI not meaning anything."
Nebraska and Maryland were the only two teams in the Big Ten to rank inside the top-60 of the Rating Percentage Index. Iowa ranked third in the Big Ten in RPI at 76th, while Indiana ranked 106th.
Both the Hoosiers and the Hawkeyes failed to make the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines, on the other hand, came in with an RPI of 89 and still managed to make the cut. Bakich said the reason the conference's programs ranked so low is due to a conference-only schedule.
"One of the uncrollables for us was the Big Ten's decision to play conference-only, which nobody wanted," Bakich said. "Of the coaching group or the players, nobody wanted a 44-game conference-only schedule."
Without the ability to compete against nonconference opponents, Bakich said all the coaches knew it could negatively affect the league's postseason opportunities.
“The Big Ten, we did this to ourselves,” Bakich said. “I don’t blame the selection committee. I wouldn’t have blamed the selection committee one bit if we were not included."