CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — Illinois baseball is headed back to Omaha after securing the No. 9 seed in the 2026 Big Ten Baseball Tournament, the conference announced Monday.
The Fighting Illini will open tournament play against No. 8 seed Iowa at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. The game will air on the Big Ten Network.
Illinois enters the postseason with a 28-25 overall record and a 14-16 mark in conference play under head coach Dan Hartleb. The appearance marks the program’s 15th Big Ten Tournament berth during Hartleb’s tenure.
The Illini and Hawkeyes met earlier this month in Iowa City, where Iowa claimed two of three games in the regular-season series.
This year’s tournament features a new format. Teams seeded fifth through 12th will compete in a double-elimination opening round, while the top four seeds — UCLA, Nebraska, Oregon and USC — receive byes directly into the quarterfinals. Four teams from the opening bracket will advance to the final eight-team single-elimination stage beginning Friday.
The six-day tournament runs May 19-24 in Omaha, Nebraska, with every game televised on BTN and streamed through the FOX Sports App.
