Big Ten Baseball Tournament Central: Schedule, Results, Bracket

Key Points:

• The 2026 Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament features a new format where the top four seeds (UCLA, Nebraska, Oregon, USC) automatically advance to the single-elimination quarterfinals, while seeds 5-12 compete in two double-elimination brackets to qualify.
• The double-elimination brackets take place from May 19-21, with winners advancing to join the top seeds in the single-elimination quarterfinals starting May 22, culminating in the championship game on May 24.
• Nebraska enters as the two-time defending champion, while Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio State hold the record for most tournament titles at 10 each.
• The tournament has evolved over the years, expanding from four teams in 1981 to 12 teams in 2025, with recent format changes including a brief experiment with pool play in 2025 before returning to the current double-elimination and single-elimination hybrid format.
• All games will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network, with times listed in Central Time, and the tournament has a rich history dating back to 1981, except for cancellations in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.