Sat May 24 22:30:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article based on the provided text, summarizing the key events of the second day of the Big Ten Baseball Tournament:
**Big Ten Tournament: UCLA and Iowa Advance to Semifinals After Thrilling Day of Pool Play**
**OMAHA, Neb. –** Day two of the Big Ten Baseball Tournament Presented by IFS.ai delivered a series of exciting matchups at Charles Schwab Field Omaha, culminating in UCLA and Iowa securing their spots in the tournament semifinals.
No. 2 seed UCLA kicked off the action with a hard-fought 8-6 victory over No. 11 seed Illinois in a back-and-forth game that saw four lead changes and two ties. Phoenix Call led the Bruins’ offense with a perfect 3-for-3 performance, helping UCLA reach their 40th win of the season (40-15). Despite a home run from Drake Wescott, Illinois (30-24) concluded their pool play with a 1-1 record.
In a historic matchup, No. 9 seed Penn State edged out No. 5 seed Washington 5-3, marking their first meeting since 1923. Strong pitching from Penn State kept Washington’s offense in check for much of the game, although AJ Guerrero hit a two-run shot in the eighth, equalling the Washington’s all-time home run record (42).
The evening concluded with No. 3 Iowa narrowly defeating No. 10 Rutgers 4-3. Iowa starter Cade Obermueller dominated on the mound, pitching seven innings and allowing only four hits while striking out 10. He was hitting 96 mph on the radar gun. Risley Miles collected three hits for the Hawkeyes (33-20-1), matching the performance of Rutgers’ Big Ten batting champion Trevor Cohen (29-28).
With their respective pool play victories, UCLA and Iowa have advanced to the tournament semifinals scheduled for Saturday. They will face each other for a chance to play in the championship.
First Piper 