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February 10, 2009

Big Ten Network Reveals Baseball, Softball Schedules


Network to nationally televise entire Big Ten Baseball Tournament

CHICAGO – The Big Ten Network will nationally televise up to 30 Big Ten baseball games, including the entire Big Ten Baseball Tournament, and 25 Big Ten softball games this spring.  Every game will be produced in high definition.

"With the network now available to more than 70 million people nationwide, the Big Ten Network is thrilled to give increased national exposure to Big Ten baseball and softball,"" network president Mark Silverman said. ""We know that fans will especially enjoy watching these games in HD.""

Every Big Ten baseball team will appear on the network at least three times, plus conference tournament play. The network's live baseball coverage begins with two games of the Michigan State-Illinois series in Champaign.  Game one of the series is slated for 7 PM ET on Friday, March 27. 

Every game on the Big Ten Network baseball schedule will be a conference match-up, including the entire Big Ten Baseball Tournament Wednesday, May 20, through Sunday, May 24.  The event will take place at the new Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio, the home of the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. The event will mark the Big Ten's first neutral-site baseball tournament since 1994.

Michigan is the defending Big Ten Tournament champion and finished atop the 2008 regular season standings with a 42-12 overall record and a 26-5 Big Ten mark.

The Big Ten Network's live softball coverage begins with the Michigan-Northwestern series in Evanston.  Game one of the series is scheduled for 1 PM ET on Saturday, March 21.

Every Big Ten softball team will appear on the network at least three times. The Big Ten Network will televise a softball doubleheader on most Wednesdays as well as selected games on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The Big Ten features two teams listed in the USA Softball preseason top 25, No. 5 Michigan and No. 11 Northwestern, who also shared the 2008 Big Ten Conference title.

The Wolverines prepare for the 2009 campaign after posting a 52-8 record and earning the program's fourth-consecutive NCAA Super Regional appearance.

Northwestern also enters this season as the 2008 Big Ten tournament champions. The Wildcats also are coming off their fourth-consecutive appearance in an NCAA Tournament Super Regional.

2009 Big Ten Network Baseball Schedule
Date                             Time (ET)      Game                                                     
Friday, March 27             7:00pm           Michigan State at Illinois
Saturday, March 28        4:00pm           Michigan State at Illinois
Friday, April 3               4:00pm           Penn State at Michigan
Friday, April 10             7:00pm           Illinois at Michigan
Saturday, April 11          2:30pm           Indiana at Iowa
Sunday, April 12            2:30pm           Indiana at Iowa
Friday, April 17             4:00pm           Iowa at Northwestern
Saturday, April 18          12:00pm         Ohio State at Purdue
Sunday, April 19            12:00pm         Ohio State at Purdue
Friday, April 24             7:30pm           Purdue at Minnesota
Saturday, April 25          3:30pm           Michigan State at Iowa
Sunday, April 26            2:30pm           Michigan State at Iowa
Friday, May 1                7:00pm           Michigan at Ohio State
Saturday, May 2            1:00pm           Michigan at Ohio State
Sunday, May 3              1:00pm           Michigan at Ohio State
Saturday, May 9            3:00pm           Northwestern at Indiana
Sunday, May 10            1:00pm           Northwestern at Indiana
Friday, May 15              6:30pm           Minnesota at Penn State
Saturday, May 16          2:00pm           Minnesota at Penn State
Wednesday, May 20      TBA              Big Ten Tournament Game 1*
Wednesday, May 20      TBA              Big Ten Tournament Game 2*
Thursday, May 21         TBA              Big Ten Tournament Game 3*
Thursday, May 21         TBA              Big Ten Tournament Game 4*
Thursday, May 21         TBA              Big Ten Tournament Game 5*
Friday, May 22              TBA              Big Ten Tournament Game 6*
Friday, May 22              TBA              Big Ten Tournament Game 7*
Friday, May 22              TBA              Big Ten Baseball Tournament Semifinals*
Saturday, May 23          TBA              Big Ten Baseball Tournament Semifinals*
Saturday, May 23          TBA              Big Ten Baseball Tournament Championship*
Sunday, May 24            TBA              Big Ten Baseball Tournament Championship* (If Necessary)

* Tournament will be played at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio

2009 Big Ten Network Softball Schedule

Date                             Time (ET)      Game                                                     

Saturday, March 21       1:00pm           Michigan at Northwestern
Sunday, March 22         2:00pm           Michigan at Northwestern
Sunday, March 29         3:00pm           Michigan State at Illinois
Wednesday, April 1       6:00pm           Illinois at Iowa
Wednesday, April 1       8:30pm           Illinois at Iowa*
Saturday, April 4           2:00pm           Purdue at Michigan
Sunday, April 5              1:00pm           Purdue at Michigan
Wednesday, April 8       3:00pm           Northwestern at Minnesota
Wednesday, April 8       5:30pm           Northwestern at Minnesota*
Saturday, April 11          12:00pm         Indiana at Michigan State
Sunday, April 12            12:00pm         Indiana at Michigan State
Wednesday, April 15     3:00pm           Iowa at Northwestern
Wednesday, April 15     5:30pm           Iowa at Northwestern*
Saturday, April 18          3:30pm           Ohio State at Wisconsin
Sunday, April 19            3:00pm           Ohio State at Wisconsin
Wednesday, April 22     5:00pm           Minnesota at Wisconsin
Wednesday, April 22     7:30pm           Minnesota at Wisconsin*
Saturday, April 25          1:00pm           Purdue at Penn State
Sunday, April 26            12:00pm         Purdue at Penn State
Saturday, May 2            4:00pm           Indiana at Penn State
Sunday, May 3              11:00am          Indiana at Penn State
Wednesday, May 6        5:00pm           Ohio State at Michigan
Wednesday, May 6        7:30pm           Ohio State at Michigan*
Friday, May 8                7:00pm           TBA
Saturday, May 9            7:00pm           TBA

* Game 2 of doubleheader.  Start time may vary.

About the Big Ten Network:

he Big Ten Network is the first nationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With approximately 350 live events, and nearly all of them in HD, the network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. The network operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, showcasing a wide array of classic-to-current sports and televising more Olympic sporting events and women's sports than has ever been aired on any other network. Original programming highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation's finest universities. Each year, the network offers approximately 35 football games, 105 regular season men's basketball games; 55 women's basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Championship events; Big Ten Tonight, a nightly studio show; coaches' shows; and classic games. Available to all cable and satellite providers nationwide, the network currently has agreements with more than 250 affiliates, including AT&T U-Verse, Charter, Comcast, Cox (Cleveland), DirecTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS.

For more information regarding the Big Ten Network, visit www.BigTenNetwork.com.

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