UIC 23 Northwestern 5

Been - I think with the Big 10 playing 4 game series (including a doubleheader) their teams have to be very careful with using pitchers in non-conf games.
Big 10 rpi is 16 & Horizon is 24, not a huge difference at that level. Sounds like NU just had a really rough day - happens to every team now & then.
Not knocking UIC (good team & program) but they just played two close games with #282 rpi Chicago State and lost 2 of 3 to under .500 Youngstown State. Even the White Sox lose once a week.

The Big 10 is OVERATED.

Head to head this year the Horizon League is 5-1 against the Big Ten. As a rule, however denisr is correct, the Big Ten will not pitch their top 6 pitchers in non-conference games. UIC's first two pitchers against Northwestern were their number one and two starters based upon number of starts.

As far as overrated, I don't think RPI numbers are that inaccurate. I also have never heard anybody saying that the Big Ten is any sort of elite league. Saying that they are the 16th best conference is not by any means bragging.

Zach Peterson is our #1 man, and did not pitch.
I believe it was just a nite that we brought our game, and they didn't. It was a different story last year.

NU will have a couple of pitchers drafted, it just depends on who did the pitching for them. If it was the 3rd or 4th starter, UIC even without Zach would have the advantage. UIC has the better offense w/Gempp, Hallberg, and Babineaux.

The player w/the most projection is NU's Konstas.

Benchwarmer....good call.

16th is about where they belong.

At the beginning of the year teams like Purdue,OSU,Michigan and Minnesota were somehow rated way too high which had the conference around 10th.

I wish them well but they have alway's been kicked around by the MVC and recently have not fared well VS the MAC. Now the Horizon is getting into the act!