'Cats Host Rutgers for Regular-Season Finale

5/17/2017 4:37:00 PM | Baseball

NORTHWESTERN VS. RUTGERS
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	STREAM	RADIO	STATS
Thursday, May 18	Rutgers	3:30 p.m. CT	Miller Park	BTN Plus	WNUR	Stats
Friday, May 19	Rutgers	3:30 p.m. CT	Miller Park	BTN Plus	WNUR	Stats
Saturday, May 20	Rutgers	11 a.m. CT	Miller Park	BTN Plus	WNUR	Stats
Social: Twitter (@NUCatsBaseball and @NU_SportsLive) \| Instagram (nucatsbaseball) \| Facebook Notes: Northwestern

EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern will close out the 2017 regular season this weekend when it welcomes Rutgers to Miller Park for a three-game set beginning on Thursday, May 18 at 3:30 p.m. CT. Game two of the series will take place on Friday at 3:30 p.m., before the teams meet for the finale on Saturday at 11 a.m.

This weekend's regular-season finale marks the final time that eight Northwestern seniors will suit up at Miller Park. Josh Davis, Pete Hofman, Matt Hopfner, Joe Hoscheit, Grant Peikert, Jake Schieber, Joe Schindler and Cooper Wetherbee will be honored for their careers before Saturday's game. Senior Day ceremonies will take place at 10:45 a.m. CT on Saturday.

Northwestern (21-28, 10-11 B1G) enters the weekend in seventh place in the Big Ten Conference standings. The Wildcats jumped up to seventh place from ninth after taking a series win on the road at Maryland last weekend. Northwestern is seeking its first berth to the Big Ten Conference Tournament since 2010.

Rutgers (19-31, 7-13 B1G) is in the midst of playing eight Big Ten games in nine days to close the season. The Scarlet Knights took a series win over Illinois last weekend at home before dropping a make-up doubleheader at Minnesota on Tuesday.

The Scarlet Knights have not yet announced their rotation.

Mike Carter leads the Rutgers offense with a .335 batting average. Carter paces all Big Ten hitters with 70 hits in 50 games and has recorded a team-best 33 RBI, 36 runs scored and 13 doubles. As a team, Rutgers owns a .276 batting average. Northwestern will have to keep an eye on Jawuan Harris when he gets on base. Harris has swiped 23 bases this season, which ranks second in the Big Ten. Rutgers' 6.06 team ERA ranks last in the conference.

Northwestern and Rutgers met in the regular season finale in 2016. The Wildcats took the series from the Scarlet Knights in Piscataway, New Jersey. Northwestern's Connor Lind posted five hits and six RBI last season against Rutgers.